Meet Amy Crutchfield

We recently connected with Amy Crutchfield and have shared our conversation below.

Amy, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

My professional confidence and self-esteem were shaped by some incredible experiences early on in my career. I was fortunate to work with some amazing leaders who saw potential in me that I hadn’t yet recognized in myself. They placed me in roles that stretched beyond what I was really qualified for but felt I could rise to the occasion. Given they had placed so much trust in me, I knew I had to do whatever it took not to let them down. Rather than trying to find someone for the role that ticked every box with all of the skills needed, they took a leap of faith on me and believed I could do it. Not only did I not want to disappoint them, I also wanted to earn the respect of those I’d be working with who had a lot more experience than I did, so I worked incredibly hard to do that and ultimately did. It wasn’t easy, there were lots of late nights, but it was incredibly exhilarating to be given that type of trust, responsibility and challenge. The more I was able to do that successfully in each role, the more my confidence and self-esteem grew. Their belief in my potential helped me discover my own capacity for growth and achievement that’s continued to fuel my ability to take risks in business and in life today.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Over twenty years ago, I started my executive search firm because I wanted to do recruiting differently. For me, it’s always been about more than just filling roles—it’s about really understanding people, building trust, and helping companies and candidates find the right fit for the long haul. I’ve always made it a priority to get to know my clients’ businesses inside and out, so I can be there not just when they need someone immediately, but also when they’re thinking ahead. I focus on the branding, design, and innovation industries—fields I used to work in myself and absolutely love. Helping companies in those spaces grow and thrive, building out their leadership teams is something I’m incredibly proud of.

Along the way, I realized that recruiting and career coaching often go hand in hand. Helping people navigate their professional lives has always been something I genuinely enjoy—it’s incredibly fulfilling to see someone gain clarity and confidence from a conversation. For years, I’ve done one-on-one coaching and still offer that now, but I recently decided to take it a step further by launching The Fractional Coach, an app that makes career coaching more accessible.

The idea came from a pattern I noticed: so many people wanted career advice but didn’t always have the time or resources for traditional coaching sessions, especially if they were just starting out or in between jobs. The Fractional Coach is designed to solve that. It offers chat-based, on-demand coaching where you can choose how much time you need—whether it’s five minutes to prep for a big interview or a deeper conversation about career direction. It’s perfect for those moments of uncertainty when you just need quick, thoughtful guidance to get back on track.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Three qualities that had the greatest impact on my career journey were passion, instinct, and the ability to be scrappy when needed.

If you’re fortunate enough to start your career doing what you love, you’re already ahead of the game. That wasn’t the case for me. I entered the job market during a recession, and it took a long time to land my first role. When I finally did, it wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned, but I saw it as a foot in the door—a first stepping stone in my career.

When you’re just starting out, you don’t know what you don’t know. That first role exposed me to facets of the business I hadn’t even known existed. Within a couple of years, I’d been promoted three times, stepping into new roles that taught me more about business than I could have imagined. It wasn’t my dream job, but it was a creative environment, which was non-negotiable for me. I trusted my instincts to take the opportunity, even though it wasn’t ideal, and I worked hard, doing whatever was asked of me at a company that was struggling. The experience and rewards that came from it were invaluable.

Looking back, I’d tell my younger self: aim to find work you love, but understand it won’t always be a perfect fit right away. Trust your gut, embrace the learning curve, and don’t hesitate to dive in and make an impact. People will notice.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

The last year was definitely a big year for growth and improvement. As someone who always looked to find a silver lining when times were tough, always seeking to make lemonade out of lemons, I realized that sometimes there isn’t one. Sometimes things happen and there isn’t always a big life lesson. I stopped trying to control every outcome and allowed myself to go through it with more flow. While I’ve always believed that we are responsible for making things happen in our life, I’ve begun to allow myself to also let things unfold naturally, trusting that there is a time and purpose for everything, and let life take it’s course.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thefractionalcoach.co
• Instagram: the_fractional_coach
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-crutchfield-2753121/
• Other: https://www.amyjwiener.com

Image Credits

Photo credit: Alyssa Peek Photography