Samantha Abrams of Emmy’s Organics: “Here are 5 things I wish someone told me before I started”

As a part of our series about strong female leaders I had the pleasure of interviewing Samantha Abrams.

Samantha is the Co-Founder and Head of Marketing of Emmy’s Organics, LLC. which she founded in 2009 alongside her partner (in life & business), Ian Gaffney. Samantha received her BS in Theatre Arts Management and a minor in Dance from Ithaca College where she honed in on her passion for healthy eating and making things happen.

Emmy’s Organics came from the shared desire to take real ingredients and turn them into something delicious that everyone could enjoy. There lay the opportunity to turn Ian’s Coconut Cookie recipe into a real product that you could buy at a store.

Emmy’s got its start in a home kitchen (that belonged to Ian’s mother, Emmy) where Samantha and Ian made small batches of Coconut Cookies and sold them door to door in their local Ithaca community and eventually, New York City. Emmy’s has grown over the last ten years into a nationally recognized brand that can be found in over 20,000 stores nationwide like Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Wegmans and CVS.

Samantha’s enthusiasm to make a difference and to do business the “right way” motivated the company to become a certified Living Wage Employer and B-Corp which is recognized as the highest standard of corporate responsibility. When not giving her heart and soul to Emmy’s, Samantha can be found walking her dog, Sadie, in the woods, exercising and eating Dark Cacao Coconut Cookies.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I grew up as a dancer and was really interested in theatre in high school. After I started at Ithaca College as a freshman, I was thrilled to discover the Theatre Arts Management program which married my love of the arts as well as a natural knack for business. I also took on a minor in dance, which allowed me to stay active and express myself creatively. I honed in on two important things during that time: one was simply making things happen…I started a dance company on campus, helped friends produce plays and took on a marketing role for the Theatre Department through my program. I also became obsessed with clean eating. Although my diet is very different now, I spent a lot of my time experimenting with healthy foods and figuring out what made my body feel at its best. So it was kind of amazing when I met my partner (in life and business), Ian, the summer after I graduated that he happened to have all of this experience with raw foods. He loved sharing recipes with me.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

In 2010 we did a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo where we raised over $20K in 30 days to redesign our packaging. It was a huge deal for us, and after we had new packaging on the shelves our sales grew 150%. Plus, Indiegogo used our story about how crowdfunding can be successful in a bunch of media outlets. It was amazing, free press! Then, in 2012, I got an email inviting me to attend an event at The White House where President Obama was going to sign the JOBS Act in the Rose Garden. I ignored it thinking it was spam. Then I got a follow up. Because there was mention of crowdfunding in the email, I asked my contacts at Indiegogo if they knew anything about it. “It’s real. Go.” So I booked a bus ticket to go to Washington, DC. Indiegogo had suggested my name, since a piece of the JOBS Act included lifting regulations to make crowdfunding easier for small businesses. The night before the event, I was invited to arrive early to attend a round table discussion with government leaders and other small business owners. Please note that we had two employees at that time. I showed up and the next smallest business owner had 500 employees. After the discussion I was asked to stay behind. I didn’t know why but I did and a few minutes later President Obama came in the room to greet us and our group ended up standing with him while he signed the JOBS Act. It was the most surreal experience I’ve ever had and to be acknowledged by the PRESIDENT as a business owner was incredibly motivating.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. What is it about the position of CEO or executive that most attracted you to it?

For me, I didn’t seek out being a Co-Founder/Executive. Our business came out of a shared passion and we followed it. If someone had asked me back then if I would want to run my own company, I probably would have been scared and said no. When you follow something you love and take the baby steps to learn along the way, you eventually step into the role of an owner. It’s a very powerful thing.

Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a CEO or executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?

A founder/owner truly embodies the purpose of the brand and — in my opinion — it’s their job to make sure that is communicated through all departments and company culture. A founder is constantly evolving the brand and looking at the bigger picture. It can be really hard to do sometimes when smaller problems are almost easier to focus on.

What is the one thing that you enjoy most about being an executive?

As an executive, I LOVE seeing our company improve on all levels. I find so much joy in looking back at old pictures and remembering how we used to function. It was all we knew back then, and I’m so proud of how we continue to grow and get better in all departments.

What are the downsides of being an executive?

You carry the weight of the company on your shoulders. When there are failures you feel them deeply. Even if you learn to not take things personally or blame yourself, you just feel them in a way that is hard to describe.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive. Can you explain what you mean?

I think a lot of people think that if you are running a company, every decision is up to you. If you are smart, you surround yourself with people who are better than you in many areas. It truly is a collaborative effort, not all about the CEO or Founder.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women executives that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

I think the biggest challenges are embedded in our culture. There are still so many people out there who will pay more attention when a male is speaking. We certainly have come a long way, but women are not always taken as seriously and still not getting paid the same as their male counterparts.

What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?

To be honest, my naivety in the beginning worked in my favor. I had never run a company before, so I didn’t know what to expect. This allowed me to make mistakes and learn important lessons that have shaped how I operate every day.

Certainly, not everyone is cut out to be an executive. In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive?

I think a successful founder/executive is someone who is willing to be wrong, someone who knows how to apologize and someone who is always willing to grow or change. The people who think they have all of the answers will not grow or evolve, and I believe that is a necessary trait of someone trying to grow a business.

What advice would you give to other female leaders to help their team to thrive?

Sit down with your team and brainstorm. Ask what they would be doing differently if they were in your shoes. Be willing to listen and not judge. Learn from your team.

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?

This is incredibly recent but I had the pleasure of having a call with Suzy Batiz, the founder of Poo Pourri, and an entrepreneur who I really look up to. I asked her what piece of advice she had for me, and she said “Don’t get caught in the weeds.” Even after 10 years of running a business, I still have so much to learn and that was an amazing insight for her to share with me. After that conversation, I reevaluated how I am spending my time and where I make the biggest impact. That’s where I need to be to make a difference.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

An unexpected benefit of manufacturing your own products is the jobs you get to create right in your community. We have the opportunity to grow what it means to be an amazing employer and we are. I’m also so proud of our products. We deliver on a treat that is indulgent in flavor but simple in ingredients. That more people can enjoy a product like ours versus a highly processed counterpart means I’ve done my job.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Start before you’re ready.” I remind myself of this every time there is a new challenge that comes up. You will never be ready, so you might as well start in some capacity, whether it’s to start your own business or tackle something in your life. Just starting can be the toughest part.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.