Amie Teske is the Founder and CEO of Top Line Advisory and AmieTeske.com.
For more than 24 years, Amie Teske has led public, privately-owned, and private equity backed Health IT software companies to double-digit sales growth—from $10M to $250M in revenue, leveraging organic and M&A growth strategies.
This has given Amie extraordinary access to work alongside, learn from, and get to know countless accomplished business and health leaders who define this industry.
Now, Amie is dedicated to paying forward the abundant experiences she’s collected — for those who truly desire adventure, accelerated success and choose to rise up in pursuit of their leadership legacy.
To achieve this goal, Amie supports Health IT sales growth in three ways.
01 -The Echelon, the only premier online community tailored for high-performers in Health IT sales, not only celebrates excellence through its Impact Recognition Award but also empowers its members with practical strategies, exclusive insights, and a vibrant hub for networking and continuous learning.
02 – The Playbook. Led by its inaugural release, the Impact Recognition Playbook, The Playbook offers a straight-forward and practical way to triple sales performance and combat disengagement – using recognition in the right ways to motivate action, improved performance and culture.
03 – Sales Advisory is a peer advisor on-call for Health IT sales leaders. Or, a short-term engagement helping sales leaders better leverage their sales team as a growth strategy as they chase double-digit growth every year.
Outside of work, Amie is a wife and mom of three girls (20, 17, 11) — fully understanding the struggle and desire for balance. She also sits on the board of a non-profit working as a mission right in her own backyard.
Amie holds the conviction that sales is more than just a job—it’s an honorable profession with the capacity for extraordinary impact, particularly in the Health Tech industry. Starting her career over 24 years ago, she walked the same path as the sales professionals and leaders she now mentors and advises. Today, her mission is to fast-track success for those bold enough to invest in their own growth. She believes that ambition, leadership, and vision are the catalysts propelling this dynamic industry forward.
[Q U I C K N O T E S]
- Position: Founder, CEO
- Industry: Sales, Healthcare Technology
- Location: Overland Park, KS, USA
- Website: Amie Teske
- LinkedIn: Amie Teske
- Instagram: N/A
- Facebook: N/A
Amie, can you start off by telling us about yourself and why you chose entrepreneurship?
I’ve always been driven by an insatiable curiosity and a passion for solving problems. My journey began in the Health IT industry, where I have spent over 25 years, primarily in software sales and business leadership. While I deeply enjoy the challenges and rewards of the corporate world, I felt a pull towards something more. I wanted to create, innovate, and make a broader impact.
Growing up, I was surrounded by the world of business and sales. My dad, mom, and stepdad were all involved in business or sales in some capacity. Their experiences, combined with my own observations, planted a seed of entrepreneurship in me. I was always intrigued by the freedom, challenge, and potential of running my own business.
Choosing entrepreneurship was a natural progression for me. It allowed me to take the lessons I’ve learned over the years and give back to the community in a more meaningful way. Through my advisory business, I’ve been able to help others navigate the complexities of sales, leadership, and business growth in Health Tech. My initiatives, such as The Echelon community and the Impact Recognition playbook, are a testament to my commitment to elevating the sales profession and making a positive difference.
Another driving factor was that I hadn’t ventured into entrepreneurship before, and I felt a strong desire to give it a try. I’ve always been someone who embraces challenges head-on, and the unknowns of entrepreneurship didn’t deter me. In fact, they fueled my passion even more. Plus, one of my girls has a dream of building her own business. By navigating the entrepreneurial journey myself, I hope to gain insights and experiences that I could later share with her, ensuring she has a strong foundation when her time comes.
Entrepreneurship has given me the platform to merge my love for sales and a good challenge, my desire to help others, and my vision for a more collaborative and impactful sales community. It’s definitely been a journey, filled with ups and downs, but every step has been worth it.
Can you tell us what drives you to be successful as a sales leader and entrepreneur?
Absolutely. At the core of my drive is a deep-seated passion for helping others and making a tangible impact. Sales, for me, has always been more than just numbers and targets; it’s about building genuine relationships, understanding, the camaraderie, the challenge of it and the chase and ultimately delivering solutions that truly make a difference. Plus, the going “through” with old friends and making new friends along the way is icing on the cake.
I always love a good succinct, bulleted list to shorten reading time and to aid my own memory. So, in list form, other factors that fuel my drive to succeed both as a Sales Leader and entrepreneur are…
- Curiosity and Continuous Learning: I have an insatiable curiosity. Sales and business and the dynamic nature of the Health Tech market keeps me on my toes, and I thrive on the continuous learning it offers.
- Challenges and Resilience: I view challenges as opportunities to grow, learn, and become better. I see them as a dare almost. Right or wrong, it’s just how I am. On the flip side of the many challenges I’ve experienced, I’ve learned the value of resilience and determination.
- Legacy and Impact: I see entrepreneurship as more than just building a business; it’s building a legacy. I want to leave behind a positive imprint, not just in terms of business success but in how I’ve helped others grow and succeed. Initiatives like The Echelon program and the Impact Recognition playbook are manifestations of this desire.
- Inspiration for the Next Generation: My girls dream of building their own businesses. I’m driven to set a positive example. I want to show them that with hard work, determination, a strong support system, and a clear vision, they can achieve anything they set their minds to.
- The Joy of Creation: I enjoy seeing an idea transform into a tangible reality — a thriving business, and this creative process is incredibly fulfilling.
My drive stems from a blend of personal values, a desire to make a difference, and the intrinsic rewards that come from helping others and building something meaningful. Every challenge, success, and learning opportunity fuels me forward and reinforces my commitment.
I would be lying if I didn’t also admit that entrepreneurship is mentally hard in so many ways. Everything that I have said thus far, is SO important because it is the foundation that makes the mental strain worth it.
Tell us about your vision of your company in the next 2-3 years.
In the next few years, my vision is to cultivate a sense of pride and accomplishment within the wider Health IT sales community. I aim to honor and elevate every individual contributing to this field, recognizing their vital role in advancing healthcare technology and the better experience it can offer to providers and the better care to patients. My goal is to create an environment where each member of this community feels valued and sees the potential impact of their work. By doing so, I hope to inspire a lasting commitment to the industry and a pursuit of excellence. I believe that by acknowledging the collective efforts and achievements of this community, we can create a sense of unity and drive, propelling the entire Health IT sales sector forward. I believe we can enjoy our work again when we become who we want to be by doing it.
What’s the one or two accomplishments that you’re proud of?
First, is the courage to put myself out there in the way that I am with this business. Sales is such a numbers driven occupation and it has a negative stereotype. Honoring a profession like this can be ripe for ridicule.
I feared saying “In Honor of Health IT Sales“. You don’t see “honor” and “sales” in the same sentence often…if ever. But, I’ve learned that buyers do acknowledge many in the profession who they do honor and appreciate. So fear of the stereotype – while real in some circumstances – was unwarranted for the most part.
I also feared irrelevance by sales professionals and leaders when chasing this pursuit. I feared saying “Honor” to my peers because it infers feelings and when you’re in the midst of the job, it’s all about the number. However, I knew through experience that sales professionals and leaders are exhausted because the current state of the industry is “all about the number”. I’ve learned that there is a deep appreciation for “honor” because most do not feel appreciated by their companies or the leaders they work with/for. So, putting myself out there…on behalf of my peers… has validated the pursuit for me. We have to help our people want to do what they do. If I can help Health IT sales professionals and leaders feel appreciated so they are at their best and they are motivated to pursue excellence in their craft, then I’m making the difference I am aiming for and I am fulfilling my vision.
To overcome these fears is an accomplishment in my eyes.
Second, staying the course in a cash-strapped growth journey. It’s hard to keep going when you see savings depleted and income sporadically trickle in. Staying the course is an accomplishment every day.
What advice do you have for other up-and-coming entrepreneurs?
Have a healthy way to manage stress — whatever that is for you — whether it is going for a run, meditating, talking with a friend, having a like-minded support group (which everyone should have in addition to other ways), etc. On the last point about like-minded support groups/associations, this is a hard one for all of us I think. We are so in our heads trying to make it happen that an association feels like time wasted. It Is not. For me, I have to discipline myself to do it and when I do, it is worth it EVERY TIME. It’s what I learn, it’s the deep breath I take when I do it and it’s the network I gain. This is a “just do it” thing for me but I would highly recommend it to all other entrepreneurs too.
Are you active on social media professionally? If so, what platforms work best for engaging your followers?
Yes, LinkedIn. As a growing business, I’m only on LinkedIn…for now. I had to pick one for the sake of time management. LinkedIn is where my audience is mostly so it’s my primary focus.
Who was your biggest influence?
My faith. Period. I have had so many ups and downs in my personal life and at work but faith is my constant. It inspires me to keep going and it is the reason for the pursuit — to help others.
What is the most challenging part of your work as a CEO?
Time management – especially as a start-up. The balance of operational, marketing, and sales work. Leadership is the common thread through it all so also continuing to professionally develop my leadership skills.
What do you have your sights set on next?
Right now, it’s building The Echelon community. It is the current and the next.
Health IT Sales is a community that has never had a collective community to be a part of. There is a desire for it but also a hesitancy. Thus, figuring out how to generate engagement in the right ways is my primary focus, now and next. I have my sights on figuring out how to grow this community and constantly learning so it stays vibrant, relevant and immediately valuable and impactful for each Health IT sales person and in effect, on the Health Leaders we serve.
What is a day in your life like?
Self development daily, workout every other day, LinkedIn engagement (usually writing posts and responding the DM’s), The Echelon community engagement (researching for Industry Insights, writing posts, choreographing engagement, hosting meetings and events, helping members with their questions and challenges and celebrating their successes), coaching sales leaders on team productivity, dynamics and culture so they can create their own legacy, presenting alongside partners in the industry, revisiting/executing marketing strategy. Then, dinner and carpool and sleep. Fhew…I’m tired just saying all of that. 🙂
Do you have any hobbies?
I truly mean this but work is my hobby. I enjoy what I do. I enjoy what I get to learn and who I get to know and how I get to help. It’s insatiable, really. I have to be careful though. I can put so many hours in that it comes at the detriment of the people I’m closest with…my family. So, I have to create intentional gaps between work (my hobby and my occupation) and those I hold dear.
What makes you smile?
My husband — because he always makes me laugh even when I don’t want him to. My girls — watching them become adults and women is absolutely, unequivocally amazing. Nothing like it. Talking with and learning about people! Oh, and a RomCom…they’re my favorite.
What are you never without?
My phone (but only because I have kids. Otherwise, I would purposely try to lose it) and I always have grapes and a lip gloss nearby. VERY rarely do I leave the house without earrings on and usually a necklace…I like jewelry.
What scares you?
As I get older, less and less scares me. Losing the respect of my children and the freedom to do what I desire are two of my biggest fears. Oh, and as a card-carrying introvert, being around people for too long. I need my space, just as much as I need social connection.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
I have two but they are not specific. A beach in the summer, and a cozy cabin surrounded by snow where I can go skiing in the winter.
Other work, published articles, interviews or accomplishments:
- The Digital Executive Podcast with Brian Thomas
- RevOpsTeam – How to turn a sales team great
- CanvasRebel – Meet Amie Teske
- Medium/Authority Magazine – How to turn a good sales team into a great one
- This Week Health IT – Does Digital Health need a clearer definition
- The Rebel’s Guide to Health IT Sales – Only available to members of The Echelon.
- In collaboration with Digital Health KC, Health IT sales and market discussion with Dick Flanigan
~ Amie
