We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sam De la Haye. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sam below.
Sam, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I had a difficult upbringing, facing challenges from bullying to emotional abuse. Every day was about survival, which forced me to develop resilience. I learned that the harder I worked and the more I pursued my ambitions, the easier life became—I didn’t just survive, I started to thrive.
At 12 years old, I walked out of my family home with no idea where I would live. Once you’ve done that, fear loses its grip. Surviving that experience gave me an unshakable strength that I carry into adulthood. Now as an adult, i am always so grateful for my freedom and even when things get hard, i know its just a season. I have so much more as an adult to survive than i did as a child. that keeps me resilent.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back on my journey, three key lessons have been truly transformative:
1. Taking Responsibility – Your Word is Everything
One of the most profound lessons I learned during The Landmark Forum was the power of taking responsibility. Before, I blamed external circumstances for why I wasn’t a professional singer. Deep down, though, I was getting a hidden reward—I never had to risk failure. If I didn’t fully go for it, I couldn’t fall short. But the moment I realized that I was the one holding myself back, everything changed. I learned that with time, dedication, and integrity—keeping my word to myself—I could achieve anything.
2. Trusting Your Intuition
When I received an email about learning to create an online course, the timing couldn’t have been worse. I had no money to invest, I wasn’t sure I was ready to transition from performing to teaching, and logically, it didn’t seem like the right move. But something inside me knew I had to do it. Even though it didn’t make sense on paper, I trusted that gut feeling and emailed back to ask for a place. That single decision changed the course of my life.
3. Embracing Mistakes – Growth Comes from Failing Forward
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: Make as many mistakes as you can—and celebrate them! Every mistake is a lesson, and the more you mess up, the faster you grow. If you look back at the last three months and don’t cringe a little, you’re probably not pushing yourself hard enough. Perfection isn’t the goal—progress is.
Advice for Those Just Starting Out
For anyone early in their journey, my biggest piece of advice is to embody these three principles:
Take ownership—Stop waiting for permission, stop making excuses, and take full responsibility for your success.
Follow your gut—Even when the timing isn’t perfect, trust your instincts and take the leap.
Fail fast, fail forward—Mistakes aren’t setbacks; they’re stepping stones. Keep learning, keep growing, and never let fear hold you back.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
Last year, I trained as a Sacred Money Archetype Coach with Kendall SummerHawk, and the insights I gained have been game-changing. As part of this work, clients take an assessment that reveals their dominant money archetypes, filtering them into one of eight categories:
Maverick,Accumulator,Alchemist, Celebrity, Connector, Nurturer, Romantic, Ruler
Learning about these archetypes has helped me uncover my strengths and weaknesses, and that awareness has been incredibly powerful. My top archetype is the Maverick, which means I thrive on taking risks, navigating complex situations, and thinking outside the box. I have intense bursts of energy for short periods of time, and then I need to retreat and rest deeply. Understanding how my archetypes shape not just my mindset and business, but also how my students approach their music, has been eye-opening.
Going All In on Strengths vs. Improving Weaknesses
I firmly believe in leaning into your strengths and outsourcing or strategically managing your weaknesses. Trying to be well-rounded in every area can spread your energy too thin, whereas mastering your strengths allows you to maximize your impact.
For example, my Accumulator archetype is very low on my chart, which means I naturally struggle with things like financial structure and meticulous planning. Rather than forcing myself to improve in this area, I’ve hired Accumulators in my business—people who excel at attention to detail, financial organization, and long-term planning. They would hate to improvise on the spot in front of a camera and would spend hours preparing for a live session. Me? I can hit “Go Live” within five minutes and thrive in that high-energy, spontaneous environment.
Beyond business, I’ve realized that I tend to surround myself with Accumulators in my personal life too. Observing how they build wealth and create financial stability has been a huge learning curve for me. In the past, I lived hand-to-mouth, always focused on the now, but through them, I’m learning how to prepare for my future self. This shift has brought more security to both my business and my children’s lives.
The Takeaway?
Rather than trying to fix my weaknesses, I’ve chosen to collaborate with people who naturally excel in the areas I struggle with. This allows me to fully lean into what I do best, while ensuring my business and personal life remain balanced.
My advice? Master your strengths. Build a team, a network, and a lifestyle that supports what you naturally excel at. Because when you fully step into your strengths, you create opportunities—not just for yourself, but for others to shine in their unique genius as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thesingerspiano.com/perfect
- Instagram: @thesingerspiano
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesingerspiano
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thesingerspiano
14 December2023 photograph by Janna Dixon Photography.
Image Credits
Janna wraight –
