Samar Al Muttawa
is a bundle of positive vibes. She is also serious, philosophical and passionate about whatever she does. Samar shares her journey with the Arab Times and her enterprise of helping others become the best version of themselves.
Samar Al Muttawa is a bundle of positive vibes. She’s quirky, funny and vivacious. She is also serious, philosophical and passionate about whatever she does. Samar’s entrepreneurial soul has seen her involved in many enterprises and activities. Samar is a life coach, a mompreneur fitness instructor, artist and designer, founder of Kashtat Samar, Masahat Samar, Gabgat Samar and an ardent advocate for women’s empowerment. A single mother of five boys, she has fought many challenges on the personal front. Samar chose to give herself a rebirth of sorts when her life hit an emotional low, and soon she was back, creating and inspiring people around her. With a Bachelors in Advertising and Fine Arts, Samar is a certified fashion designer, jewellery designer, artist, certified professional life coach. Samar Al Muttawa shares her journey with the Arab Times and her enterprise of helping others become the best version of themselves.
Arab Times: What makes you so full of energy and good vibes?
Samar: When you are driven by passion and you are your own authentic self, you will live life with a full heart. It is all about the energy and the energy you want to be around with. Whatever energy you want, you have to reflect it on yourself. You should reflect that energy.
AT: What is the secret behind this vibrancy? There is so much you’re giving to life. You wear so many hats. Does it go back to your childhood, to your upbringing, something that happened at home, some inspiration?
Samar: I’d like to think that I have one hat instead of different hats, and I shift the hat according to the situation. That’s my strength. I am who I am inside the house; I am who I am outside the house, I am where I am, wherever you put me, this is who I am. That is my strength. I am my authentic self. I don’t change hats. I just shift it slightly to the right, a little bit to the left, depending on the situation.
I was blessed to be with parents who gave me unconditional love, unconditional trust, and unconditional acceptance, which many people lack. I was privileged. When you have that base, you can be whoever you want. The sky is the limit. There is approval in whatever I chose. There is trust in any decision I took. And even if they didn’t like it, they didn’t stop me from doing what I wanted to do. I was lucky to be around them. I have a super intellectual mom and an artist father.
AT: Please tell us about them.
Samar: My mom is super intellectual. She got married after finishing college. Usually, women back then would marry very early. My mother works. She’s a reader, a philosopher. She has that intellectuality, and my father comes from an arts background. I believe I inherited my art, creativity and passion from him — everything I did I loved. I am passionate about everything I do. Whether it’s art or my jewellery line, everything I did prepared me to be the person I am now. I created a niche for myself. My jewellery is all about my heritage and my roots. I always believe when you have a niche, you’re stronger. And I chose to coach only women and focus on empowering women and motherhood, which is my strength. That’s my strength. I live it day by day.
AT: So it’s been a journey. And every bit of what’s happened has added to that journey of evolution. What brought you to life coaching? I mean, life coaching is not something you see a lot of people doing here in Kuwait. I also want to understand that how is life coaching different from counselling or therapy?
Samar: It is funny that you mentioned that. In 2014, I was in the middle of a divorce. I was sitting with my brother, and he told me, ‘Why don’t you go and practice what you have inside of you?’ He wanted to keep me busy. He wanted me to start something new. Then it just clicked. But it didn’t happen instantly. I believe whatever click you have in life doesn’t happen instantly. Sometimes it takes years. A year and a half later, I found the right place for me. I stepped out of my comfort zone. I made the whole journey of coaching, which I loved to bits.
AT: What is it that you love so much about life coaching?
Samar: For me, the life coaching journey itself was a rebirth because before that, life happened. When I say life happened, I mean life is full of surprises, good and bad. Life is bittersweet. Before that, life happened to me. It shifted me from my identity. It took me a little bit further from who I am. This is what sometimes happens in life, and it’s okay as long as we don’t drift so far that we lose hope to come back. I chose to give myself a rebirth. When did I feel the rebirth in the journey of the coaching? I trained in life coaching in Dubai. It did not happen during my first flight to Dubai or the second or the third. Towards the end of the course, I was like I gave myself a rebirth. I cleaned everything from inside. I gave myself the chance to resume where I stopped before life happened. I left behind the toxic stuff. I emerged reenergized, more mature, stronger, more experienced, wiser. Sometimes this is what people don’t get. Whatever happened in your journey does not define you. It’s a phase. You have to go through the phase, even if you don’t like it. But you need to go through it to become who you are now.
AT: Coming back to how coaching is different from counselling?
Samar: When you go for counselling or therapy, you can go there every single time with the same topic for years, and the therapist will listen to you. He’ll be there for you and will guide you. But you’re allowed to talk about the same feeling. However, in coaching, it’s completely different. Coaching is to be true to yourself. When a person comes to me, he can be happy or sad. Maybe he wants more happiness. Maybe he has money, but he wants more money. Perhaps he wants to have some fun. Never underestimate the power of fun. A lot of people don’t understand what fun means. Personal growth is essential as well. Life coaching helps you with all that. Life coaching is like going to a salon to do your hair. You can do your hair at home, but sometimes you want to go and get pampered. It’s a positive energy that keeps you in that state of mind for you to move forward, for you to step out of your comfort zone. By the way, I am not obliged to take you in as a client when our sessions are done. This is a difference between coaching and therapy. I can say no, for sure.
AT: Why will you say no?
Samar: If you’re coming to me to vent the same thing repeatedly, you don’t want to grow. You are not allowing me to empower you. You are not allowing me to make you move forward. So there’s no point in coming to me. You are wasting my time, and you’re wasting your time. But if you go to therapy, you can talk about whatever you want over and over again, and they will listen to you with open hearts. With me, it’s different.
AT: Were people in Kuwait ready for life coaching? It is a question of mindsets.
Samar: Let me tell you something. I started something called Kashtat Samar in 2018. This is an event where people pay a minimum amount to join. People came from far off places in Kuwait. We got all kinds of women in the Kashtat. When they first arrived, you could feel a little bit of tension because nobody knew anyone. But at the end of the day, no matter who you are, we’re all the same. No matter your nationality or religion, no matter how much money you have in your bank account or what you can afford, all women need and seek the same thing.
AT: What is Kashtat?
Samar: Kashtat is an old name for gatherings that used to be in the desert. You put your things in the car and find a spot. Spread your carpet on the floor, light a fire and gather around and have fun. I wanted to bring back Kashtat. I wanted to do something different, spontaneous. Kashtat is a four hours session in which I give a talk. After that, everyone has to step out of their comfort zone and share their thoughts on the microphone. Kashtat is all about networking. I had some excellent response from women. I used it as a marketing strategy to make people more aware of what life coaching is. AT: I heard that you took the Kashtat out of Kuwait. Samar: Before the COVID, Kashtat went to Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, we were 16 women from the Gulf. It was amazing. Usually, the Kashtat is held from November until March.
AT: You are also into fitness, I think.
Samar: Fitness for me is like medicine. I love dancing, and music. I thought, why don’t I make my medicine into a fun activity? Zumba is a fun way to stay fit.
AT: You do so many things. But which of these activities make you the happiest?
Samar: I think being a life coach for women because it gives me instant satisfaction when I see the ‘aha’ moment in their eyes. When I see them step out of their comfort zone and do things to reach the best version of themselves, that, for me, is priceless.