About

Discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.  - Buddha

Welcome to Upstart Smart, a resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are looking for advice and support to help them in their journey to becoming successful and independent.

I'm Amber Singleton Riviere, and I wear many hats.  I got my start in real estate when I was 21, which led to several business endeavors, including Upstart Smart and its sister site, Rock Your Genius.

The Mission: A Life & Business By Design

Imua.  It's a Hawaiian word that means to move forward with strong momentum.  I heard it many years ago, and it immediately struck a chord with me and has stayed with me ever since.

You see, I think it's so easy, in life and business, to get so caught up in all the things that don't matter that we forget to pursue those that do.  For me, the word imua is a constant reminder to move forward, to make progress toward the most important things, and to do so aggressively.

I believe it's possible to build a life and business by design, to find a way to do what you love and thrive because of it, but it's definitely not a direct path.  We each have to find our own unique way, and while that's not always the easiest thing to do, it's very necessary, if we hope to build the lives and businesses we really want.

Although you may get lost at times throughout the journey of creating that life and business by design, with persistence and the determination not to give in to complacency, I absolutely think it's possible to find a path that's uniquely yours, the place where you will thrive.

Through Upstart Smart and its sister site, Rock Your Genius, my hope is to inspire change, to be a catalyst that prompts you to create a life and business by design, and hopefully provide you the tools and motivation to do just that.

If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time.  - Billy Joel