I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Amber Bartlett during an invitation to present to a group of CEOs. I was immediately impressed by Dr Amber, not only by her background but by the work she is doing.
In any and all business and social environments, COMMUNICATION is the key, and Dr. Amber believes that “communication isn’t about talking….it’s about transforming!” She is a successful coach who provides actionable and implementable items that lead to direct and positive business outcomes.
We are honored to present Dr. Amber Bartlett.
– Maree Moscati, CEO, Copytalk
Dr. Amber Bartlett
Founder
StrengthPoint
Maree: Dr. Amber, welcome and thank you for joining our very prestigious group of Dynamic Women. I have to say I was going over your LinkedIn profile and I absolutely love the way you described yourself: you were born as an introvert and an observer, confidence and communication have never been used in the same statements! And then life decided to show you what it really wanted from you. From that moment began your journey from jobless and confused to corporate exec, director of psychology, and very successful business owner. All of which was built on the foundation of communication.
Having said that, please share with our audience a little bit about yourself and the journey that brought you to what you're doing in today's world.
Dr. Amber: My whole journey started probably about 15 years ago now, where I was coming out of a relationship that had been very controlling. I hadn’t worked, I didn’t even have a credit card, I didn’t have a bank account, like nothing. I literally had to start over. I think that’s what really gave me the fire and the drive and the perception that that corporate ladder is what I wanted to conquer, right? My sole goal was to start at the bottom and climb to the top of that ladder.
I began as a project manager. I spent 15 years doing that by being very curious and talking a lot to clients. What helped me get from that point where I started to the top of that ladder, for anyone else who’s interested, is just that: my curiosity. Because again I was starting from the beginning. I didn’t come out of college knowing I’m going to do this or know what my career path was, I just stayed very curious. I jumped all over experiencing different positions, from project management to talent management, then employee experience and spent a lot of hours at work.
I believe it’s critically important if you’re going to dedicate time and energy in this life to a career, we are doing something we are passionate about and totally enjoy it.
I did always have a keen interest in psychology, but I knew I didn’t want to do clinical psychology. My internal question was,” how do I kind of satisfy this need that I have for understanding human behavior, but not more on the clinical side, more on the business side?”
I was fascinated by talent management, talent development, what’s the employee experience look like, recognition, motivation, like all these things around the human behavior side of business. Being so determined, I received my doctorate while I was still working in corporate. To add to that, I reached that executive level of the corporate ladder, which had been my goal.
Crazy enough, the ironic part was I got to the top and looked around and said, oh, great, I don’t want to be here. There’s too much politics and bureaucracy, and I’m not really implementing what I believe in and what I feel strongly will work. At the time that I started to have these thoughts, the company I was working for went Global and so I was given the choice – do I want to do this program or take severance? This was my opportunity to do things the way I wanted to, but nonetheless a leap of faith.
I remain very grateful for all the experiences, knowledge and relationships I built along my journey, even though I didn’t like the top of the ladder, and took all of that along with the psychology I loved and started my own business.
I want to help others realize the importance of communication in really, no matter what they’re doing, whether you’re a business owner or an employee
Maree: So how is your business relatable to the world of financial planning?
Dr Amber: The clients that I’ve had in more of the financial industry were all about the numbers and the facts and the data, which I am too, but from a psychology perspective.
Combining the two, I have found to be so rewarding. I strongly feel you need the two to be able to reach your ultimate level of success, whatever that means for you.
Maree: That's fascinating, because you're right on point. Coming from the financial arena, it is all about the numbers and the data. However, over the years we've talked about the importance of building relationships, but all of that comes together with communication.
If you were going to present to a group of a next generation of women just starting out or not sure what career path interests them, what would be the three pieces of advice that you would offer to them?
Dr. Amber: The first piece I kind of mentioned already is stay curious, you know, don’t get boxed in.
You’re just coming into the workforce and you’re in your career and think, I want a different career. Stay curious because I think in the past so much of the advice that you would get is be grateful to have a job, focus on what you’re doing, be the best at what you’re doing, which is great advice, but the world has changed and the world of talent has changed.
No longer is it so much expected that when people look at your resume, they want to see 10, 15, 20 years in one job. People nowadays want to see that you have explored and you show initiative. What that comes across is being willing to take risks and being willing to be curious and try different things.
My second piece of advice is to learn how to own your awesomeness. What I see so many times with women in the workplace is almost this hesitancy to really stand up or to speak about the great things that you’ve done, or just stand up for something that you believe in and put your opinion out there.
Maree: I love that! Don't be afraid to have your voices heard and to believe in what you believe in.
Dr. Amber: My third piece of advice would be no matter where your career takes you, what roles you find, what level of leadership you find yourself in, stay true to who you are. BE AUTHENTIC!
Maree: Those are wonderful words of wisdom, Dr. Amber. Thank you for sharing all your insights. Let’s chat briefly about your why?
Dr. Amber: The message that I share is specifically around knowing your why and understanding why you’re doing anything.
And I coach so many clients around that, even when it comes to communication or having conversations with other people. The first thing that you need to do is start with the why.
No matter what you’re doing, your why is always there in the forefront!
Bio:
Dr. Amber Bartlett is the founder of StrengthPoint, where she helps growth-stage business owners scale with clarity, leadership, and sustainable profitability. As a Doctor of Psychology and a background in both corporate and entrepreneurial leadership, she specializes in mindset, communication, and company culture—helping business owners shift from overwhelmed operators to confident, strategic leaders.
As a business coach, speaker, and resilience expert, Amber combines psychology-backed strategies with real-world experience to help entrepreneurs create businesses that thrive—without sacrificing themselves in the process. Whether it’s mastering leadership communication, building a high-performing team, or navigating the mental challenges of business ownership, Amber equips leaders with the tools to step into their full potential and lead with confidence.