Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Scholl.
Hi Samantha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story has never been linear. It has been more like a winding back road full of plot twists, passport stamps, and a lot of character-building detours.
I’ve always been someone who is deeply curious about the world. I’ve traveled to over 70 countries, often with nothing more than a backpack, a notebook, and a fierce belief that people are inherently good. I chased culture, history, and connection. I slept in strangers’ homes, ate meals I couldn’t pronounce, and blogged about everything ( before blogging was even a thing!). Those experiences shaped me. They taught me how to listen, how to adapt, and how to build bridges across every kind of divide.
I gave over two decades of my life to the hospitality industry. I waited tables, poured drinks, managed chaos, and kept the lights on. I wasn’t chasing titles. I was building something real, one shift at a time. Eventually, I became the managing partner of a fine dining restaurant here in San Diego. It was my baby. That world taught me what it means to hold space for people, to anticipate needs before they’re spoken, to make folks feel welcome, and to lead with consistency and care.
Then came 2020. COVID didn’t just knock on the door, it bulldozed through the front of the restaurant industry. I was heartbroken and scrambling, trying to figure out how to keep a business alive while everything familiar was crumbling. In the middle of that chaos, I found the BBB’s small business accelerator. I applied, not knowing exactly what I needed, just knowing I needed help. What I walked into was a lifeline. A community. A sense of purpose I didn’t even realize I was missing.
Six months after graduating, I got a call that changed everything. The BBB asked if I would consider joining the team to help build out entrepreneurial programming. It felt unexpected and wild. I didn’t have a roadmap for this kind of work, but my gut said yes. So I jumped. And it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Today, I lead innovation and entrepreneur programs that provide education, mentorship, funding access, and real-world tools to help small business owners succeed. I also speak nationally on ethical leadership, entrepreneurship, and community-building. Along the way, I launched a consulting business to support organizations and founders who are ready to grow with purpose. I help design strategy, build out programming, and bring people-centered approaches to life in ways that actually stick. It’s about creating momentum and meaningful change.
Whether I’m mentoring a small business owner, speaking to a room full of aspiring entrepreneurs, or guiding a workshop, my purpose is to build spaces where people feel inspired to lead, empowered to grow, and connected to something bigger than themselves.
But I would be lying if I said it was all easy. In my forties, I found myself navigating a very personal shift that meant stepping fully into my truth and living in alignment with who I really am. That included building a loving partnership with a woman, which required a level of vulnerability and courage I had not accessed before. Having to share that part of myself with family and friends was nerve-wracking and deeply humbling. I had spent decades being the one people leaned on, the one who kept it all together. This time, I had to ask for space, patience, and grace. Not everyone gave it. But the experience stretched me. It softened me. It reminded me how important it is to show up in the world exactly as we are, even when it is scary.
I carry that lesson into everything I do now. Whether I am mentoring an entrepreneur, consulting with a nonprofit, or simply holding space for someone’s big idea, I know how powerful it is to feel safe being yourself. My work may look different than it did ten years ago, but the heart of it is the same. I am still in the business of hospitality, just on a bigger and more meaningful scale.
If you had told 20-something me, bouncing between hostels in Cambodia or working a double shift on a packed Saturday night, that one day I would be building community through entrepreneurship and living a life that feels this honest, I probably would have laughed. But life has a way of rerouting us toward exactly where we are meant to be. And I have never felt more certain that I am right where I belong.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth? Not even close. But I wouldn’t trade the bumps for anything.
There have been seasons when I was hanging on by a thread. Working doubles, managing staff, dealing with financial stress, and still trying to show up with a smile. There were times when I felt completely burned out, but I kept going because I believed in what I was building. The hospitality industry is beautiful, but it is relentless. You give everything you have. And sometimes that still is not enough.
Starting over in my forties was another curveball I didn’t see coming. When I joined the nonprofit and entrepreneurial support world, I felt like a total outsider. I didn’t speak the language. I wasn’t familiar with terms like technical assistance or access to capital. People were throwing around acronyms I had never heard, and there I was, fresh out of fine dining, trying to make sense of grant reporting and program design.
I remember sitting in my first few meetings thinking, “What am I doing here?” I had decades of leadership experience, but I felt like a beginner all over again. Imposter syndrome crept in fast. I wondered if people were questioning why I had a seat at the table. The truth is, I was questioning it too.
But I stayed curious. I asked a million questions. I listened closely. And I leaned into what I did know. I knew how to build relationships, how to create incredible experiences, and how to lead with heart. Slowly, it started to click. I realized I didn’t need to have all the right words. I just needed to bring the right intention.
On a personal level, stepping into a relationship that looked different than what people expected brought its own challenges. Sharing that part of myself with family and friends was hard. Not because I wasn’t proud of who I am, but because I knew it might shift how people saw me. Some relationships changed. Some faded. But others deepened in ways I couldn’t have imagined. That process stripped me down and rebuilt me with more honesty, more courage, and a lot more compassion.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but it has been meaningful. Every challenge forced me to grow. Every hard moment taught me how to lead from a place of empathy instead of ego. And at this point in my life, I would choose that kind of growth over easy any day.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At the core of everything I do is a belief that business can be a tool for transformation. Not just for the person running it, but for entire communities. I specialize in building programs that equip small business owners with real-world tools, meaningful mentorship, and the kind of support that doesn’t disappear after graduation.
I lead entrepreneur and innovation programs through the Better Business Bureau. That surprises some people, because most folks still associate the BBB with complaints and reviews. But the work we’re doing today is so much more. We are reimagining what trust and ethics look like in the modern business world. I get to design accelerators, bootcamps, and summits that provide small business owners who have historically faced barriers with access to capital, mentorship, and education. Our programs are more than information. They are invitations to connect, to belong, and to grow with others.
Community building is at the heart of it all. It is my passion and my purpose. I believe entrepreneurship is not a solo journey, and no one should have to navigate it alone. That’s why I focus on creating spaces where people feel safe, supported, and seen. Every session, every workshop, every cohort is designed to bring people together in ways that spark collaboration, confidence, and collective momentum.
What sets me apart is the way I show up. I don’t build programs for people. I build them with people. I listen first. I meet folks where they are, not where I think they should be. And I never forget what it felt like to sit on the other side of the table, trying to keep a business alive with limited resources and no roadmap. That lived experience is my superpower.
I’m most proud of the moments that never make it into press releases. The business owner who gets their first grant after doubting their worth. The mom who launched her dream after years of putting herself last. The people who tell me they finally felt like they belonged in a space where they used to feel invisible. Those are the wins I carry with me.
What I’ve built isn’t just about business education. It’s about community. It’s about dignity. It’s about creating access where there was once a barrier. And if that’s what I’m known for, I’m proud of that.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m an adrenaline junkie with a serious case of wanderlust and a track record to prove it.
I’ve authored three travel blogs and spent years traversing the globe on a shoestring budget, chasing adventure, connection, and stories. I’ve base-jumped out of a helicopter in the Swiss Alps, skydived more times than I can count, and whitewater rafted Class V rapids in Africa. I’ve been chased by wild elephants, slept under the stars in the Sahara (spiders included—if you know, you know), and done night dives in the Great Barrier Reef surrounded by glowing creatures I still can’t believe were real.
I’ve ridden camels to the pyramids of Giza, taken slow boats down the Mekong Delta, floated down the Ganges at sunrise in Varanasi, and stood in awe of the Taj Mahal. I’ve eaten all types of critters at the Bangkok night market in Thailand, hiked four days through the Andes to reach Machu Picchu in the middle of the rainy season, and climbed volcanic peaks in Patagonia before sledding down them like a kid on a snow day.
One of the most personal and emotional experiences I’ve had was visiting Vietnam and making a nostalgic pilgrimage to the exact bunker where my father was stationed during the war. It was still there. I stood in that space, imagining what he saw, what he felt. I can’t fully explain what that moment meant to me. But I was able to come home and share that experience with him. That conversation is one I will never forget.
Adventure has always been part of who I am. It taught me how to adapt, how to stay open, and how to find beauty in the unknown. It’s also why I care so deeply about people and culture. You can’t travel like that without developing an enormous appreciation for humanity in all its forms. The experiences may have been extreme, but they grounded me. They gave me a lifelong love for storytelling, curiosity, and that electric feeling of being fully alive.
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Image Credits
Terri Rippee, Anthony Bui, Jake Roberts
