Sam Roach-Gerber

After nine years of co-hosting, Sam Roach-Gerber is on the other side of the mic. She’s a baller on all fronts. Known for wearing many hats, Sam started the Female Founders Speakers Series, THIS PODCAST, and advised hundreds of entrepreneurs over the years. How did she get from a bottle redemption girl to one of VT’s best startup advisors? You’ll have to listen to find out. Oh…and stay to the end to see where she’s at now.

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Transcription

Sam Roach-Gerber
So I get an email from her, and she said, ‘Sam, I talked to 250 people, I did some interviews, I did some surveys, and people don’t want this. They don’t want it. They’re not going to use it, and they’re not willing to pay for it. So I’m pivoting, and here’s what I’m going to do.’ And I could have cried, Nicole, it was, it was one of those moments where I said, ‘This is why we do this, right?’ Because not only did we save this woman, you know, years, we probably saved her 1000s of dollars of building this app that no one wanted, right? From the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, it’s Start Here, a podcast sharing the stories active, aspiring, and accidental entrepreneurs. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for: Today we sit down to interview VCET’s baller startup advisor and Start Here co-host, Sam Roach-Gerber.

Nicole Eaton
I think I’ve been waiting like my whole life for this moment, honestly.

David Bradbury
Yeah, welcome Sam, into the hot seat.

Sam
I am nervous. I’m in a new chair over here. I have a new mic and I’m sweating

David
And the spotlight and you’re sweating

Sam
I’m sweating a lot

David
Perfect, perfect. Let’s get to it!

Nicole
Yeah, you kind of already answered the first question, which was, ‘Are you scared for this interview?’

Sam
Oh, I’m terrified. Yeah, Dave. Dave locked me out of the preparation for this, so I have no idea what’s coming at me. And usually, you know, I’m the homework gal.

David
Control freak!

Sam
Yeah, this is good for me. It’s very good for me.

Nicole
Okay, love it. Well, to start off, what was young Sam, like? Tell us about tell us about you.

Sam
Oh, God, well, my mom listens to these episodes. So I have to be honest, I’m a very classic third child. So raised by wolves, for sure, but also like very type-A personality, so like an interesting mix, I would say. But, you know, a bit of a hooligan, but also a peacemaker. And, yeah, I think the like, classic saying in my house when I was young is, like, ‘Has anyone seen Sam?’ So I was fairly independent from a young age,

David
because they had forgotten about you?

Sam
That has happened at times, yeah, but, you know, just sort of doing my thing in the woods of Western Massachusetts, and I think it all worked out for the best. But yeah, I was, I was, like, a, you know, sitting in the front row of class for sure, still.

David
Nerd

Sam
Yeah, yeah.

David
Did you have like, nerdy glasses, too?

Sam
I didn’t. I was a tomboy. I was definitely wearing my brother’s old clothes, for sure. So I look like I shrunk, probably. But it was, it was a vibe, you know, it was mid 90s.

David
You could have been such a Netflix series,

Sam
I know.

David
Oh, well,

Nicole
yeah, she could have been. Okay, now that we’re comfortable, we’re gonna do some rapid fire questions. So get ready,

Sam
Okay. Ready.

Nicole
OK. What was your first job?

Sam
I ran the bottle redemption counter at the liquor store that’s on UMass’s campus.

Nicole
Okay, we’ll get back to that. Dogs or cats?

Sam
Dogs.

Nicole?
Best concert you’ve ever been to?

Sam
The Shins at Waterfront Park.

Nicole
Okay, favorite item you own?

Sam
Oh, I think my house.

Nicole
Oh,

Sam
yeah, I love my house

Nicole
I love that. Is the musician…

David
Is the musician Tom Petty, under or overrated?

Sam
Underrated. Tom Petty is the best.

David
Do you have evidence of being underrated?

Sam
Who needs evidence of him being underrated? Dave, let’s not get into this.

David
I didn’t think we’d break Nicole so soon.

Nicole
Dave, I didn’t read that question.

Sam
Listen, Tom Petty’s the best.

David
You made it through speed round. That’s great. So you went to Northeastern University in Boston. Why did you choose to become a Husky?

Sam
Well, the Huskies chose me.

David
Ooh

Sam
I was recruited to play field hockey at Northeastern. I had this like weird obsession with Northeastern kind of early on, and had this like tunnel vision of wanting to go there before I had even ever visited, and I just fell in love with the school, basically, and had tunnel vision about playing field hockey in college. It turned out that I was not cut out for Division 1 field hockey. It was way harder than what I was anticipating, mostly from, like, a mental health perspective, it’s just, it’s so much, it’s such a huge load. I have so much respect for folks that stick with it. So after my freshman year, I was sort of thinking, do I want to switch to play Division 3 elsewhere? Or do I want to stay at Northeastern, and you know, just play club field hockey. And two things were at play. One, I realized what an incredible education I was getting at Northeastern. Really, really lucky to be there, and they had a fantastic club field hockey team. So it sort of scratched the itch there as well. So I decided to stay, and it was definitely one of the better decisions I’ve ever made.

David
So it wasn’t, it was because it was right off the Mass Pike, field hockey, had nothing to do with a co-op model? Do you not believe in co-ops?

Sam
No, I didn’t really. I knew very little about the co-op model before I went to Northeastern and then, you know, everyone has heard me preach about it now. And that’s one of the reasons I ended up staying, is that I think every higher education program the country should be a co-op model. You know, one of the reasons I almost transferred is my dad had to, you know, triple park on Huntington Avenue to get me moved in, and nearly disowned me, but the co-op program was amazing. It allowed me to graduate with, you know, a year and a half of experience in my field, you know, basically alternating six months of classes with six months of an internship, which, as everyone knows, you know, a three month internship, you’re barely getting your feet wet. You’re trying to build trust with your employer, and trying to kind of learn the ropes. And so I think it’s a just a game changer, both for students and employers as well.

David
Cool.

Nicole
I actually want you to, like, elaborate on your transition from freshman year playing field hockey. I feel like it’s a huge stigma now for athletes, especially at the D1 level, where they’re like, ‘I can’t handle this,’ but then they will be embarrassed if they stop or feel shame. So can you just talk about, like, that whole process for you?

Sam
Yeah, I think that was really the first, like, grown up decision I ever made – to quit. It was horrible. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. And it was a complete identity crisis, because I had spent the last four or five years, like my only goal was to play Division One field hockey, and then with that going away, I had no idea who I was. And I think I’ve talked to a lot of you know, former athletes, whether they decide not to play anymore during college, or even if they just finish their career when they graduate, you do have that sort of identity crisis. So for me, I kind of channeled that energy into academics. And you know that following semester my grades had never been better, and I had sort of like come back to a steady state mentally, of like, reprioritizing. And that’s where I really started to think about, ‘What do I want to do with my life?’ And so it it was a lot. But again, one of the better decisions I ever made, I ended up not having any regrets, which, yeah.

David Bradbury
Great

Nicole
Good, good.

David
Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur? Why or why not?

Sam
Oh yeah, I don’t. I’ve never started my own business, you know, I think I drank the Kool Aid a little bit at VCET, and have dabbled in trying to figure out, you know, whether that’s something that I do want to do eventually. I thought it was kind of ironic that I, you know, spent almost a decade telling entrepreneurs what to do, and had never actually done it myself. So it doesn’t give me a ton of street cred. But I think, to me, you have to have a killer idea, you have to have the right team, you have to have capital. There’s so much you need to make it happen, to do it right. And those things have never come together for me. They haven’t yet, at least. So I think, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day, something, some you know, idea hits me that I can’t eat, sleep, or, you know, breathe, until I make it happen, and then I’ll know that it’s time. And I share that with entrepreneurs I work with too: you know, it’s, it’s got to be something that keeps you up at night because you want to solve and that just, I haven’t experienced that yet. So I have the utmost respect for entrepreneurs, but it’s not happened for me quite yet.

Nicole
It’s gonna happen, I know it.

Sam
Maybe, maybe!

David
I’d a tough word to spell, too.

Sam
It’s such a hard word to spell,

Nicole
Yeah

David
versus business owner.

Sam
Business owner is classic, yeah.

Nicole
So although you’re not an entrepreneur, I feel like every entrepreneur that you talk to looks up to you. So how do you approach these advising sessions? You’ve advised hundreds of founders and companies, and they’re all so different, but you seem to kill it every time. So, how do you do it?

Sam
Well, we will find out whether or not that’s true. Please write in if I have led you astray.

David
Seriously, the lines are open now.

Sam
Yeah, it’s david@vcet.co. So I think, you know, obviously, it’s, it’s taken me a long time to sort of hone my approach with advising. It’s, it’s something that kind of snuck up on me. I didn’t start advising when I started at VCET, but I quickly fell in love with it. And I think I’m really good at it. And I think one of the things that’s important to me, that has really seemed to work, is starting by building trust with the entrepreneur, and, like, really trying to understand where they’re coming from, and, you know, getting across how I’m here, how and why I’m here to help. So I think one of the first things I start with is just, ‘What’s your goal? Why are you doing this? What do you want out of it? And what do you want your life to look like?’ And I think so many the entrepreneurs that we work with, no one’s ever asked them that. Most of them have reached out for advising because they have hit some wall, or they have some barrier, or they have some need that they can’t address, right? And sometimes that’s just a feeling of being overwhelmed and wanting someone to tell them what to do, or someone to kind of give them permission to do what they’re already doing. And I think one of the reasons a lot of people struggle with entrepreneurship is no one is telling you what to do, right? And that’s what scares the shit out of me from starting my own business as well, is like, you are the one that’s pushing yourself to make this thing happen. So I think by sort of slowing them down and sort of asking them about their life and what they want it to look like, it really kind of grounds them in, like, ‘Oh, right, okay. Like, I’m doing this for a reason, right?’ And then we can get into the more, like, tactful, sort of, like, process-oriented things, but a lot of the time it’s just sort of grounding them and why they’re doing it, and then starting to, like, figure out what’s standing in their way and how we can remove those barriers. And I think for a lot of folks, it’s just getting some clear direction, getting, you know, three next steps that they feel like they can go and achieve. And for a lot of people, like, I’d say the majority of folks we advise, like, that’s kind of all they need. Like they had all the answers themselves. It’s just sort of like sorting it out and giving them a little bit more clarity. And so from that perspective, to me, it’s like, you know, advising is a lot like therapy in some ways, right? It’s like, you know, some of the best advising sessions I’ve ever done, we both leave, and I’m like, I didn’t actually give them any business advice, right? I just sort of helped them sort of find the answer within themselves. So that’s, that’s what I like about it, and what I think has worked.

Nicole
Are there any, any ones that stand out to you, like good or bad sessions?

Sam
I was, you know,

David
There’s only been 2000 of them

Sam
I was thinking, there’s literally been 1000s. I think we’re doing around 300 a year, Dave and I combined. I think, you know, I won’t get specific with names. I think one that sticks out to me that was really one of the best was a woman who wanted to build an app, and she didn’t have any proof of concept, she didn’t have any traction. She basically was going to go build this thing because she was technical, but I kind of slowed her down. Just said, like, ‘Are you sure people want this and are they willing to pay for it?’ And I’ve given this advice to hundreds of entrepreneurs. I don’t know how many of them have actually taken it, but basically I told her, like, ‘Go out. Go talk to 200 people. Interview them if you can in person, if you can’t interview them over the phone, if you can’t do that, send them a survey, figure out, would they use this, and can they pay for it, and how much?’ And that was sort of, that was it. That was the session. And then I want to say, six to nine months later, I get an email from this woman, and I had to, like, of course, I’ve advised a couple 100 since her. And so I’m like, ‘Who is this? What is, what is her idea?’

David
Thank God for HubSpot.

Sam
Oh man. Which, by the way, Dave, you need to update yours. It’s looking a little messy.

David
Well, we’re getting towards the twice a year clean up mode. Thank you, though.

Sam
Yeah, no worries,

David
The world really needed to know that.

Sam
Yeah. Well, you know, keeping you accountable. So I get an email from her, and she said, ‘Sam, I talked to 250 people, I did some interviews, I did some surveys, and people don’t want this, they don’t want it. They’re not going to use it, and they’re not willing to pay for it. So I’m pivoting, and here’s what I’m going to do.’ And I could have cried, Nicole, it was, it was one of those moments where I said, ‘This is why we do this, right?’ Because not only did we save this woman, you know, years, we probably saved her 1000s of dollars of building this app that no one wanted, right? So I think that one sticks out as one of the best, because it just felt like we all sort of dodged a bullet, and she learned so much. And it really comes down to the most successful ones are people who are coachable. Who are, you know, if you’re coming and seeking advice, you gotta listen to the advice, right? It’s, it’s, it’s as simple as that. And I think the ones that, you know, haven’t been as successful are the ones where it’s like, maybe you’re not actually seeking advice, you just want a check, right? You’re seeking capital. And therefore you’re not getting what you want. But I think, you know, we’re super lucky for the most part. You know the folks that we advise are, are here to win, and they listen to our feedback, and they talk to other smart people in Vermont and elsewhere and they get where they need to go. And I think, you know, it’s, I look back at some of the companies that have really like grown in the state in the last 10 years. And so many of them, Dave and/or I advised early days. And that feels really good.

David
It’s so cool, too, how they like these relationships, because it’s built on trust and authenticity and, you know, empathy or whatnot, like they come back around or, like, to your example, is, where’d they go, and a year or later comes back? Ethan Johnson, ‘Hey, Dave, haven’t talked in just a little bit,’ and I’m like, ‘Whoa, seven years, right?’ So how cool is that? And really part of our mission, right, as a nonprofit, and, and,

Sam
yeah,

David
Its proponents

Sam
It feels really good. And I think, you know, the advising piece, you know, anyone can kind of write a check. I think we’re really, really good at writing checks and writing the right checks at the right time. But advice is hard. It’s really hard, and I think it’s makes me really, really proud of what we’re doing at VCET, and it’s, you know, we’ve, we’ve made a huge difference in a lot of people’s lives. And it’s really, really fun. It’s really fun.

Nicole
The first thing that, you know, I noticed about you and that I looked up to you for was your transparency and authenticity. Like before I worked for visa, and I had my first advising session.

Sam
Oh, Nicole!

Nicole
Yeah Sam, I think I went over the pitch deck for verde or something, and you looked at this, and you were like, ‘Yeah, this is great,’ but you kind of came back with the feedback of like, ‘have you talked to anyone yet?’ And I remember kind of sitting back being like, Oh, I thought a business advising session would be somebody being like, ‘This is great. You need this much money, and then you’re you’re off,’ like, you’re off, yeah, and you were like, ‘Hey, I would take a few steps back.’ And although it was kind of humbling, like, for a junior college student, like, I really lived up to you for that. And I think that’s what I take now when I started advising

David
We totally have to go on your HubSpot record, and she wrote about you, right? Oops,

Sam
Yeah no I already scrubbed that.

David
We’ll give you a ten minute head start, Sam.

Sam
I scrubbed that. Thanks, that’s really, that’s so good to hear. And I think one of the things I’m also proud of is I’m really, really blunt with people. And you know that can be really hard to hear, and it took me a while to get sort of the courage to be super blunt. But every single time I give someone really blunt feedback, which is often negative in nature, like they’re so appreciative, because so few people are willing to do that. And so that’s one thing that I would recommend for business advisors, really, advisors of any kind, or folks that you’re you’re trusting to to give you feedback. Is like, if they’re not going to be blunt with you, it’s not worth your time, right?

David
Candid is kind

Sam
Yeah,

David
and it’s really difficult when it’s about money or I mean, obviously people come in, they’re passionate. Their lives are in this and tied up to be able to at least give some feedback as to, ‘Hey, here’s why we think one thing,’ or if it’s about a money ask, you know, ‘Not yet, not ever, not now,’ are sort of the buckets. And, you know, there’s only been a few instances when it, you know, it hasn’t gone well. But I think most, by and large, 1000s, have said, ‘Okay.’

Sam
Yeah. And I think that’s the one of, one of the absolute hardest things of my my tenure at VCET, is learning how to say no to people

David
And we had to work on that, Sam. Oh, my god, she wouldn’t do it, Nicole, she’d be like, ‘No, you do this one.’ I’m like, ‘No, you gotta learn there, lady, let’s go.’

Nicole
I’m not there either – or yet,

Sam
it’s an art and a science, and it never, ever feels good, even when you do it right, you know, there, I’d say there is no right way. But we try, like Dave said, you know, candid is kind, and we try to be fast, and we try to be, you know, just respectful, and it’s, man, it sucks. It’s never fun. But, you know, I think the people that can sort of go beyond that and see that as an opportunity, and continue to use VCET and use Dave and I, even if it’s not going to be a check writer, that’s, that’s what’s really cool to me,

David
It’s the truism, right? You know, if, if you ask for capital as an entrepreneur, you’re going to get advice, versus start with asking for advice, and you might get capital. And I just, I hope that makes sense, but it’s sort of, my world shifted in that regard with my own businesses over the years. And, again, it’s a conversation. It’s a people business, by and large. And yeah, yeah. Really fun to see your growth in that area. And just the reactions of people, yeah, just nice, yeah.

Sam
And I Yeah, it’s, it’s definitely, it’s gotten, I guess it’s gotten a little bit easier. But I also think, you know, it’s, I just remind folks that are looking for capital is, just remember that there’s, like, human beings on the other end of those, those checks and like, where they’re coming from, where, where does their what are their capital sources? And I think, you know, it’s, it’s a really tough environment right now, for folks that are raising capital – super competitive, it’s sort of a strange economy right now, and I think I just encourage people to be really authentic and be really professional and be yourself and ask, ask for support where you need it. And, you know, I think the folks that are doing that are having some more success and getting more help along the way, because raising capital is a whole different ball game than just being a founder and entrepreneur. And just because you’re a good business person does not mean you’re good at raising capital. So I’d say, you know, ask the questions, get people to sort of help you. And one of the things that’s great about VCET is we can do both. We can actually help you figure out your capital path, help you learn how to fundraise, and we could end up writing a check as well. So it’s sort of a win-win

David
So you started at VCET in 2016. I did have to look that up. It was after a very lengthy interview process, if I recall, and you started our Community Engagement and Operations Manager. What did the organization look like back then and has it changed for the better or worse?

Sam
Dave

David
I literally can’t remember.

Sam
Dave – very brave question to ask, first of all, I’m, I’m really proud of you.

David
Trust, remember that trust word?

Sam
Yes. Wow. Okay, so 2016 I was in my mid 20s, just a kid. Yeah, I think I came to ask Dave if he knew any startups hiring, because I was looking for a new direction, and knew that he worked with a lot of startups. And walked out of a 45-minute conversation with a job.

Sam
You were working here at the time, so we got to, like, you know, Spy, what she was doing, how she was doing it.

Sam
Yeah, I was, I was working as a, as a co-working member at VCET, which I think was really helpful in terms of coming into the organization. Let’s see, so VCET in 2016, huh. It was a wild time. It was, there was a ton of it was like peak co-working. So it was really busy in here.

David
Two years after this location in downtown opened, right?

Sam
Yeah. It was basically brand new. It was packed with startups. This was like, obviously pre-Covid. So a lot of people are working in offices.

David
The WeWork era was just ramping up

David
Totally. And so, really busy co-working. And the, you know, Fund One was still pretty young, so So Dave and the former Vice President Andrew Stickney were like, really in the weeds on investing, writing checks and advising their portfolio companies, which means that the systems that sort of ran the rest of VCET were, I don’t want to say inadequate, but they hadn’t quite caught up with the scale of the organization,

David
less mature.

David
Sure. Google Docs was doing a lot, got it to operate the organization. So. And Dave hired me because I had a retail background, right? I knew what a good customer experience was. I wasn’t afraid to have direct conversations with people. I was sort of a problem solver and sort of a jack of all trades, and knew enough about business, right? So Dave was kind enough to take me on part-time as I sort of figured out whether this was something I even wanted to do. And, man, it was a learning curve. I knew nothing about technology. I knew nothing about venture capital, so I started with the stuff I did know. I kind of like, totally revamped co-working, you know, created an onboarding process, created a new member packet,

Davis
Like, we decided, do we put a hyphen in between co and working, or not?

Nicol
I still don’t know.

David
It literally is,

Nicole
like, I still don’t know

David
It’s one of the great unresolved controversies out there.

Sam
Yeah, if anyone’s wondering, Dave prefers no hyphen. So that’s, that’s what’s most important.

Nicole
And you are pro hyphen?

Sam
I could, I could really care less.

David
I just think consistency, we got to pick.

Nicole
I know

Sam
I think my, my biggest, two biggest achievements within the first year at VCET. Thank you for asking, Sam. Were one getting a sign out front that said VCET. That took me about eight or nine months with sort of compliance and whatnot,

David
so people could actually find us.

Sam
That’s exactly right.

David
Interesting.

Sam
The other was, I changed our email addresses from Vermonttechnologies.com, which, yes, there’s 2 t’s in the middle there, to vcet.co, so, so, you know, I think that was a big upgrade as well.

David
Awesome

Sam
So I think those are the two things that really, you know, I earned the respect of Dave early on, and that’s when he let me sort of start to dip a toe into the other other arenas here at VCET. But, you know, early on, I’d say it was, we had a lot to figure out. I was a big, big planner. I loved a strategic plan,

David
yeah. And did you realize how desperate I was to hire somebody then, Sam?

Sam
yeah,

David
but I will say, though true like me to your point, like the fact you were an athlete, and sort of a scrappy sport like field hockey, resonated. Your job in the bottle redemption center literally showed grit and hustle and to do the tougher things that maybe aren’t as as glamorous. That resonated. Andnd that retail like experience customer service, both in person at a counter, back in the store when they had it and and digitally, was was also really important as well. So anyway, it was an easy, easy choice.

Sam
Yeah, and it was a, it was a good reminder. Thanks, Dave. I think a good reminder for, especially young folks, that are sort of maybe starting a position that feels a little out of their league or uncomfortable. I think, you know, do the stuff you’re good at, be proactive. You see something that needs to be done, do it. Ask questions. And sort of the rest comes from there. Because it was, there was so much that I was uncomfortable with. But I think by doing the things that I could do and make change with and be useful, that did allow me to sort of build trust with Dave and show that I was able to take initiative. You know, it’s like, I don’t know anything about a cap table, but I’m gonna, like windex the shit out of these glass doors, so that it looks presentable in here. And good leaders, like Dave, noticed that and and so it didn’t take long for, you know, I brag about this all the time, but you know, even my first weeks at VCET, Dave said, ‘Here’s my calendar. Come to whatever you want to,’ and I didn’t even understand the names of the meetings. That’s how like, outside of my comfort zone I was. But I think, you know, as I started to, like, sit in on some of that stuff, I learned more and more and became more comfortable with some of the language around, you know, advising and venture. And, you know, I never worked really for a nonprofit, at least in a leadership role. So there was so much to learn. But I think just like being patient, being exposed to it, and just sticking with it was was really the way to go.

David
yeah, and along the way, you know, you became Vice President. And, you know, how did you invest in your career specifically to sort of learn about the unnatural aspects of what we do, whether it might be finance or legal stuff or the college relationship thing, teaching, like, what, you know, how did you invest in your career along the way?

Sam
Yeah. I mean, I think I knew that, like, I was really good at the sort of community management stuff, but like, that wasn’t what I wanted to do forever. So I had a hunger to learn, and I think that’s really important. And I think that, you know, the more I was sort of exposed to the stuff that you were doing, Dave, like, I wanted to be useful. It doesn’t feel great to sit in a meeting and just sort of be a fly on the wall, right? Like, you want to be useful, you want to contribute. And so I think that was really sort of motivational for me. And then I, because I was sitting in a lot of these things, like, I, you know, I took pretty vigorous notes and, like, tried to figure out, you know, what the hell they were talking about after and would ask tons of questions. And I think you can’t be afraid to do that. I think for for young people, you know, you have to do that in the right way, at the right time, that’s really key. But if you do, people are willing to help. And so I got more and more comfortable just sort of being self-taught. And then eventually I did go back to school and get my MBA, which, you know, mostly because I was at that point advising a lot more, and it was getting way more technical, and felt like I needed those chops, and that was really, really helpful, but I took my time to make that decision. I think I was at VCET maybe six or seven years before I did that, and I’m really glad I did, but I’m also glad that I waited to make sure that –

David
Get more out of it

Sam
Totally, totally. And you know, it was I did that Champlain, which was awesome. I was able to continue working full time at VCET while I did that. And you know, the cool thing about a program like that is I was able to, like, apply every single project, or case study to my work at VCET, so that, I think was really kind of the cherry on top of, like, getting me to a level where I really felt comfortable and and sort of didn’t feel like a total fraud, putting VP after my name,

Nicole
you’re so cool.

Sam
Stop

Nicole
You’re so cool.

Sam
Stop it, keep going.

David
Yeah, we got a lot of questions to get through, Nicole.

Nicole
I know we do, I know.

Sam
Sorry

David
You take the next one here.

Nicole
Okay, so talk to us about Female Founders. You have talked with over 80 female founders, having now 30 panels, and I feel like it’s really changed the culture in Vermont, honestly. So yeah, talk to us about that. And then why you decided VCET should do something like this,

Sam
Yeah! Oh, man, yeah. This one might get me worked up. I really love, I love the program. I love Female Founders so much, and it’s been shockingly enduring. I think, you know, early on, it was definitely Dave who planted the seed. You know, it was, you know, 2015, I’d been at VCET, or, excuse me, early 2016, I’d been at VCET, not a long time. But, you know, we saw this pattern of, like, incredible female founders, women-owned businesses, coming to us for advising, or co-working or investment, and they just had these, like, amazing stories. And I kept saying, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that company was owned by women. I didn’t know that company was owned by a woman.’ And as a young woman like, that’s really impactful. It was so inspiring. And I just, I because I kept saying, ‘I didn’t know that story,’ right? I I felt like it was a story that needed to be told. And Dave and I were looking to do some more programming at the time. And I, you know, had a knack for public speaking, and really liked events and event planning. And we had done, you know, internal stuff for co-working members, but we hadn’t done, at least since I joined, anything for the public. And so, you know, Dave said, ‘Run with it,’ like, ‘let’s do something around female founders.’ And, you know, I learned a lot. It’s a well-oiled machine now. But Season One, I think I had six events in six months, and I had the speakers doing presentations instead of a panel style. So it, it,

David
I literally have blocked that entire format from my brain. It must be a form of healing.

Sam
I know, I think the big, yeah. So we knew after Season One, it was a breathless pace. I was exhausted, you know.

David
And then the market didn’t want six events,

Sam
No! Attendance, by the, you know, May and June events, the attendance was not nearly as good. And so I think that was actually also the year that Lauren Sanderson came in as Marketing Manager at Hotel Vermont, our partner for the series. And Lauren and I, it was we met for the first time. Now we’re dear, dear friends, but we met, and sort of, I told her, I’m like, ‘This is exhausting. Not many people are coming. Like, we want to keep doing this, like, there’s so many more speakers, like…’ and so Lauren and I sort of hashed out, how can we do this in a way that just feels more casual, more inclusive, more fun. Because I, my rule has always been like, I’m never gonna plan an event I wouldn’t want to go do if I didn’t have to, right?

Nicole
Yeah

Sam
So I learned a lot in those early days. And you know, once we got the format down. It just kind of stuck. The venue’s absolutely the best – Hotel Vermont’s amazing. We’re able to film it with the Media Factory to make it accessible to all and reach folks outside of even outside of the state. But it’s it continues to sell out, and I think people love it. People start businesses because they’ve been to one of those events, and they all of a sudden, sort of see themselves in these founders. And there’s that confidence of knowing, like not everyone has it figured out. You figure it out as you go and like, sometimes you have a business for many years and you still don’t know what you’re doing, right? And so that is why we continue to do it, is because each year, Dave and I would hear from people that said, ‘I started my business because I went to this event, and I heard, you know, Sasha Mayer speak,’ or ‘I heard Corinne Prevot speak’, like those are the things that that really, that allowed us to realize we were on the right path here and that we need to keep going.

David
It’s really cool to just, you do such a great job hosting it and the students that flow through there, right? The mentor connections, I mean, you know, to have Hinda Miller from Jogbra fame talking with Eva Shaw, right, with her company, and the female investor group that got together, like all these little, the opportunity for more magic to happen other than what comes out of a microphone, I think, is just profound. And the size, to optimize for that intimate size where people will mingle has been pretty cool. So, really fun. Really, really fun. So you listen to podcasts yourself, and you seem to be fixated on murder mysteries and like, fear. Like, like, like, ‘Why did you want to start this podcast?’ Because it’s not about murder. Yeah, maybe there’s some fear, but I just help me understand why Start Here was important for us to do?

Sam
Yeah, it my the production of my podcast and the podcast I listen to, it’s two different people entirely.

David
That’s never been clear to me. So thank you.

Sam
Yeah, I don’t know how to explain it. I’d love to start a true crime podcast with you, Dave, if that’s what this is about, if you’re asking me to start one, then I’m fully on board. Let’s do it.

Nicole
Okay,

David
That’d be awesome. That’d be awesome. But really, what? Why? Why Start Here? Why do you think we’ve kept it going now for for nine seasons, and you know, is the feedback helpful to us or to others?

Sam
Yeah, yeah, I think, you know, we ironically, we started the podcast the same year we started Female Founders, and it was just a time where people were craving content, and I think podcasts were still new, and there was a lot of promise and excitement, and there was nothing in terms of entrepreneurship podcasts in Vermont. Now, there’s a handful of good ones, but it was again, another thing where we saw like relatively low effort, high reward of something where we could tell these stories. Because, you know, Dave, you always use the word demystifying entrepreneurship, and I think that is such an underrated, you know, offering to people who are interested in business and interested in potentially being a founder. And, you know, everyone’s storytelling, even if you’re not a founder. So that was sort of like, ‘Hw can we get these stories of these Vermonters, you know, out, right?’ And ‘How can we help them sort of have a platform to tell their stories as well?’ So that’s sort of why we started it. And I think, you know, podcast stats are tricky in terms of, like, ‘How many people are actually listening?’ And, you know, views or listens versus downloads and all that kind of stuff. And Dave and I are constantly questioning, like, ‘Is this working? Are people listening? Do they like this?’ And we are always kind of like, ‘I don’t, I don’t know.’ And then within three days, each of us have six or seven conversations and people like, ‘Oh, I just listened to your last episode. That was so great.’

David
‘When’s the next one coming? Yeah, my roommate in New Zealand’s listening to all these so she can move back here, maybe find a job or something, and’

Sam
Totally. And I think when we had, like, the actual founders like posting their own episode on their website as a recruitment tool, you know, those are the stories where Dave and I are said, ‘Oh, shit.’ Like this is working. This is valuable to people. And I think both of us just have so much fun doing it too, that it never felt like a burden.

David
Today’s more of a burden, but, but we’ll work on that in post production.

Sam
Rude! So I think that was the other thing is, like, you know, I think we have a lot of fun at VCET, and we do things we want to do. Of course, we want them to be useful and impactful to folks. But I think that’s a big secret of it, too, of why we’ve been, you know, successful for this long, and that we still have so many folks excited to listen is we really love doing it. And I think that shows,

Nicole
yeah, so changing gears a little bit: You and Dave have both just been really good about guiding students. And so why is teaching at UVM, Champlain, Middlebury, so important to you? And yeah, what have you taken away from those experiences?

Sam
Ah, it’s so frigging fun. It’s like the most fun. It’s it’s always like a lot of work to prepare, I think. But every time Dave and I do it, we’re just like, ‘Ah, this is just the most fun.’ There’s something about students that’s so refreshing and inspiring. They’re so unafraid,

David
fearless,

Sam
totally,

David
like, awesome.

Sam
They have no shame in the best way. I think they really keep Dave and I on our toes, like the students are just getting smarter and smarter, and Dave and I are, are not

David
Not

Sam
likely.

Nicole
Oh stop

Sam
No, but, but it is. I learned so much from them, and they give this energy that’s just like intoxicating to work with, and that’s, that’s what I love about it. And I think, you know, it’s fun for Dave and I, because we are not professors, we are not your trained, educated teachers. So it’s a kind of a breath of fresh air for the students as well, because it’s so unexpected. And I think that, you know, it’s not for everyone, for sure, but I think the students that really kind of embrace our wacky style get a ton out of it. And I think what keeps Dave and I going back, or at least I should speak for myself, is these students, like even ones that don’t end up sticking with the business that they start with our within our class, like they have this entrepreneurship bug or this entrepreneurial spirit, they start things, and they, a lot of them, kind of maintain that fearlessness that they had as college students, because they they showed that they could build something. And I think, you know, the look on their face when they get their first sale or their first customer is like, ‘Man, that’s the best feeling in the world.’

David
Yeah, it’s pretty, it’s pretty special. And again, it’s one of those secret sauces for our organization, is the tie-in with these campuses. And, I mean, and something like 70% of the students stay engaged at least at the Middlebury Entrepreneurs course over time, which is stunning.

Sam
Yeah

David
it’s really tough to remember everybody. But I wish we had, I wish we’d taken pictures, you know, like a Facebook kind of things. Is there something called Facebook we could have used?

Nicole
Yeah

David
LinkedIn, maybe.

Sam
There you go. I think the students too, like, students are so blunt, like, they haven’t really been like, worn down by like, professionalism yet, too. So I think, like, I always learn a lot about myself, and like, I really sort of, like, enjoy those interactions with them, because, like, they’re, if they’re not enjoying it, if they’re not learning, if they’re not getting something out of it, if something’s not working, they will tell you. So I think that’s another piece of it that is really kind of humbling, and like, keeps me on my toes.

David
Do you think is a good time to be an entrepreneur in Vermont?

Sam
Oh, man. Yes, I do think it’s a good time to be an entrepreneur in Vermont. I think it’s better than it was in 2016 for sure. I think it’s a really hard still, though.

David
Vermont specific, hard, or just hard in general? Like as a category?

Sam
Yeah, no, I think it’s hard in general. And it category, from what I’ve seen, it’s actually like Vermont is a little bit easier right now than other places in the country. At least, we do have a lot of capital right now, again, in comparison to other other folks other states, there’s so many resources of people to help. I do think that it’s really competitive. So I think that the companies, the businesses and the entrepreneurs that are successful right now are the ones that have really prioritized getting revenue, right? Like building something that they can charge for and getting customers. I think where I’ve seen it be difficult right now is folks that are kind of swinging for the fences and that don’t have that real revenue quite yet, because it’s just a way harder sell, right? It’s, it’s something that is a really kind of long term and uncertain. So I think the folks that can kind of, you know, get a product or service in the hands of their customers and get get sort of proof of concepts, are the ones that are really like in a good place right now.

Nicole
Yeah. Okay. So if you were on a deserted island, who would you prefer to be stranded with? Nicole, Kelly, Phoebe, Emma, Taylor, Blaise, or Hunter? We know it’s not Dave.

Sam
Oh, wow. Yeah, I don’t know that’s a fair question.

David
Life ain’t fair in this room, Sam.

Sam
Yeah, wow. I’m gonna go with Geoff Robertson.

Nicole
Whoa,

David
Because of the mixed drinks?

Sam
yeah,

David
He’s a pro

Sam
I feel like he could shake a good cocktail. Solid guy,

David
yeah,

Sam
Yeah, you know, we’ve had a nice

David
He’s the newest VCET addition of the team.

Nicole
OK, alright.

David
That was a great deflection. I mean, it really was a test.

Nicole
I’m not offended

Sam
Yeah, I can’t get myself in trouble. I can’t get myself in trouble.

David
Nice job, Nicole, getting that question out. I know it just revolts you on so many levels to force a choice like that.

Nicole
It does.

Sam
Can I say VCET Board Chair, Frank Cioffi? Is that an option?

David
Yeah that could be cool

Nicole
Yeah, he’s a baller.

David
Yeah, Taylor produces the podcast, so he holds

Sam
Oh, he’s gonna edit this answer for sure,

Nicole
Yeah, maybe some sound effects

David
It’s been nine years of VCET, right? In what ways do you think you made the most impact? Like, ‘Oh, Sam used to be there.’ Wow.

Sam
Yeah. I hope people say that. That would be good. I don’t want them to forget about me. I think, I think with advising, I think advising has had the biggest impact because it’s, it’s one on one, it’s person to person, it’s building relationships. So many people stay in touch with me and sort of reach out, even when they don’t need something to sort of tell me what’s been going on with their business or something new they’re starting. So to me, that has had the biggest impact on my sort of growth and my career and I think on other folks. And you know, advising is certainly besides you too. Obviously, advising is what I’m gonna miss the most. It’s, it’s, I just love it so much.

Nicole
Yeah? I mean, I feel like you’re still gonna be advising people, whether you know it or not.

Sam
I hope so

David
Very Vermont-y

Nicole
Alright! So, what’s next for Sam?

Sam
Oh yes, I guess I’m going to be the Chief of Staff at OhMD, which is a VCET portfolio company, I’m very proud to say. So very much still working for Dave, if you want to look at it that way, maybe that’s why

David
So disappointing to hear it come from you. Like, I don’t even want to work for Dave anymore, right? Like, come on.

Sam
No, it’s, it’s very exciting. It’s a company that I have followed for nearly my entire time at VCET. OhMD started at VCET in 2016 and the company has scaled quite a bit since then. They’re at a really exciting, you know, point in their business, about to release a new product. They do conversational healthcare. So they they create a better experience for patients and for doctors through texting and AI and all these, you know, awesome tools we have now that really make for a better experience for the patient. So it’s, it’s absolutely a cause I can get behind and just a really wonderful team.

David
Great, so we can text you with our medical questions, thank you.

Nicole
Right

Sam
Yeah I basically have an MD now and then.

David
I guess the follow up is, Chief of Staff, is that hyphenated or not?

Sam
Thank you for asking. It is not hyphenated, yeah.

David
But co working

Sam
is also not hyphenated, but Roach Gerber is absolutely hyphenated.

David
I’ve almost got that correct,

Sam
yeah, yeah, one day.

David
Final question time. Magic Wand.

Sam
Oh,

Nicole
Get it Dave

David
You better be prepared.

Sam
Oh my god

Nicole
Did you forget about it?

Sam
No, Nicole.

Nicole
I was like!

David
If you change one thing in Vermont. If you could change one thing in Vermont, what would you change?

Sam
You know, for having asked this question other people 99 times, you’d think that I’d have something ready to go. I want to be like one of the fun people that has a fun answer. But really, all I can think about right now is affordable housing. It just has such a ripple effect. If we could figure out affordable housing for everyone in the state of Vermont, absolute game changer. We have a lot of other stuff to fix and change, but I think affordable housing is my number one, close second, authentic Mexican food, yeah.

David
Can you believe it? We’re still struggling

Sam
I know, we’re struggling, yeah. I’m taking recommendations.

David
All right. I love it. I love it. Well thank you for being part of our lives, this important work, and making such a positive impact on our little corner here in Vermont of this planet. Happy trails, amiga.

Sam
My pleasure. Can I keep my badge?

David
Ooh

Nicole
We have to ask,

David
Yeah. Ema.

Nicole
Yeah, s

David
So you didn’t pick Ema for the desert island thing, so we don’t know.

Sam
Oh right

David
I don’t know.

Nicole
I don’t know

Sam
OK, we’ll talk. We’ll take that one offline.

David
Alright, and we gave you gold star.

Nicole
Oh, I didn’t even,

David
you didn’t see that, right?

Sam
Finally,

David
finally.

Sam
Boom… nine years

Nicole
She has a gold star, everyone.

David
You got it. Well, this has been Start Here, a podcast sharing the stories of active, aspiring, and accidental entrepreneurs. The series is supported by the Vermont Technology Council and Consolidated Communications. Let’s get back to work.


Transcribed by https://otter.ai