Fired Up, Not Burned Out: How One CEO Rebuilt After Toxic Leadership - Aubrey Amatelli

Aubrey Amatelli walked away from a toxic executive role, burned out and battling workplace harassment. A year later, she bootstrapped PayRio—a fintech startup focused on cannabis and alternative medicine payments—and hit profitability without taking a salary.

As a single mom of three, Aubrey didn’t just build a company—she built a system designed to withstand chaos. No outside funding. No fluff. Just smart execution, relentless focus, and a culture her team now calls family.

She now leads one of the fastest-growing high-risk payment processors in the country, recently earning “Best Place to Work” from Cannabis Business Times.

In this real-world, founder-to-founder episode, Aubrey shares:

• Why she left a C-suite role after hitting a wall with toxic leadership

• How she bootstrapped with 1099 sales reps and kept costs lean

• The playbook she used to become profitable in year one

• What happened when a key partnership fell apart and cost her seven figures

• How she treats contractors like full-time employees to drive loyalty

• The system she built to manage culture and turnover as she scales

• What she’s doing to prepare for federal cannabis legalization

Key Lessons:
Build Through Adversity – Your worst season can launch your best work
Trust is a Growth Strategy – Aubrey hired people she already knew and built from there
Run Lean, Not Bare – Focus on profitability before scale
Culture Is Earned – Treat your people like people, not payroll
Prepare for the Inevitable – Market changes are coming; build now, pivot later

Host: Tyler Martin, Think Business Podcast
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