We had the good fortune of connecting with Samantha Harris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk was the foundation on which I built this business, so I fully expect that during any season of growth, I’ll need to consider risk in order to level-up. When I started my agency, I left my only guaranteed income, on literally a hope and a prayer. It worked out & I was able to replace my income from my full-time job within a week of being in business. I took that as a major sign that I was following the right path. When it was time to open my membership community, I really wasn’t sure how it was going to work out. But I took the risk the night before launch to completely switch to the most robust platform for hosting memberships that was available. If I was going to do it, I was going to do it ALL the way. That risk paid off too, and we were able to scale to 100 members in our first 5 months! 

What should our readers know about your business?
I started my business on a hope & a prayer, literally. in 2017 when I launched Auctus Social (Soon to be Samantha Harris Co.) I was 25 & burnt the heck out. At this point in my career I had been recruited & hired to build 5 businesses for other people. I absolutely loved working in the startup world & helping people create something from scratch, but I was feeling stiffled. I was working 80+ hours per week & My mom was diagnosed with cancer. I realized there was more to life than working for someone else’s dream. I wanted time freedom. I had an apparel line at the time & always figured if I left my job, it would be to pursue that full time. But one day I woke up & during prayer I had the overwhelming feeling that I needed to leave my job. THAT DAY. So, I did. I started a marketing agency that morphed into a mentorship business where I educate & empower women to take charge of their businesses. I am most proud of the impact we have been able to make on the small business community. Between our membership – Content & Connection, and the business mentorship Agency we have helped hundreds of women all over the world take their dreams and make them a reality by applying strategy, community & accountability. What makes us different than other Marketing education companies is the community & accountability side. Many educators open these online memberships and provide great education, but for many small biz owners, that’s just not enough. we’ve created a space that offers the other two thirds of the pie – Community & Accountability and that is where the magic is really. It allows our members to impliment, get feedback and grow like nothoing else out there!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love this because it’s a HUGE part of what we do at Content & Connection! We’re the experts in the best photo spots in San Diego + 8 other small biz hub cities in the US. Here in San Diego some of my favorites include- 1. A drive up the coast to Torrey Pines with the top off the Jeep. Just to set the mood & take in the sights. 2. Stop over at One Paseo in Del Mar Highlands for some photos with the gorgeous white walls and some local small biz shopping. Grab a gluten-free snickerdoodle & a coffee at Parakeet Cafe. 3. Stroll through Balboa Park for the history, Scenery, and some cute, colorful photos in Spanish Village. 4. Liberty Station is a Great place for lunch & shopping. Check out Moniker General for local goods & the Public market for some variety in local eats. 5. Catch the sunset at Belmont Park. Play a few carnival games, Grab some dip n dots & watch the sun go down.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to give a shoutout to my Girl Gang, Content & Connection. Without this community, I am not sure how I would have kept going through this Pandemic. I know a lot of my fellow members feel exactly the same. Having community during this time has been everything & having a group I had to show up for has brought so much more meaning to my work & kept me accountable.

Website: www.auctussocial.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/auctussocial
Linkedin: Samantha Harris
Facebook: www.facebook.com/auctussocial
Other: www.auctussocial.com/contentandconnection www.instagram.com/contentandconnection

Image Credits
Image Credits to @contentandconnection

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.