Hey folks! Today, we’re in for a chat with the incredible Samantha Blake Harte. She’s not just a doctor, choreographer, podcast host, and author—she’s a woman on a journey to rediscover herself. Let’s dive deep into her remarkable transition from the entertainment industry’s dance floors to a certified Doctor of Physical Therapy and a soulful podcast host.
HI, WELCOME TO ABOUT INSIDER! THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CHAT WITH US! CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, WHO IS SAMANTHA BLAKE HARTE IN YOUR OWN WORDS?
I am most simply a woman who is returning back home to herself. I can list a lot of things external to me-I’m a Doctor, a choreographer, a podcast host, an author-but in all of those things the journey is the same. I am on a path to discover my hardwiring, decode my patterns, and design my life so it is meaningful and authentic to me.
YOUR JOURNEY FROM A CHOREOGRAPHER IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY TO BECOMING A CERTIFIED DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY AND A PODCAST HOST IS QUITE REMARKABLE. WHAT INSPIRED THIS TRANSITION, AND HOW HAS IT SHAPED YOUR APPROACH TO ADDICTION AND RECOVERY?
I’ve always loved to dance. But the world has a way of telling us who to be, so as my addiction took off and my hardwiring for perfectionism took hold, I got my degree in a field I thought I’d love. It was fulfilling, but after years in recovery, not fulfilling enough. I wanted to help people on a soul level with their suffering and merge the science of my studies with the authenticity of my recovery.
YOUR BOOK DISCUSSES YOUR PERSONAL STRUGGLES WITH ADDICTION, LOSS, AND HEARTBREAK. WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO SHARE YOUR STORY, AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE OTHERS WILL GAIN FROM YOUR EXPERIENCES AND INSIGHTS?
The ultimate goal of the book is to give as many people as possible access to the 12 steps, a spiritual blueprint for how to navigate life’s hardest things. By sharing my personal story, I hope to build a bridge between me and the reader that allows them to feel seen, heard, understood and uplifted. I want to give people a way through their suffering. I want my pain to have a purpose.
THE CONCEPT OF “SOUL SICKNESS” IS A CENTRAL THEME IN YOUR WORK. COULD YOU ELABORATE ON WHAT THIS MEANS AND HOW IT HAS PLAYED A ROLE IN YOUR OWN LIFE AND THE LIVES OF THOSE YOU’VE HELPED?
I define soul sickness as the emotional stuckness we experience that prevents us from living the life we want and deserve. No matter what people’s intentions are, if they are operating subconsciously from conditioned beliefs, they will never achieve their dreams. If they have lost touch with their inner guidance system, they will never hear the messages that are meant for them. They will end up on their death bed full of regret. No matter how smart, ambitious or wealthy we become, we cannot experience true fulfillment if we don’t heal from trauma, reprogram our minds, and live a conscious life designed by us.
YOU REIMAGINED THE TWELVE STEPS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS TO MAKE THEM WORK IN YOUR OWN LIFE, DISCOVERING THEIR UNIVERSAL APPLICATION. COULD YOU SHARE SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW THESE STEPS CAN HELP INDIVIDUALS NAVIGATE ADVERSITY AND PERSONAL CHALLENGES, NOT LIMITED TO ADDICTION?
Step one is about powerless and unmanageability. How many times have we lost our cool in traffic? How many times have we obsessed over that person not texting us back? How many times have we tried to convince a friend who thinks a certain way about us to change their mind? Finding peace and acceptance in the “not knowing” is a critical
Life skill. Taking personal accountability, having humility and making amends are critical life skills if you want to feel good inside when your head hits the pillow every night. Meditation is a proven way to regulate the nervous system when you’re stressed. These steps are about living and loving with your whole heart.
YOUR BOOK OFFERS PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR READERS TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES USING THE TWELVE STEPS. CAN YOU PROVIDE SOME CONCRETE ADVICE OR REAL-LIFE STORIES THAT EXEMPLIFY THE POWER OF THESE STEPS IN TRANSFORMING PEOPLE’S LIVES?
I encourage people to check out my podcast, The Truth About Addiction (available on all major streaming platforms), to learn about lots of personal life stories I have lived through, learned from and overcome. To name a few here, an extramarital affair, two miscarriages, the loss of my father and the death of my sister. The steps, at any given time and for any given life situation, are there to provide a way through the suffering so you can access joy again.
“TURNING TRAUMA AND PAIN INTO TRIUMPH AND JOY” IS A POWERFUL THEME IN YOUR BOOK. HOW HAS THIS TRANSFORMATION INFLUENCED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE AND YOUR MISSION TO ASSIST OTHERS IN THEIR JOURNEYS OF HEALING AND RECOVERY?
After so much loss, my perspective on life Is simple: I only want to do things that fill my life with purpose and joy. I only want to talk about the truth. I want to express myself unapologetically and use my story as a way to help others. I want to keep learning and healing. I want to change the trajectory of my ancestral heritage out of dysfunction and addiction and into mindfulness and recovery.
WHAT’S SOMETHING WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT MIGHT SURPRISE US?
I was pursuing a record deal at 19 years old!
ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS/ROLES YOU CAN TALK ABOUT?
My book’s release date is June 10th, 2024. I will be sharing the stories of my life with my audience along the way and taking any opportunity I get to connect with my community. I also have a podcast where people can tune in and hear authentic interviews with people on a healing journey and how we navigate life sober.
WHAT IS ONE MESSAGE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO YOUR FANS?
You are worth the life of your dreams, but you have to do the (inner) work.
WHERE CAN OUR READERS FIND YOU ONLINE?
@stronghartefitness on Instagram, @hartes24 on YouTube and website www.samanthaharte.com (new site coming very soon)
