Tamara Sam
Entrepreneur. Twin Mom. Water Safety Advocate.
Tamara Sam has surfed off the coast of Ghana, lived in seven countries and attended the Grammys as a music buyer for Target. But the Toronto-born adventurer’s latest chapter is unfolding closer to home, alongside her three young daughters. After a 15-year corporate career, she opened British Swim School of Alpharetta in her 40s. A frightening pool incident involving her daughter Nova made that mission deeply personal. Now, she’s helping children and adults in her community find confidence in the water while working to make swim lessons accessible to more families.
How did your daughter’s drowning scare change your priorities?
It made me realize that if it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone. I’m lifeguard certified. I’m an aware, sometimes helicopter mom, who knows the rules around water. Yet while I reached for a towel, Nova took off her floaty and jumped in. I will never forget her looking up at me from underneath the water, wondering why she couldn’t swim. We increased the girls’ lessons to three times a week. That experience solidified why I do what I do.
How do you hope to make a lasting impact in water safety?
There was a time when car seats weren’t a thing, and now they’re standard. My end goal is for swim lessons to be just as common. We’re raising funds through our partnership with the Hope Floats Foundation so families who can’t afford lessons can receive sponsorships. We’ve also advocated for Georgia’s HB 471, a proposal to provide water-safety education to parents of newborns. There’s so much more discussion and advocacy that needs to happen, and I’m just getting started.
What has becoming an entrepreneur taught you about yourself?
I truly love teaching, and not just children. Watching a grown-up conquer a fear they’ve carried for decades while also having a good time is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.
The hardest part is dividing my time between family and work. Every night I don’t get to tuck my girls into bed is a trade-off. But I want them to see what being a female entrepreneur looks like and how my work can help others. Fear isn’t a stop sign; it’s a starting point.
What has gotten easier for you with age?
I’ve mastered staying calm in the middle of a tornado. After years of the newborn phase with twins, no sleep and living in survival mode, I’ve learned to tune out certain things and still think clearly. The laundry can be piling up and the kids calling, ‘Mommy, Mommy!’ and I’m far less fazed. I’ve also let go of needing everything to be perfect before I move. I give myself grace. ‘Done is better than perfect’ has become my operating philosophy.
“Tamara shows our daughters what it looks like to follow your dreams, lead with courage, care deeply for people and make a difference.” —Elizabeth Carter, Fellow Twin Mom & Friend
