Stop Performing Leadership: Amy Vaughan on Vulnerability, People-First Values, and Building a 500-Woman Digital Empire
My guest today is Amy Vaughan. Today, I serve multiple missions: As CEO of Together Digital, I lead a platform that empowers 500+ women in digital and tech through strategic networking and community building. As an executive coach, I guide creative leaders and entrepreneurs to lead with authenticity, helping them navigate the intersection of innovation, purpose, and operational excellence. In this episode we discuss community building, women in tech, allyship, together digital and leadership.
Website - https://www.togetherindigital.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/_amypvaughan/
FB - https://www.facebook.com/togetherindigital/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@togetherindigital3269
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amypvaughan/
In this episode you will learn:
1. Why the entrepreneurial spark never dies and how going back to your eight-year-old self is the truest measure of success—Amy grew up creating planeteer clubs and summer camps in a small trailer park in Ohio, already wired for community and entrepreneurship. After decades of conditioning, corporate paths, and self-doubt, it wasn’t until she found Together Digital in her late 30s that she remembered who she’d always been—and realized that eight-year-old Amy would be proud.
2. What authentic leadership really means beyond the buzzword and why “executive presence” is just veiled feedback telling you to be someone else—Amy breaks down why true leadership isn’t a performance. It requires self-awareness, humility, and vulnerability—not a polished image. When she’s had to navigate layoffs, company sales, and hard transitions, showing up with radical transparency is what built the deepest trust, even earning thank-yous from people she had to let go.
3. Why women won’t be replaced by AI but will be replaced by women who know how to use it—and the biggest revolution waiting in digital and tech—With AI rapidly replacing mid-tier roles where women are disproportionately concentrated, Amy argues the revolution isn’t just about learning the tools—it’s about embracing a constant-learner mentality, using AI responsibly and creatively, and leveraging the distinctly human qualities no algorithm can replicate: original connections, breakthrough ideas, and the creativity that comes from rest, not relentless productivity.
“Entrepreneurship is a choice and you choose to show up no matter how hard it gets. " - 00:05:15
“Courage comes through action. You don't gain courage." - 00:35:01
"Only you can do you and no one's going to do it for you. You have to really just find your own path.” - 01:11:07
Your voice matters! If you’ve ever felt the pull to share your story, start a podcast, or step more fully into your power, this is your invitation.
At Empowerography, we believe stories change lives. Through powerful conversations, community, and empowerment-driven events like the Empowerography Live Conference, we help women turn their voices into impact because your story isn’t just yours…it’s someone else’s survival guide. Learn more at https://www.empowerographypodcast.com
Contact Brad:
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