Amidst all the uncertainty, the COVID-19 pandemic has opened doors for expansion of several business opportunities. It even gave rise to 4.4 million new entrepreneurs in the United States, but studies reveal that only half of them could survive the year after. The lockdown also reduced revenue opportunities, which influenced professionals to embark on the road to entrepreneurship. Samantha Adams is one such entrepreneur who took the leap of faith and started her entrepreneurial journey after the pandemic to create meaningful and impactful connections between brands and consumers.
The Journey
Samantha has faced various challenges throughout her life. From getting divorced at an early age to leaving the corporate world during the pandemic, she faced all hurdles with a smile on her face. She even had to face a life-altering battle with Stage 2 Uterine Cancer in 2021. She had a hysterectomy surgery, and all tissues of the reproductive system were removed. Cancer diagnosis and near-death experience changed her perspective and the way she looks at life. She chose the path of a spiritual journey to rejuvenate herself and get back to life. Samantha has worked with some of the leading organizations, such as The Super Bowl, Ace Hardware, and more. After COVID-19, she embarked on her entrepreneurial journey and started SNFLWR Agencies, which specializes in influencer management and social media strategy. She leveraged her experience as a digital marketing expert and engaged in extending services from social media to content strategizing, video marketing to influence marketing.
Samantha’s podcast, “Facing the Sun” documents her life journey and her struggles. The episodes feature guests and explore their inspiring life stories. Besides this, Samantha wants to contribute to others’ lives and help them lead healthy lifestyles. She discovered her passion for life coaching and is currently in the process of becoming an experienced Life Coach. She sees podcasts as an effective way to communicate and connect with her audience. It is a form of digital journal for her where she loves to share about her personal and professional life struggles.
Fostering Meaningful Connections
As a business owner, one has to foster and build relationships with industry experts to break into the market. Samantha feels that making new connections should be a priority for every entrepreneur as networking can help with getting more business opportunities. Samantha realized the importance of building relevant and meaningful relationships back when she was in the marketing field, and the media background helped in developing her skills.
Initially, she did not hire anyone or outsource any work. She did everything herself, from content creation to strategizing and social media ads. Besides, her approach has always been to maintain and nurture connections with stakeholders and clients.
Laying the Foundation
Growing a business is always daunting and can be more challenging amidst a pandemic or crisis situation. However, Samantha mentions the significance of building and setting the foundation right. She believes that growth and connection are interrelated. The growth of clients is directly related to the growth of the business. Her agency follows the same approach and provides clients with the necessary tools to improve.
The Digital Marketing space is collaborative, and her agency uses the platform to create impactful connections between the brand and customers. She also considers the platform an effective space for learning. Samantha also attributes COVID-19 to be one of the driving fuels for her business as it forced businesses and organizations to adopt online. Before onboarding a new client, she checks that she has enough bandwidth to ensure client needs are met.
Use Your Voice
Voice is a powerful tool and provides an individual with an opportunity to share perspectives and opinions on a specific matter. Samantha feels every individual should raise their voice to express themselves and communicate their feelings. In advice to future businesswomen, Samantha suggests that every female should raise their voice. “Use your voice. And use it often. No one is going to give you permission. No one is going to wait around for you to be ready. You are incredible and authentic in your power, and do not ever let anyone tell you that it’s too much,” said Samantha.
Additionally, she mentions that every woman should take the initiative to grow in life. Fortune favors the bold, especially a woman who knows what she wants as they are unstoppable. “The only person who’s stopping you is you,” advises Samantha.
A print and digital magazine for businesswomen focusing on leadership, business, and entrepreneurship that made its debut in 2017 has WomELLE Magazine.
