‘We find ourselves in survival mode’: Former VMG and OMD director enters coaching space

September 9, 2024 9:46

A long-time advertising and media expert who served as group head of marketing at Venetian Media Group (VMG) and account director at OMD Australia has jumped into the wellness coaching space.

After working in the media and advertising sector in Australia and the UK for the past two decades, and keeping “a working-mum blog” for ten of those years, Samantha ‘Sam’ Summers has opened 34Sevn – a coaching business focusing on assisting mothers juggling familial and corporate responsibilities.

The company’s work consist of “group coaching workshops, individual mentoring, and one-on-one return-to-work sessions” that are specifically designed to marry participants’ personal and professional goals. Additionally, 34Sevn provides free resources and a networking space for women to connect.

Summers has also created an organisation tool for working mums to better manage their work-life balance, goal keeping and to-do lists – The Strategy Planner.

Sam Summers

“Becoming a mother is a huge life change, but I genuinely believe many of the problems we face when we return to work are due to the lack of any kind of coaching or support in regard to understanding how the dichotomy of it all will affect us,” Summers said.

“We find ourselves in survival mode, constantly juggling and rarely feeling fulfilled and that can lead to severe burnout.

“While there is much talk around the subject, I believe there’s still work that needs to be done to genuinely support the mental health of working mums and I wanted to create a space where women can find that support and the tools they need to thrive.”

According to Summers, the decision to move from the corporate media sphere into coaching was born from a passion for bolstering working mums to reach a true sense of satisfaction and happiness.

“Having been a single mother far from home when my son was young, I know firsthand what it’s like to feel like you’re drowning,” Summers said.

I want to empower women to have a successful career and a fulfilling family life without sacrificing their sense of self.”

And Summers work is proving to be paying off. Ex-oOh! group sales leader, Meaghan Spencer, spoke highly of Summers and the work they did together.

“Having a back-to-work strategy session with Sam was really helpful,” said Spencer.

“I gained so much clarity and practical advice on how to navigate this next chapter in my career after becoming a mother, and I left feeling truly empowered and ready to take on the challenge.”

More information on 34Sevn is available here.