We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Keys and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Balance is something that I have to be extremely intentional about creating in my life! I like to think of it as finding harmony, because I don’t think everything will ever be perfectly balanced, and that’s okay. Every day calls for different priorities. As a working mom, there are so many ebbs and flows to my life. There are periods when work is super busy and I have to focus on that more than everything else. Other times, I get to prioritize spending time with my family. Then, there are times when I can get laser focused on building my brand. What has changed for me is ridding myself of the guilt! I used to have super bad mom guilt. But now that I’ve learned to accept that it’s everchanging, I recognize the need to be intentional about creating the balance that I want to see. I give myself so much more grace nowadays.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a coffee lover so coffee shops would definitely be the highlight of the trip. I love how easy going and laid back coffee shops are. They really are the perfect place to connect with people. We’d have to visit the following in Metro Detroit: – Mother Handsome
– Lucky Detroit
– Congregation

For a cute & chic dinner, here are the spots we’d have to check out:
– Experience Zuzu
– 220 Merrill
– Vertical
– Aurora Italian

We’d definitely have to check out The Lip Bar and Shinola. Even go to my favorite Mexican restaurant, Mi Pueblo, for lunch! And, because so many of my friends can never believe how close Canada is, we’d have to take a short trip over to Windsor over the Ambassador Bridge.

I also like to workout, so we’d have to do a kickboxing class. I love to take walks outdoors so, dependent on the weather, we’d have to walk the Detroit Riverwalk or Dequindre cut. Detroit is super cool. I’ve discovered a new found appreciation for our artists. I’d definitely have to take my friend to an exhibit at the DIA and/or Library Collective.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Honestly, my shoutout goes to my kids (Paige & Preston)! They continue to be my motivation to push myself and go after my goals! I would love to say that I’ve always been pretty ambitious, but, once I became a mom, they gave me the drive to go even harder. My kids are always a constant reminder to lead by example because they’re always watching. I’m not perfect at all, but I try to keep them in mind in all of my decisions and do things that will make them proud.

Many people lose themselves in motherhood, but I’ve been very focused on allowing motherhood to be that added motivation. My kids are the reminder to follow through on what I say I’m going to do, not let anything hold me back and be a person of my word. They’re amazing kids and they support me. My daughter is my photographer and my son usually has a cameo in my content.

Website: https://www.amanda-keys.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandafresh/

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@MandaonDemand

Image Credits
Dele Nguyen

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