August 26, 2025 • 31 mins
What would you do if you were told you had 24 hours to live—while pregnant? In this powerful episode, Amy Suzanne, the CEO and founder of Pink Stork, unpacks her incredible journey from near-death health battles to building a thriving global wellness brand from her garage. Amy shares how her faith, resilience, and determination not only helped her survive but inspired her to help millions of women navigate their own health journeys. A mom of six, military spouse, and advocate for inclusion, Amy's story is raw, real, and will leave you encouraged.
Get ready to be inspired by what it really means to turn pain into purpose.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Ones who Dare podcast.
I'm your host, vekka, andtoday's guest is an incredible
woman whose personal healthbattles launched into a global
wellness brand.
Amy Suzanne is the CEO andfounder of Pink Stork, a
woman-owned and operatedwellness brand born from a place
of desperation and propelled byfaith and determination.
(00:21):
After enduring multiplepregnancies filled with
life-threatening illness andeven being told that she has 24
hours to live due to severeblood infection, amy refused to
accept defeat.
Can you guys imagine being toldthat you have 24 hours to live?
Like how will that rock yourworld?
But she didn't allow that toknock her down.
(00:42):
Instead, she found healingthrough natural and holistic
remedies developed incollaboration with healthcare
professionals and launched PinkStork in 2015 from her garage as
a military spouse.
You guys, incredible, don't youalso love a good garage founder
story?
And now she's determined tohelp women who are navigating
(01:05):
similar hardships that she oncedid.
And another thing that I loveabout Amy is she is also a
devoted mother of six.
One of her youngest has Downsyndrome, which has inspired Amy
to advocate for inclusion andshape Pink Stork's inclusive
culture.
She's also a strong believer ofstanding firm on her principles
, even if it means being turneddown with business opportunities
(01:27):
.
You guys are going to love Amyand you're going to be inspired
by her story of faith and grit.
And also she was recentlyfeatured in Empowered, a
documentary hosted by Meg Ryan.
If you don't leave inspired bysomeone who not only had 24
(01:49):
hours to live, but someone whohas just determination and grit
I don't know what else I canbring you guys, so tune in and
enjoy.
Hey friends, welcome to the Oneswho Dared podcast, where
stories of courage are elevated.
I'm your host, becca, and everyother week you'll hear
interviews from inspiring people.
My hope is that you will leaveencouraged.
I'm so glad you're here, amy.
(02:20):
Thank you for coming on to theOnce With your Podcast.
Thank you so much for having me.
Well, amy, I've been followingyou on social media and really
just inspired by your story,which is why I wanted to have
this conversation and for you toshare your story with the
listeners so they can beencouraged as well.
And I'm honored to interviewyou because you're not only the
CEO and founder of Pink Stork, aglobal wellness company, but
(02:43):
you're also a mom of six and youhave faced a life-threatening
pregnancy.
So can you share with us alittle bit about your story
leading up to you founding PinkStork that's now impacting so
many women around the globe.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yes, no, of course, I feel like, in a way, a lot of
people might not be able torelate to the story, but they
all.
Everyone has their own storyright, right yeah.
So this is my story and itstarted, you know, when I was
young.
I really struggled with my body, with pregnant, with not
pregnancies with my period, so Inever really had a period and I
(03:19):
was told that I probably wasn'tgoing to be able to have kids.
So when my husband and I firstgot married and then I find out
two weeks later that I ampregnant, it was a huge shock to
myself and my husband.
At the time he was in themilitary, so we had just moved
to Virginia and I didn't knowanyone.
(03:40):
And here I am, I find myselfpregnant and battling what I
thought was morning sickness,but I've come to realize, or
they came to tell me, that itwas actually hyperemesis
gravidarum, which is what 1% ofpregnant women face, and I just
explain it as like morningsickness on steroids.
So I was, you know, throwing upmultiple times a day, living in
(04:05):
the hospital, eight tubes, PICClines, like just everything that
they could to really keep me,as you know, from going into
dehydration.
At one point I had a PICC lineput in me and my PICC line got
infected with a senobacter,which is also pretty rare.
Um, it shut down entirehospitals before, and that's
(04:26):
when the doctor.
I was about 24 weeks pregnantat this point and he told me
that my baby and I had about 24hours left to live.
So I stand here today to saythat that doctor was wrong.
And it was definitely a planthat God had for my life.
But at the moment in time I didnot understand what was
(04:48):
happening.
I felt so out of control withmy body, with life, with what
was going on.
I didn't, I just didn'tunderstand.
And I remember always askingGod like, why me?
Why is this happening?
I don't get this.
You know, growing up I was anathlete.
I was used to my bodyperforming, so to speak, and
(05:08):
this just really kind of hithard for me because it was my
body was shutting down.
So I thought and I did thisfour more times I got pregnant
oh my goodness.
But I know the hyperemesisagain.
Luckily I didn't contract anymore butt infections, but it was
(05:29):
still a challenge as we weremoving all around the country
and my husband was deployed andmissed two of the pregnancies
and births.
So there were differentchallenges that came through
those experiences and with myfourth one is where I really
just hit a wall and I said likeI can't do this anymore, I'm
(05:51):
done.
And I got with a team ofdoctors and I said I really want
to just take a differentapproach with my body.
Previously I'd just been pumpedup on meds and fluids and it
just it wasn't.
They kept me alive, but Iwasn't thriving.
I wasn't able to take care ofmy own kids.
It wasn't, you know, I was justlike isolated in a hospital by
(06:11):
myself.
So they we started likeresearching and basically what
we did was came up with this,really this protocol, which is
now Pink Store, but thisprotocol of just vitamins and
supplements and herbs that I wasgoing to use to help combat my
challenging pregnancies, and itwas I mean when I say it was a
(06:32):
game changer.
It was a game changer for me andI am always like it was so
simple, like how did I, how didI miss this, you know, with my
previous pregnancies?
But it was really just aboutputting in high quality vitamins
and nutrients to my body,giving it what it needed.
And I had an amazing experience.
(06:52):
And I knew that from thatfourth pregnancy, from that
fourth experience, that God, god, had kind of allowed me to go
through these challenging times.
It wasn't about me, it wasabout helping other women.
And so that's when it reallyplaced on my heart to start a
company that would help otherwomen with their bodies and
(07:12):
their own challenges thatthey're facing every day, to be
able to support them withnatural products and ingredients
and vitamins.
So then Pink Spark was born.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Wow, yeah, that's pretty incredible and like,
through your trials, you wereable to create a solution
because you had a problem thatyou were like what is this?
There's got to be another way.
And in your early days, whatdid that look like?
Was it a hit and miss trials oftrying different supplements,
seeing what works that led youto essentially create a business
out of your garages in thebeginning?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Yeah, oh, 100 percent .
You know I always say I waswilling to try anything.
So, um, I, I've tried anything.
I work.
You know, even in my previouspregnancies I was willing to
like try anything, but with thefourth one I was really, I guess
I'd narrowed it down to tryanything within, you know, the
natural realm, really focusingon gut health and vitamins and
(08:08):
nutrients to make the bodystronger.
And so, yes, I was takingeverything and I still feel like
I'm doing that today, not somuch for pregnancies but just
for women's bodies, like I wasjust going through a bunch of
R&D products that were sent tome.
So, in a way, I'm still doingexactly what I was doing, you
know, those, those in thosebeginning years.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Yeah, and also so you're raising a family.
Your husband's deployed part ofthe time, right, You're growing
this business.
How did you keep yourself goingin those early days?
Because, as being anentrepreneur myself too, I know
that there's really hard seasons, especially when you're trying
(08:51):
to launch this business, baby?
Speaker 2 (08:53):
in a sense, yeah, no, that's a great question, and I
I don't know if I know like haveany how to answer that question
, because I felt like I was justdoing what I was called to do
every day.
I am really good atprioritizing my time and I don't
have a problem saying no, so Ithink that probably really
helped me.
I was focused on my family, Iwas focusing on, you know,
(09:18):
supporting my husband while hewas gone, and I was focused on,
you know, helping other womenwith their bodies and and those
were my priorities and anythingthat didn't fit into that, you
know, I said no to.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Yeah, I guess it's.
It's as the saying goes, thatwhen you know your why, you can
figure out anyhow right.
So when you know your missionand why you're doing something,
it's like no, we're going tofocus and keep going.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Wow, that's.
I've never even heard that.
When you know your why, youknow your how.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Yeah, so when you know your why, you can figure
out any how so the how isdoesn't become an issue.
It's like there's a way to dothis, if I know why I'm doing
what I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Exactly, and I felt like, well, maybe that's why it
was so easy then, because I, youknow, when I was laying in bed,
I was like why me, like, why isthis happening to me?
And then I finally got thatanswer.
So, so yeah, the how took careof itself, even though it was.
It's very busy, it's a lot ofwork.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Yeah, I mean, and you juggle so many roles too.
What do you hope that womenfeel when they encounter your
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Speaker 2 (11:05):
A sense of hope, a sense of peace, a sense of
comfort that you know they'renot the only ones that struggle
with their bodies.
And I think being reallyvulnerable is hard for women.
It's hard for me and, eventhough I like to think I'm very
vulnerable, it's something Ihave to be very intentional
(11:27):
about being I'm very vulnerable,it's something I have to be
very intentional about being.
Um, because I do think it's soeasy to kind of put a guard up
and be like, oh, I'll fix thatproblem later, I'll address this
later.
But I think being vulnerablewith yourself and saying like,
no, I'm not my best self rightnow, like there are some things
I need to work on, and, um, Ihope that women feel the support
(11:49):
when they decide to maybethey've already decided, but
when you are vulnerable, youknow they feel supported through
those seasons of life.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Yeah, and I mean, and essentially, our health is so
many different pillars, right,it's not just physical health,
there's the spiritual, theemotional wellness, there's so
many our mental health, all ofthat is combined together.
And I think when we approachhealth from the traditional
medical standpoint, they're justessentially trained to treat
the symptoms by giving you aproduct, to say, okay, if you
(12:24):
have X, here's Y, and then yoursymptoms will go away.
And that's not all doctors, ofcourse, but in general, that is
the standard practice is tell uswhat your symptoms are.
And so when you had symptomsthat were uncurable by doctors
or unexplainable, it's like letme dig more into what is
happening here.
How can I fix this and find myown path?
(12:44):
So I love that you didn't juststop there.
You allow this to carve adifferent way of like.
How can I find the solution forthis?
Because this isn't okay.
And now that problem is helpingso many women.
You have over, like what?
Over a hundred products by now.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
I think, yeah 157 products and we've got 12 more
coming out, so lots of productsto be able to address all sorts
of challenges that women facewith their bodies.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
And you have some things for like premenopause and
menopause as well, becausethat's a hot topic too.
Now that's being vulnerablyshared on the internet, which
before it was such a taboo.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
I love it, I love it, it's great.
But, yes, lots of products forthe perimenopause phase and the
menopause phase as well.
So you know, as women we havevery delicate, complicated
bodies that need support andthat need to be looked at, not
just from oh, you have X goingon.
Here's the solution, becauseit's a little different for
(13:45):
everyone and it does encompassher mental, physical, emotional
state, spiritual too.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Yeah, I also love the part about your story is how
you were just bold and going forit and I know you said it's
because you had to figure outwhat's going on and create that
solution.
But what would you say tosomeone listening?
Maybe they feel like they needto do something, but they're
just really scared to take thatinitial step.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Right, they need to do something, but they're just
really scared to take thatinitial step, Right.
I would say I mean it's funnythat you say that, but I don't
feel like I was like thatbecause I really grappled with
like I was angry, I wasfrustrated.
I would say it's okay to feelthat way If you don't feel like
stepping out yet, like giveyourself a little bit of time,
feel those emotions of fear, andyou know not understanding
(14:30):
things that that is okay.
I don't want people to justbypass that and jump, because I
do think that working throughthose emotions will help you get
to the place where you do justtake the leap of faith and get
there, but don't suppress any ofthose feelings, because they're
going to help lead you to thatplace where you're trying to go.
(14:53):
It's part of the journey.
I guess is what I'm trying tosay.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Yeah, that's such a good point too, because
sometimes you do have to wrestlewith that and figure out more
you know before just kind ofblindly jumping into it.
There's an aspect of being boldand just taking that step.
And then there's, you know, thewisdom of having all the
figuring out some things priorto taking that big step.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yes, I like to think of that like roots in the ground
, like those roots are diggingdeep and they're going to serve
you for a really long time.
So really develop those strongroots because, no matter what it
is, whatever you're beingcalled to, I guarantee you that
you're going to need those roots.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Call to I guarantee you that you're going to need
those rates?
Yes for sure.
Well, Amy, as a CEO and wife,mom of six, your leadership
style looks a little bitdifferent from the typical
corporate model.
You have a very community-basedbrand, which is amazing.
How would you describe yourleadership styles, and what
values do you feel shape the waythat you lead your team?
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(15:49):
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Speaker 2 (16:28):
My leadership style, I would say I have really high
expectations for myself and myteam.
So, while I do it because Ifeel so called to serve other
people and so I want to makesure that excellence is a part
(16:48):
of my leadership style I reallystrive to have the best teams
and the best what I call playerson our team.
That way we can best servewomen all around the world.
So I set the bar really high.
I have high expectations for myteam.
I also love people to fail.
(17:09):
I always tell them fail, likefailing is how you learn, and
that's how this company came tobe is because I allowed myself
room to fail and grow and learn,and I really want to empower my
team to be able to do the sameto grow and learn and fail and
have the room to fail.
(17:31):
I'm a big.
I move really fast.
I have a lot of thingshappening in my life and outside
of work.
Work is just one part of it.
So I'm very protective of mytime and I expect a lot from
people.
I expect a lot from peoplebecause there are so many
aspects, I think, to my life.
It's not just I'm just workingand this is all I have.
(17:54):
I have six kids at home.
You know.
I've got a special needs child.
I've got my husband, I've gotfamily, friends.
I'm very big on work life.
I don't think there's suchthing as balance, but I think
there's such thing as but Ithink there's a thing as
prioritizing that, and so Iprioritize that in the time that
I lot to for work, I expecteverything to get done in that
(18:17):
time in an excellent manner andto move fast.
I would say I'm pretty fast.
I also say I'm very friendly,like down to earth.
I feel like that sounds alittle scary, but I am very
casual too.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
I guess you could say Sarah Blakely is the Spanx
(18:51):
founder and she talked about howher dad, at dinnertime, would
always ask them where did youfail?
And when they share the stories, it's like he rewarded them, he
applauded them for like heexpected them to have a story of
failure every dinner,essentially, and that just
taught her that failing isimportant to success.
And you know, anybody whosucceeded has failed multiple
times over or had multiplebusinesses before they launched
(19:12):
the one that worked, or aproduct.
You know you tried this one andthat one and that didn't work,
and this prototype is notworking.
And then you get to the finalone that's like, ah yes, but if
you never allowed yourself tofail, you would have never got
there.
So I'm curious to how do youcultivate that in your team of a
having high expectations butthen also saying, hey, it's okay
to fail?
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Right.
So we have core values and oneof our core values is
entrepreneurial spirit, and I,everyone within the company,
every month, gets evaluated onhow they're doing with our core
values.
And so under the entrepreneurspirit is is failure.
And so under the entrepreneurspirit is failure.
And so we talk every monthabout how people are failing and
(19:55):
how they're learning and howthey're growing under that core
value of encompassing thatentrepreneurial spirit of
failure.
Try and figure it out.
No, is just another way to getto where we're going.
So the whole company.
It doesn't matter what positionyou have, you get evaluated on
that.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
I love that.
That is amazing and teams needthat, so that's one way to
cultivate an amazing communitythat you built as well.
What is the legacy you hope toleave with everything that
you're building?
Speaker 2 (20:25):
That's a great question too.
So I'm you know I've turneddown multiple offers for the
company before fromorganizations that obviously
want to come in and purchase itand I I feel like Pinkstork has
such a special message to bringto the world, especially in the
space of wellness and women'swellness and women's wellness.
I hope you know so I'm nottrying to.
(20:48):
I don't want to sell thiscompany.
I want this to be a legacycompany where the message, the
mission is really protected forfuture generations, for our
granddaughters.
Um, and I hope the messagecontinues to stay the same where
women feel supported and seenand heard and loved.
Um, I bring faith into mybusiness, I bring it into every
(21:14):
area of my life.
So you know, I always say we'reguided by God's love and
compassion here with everythingthat we do at Pinkstork and I
hope for generations that thatcontinues to be part of the
mission, of why we exist.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
That's so beautiful.
I love that.
Well, what would you say,having been through yourself,
you've been through really hardtimes of a having 24 hours to
live.
Not many of us get that.
You know, this is yourdiagnosis.
Or what would you say tosomeone who's really in the
middle of something really hardand they just feel like they
can't grasp the surface?
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yes, I mean, I would say it's hard, for one for sure
it's, it's really hard.
But I would say, if you canreally hold on to faith and
learn to trust that this is justa part of your story, not the
end of your story.
Um's really what's you know?
(22:12):
Looking, coming from where Isit today, I thought it was the
end of my story and I didn'tunderstand.
So, learning that you know it'sjust you're going to have these
hard times throughout yourjourney and that that's not
where the story ends, it's justpart of the path that you're on
and I think everyone has thosehard moments.
(22:33):
It's not just you know you orme, we all have our own stories
and things.
So it's just part of thejourney, but you get to control
the destiny where you're going.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Yeah, and would you say how much of it has been the
either faith, mindset or thevision that you have as far as
like your thoughts?
Right, Because our thoughtscreate our reality.
So have have you applied thatLike?
I'm just curious to see how youuse that.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yes, I'm a I'm a huge believer on you know your, your
mind controls your body.
So what, what you think aboutyourself, what you say to
yourself, really matters andit's really going to dictate, I
think, how you know how, whereyou're going, where you're going
.
So having a really positivemindset is so important.
(23:23):
And I, I don't.
You can have a positive mindsetand still be angry.
You can have a positive mindsetand still be frustrated or
still not understand why.
But I do think that having apositive mindset is so important
to your destiny and whereyou're going and helping you get
there.
Because I don't know.
(23:45):
I just remember, like I saidlaying there, being like why,
why, why.
But I also knew deep down thatthere was a sense.
I said laying there, being likewhy, why, why.
But I also knew deep down thatthere was a sense of peace, that
God was in control and thatthis was just part of my journey
, not the end of my story.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Yeah, that's so beautiful, I mean, and that can
keep you going, because it'slike wait, I don't have to take
this diagnosis that the doctorsare telling me today.
It doesn't have to define who Iam and like, if you don't agree
with that, you know you'refighting for that internally.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Right, right, yes, and you need your, your mental.
You need that mental clarity,you need that mental toughness,
so to speak, to be able to getthrough those moments where
maybe they are saying you onlyhave 24 hours to live or that
this is the end of the road foryou.
And that's why I do think thatentrepreneurial like no, this
isn't the end of the road, thisis just a path, this is just a
(24:35):
turn, a twist to where you'regoing.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Yeah, I love that.
What are top threetransformational pivotal books
that you read?
Oh, they kind of changedepending on the season, right?
It's like oh wait, I love thisone right now depending on the
season.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Um, let's see, I've I've been rereading the book
mindset, um, which is reallygood, by Carol Dwight.
Oh, yeah, that is a really goodone.
Yeah, that's a good one.
Um, I'm trying to think also, I, I love, I love bibliographies,
so I read as manybibliographies as I can.
(25:18):
I'm trying to think of I readabout 10 books all at once, so
this is Same, I know.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
I'm like and I have a book in my bathroom.
There's books on my nightstandand like everywhere.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
And my husband, yes, and like my husband's, like
there's books on my nightstandand like everywhere and my
husband's like what's going on?
Speaker 1 (25:31):
when I go to the sauna at the gym I have a book.
It's just like you know alittle crazy.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
So there's I always have.
I feel like I'm always tryingto collect information, but I
really resonate withautobiographies or biographies.
So I love to read otherpeople's stories because I feel
like you can draw inspirationfrom other people's lives.
Walt Disney was reallyinteresting I was actually just
rereading that.
(25:59):
Charlie Wungers is really goodI'm trying to think actually
Anne Frank.
So my daughter's reading AnneFrank.
We're reading that togetherno-transcript.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
you know, maybe I'm not going to open my own
wellness company, but I knowthat I can overcome this or take
some of her advice and piecesof wisdom that you share to be
applied in their lives.
So I love that.
Yes, so, amy, what is thebravest thing that you have ever
done?
Speaker 2 (26:51):
that's an interesting question too.
I feel like your questions areso good.
They're making me really thinkthe bravest thing I've ever done
.
I don't necessarily know if Iwould call myself brave.
I think when I think of that, Ithink like what is my fear?
Like what's the opposite ofbrave?
Like what am I scared of?
Um, I don't necessarily know ifI have a lot of fear in my life
(27:14):
.
I'm not.
I'm not one to be afraid ofthings.
But you know when I would sayanother thing is my son, my
youngest son, has Down syndromeand I felt a lot of fear.
I didn't feel brave.
I felt a lot of fear duringthat pregnancy when they were
telling me hey, you know, it'sabout 95% chance that he's going
(27:36):
to be born with Down syndrome.
And I grappled with that a lotduring that pregnancy, using the
emotions and the highs and thelows.
So if anyone out there has aspecial needs child, you might
understand this.
But I feel like raising him.
He's two now and he makes mebrave.
(27:56):
I feel like he helps me bebrave every day.
He just has such a positiveoutlook on life and every day is
his best day.
He's living his best life everysingle day and I just love that
perspective that he allows meto have to gain.
Um, just watching him and allthose little moments where
you're making decisions and it'sgoing to affect other people's
(28:18):
lives, whether it's you knowcustomers or potential customers
or our employees here and so,um, I don't know he has to give
me a perspective on on beingbrave.
I don't know if I have to giveme a perspective on being brave,
I don't know if I have.
What is the bravest thing, butI feel like you know, there was
obviously a point where theysaid do you want to terminate
the pregnancy because of himhaving Down syndrome?
(28:40):
And absolutely not.
So he's just, he's such ablessing in my whole family's
life.
I feel like to this world.
Really he's an angel in thisworld.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Oh, that is so special.
I love that you went from yourdoctors telling you you can't
have any kids at all, you'llnever get pregnant, to having
six.
Like wow, that's incredible.
And the last question is,before we wrap up, is what is
the best advice that someonegave you?
Speaker 2 (29:13):
I think, as a mom, as a woman that's also running a
company I forget exactly whosaid it to me, but she said you
can have it all, just not at thesame time, and that helps me.
You know, there's a time andseason for everything in life,
and so when the Amy in me wantsto get things done and move
faster and get all you know hasall these great plans for
(29:33):
everything, reminding myselfthat I can have it all, just not
all at the same time, is reallyimportant for me.
I love that.
I always go back to that.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
That is such good advice and I feel like another
guest on the podcast has saidthat too and they're just like
it transformed my life.
It's like, okay, I can have itall, just not all at once.
You know, because everything isan exchange.
Right, when you're investing,when there's a season of
essential, like growth for yourcompany, for example, you have
to put a lot more time or effort, energy into that season, and
(30:06):
then you launch that product andnow you can let off a bit and
you can focus on other things.
And, yes, some people aremisunderstanding in a sense that
it's like, oh my gosh, how doyou do it all all the things?
But it's like, okay, it's alsolike you said, time management,
prioritizing and not doing itall at once because we can't.
We can only handle so much.
(30:27):
Well, amy, I know your time isso precious, so thank you so
much for being on the Once weDare podcast and inspiring women
all over the world.
Well, thank you for having me.
Thank you for listening to theOnce we Dare podcast.
It is an honor to share theseencouraging stories with you.
If you enjoy the show, I wouldlove for you to tell your
friends, leave us a reviewerrating and subscribe to wherever
(30:47):
you listen to podcasts, becausethis helps others discover the
show.
You can find me on my website,zvekapopovcom.
Welcome to the Ones who Dare podcast.
I'm your host, vekka, andtoday's guest is an incredible
woman whose personal healthbattles launched into a global
wellness brand.
Amy Suzanne is the CEO andfounder of Pink Stork, a
woman-owned and operatedwellness brand born from a place
of desperation and propelled byfaith and determination.
(00:21):
After enduring multiplepregnancies filled with
life-threatening illness andeven being told that she has 24
hours to live due to severeblood infection, amy refused to
accept defeat.
Can you guys imagine being toldthat you have 24 hours to live?
Like how will that rock yourworld?
But she didn't allow that toknock her down.
(00:42):
Instead, she found healingthrough natural and holistic
remedies developed incollaboration with healthcare
professionals and launched PinkStork in 2015 from her garage as
a military spouse.
You guys, incredible, don't youalso love a good garage founder
story?
And now she's determined tohelp women who are navigating
(01:05):
similar hardships that she oncedid.
And another thing that I loveabout Amy is she is also a
devoted mother of six.
One of her youngest has Downsyndrome, which has inspired Amy
to advocate for inclusion andshape Pink Stork's inclusive
culture.
She's also a strong believer ofstanding firm on her principles
, even if it means being turneddown with business opportunities
(01:27):
.
You guys are going to love Amyand you're going to be inspired
by her story of faith and grit.
And also she was recentlyfeatured in Empowered, a
documentary hosted by Meg Ryan.
If you don't leave inspired bysomeone who not only had 24
(01:49):
hours to live, but someone whohas just determination and grit
I don't know what else I canbring you guys, so tune in and
enjoy.
Hey friends, welcome to the Oneswho Dared podcast, where
stories of courage are elevated.
I'm your host, becca, and everyother week you'll hear
interviews from inspiring people.
My hope is that you will leaveencouraged.
I'm so glad you're here, amy.
(02:20):
Thank you for coming on to theOnce With your Podcast.
Thank you so much for having me.
Well, amy, I've been followingyou on social media and really
just inspired by your story,which is why I wanted to have
this conversation and for you toshare your story with the
listeners so they can beencouraged as well.
And I'm honored to interviewyou because you're not only the
CEO and founder of Pink Stork, aglobal wellness company, but
(02:43):
you're also a mom of six and youhave faced a life-threatening
pregnancy.
So can you share with us alittle bit about your story
leading up to you founding PinkStork that's now impacting so
many women around the globe.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yes, no, of course, I feel like, in a way, a lot of
people might not be able torelate to the story, but they
all.
Everyone has their own storyright, right yeah.
So this is my story and itstarted, you know, when I was
young.
I really struggled with my body, with pregnant, with not
pregnancies with my period, so Inever really had a period and I
(03:19):
was told that I probably wasn'tgoing to be able to have kids.
So when my husband and I firstgot married and then I find out
two weeks later that I ampregnant, it was a huge shock to
myself and my husband.
At the time he was in themilitary, so we had just moved
to Virginia and I didn't knowanyone.
(03:40):
And here I am, I find myselfpregnant and battling what I
thought was morning sickness,but I've come to realize, or
they came to tell me, that itwas actually hyperemesis
gravidarum, which is what 1% ofpregnant women face, and I just
explain it as like morningsickness on steroids.
So I was, you know, throwing upmultiple times a day, living in
(04:05):
the hospital, eight tubes, PICClines, like just everything that
they could to really keep me,as you know, from going into
dehydration.
At one point I had a PICC lineput in me and my PICC line got
infected with a senobacter,which is also pretty rare.
Um, it shut down entirehospitals before, and that's
(04:26):
when the doctor.
I was about 24 weeks pregnantat this point and he told me
that my baby and I had about 24hours left to live.
So I stand here today to saythat that doctor was wrong.
And it was definitely a planthat God had for my life.
But at the moment in time I didnot understand what was
(04:48):
happening.
I felt so out of control withmy body, with life, with what
was going on.
I didn't, I just didn'tunderstand.
And I remember always askingGod like, why me?
Why is this happening?
I don't get this.
You know, growing up I was anathlete.
I was used to my bodyperforming, so to speak, and
(05:08):
this just really kind of hithard for me because it was my
body was shutting down.
So I thought and I did thisfour more times I got pregnant
oh my goodness.
But I know the hyperemesisagain.
Luckily I didn't contract anymore butt infections, but it was
(05:29):
still a challenge as we weremoving all around the country
and my husband was deployed andmissed two of the pregnancies
and births.
So there were differentchallenges that came through
those experiences and with myfourth one is where I really
just hit a wall and I said likeI can't do this anymore, I'm
(05:51):
done.
And I got with a team ofdoctors and I said I really want
to just take a differentapproach with my body.
Previously I'd just been pumpedup on meds and fluids and it
just it wasn't.
They kept me alive, but Iwasn't thriving.
I wasn't able to take care ofmy own kids.
It wasn't, you know, I was justlike isolated in a hospital by
(06:11):
myself.
So they we started likeresearching and basically what
we did was came up with this,really this protocol, which is
now Pink Store, but thisprotocol of just vitamins and
supplements and herbs that I wasgoing to use to help combat my
challenging pregnancies, and itwas I mean when I say it was a
(06:32):
game changer.
It was a game changer for me andI am always like it was so
simple, like how did I, how didI miss this, you know, with my
previous pregnancies?
But it was really just aboutputting in high quality vitamins
and nutrients to my body,giving it what it needed.
And I had an amazing experience.
(06:52):
And I knew that from thatfourth pregnancy, from that
fourth experience, that God, god, had kind of allowed me to go
through these challenging times.
It wasn't about me, it wasabout helping other women.
And so that's when it reallyplaced on my heart to start a
company that would help otherwomen with their bodies and
(07:12):
their own challenges thatthey're facing every day, to be
able to support them withnatural products and ingredients
and vitamins.
So then Pink Spark was born.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Wow, yeah, that's pretty incredible and like,
through your trials, you wereable to create a solution
because you had a problem thatyou were like what is this?
There's got to be another way.
And in your early days, whatdid that look like?
Was it a hit and miss trials oftrying different supplements,
seeing what works that led youto essentially create a business
out of your garages in thebeginning?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Yeah, oh, 100 percent .
You know I always say I waswilling to try anything.
So, um, I, I've tried anything.
I work.
You know, even in my previouspregnancies I was willing to
like try anything, but with thefourth one I was really, I guess
I'd narrowed it down to tryanything within, you know, the
natural realm, really focusingon gut health and vitamins and
(08:08):
nutrients to make the bodystronger.
And so, yes, I was takingeverything and I still feel like
I'm doing that today, not somuch for pregnancies but just
for women's bodies, like I wasjust going through a bunch of
R&D products that were sent tome.
So, in a way, I'm still doingexactly what I was doing, you
know, those, those in thosebeginning years.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Yeah, and also so you're raising a family.
Your husband's deployed part ofthe time, right, You're growing
this business.
How did you keep yourself goingin those early days?
Because, as being anentrepreneur myself too, I know
that there's really hard seasons, especially when you're trying
(08:51):
to launch this business, baby?
Speaker 2 (08:53):
in a sense, yeah, no, that's a great question, and I
I don't know if I know like haveany how to answer that question
, because I felt like I was justdoing what I was called to do
every day.
I am really good atprioritizing my time and I don't
have a problem saying no, so Ithink that probably really
helped me.
I was focused on my family, Iwas focusing on, you know,
(09:18):
supporting my husband while hewas gone, and I was focused on,
you know, helping other womenwith their bodies and and those
were my priorities and anythingthat didn't fit into that, you
know, I said no to.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Yeah, I guess it's.
It's as the saying goes, thatwhen you know your why, you can
figure out anyhow right.
So when you know your missionand why you're doing something,
it's like no, we're going tofocus and keep going.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Wow, that's.
I've never even heard that.
When you know your why, youknow your how.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Yeah, so when you know your why, you can figure
out any how so the how isdoesn't become an issue.
It's like there's a way to dothis, if I know why I'm doing
what I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Exactly, and I felt like, well, maybe that's why it
was so easy then, because I, youknow, when I was laying in bed,
I was like why me, like, why isthis happening to me?
And then I finally got thatanswer.
So, so yeah, the how took careof itself, even though it was.
It's very busy, it's a lot ofwork.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Yeah, I mean, and you juggle so many roles too.
What do you hope that womenfeel when they encounter your
product or your story At theOnce For a Day podcast?
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Speaker 2 (11:05):
A sense of hope, a sense of peace, a sense of
comfort that you know they'renot the only ones that struggle
with their bodies.
And I think being reallyvulnerable is hard for women.
It's hard for me and, eventhough I like to think I'm very
vulnerable, it's something Ihave to be very intentional
(11:27):
about being I'm very vulnerable,it's something I have to be
very intentional about being.
Um, because I do think it's soeasy to kind of put a guard up
and be like, oh, I'll fix thatproblem later, I'll address this
later.
But I think being vulnerablewith yourself and saying like,
no, I'm not my best self rightnow, like there are some things
I need to work on, and, um, Ihope that women feel the support
(11:49):
when they decide to maybethey've already decided, but
when you are vulnerable, youknow they feel supported through
those seasons of life.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Yeah, and I mean, and essentially, our health is so
many different pillars, right,it's not just physical health,
there's the spiritual, theemotional wellness, there's so
many our mental health, all ofthat is combined together.
And I think when we approachhealth from the traditional
medical standpoint, they're justessentially trained to treat
the symptoms by giving you aproduct, to say, okay, if you
(12:24):
have X, here's Y, and then yoursymptoms will go away.
And that's not all doctors, ofcourse, but in general, that is
the standard practice is tell uswhat your symptoms are.
And so when you had symptomsthat were uncurable by doctors
or unexplainable, it's like letme dig more into what is
happening here.
How can I fix this and find myown path?
(12:44):
So I love that you didn't juststop there.
You allow this to carve adifferent way of like.
How can I find the solution forthis?
Because this isn't okay.
And now that problem is helpingso many women.
You have over, like what?
Over a hundred products by now.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
I think, yeah 157 products and we've got 12 more
coming out, so lots of productsto be able to address all sorts
of challenges that women facewith their bodies.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
And you have some things for like premenopause and
menopause as well, becausethat's a hot topic too.
Now that's being vulnerablyshared on the internet, which
before it was such a taboo.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
I love it, I love it, it's great.
But, yes, lots of products forthe perimenopause phase and the
menopause phase as well.
So you know, as women we havevery delicate, complicated
bodies that need support andthat need to be looked at, not
just from oh, you have X goingon.
Here's the solution, becauseit's a little different for
(13:45):
everyone and it does encompassher mental, physical, emotional
state, spiritual too.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Yeah, I also love the part about your story is how
you were just bold and going forit and I know you said it's
because you had to figure outwhat's going on and create that
solution.
But what would you say tosomeone listening?
Maybe they feel like they needto do something, but they're
just really scared to take thatinitial step.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Right, they need to do something, but they're just
really scared to take thatinitial step, Right.
I would say I mean it's funnythat you say that, but I don't
feel like I was like thatbecause I really grappled with
like I was angry, I wasfrustrated.
I would say it's okay to feelthat way If you don't feel like
stepping out yet, like giveyourself a little bit of time,
feel those emotions of fear, andyou know not understanding
(14:30):
things that that is okay.
I don't want people to justbypass that and jump, because I
do think that working throughthose emotions will help you get
to the place where you do justtake the leap of faith and get
there, but don't suppress any ofthose feelings, because they're
going to help lead you to thatplace where you're trying to go.
(14:53):
It's part of the journey.
I guess is what I'm trying tosay.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Yeah, that's such a good point too, because
sometimes you do have to wrestlewith that and figure out more
you know before just kind ofblindly jumping into it.
There's an aspect of being boldand just taking that step.
And then there's, you know, thewisdom of having all the
figuring out some things priorto taking that big step.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yes, I like to think of that like roots in the ground
, like those roots are diggingdeep and they're going to serve
you for a really long time.
So really develop those strongroots because, no matter what it
is, whatever you're beingcalled to, I guarantee you that
you're going to need those roots.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Call to I guarantee you that you're going to need
those rates?
Yes for sure.
Well, Amy, as a CEO and wife,mom of six, your leadership
style looks a little bitdifferent from the typical
corporate model.
You have a very community-basedbrand, which is amazing.
How would you describe yourleadership styles, and what
values do you feel shape the waythat you lead your team?
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(15:49):
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Speaker 2 (16:28):
My leadership style, I would say I have really high
expectations for myself and myteam.
So, while I do it because Ifeel so called to serve other
people and so I want to makesure that excellence is a part
(16:48):
of my leadership style I reallystrive to have the best teams
and the best what I call playerson our team.
That way we can best servewomen all around the world.
So I set the bar really high.
I have high expectations for myteam.
I also love people to fail.
(17:09):
I always tell them fail, likefailing is how you learn, and
that's how this company came tobe is because I allowed myself
room to fail and grow and learn,and I really want to empower my
team to be able to do the sameto grow and learn and fail and
have the room to fail.
(17:31):
I'm a big.
I move really fast.
I have a lot of thingshappening in my life and outside
of work.
Work is just one part of it.
So I'm very protective of mytime and I expect a lot from
people.
I expect a lot from peoplebecause there are so many
aspects, I think, to my life.
It's not just I'm just workingand this is all I have.
(17:54):
I have six kids at home.
You know.
I've got a special needs child.
I've got my husband, I've gotfamily, friends.
I'm very big on work life.
I don't think there's suchthing as balance, but I think
there's such thing as but Ithink there's a thing as
prioritizing that, and so Iprioritize that in the time that
I lot to for work, I expecteverything to get done in that
(18:17):
time in an excellent manner andto move fast.
I would say I'm pretty fast.
I also say I'm very friendly,like down to earth.
I feel like that sounds alittle scary, but I am very
casual too.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
I guess you could say Sarah Blakely is the Spanx
(18:51):
founder and she talked about howher dad, at dinnertime, would
always ask them where did youfail?
And when they share the stories, it's like he rewarded them, he
applauded them for like heexpected them to have a story of
failure every dinner,essentially, and that just
taught her that failing isimportant to success.
And you know, anybody whosucceeded has failed multiple
times over or had multiplebusinesses before they launched
(19:12):
the one that worked, or aproduct.
You know you tried this one andthat one and that didn't work,
and this prototype is notworking.
And then you get to the finalone that's like, ah yes, but if
you never allowed yourself tofail, you would have never got
there.
So I'm curious to how do youcultivate that in your team of a
having high expectations butthen also saying, hey, it's okay
to fail?
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Right.
So we have core values and oneof our core values is
entrepreneurial spirit, and I,everyone within the company,
every month, gets evaluated onhow they're doing with our core
values.
And so under the entrepreneurspirit is is failure.
And so under the entrepreneurspirit is failure.
And so we talk every monthabout how people are failing and
(19:55):
how they're learning and howthey're growing under that core
value of encompassing thatentrepreneurial spirit of
failure.
Try and figure it out.
No, is just another way to getto where we're going.
So the whole company.
It doesn't matter what positionyou have, you get evaluated on
that.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
I love that.
That is amazing and teams needthat, so that's one way to
cultivate an amazing communitythat you built as well.
What is the legacy you hope toleave with everything that
you're building?
Speaker 2 (20:25):
That's a great question too.
So I'm you know I've turneddown multiple offers for the
company before fromorganizations that obviously
want to come in and purchase itand I I feel like Pinkstork has
such a special message to bringto the world, especially in the
space of wellness and women'swellness and women's wellness.
I hope you know so I'm nottrying to.
(20:48):
I don't want to sell thiscompany.
I want this to be a legacycompany where the message, the
mission is really protected forfuture generations, for our
granddaughters.
Um, and I hope the messagecontinues to stay the same where
women feel supported and seenand heard and loved.
Um, I bring faith into mybusiness, I bring it into every
(21:14):
area of my life.
So you know, I always say we'reguided by God's love and
compassion here with everythingthat we do at Pinkstork and I
hope for generations that thatcontinues to be part of the
mission, of why we exist.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
That's so beautiful.
I love that.
Well, what would you say,having been through yourself,
you've been through really hardtimes of a having 24 hours to
live.
Not many of us get that.
You know, this is yourdiagnosis.
Or what would you say tosomeone who's really in the
middle of something really hardand they just feel like they
can't grasp the surface?
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yes, I mean, I would say it's hard, for one for sure
it's, it's really hard.
But I would say, if you canreally hold on to faith and
learn to trust that this is justa part of your story, not the
end of your story.
Um's really what's you know?
(22:12):
Looking, coming from where Isit today, I thought it was the
end of my story and I didn'tunderstand.
So, learning that you know it'sjust you're going to have these
hard times throughout yourjourney and that that's not
where the story ends, it's justpart of the path that you're on
and I think everyone has thosehard moments.
(22:33):
It's not just you know you orme, we all have our own stories
and things.
So it's just part of thejourney, but you get to control
the destiny where you're going.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Yeah, and would you say how much of it has been the
either faith, mindset or thevision that you have as far as
like your thoughts?
Right, Because our thoughtscreate our reality.
So have have you applied thatLike?
I'm just curious to see how youuse that.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yes, I'm a I'm a huge believer on you know your, your
mind controls your body.
So what, what you think aboutyourself, what you say to
yourself, really matters andit's really going to dictate, I
think, how you know how, whereyou're going, where you're going
.
So having a really positivemindset is so important.
(23:23):
And I, I don't.
You can have a positive mindsetand still be angry.
You can have a positive mindsetand still be frustrated or
still not understand why.
But I do think that having apositive mindset is so important
to your destiny and whereyou're going and helping you get
there.
Because I don't know.
(23:45):
I just remember, like I saidlaying there, being like why,
why, why.
But I also knew deep down thatthere was a sense.
I said laying there, being likewhy, why, why.
But I also knew deep down thatthere was a sense of peace, that
God was in control and thatthis was just part of my journey
, not the end of my story.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Yeah, that's so beautiful, I mean, and that can
keep you going, because it'slike wait, I don't have to take
this diagnosis that the doctorsare telling me today.
It doesn't have to define who Iam and like, if you don't agree
with that, you know you'refighting for that internally.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Right, right, yes, and you need your, your mental.
You need that mental clarity,you need that mental toughness,
so to speak, to be able to getthrough those moments where
maybe they are saying you onlyhave 24 hours to live or that
this is the end of the road foryou.
And that's why I do think thatentrepreneurial like no, this
isn't the end of the road, thisis just a path, this is just a
(24:35):
turn, a twist to where you'regoing.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Yeah, I love that.
What are top threetransformational pivotal books
that you read?
Oh, they kind of changedepending on the season, right?
It's like oh wait, I love thisone right now depending on the
season.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Um, let's see, I've I've been rereading the book
mindset, um, which is reallygood, by Carol Dwight.
Oh, yeah, that is a really goodone.
Yeah, that's a good one.
Um, I'm trying to think also, I, I love, I love bibliographies,
so I read as manybibliographies as I can.
(25:18):
I'm trying to think of I readabout 10 books all at once, so
this is Same, I know.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
I'm like and I have a book in my bathroom.
There's books on my nightstandand like everywhere.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
And my husband, yes, and like my husband's, like
there's books on my nightstandand like everywhere and my
husband's like what's going on?
Speaker 1 (25:31):
when I go to the sauna at the gym I have a book.
It's just like you know alittle crazy.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
So there's I always have.
I feel like I'm always tryingto collect information, but I
really resonate withautobiographies or biographies.
So I love to read otherpeople's stories because I feel
like you can draw inspirationfrom other people's lives.
Walt Disney was reallyinteresting I was actually just
rereading that.
(25:59):
Charlie Wungers is really goodI'm trying to think actually
Anne Frank.
So my daughter's reading AnneFrank.
We're reading that togetherno-transcript.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
you know, maybe I'm not going to open my own
wellness company, but I knowthat I can overcome this or take
some of her advice and piecesof wisdom that you share to be
applied in their lives.
So I love that.
Yes, so, amy, what is thebravest thing that you have ever
done?
Speaker 2 (26:51):
that's an interesting question too.
I feel like your questions areso good.
They're making me really thinkthe bravest thing I've ever done
.
I don't necessarily know if Iwould call myself brave.
I think when I think of that, Ithink like what is my fear?
Like what's the opposite ofbrave?
Like what am I scared of?
Um, I don't necessarily know ifI have a lot of fear in my life
(27:14):
.
I'm not.
I'm not one to be afraid ofthings.
But you know when I would sayanother thing is my son, my
youngest son, has Down syndromeand I felt a lot of fear.
I didn't feel brave.
I felt a lot of fear duringthat pregnancy when they were
telling me hey, you know, it'sabout 95% chance that he's going
(27:36):
to be born with Down syndrome.
And I grappled with that a lotduring that pregnancy, using the
emotions and the highs and thelows.
So if anyone out there has aspecial needs child, you might
understand this.
But I feel like raising him.
He's two now and he makes mebrave.
(27:56):
I feel like he helps me bebrave every day.
He just has such a positiveoutlook on life and every day is
his best day.
He's living his best life everysingle day and I just love that
perspective that he allows meto have to gain.
Um, just watching him and allthose little moments where
you're making decisions and it'sgoing to affect other people's
(28:18):
lives, whether it's you knowcustomers or potential customers
or our employees here and so,um, I don't know he has to give
me a perspective on on beingbrave.
I don't know if I have to giveme a perspective on being brave,
I don't know if I have.
What is the bravest thing, butI feel like you know, there was
obviously a point where theysaid do you want to terminate
the pregnancy because of himhaving Down syndrome?
(28:40):
And absolutely not.
So he's just, he's such ablessing in my whole family's
life.
I feel like to this world.
Really he's an angel in thisworld.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Oh, that is so special.
I love that you went from yourdoctors telling you you can't
have any kids at all, you'llnever get pregnant, to having
six.
Like wow, that's incredible.
And the last question is,before we wrap up, is what is
the best advice that someonegave you?
Speaker 2 (29:13):
I think, as a mom, as a woman that's also running a
company I forget exactly whosaid it to me, but she said you
can have it all, just not at thesame time, and that helps me.
You know, there's a time andseason for everything in life,
and so when the Amy in me wantsto get things done and move
faster and get all you know hasall these great plans for
(29:33):
everything, reminding myselfthat I can have it all, just not
all at the same time, is reallyimportant for me.
I love that.
I always go back to that.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
That is such good advice and I feel like another
guest on the podcast has saidthat too and they're just like
it transformed my life.
It's like, okay, I can have itall, just not all at once.
You know, because everything isan exchange.
Right, when you're investing,when there's a season of
essential, like growth for yourcompany, for example, you have
to put a lot more time or effort, energy into that season, and
(30:06):
then you launch that product andnow you can let off a bit and
you can focus on other things.
And, yes, some people aremisunderstanding in a sense that
it's like, oh my gosh, how doyou do it all all the things?
But it's like, okay, it's alsolike you said, time management,
prioritizing and not doing itall at once because we can't.
We can only handle so much.
(30:27):
Well, amy, I know your time isso precious, so thank you so
much for being on the Once weDare podcast and inspiring women
all over the world.
Well, thank you for having me.
Thank you for listening to theOnce we Dare podcast.
It is an honor to share theseencouraging stories with you.
If you enjoy the show, I wouldlove for you to tell your
friends, leave us a reviewerrating and subscribe to wherever
(30:47):
you listen to podcasts, becausethis helps others discover the
show.
You can find me on my website,zvekapopovcom.
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