Business Innovators Radio - Amanda Frolich – Celebrity Children’s Entertainer – Mark Stephen Pooler

Episode Date: December 11, 2024

Amanda is an award winning celebrity children’s entertainer and CEO of Amanda’s Action Club, the world’s most fun, physical development concept teaching preschool children how to be healthy and active from an early age.Having spent 33 years working within the early years sector, Amanda was invited by the children’s activity association to become the Children’s First Champion in parliament, encouraging policy-makers to put children first at the heart of all decision-making. Her global animation TV series featuring Coach Amanda and the ACTIMATES is going to take the world by storm in 2025 and this Wonder Woman is certainly one to watch.https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-frolich-592834b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_apphttps://amandasactionclub.co.uk/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/amanda-frolich-celebrity-childrens-entertainer-mark-stephen-pooler

Welcome to Business Innovators Radio, featuring industry influencers and trendsetters, sharing proven strategies to help you build a better life right now. Welcome to Brilliant Business TV, conversations with leading experts in business. I am your host, Mark Stephen Pula. We are streaming live on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube. We're also on the 360 TV network. We're also on Business Innovators Radio Network. We're also on USA Global Radio and Television Network. And we're also streaming to MSPNewsGlobal.com. Let's bring in our incredible guest, the amazing Amanda Frolic, children's celebrity, children's entertainer.

Hey, Amanda, welcome to Brilliant's Business TV. Hi, Mark. I'm very honored to be here with you today. I'm really looking forward to a conversation with you and bringing your energy to our show. Let's start with the first question. Can you share a little bit about your background and where did it all begin? Well, interesting you say that, Mark. My background is sport, leisure and fitness. So I was a fitness instructor and a sports coach working for a local council many, many years ago.

And I was put on a musical movement course. in 1991. I thought, I'm going to love this, teaching these little ones, how to be healthy and active. So I started to run classes at the leisure centre and then decided in 2003 to set up as my own business and call it Amanda's Action Club. I just love watching children develop each week through my weekly classes. And I now teach 24 classes a week. I'm a birthday party entertainer. And I suppose working in London, I started meeting all these celebrities. So my biggest celebrity client was David and Victoria Beckham. I organise a party for them at the World Cup party in 2002. I was entertaining for their children's charity.

And my other celebrities to date are Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, our ex-Prime Minister, A-Lis Hollywood Stars, to name a few. But for me, my business is not about celebrities. It's about getting children active from the earliest of ages through my fun, fitness and music concept. So I work with props in a physical and a fun way. link the props to a song and then link everything to the early years foundation stage. I make my own music.

We actually beat Baby Shark off the number one spot with two of our songs. And for me, it's about encouraging these children to move, understand, to be healthy and active and tackle charge of obesity in a fun way. I've seen you around children, Amanda. you bring so much energy and fun and you are just magnetic to children. I love watching you and what you do. Now, you make great music for children. How did that happen?

Well, back in the days, I used to purchase all my music from a shop called the Early Learning Centre. Do you remember those little cassettes? And I used to have them all lined up with a big cumber. system. And I just remember meeting a record producer, funny enough, at a Charles birthday party. He was filmed in the party. And I said, is that what you do for a living? I'm looking for a videographer. And he said, gee, no, I'm a record producer. I said, wow, I would love my own music. I said, why don't we make an album? So he produced my first album, which was called Big Songs for Little Ones. And it was lots of different genres of music. Because children need to, you know,

hear and listen to music from around the world. So for instance, we have a wind the bobbin-up Caribbean version, a jazz version of twinkle-twinkel. And I think music is just so important. As soon as a child hears a song and it's got a great beat, they want to move. So this first album was adult production but for music so that grown-ups didn't mind putting it in the car on the way to school. The second album, I knew I wanted something different again. So I asked Andrew McCroy Shand, who wrote the theme tune for Telitubbies, and also Jez Coed from Simple Minds to produce my second album. And I have an incredible song called Let's Tidey Up. During my classes, I find it very important for children to learn how to tidy up once we've played with an activity. And I'm sure you may have

heard this song watching my social media mark. So that's one of my probably famous songs. And then on the third album, I worked with another producer because everybody started copying me in the industry. So I thought, I need to be innovative again. So on the third album, each song is bespoke to the props that I use. So instead of wind the bobbin up with the shaky eggs, we have a shake your egg song. Instead of I like to move it, move it with the streamer song, we have a streamer song. And for me, I just find that music is so key to what I do. Amanda's Action Club is all about me, the personality and how I deliver it. It's about the props that I use, the music and the education. But music to me, it just makes the world go around, doesn't it?

I think for children, music's so important because I remember growing up and you even remember music as you get older from what you liked as a child. So it stays with you as well. So I do think music is so, so important. You mentioned earlier about working with many celebrities, David and Victoria Beckham, A-list Hollywood star, and even our former Prime Minister, do you get nervous at all? Do you know what, Mark, a lot of people ask me this question, but celebrities are no different to anybody else. I just have been very, very fortunate to meet some incredible people, whether it be celebrities or, you know, anyone who is going to be hiring me for their children's birthday party. Everyone to me is equal, no matter where their background, who they are,

you know, where they're from. I just love entertainment. at children's birthday parties where the adults are so overwhelmed watching their children having fun through this little concept that I've created all those years ago. So, no, I don't get nervous because, as I say, celebrities, they're just human beings at the end of the day. I agree. I totally agree. Now, I see you are now creating, is there anything you're not doing, Amanda, I see you

are now creating a children's animation TV series called Activates. Where did this idea come from and how is it developing? Well, I think for me, I was trying to think how do I replicate me because I have energy, passion, enthusiasm. Yes, I could franchise. But what gave me the idea was if I could have an animated character just like me, then I could reach so many more children globally around the world. And the actor mates is all about getting active with your mate. So I am coach Amanda. As I said earlier, my background is sport, leisure and fitness. It's based in a leisure centre. I have five characters who are my friends. And the actmate, use their sporting skills to solve problems.

And I really feel there's a need for a female role model in children's TV. That's going to actively encourage children to participate in more sports, to learn about their bodies, about being healthy. And each episode will have a storyline to teach children all of these vital skills. and I'm just so excited. I received 40,000 pound investment to make the pilot, which we're very, very proud of. And we're now seeking a 1.3 million pound investment

to make the 18 times 11 minute episode. So pepper pig and the likes, watch out because there's a new girl in town. I love it. I think it's a great, great idea in educating children as well. It's absolutely incredible, Amanda. Amanda, you are a bundle of energy. I see that you also offer your fun, fitness and music concept for the workplace and conferences. What has you, what have you this idea?

Or should I say what gave you this idea? Yes, this idea was very random. It came about because I insure my business through a company called Mortimer Michelle. And they look after 100,000 of nursery owners and children's activity providers insuring us with our public liability insurance. And it was World Mental Health Awareness Day this year. And they said to me, Amanda, the only brief we can give you is can you come to our office and use your Amanda's Action Club concept for the adults for World Mental Health Awareness day. And they just said, can you get the moving? So off I, off I went. I filled my trolley of

equipment with pom-pom streamers, a PA system. I got on the train to Croydon and I rocked up at the Morton-Michelle offices. I had a training room of 30 participants. So really, it's using the Amanda's Action Club concept in the workplace, a bit like a revitaliser to get the, adults move him in a fun way. I think it's really good for staff morale, you know, building teams and just energizing the workforce. And so what we did, we started with the warm up song. Everything I do is based to music, as you know. Then we performed my cardio party song using the pom-poms. We were doing squats and lunges. Then we were using the Maracas to dance around. a call down and I even was using my bubbles at the end of the goodbye song.

So it's just taking that class concept into sedentary offices to just revitalise people who are sitting down hunched over a computer. And I could not believe the reaction of how energized it made the staff feel. So I was going back on the train thing, Amanda, you can actually make a business of this. So I've called myself the workplace and conference energizer, because I also offer this services at conferences. For instance, three weeks ago was my Children's Activity Association Conference.

So all of the children's activity providers up and down the country meet at an amazing venue once a year. So we're in Leeds at the Royal Armouries. and they invited me to perform my warm-up song in front of 110 children's activity providers. And you can watch the video on my socials and you'll just see everyone having fun, lifting their arms up in the air, raising their heart rates. And it was just electrifying. And you use the word energy a lot, mark, which I love, because I once went on a business course and the presenter put up on a big board,

energy is everything. And for me, that is what life is about. Energy, fun, living life to the full, believing in yourself. And I just think, obviously, there's lots of business owners here. And for me, it's the ups and downs, the roller coaster ride of business. And everyone says to me, you know, how do you get your energy? But I have a positivity song, which I'd love to sing for you. If I'm ever down, I sing this song, I love life and life loves me. I have so much positivity. And I just think, if you believe in yourself, if you have a dream, then just go and fulfill that dream. I would never have believed that I would now become a workplace and conference energizer. But it was just an idea that come about. And they don't call me action amanda for nothing because I, you know, I just take

action if I see an opportunity and just run with it. I'm a bit like you like that. I think go for your dreams and believing in yourself is so important as well. Now Amanda, you're part of Brenda Dempsey's incredible collaborative book project. Just share a tiny little bit about that. Well, I was approached by the amazing Brenda with her book, brilliance publishing idea. And as soon as she said, Amanda, you are a woman in business and you are a leader, I jumped at the chance to be involved. And I think my leadership skills came very early on

in life. I remember always going to visit my cousins when I was younger. And I would be the one that say, come on, guys, why don't we go and play rounders? And I would just lead everybody to a patch of grass near where my cousins live and I would take control and I think well you know I do believe you are a born leader I am an October um I was born October the 23rd and apparently we are leaders I'm Libra Scorpio on the turn of the cusp we we love to be around people we love supporting. And I think being a leader takes on that role of helping others to become the best at what they're trying to achieve, nurturing them, guiding them. And I also run my own business events that does exactly that. I've managed to stay in business for many, many years

as an independent business. And I bring in expert guest speakers. Because again, it's just supporting those individuals that might need a bit of clarity on who they are, where they want to be, where they're going. And leadership, like I say, is guidance, support, offering help, offering your services. And I just love watching other business owners succeed. That's what I'm all about. I love it. And on to your last question, Amanda, what advice, because we've just talked. about leadership a little bit there and you are a really successful business woman. So it's

great doing all these children's entertaining and people probably think it's all fun and but you are a really, really successful entrepreneur and business woman as well. So what advice would you give to those who are in business who have been a businesswoman and entrepreneur for many years? When I look back at my journey, it's not all been plain sailing. And I call it the roller coaster ride of business. The ups, the downs, the highs, the lows. But do you know what? I think what sets me aside from many is resilience.

And it's that bounceability factor. When you have those bumps on that journey, you've just got to stay positive, pick yourself up, believe in yourself and say, it's fine. It's dealt with, let's move on. That would be definitely one of my big learnings in business. We've already said it. Believe in yourself. Go straight to the top. Don't be scared. If you don't ask, you don't get, that's another one. Keep smiling. Keep trying. Be positive. And I really believe in manifestation. Me too. Everything that I have manifested, Mark, I can hand on heart say, has come true in many, many ways.

I would also say one of my big learnings is always get everything in writing. So I've had many instances when I've believed in that person, I've trusted them, but when it wasn't written down, things can go terribly wrong. So always, always have contracts, have everything via an email or in writing so that nothing can go wrong. But just keep going and fulfill your dreams and you'll reach the success that you solely deserve. Yes, people only see the success, but they don't see all the hard work or the rejection or the nose or the failure that goes into, making success as well. Amanda, I thoroughly enjoyed having a conversation with you. I know people can connect with you on LinkedIn at Amanda Frolic. Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn at Amanda Frolic. Amanda, who are you looking to connect with? Just share a little bit about that, please. I'm looking to connect with other business owners. If I can offer, as I say, any help and advice.

I think if anybody's seen it done, it got the T-shirt, it's definitely, definitely me. I just love supporting people. So yes, do connect on LinkedIn, Amanda Frolic or my website, amanda's action club.com. So you can see me as Amanda Frolic, the businesswoman and Amanda's Action Club as the physical development specialist and entertainer. I wear two hats. You wear many hats. I think you've got more than two hats, Amanda. You've shared about 10 today.

Amanda, I thoroughly enjoyed having a conversation with you. Thank you so much for being my guest today. Thank you for having me. It's great to be here. The pleasure's being all mine. Thank you, everyone, for joining us for Brilliants, Business TV, conversation. Thanks for listening to Business Innovators Radio. To hear all episodes featuring leading industry influencers and trendsetters,

visit us online at businessinnovatorsradio.com today.