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The Iowa Idea: Samantha Ferm
“I just followed what felt like the next best step.”
In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Samantha Ferm. Samantha helps businesses in southeast Iowa navigate the world of local, state, and federal government contracting. She also owns and operates her own massage therapy and sound healing business in Iowa City, Full Circle Wellness, and is one of the leaders for Her Experience, a day-long urban retreat for women.
Samantha and I discuss her journey starting her own business, helping small businesses navigate government contracts, and working on a family farm in California; as well as her early job as a Starbucks barista. I apologize, to you dear listeners, for my excitement digging into the barista naming process, Starbucks socks policy, and the glory of French press coffee.
It was an honor having Samantha join me on the show. I really appreciated Samantha’s stories and perspectives. I thank her for sharing her time and insights. I hope you enjoy the episode.
About Samantha
Samantha joined the ISU CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Center team in 2018, after almost three years as a Business Counselor for the Kirkwood Small Business Development Center (SBDC), where she supported small businesses throughout Linn, Benton, and Jones counties. During her time there, she received the Iowa SBDC ‘Support Person of the Year’ award for 2017 and also supported the state’s largest 1 Million Cups weekly networking program. Prior to joining the SBDC, Samantha was the Marketing Director for EntreFEST, Iowa’s largest startup, and small business conference. Originally from the Phoenix area, Samantha spent nearly five years in Washington D.C. prior to moving to Iowa, where she worked as the Marketing and Community Outreach Manager for the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza).
Samantha also owns and operates her own massage therapy and sound healing business in Iowa City, Full Circle Wellness, and is one of the leaders for Her Experience, a day-long urban retreat for women.
Links
CIRAS – https://www.ciras.iastate.edu/
Credits
Episode produce by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/)
The Iowa Idea Podcast music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).