Learning to trust the universe and own your power with ‘breakout star of the year’ Samantha Wills.

In this episode of the Powerful Stories Podcast, we had the opportunity to hear from multi-million-dollar business owner and new author Samantha Wills. ‘Gold and Dust – a memoir of a creative life’ is due to be released on 2 March 2021. ‘I’ve always been quite open with sharing my story –it’s the most honest and vulnerable bit of work I have done in my career so far.’ In her book, Samantha explains that the universe only has 3 answers for us – Yes, not right now, or I have something better in store for you. Tory and Samantha were standing in her fabulous designer studio in Alexandria when Samantha had a dream to build a global brand. ‘As a 22-year-old I had gotten myself into 80k worth of debt. I just knew it could be something more but I didn’t know how I was going to navigate it’ says Samantha. ‘When my paths crossed with my business partner, Geoff Bainbridge in 2007, it all changed and the business expanded to America. Finding herself in New York, the city we are made to believe dreams are made, Samantha was expanding rapidly and celebrities were starting to endorse her product. At times we seem to have it all together and we don’t. ‘The biggest mistake I made in our business – I tried to change the brand to fit the market, rather than trying to find the market that was authentic to our brand’ explains Samantha. ‘I had to sit in my own darkness. It wasn’t just me we had a team of 60 people who were looking to me as a founder and creative director. I had let them down and my customer down.’ In 2011, feeling defeated, Samantha opened the newspaper where there was a half-page spread in the New York Times calling her the “breakout star of the year”. ‘With any brand, it’s about honouring where you’ve come from but also moving forward.’ Seeing the need to go back to the foundations of the clients, Samantha did some important grassroots research. ‘I learnt that the market dictates who you are as a brand. I was chasing the wrong consumer and that was the consistent feedback. It’s just when I was ready to hear it.’ Life can take us in unexpected directions. ‘There is always a parallel –I found out my partner of 3 years was cheating on me. I was medicating heavily to survive’ what you see on Instagram isn’t always the reality. But, in life, the struggles also come with lessons. Samantha says ‘As humans, we hold on so tightly to an outcome we think is meant to be that we can lose all perspective on what is happening around us.’ In her book, Samantha talks a lot about holding on tightly. She felt discomfort in her creativity and put it down to a creative block. ‘When that flicker goes out it’s a scary time. I was designing with my hands and not my heart.’ After 2 years of internal torment, she sought insight from the universe. She shares a powerful moment where her heart told her ‘it’s time to close’. ‘It just felt right – and it was the calmest decision I’ve ever made.’ In 2019 Samantha closed the business and physically made space to write her book. ‘I don’t know if you are ever ready to leave New York – but letting go and not holding on too tightly gives you space to thrive.’ Samantha is now working with a happy heart. “I feel like I am in alignment. As women, we take on everything as gospel. It is in our fibre. Samantha’s advice - ‘Strip away what no longer serves you – when we can shed that we become clear on our authentic self.’ Finding your authentic self is the biggest gift the universe will give you. The next powerful step for Samantha is launching her book into the world on March 2 2021. ‘I want to hand over what has worked for me, and what hasn’t so that we can all share our stories’ and wake up with a happy heart each day and find alignment in our dreams.’ So, sit back and enjoy this powerful story with the extraordinary Samantha Wills. Links: Sign up to the Powerful Steps #coffeechallenge to gain Tory’s proven formula for building a global network, with three coffee dates a week. It’s how she connected with the guests on this podcast. Each one is an authentic and trusted connection  Powerful Steps Follow @powerfulsteps on Instagram Powerful Steps on LinkedIn Get your copy of “Gold and Dust – a memoir of a creative life”   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.