Connect with Carmen Sederino Website: illuminatedstory.com LinkedIn: Carmen Sederino YouTube: Illuminated Story Instagram: @illuminatedstory Free Masterclass: Beyond the Keynote Masterclass Connect with Dr. Amy Gershkoff Bolles LinkedIn: Amy Gershkoff Bolles New Venture: aurelialifestylebrands.com Instagram: @spaviamarin Dr. Amy Gershkoff Bolles: From Calling Grandma for a Cabbage Patch Doll to Architecting Obama's Analytics Strategy Episode Description Carmen Sederino sits down with Dr. Amy Gershkoff Bolles, a technology executive, founder, board director, and keynote speaker who has held C-suite roles as CEO, COO, CFO, and Chief Data Officer at companies including eBay, Zynga, and Levi Strauss & Co. Amy was the three-year-old who taught herself to dial the telephone so she could call her grandmother and plead her case for a Cabbage Patch doll. That determination carried her from Cornell to Princeton, where she earned a PhD in quantitative methods, into Silicon Valley, and eventually onto the Obama 2012 re-election campaign as the architect of the advertising and analytics strategy. Carmen and Amy dig into how she crossed from technical roles into broader operating leadership, why she initially spoke for free before a woman at a speakers bureau gave her a talking to, and her new venture investing in luxury brick-and-mortar businesses that give back to their communities. Key Moments Teaching herself to dial the phone at three years old to call her grandmother for a Cabbage Patch doll Sending so many letters to the dean at Cornell that she became the first undergraduate to receive a research grant in the social sciences Getting a survey response rate ten times the norm and having to rent a truck to retrieve thousands of replies from the post office Being called by David Axelrod's team and having her software company acquired by the Obama campaign Speaking for free at her first major engagements until a woman at a speakers bureau told her to charge at least $10,000 Launching Aurelia Lifestyle Brands, her new investment venture focused on luxury community businesses Quotes to Remember "If you are quite determined and you're willing to work hard, you can achieve almost anything if you really are willing to put in that effort." "Anytime a woman anywhere takes the stage to talk about anything, it hopefully will inspire some other women to say that this is possible." Amy's Journey Grew up determined, studied economics and government at Cornell, then earned a master's and PhD in quantitative methods at Princeton. Built a software startup from a single $50,000 cheque into a company with millions in revenue. Was recruited onto the Obama 2012 re-election campaign to lead media planning and analytics. Held executive roles at eBay, Zynga, Bitly, Ancestry.com, Levi Strauss & Co., and others. Named Top 15 Women in AI by Forbes and to Who's Who in America. Recently launched Aurelia Lifestyle Brands, investing in luxury lifestyle consumer services businesses. Advice for Speakers Value yourself from the start. Don't speak for free when you should be charging. Just go for it, because once you step onto a stage the first time, it gets easier to picture yourself doing it again. And for women, especially, raise your hand, because the world needs more women on stages. Free Resource Beyond the Keynote Masterclass About the Host Carmen Sederino is the founder of Illuminated Story, transforming high-stakes presentations into unforgettable performances. With a background in theatre and corporate leadership, she helps leaders create impactful, memorable speaking experiences. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guests and host, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Illuminated Story.
