Looking to deepen how you approach your life, work + play?

Find the space to be in draft.

I’m here to help you make decisions on purpose for a change.

It took me a long time to get to this point. In fact, I spent many years trying to carve myself into a shape that made other people more comfortable.

I focused on finding answers to other peoples’ questions and developing the impression of authority and confidence, papered over a rattling pile of perfectionism and imposter syndrome.

I took one opportunity after another, always doing the smart thing. The practical thing. The rational thing. 

Until I ended up in a place that I didn’t recognize, doing work I didn’t even enjoy anymore. 

And I kept telling myself that one day, I’d get to do what I wanted to do. Even if I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Even if that thought scared the crap out of me.

Hi there, friend, I’m Amanda Caswell

Writer | Namer | Identity strategist | Personal coach

Certified Integral Coach through 2024

Photos of me by Jenna Wakani

My background for the past 15 years has been in brand strategy + verbal identity, helping hundreds of organizations find the ideas and language to express their ambitions, tell their story and stand out in crowded B2B markets.

My goal has always been to challenge my clients to embrace the ideas guiding the highest aspirations of their business — to use their purpose, vision and values as tools to express themselves in market, create greater alignment and make more confident, generative decisions.

All without doing a lick of that kind of work for myself 😅

So I dove into self-discovery, which ended becoming The Work, unravelling a lifetime of shame. Of good girl conditioning. Of corporate and social burnout. Of fear about my too much-ness and my not enough-ness. Of othering my body, neglecting and restricting it. Of learning to be seen in my vulnerable need for self-expression. Of dreaming about a different kind of future than the one I’d always assumed was the only path to success and safety.

There might have been a default path, but it didn’t have to be my path.

So now, I’m proudly a work in progress. I have found stories + connections that root me in a sense of meaning and contribution in a world that can be so challenging. I have so many areas where I can’t wait to dive in and learn more, yet I’ve got the patience to not overwhelm myself and know I will eventually get there. I hold practices that are for me, just me, that help me feel grounded and spacious and connected to my innermost self. I feel calm and curious about what comes up in my experience. My inner critic has quieted all the way down.

I actually feel excited on Sundays about what my week holds. Because it means meeting up with people like you — smart, capable, creative and willing to believe what’s inside themselves is worth the effort. People who sense an undeniable call, coming from inside the house, whether it’s an idea they want to make real in the world, or simply admitting that something needs to shift.

I get to show up for how people change their lives.
I can’t imagine anything better than that.

I support how people author + embody the deepest stories we carry, about who we are + what we value.

More about me

  • 🐕 I always have dog treats in my right pocket — I’m a dog mom to a rescued mother-daughter Jack Russell duo named Janet + Gordita.

  • 🔮 I’m astro-savvy. Leo sun, Aries moon, and Libra rising here, but most people assume I’m a water sign (it’s the Mercury in Cancer on my midheaven).

  • 💃 I’ve got a big city soul and I walk to get around. Added bonus: there is nothing better for my mood than a midday solo strut down the street.

  • 🥹 I’m a crier — when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m emotionally moved. I used to think this was a liability, but now I know it’s a superpower. My access to emotion helps other people know it’s okay to let it out too.

  • 📚 When I’m not writing words, I’m often reading them. 2024 goal: 52 books! Let’s swap book recs (or add me on Goodreads).

  • 🎶 I LOVE music + am constantly on the hunt for jams. Big fan of dance, pop and groovy psych. Here, check out the latest albums played at my weekly co-working time.)

I’d love to learn more about you!

Sound like we might get along? Let’s chat. Just you and me, thirty minutes in a Zoom room to get to know each other. Simply choose a time that suits your schedule.

🔭 Defining what guides me

My work is rooted in integrity and alignment — in helping clients define what they value, and to find authentic ways to bring it more fully into their lives, work and relationships.

So here’s a chance to look under the hood. Take a look at how I’m currently thinking about the values + principles animating my work and guiding my decision-making. These might change, but that’s living in draft, baby.

FAQs

  • My job is to hold space for what you’re figuring out about who you are and what you value — whether it’s in your work, life or play. I reflect your ideas back with curiosity, compassion and clarity, and we build narratives + practices from there.

    I got to this point by specializing in naming, actually. Naming can be surprisingly subjective and emotionally charged for people — it’s a vulnerable process, and it’s under a whole lot of scrutiny from many different perspectives within a company.

    It takes time and compassion to define an identity and let go of an existing one. My goal is to allow space for honest discussion and for a variety of opinions to come forward, so everyone at the table (including your inner parts) understand their contributions are valued.

  • I live in a city commonly known as Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada. These are the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Neutral and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations, and are included in an agreement called the Haldimand Treaty of 1784.

    Before moving to this part of Southern Ontario a few years ago, I lived in Toronto for more than a decade, and worked from NYC part-time. I grew up in the Greater Toronto Area. My whole life has been lived upon colonized land. This is privilege I try not to take for granted.

    Many days, you can find me in my home office, or in a coworking space in uptown Waterloo. I’m in Toronto about once a month. I would love to connect in person if the timing is right.

    My work is usually remote, which I prefer since it means I can work with clients all over the world. My primary time zone is Eastern.

  • I am only slightly aware of the systemic privileges afforded to me, as a white, able-bodied, queer cis-woman. It is my goal to create welcoming, equitable communities where everyone feels safe, especially those who have historically been shut out of a felt sense of safety, including people who are Black, Indigenous, of colour or identify as LGBTQ2S+.

    I am endlessly thankful for the people who share their wisdom and experience so that I may learn. The work of Ibram X. Kendi, Resmaa Menakem and the University of Alberta’s Indigenous Canada course have been great starting places for me, but I know I have a long way to go.

    I donate monthly to organizations working locally and nationally to support my neighbours and advocate for a better world. I tend to prioritize organizations focused on food security and Indigenous communities. A few of my faves include True North Aid, Foodshare, and Native Women’s Association of Canada.

  • I’ve got a pretty sweet morning routine, including a long park walk with my partner, but I am not a morning person. I’ve always got too many knitting and weaving projects on the go. Live music feels like my version of church. I read tarot for friends, lovers and other strangers (maybe you too?). I watch Survivor every week. My favourite La Croix flavour is coconut.

Let’s go deeper, together