Balancing leadership, motherhood, and startup life takes more than time management—it takes clarity of purpose and the courage to lead differently.
In this episode, Amanda DeLuca, Founder & CEO of Riley, shares how clarity, empathy, and lived experience have shaped her journey from leadership roles at Google, Eventbrite, NerdWallet, and Etsy to launching a parenting platform that meets families where they are.You’ll hear how Amanda transformed the challenges of early motherhood into a mission-driven business, built a culture of trust in high-growth environments, and learned to protect her priorities without losing momentum.
Tune in to discover how to turn personal insight into innovation, lead with empathy and accountability, and navigate life’s most demanding seasons with purpose.
Key Takeaways:
- From Challenge to Creation – How lived experience can spark impactful innovation
- Lead with Empathy – Balancing compassion with high performance
- Clarity as a Compass – Making confident decisions in uncertain times
- Protect Your Priorities – Setting boundaries to avoid burnout
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Highlights
The key moments in this episode are:
[00:00] Introduction to Beyond Barriers Podcast
[00:27] Empowering Failure and Innovation
[01:17] Meet Amanda DeLuca: Career Journey
[05:00] The Birth of Riley: Solving Parenting Challenges
[13:23] Decision Making: Hats, Haircuts, and Face Tattoos
[18:11] Leadership and Personal Growth
[22:41] Balancing Public and Private Life
[27:21] Balancing Work and Family Life
[24:42] Leadership Lessons from Mentors
[30:54] Handling Criticism and Emotional Reactions
[33:14] Daily Rituals and Family Time
[34:09] Empowerment Through Parenthood
[37:53] Advice to My Younger Self
[44:18] Lightning Round and Final Thoughts -
Lightning Round
Q: What book has greatly influenced you?
A: Radical Candor by Kim ScottQ: What is your favorite inspiring quote or saying?
A: Done is better than perfectQ: What is one word or moniker you would use to describe yourself?
A: The Connector of Dots and People
Q: What is one change you've implemented that made your life better?
A: Saying no more often. It’s freed up my time and energy for the things that really matter.
Q: What power song would you want playing as you walk out onto a stage?
A: Run the World (Girls) by Beyoncé -
Quotes
I love making things and learning how things are built. I love thinking about real problems that people face and thinking about how we can do better.
Amanda DeLuca
Almost no decisions are that magnitude. There will be some, but almost none are actually face tattoos. Mostly there’s just hats and haircuts.
Amanda DeLuca
Everybody benefits when parents and kids get good sleep — more confidence, more rest, more development.
Amanda DeLuca
The fear really isn’t failure. It’s failing silently over a long period of time and having it be much more impactful than it needed to be.
Amanda DeLuca
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About
Amanda DeLuca is the founder and CEO of Riley, the all-in-one parenting platform designed to
provide expert-backed, personalized, and real-time support for parents navigating early
parenthood. Inspired by her own experience as a new mom facing postpartum anxiety and
depression, Amanda built Riley to help parents feel more confident and supported in their daily
decisions. She is passionate about empowering families with science-backed guidance and
advocating for healthy sleep and mental well-being in early parenthood. Amanda lives in San
Francisco with her husband, their wonderful toddler, and two cats.