Episode 98: Crista Samaras

Women Leaders in Sports Podcast

In this podcast, Patti Phillips is joined by CEO and Founder of Brave Enterprises, a great friend of Women Leaders and former convention keynote, Crista Samaras Crista is a coach, entrepreneur, and power-packed, energetic pep talk master who has coached thousands of people to feel great about themselves and to accomplish things they never thought possible,

And while her energy is infectious and not to be forgotten,, she is a brilliant teacher, practitioner, and believer in research and stats. There is endless substance behind her inspiring message., that will make you feel ready to CRUSH IT. Crista’s career journey is one of discovery, bold passion and relentless curiosity about this thing called life. She grew up in a family of 6 fellow lacrosse athletes who all competed at the collegiate level, and she talks openly about how her struggles as a Princeton student-athlete taught her the true definition of grit and why it is important to “know your controllables.” Both of these learnings now serve as core components of the curriculum she has created for Brave Enterprises, which mentors and molds leaders of all ages to BRAVE their FEAR. In our discussion, Crista bravely opens up about living with depression and the ways she manages it, like building her “circle of trust team” and coaching them on how to communicate with her when she is depressed. What Crista shares here is the kind of vulnerability and transparency that changes lives. She reminds us that sharing our experiences allows us to better support one another. Crista also talks about the difference between being BRAVE, and being fearless. And she shares some tools on how to do that, like understanding Motivation, Method, and Mindset, and remembering the BRAVE sandwich, which includes Purpose, Bravery, and Curiosity. She also gives tips on navigating uncertain times which includes understanding the difference between facts and feelings. Simple, but so very powerful! We hope you enjoy our conversation, and remember, we are Women Leaders! Head to womenleadersincollegesports.org for more about us and to become a member! Follow us at fb.com/WomenLeadersCS, and on Twitter and Instagram @WomenLeadersCS.