Amy Young on Success with Grit and Grace: An Author Interview

Leading with confidence while making room for family, personal growth, and your own well-being is a challenge Amy Young knows firsthand. A healthcare executive, leadership mentor, and mother of five, she draws on those experiences in Success with Grit and Grace, a practical guide for emerging women leaders.

In this interview with Book Nerdection, Young shares what inspired her to write the book, the lessons healthcare leadership has taught her, and how motherhood reshaped her understanding of ambition. We also discuss building confidence, asking for useful feedback, and setting boundaries without guilt.

You can also read our review of Success with Grit and Grace.

But First, who is Amy Young

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Book Nerdection Interviews Amy Young:

1. Could you tell us a little about yourself and the journey that led you to write Success with Grit and Grace?

I am a healthcare executive, leadership mentor, and mother of five who has spent years navigating the realities of leading in complex, high-pressure environments. Throughout my career, I had the opportunity to work alongside incredibly talented women who were capable and driven, yet often doubted their own readiness for leadership.

The journey to writing Success with Grit and Grace came from recognizing a gap between leadership theory and the lived experiences of women trying to build meaningful careers while balancing personal responsibilities, self-doubt, and societal expectations. I wanted to create a practical guide that combines real-world leadership lessons with encouragement, helping women lead with both resilience and authenticity.

2. What inspired you to turn your leadership experience into a book for emerging women leaders?

Over the years, I found myself having the same conversations repeatedly with emerging leaders. They weren’t asking how to work harder. They were asking how to be confident without being perceived as arrogant, how to set boundaries without guilt, and how to pursue ambitious goals without sacrificing what matters most.

I realized these challenges weren’t unique to one organization or industry. Writing the book became an opportunity to share insights, lessons, and strategies with women beyond my immediate circles and hopefully shorten the learning curve for those stepping into leadership roles.

3. What have you learned from working in healthcare leadership that you believe applies across other industries?

Healthcare teaches you that leadership is fundamentally about people. In highly complex and fast-paced environments, technical expertise matters, but trust, communication, and decision-making matter even more.

Regardless of industry, leaders must navigate uncertainty, build strong teams, manage competing priorities, and make difficult decisions with imperfect information. The most successful leaders are those who remain adaptable, stay connected to their purpose, and never lose sight of the people they serve.

4. What do you think is one of the most misunderstood challenges women face when stepping into leadership roles?

One of the most misunderstood challenges is the internal pressure many women place on themselves to be fully prepared before taking the next step. And the internal pressure that they feel on a daily barrier to give 100 percent both at home and at work. Many women feel that they are alone in this struggle.

While external barriers certainly exist, many talented women underestimate their capabilities and wait until they meet every qualification before pursuing opportunities. Meanwhile, others may feel comfortable taking risks with far less certainty. Confidence often grows through action, not before it. Learning to embrace growth and imperfection is an important part of leadership development.

5. How can women build confidence in their abilities while remaining open to feedback and growth?

Confidence and humility are not opposites. In fact, the strongest leaders demonstrate both.

Building confidence begins by recognizing your strengths, acknowledging your accomplishments, and trusted voices. At the same time, remaining open to feedback requires viewing it as information rather than criticism. Leaders who see feedback as an opportunity to learn continue evolving throughout their careers. The goal is not perfection, but progress.

The key is to make sure that the feedback that you are getting is helpful feedback. It is important to learn how to ask the questions that actually give you what you need in order to grow.

6. As a mother of five, how have your experiences of motherhood influenced your understanding of ambition and sustainable leadership?

Motherhood has fundamentally reshaped my definition of success. It taught me that achievement means little if it comes at the expense of your health, relationships, or sense of purpose.

Additionally, it really opened my eyes to the challenges that women face, where they often feel like they have to be everything, to everyone giving all everywhere. It took me sometime to realize that I could be both- a leader and a mother and forced me to give myself grace.

Being a mother of five has strengthened my ability to prioritize, adapt, and lead with empathy. It has also taught me that leadership is not about doing everything yourself; it is about empowering others, asking for help when needed, and recognizing that sustainable success depends on balance, not burnout. Some seasons require acceleration, while others require patience and presence. Both are valuable.

7. What would you say to a reader who understands the importance of boundaries but struggles with the guilt of setting them?

I would remind them that boundaries are not barriers; they are bridges to sustainability.

Many people associate boundaries with saying no to others, but healthy boundaries are really about saying yes to what matters most. If you constantly overextend yourself, eventually your effectiveness, well-being, and relationships suffer. Setting boundaries is not selfish. It is an act of stewardship over your time, energy, and purpose. The guilt often fades when you begin experiencing the positive outcomes boundaries create.

8. What was the most rewarding part of writing this book, and what did you find most challenging?

The most rewarding part was reflecting on the lessons, setbacks, and experiences that helped shape my leadership journey and knowing they might encourage someone else facing similar challenges.

The most challenging part was vulnerability. Writing honestly requires sharing not only successes but also failures, doubts, and moments of uncertainty. Yet those experiences often hold the greatest lessons, and I believe readers connect most deeply with authenticity.

9. If readers take just one idea from Success with Grit and Grace into their everyday lives, what would you hope it would be?

I hope they remember that leadership is not about becoming someone else. It is about becoming more fully who you are.