Race SLO founder Samantha Pruitt in conversation with lululemon about powerful women and leadership on International Women’s Day.
What does it mean to lead powerfully and authentically?
For me, authentic leadership can only come from a place of deep life purpose. One’s unique purpose must be dug into, unearthed and harvested in order to use it as a powerful fuel for change and growth. Think of your life and personal leadership as your own limitless garden. You can make it big, small, wild or fancy, full of veggies-fruit or flowers, you can use it to feed yourself, your family or the entire community. However, left unattended, it will grow weeds, be unproductive and eventually die. Additionally, there are seasons to your leadership garden. Life’s calendar and climate will affect what you plant, what you reap and how both your body and mind will respond to each harvest. Knowing and adapting to this natural cycle helps you understand that YOU hold the power to your own harvest. Understanding this ever-changing personal power allows you the freedom to explore your potential as life’s gardener without judgement or fear. Lastly, sweating on the earth while exercising your purpose will ensure you produce a nourishing life long harvest that will also inspire and feed countless others. For me, I connect again over and over to my own purpose each time I choose to lead and collaborate, ensuring that first my own garden is tended too, because only then I am most connected to how I can truly be of service to others and the world.
How do you elevate and inspire other women?
One of my favorite things to do in the entire world is to mentor and collaborate with other women leaders. It is truly part of my life’s purpose and what I feel the world needs more of. When we diverse women reach out our hands and hearts to inspire and support the evolution of those females around us, we are truly unstoppable. Since the dawn of time, women are the community members who have the most influence over their families, their friends, their villages and their workplaces. Because of our true nature to give, raise, support and take action with those around us, we women are the real influencers. Therefore, if we each are healthier, stronger, braver and more connected to our own truth, we can selflessly carry that limitless energy out into the world. One circle of influence at a time, we will create positive change. I live and breathe to be surrounded by, to be a mentor to, and to truly be one of the legit GAME CHANGERS.
What would you like to see shift in our community?
I define my own community as far beyond the town I live in or my close circle of friends & family. As a female business owner, coach and influencer, athlete and teammate, mother, wife, sister, aunt, nana and friend, my community circle is massive and I am so grateful. The shift I would like to see most in this nationwide community at large is a movement towards simplicity and self investment. I am working towards living a life with less stuff and more connection. I feel that most humans (including myself) have gotten lost chasing and collecting things instead of experiences and that is a waste of time and resources on this earth. I also feel that humans (and I learned this one the hard way) put more value into investing in money-work and relationships with others before themselves and their own bodies. This is a true crisis of both health and happiness in the world. One we can not afford to fix, because when we self-invest we are more productive, more powerful and more able to really live the purpose driven life we deserve.
Samantha Alderton Pruitt is an entrepreneur, endurance sports race director, ultra-endurance and adventure athlete, podcast host and lifestyle coach.
***Race SLO Fitness Festival is coming up on April 26-28! To register for the SLO Half Marathon, Half Marathon Relay, Corporate Challenge Relay, 5K and Kids Races, and for the inaugural YogaMusic Fest, visit https://www.slomarathon.com/
ABOUT RACE SLO
Established in 2008 to bring world class sporting events to the beautiful California Central Coast, the Race SLO family of events includes the SLO Half Marathon, Half Relay and Family 5K & Kids Races plus NEW SLO YogaMusic Fest (Spring) as well as the NEW SLO County Ultra Games & the SLO Ultra Trail Races (Fall). Race SLO sponsors community run & fitness training programs, supports sporting event projects nationwide, produces a health & fitness blog, plus hosts the popular Endurance Town USA Podcast, all while raising funds for local nonprofits: Jack’s Helping Hand, The Land Conservancy of SLO, SLO County Parks and Grizzly Youth Academy. Over the last 10 years, Race SLO has helped raise and donated over $250,000 to nonprofits in our community.
Our mission: Through human experiences, we create social & economic impact to share our legacy.
