Samantha Postman, Founder of Polymath Mastery , CEO of SmartArrow Inc. CFO of Prairie Land Farms Inc.
Samantha Postman is a storyteller and speaker. She is a serial entrepreneur, the Founder and the visionary behind the Medici Multi-Achiever Community. A community designed to empower multi-achievers for innovative thought leadership to positively impact lives globally.
She is also the Founder and CEO of SmartArrow Inc., a company specializing in advisory, ideation, innovation, product development, and community development of both individuals and organizations.
She holds a Bachelor in Management (Commerce), a Master of Arts, Certification in Teaching English as an Additional Language (TEAL), and multiple Canadian Tax Certifications such as: Personal, Corporate, Farm, Real Estate, Business, and Estate.
She prepared over 7,500 tax returns during the last 21 years as a tax consultant. In addition, Samantha established and nurtured relationships on behalf of diverse clients and industries by using tax strategy, investment and tax advising, tax returns, financial assessments, and legal compliance.
She learned a lot about diverse types of people and sectors as an eyewitness to those that shared it all; their management, leadership, staff, owners, government hardships, financial habits, family life, and so much more.
Samantha has consulted hundreds of many companies and organizations. She has addressed over 20,000 people in numerous talks in-person and online throughout Canada, the US and numerous countries worldwide. Samantha uses a high-level 360-degree approach by infusing business and life coaching/ consulting elements with her 20+ years of service to diverse clientele successes and learning experiences.
She has studied, researched, written, and spoken for 25 years in the fields of economics, taxation, finance, history, business, networking, leadership, philosophy, relationships, parenting, philosophy, and psychology.
Samantha serves on a bank advisory committee. She was recently recognized as a:
Top 100 Thought Leader.
One of 22 Twitter Spaces Experts to Follow.
Top 40 Outstanding & Inspiring Community Leaders.
She has paired triumphs and tragedies throughout her life to grow, learn, and challenge herself and the world around her. Both personally and professionally, Samantha is a life hacker on a mission to make our world better by sharing her knowledge and experiences.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
Twitter because it's conversational. It's also transformational, educational, aspirational and motivational. It reminds me of my childhood when I used to use encyclopedias to gain insightful knowledge and wisdom about the world.
In the last 11 months, I've discovered the gem of Twitter Spaces live social audio. This is where I discovered my voice and, in under nine months, became a global thought leader talking on international virtual stages about topics that include business, public speaking, stoicism, psychology, overcoming trauma, success, and humanitarianism.
Twitter is a unique space where we can speak and write with each other on one platform.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
Right now, I'm growing a new community. It's called the Medici Multi-Achiever Community. It's a growing movement of multi-faceted super learners and thinkers on a mission to be a world-renowned global think-tank.
It's for innovative thought leaders who want to be part of a multi-disciplined, polymath community to intellectually think. Also, pursue TEDx talks, collaborate, discuss, hold seminars, grow and sharpen each other, do challenges, study the greats, and network with interesting people worldwide.
In our vibrant community of inspirational multi-achievers, we are improving lives by recreating the Medici Renaissance Magic by amplifying our interdisciplinary collaborative intelligence with our expert skills, insights, and vibrant experiences.
If you, as a reader, are a highly motivated multi-achiever looking to further unlock your unlimited potential, personally and professionally, we'd love to have you join our Medici Multi-achiever community. Because we believe we thrive better together.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
Everything, I love my growing community. Not only do I get to be surrounded by brilliantly developed minds with fascinating journeys. I get amazing testimonies in my inbox with stories of people doing great things right after our meetings.
It's a beautiful privilege to help people zoom in and zoom out of themselves to unlock the unlimited potential I see in them right away. It's like Christmas for me every time.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
"You can do anything or be anyone you set your mind to." - said my mom. It's why I don't see limits the way other people do. Instead, I see unlimited possibilities everywhere.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
Dreaming up innovative solutions for almost any industry is like art for me. So, AHA moments are exhilarating to me. Like what the game of Peek-A-Boo teaches about life epiphanies, imagine the last time you watched a young child light up while playing the peek-a-boo game.
I bet a smile spread across your entire face as you were thinking about it. I played this game with my three children when they were babies. Every time I removed my hands from their eyes, their faces showed their delight in seeing the beautiful world they couldn't see just moments before.
It was always right there in front of them, but they couldn't see it until their eyes were uncovered. As adults, we get this same delightful joy when we encounter epiphanies. Epiphanies are the experience of a sudden and striking realization. When our eyes are suddenly uncovered, a completely new world revelation excites us.
It feels like a magic show to suddenly see what was always there but was invisible. Who doesn't love discovering a hidden treasure? Discovering hidden treasures makes us feel wonderfully alive, happy and hopeful about the future.
The peek-a-boo game is a wonderful way to teach us important mental skills that creates an awareness of a world beyond our limited vision. A clearer vision is a beautiful gift. Epiphanies come from this clearer realization of the vision.
Often, the best life epiphanies come from seeing the world through other people's eyes. Just like in the game of peek-a-boo. Where a child's delight shows us the exciting power of improving our perspectives.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
Being married for 27 years to the same person and raising three thriving young adults together. Impact on the world. Reset my DNA, got myself out of my part-time wheelchair even when doctors told me to give up, and recovered from brain trauma and six years of severe debilitating illness when doctors told me I would not get better.
I graduated summa cum laude two years later. With my brain back, but better on many levels. Overcoming horrid bullying in school, a majorly broken home and being born to a teen mom that relied on welfare, food banks and charities to survive while growing up.
Passion for volunteering. I have over thirty years of diverse volunteerism in the charitable sector, which helped me thrive despite my broken past. Breaking generational curses and helping others build better legacies for themselves and future generations.
Ability o shift perspective and help people overcome obstacles they didn't even know existed. Landing a TEDx talk (which was cancelled due to COVID, still grieving that one…), I'm sure I will land another one, and that dream will come true.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
I find people fascinating. The most meaningful connections and interesting things happen at intersections. Honestly, there is an intersection everywhere: planes, parks, travel, clubs, social audio, the table next over, waiting for blood work.
I have learned so much and had some of the most profound connections with strangers, some that become friends. But often, we both walk our separate ways better. Now that we live in a virtual network world, I have created some innovative ways to network.
I teach these methods in seminars and started an ebook on them. They have landed people huge opportunities, including me, who worked with the Kenya Revenue Authority, plus landed conversations and followers from brilliant, influential people around the world.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
According to strength-based leadership: Ideation, Activator, Learner, Intellection, Strategic, Analytical, Achiever, Relator, Maximizer.
Synthesis of my Curiosity, Optimism, Solution Seeking, Adaptability, resilience, sense of humour, experimentation, observations, discernment, heart-led leadership, world travel, and extreme joy from helping people get unstuck and unleash huge success.
As well as my ability to focus on big ideas, pictures, cultures, clients and relationships. Plus, creating order out of chaos (like in my tax accounting career), setting priorities, solving conflicts, removing obstacles, and getting the person or company from point A to point B has helped me to become both a visionary and an integrator.
So, I argue with myself sometimes. According to Rocket Fuel research, only 1 out of 20 Visionaries (5%) possesses both the visionary and the Integrator skill sets worldwide. It's very uncommon for women who have significantly less opportunity to develop both of these skill sets.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
A business degree equips you with success in life, professionally and personally. Don't give weight to the opinions of people you would never ask opinions from. You only get one life to live.
In my doctor's words when we thought I was dying: You are given one set of tread in your life; choose carefully how you use it. I wish I would have realized how when people tell you what to do, they're mostly talking to themselves. When people express emotion to you, it reveals more about themselves than you.
Hangout with happy people. It's okay to pivot away from people who don't see your worth. Photography not only is therapy, but it also gives us the superpower of perspective-shifting that propels us for life success.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
Elon Musk because he is a multi-achiever, and he boldly pursues his passions. He is innovative, curious, creative, entrepreneurial, educated both worldly and formally, motivated, and has a great sense of humour.
He is a visionary, and his companies are an extension of that. Elon, if you are reading this, I have an innovative idea that has profound implications in multi-disciplines, starting with premature babies and extending to those with anxiety and the elderly.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
I love spending time with my family and travelling the world. It's where we get to blend adventure, bonding, learning about the world and ourselves, and relaxation while creating great memories to embed in our souls.
I love photography, but due to my autoimmune disease, I'm unable to carry my big equipment around like I used to. However, my iPhone takes great quality photos, so I'm very thankful for that.
My hobbies and interests fill an entire page. People can follow me to find out more. I'm a very curious person, so I am always in the pursuit of mastering something new.
Right now, I'm growing a new community. It's called the Medici Multi-Achiever Community. It's a growing movement of multi-faceted super learners and thinkers on a mission to be a world-renowned global think-tank. It's for innovative thought leaders who want to be part of a multi-disciplined, polymath community to intellectually think. Also, pursue TEDx talks, collaborate, discuss, hold seminars, grow and sharpen each other, do challenges, study the greats, and network with interesting people worldwide.
In our vibrant community of inspirational multi-achievers, we are improving lives by recreating the Medici Renaissance Magic by amplifying our interdisciplinary collaborative intelligence with our expert skills, insights, and vibrant experiences.
If you, as a reader, are a highly motivated multi-achiever looking to further unlock your unlimited potential, personally and professionally, we'd love to have you join our Medici Multi-achiever community. Because we believe we thrive better together.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
The farm had a severe drought, but the world prices shot up, so it ended up being profitable this year. Unfortunately, my innovation consultancy was on pause as I needed to help my mom and my (step) dad; my dad had been diagnosed with terminal cancer just a month before COVID. Due to my invisible diseases, I could only do minimal work anyway.
However, the minimal exposure to scents and chemicals which cause severe fatigue, brain fog and body pain, my brain and body made me much more functioning than I was before. As a result, last April, I was able to build a new brand on live social audio.
It's where I found an amazing community of people who encompass depth, breadth, and growth. In a matter of months, I pivoted into a thought leader, creator, thinker, community builder, and global speaker.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
Currently, I reach out when I need micro-mentoring. For example, I'm currently studying Leonardo Da Vinci, so he has been mentoring me in the past. Though I have had a few key mentors like James G Spencer, Connie Lawson (late), Jake Vanschothort, George Silverman, Scott Currie, and others, many people have mini-mentored me, even young adults, my children and my new daughters-in-law.
Mentoring is very dear to my heart. My new Polymath Mastery Movement has mini-mentorship elements built in. Before that, I wrote my capstone action research master's paper on "How to improve my mentoring skills." I have also spent many years as a young adult intergenerational mentor.
This is a heart ministry! I am passionate about young adults from all walks of life, including emotionally broken seekers and those strong in their purpose. My goal was to intentionally connect, equip, encourage, listen, discern, welcome, and council (especially for the disconnected ones).
This passion led to a skills-based virtual volunteer platform I wireframed designed to build young adults up to success personally and professionally (That platform is for sale).
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
To be an entrepreneur:
Work in a successful company that is doing something similar. You will fast-track, or short-cut, years of hard learning.
Learn their craft, efficiencies, and in-efficiencies.
Pay close attention to what works and what doesn't.
Learn the process that they took many years and tons of money to hone, these will become muscle memory to you, and you can adopt them and adjust them to fit your own needs. This will accelerate your success when you go on your own. It also gives you an opportunity to see if you are truly suited for the industry before risking your livelihood to find out that you are not.
When you are in these companies, see where the gaps are. Determine a gap/s that gives you passionate purpose. An area that you will get up early for and be excited to spend your day doing. Then do that with your heart, mind and soul. (Obviously, do not violate any non-compete agreements).
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
People give up or fail because they lack the mindset training/mind skills for success. Mostly, they have an inability to perspective shift. We lack mind skills training at school. Here is one that works for me, and I always teach it to help people, not give and fail. I call it my Hurdle Mindset.
Instead of seeing roadblocks or huge obstacles, replace them as hurdles. This mindset comes from my track days in junior high. Don't focus too long on the problem. Whenever I come to a friction point, I see it as a hurdle. In track, we have special event rules about how to win hurdle competitions, but in life, we are not in a competition, and we don't need to follow "official" rules set by a governing board.
All you need to do is cross the finish line. So, there are lots of ways to overcome a hurdle. You can jump them. If someone sets them too high for you, you can go under them, and you can push them or walk around them.
There are a lot of things you can do to get around a hurdle. It is going to be some sort of creative activity on your part. You have to make an assessment. The cool thing about a hurdle mindset is one can always see the other side and see the finish line.
Hurdles as part of the process to any finish line. It's part of our life journey. Each hurdle builds strength that builds momentum, and it builds the story, each one one by one.
I promise you that reframing the way you look at rock blocks/ obstacles and using my hurdle mindset will help you succeed at whatever finish line you set your mind to cross.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"Develop your senses — especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else." - Leonardo Da Vinci.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Elon Musk and almost anything he touches. Everything from innovation, thought leadership, entrepreneurs and his Synthesis School initiative, where he reimagines a better methodology for education.
He's a modern-day Leonardo Da Vinci that paints what his mind and uses tech instead of a brush to bring his visions to life. Both are polymaths, multi-achievers, as I modernly call them.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
About four years ago, when my daughter and I were teaching English in Costa Rica, we had the unique opportunity to gloriously watch 60 newly hatched turtles emerge from a nest on the beach and slowly descend down the beach directly into the crashing waves or the ocean.
We were told not to help any of them because this part of their life journey across the sand is what gave them the strength to survive on their own later. As we watched, I couldn't help but compare humanity's own journey through life.
To make a life for ourselves, we must first risk the perilous journey, stick our necks out as titles do, to make progress. It takes small steps to build essential strength for future success. In life, it's our hardships that build strength to equip us to successfully thrive in the adventurous ocean of life.