✨ Happy (almost) National Amanda Day, Radiant Icons! ✨

In this final episode of 2024, Amanda dives into her love for birthdays, sharing why they’re so much more than a celebration—they’re a powerful reminder to embrace life with intention and gratitude. Reflecting on the transformative journey of her 25th year (Iconic 25), Amanda opens up about the lessons, growth, and unforgettable moments that shaped her most empowering chapter yet.

As she looks ahead to Radiant 26, Amanda reveals her hopes and dreams for this next chapter, embracing the blank pages ready to be written. She also spills all the details about DTBI’s first-ever virtual event, the 'New Year, Iconic You' Masterclass, crafted to help you step boldly into 2025 as your most confident, unapologetic self.

From answering your burning questions to celebrating the evolution of her 25th year, this episode is a heartfelt celebration of milestones, self-discovery, and daring to live life on your own terms.

So, grab something bubbly 🥂, and join Amanda for this heartfelt, joy-filled episode that’ll leave you inspired to celebrate you! 💖

Connect with Amanda:

Follow Amanda's DTBI Journey!

Secure your spot for "New Year, Iconic You" Masterclass!

Grab your copy of "New Year, Iconic You" 2025 Planner!

Meet Amanda at LandoBash!

Got a question for Amanda or a topic you'd love to hear discussed on a future episode? Submit your question to the "Dare To Be Iconic Hotline" today!

Time Stamps:

00:00 Welcome back to Dare To Be Iconic!

01:16 Your Invite to the New Year, Iconic You Masterclass

03:08 The Power of Birthdays & Celebrations

07:06 My Iconic 25 Reflections

10:58 Finding Confidence & Owning My Voice

17:37 Dare To Be Iconic Hotline

22:12 See you in 2025!

What's up, radiant icons, and welcome

2

back to Dare To Be Iconic.

3

The podcast made for icons

daring to be themselves.

4

I'm your host, Amanda Paolicelli,

and we made it, Radiant Icons.

5

We made it to the last episode of

6

made it to my birthday special.

7

Happy National Amanda Day!

8

I know it's a day early,

but you know what?

9

I said it before and I will say it again.

10

If I could celebrate my birthday

for the entire month of December, I

11

truly would cause I love my birthday.

12

I love the idea of birthdays and like

the importance it has and I will get

13

into that more in this episode and what

chapter 25 brought into my life and

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what I hope chapter 26 brings for me.

15

So before we get into all the

national Amanda Day iconicness,

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because it is the most iconic day

of the year, in my personal opinion.

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I just want to remind you guys that

tickets are now on sale for Dare To

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Be Iconic's first ever live virtual

event, New Year, Iconic You Masterclass.

19

It is a 90 minute masterclass focused

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we are living our most iconic life yet.

21

In this 90 minute masterclass, I basically

walk you through the steps of intentional

22

living and all my tips and tricks on

how to make it your best year yet.

23

So we're taking your dreams, your

aspirations, and your goals and

24

we're basically planning it together.

25

I also will be having two exclusive

giveaways for my live attendees,

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one from Lights Out Candle Co

and the other from Race Tips.

27

In addition to the two iconic

giveaways, I will be revealing two

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Dare To Be Iconic secrets before

they are live on social media.

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It's the perfect way in my opinion

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Who am I to tell you that?

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Um, any who, but anyway, you can find

your tickets on dare to be iconic.

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com under the empowerment events section.

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There'll also be a direct link to grab

your tickets in the show notes below.

34

Now, let's get to National Amanda Day.

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I love my birthday.

36

I know I've said that multiple times

on this podcast since we've gotten

37

closer to the month of December.

38

I'm actually very surprised that

I didn't mention it earlier,

39

how much I love my birthday.

40

Like, I honestly, literally call my

birthday National Amanda Day because to

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me, It's a national holiday of my birth.

42

Like, I don't care how that

sounds, that's just how I am.

43

I love what birthdays represent.

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And so, let's actually get into it.

45

Are you ready, radiant icons?

46

Because your tea time

sesh is starting now.

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Birthdays are probably my favorite

holiday and if you have me as one of your

48

close friends, like, I am always very

insufferable when it comes to birthdays.

49

Not just my own.

50

But like for other people, I think it's

so important to celebrate life because

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like let's get real, it's not always

guaranteed that you'll have another day

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or that you'll have another year, right?

53

That opportunity that you are given to

have another year of life is so precious.

54

If I've learned anything in the

last couple of months frankly,

55

like tomorrow is not guaranteed, so

why not live life to the fullest.

56

Why not celebrate every

opportunity you have?

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And I think birthdays are so beautiful

because it's like the new year, right?

58

It's basically a new chapter of your

life that hasn't been written yet that

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you get to write and that you get the

opportunity of all these amazing dreams

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and goals that can come to life because

you are given the gift of another year.

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And not everyone has that.

62

It is a privilege to get old.

63

It's a privilege to age.

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And that's something worth

celebrating or at least I think so.

65

And that's why I make my

birthdays such a big deal.

66

Because with the amount of loss and grief

that I've experienced within my life, not

67

just within this year, I've experienced

a lot of grief and loss in my life.

68

And I've learned from a very early age

that life is not guaranteed, that it

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can be taken away from you in an instant

and that your whole world can change.

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So if I have the opportunity to turn

another year older, I'm going to make the

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most out of it because I'm given This new

slate to write a whole another chapter

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in my story, and I get to define it.

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No one else.

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I get to.

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I get to write the

story I want to star in.

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I get the chance to get older.

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I get the chance to make more memories.

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I get the chance to

accomplish dreams and goals.

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And I get the chance to cry and fail and

do all these other things in between.

80

That is a blessing.

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And that is something

that I cherish so deeply.

82

And I think as I've gotten older, I've

realized that it doesn't really matter to

83

me anymore the quantity of people that you

have around you when you're celebrating

84

your birthday because frankly, having

a December birthday six days before

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Christmas is very, very hard, you guys.

86

A very first world problem,

I'm very aware of that.

87

But it's hard, right?

88

And especially because I love

my birthday so much, and that

89

significance it holds for me.

90

When I was younger, I saw quantity

more than quality, but as I've gotten

91

older, I've realized that it doesn't

matter the quantity of people around you

92

celebrating you on your special day, it's

the quality of people you have around you.

93

And I truly think that with the

blessing of being able to get older,

94

being able to age and having the people

that you love the most and trust the

95

most around you, because as you get

older, you guys like the secret is

96

like your circle gets smaller and

smaller and smaller, and that's okay.

97

It matters the quality of people you

have around you in those important

98

moments whether it's good or bad.

99

It always matters on the quality

of people, not the quantity.

100

I just think those, those two things like,

having the people you love the most around

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you, that truly love you, that are there

for you when it's hard and when it's easy.

102

And then also the privilege to get

older being able to combine the both.

103

That's what makes birthdays so magical

and so iconic to me and so special It's

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because i'm able to be surrounded by

the people that I love the most that

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I trust the most To start this new

chapter of my life because I've been

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given the gift to have another year.

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Another thing, I talk about this new

chapter being written, and I didn't

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start this until I think last year

when it came to defining my years, so

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like, Chapter 25 was Iconic 25 for me.

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And I'm so grateful for 25 because

Iconic 25 really gave me some of the most

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iconic moments of my life, like, Truly,

my life has changed at age 25, for the

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better, in the most amazing way possible.

113

And it truly was iconic, like, it

lived up to the intention, there we

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go, going back to that masterclass,

you know, intentional living builds

115

iconic lives, but it's so true.

116

The intention I set for chapter 25

of my life was for it to be iconic

117

in whatever aspect that meant for me.

118

And in that case, when I said it at 24,

it meant for me to lean into who I am,

119

to dare to be myself, the core premise,

core message of Dare To Be Iconic.

120

I know maybe that's a little bit basic,

but that's what I hoped for chapter 25.

121

And it has been one of the most

amazing chapters of my life, because

122

my life truly has changed in ways

that I only dreamed were possible.

123

That little baby Amanda would be

like, Holy shit, you actually did it.

124

You actually did everything you

said you were gonna do and more.

125

And For chapter 26, because I'm

turning 26 years old tomorrow,

126

why am I getting emotional?

127

I feel like season 2 has brought me

to so many tears in very good ways.

128

Like, those realizations that just make

you overwhelmed with emotions, that's

129

what I feel like season 2 has been for me.

130

But like, for chapter 26, the

intention I have is radiant.

131

Radiant 26.

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When I think of Radiant 26 and

the photoshoot I planned out,

133

it all comes down to what does

the word radiant mean to me?

134

And The inspiration that I kind

of got my intention from was from

135

Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.

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That classic, graceful confidence that

was radiating from the inside out.

137

They had such a quiet confidence

about them that was so captivating.

138

Like, they were just radiating and

they were at peace with who they are

139

and that's what I hope radiant 26 is

for me and that's What I mean by it.

140

Now for the next step into chapter 26,

into Radiant 26, I think by focusing

141

on aspects of my life that maybe

I've neglected for a while or maybe I

142

haven't touched in a bit like pouring

my energy into those and truly getting

143

down into the nitty gritty of them

and having that honest and raw self

144

reflection and self awareness, I'm

able to be at peace with who I am.

145

The confidence that I

gained in chapter 25, right?

146

How it'll grow into this quiet

confidence that I'm at peace with

147

who I am, and that it's just so, so

captivating that it's glowing off of me.

148

That intention, like, that's what I want.

149

That's what I hope to gain, and

that's what Radiant means to me in

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this chapter of my life, and to this

new chapter that I get to write.

151

And I'm really excited for it, and

I'm really looking forward to all

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the inner work I have to do for it.

153

I can't wait to share it with you guys.

154

Let's chat about chapter 25 now, shall we?

155

Iconic 25 truly was iconic.

156

Like, it lived up to the intention, y'all.

157

Like, Iconic 25 was the most pivotal

and transformative year of my life.

158

And when I think about one lesson

that encapsulates the entire being

159

of this chapter, it would be the only

way to find your voice is to use it.

160

And I remember seeing this quote

specifically on Pinterest when

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I was looking for, inspiration

162

intention for 2024 was trust.

163

And I knew In my soul for 2024, I

wanted to release the podcast and

164

I knew the only way to do that was

I needed to trust in my instincts.

165

I needed to trust in my decisions

and I needed to trust in my voice.

166

But a little part of me knew deep

down, I didn't really know my

167

voice, or at least I didn't know

the full potential of it, right?

168

I knew I still needed to find it.

169

So when I saw that pop up on my Pinterest,

I was like, Oh, that one, like it, it

170

automatically went on there and I knew

it was going to be impactful in my life.

171

I just didn't know to what degree.

172

And this lesson right here

transformed my entire life.

173

It really did because every dream that

came true this year, whether it was going

174

to the Spanish Grand Prix, whether it was

being on the cover of a magazine, right?

175

F1 girlies magazine.

176

If it was releasing my podcast.

177

Building a community of strong,

radiant icons, whatever it was that

178

I was able to accomplish this year.

179

The dreams that came true, and

there were a lot of them, and I am

180

so thankful for it because Chapter

25, Iconic 25, truly was that year.

181

Like, she was that girl,

you know what I mean?

182

But like, none of those dreams would

have come true if I didn't have the

183

courage to find my voice and to use it.

184

I never realized the exact power

my words can have on people.

185

I hoped it would leave an impact.

186

I, I hope it would make someone

feel better about their day or

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make someone feel less alone about

what's going on in their life.

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Like, that's what I obviously hoped

my words would feel to others.

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When I started the podcast, the

first couple of episodes, I hope

190

that people were hearing me and

that it resonated with them.

191

Or when I started the icon blog,

I hoped people read my words and

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that it moves them to some degree.

193

I hoped when I was posting on LinkedIn

and writing those articles, from

194

either that professional development

angle that, I don't know why the

195

hell, I thought that was a good angle

to begin with, but you know what?

196

We live and we learn and we said that's

not working after three weeks and we

197

changed it to professional fan girl.

198

I've never been more happy in my life that

I've leaned into the professional fangirl

199

of my personality and started Using my

voice and talking about the things that

200

I wanted to talk about about formula one.

201

I found my niche.

202

I found my voice in that challenge, right?

203

I knew something wasn't working

and I said, okay I need to

204

switch and I need to pivot.

205

What do I actually want to talk about?

206

What do I actually have opinions on that

I want people to hear and I For some

207

reason in my brain, I said Formula One.

208

I said Formula One, Lando Norris, and

how I can tie it into Dare to be Iconic.

209

And well, here we are.

210

Here we are.

211

My life completely changed because I did

that in the most amazing, beautiful way.

212

It changed my life and it changed

the trajectory of Dare To Be Iconic.

213

All those little dreams came true

because I decided to use my voice.

214

And even if I didn't know right away

what the hell I wanted to say, I just

215

kept using it until I found what I wanted

to talk about, and I found my voice.

216

Even within the podcast.

217

I listen back where I tr I really

try not to listen to those first

218

three episodes because I, I cringe

internally every time I listen to them.

219

I'm very proud of them!

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Man, you can just tell the evolution

of me getting more comfortable

221

yapping with y'all, right?

222

Spilling the tea with y'all.

223

Like, you can just see how comfortable

I am now spilling the tea with you guys.

224

Before it was very, you know, there, there

was something she, she was a little shy.

225

She was a little anxious.

226

She was a little, maybe everywhere

sometimes, but as season one progressed,

227

I got more and more confident in my voice.

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Cause I just kept talking about

the things that I was passionate

229

about and that I knew someone else

needed to hear it on the other end.

230

And then when we went into season two,

I challenged myself to become even more

231

vulnerable, raw, and honest with you

guys in opening up about stuff that I

232

really tried to stay away from in season

one because I was scared, frankly.

233

I was scared I would scare you guys away.

234

And I said, you know what?

235

No.

236

Realized the impact of my voice during

season one, and especially that season

237

one finale, when I was getting flooded

with amazing, beautiful messages from you

238

guys, like, I realized how much my voice

made an impact and the power behind it.

239

So when I went into season two,

I said, Okay, we're going to talk

240

about the hard shit that no one

wants to talk about, especially I.

241

We're gonna, we're going to push

ourselves to do it because these are

242

conversations that need to be had.

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And I, I need to have them with

myself and with the radiant icon.

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So we're going to do it.

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And the more I've done that, and the

more I've pushed myself to step outside

246

of my comfort zone and to take risk

and to be more vulnerable and honest.

247

The more comfortable I've gotten in my

voice and the more power I've found in it.

248

And now I'm able to go into meetings

representing myself as Amanda from Dare

249

to be Iconic, as CEO of Dare to be Iconic.

250

I'm able to go into these meetings

and be so firm in my voice and how

251

I use it and the power behind it

because I know my words make an impact.

252

And I wouldn't have known

that if I didn't try.

253

And if I didn't try to find my

voice, and I didn't try to use it.

254

And now I did.

255

And my life's completely changed.

256

And that has been the

biggest lesson of Iconic 25.

257

And I think that lesson, in

particular defines my entire chapter.

258

So if you're scared to use your voice,

don't, it's going to change your life.

259

You just gotta find it, and in the finding

it part, it's a little scary, it's a

260

little intimidating, but you'll find it,

and once you do, you'll be so comfortable

261

and secure in what you have to say and

what you bring to the table, that it's

262

gonna be this undeniable confidence,

because you're just daring to be yourself.

263

Because you're daring to be iconic.

264

Let's get to the Dare to be

Iconic Hotline, shall we?

265

Let's do it!

266

Hi Amanda, what's something you

didn't expect to learn about

267

yourself over the past year, and

how has it shifted your perspective?

268

Well, I think trust has

shifted my perspective.

269

However, I did know I was going to learn

about it this year because it was my

270

intention for 2024 as like an entire

year because I wanted to trust in myself

271

and I wanted to trust in my decisions

because I thought that was A way for me to

272

honor that commitment of choosing myself

first and foremost in whatever I do.

273

And I do think that's true.

274

I just didn't realize how much trust

would smack me in the face this year with

275

every little experience and situation

but it definitely has opened up my

276

perspective or shifted my perspective

in realizing that trust really is

277

the core root of everything we do in

life and we need to get better at it.

278

And when I say we, I definitely mean I.

279

I'm on my way to trusting myself more and

more each day, but it's definitely going

280

to be an uphill battle for me because

there's times I do doubt myself, right?

281

And that imposter syndrome and

self doubt creeps in, but I have

282

to remember at the end of the day,

those doubts creep in because I'm not

283

secure in the trust that I have for

myself and the decisions that I make.

284

So I need to strengthen

that muscle of trust.

285

And once I started realizing that little

by little, the self doubt lessens,, the

286

imposter syndrome lessens, and I'm able

to approach situations and scenarios

287

a clear mind and an open mind and know

that it all comes down to trusting in me.

288

So how can I honor that.

289

Hey Amanda, how has your priorities or

values changed as you've gotten older?

290

And what are you doing

to honor those shifts?

291

I think this definitely goes back to last

week's episode, specifically the lesson

292

about be a sponge and soak in everything,

like soak in every opportunity.

293

Because when I was younger, like honestly,

probably even like a couple of years

294

ago, when it came to my day jobs, whether

it was at Publix or my prior employer,

295

like when I was doing the executive

producing and marketing and all that,

296

like, I always thought it was wasting

time because I wasn't acting full time

297

in that none of those day jobs were

really helping me in my acting career

298

and I was just wasting time, right?

299

And it didn't take until literally my

trip to Columbus, Ohio for the conference

300

for my day jobs work conference,

when I realized, wow, like that's so

301

unfortunate on my part that I used

to think that because everything, all

302

those day jobs that I had specifically

the one I have now too, like I need to

303

be soaking in and be appreciative of

the opportunity that I have to learn.

304

And a different capacity where

I can transfer it over into the

305

things that I want to do, right?

306

Like, as I mentioned last

week, like, there's a lot of

307

things we don't want to do.

308

We don't want to take this class, we

don't want to do this job, but we have

309

to in order to survive, in order to

move forward, whatever it is, right?

310

And in those situations and the

things that you have to do or the

311

things that you don't see value in,

they are bringing value to your life.

312

You just need to switch

your perspective on it.

313

And once I started doing that

and being more open minded to,

314

Oh, how is this meeting or this

call that I'm sitting in on?

315

How can this help me in my future?

316

How can I apply this in my everyday life?

317

How can I apply this to dare to be iconic?

318

And once I started seeing things

like that, my world got a little

319

bit brighter and a little bit more

opened and that was really cool.

320

I think it's when you realize

those little shifts that make all

321

the difference in your mindset.

322

I definitely saw that happen in the

beginning of my healing journey when I

323

started realizing that there was more

to life than acting because For a while,

324

I thought acting was the only thing.

325

And once I realized that there was more

to the world or to my world than acting,

326

I started seeing the world in color.

327

I started seeing the sunshine

and the rainbows and all that.

328

And even as cheesy as that

sounds, you guys, like it's

329

switched my entire mindset.

330

So yeah, I think the biggest thing for

me was be a sponge and soak everything in

331

because Every opportunity you have truly

is an opportunity to learn, to change

332

your life, however you want to take it.

333

It's an opportunity,

so you gotta go for it.

334

All right, radiant icons, that

is your tea time sesh for today.

335

I can't believe we've made it to

336

the birthday special is over.

337

It's like so sad.

338

But if you wanna continue celebrating

National Amanda Day, make sure to

339

check out my socials tomorrow for

the birthday photo shoot reveal,

340

and all the good stuff that I have

lined up because we got to celebrate

341

the most iconic holiday of the year.

342

This is the last episode of 2024, but

this was also the year that Dare To Be

343

Iconic, the podcast, first premiered.

344

My first episode came out March

345

And now we're already at the end of it.

346

And to see how my life has completely

changed because of this podcast,

347

because of you guys, the Radiant Icons,

who listen to this every week, who

348

interact with my social content, who

read the Icon blog, to purchase my

349

journals and planners and all that.

350

Because of you guys, my life has

completely changed, which is why

351

chapter 25 or iconic 25 has been

the most magical year of my life.

352

So thank you for changing my life.

353

Thank you for listening to the podcast.

354

Thank you for being a

part of this community.

355

Thank you for believing in me,

thank you for believing in my

356

voice and supporting my dream.

357

I truly, truly cannot do

what I do without you guys.

358

So thank you from the bottom of my

heart for making Iconic 25 like,

359

the best memories of my life,

where all my dreams came true.

360

Truly, I'm so thankful, and I

can't wait for what Radiant 26 is

361

gonna bring for me, and for Dare

To Be Iconic, and for you guys.

362

Okay, guys, I'm done being emotional.

363

I will see you guys next year.

364

I'll see you in 2025 I literally

can't believe I'm saying that

365

but I'll see you in 2025.

366

For the last time this year Remember

radiant icons dare to be iconic.

367

Bye