Daily Inspiration: Meet Samantha Karim

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Karim.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As someone who has experience with anxiety, people-pleasing, and perfectionism, I have learned how to work with these parts of me and now, teach what I know to the world.

I heard a lot of statements – with implicit meanings – growing up as a mixed child. And while my Vietnamese mom and White dad did the best they could, there was still an unspoken impact that shaped my existence and future outlook.

I learned that my looks and my ability to be agreeable made me worthy.
I learned that being quiet made me a good girl.
But most importantly I learned to listen to others first before ever listening to myself.

It wasn’t until I was faced losing the one thing I knew I wanted that I decided…no more.
No more to people-pleasing.
No more to being desperate to be a good girl.
No more to silencing my own voice and existence for the comfortability of others.

I fought for my best friend, I fought for my husband to be my husband.

It took every ounce of listening to myself so I could choose myself.
It took me putting aside the need for agreement or approval.
It took me knowing I could be completely alone at the end of it all and still go for it.

I know what honesty to myself truly feels like now…and in turn, I know when I’m lying to myself.
I know the true meaning of persistence, determination, failure, shame, and joy…and how at any moment, I could choose to act and think differently…and that my choices chart my future.

Women are silenced every day. Muted. Ignored. Dismissed.

It is my mission to give women their power back so they can be unapologetically themselves.
To help them exercise their right to choose their own future…based on what THEY want.

By being unapologetically me, I carve space for other women to do the same.
And when they are unapologetically themselves, they give their circles the space to do the same.

It’s a ripple effect. A community effect.

One person is enough to make change.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it has definitely not been a smooth road.

I had a brick and mortar business that I ultimately closed. Running that was a huge challenge as I navigated panic attacks, what it meant to have employees and make rent every month. It felt like a constant grind that I didn’t know how to get out of. I eventually made the hard decision to close it down and follow my dreams of belly dance instead.
This experience taught me how to protect my mental health and also pursue things that are in alignment with my heart and dreams. I learned that I am super resilient and that no matter what I put my effort into, I will do my best.

I am an entrepreneur at heart. Not only do I have the dance business and my coaching/speaking business, but my husband and I also have other endeavors that are meaningful to us. Discerning how we spend our time on our businesses, how we make sure to have time for each other and also spend quality time with the kids wasn’t always easy but going through it made us realize that anything we wanted we could make happen. We have amazing time together and take regular trips together, just the two of us. We are constantly hanging out with our kids and we have our personal time put aside as well. We all win and are close.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love what I do!! Absolutely love it! I’m a life coach, speaker, and a belly dance instructor/performer. I’ve been teaching women belly dancing for 19+ years and although I’ve been coaching students for 10 years, I recently opened my coaching and speaking business to focus on high-achieving/perfectionist women. It’s my mission to help women reclaim their power and confidence so they can live a life full of joy, deep satisfaction, and aliveness! Because of my dancing and coaching career, I’m able to offer a unique perspective on confidence, body confidence in particular, and fear. As someone who has experience with anxiety, people-pleasing, and perfectionism, I have learned how to work with these parts of me and now, teach what I know to the world.

Building businesses has never been easy for me. It’s not for many people. I had panic attacks, constantly felt like a failure, and often questioned if I would ever succeed. But through putting myself out there and practicing the skill of confidence and not being stopped by fear, I have been able to show up and help the community I serve.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
For belly dancing, I see the industry becoming more inclusive and focusing on more than just movement. That’s where I and a few colleagues come in. Focusing on mindset will be a huge shift in this industry and it has been most known for its signature movement. But women won’t feel beautiful the way they truly desire if they don’t work on more than just their physical abilities. You’ve gotta also cultivate a strong mind and a compassionate heart.

In regards to coaching high-achieving/perfectionist women…the thought patterns and identity is so ingrained that it’s a challenge to move through this. However, it’s completely possible to become free of people-pleasing and the “time constraints” as I have done and I’ve taught my clients to do it too. We are headed into a space of women finally not being the followers they were trained to be but stronger, bolder, and fierce leaders they were born to be. I’m excited for where we will be in 10 years but it will take constant effort to push the needle in that direction.

Pricing:

• $64.99/month for belly dance membership
• $97 for my 5-Day Event for women
• Free belly dance class
• Free Masterclass for High-Achieving/Perfectionist Women

Contact Info:

• Website: boldbitchcoaching.com and samanthakarim.com
• Instagram: @boldbitchcoaching, @theinnerdancer
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samantha.bordelonkarim
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BoldBitchCoaching and https://www.youtube.com/@SamanthaKarimTheInnerDancer
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boldbitchcoaching and https://www.tiktok.com/@theinnerdancer

Image Credits
Yellow background and pink background photo is by Iman Farid.

Shot where I’m in a black shirt and pink pants is by Visuals by Motun