Sam Thompson (BMgmt '22)
Owner, Melmerby Adventures
I started in Arts, it wasn't for me. I thought I wanted commerce until an advisor told me about the Bachelor of Management. It was the perfect fit for me.
Sam Thompson鈥檚 first business venture was Christmas ornaments made of pumpkin seeds. He started selling them when he was 12 at the New Glasgow farmer鈥檚 market. He laughs remembering the day 鈥淚 deposited $1000 into my account.鈥�
Much of Sam鈥檚 early business education came from his grandparents, who owned clothing stores in Pictou County. His grandfather, he says, coached him on diversifying and saving.
When it came time for university, he took the advice of a family friend who suggested he enroll in the faculty of arts and social sciences at Dalhousie. The friend, also a businessperson, thought it was good to start with as broad a foundation as possible.
But Sam didn鈥檛 enjoy his classes and at the end of first year he wanted to switch. So, his default was to apply for a Bachelor of Commerce, studying subjects he was already interested in and knew something about. But that wasn鈥檛 right either.
During a conversation with the undergraduate advisor, Sam quickly realized, the BComm had a mandatory co-operative. Since he was already an entrepreneur, selling a variety of products, he wasn鈥檛 interested in more work experience. He just wanted an education, and that鈥檚 when she told him about the Bachelor of Management.
鈥淚t was a perfect fit鈥� he says. And the broad scope of subject matter, informs the decisions he makes today.
As owner of Melmerby Adventures, an outdoor water sport company in Pictou County, he must consider the shoreline where people get into a kayak or climb onto a paddle board. These are the kinds of issues he says, that have him reflecting on his courses on environmental sustainability.
Sam also says he learned a lot about being involved in your community, and now serves on a transportation and health board.
In addition to Melmerby Adventures, he鈥檚 developing an eco-tourism business on property he recently purchased nearby. But if you want to meet him in the winter, he and his expanded line of products can be found at the New Glasgow farmer鈥檚 market, where he鈥檚 proud to say, he鈥檚 the vendor who鈥檚 been there the longest.