Meet Staci Redmon, Founder, President, and CEO of Strategy and Management Services, Inc. (SAMS), a company transforms its clients’ digital journeys by providing future-proof, cost-effective solutions that have the flexibility to scale and evolve with their business needs. By focusing on solving problems that have a human impact, they are engineering solutions that save lives.
Each year, WBENC presents 14 women business owners with the prestigious Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) Star Award, the nation’s premier recognition for excellence among certified women-owned businesses, honoring female owners for their leadership skills, business success, and ability to serve as an inspiration to others.
Meet Staci Redmon, Founder, President & CEO of Strategy and Management Services, Inc. (SAMS)
Staci spent more than 30 years in the U.S. Army as a civil servant and an industry contractor, attending meetings during which she witnessed funding for critical warfighter systems troops desperately needed be denied. As a veteran, she knew the drastic consequences that would result. Knowing she couldn’t simply stand by and do nothing, she focused on designing a company that measures its impact not on the bottom line alone, but on how it makes a difference to its people, clients, and community. In 2008, Staci used her trailblazing spirit to found SAMS.
A true believer in and advocate for continuous learning, Staci holds a BS in Computer Information Systems, an MBA with a concentration in Acquisition, and a Graduate Certificate in Procurement and Federal Contracts Management.
She is also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Businesses program, the Babson College Surge and Grown Program, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College Tuck-WBENC Executive Program, and the Tuck-WBENC Strategic Growth Program, both sponsored by IBM, as well as the 1863 Ventures in association with Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, Small Business University.
Staci is a major advocate for women entrepreneurs and spends a significant amount of time mentoring other women business owners, sharing her experiences so others can benefit from them and learn from her. She is also very active in philanthropy, ensuring that her company gives back through SAMS Cares, which sponsors events that makes a positive impact in local communities.
Staci is “The Innovator” because she views challenges as opportunities that make her company stronger. Every time she and her team are faced with an obstacle, they overcome it, push forward, and come back better.
Staci shares her biggest business challenges and how she overcomes them, her advice for new entrepreneurs, and what she views as benefits of being part of the WBENC Network.
What advice do you have for a new entrepreneur?
Take everything that you know and apply it to the decisions you make every day. You may make the wrong choice sometimes, but that’s how you learn. Ask yourself what you learned from your mistakes. The more you learn, the more informed you’ll be to make better decisions the next time. Find someone to talk to and who has been there before. There will be times when you’ll doubt yourself and you’ll have days when you just want to quit, but don’t quit. It does get better.
What are the bigger challenges and barriers you’ve faced as a business owner? How have you overcome them?
The biggest challenges and barriers I have faced as a business owner is as a minority woman. Those challenges increase with the fact that SAMS is a technology company. Often we are not taken seriously and are not afforded the same opportunities as our counterparts. When faced with these massive challenges, I stay true to my passion, purpose, and commitment to build a legacy. At the core, SAMS is a company that is going to be the difference!
What do you view as benefits of being part of the WBENC network?
There are so many! WBENC is an amazing organization that has helped SAMS gain exposure and visibility that would have been unprecedented under normal circumstances. The amount of opportunity and reach I have each time I attend a WBENC event is unmatched; I am excited and eager to further leverage my connections and certifications within the WBENC community. The training that I have received is unprecedented! To name a few, I have been to Tuck (twice), DELL, IBM, Facebook, and Google.
SAMS helps clients increase efficiencies in their organizations by managing their business operations. This allows them to save time and money and focus their resources on their most important work.
