If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done.
Samantha Gash is one of Australia’s most influential speakers, captivating audiences with her unique blend of heartfelt gripping stories and actionable insights. With vibrant energy and a delivery both relatable and profound, Samantha has been speaking globally for over 15 years. Her talks are curated for each audience and she leverages her varied roles as an adventurer, entrepreneur, mother, social advocate, and former corporate lawyer. She shows that true success is more about building personal confidence, resilience, and purpose than about having innate talent, influencing both personal growth and team dynamics.
Samantha doesn’t merely recount a single event but offers a comprehensive tapestry of a career marked by world-class expeditions, impactful social campaigns and corporate insights. She dives into the crux of resilience, transformative growth, and what it entails to be a leader and collaborator with purpose.
Notably, Samantha’s achievements in the adventure & social impact space include:
- Becoming the first woman to complete the 4 Deserts Grand Slam (4 x 250km desert ultramarathons in one calendar year).
- Traversing Nepal’s Great Himalaya Trail over 50 days in an unsupported female pair - advocating and raising funds for financial and digital literacy programs in rural Nepal
- Running from West to India India (3,500 kms) in 77 days - raising funds and addressing the barriers to quality education programs.
- Traversing South Africa’s Freedom Trail over 32 days to raise attention to the high cost of feminine hygiene products.
- Running 379km non-stop across Australia’s Simpson Desert - raising funds for education resources in remote Aboriginal communities.
These feats highlight the importance of venturing into the uncharted, maintaining composure in adversity, and fostering a culture of trust, adaptability, and shared goals - key to overcoming challenges and achieving extraordinary results in the harshest environments. Her journey serves as a testament to the power of confronting and transcending self-imposed barriers, underscoring that significant growth often lies just outside our comfort zones.
Beyond physical accomplishments, Samantha has raised over $1.5 million for non-profits focused on education, gender equality, and climate action. Her roles as a World Vision Goodwill Ambassador and the founder of Her Trails have empowered countless individuals to surpass perceived limitations and pursue a life filled with purpose and impact. She’s featured in three Award-Winning documentaries, been a Finalist in the Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards in the Agenda Setter Category, and been a Delegate to the Australia India Youth Dialogue.
Her story is more than an inspiration; it’s a blueprint for tackling life’s challenges, fostering resilient teams, and achieving individual and collective milestones. Through her talks, Samantha equips her audiences with the strategies and mindset to push beyond perceived limitations and embrace a life rich with purpose and impact.
Talking Points
Resilience and Agility: The Twin Pillars of a Future-Ready Workforce
Samantha and her teams have embarked on expeditions that pushed them to the world's extremities, facing environments where unpredictability reigns and plans falter. In the face of natural disasters that challenge their resolve, local disturbances that test their adaptability, the physical toll on their bodies that demands resilience, and cultural challenges that require sensitivity and understanding - she knows a thing or two about how to move forward when the path ahead is obscured.Resilience and Agility: The Twin Pillars of a Future-Ready Workforce
In an era where change is the only constant, "Resilience and Agility" emerge as indispensable attributes for organisations and teams aiming to navigate the complexities of the modern business environment. This topic delves deep into how these qualities can be harnessed to foster an innovative, robust, and adaptable workforce, ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow head-on.
Capturing Failure as a Tool for Growth
- Emphasising that 99% of success stems from failures, Samantha explores the transformative power of viewing setbacks as vital learning opportunities.
- Discussing strategies for cultivating an organisational culture that encourages experimentation, accepts mistakes as part of the innovation process, and leverages these experiences for continuous improvement and growth.
The Importance of Realistic Optimism
- Integrating optimism with a realistic assessment of current challenges and potential setbacks fosters a balanced approach to ambition and risk-taking.
- Realistic optimism can fuel resilience, driving individuals and organisations to pursue lofty goals while being prepared to navigate the hurdles along the way.
Failing Fast and Iterating Often: The Next Best Plan
- This approach accelerates learning and innovation by quickly moving past unviable options, allowing for the swift refinement of strategies through feedback.
- At its core is Samantha’s "Next Best Plan" mindset, fostering resilience and adaptability in both organisations and teams.
- Through a cycle of testing, learning, and refining, it optimises operations and boosts agility, preparing for inevitable changes.
Velocity: Strategic Progress Beyond Speed
- Velocity transcends mere speed, focusing on purposeful, strategic progress for organisations and their teams. It differentiates by emphasising direction and intention, ensuring actions align with meaningful outcomes.
- While speed measures quickness, velocity ensures that movement propels forward towards specific goals, turning challenges into opportunities for growth.
- This approach guarantees not just rapid but smart advancement.
Creating High-Performing Teams Through Synergy and Understanding
In high-performance teams, where diverse skill sets converge around shared objectives, synergy and a deep understanding of one another are paramount. Samantha’s experience with such teams showcases how aligning individual talents with group goals can create an unstoppable force. Whether it’s traversing a country, raising $1.2 million in 12 days or founding her own business.Creating High-Performing Teams Through Synergy and Understanding
Leveraging Diverse Skills:
- Effective teams consist of diverse members who bring a range of skills to the table.
- Samantha illustrates how to unite these varied abilities by connecting everyone to a common goal, ensuring that each person's expertise is utilised to its fullest potential.
Synergistic Collaboration:
- Beyond simple teamwork, synergy occurs when this diversity of skills operates in concert.
- Samantha talks about creating an environment where each team member's unique abilities are amplified through the collective effort, propelling the team beyond the sum of its parts.
Understanding as a Foundation for Success:
- The core of a synergistic team is mutual understanding. Samantha emphasises the importance of recognising each other’s work preferences, communication styles, and what drives each team member.
- This understanding is vital for the seamless integration of efforts and for maintaining team harmony.
Supporting Individual Roles:
- Central to a team’s functionality is how members support one another in fulfilling their roles.
- Samantha advocates for a culture where support is reciprocal, and the success of one is seen as the success of all, fostering an atmosphere of mutual respect and encouragement.
The Multiplicative Effect of Collective Effort:
- When a team is in sync, their collective output is exponentially greater than what each could achieve alone.
- Samantha's approach highlights how collaborative efforts yield a greater impact than individual actions could generate.
Unlocking Transformation and Growth: Individual and Organisational Extension
[Samantha’s journey from being the last picked in schoolyard games due to her height to a renowned endurance athlete was sparked by Bud Tingwell's simple yet profound advice: "Just Say YES." This led her on a YES QUEST, challenging her to confront and move beyond her self-doubts. Through consistent effort and perseverance, Samantha proved that showing up and pushing forward can break through physical and societal barriers, redefining her potential and accomplishments.]Unlocking Transformation and Growth: Individual and Organisational Extension
Redefining Boundaries with Curiosity:
- Samantha explains the importance of leveraging curiosity to challenge and expand the invisible rules we've set for ourselves.
- This exploration becomes the first step in a transformation process, guiding us to question and venture beyond our comfort zones.
Building Confidence through Demonstrated Evidence:
- True confidence is rooted in collecting solid evidence of our skills and successes.
- Engage in actions and achieve milestones that reflect your true potential.
- Use each achievement as a stepping stone to reinforce belief in your capabilities.
- Transform self-doubt into self-assurance by continuously proving your competence to yourself.
The Strategic Power of "Yes" and the Protective "No":
- Understanding when to embrace opportunities with a "Yes" and when to prioritse our well-being by saying "No" is crucial.
- Samantha discusses how a thoughtful "No" can often serve to preserve the integrity of our "Yes," ensuring that we commit to what truly aligns with our growth.
Balancing Safety and Extension:
- Finding the equilibrium between comfort and challenge is vital.
- Samantha explores how to oscillate effectively between safety and stretching our limits, enabling sustainable growth without compromising well-being.
Anchoring in Well-being for Leaps of Growth:
- The foundation of any significant leap towards growth is well-being. Samantha underlines personal responsibility in nurturing our well-being, ensuring that we're leaping from solid ground, prepared for whatever lies ahead.
Embracing Human-Centric Leadership in Times of Uncertainty
In the fluid landscape of modern leadership, Samantha advocates for a human-centric approach that marries empathy with decisive action. Drawing from her own experiences as an adventurer, entrepreneur, and advocate, she brings authenticity to her philosophy of leadership.Embracing Human-Centric Leadership in Times of Uncertainty
- Confidence Amidst Uncertainty: Samantha underscores the need for leaders to navigate ambiguity with confidence while remaining agile enough to adapt to changing circumstances.
- Humanising Leadership: Through her own narrative, Samantha exemplifies leading with a heart, showcasing how understanding the personal and professional challenges of team members fosters a supportive environment.
- Cultivating Self-Awareness and Honesty: Reflecting on her background, Samantha stresses the importance of leaders being honest and self-aware. Acknowledging personal limitations and strengths enables leaders to engage authentically with their teams and model transparency.
- Empowering Others to Lead: Drawing parallels to her expeditions where trust in each team member's capabilities is vital, Samantha promotes the idea of shared leadership to foster a sense of ownership and empowerment across the organisation.
- Aligning Passion with Purpose: Samantha weaves her life story to illustrate how aligning individual passion with the broader purpose of the organisation can galvanise teams and enhance motivation.
- Strategic Vulnerability: Her experiences have taught her that strategic vulnerability can humanise leaders, making them more approachable and forging stronger, trust-based relationships within teams.
Igniting Employee Engagement: A Roadmap to Resilience, Trust, and Passion
Samantha has worked for the largest corporate law firm in the world, she is the co-founder and CEO of Her Trails and has worked with teams in highly complicated and ever changing environments.Igniting Employee Engagement: A Roadmap to Resilience, Trust, and Passion
Samantha offers a vision for elevating workplace environments, blending enduring passion, foundational trust, deep emotional engagement and empowering wellbeing to drive organisational success. With current statistics revealing that only 23% of employees in Australia and New Zealand are truly engaged at work, her insights underscore a need for a reimagined approach to cultivating employee engagement.
Cultivating Enduring Passion:
- Samantha emphasises that passion and purpose are the engines of resilience, driving a workplace culture that is neither transient nor superficial.
- She illustrates how fostering a culture that thrives on challenges and transforms obstacles into opportunities for growth can significantly enhance employee engagement.
- By promoting an environment where passion is nurtured and purpose is aligned with the organisation's goals, employees become more engaged and adaptable.
Building a Foundation of Trust:
- At the heart of Samantha's philosophy is the critical importance of trust between employees and leadership.
- In an era marked by uncertainty, creating a supportive environment where trust can flourish is paramount.
- Samantha emphasises transparent communication and the empowerment of employees as essential to developing a workplace where individuals feel a profound sense of security and belonging.
Deepening Emotional Engagement:
- True engagement stems from a heartfelt connection to the organisation's mission.
- Aligning personal values with the company's goals boosts not only individual fulfilment but also drives collective success.
Empowering Personal Well-being:
- Employee engagement is intrinsically linked to well-being. Recognising and supporting the holistic health of the workforce is critical to fostering a culture where everyone can feel safe and thrive.
Video
Saxton Fireside Chat with Resilience Experts Samantha Gash & Mark Wales
The exchange of stories and ideas is more important now than ever. In this bi-weekly series of virtual Fireside Chats you can gain unprecedented access to the world's greatest storytellers and thought leaders. In this session, Mark and Samantha - the King and Queen of Resilience, share the rituals and routines that have helped them maintain resilience and mental and physical wellness throughout this pandemic.Samantha Gash Speaker Reel HD
Samantha Gash is one of Australia's most engaging and inspiring speakers. Sam's unique story, coupled with some dramatic and confronting film footage has audiences on the edge of their seats while learning the lessons of living life beyond the comfort zone.How I survived running 3000 kilometres across India | Samantha Gash | TEDxMelbourne
Sam was the first woman and the youngest person to complete four 250km ultra marathons in the driest, windiest, hottest and coldest deserts on Earth - and all in one year. She ran 3000 kilometres from the West to the East of India. To say she pushed herself beyond her physical limits would be an understatement. So how did she do it, and why? What happens to us when we push ourselves beyond our absolute physical and mental limits? The ultimate multi hyphenate; endurance athlete / inspirational speaker / author / social impact entrepreneur / World Vision and Royal Flying Doctor Service Ambassador / Mother. Regularly running over 200km in a race and raising money for causes close to her heart, Samanta was also the youngest person and first woman at the time to complete the 4 Deserts Grand Slam This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.Run India Official Trailer
3200kms of pain & suffering along the roads of India. The journey of Australian endurance athlete & passionate social advocate Samantha Gash is fraught with peril and hardship, as she runs from the sweltering heat of the Rajasthani desert in the West to the mountainous tea estates in the East. Any personal suffering from the run is placed into perspective as Samantha has partnered with the largest NGO World Vision to explore the barriers that children in India face when accessing a quality education. Through visiting over 18 communities that World Vision work with across the country, Samantha learns first-hand about the challenges they face, as well as sharing the stories of success that are providing hope for their future. She encounters the diversity of India which is both beautiful and challenging, as well as the complex social issues that prevent education. It is this greater purpose and the privilege of meeting those along the way, that makes putting one foot in front of the other - the easiest thing to do.Desert Runners Official Trailer 1 (2013) - Documentary HD
A diverse cast of non-professional runners attempt to complete the most difficult ultramarathon race series on Earth. Their dramatic journey takes them across the World's most picturesque yet brutal landscapes, pushing their bodies, hearts and spirits through a myriad of external and internal obstacles. DESERT RUNNERS delves into the mindset of ultra-athletes, and the complex ways in which human beings deal with both heartbreak and triumph.Samantha Gash | Running Unsupported the Cape to Cape | Saxton Speakers
In December 2020, after 120 days in stage four lockdown - Sam set her sights on running the Cape to Cape Trail. It is 123kms of wild beauty from Cape Leeuwin lighthouse to Cape Naturaliste lighthouse in the South West of Western Australia. Off the back of a challenging year with limited mobility Sam was definitely seizing a moment - to reconnect to nature, herself whilst pursuing a feat of endurance. Like many experiences that take us to the edge it didn't go to plan. Turns out the experience I was given and the lessons I uncovered were far more important to me than the ones I intended.Audio
Samantha came and spoke at our recent Blueprint Conference and to say she was a crowd favourite would be an understatement! Her presentation, right from the beginning, was captivating and in ... keep reading Blueprint Conference
Samantha was extremely well received, and an absolute delight to have at our event. Her experiences captured the imagination of our guests, and the advice she gave based on these experiences inspired everyone. Sam was receptive to understanding the context of the event and then demographic of the audience a dream for any event manager trying to communicate key messages! Sam was warm, humble and passionate, and able to adapt to her surroundings to really speak our language.
Samantha Gash delivered an inspiring, captivating and emotional presentation to the future leaders of all industries. Her humility and bravery is not only aspirational for all, but she helped our delegates tap into their own bravery rather than have them admire that trait in someone else. It is the fourth time I have seen Samantha present and each time it has been an immense privilege. She was a favourite on the day.
Even when the AV technician had technical issues Samantha was a true professional. Her speech was inspirational and kept us on the edge of our seats right to the end. I'd strong recommend Samantha to any organization looking to motivate their staff.
Samantha was wonderful, she was on time and relaxed. There wasn't anything that was too much, and the audience got the chance to meet with her afterwards. She was so engaging, the audience were enthralled by her tales, and energised by her message. Samantha was a big hit and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her as a keynote.
Samantha Gash has no problem with the spoken word. It's not often that we hear something that is so powerful that it makes us go home that night and write an article about the speaker. Sam made us listen, and she encouraged us to change something small in our lives. Whether you can relate to her story or not is irrelevant. With a huge voice that pales in comparison her tiny stature, this girl makes you want to take hold of life, and run with it.
Such an inspirational story that brought tears to many people's eyes. Sam is a great speaker and has an extraordinary story to tell. She spoke about her physical and mental preparation & how she prepared for the unknown and there were many messages and takeaway tips for our people. I would not hesitate to recommend Sam.
I had the absolute pleasure of working with Samantha Gash on our flagship Business Forum conference. Sam is such a dynamic and engaging speaker that we were very lucky to have on our stage. Sam's story is amazing and resonated with our audience, many of whom were members in business at the C-suite level. I have never seen so much immediate positive feedback, it left delegates feeling moved and inspired and most importantly, actionable suggestions on how to implement these valuable life session in corporate life.
Samantha's story is authentic, moving and inspirational. Her delivery was heartfelt and honest and had attendees glued to their seats. Samantha's energy, positivity and passion is infectious and left the audience inspired by what can be achieved with determination, motivation and pushing yourself beyond where you thought you could not go.
Samantha is truly inspirational. I have seen many speakers over the years but Samantha's authentic presentation and incredible personal story has inspired me to succeed in several aspects of my life both personally and professionally. I feel very fortunate to have heard Samantha present, she exceeded our expectations and would highly recommend her as speaker.
Samantha tells an incredible and personal story. Although her physical pursuits have been super-human, her messages to our teams are more about how much of a role the mind plays in setting and achieving goals whether they be business or personal. She really helped my team put business issues into perspective, and helped them realise that what' we do as a business, is far less important than why' we do it.
Samantha is an outstanding speaker articulate, passionate and able to quickly relate to her audience through her inspiring personal journey from lawyer to extreme athlete and community fundraiser. She would be a great addition to any motivational forum
When you read about her accomplishments you may think Samantha Gash is a super hero! However when you hear her speak you realise that she is a mere mortal. Personable, passionate, authentic and motivating Samantha leaves everyone in the room feeling that no matter who they are they can make a difference. I highly recommend Samantha as a speaker if you want your audience to be awakened to what is possible.
