Amy McIntosh shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Amy, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me is honestly a mix of purpose, pivots, and a whole lot of balancing. I’m a mom, a full-time Senior Instructional Designer at a tech startup, and I’m also building a microschool from the ground up, so my days rarely look the same, but they all start with intention.
I usually wake up early, hit the gym, spend a moment in prayer, and center myself before the world starts pulling on me. Then I shift into “builder mode” reviewing emails, planning meetups for the week, or checking in with my nonprofit team before I head into my corporate workday.
Once I’m logged into work, I’m capturing knowledge, designing training, meeting with product teams, and helping BuildTime prepare for onboarding dozens of new customers. It’s very fast-paced, but I love the challenge.
After work, I switch hats again. I’m either working on Live2Create’s launch plan, supporting parents or teens, recording a podcast episode, or coaching clients who are transitioning from the 9-5 into entrepreneurship or back into the 9-5 from entrepreneurship. And in between all of that, I’m still a mom running to rehearsals, helping with homework, or cooking dinner.
It sounds like a lot, because it is, but the rhythm works for me. Every part of my day is tied to purpose: developing people, creating learning experiences, mentoring the next generation, and building something that will outlast me.
My days are full, but they’re meaningful. And right now, that’s the season I’m in. Building, serving, parenting, and becoming all at once.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Amy P. McIntosh, but most people know me as Coach Amy P. I’m a mom, a Senior Instructional Designer at a tech startup, a nonprofit founder, and the visionary behind Live2Create Leadership Academy, a faith-centered microschool launching here in Atlanta.
At my core, I’m a builder. I build learning systems, I build leaders, and I build spaces where people can discover who they are and what they’re capable of. My journey started over a decade ago mentoring teens, advocating for the arts in public schools, and helping young people find their confidence and voice. That turned into a nonprofit, which grew into a coaching practice, which eventually sparked the vision for Live2Create.
What makes my work unique is the blend I carry: instructional design meets ministry, creativity meets strategy, and purpose meets real-world readiness. I’m passionate about reimagining education, especially for kids who feel unseen or underserved. The microschool we’re building isn’t traditional by any means… students will learn inside a coworking space, surrounded by actual businesses, with opportunities to earn certifications, complete internships, and develop leadership skills long before graduation.
Outside of school-building, I coach adults who are transitioning out of the 9–5 into entrepreneurship, and I host the Freedom Found podcast, where I talk honestly about calling, purpose, pivots, and faith.
My story is really about becoming, trusting God through the pivots, using every season to grow, and helping others do the same. Everything I’m working on right now is centered on that mission: empowering people, young or old, to step boldly into who they were created to be.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world tried to shape me, I was a creative, curious, purpose-driven little girl who loved to help people and wasn’t afraid to dream out loud. I was the kid who noticed everything, asked a million questions, and saw possibility in places other people overlooked. I cared deeply, felt deeply, and believed I could make things better just by showing up and serving.
Before expectations, titles, and pressure, I was a leader without the language for it. A nurturer. A problem-solver. Someone who naturally stepped in to support, protect, and encourage others. I was imaginative, expressive, and bold in my own quiet way.
And honestly, that girl is still here.
She’s the reason I teach.
She’s the reason I build.
She’s the reason I advocate for kids who don’t fit the mold.
She’s the reason Live2Create exists.
Because the truth is… I’m just helping the next generation hold on to the parts of themselves the world will eventually try to bury. I want them to stay connected to the pure, powerful, gifted version of themselves, the one God created long before anyone handed them a script.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Oh, absolutely. There was a whole season where I was hearing “no” so often it felt personal. I applied for job after job, literally 532 times, and kept getting passed over. I couldn’t find full-time work, the bills were stacking up, and I was questioning everything: my skills, my calling, my timing, my future.
To keep things afloat, I started subbing, which was humbling and honestly not part of my plan. I remember walking into one school just trying to get through the day, and out of nowhere I ended up in this impromptu conversation with the founder of this charter school. She started sharing her story, how she built her school, how she built community, and started with almost nothing but a vision.
And something in me lit up. It was like God whispered, “I didn’t let those 532 ‘no’s’ break you… they were pushing you back toward what I called you to build.”
That moment flipped a switch. Instead of feeling defeated, I felt awakened. I left that school thinking, “Why not me? Why not now? I’ve been dreaming about my own school for years.”
Not long after that encounter, I finally got my “yes”, the job at the startup where I work now. And that yes came right when I stopped chasing validation and started leaning into my assignment.
So yes, I almost gave up. I was exhausted, discouraged, and honestly a little embarrassed. But those 532 “no’s” were seed-planting. They positioned me. They humbled me. They pushed me toward the dream I’d buried under fear and busyness.
What kept me from giving up wasn’t a motivational quote or a sudden breakthrough. It was God’s grace, my community, my children watching me, and that quiet conviction that even when the season is heavy, the assignment is still calling to me.
And honestly? Every time I pushed through those moments, something greater was waiting on the other side. The vision would get clearer. The support would show up. The next step would unfold.
So yes, I’ve had my “almost gave up” moments. But purpose has a way of pulling you forward even when your feelings are trying to pull you back.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
For the most part yes, what you see is really who I am. I don’t have the energy or desire to perform for people. The “public me” is still the same girl who loves God, loves people, loves learning, and will hype you up while pushing you toward your purpose. But I’ll be honest, the public version of me is also slightly the polished version. The real me also gets tired. I have doubts. I have days where I’m overwhelmed, where I question the vision, where I wonder if I’m doing any of this right.
But the core of me? The values, the calling, the heart behind what I do? That’s consistent. I’m not putting on a show. I’m just more intentional in public, more structured, more thoughtful, more “coach mode.” Behind the scenes, I’m a little sillier, love a good time, brunch with friends, an intimate date night with my husband, more relaxed, more vulnerable with my close circle.
So is the public version of me real? Absolutely. Is it the full me? No, but it’s rooted in truth. It’s the me that’s ready to serve, encourage, and lead. The real me just has a little more humanity mixed into the edges.
At the end of the day, I try to live a life where the line between the private me and the public me is thin because integrity matters, and I never want to build a brand I can’t live up to off-camera.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What will you regret not doing?
I’ll regret not building the school God put on my heart. I’ll regret not creating the space I needed when I was younger, a place where kids are seen, stretched, and taught to lead with purpose. I’ll regret not giving this generation the kind of education that actually prepares them for life, not just tests.
I’ll regret letting fear or timing or other people’s opinions talk me out of something I know I’m called to do.
I’ll regret not trusting myself, and not trusting God enough to take the leap.
And honestly? I’ll regret not using my gifts at their fullest. Not mentoring the kids who are waiting on someone like me. Not building the legacy I’m supposed to leave behind.
I don’t want to look back and say, “I had the vision… I just didn’t move.”
That’s the thing I refuse to regret.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.live2create.org
- Instagram: @mycoachamyp | @welive2create
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/amypmcintosh
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@coachamyp
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