Amy Says…
Hello {{first_name}} ,
The stories I’m sharing this week are both from people who could be called rule breakers. This fits well into my week. As it so happens, I’m trying a few new things myself.
When Jacob Englesman told me he was a lactation consultant, I was curious about that because I’ve never met anybody else who is in that field who is not a woman. Of course, there’s no rule about it. And Lucy Bedewi experienced something not uncommon when she was fired from her first job. She went against the grain and used the emotions as fuel to kick of her next steps.
As I mentioned, I'm trying a few new things. I’ve discovered threads. I know it’s not new but I had never explored it. Finally, after much kicking and screaming and resistance have posted a few articles on Substack. It’s where I write about the behind-the-scenes stuff of building the show that doesn’t really fit here.
Ginger simple syrup, lime juice and fizzy water makes ginger ale
I even made my own ginger ale. I don’t even know why. It had no purpose because I don’t really drink soda. I blame too many inspirational reels showing up in my social media feed. It looked like fun.
And I’ve launched a streaming panel style show where I gather women podcasters and YouTubers to talk about being a creator. I call it the Creator Roundtable.
I’d love for you to share with me a place where you either go against the rules or where you are trying something new. Hit reply, I’d love to hear from you.
Table of Contents
Career | From Chef to Queer Lactation Expert Inside Jacob Engelsman’s Unlikely Journey
Jacob Engelsman
When Jacob Engelsman walks into a lactation training, he is usually the only man in the room. It is something he has grown used to. In a field built almost entirely around cisgender women and their newborns, his presence stands out, and so does his specialty: providing lactation support to queer and trans families who have long been an afterthought in the birth worker world.
Engelsman is an Atlanta-based certified lactation consultant, nanny, and author of "Lactation for the Rest of Us," a guide for queer and trans parents published in February 2025 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. His path to this work was neither direct nor obvious. It started with a career in food service, a cross-country move, and a simple realization that he was very good with babies. What it became is something rarer: a professional resource for families navigating one of life's most intimate transitions without a roadmap built for them.
Special offer from the guest for the audience:
GET JACOB'S BOOK: Lactation for the Rest of Us https://bookshop.org/a/87491/9781805011910
Rejection | From Setback to Unicorn Success
Getting fired from your first job out of college is the kind of story most people quietly bury. You dust yourself off, update your resume and hope the next interviewer doesn't ask too many questions about why you left so fast. But for some people, that sting of rejection becomes something else entirely: fuel. The kind that doesn't burn out.
Copywriter and messaging strategist Lucy Bedewi has experienced two significant professional rejections, and both times the fallout reshaped her career in ways she couldn't have predicted. Her story isn't a tidy "failure to success" arc. It's messier and more honest than that, and because of it, far more useful for anyone navigating their own professional setbacks. This episode is for you if you've ever internalized a "no" as proof that you weren't good enough, or if you've wondered whether the thing that just fell apart might actually be pointing you somewhere better.
Lucy Bedewi
Special offer from Lucy for you:
FREE quiz: What's Your Brand Messaging Superpower?
🥰 Community Spotlight
This was an anonymous comment from a guest on the show. I’m thankful for the positive comments however they happen to show up.
Honestly, I'm so impressed with how you organized everything before, during, and after the interview!
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📕 🎧 Things Worth Your Time
This is where we share the cool suggestions for books, podcasts, gadgets that make life better and other fun stuff that our guests share during their interviews.
Jacob suggests the books by Gretchen Felker-Martin (if you enjoy Horror).
Lucy recommends the book: You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
How You Can Support The Art of Imperfect Adulting
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