We recently had the chance to connect with Dr Sara Safari and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sara, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think many people are secretly struggling with the pressure to always look good or have it all together. But the price they end up paying is authenticity, losing touch with their true self. Deep down, most of us just want the freedom to be real without judgment.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Sara. I wear a few hats, I’m a college professor, author, and keynote speaker, but at the heart of everything I do is a passion for empowerment and adventure. A big part of my story is climbing the Seven Summits, including Everest, as the first Iranian woman, and using those climbs to raise funds for girls’ education. That journey inspired me to start my nonprofit, Climb Your Everest, which creates leadership programs and scholarships for marginalized women around the world.
What makes my work unique is that I don’t just talk about overcoming challenges, I’ve lived it on some of the highest peaks on Earth and in my own personal journey. Right now, I’m also working on a children’s book series to inspire young girls to dream big and push past the limits society puts on them.
At the end of the day, whether I’m in a classroom, on a mountain, or speaking to an audience, I love helping people see that they can tackle their own “Everest,” whatever that looks like for them.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
When I was a kid growing up in Iran, I honestly believed women were second class citizens. It was all around me, rules about what I couldn’t do, what I shouldn’t say, where I didn’t belong. I thought that was just life, that this was how it should be. For years, I carried that belief like it was truth. Now I see it for what it was, conditioning, not reality.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain when I made the decision to climb the seven highest peaks on seven continents for seven nonprofit organizations, each dedicated to empowering women. It was the moment I realized I could take all the fear, the loss, and the doubts I had carried for so long and turn them into something purposeful. I even made a promise to myself and to the world that I would raise one dollar for every foot of any mountain I climbed. Suddenly, every step, every struggle on those peaks wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about creating a path for women and girls who had been told, like I once was, that they couldn’t.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I think my closest friends would say that what really matters to me is making a difference in people’s lives especially empowering women and girls who don’t always get the chance to be seen or heard. They’d probably mention how passionate I am about education and giving others the tools to climb their own “Everest,” whether that’s through my nonprofit, my teaching, or my speaking. And I think they’d also say that authenticity and living true to my values matter more to me than anything else. I’d rather live a meaningful life than a comfortable one.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
When I see people around the world getting inspired by my message and by the work I’ve done and then turning that inspiration into action, it makes me feel like dancing every day. When someone tells me they achieved a goal, reached their own mountain, got a promotion, went back to school, built stronger relationships… that’s when I know they’re climbing their own Everest. And those moments are what make me tap dance to work with joy and gratitude.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.sarasafari.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara.safari.everest/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-safari-ph-d-6741a613/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara.roma.90
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJZ8kpvydt8
- Other: Netflix Documentary
https://www.netflix.com/title/81397884
Tedx Paris
Published Book
https://a.co/d/gie5DkS
Image Credits
Photos taken by Terray Sylvester
