Hi, I’m Samantha — keynote speaker, speech therapist, and founder of Beyond Negative, a movement born from resilience, reinvention, and a refusal to let pain be the final word.

For 13 years, I worked at The Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland Resort, where I wore many hats, but none more defining than my time as a VIP Tour Guide. In that role, I led thousands of unforgettable experiences for celebrities, CEOs, world leaders, and high-profile guests. Beyond the magic, I was trusted to help create and facilitate leadership programs, train and onboard hundreds of guides, and maintain team morale through constant organizational change and high turnover. Being a VIP Tour Guide wasn’t just a job — it was one of the most competitive and prestigious roles at the resort, requiring composure, presence, emotional intelligence, and the ability to lead from any position.

For years, I told other people’s stories — using Walt Disney’s vision and legacy to inspire wonder, imagination, and purpose. But now, it’s time I use my own story — not just to inspire, but to provide a solution to the emotional disconnection and identity crisis that so many face after trauma, change, or loss.

In 2024, I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer as a young adult — an aggressive and often misunderstood diagnosis. Treatment was brutal. Chemotherapy. Surgery. Radiation. More chemo. And in the midst of it all, I lost my job while on disability. I was forced to grieve not only my health, but also the identity I’d spent over a decade building.

I fought to survive while navigating generalized anxiety disorder, financial uncertainty, and the emotional isolation of being a young adult in cancer treatment — an experience most people can’t fully grasp unless they’ve lived it. But the darkest moments revealed something powerful: our ability to reclaim meaning, even when we can’t rewrite the story.

As a speech therapist, I specialize in working with neurodivergent children — helping them find their voice, their rhythm, and their confidence in a world that often demands conformity. In many ways, my clients have taught me as much about resilience as I’ve taught them. My passion is helping others find their voice — whether they’re navigating trauma, loss, transition, or learning how to self-express for the very first time.

Beyond Negative isn’t just a brand — it’s a belief. A belief that we can transform adversity into agency. That we can lead with purpose, even when life doesn’t go according to plan. And that every story — even the hard ones — deserves to be told with courage, honesty, and hope.

Let’s go beyond negative — together.