Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Amanda Spencer of Wildwood

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Amanda Spencer. Check out our conversation below.

Amanda, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Right now I’m loving getting to ride my bike around the neighborhood with my kids!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Amanda Spencer and I’m the founder and creator of TheRadicalAgenda.com, an online resource for parents and teachers to find age-appropriate books about diverse American history.

I’m on a mission to help every child be able to see people who looked, loved, and lived like they do, so they can see that they are capable of making a difference in the world.

I’m a single mom of two boys, and I’m a nurse as a full-time job. My passion for helping my patients has driven my interest in politics and the history of how we got to this current space in American history. My curiosity has led to learning all the history that wasn’t taught in school, and sharing resources for parents to help them find quality books to share with the children in their lives.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I truly believe that ignorance – whether intentional or just a lack of resources – drives division. The thing I love about The Radical Agenda is getting to discover stories of people I’ve never heard of who changed America, and introducing those stories to others. I believe that education inspires empathy, and empathy helps to create unity. If we as Americans are able to understand the circumstances that shape our perspectives, we are better equipped to help each other.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Insatiable curiosity is nothing to be ashamed of – in fact, it’s your super power! My interests are a little all over the place, but I’ve learned to enjoy just wanting to know everything about everything. It has certainly served me well in my business, as I’ve decided I want to do projects (the the Radical Agenda planners and the More to Explore! workbooks) and then started learning about how to actually accomplish them.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My friends know that I care deeply about people, and I love cheering them on and celebrating everyone’s accomplishments. I like to embody the saying “a rising tide lifts all boats,” and I try to work on projects that don’t just benefit me but also help uplift others.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope that people say I left the world more healed and unified than when I found it. And that I loved with my whole being.

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