The Rise of Badass Bamboo: Resilience, Reinvention, and the Power of Community
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
By Samara Beth Hurley
CEO Samara Beth & Co.
I’ve reinvented my life more times than most people pack a suitcase. Thirteen cities, thirty homes, countless transitions — and through every storm, I became what I now call Badass Bamboo: strong, rooted, flexible, and impossible to break. My journey is woven with community, innovation, and grit, not because they were optional but because they became the foundation I had to stand on when everything else fell apart.
One of the most defining chapters of my life came during my pregnancy with my son Cameron. He was diagnosed with Giant Omphalocele, a heart defect, and extremely limited lung capacity. The months that followed were filled with uncertainty, fear, and impossible decisions. I was raising my high functioning autistic five-year old son, while my husband traveled internationally and was getting his MBA, and I felt the weight of protecting both of my children in ways I never expected. That experience shaped my resilience at a cellular level. It taught me that even in the darkest moments, a mother’s strength doesn’t disappear — it transforms.
In the years that followed, I rebuilt myself again and again. During the 2009 economic downturn, I buried my son, Cameron, was laid off from my corporate event planning job, and I launched my first event planning business in Houston, growing it into an award-winning company while navigating oil and gas life unpredictability. A year after we lost Cameron, my miracle daughter was born.
When we moved with the US Navy or Oil and Gas Expat — usually with little notice — I sold most items and rebuilt my support system from scratch. Community wasn’t just a value; it was survival. I created villages in every city, from school fundraisers to corporate galas to neighborhood gatherings and holiday parties. Later, I moved Celebrations By Samara to Vancouver, British Columbia, and then Scottsdale, Arizona, rebuilding each time with fresh connections and deeper creativity.
Then the pandemic hit. After twelve successful years, I was forced to close my events business and refund clients. It felt like losing a piece of my identity — the part of me that created joy, connection, and celebration for others.
But bamboo bends. It does not break.
From losing my business, and divorcing my now “wasband” of 22 years, the birth of the next chapter: Samara Beth & Co. was born. A company built not just from my professional expertise, but from my lived experience of being a reinvention maverick. Today, I help entrepreneurs, speakers, authors, and small businesses build unforgettable brands, powerful visibility, aligned communities, and profitable platforms. My approach combines immersive branding, strategic events, elite marketing, book promotions and placement, public relations, iconic media positioning, and thought-leadership development.
At the heart of my work is my W.I.N. Framework: Willpower, Innovation, and Networking – a blueprint born from my personal storms.
Willpower kept me moving when every road felt blocked, and bills increased.
Innovation allowed me to pivot from in-person experiences to full-scale brand strategy, digital content, and high-impact visibility.
Networking became my superpower. Not transactional networking, but soul-level relationship building. It’s how I built community in every city I lived in, and now how I help others build communities around their brands.
Today, I stand on stages across the country, teaching entrepreneurs how to transform their story into their strength and their presence into their platform. My clients have launched brands, filled rooms, elevated their visibility, and stepped into the spotlight with clarity and confidence. My mission is simple: to help experts rise into their next chapter with purpose, strategy, and the belief that they are capable of more than they realize.
My life has taught me that setbacks are not dead ends — they are catalysts. They force us to expand into versions of ourselves we didn’t know existed. I am living proof that transformation is possible at any moment, at any age, and under any circumstance.
Actionable Tip for Women Who Want to WIN:
Don’t wait to be discovered — declare yourself. Whether it’s a reel, a room, a retreat, or a book, create your stage and let the world meet the most powerful version of you.
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