Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha West.
Samantha, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The Samantha West has been a culmination of thoughts in my head for years now that I wasn’t able to pull together as one until now. Over the course of the last couple of years, I’ve experienced what has finally felt like “real life” for me. That included a series of accomplishments within my education, career and becoming a mother, some lessons in love and relationships, my pursuit in a continuous relationship with God and a boundless admiration for the young woman that I’ve become. Inevitably, with all things new and exciting in my life, I still housed a feeling of dissatisfaction. What was I missing? Well, I wasn’t utilizing my gift.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had the gift of gab – plus I’m extremely creative and love to shop, LOL. I would feel inspired easily and would achieve these tiny moments of enlightenment from things as small as a quick conversation with a stranger to staring at my ceiling fan at 2 in the morning. And with so many social media platforms, I was constantly sharing pieces of my life. After 31 years, I’m confident in saying that my gift is inspiring others through my creativity – my testimonies, experience, and fashion.
I’m undeniably a fan of women like myself. Women who are driven, outspoken, and experienced. Women who trust themselves and are confident in who they are. Women who have overcome and continue on in the pursuit of happiness. Those are the kind of women that The Samantha West is for. Expression for me is something I’m tied to and I hope that my words turn on a tiny light bulb in your head to spark a thought, experience or change.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to sustainable growth does not always run smooth and many times our path becomes unsure. As mentioned before, The Samantha West is something I have worked on for years – but along the way “life” happens to us all. I experienced a layoff, had a child, my father was gravely ill, amongst my own growing pains. During these times you have to remain focused on your desired outcome, pray fervently and make sure your circle is beyond supportive and encouraging. And NEVER give up – keep pushing!
Please tell us about The Samantha West | SW The Brand.
This is a great question, however, my answer may not be the typical response you’d get for a question like this. What do I do? Well, I live my life! LOL With social media being so prevalent amongst us, it has allowed me to build a following. I have some followers that have been with me since MySpace and DallasPeeps.com days. It wasn’t until recently, I decided to turn my social media presence into a brand. Depending on how long someone has been following me they know: I have run community involvement initiatives, sold designer consignment items out of my own closet, blogged about my journey to becoming a mother, helped other women like myself brand and market their businesses, eat and cook, and whatever else I do on a day-to-day basis, LOL!
I am proud of the brand I’ve built due solely to my growth as a person. I’ve been able to share these raw moments with my followers making me beyond relatable. Social media is not meant to share your darkest moments, but I have been pretty transparent in sharing mine in hopes it will help other women. I think this also sets me apart from others. At the end of the day, I’m a mother with a career and a ton of responsibilities just like everyone else.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
WOMEN ARE IT! I have a feature on my blog for this topic, in particular, Empow[HER]. We as women can do ANYTHING and we are finally getting our seat at the table, hell we ARE the table! I’ve learned that supporting, uplifting and standing by women not only strengthens us, but it helps build our platform. That in itself provides us with more opportunities to take on any challenge.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TheSamanthaWest.com
- Email: info@thesamanthawest.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/thesamanthawest
- Other: www.SWTheBrand.com
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