Inspiring Conversations with Sherry Heyl of Amplified Concepts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherry Heyl.

Sherry, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my career in the late 90s as an IT recruiter, which turned out to be one of the best foundations I could have asked for. I learned early that talent has power, that skills shift markets, and that work is never static. That insight stayed with me.

In 2005, I left traditional employment and built my own consulting practice. I was one of the early social media consultants, helping companies understand how emerging technologies could reshape marketing, training, collaboration, and customer engagement. Over time, that work expanded into digital marketing strategy and eventually into broader business consulting. I ran an agency, acquired another, worked with freelancers across the country, and helped mid-sized companies navigate growth, culture shifts, and new technologies.

But what I really learned along the way is that every technology shift is a human shift. Changing one process affects the entire system — leadership, culture, incentives, and communication. I became less interested in tactics and more interested in how people adapt.

After COVID, and after serving as a VP of Digital in a B2B consulting firm, I began focusing more intentionally on the intersection of AI, leadership, and change. I rebranded Amplified Concepts to help leaders and teams integrate new technology without losing their humanity. My work today centers on guiding organizations through change in a way that is strategic, grounded, and people-first.

Alongside consulting, I’m also an author. My book, Learn to Love the Roller Coaster, explores how individuals and organizations can navigate uncertainty, especially in an era shaped by AI and rapid disruption. It brings together my personal story, decades of consulting experience, and a framework I developed called PATH — Present, Assess, Transition, Harness — to help people move through change with clarity and agency.

If I had to summarize the journey, I’d say I started in recruiting, moved into technology and marketing, and ultimately found my calling in helping people manage change. The throughline has always been this: when the world accelerates, people need both strategy and steadiness. That’s where I do my best work.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road — and I’m grateful for that now, even if I wasn’t at the time.

Entrepreneurship, especially starting in 2005 before social media was widely accepted in business, meant constantly educating the market. I was often ahead of where companies were comfortable going. That creates friction. It also creates revenue volatility. I’ve had seasons of rapid growth and seasons where a major client left and I had to rebuild from scratch.

Running an agency taught me how hard scaling really is. Hiring the right people, managing cash flow, navigating client expectations, and protecting culture are far more complex than they look from the outside.

More recently, the rise of AI has created both opportunity and tension. I’ve seen firsthand how disruptive technologies can empower people — but also unsettle them. Helping leaders navigate that responsibly, without triggering fear or resistance, has required me to deepen my own thinking about change, ethics, and human agency.

So no, it hasn’t been smooth. But the struggles are what shaped my work. They taught me resilience, systems thinking, and empathy. And they reinforced something I believe deeply: change is rarely comfortable, but it’s where growth happens.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I lead Amplified Concepts, a strategy and change advisory firm that helps organizations navigate meaningful transformation — whether that change is driven by technology, growth, restructuring, leadership transitions, culture shifts, or market pressure.

At its core, our work focuses on helping leaders manage change in a way that strengthens performance rather than destabilizes it. We partner with C-suite leaders, HR executives, and marketing teams in mid-sized companies who are facing inflection points — scaling quickly, integrating acquisitions, redefining strategy, shifting culture, adopting new systems, or rethinking how their teams work.

What we do is both strategic and human:

We evaluate the current state of the organization — people, processes, communication patterns, incentives, and leadership alignment.

We clarify the “why” behind the change so it isn’t just a directive, but a shared direction.

We design roadmaps that connect business goals to operational execution.

We train leaders to communicate clearly, make their thinking visible, and guide teams through uncertainty.

We help organizations build internal change capability instead of relying on one-off initiatives.

Where we specialize is in integrated change. Too often, companies treat change as isolated projects — a new system here, a new org chart there, a new strategy deck somewhere else. But every shift impacts the whole system. When incentives don’t match strategy, when communication is unclear, or when leaders assume understanding instead of verifying it, even strong plans stall.

What sets us apart is that we combine systems thinking with empathy. I’ve spent two decades working across recruiting, digital transformation, marketing, and executive advisory roles. I’ve seen how quickly momentum can be lost when leaders underestimate the human side of change — and how powerful alignment becomes when people feel informed and included.

I’m also known for the PATH framework — Present, Assess, Transition, Harness. It gives leaders and individuals a clear structure for navigating uncertainty. Instead of reacting emotionally or pushing blindly forward, PATH creates clarity about where you are and what step comes next.

Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is that Amplified Concepts stands for grounded leadership. We don’t lead with panic. We don’t promise overnight reinvention. We help organizations build the resilience and clarity required to evolve continuously.

What I want readers to know is this: change is no longer occasional. It’s constant. The organizations that thrive aren’t the ones that avoid disruption — they’re the ones that build the internal maturity to handle it well. That’s the work we do.

What makes you happy?
What makes me happiest is watching someone move from uncertainty to clarity.

There is a moment in conversations, whether I am working with a CEO navigating a major shift, a manager stepping into leadership for the first time, or someone rethinking their career, when the fear starts to quiet and they realize they have agency. You can almost see their posture change. That moment never gets old for me.

It resonates deeply because I have lived on both sides of that experience. I have felt anxiety about not fitting in or wondering if I was making the right move. Learning that I could design my own path instead of waiting for permission changed everything. Helping others find that same steadiness is incredibly meaningful to me.

Outside of work, much of my happiness comes from my family and home life. I have three large dogs who are pure love, the kind of unconditional, tail-wagging joy that resets you at the end of a long day. My two sons are pursuing their passions, one in comedy and the other in music, and there is something powerful about watching them step fully into who they are. It reminds me that the goal is not certainty but alignment.

My husband is a talented interior designer/architect who has been involved in several significant projects in Atlanta. I love seeing his work shape the city I care about so deeply. We also work in our garden together, and it is shaping up to be a bit of a sanctuary.

I also value deep conversations with friends, the kind that stretch ideas, challenge assumptions, and open new possibilities. Growth and connection are what energize me.

If I had to sum it up, what makes me happy is seeing people step more fully into their potential. That is the thread that runs through everything I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amplifiedconcepts.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amplifiedconcepts/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmplifiedConcepts
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amplifiedconcepts
• Twitter: https://x.com/AmpConcepts
• Other: https://www.learntolovetherollercoaster.com