Profile: Samantha Bates
Samantha Bates is a wife of 27 years and a mother of 3 humans and 3 dogs. She's a caregiver, health enthusiast, and a self-taught RN. A former stage performer, Samantha is a creator and a problem solver. She loves to cheer, encourage and uplift others.
A nature lover, Samantha enjoys log cabin vacations and hiking on local trails. At home, she gets busy with home improvement projects and going to the movies. But her home isn't the only thing she's actively improving. In midlife, she's also working on becoming the best version of herself.
Samantha and her family reside in Phonix, Az. You can connect with Samantha on LinkedIn.
In which generation do you belong?
Gen X: 1965 - 1980
Do you work? If so, what do you do?
Yes. I work in IT full-time and provide Life Coaching and Copywriting services part-time (for now, until they become full-time!)
What would the 25-year-old version of you think of you today? How are you most different from her?
The 25-year-old me would be amazed at how much I have grown, especially in the past three years, and would say, "It's about time you started betting on yourself and doing what you want for your dreams! You've been through so much, and you are still growing, learning, and getting better. Good for you for not being bitter or broken because of it!"
My 25-year-old me believed that if you worked hard, remained loyal, and went the extra mile in corporate America, you could get ahead professionally, financially, and personally. The 40 + me laughs at the idea and knows it's a scam. The wiser, more aged me has no illusions about things getting better if I were to stay permanently in the corporate hamster wheel. The current me knows you have to create the world you want and need to be happy and to have a place to become the greatest version of yourself.
What has not changed about you?
I am still a problem solver, creator, teacher, and coach — always have been from the time I was tiny. When others try a few solutions to solve a problem or do something really challenging, they can't get it easily, they give up. I dig my heels in, I get creative, I think outside the box, and keep doing until I have solved/achieved my goal. Call it stubborn, determined, or crazy — they all work for me.
Good or bad, what about midlife has surprised you so far?
What I have loved about midlife is that I realized that juggling raising a family, caring for aging parents, starting a business, working full time, etc. — all my past experience has perfectly prepared me to be ready to invest and bet on myself. It proves that I can rise to whatever challenges come my way, especially the ones I choose for myself.
While most people see midlife as burnout or crisis, I see it as an opportunity of a lifetime to start leaning into the person I know I was meant to be and share my talents with the world. It's time for me to bless the world in ways that only I can uniquely do.
What one habit are you actively working on these days?
I am working on using my time to be more aligned with my business goals, life goals, and my "Big Why" in building a business that will be the legacy for myself and my family.
What brings you the most joy these days and why?
Coaching people brings me joy. Watching my clients discover their own genius and power from within through life coaching. Seeing the positive changes, increases in happiness, and richness in personal relationships return for my clients. I love seeing people get back to being highly productive and expanding their zone of greatness. Also applying coaching techniques and tools into my own life, as these have elevated and improved my thinking, actions, and relationships.
I love spending time with my husband, kids, parents, and close friends. Helping people and serving my family are two of my core values.
What are you most excited about these days?
The opportunity to serve and help more midlife women with life coaching is what I am truly desiring to do. Women are one of the least recognized yet most influential unsung heroes in every culture. Women are the teachers of knowledge and cultivators of change. Women share wisdom, skills, and know-how with their kids, family, friends, and communities, amplifying the impact these can make in the world. And If I can help more women get on the path to becoming the best versions of themselves, they are going to serve those around them with greater power and ability. The ripple effect in their lives, their families, their communities, and the world will be exponential from the women I serve through coaching.
If you could give a 20-year-old some words of wisdom, what might it be?
Create a world that works for you, what you love, and what helps you be the best version of yourself. Forget what society or others expect of you. Focus on your Dream, Your Goals, and Living life in Tune with you. Living for someone else is a recipe for regret and disappointment.
Believe in you, bet on you, and apply kindness and grace to yourself along the way. The world is, in one way or another, designed to create limitations for you. Only accept limitations you decide for yourself. Any belief that does not serve your greater good- forget it and decide to believe a new belief that raises your thinking, your ability, and your happiness on the subject.
Help others with your talents as best you can, and act with integrity aligned with your values. You attract what you are. Surround yourself with a group of people who get you, champion you, and stand by you no matter what life throws you. What you send out into the universe comes back to you- be careful what you are lobbying out into the expanse.
Life doesn't get easier. You have to increase your ability to meet the challenges that come your way. No one has a charmed life; everyone has problems, and every achievement has a price to pay to get there. It's hard work to be poor, it's hard work to be rich. Pick the one that means more to you, and go for it.
Most mistakes are not permanent or fatal. Many are in the eye of the beholder and not actually as bad as you think. Trials are meant to build character and grow you past your current capacity. People are either blessings or lessons in your life. Either they help you or teach you how you do not want to be. Either way, you can still win.
Write down your goals and dreams. Create a plan to make them happen. Don't settle for living small in life; go Big, go audacious, and go for insanely happy!
Know you are here for a purpose greater than yourself. You have inherent value from the moment you were born. You were born to be successful. You are meant for happiness, abundance, and achievement in life. Let no one take these away from you.
And the most important question: Who was your favorite singer/band growing up?
I loved a wide variety of genres of music — a wide range of decades of music — rock, country, classic, jazz, alternative, hard rock, and a cappella.
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