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Meet the People Behind the Story
Explore our journey and how why we are committed to making lives extraordinary
Get to know the creative minds who bring our book to life. We’re passionate about inspiring young readers and supporting the grown-ups who guide them.
For more than 25 years, Rich Phillips has helped leaders shape narratives that inspire trust, accelerate growth, and drive meaningful change. He currently serves as Head of CEO Communications at AMD, where he develops strategies and storytelling that align innovation with measurable impact across AI and high-performance computing. Earlier in his career, he worked as a communications consultant for NASA’s Artemis and Mars missions, advancing public engagement in space exploration.
Rich is the founder of Bold Narratives, a strategic communications firm that helps executives and organizations to strengthen their leadership voice and build market momentum.
Rich is committed to the belief that stories can be catalysts for change. He founded Make Life Extraordinary, LLC to develop books, films, and creative projects that encourage courage, perspective, and intention. He also serves as President of I Risk Films, producing screenwriting and film projects that explore leadership, resilience, and the human spirit.
Rich holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a Bachelor’s in Economics from Boston University. He lives in Austin, Texas, and is the proud father of his three children—Ethan, Gavin, and Collette.
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Amanda DiLisi was raised in Bay Village, Ohio. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Baldwin Wallace University, where she majored in Studio Art with an emphasis in painting and printmaking and a minor in Psychology.
Amanda has worked as a high school art instructor and Resident Artist teaching therapeutic art to adolescents along with painting, drawing, printmaking, and other 2 dimensional art courses.
She continues to create her own artwork, which has been shown in different gallery exhibitions including, the Emerging Artists Series at Tri-C Gallery West, a solo art exhibition at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, the North-East Ohio Print Invitational at Fawick Art Gallery, Continuing Conversations – From Woodblock to Inkjet at the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve and other printmaking exhibitions.
Amanda enjoys teaching students to use art as a form of therapy. Through art, students learn to express themselves, think creatively, and communicate thoughts that are difficult to put into words. The concepts and messages of The Knotted Tree are important to her because she has seen the struggles high school students have had with mental health. Through her illustrations, she wants students to see that the challenges in life are what make us stronger.
My artistic style is realism, which is depicted through detailed paintings and intricate linoleum prints. Although I have had a passion for art for as long as I can remember, it wasn’t until I developed a chronic illness as an adolescent that I began using art as therapy and a distraction from everyday life. I found myself becoming preoccupied by the process of creating art and would often lose track of time. Using art as therapy has allowed me to develop an appreciation for the simple things in life that are often overlooked and taken for granted. My artwork portrays the effects of time passing, with the unavoidable weathering it causes, despite efforts to maintain and preserve the original condition. The concept of aging and reluctantly letting go are highlighted by contrasting neglected man-made objects with the beauty and wonderment of nature. Whimsical animals in nature symbolically bring life and hope to an otherwise lifeless, overgrown or forgotten scene. Many of my pieces depict familiar family objects that have deteriorated due to the passage of time.
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The Knotted Tree was illustrated through traditional hand-drawn, graphite pencil drawings, that were then watercolor painted. Each image in the book uses thoughtful symbolism and color palettes to depict the emotion of each page. The absence of paint in the characters' faces allows the viewer to focus on the expression of the characters while providing contrast to the background.
Various local trees were used as references to build a unique tree that is brought to life as the story progresses. Throughout the book, clarity is gradually brought to the hazy background revealing a foggy glow in the distance of Reverie. Warm and vibrant colors were used to symbolically represent light and hope.
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