“I think all the guys are staring at you because they think you’re anorexic,” Teri stated with a sneer. We were at a training with various male police officers in rural Maryland, and I was a seemingly buxom, young, blond twenty-something. I was pretty sure they weren’t staring at me judging my possible eating habits. Always having been self-conscious about how thin I was, her words cut me, but I didn’t let her know. She was my supervisor at the time, and one of many in a very long line of poor leadership examples. She wasn’t just imperfect, she was horrendous.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Sam Willing, strategic partner, transformational executive coach, and speaker with over twenty-five years of corporate experience in Organizational Development, People Strategy, and Culture Transformation about leadership, healing and the kind of impact we leave behind. While Sam focuses on equipping business leaders with the tools, confidence, and strategic insight to unlock their full potential, elevate leadership effectiveness, and drive meaningful impact—all while strengthening business performance, her comments about imperfection and compassion really resonated with me.
Sam brings over twenty-five years of corporate HR experience, much of it in biotech and high-growth companies. But it’s her deep compassion, lived wisdom, and disarming honesty that stand out most. She doesn’t just coach leaders, she holds space for their transformation.
Sam shared that the coaching side of HR had always been her calling. From college days where friends called her “the counselor,” to her early career roles, she found herself naturally guiding others through challenge and change. When an organization asked her to continue coaching after she left a full-time HR role, it sparked something: maybe this was her next chapter. She started her own coaching business quietly, building a reputation through word-of-mouth, growing a loyal client base while juggling full-time executive roles. Eventually, she made the leap, bringing her heart, strategy, and powerful presence into full-time coaching.
Many of Sam’s clients are in the thick of leadership—C-suite and senior leaders navigating pressure, pivots, and people dynamics. Especially in biotech and tech startups, where the stakes are high and the pace is relentless, her work helps them find solid ground. Her coaching dives into nervous system regulation, identity, and values. “When leaders define success based on things they can lose, titles, outcomes, recognition, they end up chasing peace instead of embodying it,” she shared. “But when they anchor in who they are and the impact they want to have, everything shifts. The pressure doesn’t go away, but their relationship to it does.”
Sam believes the secret to sustainable leadership isn’t more strategy, it’s more awareness. “You can teach someone how to have a hard conversation, improve their communication etc., but if they’re dysregulated, all those tools go out the window. Regulation is what allows us to access wisdom under pressure.” Her clients learn practical tools like breathwork, movement, journaling, and meditation to return to center, especially in moments of fear or overwhelm. “Fear comes in waves,” she says. “Your job is to learn to ride the wave, not get taken under by it.”
She’s now turning those years of insights into her first book, Regulate to Rise: The Hidden Key to Powerful Leadership and Personal Peace, launching Fall 2025. The book weaves neuroscience, story, and leadership strategy with Sam’s signature warmth and honesty. It’s a wake-up call and an invitation to stop performing leadership and start embodying it.
Sam also hosts the podcast Imperfection Wins, born from her own journey with perfectionism and the healing that followed. Filled with authentic stories and honest reflection, it’s been a space of grace for her and her listeners. She’s closing the podcast this September to make room for new ventures, but its legacy remains.
Another expression of Sam’s heart is The Compassionate Collective, a social impact marketplace she co-founded that features handmade “imperfect hearts” as tangible reminders of the beauty in imperfection. “We’ve sold them for six and a half years,” she said. “People carry them, gift them, and pass them along in moments of loss, hope, and celebration. It’s a piece of compassion you can hold in your hand.”
Sam’s work is more than coaching. It’s an invitation to live with intention, lead with integrity, and remember that the most powerful leaders are the ones who know how to come home to themselves.
To learn more about Sam Willing, The Compassionate Collective, or her upcoming book, visit samwilling.com and compassionatecollective.com.
