We were lucky to catch up with Samantha Carroll recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha, thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Over my 20+ year career in communications, having a strong foundation of relationships, an effective executive position, and access to experts have all contributed to my success. My very first mentor relationship began when I was 19 years old, working in NY for NBC. I knew the value of creating and maintaining relationships, and I gained journalistic skills that helped to shape the writer, interviewer, and communicator that I am now. I also learned that everyone has a story, and everyone has knowledge or resources or information that can be valuable. Now, as a communications expert, I employ those values of connection, communication, and understanding in every project I take on and every action I take on behalf of my company.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I began my career in media, working for Comedy Central in New York City. As a Production Assistant for the SVP of Production, I was able to learn about all of the behind-the-scenes elements of visual storytelling. My access to leadership discussions and management decisions sparked a desire to learn more about the business strategies that drove the network. I turned my interest into an MBA degree from Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, specializing in strategic communications and marketing.

I spent the next few years at a top consulting firm, supporting large-scale communications work in the federal sector. But, my entrepreneurial vision came into greater focus, and I decided to launch Once Upon A Brand in 2012. As the CEO and Principal Consultant of the PRSA award-winning communications consultancy, I advise growth and mature-stage clients on strategy and practice of communications and craft executive communications that position C-suite leaders for expanded roles. Once Upon A Brand specializes in elevating the presence of healthcare, health and social advocacy, technology, and education sector clients, powering their growth with strategic messaging and insight-driven strategies. Clients praise my ability to connect the dots between institutional goals and the messages that need to reach the right people to realize those outcomes.

Throughout my career, I have contributed insights to Bloomberg Business Week’s MBA Journal Series, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, the Hot Mamas Project at George Washington University, Emory University Advancement and Alumni Engagement, and more outlets. Most recently, I was honored to be invited as an industry awards judge and also received a 2024 Women of Influence Award from Family Focus Media.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The rumblings of AI were starting to get louder and louder. I kept hearing people mention how they were using AI and how they didn’t need to hire as many writers, designers, or creatives. While the possibilities of AI were mind-blowing, the concerns about how it would impact my work were overwhelming. I made a very conscious decision to diversify my work, focusing more on the strategic and advisory role of communications. I have been able to cast a much wider net of work that has focused on expanding my speaking and training. While I still offer all of the same options, I have also learned as much as I can about AI, so I can advise leaders about how to employ AI to integrate efforts and increase efficiencies across the organization.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Aside from operating Once Upon A Brand, I also co-launched a training program, called Board of AdviseHERS, in 2024. I reconnected with a college classmate with whom I had gone through the Honors in Economics program at Emory University over 20 years ago. She is a certified coach, working with executives to address professional development challenges and achieve ambitious goals. My work has included working with executives to identify the right messages and strategies to achieve their professional goals. From developing resumes, cover letters, board bios, media pitch letters, press releases, and evergreen language for use across multimedia channels, I floated the idea of doing a group training program that addressed women in leadership positions, specifically. She quickly said, “let’s do it!” With both of our backgrounds as advocates of women in leadership, we almost automatically agreed that we wanted to help women prepare and expand their roles on board of directors; the slow growth rate of women rising to board leadership positions in the U.S. was a huge motivator for us. We have also launched a fireside chat series, called IlluminateHERS. We interview top leaders who are current board members, board chairs, or have specific perspectives from board involvement. All episodes are posted to our YouTube channel and cover topics like communicating your value, getting onto a board, transforming success, and so many more!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.onceuponabrandllc.com, https://lightherway.my.canva.site
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onceuponabrandllc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onceuponabrandllc
• Other: To get access to the YouTube channel for IlluminateHERS, you can visit: https://annette-blum-pearson-coaching-consulting.ck.page/f831213c01.

  Light Her Way’s Board of AdviseHERS LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/lightherway
  Samantha Carroll LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/samanthamcarrollmba
  Speaking website: www.samanthamcarroll.com

Image Credits

Samantha Carroll