Welcome to Leveling Up with Lindsay, the podcast
where we dive into leadership, small business,
and everything in between. I'm Lindsay, your
host and the proud owner of White Pony Boutique,
a space created to empower women, build confidence,
and foster meaningful connections. Whether you're
an entrepreneur, a mom, a friend, or someone
just looking for a little inspiration, This is
your space to feel seen, supported, and inspired.
Join me as we share stories, strategies, and
a little bit of life's chaos while navigating
what it truly means to level up in starting a
business, relationship, and personal growth.
So grab a cup of coffee, get comfy, and let's
level up together. Welcome back to Leveling Up
with Lindsay. Today's guest is someone I deeply
admire, not just because of the beautiful business
she's built. but because of the strength, authenticity,
and heart she leads with every day. Samantha
is the founder of Pure Bliss, a business rooted
in care, intention, and connection. She's also
a devoted mom of three who has walked through
seasons that have tested her, stretched her,
and shaped her into the woman she is today. This
conversation is about rising, not even when everything
is perfect, but when life calls you to begin
again. It's about navigating motherhood. business
and leadership in the midst of real life challenges
and learning how to do it all your own way. Whether
you're a small business owner, a team leader,
or simply someone in a season of rebuilding,
this episode will remind you that you're not
behind, you're being built and you are not alone.
Samantha, I am so grateful to have you here.
So let's kind of dive into your story. Thank
you for having me. Let's start at the beginning
for those who don't know your story or who you
are or what pure bliss is. How about let's give
a little background to everybody starting with
you. Starting with me. So my name is Samantha
Jonas. I grew up on a dairy farm in Long Prairie
or just west of Long Prairie and So got to be
raised throwing rocks throwing hay bales milking
cows doing all the fun things the farm thing
fun farm dirty things so but as much as I didn't
appreciate that as a child and strived to get
away from it I as an adult I'm ever so grateful.
It definitely instilled values. I can see it
in your social media with your kiddos doing it
little bits now. Yeah with my hobby farm. Yeah
no it's definitely something that I think just
in general we've lost a lot of that way. I agree.
getting them and getting their feet in the dirt
is good for them. Growing up on the dairy farm,
went to Long Prairie High School, went to the
model college in St. Cloud here, and went to
beauty school there. Once I was done and completed
that, I went off to North Dakota for my North
Dakota cosmetology license. And by doing that,
then I had reciprocity between both states. So
I was licensed in both North Dakota and in Minnesota.
I got into a really amazing salon there called
Oliveri's. It was a really high -end salon. That
was something I just, a standard I set for myself.
I knew that it's nothing against anybody else.
It's not that I didn't want to work at a Great
Clips or Cost Cutters or any other kind of cookie
cutter type of a salon, but I wanted to. rise
above. I wanted to be different and I wanted
to set a higher standard for myself. From the
get -go, I feel like I wanted to be able to provide
a higher level of a service for my guests. With
that comes education. So I got to be a part of
a lot more hair shows and just attend a lot of
different hair shows, different conferences,
things like that, which really, I feel like helped
level me up in my career. So six years ago is
when I had the idea of opening Pure Bliss, I
guess you could say, or at least when it came
to fruition. It had always been an idea when
I had worked at GB and Company in St. Cloud for
a decade, I had always had this thought. that
I would be able to open up my own salon. And
that was something I really, I think, always
strived for. I'm not positive I ever thought
it would actually come to fruition. I think that's
one of those, like, you know, princess dress
dreams when we're little. And you're like, oh,
I'm going to be able to do this. I'm going to
have this fairy tale wedding and whatever. So
I think I always dreamed that I would be able
to own my own salon. It's so crazy. Like as a
business owner, you look back, no, well, my business
is older than five years, I guess, but it's so
crazy to look back even 10 years ago and to think
that where you are now with your salon or, you
know, with my personal business, it's something
you always dreamed of. I love how you said that,
but it is the reality of where things are at
now in the chaos of your busy schedule. Sometimes
you've got to. take a moment and look back and
be like, wow, it's crazy. Your dream is here.
I'm having a lot of wow moments lately, especially
to reflect and think that Pure Bliss was born
six years ago. Congratulations. Thank you. It
has been a journey for sure. Starting it six
years ago, I had the vision of opening it in
Avon. That's home base, mother base. When I had
that vision, I had told my husband at the time
that if we could make it work with just me and
one other independent, that it was going to be
worth it. Six years later, and I think over all
three locations, there are almost 40 independents.
Wow, that's a lot. It has been definitely a blessing
and a dream. And tell anyone listening your locations.
Yeah, so Avon was the first, like I said, kind
of mothership and then we opened up in St. Cloud
and actually that was kind of an interesting
fruition as well because the St. Cloud location
is the old GB & Company location. So when that
space had become vacant, then I had a friend
approach and say, hey, do you want a second Pure
Bliss location? And I was like, oh, for goodness
sakes, I don't know about this. And he just he
made the opportunity too good to say no. Oh,
I am so thankful for that. And it was really
cool to be back in that space and to make it
my own space, to update it, to make it what I
envisioned was something that I could have never
imagined. So I love that St. Cloud was number
two. And then St. Joseph was the third location.
There was a gal that had come in. had interviewed
at my Avon salon actually from what would have
been the old cost cutter location and she was
like Hey, I need a spot to work. And I was like,
what's happening? And then it clicked. And I
thought St. Joe would have always been an amazing
space to have a salon. Great communities that
you're in. Oh, I feel very blessed for sure.
So you go from a dream to three salons, which
is incredible. It's a lot to manage. And I know
as a business owner, it is a journey as a leader
of 40 independent sellers. That's also a journey.
And you're a mom of three. So tell us a little
bit about the beauty and the chaos of being a
mother and a business owner. It's definitely
chaotic, isn't it? You can empathize with that
one. I did a lot of reflecting on that this morning.
early mornings, the navigating, the mindset.
We briefly talked about the mindset this morning
and just the five seconds we can get as a mom
to be able to think of all these other things
because I think in general our mind is so like...
go, go, go. But yeah, as a business owner, we're
go, go, go. So then you have these two worlds
clashing and colliding of trying to navigate
and coordinate all these different schedules
and the things that you have to do. And it is
most definitely chaotic. It's chaotic. It can
be very difficult at times. And I know that you
would agree it's most rewarding. I think what's
so important is even like with business and sitting
in, we talked about this, looking back and just
taking in the journey that you're in as a business
owner. But then what's also most important, even
more important is taking a moment and sitting
and being in the moment with our kiddos. And
I am lucky to have you as a friend and on social
media. So I love seeing your Snapchats of you
and your kids with your archery moments or with
your animals on your little hobby farm. I think
that is so neat and your silly moments with the
kiddos. There's nothing that as a chaotic Business
or someone that you know, that's cool. You've
got a lot on your plate and so to me when I have
those moments with my children or my family that
like Refuels it almost like sets a reset button
in my soul like in your heart in your mind and
all it's like Okay. Just be, sometimes you have
to really manipulate your mind to like shut off
the outside stuff with work. You know that very
well, but to be in the moment with your kiddos,
but honestly, if there's a day for me at the
lake with my daughters in, you know, on the boat
or at one of their softball games, I've like
forget about the rest of the world. And it is
my favorite time. Would you agree? Like what
moments are that for you? I would have to agree.
But I will also say, I wasn't always like that.
Yeah, no, I agree with that. That's a great point.
I will say, and you know, you had asked how to
navigate or how I'm navigating that in the beginning
of it all, you try to do so much and you try
to be everything. So there were versions of me
that I was... focused on the salons and I was
focused on the independence and at that time
I tried employees and being not only a boss and
a wife and a mother and a landlord per se but
I was really getting lost and when you get stretched
too thin which at this point in my life and through
some of the darkest seasons I've ever been through
I now see how I was stretched to every limit
that I never should have been, but I'm never
going to discount it. Because without that stretching,
without being pushed to my limits and experiencing
what I've experienced, I wouldn't be who I am
today. And so the journey, my kids six years
ago were very young. I mean, my youngest was
one and a half. So there was a lot of sacrifice.
And I look back to those first days. in opening
up Avon and I have some of the most beautiful
memories of them sitting on the floor helping
fold the towels and the capes and like just being
in the space and helping put it together. We
did a lot of the work ourselves, which was so
rewarding, but also very time consuming because
you try to pinch every penny and to make it work
as a family. And as my extended family, we've
always done things together and we've always
worked together to build things. So. That was
always a big part of my journey and our journey,
but I can attest to the, I understand where you're
coming from with the chaos, but it is a version
of chaos. I mean, you're, you're navigating it
and you're figuring it out. Yeah. And I think
the most important piece here and six years into
business, I think for a new business owner or
even someone with a new position in a company,
a really great friend of mine, Nicole Winter
said, you go through seasons as motherhood as
well. And I think I would say that is absolutely
okay. Speaking to somebody that is possibly going
to open a new business or thinking about it.
I would never do anything different. Well, there's
a few little things I would do different, but
I would start the same. I would go through the
hard lessons. My children would be right alongside
me through it all. At times, I felt like I was
feeling as a mom. At times, I felt like I was
feeling as a friend. At times, I felt like I
was feeling as a wife. At times, I felt like
I was feeling as an entrepreneur, you know, trying
to figure it all out. However... what's so magical
is like putting one foot in front of the other
and how amazing is it that we had our kiddos
by our side and actually what they see you know
what we've been through what they've gone through
really has taught them greater lessons than we
could probably ever imagine. I'll never forget
when one of my girls wrote paragraph about I'm
gonna get choked up about mom and business and
I was like and you know if you were to as a Entrepreneur
especially six years in our kids being younger
and growing up kind of in the most important
time of their right like I have teenagers now
in a tough season Yeah, they're busy. They're
learning But if I was like, if you were to send
one of her children to, you know, to talk to
someone, I'd be like, ooh, what's going to come
out of that? But seeing, having this presentation
done from one of my girls and it talking about
how awesome their mom is, I literally cried and
I'm going to get choked up, but I cried like
a baby because I'm like, that's what matters.
They took the really awesome, the good out of
it. So what's important to know is I remember,
let's take it back, I remember being in the most
executive part of my career at my past job. And
I opened White Pony Boutique. I was working seven
days a week. And I'm sure you can attest to putting
in those kind of hours when you open up one of
your new locations or started your journey. But
I would get up at five in the morning. You know,
obviously I've got my little ones, we've got
car seats, we've got things. Bring them to daycare,
go spend an hour at the boutique, go to work.
50 hours there 50 sometimes 60 maybe more then
I would come home get my kids fed sometimes on
the go we would have them literally come with
me to like let's say the shed and I'd work there
until I had to go to bed bring them home go to
bed work on my computer or whatever I had to
do until sometimes honestly two in the morning
or my husband would finally get home put them
to bed and then I'd go back to the shed and work
until one to two in the morning it sounds crazy
But when you're so passionate about like putting
one foot in front of the other, it makes sense.
But like you said, you teach them. We are teaching
them to be leaders. We are teaching them that
their dreams don't just have to be dreams. These
can become a reality. It just takes a lot of
hard... work and dedication and perseverance.
Perseverance was a word for me this morning.
Just sitting and reflecting a lot of times when
I wake up in the morning and I do my gratitudes
and try to think of something I really want to
focus on for the day and reflecting on being
able to have this opportunity and come here and
just the perseverance that it has taken and some
of the parts of my journey that I've had to go
through. It coincides with what you said on you
just can't give up. There are going to be seasons
when you're talking about new entrepreneurs.
There are going to be seasons that are super
hard. And that doesn't just go for entrepreneurs.
We're talking about moms. We're talking about
dads. We're talking about friendships. There
are seasons in every section of your life that
you need to be able to push through. And there
are some seasons that just need to be called
quits. You need to decide whether or not this
is worth it. pushing forward and you're dedicated
to doing it. Or if you just cap it at that part
of its beautiful season and calling it a day.
Yeah. That reminds me the word that comes to
my mind with what you just said in perseverance
and, and understanding what's working, what's
not pushing through. Honestly, I think, would
you agree over six years as a mom moving in your
business journey boundaries? And I think it comes
with a little bit of age. I don't know about
you, but I would say. There are really hard times.
I am trying to be better at boundaries for myself
in so many ways, but that that's a. I feel like
in general, as a human being, we are going to
have to continue to work on our boundaries. I
was terrible, I'll be honest, at boundaries,
especially with being a hairstylist. We are people
pleasers by nature. And so anytime someone would
ask for something at the salon. Yep. Done. Got
it. Didn't matter. I just did it. I didn't think
of the numbers. I never thought of anything.
It was, I want to keep everyone happy. I'm going
to do this. I thought as the salons grew, the
more I did, I thought that... I would become
more of a joy in my family's eyes and that I
would be an inspiration. And I didn't see the
detriment it was actually doing. I mean, all
of that, you know, has to come together and you
do go through those seasons and just knowing
that there are going to be tough times, but you
have to persevere and you have to push through.
OK, so I'd say you've always been so open and
honest about the not so glamorous moments. And
if there is one thing you wish more moms, especially
working moms, heard more often, is that it? I
think I had made a post on this just recently.
But what I would tell these moms, whether you're
a working mom, a stay at home mom, I did daycare
for a little while. I didn't know that. So I
mean, at one point, I had three jobs to make
my dreams come true. So. I would have to say
to these moms, mothers, no matter who you are
and what you do, I see you. I truly, truly see
you. As a mom, we end our days or even sometimes
we don't even get to the end of our day and we
are so insanely exhausted from the waking up,
making our own schedules to making sure our kids
are put together. Their schedules are taken care
of and they have everything that they need and
ordered and birthday parties and... holidays
and birthday presents and X, Y, and Z. I mean,
it's just Easter money. Oh, the tomb fairy. We
should also make a preface. Maybe if you're driving
with your kids right now, you should turn it
down. Start when you're by yourself. Okay. We
could go a whole nother episode of the things
about being a mom that they don't, not in the
fine. It's in the fine print. It's in the fine
print. St. Patrick's day. You have to do a leprechaun.
Sorry to cut in, but the tooth fairy thing is
my least favorite. I'm just going to throw that
out there. The teeth. All the teeth. There were
times at about five in the morning. You have
the old moment. The old bleep moment. Can we
do a bleep? That I took our stairs 10 at a time
to run to get all the money. What about the elf?
The damn elf. There have been seasons in your
life that weren't in the plan that called for
a lot of strength and a lot of rebuilding. Can
you share what chapter taught you about yourself,
your identity and what you're capable of? Yeah,
a year ago, literally one year ago, my world
got flipped upside down. And as a wife at the
time to be shook the way I was. and to have the
flip happen that happened, it's undescribable.
I was actually reflecting with a client yesterday
and I had said, it's been one year. And they
said, it was hard to watch you go through what
you went through. Is it weird of me to say that
I was in such a space and in such a survival
mode and my kids were at the root of everything
that mattered? at that point that I dropped everything
when my world shattered a year ago when I hit
rock bottom. And because of that, I wish I could
have seen it through other people's eyes. I don't
know what that would have looked like. I mean,
I've really tried. I think as a mom and as a
business owner, we really try to put ourselves
together and try to put on this face. And you
really try to be someone that. people would be
able to look up to and as much as there are things
that I would love to share just in the season
of I'll say divorce because that's Ultimately
what is happening. There are certain things I
can't share, but I would never wish What I went
through on anybody as an outsider a friend a
fellow business owner in the community Sam you
stand out to so many you lead with love and passion
and you really you know put action and emotion
like so without knowing details as someone from
an outside perspective I wouldn't be so hard
on yourself to think and maybe that's not the
right wording but to see you from a 30 ,000 foot
view it wasn't it's not ugly but you just know
and it's okay to like hold yourself protect yourself
a little bit so when you said you dropped everything
from an outside you're still in my eyes definitely
doing it all, you could just see a little bit
of an emptiness there. And it wasn't in your
drive. It wasn't in your passion. When you wear
your heart on your sleeve for the world, for
your business, for your family, when you feel
a little broken. And you're usually very open.
You are an open person. It's really difficult
to, they say, fake it till you make it. Well,
you can try that. You can try it, but guess what?
Those who love you the most and know who you
are, it's really hard to fake it till you make
it. Yeah. When my earth shattered a year ago.
Nothing prepares you for that, honestly. Like
marriages have challenges. I totally understand
that and I see it and I've had countless friends
and men or women come to me and ask for even
their own advice and I give what I can and I
will tell and I will preach to everyone that
you fight for that marriage. You fight for it.
It is your vow. It is something that you made
a sacrament to each other for and it is insanely
special. There are times that will come that
you can no longer fight those battles and I will
say I held on as long as I possibly could and
fought as long as I possibly could for that.
I didn't realize the depth of shame that I thought
I would have felt from having to say I was getting
divorced or that I would be divorced. So I think
I remember going to confession with my kiddos
and my faith has become insanely strong through
this. And I will say for anyone going through
it, nothing prepares you to pick your children
up and to pick yourself up. And, you know, they've
had to see me cry more in the last year than
I probably ever have cried. And I took that with
grace when I say that, like, let your children.
truly see you. As a mom, why do we have to put
on this face? We do it for everyone. We just
said that, right? Like we can put on a face for
the world, but why? You're trying to teach those
kids to be empathetic, beautiful, loving, kind
human beings. And if you put on a face, what
are you showing them? That you can put on this
mask and not truly... Express who they are and
how they feel and that they have to shove it
down, you know back in our day, right? it was
a go to your room to cry or whatever and I Tell
my kids please feel your feelings. Please cry
like and I was that mom I will be completely
honest and saying that I was not always the kindest
mom I was not always the best mom and I wasn't
always the best wife. So I have owned my what
you can call my shit I've owned it. I've accepted
it. I threw myself into therapy. I took a massive
step back from my businesses. I have amazing
managers at the salon that, you know, I think
as a business owner, we get nervous and scared
to be like handing our baby. Literally, it's
like taking your newborn baby and being like,
here, take it and have them take care of it.
And for me to be able to entrust in those women
that they've got it. and they have held this
up for an entire year. And I am ever so thankful
and proud of them as I needed to transition my
focus as a mother back to my children because
I needed to heal and they needed to heal. And
we needed to work through this brand new season
of darkness, but bring it to light. We talk about
the rising and when you asked me about the different
topics or themes for it. The rising spoke out
to me because I actually, what would have been
our anniversary date, got a massive phoenix on
my side because I don't want to look at my old
anniversary date as a detriment. I don't want
to look at it as something that I'm going to
regret every day because I never will. My marriage
brought me my children. It brought me life lessons.
I'm going to learn from this. I'm going to grow
from it. I once loved that man dearly. So he
has taught me things that I couldn't, I mean,
I'm always going to be thankful for. Was I thankful
for what I had to go through? No. Is it hard
and challenging? But it's still hard and challenging.
And I feel like it shook me so much to my core
that I got to be come a thousand times better
version of a mom than I could have ever, ever
been. I've gotten told by friends and co -workers
I smile so much more. I smile different. I see
it in my own photos. I literally, like I could
have said this from the first sentence that you
had said, I am so proud of you. First of all,
so strong, so incredibly strong, Sam, and how
you have evolved in a year and how you stand
stronger. being so dang confident in your faith,
your family and your journey of who you are and
like what makes you take you glow completely
different in such a beautiful way. You have always
been beautiful. You have always been an incredible
inspiration. But like, I just have to tell you,
I feel so blessed to have you on this and talk
about your journey because going through something
like that. And like you said, you felt like you
hit rock bottom, but to take one foot in front
of the other, lean in on what matters the most
and, you know, bringing your children in tighter,
allowing people in your business to flourish
when it was the hardest for you. And then just
taking day by day and you're becoming, this is
incredible. Thank you. And I agree. And when
you say I smile differently and I can see it,
I literally from head to toe have the chills
down my whole body. It is such a beautiful thing
that has come from something not so great, but
it is beautiful. So you should be very, very
proud. And there's nothing to say that that it
was anything on him. It was a darkness that we
created together. I can only ever hope the best
for him. And I pray that he and I hope that he
has his glow and his happiness. I mean. It's
never easy to let go of an 18 -year relationship,
but I am trying to find solitude in the season
and in that path and knowing that there is something
greater for me. I have gone through so many things
in the last year and I'm so ever so thankful
for it. I think once I flipped my mindset to
being you know in fight or flight and truly being
able to find myself going out with friends and
absorbing my hobby farm and riding the horses
and picking up, shooting bow and being able to
maintenance a 12 acre farm by myself for an entire
year. Strong. That's what I'm going to look at
you. That is my word for you. I know you said
perseverance, which is so exactly part of that.
But strength, girl. Thank you. I love that you
are. you know, leap this out if you need to,
but badass. Oh, you're so sweet. I love it. It's,
it's definitely been a journey. And I mean, even
through venturing into the dating world. Oh goodness.
That's another podcast. Bless everyone's soul.
But there's something to be said for that. Like
you become an independent, like I already feel
like I was independent and I feel like I was
having to do everything and be consumed by all
and run. a lot of different things by myself
and so low that I was becoming this masculine,
feminine woman. And I have really thrusted myself
into the more feminine version. I swear I wear
skirts or dresses every day now. And I just,
I'm embracing it and loving it. And I think that's
been something interesting and hard for some
of the guys that I went out on dates with for
me to be like. I don't need you, I would want
you. And there's a complete and utter difference
between that. If I want you in my life, that's
something special. And that goes for friendships,
that goes for anything. And we talked briefly
about boundaries, but this last year has taught
me an insane amount of boundaries. I mean, I
have an amazing girlfriend, Kayla, who has been
by my side and my rock the entire time. And she
has also been through her own journey. And there
was times when I would send her a message and
be like, Kayla, what do you think of this? And
she's like, no, why do you need to say that?
You don't need to say that. That girl has taught
me so much about boundaries. I think everyone
needs someone like that in their life. And someone
who struggles with boundaries, those closest
to me, I oftentimes like, well, you know, from
a 30 ,000 foot view, analyze where I could do
better with boundaries, but also be like, hey,
you. We all need that friend or to be that friend
to someone. Sometimes you have to go through
those experiences and have your boundaries be
breached in order for you to be like, okay, I
didn't like that. I didn't like how it felt.
So I think I needed to do that a little different
next time. I know so many listeners may be quietly
walking through something hard right now, holding
everything together, but unsure of what's next.
What would you say to them? What advice would
you give them? Give yourself grace. Mic drop.
I think that is the hardest in so many different
phases of our life is literally grace. Giving
yourself grace and knowing that this too shall
pass. There is a new season ahead. There is something
greater on the other side. And if you just be
patient, everyone always told me in the beginning
to surrender. Sam, just surrender. just give
it to God and he will take care of you. And there
were so many times I'm like, I surrender. I surrender.
Give it to me. And I truly had not fully surrendered.
I think as that business owner, as that mom,
we want to have that grip on it and we want to
be in control and we feel like we need to take
care of it. And it truly wasn't until a lot of
self -reflection, giving myself grace, surrendering,
and living for the day. Oh my goodness. Don't
live for yesterday. Yesterday's gone. Yesterday's
in the history books. You need to live for today.
And if you're already focused on tomorrow, what
are you doing to yourself? I agree with that.
That's a hard, hard thing for me as someone being
so futuristic, too. Thinking about what you just
said there. I actually over the last year in
a different way went through a little bit of
a roller coaster on a business journey. And when
you said, I surrender and give it to God, I got
the chills again, because that is something.
Last year made me dig into so many things about
who I was, what personal things I could do differently
and take every day for what it's worth. as a
futuristic thinker, I think so far ahead by nature.
But it was doing me no good in the season that
I was in. So going through something, it was
a tougher year and for different reasons. And
I just found myself saying, Lindsay, you've got
to give it to God. You're giving this year absolute
all. You're doing everything you can, whether
that's on a personal or professional level. You
need to just I love that surrender and sometimes
it's literally just mean like I felt myself go
Like take a deep breath like shoulders like release
all the damn anxiety Release it. That's not doing
me any good Release it and what do you have in
front of you that a you can control and be that
you have surrounding yourself with love and Friendship
and the in the values that matter to you. Yeah,
and then just being present in the moment is
what really turned it around for me, which has
led me to be a much stronger. I've always been
independent as well, but I've been absolutely
more confident in what brings me joy, the values
that I'm gonna hold real strong to. And as a
business, the economy at the moment is still
all over the place, but I just feel stronger.
And I think that is... The best advice that I
think we could give is sometimes you hold on
so tight, you hold on so tight, you have unanswered
questions. I think you just need to take a step
back, sit down and breathe and surrender. I think
once you do that too, you have to realize what
it teaches your children. I love that. Because
a lot of times we forget that they're watching
us. They're watching our every move. They're
watching how we react, how we respond to things.
I used to be a very brash, I'll call it, reactor.
And I feel like I caught myself yesterday at
a soccer game. There was, bless this mom's, you
know, a friend sitting next to me. She was like,
her child was whining, whining, whining, whining.
And she goes, do you ever get that at home? And
I was like, no. And I was like, but mine are
older. And I caught myself being the old Sam
and being like. Oh, I wouldn't put up with it.
And then I'm like, no, ground myself, put myself
back on the ground, because sometimes that is
also hard to hear. And what does that mean as
a mom to say, well, I just won't put up with
it? I used to be so, when I was so much more
brash, you know, that would have been my response.
And so now for me to pause, reflect with my kids,
my son is very much a feeler and more emotionally
like outward, but he holds it in. And I see a
lot of how I used to be in him, like holding
it back, holding it in, suppressing it. And then
he'd have his like moment in silence. Whereas
now I just try to embrace my children. Definitely
learn your kids as love languages. Oh, that's
good advice. You know, we talk love languages
as adults, but have you truly thought about your
child's love language? Because once you look
at that and how they need to be loved and how
they need to be communicated with your parenting
journey. I promise you will be transformed. It
is insane. So the moment that I step back, I
give him a moment to decompress, to let that
rise, come down. And then I embrace him and hug
him and we get to talk it out. It is a game changer.
Game changer. So for me to tell that mom like,
oh, I don't put up with it. I. That's the old
Sam. Sure. The new Sam is definitely more patient
and I take a lot of it more with. grace and just
knowing that if I take their love language into
consideration, it's a night and day difference
for parenting. Now, overall, you know, you've
been in quite the journey over the last year.
I'm sure you get a lot of questions of people
asking how you do it all. What is your honest
response now compared to even before? How do
you do it all now? One day at a time. There you
go. One foot in front of the other a year ago.
One of the girls at the salons who has just been,
and Leanna has been amazing, literally looked
at me when all of this happened and said, how
are you going to do it? And I made a post about
that as well. And I literally just looked at
her and said. I'll let you know when I do it.
And I met that in a totally different context
for other than what happened today. Managing
three salons, knowing that all my independents
are so capable and so fierce and powerful themselves
and worthy of so much. And then knowing that
I have my three kids, I'm going to lead by example,
running the hobby farm, but also just taking
on what I can take. There are things I might
not get back to a client today. And if they can't
grace me for that then I am really sorry I might
not be your person. I am in a new season and
there are things that just need a little bit
more of my priority than others. Well you definitely
created something so beautiful and it's not just
in business but in the life that you're rebuilding.
What does the next chapter look like for Sam?
It's so crazy to think of the next chapter because
I've been living so much in the moment, which
I thoroughly am enjoying. Yes, it will definitely
be. I'm in what I'm calling my repair season,
so it's definitely a repair. There's some things
that the salons that we're working on repairing,
you know, just picking up after being absent.
Sure, I'll call it in the last year and just.
There's going to be moments of repair working
through co -parenting and dealing with all of
that on our new journey as a family. So I'm really
excited about the future. I've met someone that
brings a whole new light to my life right now.
My kids will always be my light and my businesses
will always come first. But it is so crazy that
when you are in the depths of it to think of
someone making you feel. Like you were on cloud
nine or that like, and you deserve that. Anybody
deserves that. I would agree. It's just, you
get so lost in the moment and there are just
things with this man that I, I feel like I dreamt
and I was like, I'm going to have a man that
opens my door and has all the chivalry. And I,
I went on so many dates and I'm like, this is
just never going to happen. I'm super excited
about this new path, whether or not it's just
for the moment or for longer, who knows, but
I'm going to thoroughly enjoy it for the time
being. So my next season is still pouring into
the kids, continuing to grow the businesses and
getting them through this repair season and then
really continuing to find and flourish who I
am and knowing that I am not going to go back
to the darkness. There will be seasons of darkness.
I don't doubt that through the rest of my life.
You know, I'm going to live for another hundred
years. But yeah, I think truly continuing to
embrace who I am and not allowing others and
their opinions to influence my path and my future.
You know, this, you might've just answered this,
but to kind of end this, I want something like
a strong statement. What are you most proud of
today? but something that you never imagined
you'd be able to say out loud prior to today.
Something you're most proud of. Is it sad to
say that as a mom, of course, I want to tell
or say that my kid, I'm so proud of my kids.
Of course, right? Absolutely. The new Sam is
going to tell you that I would tell anybody and
I am so insanely proud of myself. That got me
choked up and I want to hug you. Oh, you're so
sweet. The depth that, the Sam that I was, the
Samantha that I was a year ago and to who I am
today, I am insanely proud of her and for all
that I've accomplished and made my way through
and the darkness and being able to pull myself
through. There are times in your life that we
all contemplate maybe never being around, right?
And I went through a lot of those depths and
darknesses and yes, my children pulled me through.
But ultimately at the end of the day, it was
myself that chose to not live there, to not stay
there, and to continue to rise and to grow. Samantha,
thank you for sharing your story so openly. What
you've built and rebuilt is such a powerful reminder
to us all that even when life doesn't go the
way we imagined, sometimes the detour leads us
right to where we're meant to be. To our listeners,
here are a few things I hope you carry from today's
conversation. You don't have to do it all the
way someone else does. You are wired uniquely
and your way is enough. Give yourself permission
to begin again. Starting over doesn't mean you
failed. It means you're brave. Don't. underestimate
the power of leading with your heart, even when
it's heavy. You can find Samantha and Pure Bliss
on Instagram. What is your Instagram handle?
Samantha Ann. And give her a follow and let her
know if any of this resonated with you. As always,
thank you for tuning in to Leveling Up with Lindsey.
Until next time, keep growing, keep rising, and
keep showing up. Thank you for listening. If
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