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About the Founder & Our Approach

Dr. Samantha Stuntz | Founder, Strategic Coach & Consultant, Leadership Architect, D.S.L., SPHR 

With more than 20 years of experience in HR, leadership, and organizational transformation, I’ve helped individuals, teams, and companies move through change, growth, and breakthrough.

 

I hold a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership, an MBA, and a Bachelor’s in Management with a concentration in HR, but my real education began long before the boardroom or the board of directors.I grew up in poverty and within a cycle of addiction. In early adulthood, I faced multiple forms of trauma.

 

I walked through darkness I never expected to survive - and still rose. Along the way, I chose to break generational cycles, build a life anchored in purpose and integrity, and lead differently.

Proven Under Pressure was built from lived experience and professional rigor. While my story informs the work, the impact comes from a collective of experts who bring depth across leadership, finance, business strategy, and human systems.

I know what it feels like to be shattered.
I also know what it takes to rebuild.

Our Team & Expertise

Transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. That’s why Proven Under Pressure is supported by a network of experienced professionals across disciplines.

 

Our extended team includes experts in:

  • Strategic leadership and organizational development

  • Finance and business operations

  • Human resources and people systems

  • Coaching, facilitation, and behavior change

  • Certified practitioners across relevant disciplines

 

Each engagement is intentionally designed - drawing on the right expertise at the right time - to support sustainable, ethical, and human-centered outcomes.

 

You work with me as your primary guide, and you benefit from the collective intelligence behind the work.

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Why I Lead This Work

I didn’t come to this work through theory alone, I came to it through lived experience.

I know what it feels like to carry responsibility too early, to navigate systems that weren’t built for safety or support, and to survive pressure that reshapes who you are. I also know what it takes to rebuild, not by pushing harder, but by learning how to lead yourself differently.

My professional journey spans more than two decades in leadership, human resources, and organizational transformation. But the foundation of this work was laid long before titles or credentials, through adversity, resilience, and the decision to break generational cycles rather than repeat them.

As a mother of five, Army veteran, HR executive, and trauma-informed coach and consultant, I understand pressure from every angle: personal, professional, and systemic. That perspective shapes how I lead this work, grounded in clarity, regulation, integrity, and sustainable growth.

Proven Under Pressure exists because transformation doesn’t happen in comfort. It happens when people are supported, not shamed, through complexity, change, and responsibility.

This is the work I lead every day.

Whether you’re working with me directly or engaging with Proven Under Pressure as an organization, you’re supported by thoughtful, experienced professionals who understand both human complexity and real-world systems. This work isn’t theoretical. It’s lived, tested, and designed to last.

Our Leadership Principles

  • Serve first. 

  • Empower others. 

  • Lead with empathy. 

  • Decide with data and ethics. 

  • Pursue continuous improvement. 

  • Foster collaboration. 

  • Prioritize well-being. 

  • Honor family and community.

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