Building & Mentoring Effective Remote Teams: Amy Summers

Building & Mentoring Effective Remote Teams: Amy Summers

Author: Marcylle Combs January 21, 2026 Duration: 25:09

Amy Summers shares her journey from a Southern girl in Florida to a successful entrepreneur in New York City. She discusses the challenges she faced during the 2008 financial crisis, her transition to remote work, and the importance of mentorship in leadership. Amy emphasizes the need for connection and communication in remote teams and how technology can both assist and hinder human interaction. She also highlights her mentorship platform, INICIVOX, and encourages leaders to be more aware of their mentoring roles.

Amy Summers is an entrepreneur, communications expert, and author of Lift: 10 Mentorship Touchpoints to Empower Your Team and Accelerate Your Career (February 2026). (the main idea is that mentorship isn’t a title, it’s a daily leadership behavior. It focuses on how leaders can intentionally lift others through actions rather than advice.

With more than two decades of experience leading virtual organizations, Amy teaches professionals how to build trust, communicate with empathy, and lead with integrity in adisconnected workplace era. Amy Summers founded Pitch Publicity® in 2003, in her mid-twenties, building a proactive public relations agency that has since earned billions of media impressions for hundreds of companies and organizations. In 2020, she launched INICIVOX®, a virtual platform designed to harness mentorship to enhance communication skills. Summers’s pitching methodologies and mentorship success stories are showcased through her popular microcast, (a very short audio or video b roadcast, usually focused on one small idea or topic) The Pitch with Amy Summers, and podcast, Pitch Live with Amy Summers.

A pioneer in remote work and virtual mentorship, Summers has earned business, education, and communication awards in entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Based in New York City, Summers attributes her successful career start in public relations to her education at the University of Florida, where she later served as an adjunct lecturer and as a member of multiple boards of directors, including Student Press Law Center, showcasing her commitment to supporting journalism and free speech education.

Get In Touch With Amy:The website is https://lifttolead.com andshe can be found on most social platforms: https://x.com/PitchAmy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amysummersnyc/ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amysummersNYC/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@pitchpublicitynyc Instagram https://www.instagram.com/amysummersnyc/ andTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@amysummersnyc

Free Mentoring Platform: INICIVOX - INICIVOX®


Hosted by Marcylle Combs, 50% with Marcylle Combs is built on the belief that women's voices and leadership are essential to every conversation. This podcast moves beyond surface-level interviews to explore the full spectrum of a leader's life. In each episode, Marcylle sits down with a woman who is actively shaping her field and community, delving into the real texture of her journey. You'll hear about the pivotal moments that defined her path, the obstacles that reshaped her direction, and the hard-won insights gathered along the way. These are not just success stories; they are honest accounts of professional and personal evolution, offering tangible advice for anyone looking to lead. By focusing on this depth, the podcast creates a platform where the diverse and inspiring narratives of women from various backgrounds, industries, and sectors take center stage. Tuning into this podcast means gaining access to a repository of experience, a source of solidarity, and a clearer understanding of what it means to build a meaningful career and life. It’s where ambition meets reflection, and where listening feels like joining a candid, necessary dialogue about progress and purpose.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

50% with Marcylle Combs
Podcast Episodes
Navigating the Retirement Journey: Suzanne Campi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:32
Suzanne Campi emphasizes the importance of honoring one's past, finding purpose in retirement, and setting boundaries to avoid being overwhelmed by others' expectations. Suzanne also discusses the significance of health…
Building a Unique Massage Therapy Brand: Amber Briggle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:54
Amber Briggle shares her unexpected journey from a liberal arts college graduate to a successful massage therapist and business owner. She discusses the evolution of her business, Soma Massage Therapy, the challenges fac…
Triumph in the Trenches: Dr. Xenia Barnes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:10
Reverend Dr. Xenia Barnes shares her inspiring journey from being an educator to a social and behavioral scientist after facing a terminal illness. She discusses the importance of resilience, emotional intelligence, and…
From Trauma to Triumph: Rev. Cheryl Kincaid's Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:59
Rev. Cheryl Kincaid shares her profound journey from a troubled childhood marked by abuse to becoming a Christian minister and author. She discusses her struggles with PTSD, the challenges of being a female pastor, and h…
Empowering the Blind: Angela Fowler's Journey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:04
Angela Fowler shares her journey as a blind entrepreneur, discussing the challenges she has faced and the unique business she has built around accessibility. She emphasizes the importance of understanding and implementin…
Crafting Your Own Definition of Success: Alex Snider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:06
Did you know that leaders who lead by example with integrity are 50% more likely to earn the trust and loyalty of their teams? Alex Snider, the Founder & Lead Scale Up Partner, has an impressive track record, including c…
Creating a Culture of Care in the Workplace: Jan Rock [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:05
Jan, or as we call her Mama Jan, keeps the heart and soul ofMission Mobile Medical alive, happy and out of trouble (hence the nickname). After several years working as an executive Director of Training and HR executive f…
For the Cubs. A New Approach to Foster Support: Amy Vale [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:15
Did you know? On any given day, there are nearly 424,000 children in foster care in the United States. Meet Amy Vale, founder of For the Cubs, who has dedicated her life to supporting kids in foster care. With her person…
Embracing Single Parenthood Through Adoption: Ayo Haynes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:38
In this conversation, Ayo Haynes shares her journey to motherhood as a single woman through adoption. She discusses the challenges and joys of becoming a mother later in life, the importance of open adoption, and how her…
Negotiation is About Collaboration: Carolyn Goerner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:49
Carolyn Goerner shares her journey from a small-town upbringing in California to becoming a respected academic in management and human resources. She discusses her teaching philosophy, emphasizing empathy-based negotiati…