We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Samantha Sao. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Samantha below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Samantha with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Work ethic was instilled in me at a young age. My parents worked in a garment factory when they came to the U.S. and continued to work there for about 30 years. We had 2 sewing machines at home so they always brought their work home with them. They were getting paid per piece — 10 cents per piece to be exact. Much of my childhood consisted of helping them flip pockets inside out, fastening zippers, unfolding tags, watching my dad lug up large plastic bags from the garage to our apartment unit, spending days in the factory, etc.
Since my parents were always working, my sisters took on the responsibility of looking after me. They ensured I completed my homework, signed me up for hula class, checked my attitude when necessary, and most importantly — led by example by living their own lives. My sisters were either working, going to school, or both. It was apparent I was expected to do the same.
As I grew out of my rebellious teenager phase and into my 20’s, I got my first job as a receptionist at Keyes Chevy on Van Nuys and moved into Fleet Sales about a year later. The car industry is tough, but it helped me lay a foundation. There’s a silver lining in toxic work environments. I learned how to navigate male-dominated spaces, overcome challenges that made me want to call out the next day, and how important work-life balance is.
Eventually, I left that industry for good; after failing my Business Calculus class for the 2nd time. I began my journey in HR in 2018 and now I’m a Senior Recruiter for a staffing agency. I’m finding the balance between corporate life, entrepreneurial endeavors, and passion projects. I’m teaching myself how to have the same drive and discipline for my own; how to hold myself accountable when no one else can.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I published my first poetry book, “silk.” in 2020 and started a merchandise line shortly after. If you had told 17-year-old me I would be writing poetry, I probably would have laughed. I deemed myself as way too shy and reserved to share more than a smile or cheers over a drink with people I didn’t know.
I started writing poetry for myself; to document the altercations I faced in a toxic relationship when I was about 20. Something happened every single day and eventually I couldn’t minimize or rationalize the evidence and I left.
From that point, I continued to take note of my experiences and emotions in my Notes app. Journaling allowed me to reflect on my experiences have been the most pivotal point in my life. Not only did it bring me “silk.” and help me connect with people, but it helped me heal parts of myself I thought were permanent. And I can humbly say, my writings have helped people through the same thing. Readers have turned to my poetry when they’re unwinding from a long day, healing from a break-up, moving to a new place, during a near anxiety attack, or when they really just feel alone. I’m able to either distract them or remind them we are all a part of a collective. Individuals experiencing different things, but feeling similar emotions.
Sharing my pieces with everyone has greatly helped my confidence as a writer. When I lack the confidence to sign up for an open mic or create content, my community reminds me of what I tell them — why not you? It took me a while to be comfortable with speaking on stage. Public speaking frightened me since elementary school and when I entered college, I knew it was something I couldn’t run away from. So I thought of ways to ease my stress. And that was through preparation. I would write scripts, check out pictures of the venue online, whatever I could do to familiarize myself with the area and brace myself for a new environment. Sometimes it didn’t matter what I did, I would still be nervous or I would over critique myself after the performances. I think the solution to that was to practice reading/performing my pieces aloud and releasing the idea of perfection. It’s also important to find an open mic with has the right audience.
I have a few more projects in the work and the only way to find discipline is to practice it. I’m looking forward to sharing them in the future.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The 3 categories I would break that down into would be: trusting yourself, taking the chance, and consistency. Sounds simple, but the consistency with these 3 points is the hardest part. In order to trust yourself, you have to find internal validation. Seeking outside of yourself can do more harm than good. A lot of people project their fears, doubts, and insecurities onto others. Build a strong relationship with yourself and develop that confidence. You need to be willing to take chances. The ratio between “yes” and “no” will be discouraging, but it’s never the last say (as long as you keep going). All it takes is one yes; and 10,000 hours of work. This leads me to the next, and arguably most important, point– CONSISTENCY. We all have favorite artists we look to for new music, and settle for the older songs when it’s not released or it doesn’t meet our expectations. We notice when someone hasn’t released a project, we notice when the quality is sub-par, we notice it all.
I am currently working on all of these. I probably will continue to throughout my career as an artist. The biggest feat I’m facing right now would be remaining consistent and improving the quality of silk the brand. I can sabotage myself by chasing perfection. By the time things are “perfect” or I’m ready to execute, it’s not the right time or it simply isn’t right. I’m learning to just take the chance and see what happens. Trust the vision, trust the process! The rest will fall where it’s supposed to.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
I’ve allowed myself to experience life in 2023. I gave myself permission to fall in love, fall out of love, sign up for more open mics, and take a break from hustle culture. I didn’t write as much as I wanted to. It felt like I was recording a concert I’d been waiting for versus putting the phone down and fully experiencing the moment.
I can be an extremist — thinking in black and white. No space for grey. No belief that 2 things can truly exist at the same time. For example, an open mic could have been amazing and I still could have done better. My mind would put more weight on the critical feedback. I’m healing from that. Now I’m learning to cherish all of the moments and seeing things through a clearer lens with less judgment.
I’ve also realized I tend to spread myself thin across multiple projects and don’t end up executing my vision to my satisfaction. In 2023, I’ve learned to focus on 2-3 projects at a time and to see them through before committing to another. With that being said, keep an eye out for some exciting projects I have coming this year!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://samanthasao.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silkbysamantha/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sopunnysao/
Image Credits
James Roman II @iamjaycam
