Brian Adams & his Entrepreneurial Story
I recently had the chance to interview Brian Adams, the founder and CEO of Ameliom LLC, a custom software development company. Brian has experience as a software engineer and has worked for several companies throughout his career, but this is the first time he has started one on his own. I asked Brian about his company as well as any advice he has for aspiring entrepreneurs. Our conversation and his answers to my questions will be detailed in the following sections.
Since Brian recently founded Ameliom in 2018 after years of experience working as a software engineer, I asked him about his inspiration behind founding and running his own company. He explained that entrepreneurship was never something he really planned to do. He was in software for 20 years when he went to work for a startup robotics company. After the project he was in charge of couldn’t meet its deadline due to heavy budget cuts, Brian and the company mutually agreed to part ways. After leaving, Brian was devastated; he didn’t know why he couldn’t get the project to be successful, so he decided to start his own company “doing what he wanted to do.” A couple months into starting he got a call from an old manager to work on a project bringing in his own people. At the end of his first year, the company was doing great, but Brian realized he didn’t have any business experience and he began to get scared. Because of this, he decided to put together an advisory board. This allowed him to have people around him pushing him to grow, something which he believes “made all the difference.”
I also asked Brian what key skills he uses as a CEO. He explained that most of the time he is “solving problems.” While he spends some time shaping and strategizing his vision for the company, his day-today work is coding and testing while working with his customers. This is what he “prefers to do,” but he also can’t escape the administrative work that must be done. Since he employs developers from all over the world and within different states, he must do extra, different paperwork for each employee. At the end of the day, it is worth it, though, so Brian can get back to doing what he loves.
After hearing about his international developers, I asked Brian if he could go more in-depth on what the process of employing people from around the world looks like for Ameliom. He explained how his first hire was a “Mexican citizen who has since moved to Canada.” He employs him through an international employment company. He also has a Ukrainian developer who he met through his oldest son. Brian explained how he works with an Indian company that “reached out for a partnership on LinkedIn.” This partnership has its challenges, such as their work day starting just as Brian is “winding down for the night.” He occasionally gets stuck in late-night meetings, but it is worth it thanks to the work and rates they provide.
In an effort to learn more about his unique business practices, Brian described the deals his company makes with select startups looking for technical services. As many startups are strapped for cash, Ameliom offers discounted rates on their services “in return for a percent of equity in the company.” Brian then becomes the startup’s part-time CTO, providing on-demand tech services whenever necessary. He has done this kind of deal with 3 companies that he truly believes in and thinks have a passion for their business, allowing them to take care of the business while he takes care of the software where he is comfortable. Brian enjoys making these deals as they help the startups grow while also contributing to the growth of Ameliom, providing a win-win scenario.
After learning about Brian’s company and his practices, I asked if he could provide advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. “If it doesn’t scare you, you’re not thinking big enough” was Brian’s immediate answer. Entrepreneurs must take risks and take on challenges to really make it. Every quarter Brian works on something that puts a pit in his stomach, but he believes this fear is necessary to his success. The work you do and the projects you take on should be “scary but not overwhelming.”
Brian also said that entrepreneurs shouldn’t be “afraid to change their plan.” Every startup believes they are going to go one way and end up getting pulled in another direction. You can’t always guess where you will end up, so it is important to be open to changing your plan along the way. To end the interview, I asked Brian what he looks for in startups and their leaders from an investor’s perspective. He explained that he likes to know the founders’ “why” and their reasoning for getting into their business. He looks for business owners that have a purpose and a mission. Brian also said he likes to see business owners who have an advising team behind them. No one can do it alone, so it is important to have help in areas where you need it. Lastly, Brian does market research to determine what the advantages and risks of the company are. The risks need to have mitigation plans in place that will ultimately help the company succeed.
Sitting down and learning more about Brian and his company was a great opportunity. It was wonderful to hear about his experiences and current ventures, and I am looking forward to keeping up with Brian as he continues to impact the community around him
Agriculture Education in Boerne ISD
Agriculture education classes in Boerne ISD changed my life. This week’s newsletter is special to me because I am one of the agriculture kids who came out of Boerne High School. I graduated in 2019 and began pursuing a career in the agriculture industry. Without the support of my BHS agriculture teachers, I don’t know where I would be heading. The ag teachers at Boerne High were vital in my pursuit of becoming an Agriculture Teacher. I want to thank Lexie and my past ag teachers for showing me that I belong in agriculture and providing a place for my passion to flourish.
These amazing educators always made me feel like more than just a statistic, I felt as if I was one of their own, and they nurtured my passion and drove me to push myself past my hesitations. Mr. Leonard, Mrs. Trout, Mr. Warner, and Mrs. Seaman, changed the life of this former student and I will forever be grateful. After five years, I got to meet up with Lexie Seaman and pick her brain on the importance of agriculture education in our community.
Lexie Seaman has been an agriculture teacher at Boerne High School for the past seven years. When she first came to Boerne she taught all the animal science courses and floriculture at Boerne High School. She now only teaches floral design courses and started Blooms by BHS, floral arrangements by students. For this upcoming school year, Lexie was able to develop and add two advanced floral design classes to her curriculum, making it possible for those who can’t be in practicum, to continue their passion for floral design.
I first asked Lexie, how Boerne ISD is nurturing ag education in its students. She feels that Boerne ISD support has grown over the past few years due to the success the ag programs. “Boerne ISD is a great place to work,” she stated. Some other school districts don’t see the value in agriculture education, and it helps that there is a lot of agriculture in our community and members on the board whose children or families show livestock. She believes that people see the children in the agriculture program and how wonderful they are and they can see the need to support the growth of the program. Lexie also believes that the consistency of the ag teachers at Boerne High School, who work like a “well-oiled machine” played a major role in the school district seeing that the ag program can be great, with the right support. Boerne ISD has increased the budget for ag programs and given the teachers more flexibility in adding additions to their facilities. The new BISD ag barn is an example of the additions being added to encourage students who aren’t able to keep show animals at their homes, a way into agriculture. The ag barn is not only an asset for their FFA kids, but also for their 4-H kids, servicing students who would otherwise not be able to have animals.
I followed this up by asking Lexie how BISD can improve agriculture education. “Again, it’s always a money thing,” Lexie stated. Outside of funding to help improve the ag education programs, she believes that showing up and learning about what the ag teachers are doing can help. She encourages campus administration to sit in on ag classes so they can understand things like safety concerns in the shop. She would also love to see board members come to campus and sit in on classes to see what she and her fellow teachers are doing for the students and schools. Blooms by BHS was developed to help show the community just a small part of their program. “It’s more than just what’s told on paper. What they’re doing makes a difference in the community,” she states.
I wanted to know what the most rewarding part of being an agriculture teacher has been for Lexie. “The relationships I have with my kids,” she stated without pause. She loves the relationships she has built. She mentions students from her previous job at Somerset that she still talks to, as well as former students she’s had at Boerne. For Lexie, it’s more than wanting them to learn a skill and critiquing that skill; it’s wanting to create good people and the hope to change the life of even one child. She mentions how she loves the family involvement at BISD, but she has also been at a school where she was “the parent” for many of her students.
Next, I asked her what she believes the goal is for ag education in Boerne. “It’s an evolving goal,” she said. Right now, she believes the goal is preparing students for the world after graduation. As well as wanting to grow the Boerne FFA community so that everyone feels like they have a place in agriculture.
I asked Lexie to provide some advice for those wanting to go into agriculture education. The first thing she mentioned was how it takes a special person to be an ag teacher. Making sure to include your family as much as possible was another piece of advice she shared. “If you’re a person with kids going into ag education… don’t be afraid to take your own kids with you!” As a teacher, you spend a lot of time away from your family, so she explained how it important it is to find a way to include them in what you do. Ultimately, she says, “As long as you are doing what you love it, it’s not a job.” You really have to just “find your passion” explained Lexie.
Lexie wanted to mention that there is a disconnect between what agriculture is and what it can offer for different people. She wants people to know that there is so much more to agriculture than showing an animal. Agriculture has a place for everyone. FFA offers several different teams and contests that help students develop lifelong skills and tie into many different interests. I am proof that you don’t have to show an animal or even be raised in agriculture to be in agriculture or have a passion for it. I encourage everyone in Boerne to be part of agriculture education, whether it’s being in FFA, taking even just one class, or supporting the growth of the ag programs.
