It’s been seven years since I last spoke with the always creative and vivacious Samar Al Mutawa. Sure, we like to catch each other up with random messages on social media here and there, but having a heart-to-heart with the Samar of today was a meeting I really looked forward to. After copious amounts of hot chocolate and chit- chatting in the garden, I did note one constant: Her energy always was, and continues to be, truly infectious.
This is precisely what Samar wants to achieve with her every day conversations with her clients as a certified life coach. From coaching, to fitness to art and fashion, Samar naturally gravitated towards using her creativity to inspire others. While Samar always knew that she wanted to help people, she decided that if she was going to embark on the journey of becoming a life coach, she had to do it the right way.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtQCz7IByad/
It took Samar a year and a half to find the right school for her, CTI, and she began her studious trips to Dubai every 20 days for three days, totaling five trips to start with. “The first time you go for the weekend, you can actually become a coach and get paid. This is why many people abuse this field of coaching. You require more physical, emotional training to get into the field in depth.” Continuing the process, the third and final qualification professionally certified Samar internationally, after she had completed a set number of hours practicing in the field.
While she enjoys a strong connection with the renowned Soor Center in Kuwait, she could have taken the easy way out if she opted to, but she didn’t. “I agreed with my brother Dr. Naif when he advised me to go all the way and gain all, and not some, of the professional certificates that are required, before I thought of assisting as a life coach at Soor Center.”
Not to confuse life coaching with actual therapy and psychotherapy, Samar is very careful to make the distinction, “Some people require medical help, and I cannot bring it on myself to claim that I am as qualified as a medical professional and take advantage of a client’s trust. I cannot stand it when coaches take on clients who require medical help. The ethics of this field are wildly abused.” This is why she decided to take a step to also set up a private office at her home—a welcoming abode to all.
Also utilizing her strong social media presence, all it took was word of mouth for Samar’s coaching journey to take flight. “I take the testimony of my clients, whether they are friends or family or not, very seriously.” Interestingly enough, she sees more engagement on her coaching account on Instagram, which features fewer followers than her public profile, which boasts more than 26K followers. “It’s all about the engagement—I am so amazed by how people like to simply stalk you online, without gaining the real benefit of the content being posted. Some people look down at what I do, wait for me to make a mistake, and others support me. Real people don’t necessarily have a lot of followers, and real change makers with a huge following are super rare to come by.”
Throughout the process, Samar learned so much from the experience, especially that her specialty as a coach is on womanhood and motherhood, “I’m very in tune with my maternal side, and I’m not perfect, but I hold my experience as a mother to a high standard. It’s ongoing, and I’m not afraid to share my knowledge with others.” She coaches her clients on the importance of establishing boundaries, how a mother’s time is important, she even posts videos on productivity and being a guilt- free mom in an effort to support other moms. “As a woman, whether you are a mother or not, it’s so easy for people to judge you mercilessly. When I speak on motherhood, however, I speak from real experiences. Nobody can take that away from me.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtOK_21hrb1/
She’s been judged previously for her views; especially when she speaks on the abuse of the coaching profession in general and how women are expected to live by social constructs. “I coach women to live their lives to the fullest. When you do that, everything will fall into place. Good will come to you, whether it be marriage, family, a career— this should be defined by you, and not what society dictates. Many life coaches in Kuwait forget the concept of being true to themselves. Without this sense of authenticity, how could you inspire others?”
Samar decided to take her coaching further with the establishment of Kashtet Samar, where ‘Kashta’ loosely translates to an outdoors picnic or gathering. “I love being a host,” Samar laughingly explained, “I wanted to create a safe space for women to openly express and to challenge their views, to push them out of their comfort zones.” She hosts and oversees every detail that goes into these monthly gatherings that can cater for more than 40 women. “The first Kashta was a personal one and lasted for hours, where women expressed themselves freely, with both happy and sad stories for all to hear.” Samar brings in inspirational women with challenging stories, from a cancer survivor living life to its fullest, to a woman living and battling Multiple Sclerosis to even a fun session with a renowned local astrologist. She added that, “everyone’s welcome, and we take on different themes to consider other perspectives.”
The different themes discussed at Kashtet Samar will vary from one month to the other, but Samar essentially seeks usual ways to “break the ice.” She said, “I’ll put on a fashion show for the women present to participate in a homemade catwalk to instill a sense of confidence, and I’ll use art as a tool of communication, or even music. Whatever it takes to bring down those walls that many women unknowingly cling on to.” The gatherings are meant to be fun, engaging, inspiring, with a takeaway of learning something new about yourself ever y time you par ticipate. “Even if you think that your life is perfect, you have to want to improve a part of your life.”
For this month’s campaign, for instance, Samar will be exploring the theme of love for your country, and will encourage the visiting women to make a real, applicable pledge to better their nation. “Doing something for a greater goal can be a very empowering experience.” She smilingly added, “But we’ll have fun with the process.”
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Samar’s monthly events is how well priced these experiences are, with super competitive prices when compared to other events available in Kuwait. “I don’t believe in overcharging, and the whole point of doing this is for fun. We tackle heavy subjects in a lighter tone, I’m offering an outlet for expression.”
Masahat Samar, or Samar’s space, is also an initiative that Samar recently launched and will host various local figures who will share their stories, such as astrologist and motivational speaker Haifa Al Fuzai to teach women that they deserve more, no matter their experience or past. She invites women to “consider this space your own canvas for change, but in a non-traditional way to tackle difficult themes like how to overcome failure or loss, how to take on a new challenge in life. There are many women with beautiful stories to tell. I don’t want fiction or fantasy, I want real people.”
Samar likes to bring in one of her other passions, Zumba, as a tool for engagement and change. When I asked how Zumba and life coaching come into play, she replied with an impassioned, “Why not? It’s still a tool for expression.” Zumba is surely a huge part of Samar’s life, as she enjoys her active role as part of the Kuwait Zumba Crew, and she believes that exercise is an integral part of achieving a balanced, healthy life.
Samar is constantly planning the themes for Kashtet Samar and Masahat Samar, with plans to take it regionally to Bahrain this month and Dubai to follow suit. “I love how this humble initiative is organically evolving into an awareness campaign, and I hope to do even more activities throughout the year.”
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE
What do you most value in your friends?
Acceptance, respect & SPACE. Need I say more?!
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Perfect happiness is being honest with yourself على نفسك ,and staying true to your wants and needs .حق
What is your greatest fear?
God created each and every one of us with a purpose to live by, to make the world a better place one way or another, and so my greatest fear is not living my life’s purpose to the fullest.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My sensitivity . I’m ver y in-tune with myself internally, that I can feel peoples’ vibes and intentions around me, it affects me and disturbs my mood! Work in progress, I suppose.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Hypocrites, users, abusers, egomaniacs , snobs, liars, gossipers…Basically people with no lives!
Which living person do you most admire?
My Mother.
What is your greatest extravagance?
My greatest extravagance is Me! I love investing in ME, always upgrading to a better version, mentally, physically and emotionally. This satisfies me internally and entirely!
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Let’s see what happens. I find this phrase helps to calm my chaos of overthinking and helps me trust the universe’s timings for things to happen.
Which talent would you most like to have?
The talent of saving money. Sigh.
If you could have any job, what would it be?
A lawyer. I have the passion and strength to help people. For this I can put my emotions and sensitivity on the side and I definitely believe that I’d be a good one!
What would you consider your greatest achievement?
My boys. At the end of the day they are my greatest . راس مالي achievements above all.
What is your most treasured possession?
My Kingdom a.k.a. my home.
What is your most marked characteristic?
My big wild hair, sharp features and of course my green eyes! Yup, I’ve got more than one marked characteristic.
Where would you most like to live?
Somewhere in Europe, aiming for Spain.
What are your favorite words to live by?
It is what it is/Take it or leave it/Leave it till Tomorrow/ Tomorrow is a new day. These words are all on point, and I don’t think they need to be explained.
For more information, follow Samar Al Mutawa on Instagram @Samarthecoach.
