“Buzzworthy Businesses” is a unique and cool talk show that showcases individuals and companies in the community that are making a buzz and giving back. Our goal is to interview guests that are doing great things in their business and in their community. Today our host, Grace Hooks, spoke with Samantha Card.
Samantha Card
Co-Founder and President at SBGD Enterprises LLC DBA Success Beyond Game Day
Website Address: https://www.successbeyondgameday.com
Short company description:
SBGD Enterprises exists to help people perform at the highest level without losing who they are in the process.
We combine behavioral science, identity development, and performance intelligence to help athletes, coaches, executives, military leaders, educators, and organizations build the internal capacities that sustain high performance under pressure. Through our proprietary assessments, AI-enabled insights, leadership development, and human performance programming, we help individuals and teams make better decisions, communicate more effectively, and develop the self-awareness needed to thrive in moments that matter most.
Our mission is simple: develop the human behind the performance.
How has your business changed in the past 12 months?
The biggest change wasn’t what we do—it was realizing what we’ve actually built. For years, people saw us as a sports company because that’s where our work gained traction. But sport has never been the destination. It’s been the laboratory. Over the past year we’ve expanded into corporate leadership, healthcare, education, military initiatives, and Indigenous communities because the same human principles apply everywhere. Whether you’re leading a Fortune 100 team, coaching a championship program, or navigating a major life transition, pressure reveals what’s already inside you. We’ve also embraced AI in a way that enhances human development rather than replacing it. Technology should never remove the human element—it should help us understand it better. Today, I see SBGD as a human performance company that happens to work in sports, business, education, and leadership. Our mission has become much bigger than I ever imagined.
Describe a Failure in your Career
For a long time, I believed I had to prove my credibility before I earned the right to lead. I spent years saying yes to opportunities that weren’t aligned with the long-term vision because I thought success came from doing more. It was exhausting. Eventually I realized that growth doesn’t come from saying yes to everything—it comes from having the courage to say no to the wrong things. That shift allowed me to stop chasing opportunities and start building a company with conviction around a clear mission. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that failure is rarely the opposite of success. More often, it’s the tuition you pay for clarity. Every setback has forced me to refine our vision, strengthen our business, and become a better leader. Today, I don’t try to avoid failure. I try to fail forward by learning faster than the challenge in front of me.
What about your company makes you the most proud
Without question, it’s the people. We’ve watched athletes discover who they are beyond their jersey. We’ve seen executives become better leaders because they became better listeners. We’ve helped coaches strengthen cultures by first strengthening themselves. We’ve partnered with Indigenous communities to elevate youth leadership through sport and identity. Those moments remind me why this work matters. The wins and partnerships are exciting, but they aren’t what I’m most proud of. I’m proud that we’ve created a company where performance is never separated from humanity. We refuse to believe people have to sacrifice who they are to become exceptional. In fact, we’ve found the opposite is true. The more authentic people become, the better they perform. That’s the legacy I hope we leave.
How do you motivate people to give their best?
I actually don’t try to motivate people. Motivation fades. Identity doesn’t. Instead, I help people reconnect with who they are, what they value, and the standard they want to live by. When someone has clarity of identity, purpose, and ownership, they don’t need constant motivation—they become self-driven. One of the questions I ask most often is: Who do you need to become to achieve what you’re pursuing? That changes the conversation. It shifts people away from chasing outcomes and toward building the habits, mindset, and character that make extraordinary performance sustainable. The best performers I’ve ever worked with aren’t the most motivated people in the room. They’re simply the most committed to becoming who they say they are—every single day.
