Dr. Samra Zafar is an award-winning international speaker, bestselling author, and resident psychiatrist. After escaping a decade of abuse as a child bride in Canada, she went on to pursue her education and became a global advocate for progress.
Recognized amongst Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, Samra is a trailblazer, spearheading inclusion and wellness in organizations across the world. She combines scientific research with hard-earned life lessons to share courageous strategies that lead to bold results. Her book, A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose, based on her journey of escaping an abusive child marriage to pursue her freedom, sheds light on gender-based oppression, and was a national bestseller and a CBC Best Book. Her upcoming title, UNCONDITIONAL: BREAKING THROUGH PAST LIMITS TO TRANSFORM YOUR FUTURE, combines Samra’s research and lived experience to share how she has broken free of beliefs that held her back, and how readers can too.
Her speaking portfolio includes four TEDx Talks and speeches to leading corporations, non-profits, governmental agencies, and educational institutions. Samra’s work has been extensively featured in both Canadian and International media.
Testimonials:
“Such an inspiring session! My favourite quote (of many): When you’re not getting what you need to be yourself from the people around you, you’re not asking for the wrong things. You’re asking the wrong people. Surround yourself with people who champion you and lift you up.”– Canadian Tire Corporation
“Samra was wonderful. Her sessions were very well received by our audience. She was engaging and captivating and did a really great job of tying her keynote to the IWD theme of Embrace Equity. We had very positive feedback about her session from all who attended. She was also a pleasure to work with, very responsive and was just wonderful in every way.” – Katie Elsasser, Senior Talent and Inclusion Specialist, IBI Group
“Samra’s masterful storytelling, her wisdom, and her passion are so powerful—and inspirational. She truly exemplified this year’s International Women’s Day theme.” – Miller Thomson LLP
“Samra is really an incredible person. Not only is her story so powerful, she is one of those special people who are able to make close connections quickly. Many students said that was the best speaker they had heard in their lives. Our students will remember this forever.” – Interlake School Division, Winnipeg, MB
SPEAKING TOPICS
The Power of Incremental Courage: How to Live and Lead with Boldness
Samra has made a great number of bold decisions in her life; from leaving an abusive arranged marriage, to putting herself through university as a single mother, and leaving her successful career in finance to become a psychiatrist. In each instance, she was anything but fearless—it is natural for us to feel fear when we do something new or different.
In this stirring keynote, Samra walks through her journey and teaches audience members how to live with courage in the presence of fear, embracing fear as a faithful friend that’s there for protection; and equipping them with self-care practices that will empower them to access their inner courage.
DEI: Beyond Checklists & Buzzwords: How to Bring Equity to Life in Your Workplace
These days, words like diversity, equity, and inclusion are thrown around so much that we don’t even know what they mean any more. This keynote will expand upon what these terms actually mean, and how they’re often practiced in harmful ways that work against their intent. Samra will also provide practical tools so that audience members can bring these concepts to life in the workplace. This will equip teams to learn and practice true allyship—behaviours that go beyond buzzwords and empty promises.
This session is for leaders and HR professionals who want to expand their understanding of DEI and build cultures of inclusive belonging.
Resilience Redefined: Go from Being Your Biggest Critic to Your Biggest Ally
When it comes to resilience, many people take a reactive approach; working almost to the point of burnout, then treating themselves to a “mental health” spa day or a night out on the town. And then they start the cycle all over again—leading to mental health issues and burnout.
In this transformative keynote, Samra explores the neuroplasticity of burnout and resilience so that audiences can understand why one’s mental health depends on three essential pillars: the relationship with oneself, relationships with others, and one’s sense of purpose. Empowered with this knowledge and simple practices, audiences can strengthen their resilience muscle and intentionally develop a life of true wellness.
This session is for leaders and teams who want to end the crash-and-burn cycle and keep burnout at bay.
The Workplace of Belonging: How to Motivate High-Performing Teams through Inclusive Wellness
Every business leader wants their workplace to be an environment of high performance. What many people don’t realize, however, is that a culture of belonging is a prerequisite to productivity, creativity, and innovation.
In this illuminating keynote, audiences will discover how to foster a culture of belonging in the workplace—one that welcomes and celebrates the intersecting identities of all employees.
Samra also discusses the science behind motivation: why we’re unmotivated when we feel excluded or overlooked, and why inclusive practices are the key to nurturing employees’ creativity and resilience. This knowledge will equip leaders to unlock their team’s highest potential by cultivating an environment where diverse voices are welcomed and sought after.
This session is for leaders who want to create an environment of inclusive wellness in their workplace.
AWARDS
• RBC Global Citizen Award 2017
• Ascend Canada Mentor Of The Year Award 2018
• Malala Yousafzai Women Empowerment Award – Canada Pakistan Affiliated Chamber of Trade 2018
• Woman of Courage Awards – several organizations
• Spotlight Award – Canada Pakistan Professionals Association
• Brilliant Minded Woman Award 2018
• Pink Attitude Award 2018
• Proclamation by Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio 2017
• John H Moss Scholarship (University of Toronto)
• Gold Medalist in Economics (University of Toronto)
MEDIA
Toronto Life
Global News
CTV News
Yahoo
CBC Radio One, As It Happens
TEDx Mississauga
To book Samra Zafar, contact Rob Firing at speakers@transatlanticagency.com.