Female Founders: Samantha McClellan Of Elite Customs On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Vanessa Morcom
Failure is the key to success. I remember when Cardi B said, “ Knock me down nine times; I get up ten.” It’s not IF you will fail at something, you will. It’s how quickly you learn from your failures and jump back up.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Samantha McClellan.
Sam McClellan is the dynamic force steering the business side of Elite Customs, a luxury custom car shop that serves the Nashville, Tennessee, area. As the wife of owner Rich McClellan, Sam married into the automotive world and is a proud female leader in an industry predominantly run by men. Recognizing the need for more female representation in the industry, Sam tackles every task head-on and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
The short answer is that I married into it. Haha. The long story is that I saw a serious need for organization, delegation, expansion, branding, and marketing for Elite Customs. Rich is a car guy — the BEST “car guy,” actually. But all the rest is more my area. So, in 2022, I closed my businesses and started carving my own spot out in this world.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
The most interesting thing to come to mind in recent history was the Lincoln build for JellyRoll. This build was the polar opposite of the Cadillac we built for him. But we were on a major time crunch and had to make a miracle happen for him to be able to drive it across the red carpet at the CMAs. Our team worked for 37 hours straight to make that happen for him and Bunnie. No sleep, no breaks, just energy drinks, junk food, and a whole lot of grit and willpower. When it drove across the red carpet, I think we all shed a few tears.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
One time I had a stack of checks on my desk to deposit and I had to leave for a dinner. Rather than crate our puppy Cyrus, I let him roam around the office because Rich was working there late. Well, Cyrus decided the $31k deposit check looked tasty, and he ate it! I had to call the client and literally say “My dog ate your deposit check,” which is the adult version of “My dog ate my homework.” I learned to never leave deposit checks openly on my desk or leave my puppy out of his crate, even if someone else was present.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
We would literally be nothing without our entire team. We don’t move individually; we move as a unit. Rich, Danielle, Kieran, Xavier, Ashley, Laith, Randy, and Vicente, we do this together on a daily basis.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
Support! Women are expected to hold down traditional female roles in the home and socially, as well as in relationships. Take note that whereas female founders are on the rise, the number of women choosing to remain childless is also on the rise. There is a reason for that. Women don’t have the support culturally that men do when it comes to entrepreneurship.
Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?
That’s such a great question because I think it takes a mindset shift that comes from all areas.
1. It’s okay not to pursue a traditional lifestyle as a woman unless that’s something you want to do.
2. There needs to be equal pay for men and women across the board, not what society values a woman’s time as. Take gender out of the equation and ask what that ROLE is worth.
3. Are you going to praise a woman for having children or penalize her? Our government, society, and individuals need to make their minds up on that topic and stick with it. Because you can’t have it both ways. If women are going to keep the population healthy and growing with children, then offer them support to do so and not put them into a position to feel trapped financially or socially.
This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
If we’re going to change the climate of business, we can’t sit around bitching about it. We have to actually get in there and get our hands dirty. Asking for change and demanding change are two different things. I’m not tone-deaf, though; I understand that it’s easier said than done. But if I can do it with only a high school diploma and a team of underdogs, you certainly can, too. Some call it delusion. What’s wrong with a little delusion?
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
I’d like to dispel the myth that you have to have all the answers before you start. None of us will ever have all the answers, no matter how deep down the rabbit hole we go. The secret is to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and let them shine! Ships have a crew and a captain. No crew, no sailing. No captain, also no sailing.
Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?
I think it all boils down to your specific life goals and values. While founders are just employees to their dreams, the word “employee” has such a bad connotation. That’s why we call our people our team. I think if you align with the vision and the dream then everyone can have success.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
- ADHD is your best friend and your worst enemy in business. Plan accordingly. I am terrible with details most of the time, which is bad for business. So, I have to put in place checkpoints and people to hold me accountable for following through with the details.
- BUILD A TEAM!!! In the beginning, we’re all usually broke with a dream. But the millisecond you can outsource the thing you’re bad at or have limited knowledge of doing, do that. It will free you up to do what you are actually good at and you’re also not making costly mistakes.
- Utilize technology resources. Google, Chat GPT, AI, or anything you can get your hands on that will cut your time and workload down. You aren’t cheating or taking the easy way out. Use a shovel, not a spoon!
- Hustle culture is a lie. If you don’t take care of your mental, physical, and spiritual health, you will burn out. There are times to hustle and times to rest. Think of it like a marathon, not a sprint.
- Failure is the key to success. I remember when Cardi B said, “ Knock me down nine times; I get up ten.” It’s not IF you will fail at something, you will. It’s how quickly you learn from your failures and jump back up.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
You know that saying that goes something like, “People may not remember your name, but they will remember how you made them feel.” That’s what I try to do.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I think collectively, if we all do a little better every day, then it compiles into something unstoppable. It’s not about one person doing the most; it’s about everyone doing their part.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Hands down, Dolly Parton. The woman isn’t just a country music legend; she is a powerhouse businesswoman. She’s managed to stay out of scandals but speaks her mind, she’s a philanthropist, and I even heard rumors that she has some of her own tattoos. What a badass.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Morcom is a millennial mom of three and founder of Morcom Media, a performance PR shop for thought leaders. She earned her degree in journalism and worked for Canada’s largest social enterprise. She can be reached at vanessa@morcom.media
