Meet the Members of sfBIG – Josy Amann

Meet Josy Amann

• What is your current job title/company and responsibility
  • Co-Founder of Media Matter Worldwide for 15 years.
• What is your idea of perfect happiness
  • Living on a beach, growing old with my husband, raising my kids to be healthy and happy, visiting with family and friends often, traveling to new and favorite places and continuing to partner with one way or another with companies that strive for positive change.
• What is the trait you most deplore in yourself and what trait do you most deplore in others?
  • I am a type-A control freak. There is no other option for me to work on letting go since controlling your kids doesn’t work out that great!  I also don’t like that I have a horrible sense of direction and am often lost!  Thank you, GPS! 
• Which words or phrases do you think are most “overused” in our business
  • Last click. Data first. AI. VR. Blockchain. Maximize. Cohesive. Impactful. 
• What’s the most fun in your job?
  • Creating a company where people (and I) want to work. Winning new partnerships and cultivating them. Navigating an incredibly complex environment and building a unique path for Media Matters Worldwide.
• What is your treasured possession?
  • The most treasured possession is my portion of my Dad’s blanket that was from a Mexico trip they went on 30 years ago and was on him when he passed away. My Mom gave myself and each of my 3 of my siblings an equal part. It’s comforting because it was the last physical item with my Dad before he passed and also a connection to each of my siblings.
• What is your motto?
  • Today is the only day you get!  
  • This was a motto given to me by my best’s friends father who was battling brain cancer.  He wrote an inspirational letter to me in my early 20s because I was afraid of flying overseas for the first time.  
  • Here he was taking the time to help inspire me while he was battling cancer!  This motto has taken different meanings for me throughout the years but has always grounded me. 
  • An asteroid almost hit Earth this Summer that scientists missed on their radar.  The big earthquake is coming.  Weather is more intense than it has ever been. We are warned of killer flus, resistant bacteria, and future worldwide pandemics.  The list goes on and on.  If you really wake up every day and think this is the only day you get —you won’t want to hurry every minute towards the weekend. You will find patience and space to connect with yourself and those around you.  Easier said than done but we get a chance to start over each day.  Hopefully.  🙂
• What gets you excited about our business?
  • Progress. I love watching the work we are doing actually move the needle and provide positive change for the businesses we support. Also, the rate of change in our business today vs. 20 years ago is thrilling to me because there’s always something new to learn.  There’s no time to rest in “that’s good enough” for our client’s business and our own.  Lastly, it is wonderful how many companies today that are taking on more of an active role in sustainability and cultural responsibility. They are doing more than putting a page on their website that says how they are giving back. They have actually built their entire business model to help others, as they are profiting.  The new generation is demanding this type of responsibility from companies now and that provides momentum. Corporations have a lot of power and intelligence and if each one could give a portion of their resources to an area of interest — we can progress as a faster rate.   
• Any secret places/hang out/food in the Bay Area that you can clue us in on?
  • New favorite place is SPIN in SF – where they have food, cocktails, and ping pong.  Sundays – happy hour all day and unlimited ping pong for $9.
• Which living person do you most admire? 
  • First, my Mom. She is one of the most selfless and nonjudgmental people in the world and is on a constant quest for education and giving back to those around her.  
  • Second to my Mom — I would have to say the Dalai Lama. He is an amazing creature of self-built confidence (he used to suffer from stage fright!) with an unstoppable desire for compassion and hope in the world.  I saw him speak in Central Park when I was in high school and he made such an impact on me at a young age.