Sarah O'Sell

Sarah O'Sell (0:0.667) Hello. Rachael Barclay (0:2.700) Hi, Sarah. Sarah O'Sell (0:4.124) How's it going? Rachael Barclay (0:6.242) Good, how are you? Sarah O'Sell (0:7.675) really well. It's been a busy past month. Rachael Barclay (0:12.310) I bet. I I've been waiting to ask you about your demo day. Sarah O'Sell (0:16.750) Yeah, so we had a couple things back to back. The mayor had a secret press laun press conference in our space to highlight us as an outstanding example of partnerships and business development for clean tech. And then following that, we were dual concluding our program with eight companies graduating and announcing a partnership with Microsoft and E8 Angels. Sarah O'Sell (0:46.434) So yeah. Rachael Barclay (0:50.008) Wow. Yeah, you've been busy. Sarah O'Sell (0:52.538) And then I and then I went sailing for four days. Rachael Barclay (0:56.118) Yeah, I know. I loved your away message. It was like so authentically you, which is always the goal. You know, I'm away on a boat. Loved it. You see the marketing brain. Sarah O'Sell (1:2.554) Yeah. Yes. And thank you for sending a thanks. thank you for sending a note. How did the so it was the launch party or announcement of the fo founding memberships? Rachael Barclay (1:22.584) yeah. So we so September fifteenth, that that event that we had at the shop. Yeah, it was my gosh. So the owner of the shop, Matt, who I had never met before that day, really his interest is in getting visibility for his club, right? And so I had this idea and also trying to get a win for Connor, having worked with him for so long and you know, all these things behind the scenes, but Sarah O'Sell (1:28.464) Yes. Rachael Barclay (1:52.194) I said, Well, I can connect with YPN and if you want content visibility, I mean that's their group. That's not really the Vantage group right now, but they will bring every camera, tripod, and photographer known to man. So that so we did that three days at before the event. So it wound up going from like an intimate affair of like 75 people, like the launch, to like now it's a hundred on Vantage side and it's a hundred and fifty on YPN. So they close the whole place. Rachael Barclay (2:22.347) All that to be said, they got the content they wanted. We got our little founding picture with you missing, of course. So we'll be doing another one. but I also picked up another photographer in residence that will be doing so we'll anyway, moral of the story is it was a great event. I'm excited for the events to come that are a little more, you know, because the whole idea is to be intentional, not to be like 250 people in a room. You it really can't be intentional there unless you have a team of 40 volunteers, so. Sarah O'Sell (2:46.031) Yes. Rachael Barclay (2:52.319) It was great. but it was nothing you know, the launch was so special to me. It just felt so perfect and like it came to life and everybody was talking to each other and I'm not saying that didn't happen, but it was different. It was different. Yeah. Sarah O'Sell (3:5.903) Yeah, well you you made a splash then. Rachael Barclay (3:9.331) Yeah, yeah, definitely I like the way you turn out. Yes, it was certainly a splash. Yeah, and you know, coming from the shop was the first partner and just trying to figure out what's the next kind of like developing the model because I'm like, okay, what if Vantage didn't pay these clubs a wholesale rate? What if instead each club offered partner a access on like their slow days and it just served as a funnel for them and we just do partner? Rachael Barclay (3:37.729) Nights and then they can sell direct, which is, you know, candidly what people want to do anyway. so that's sort of like the new thinking because what I don't want to do is have people have an angle in at a cheaper rate because that's the first and last thing that'll kill a club, you know. Yeah, so a lot of things happening. I'm meeting with GSBA at two o'clock today, with Alona and Alice and Scott. So I'm really excited for what that could bring to advantage. Sarah O'Sell (4:2.454) what is that a different club? Rachael Barclay (4:6.601) yeah, the it's the Greater Seattle Business Association. they're largely LBD L B G T QIA businesses. They have like I I feel like they have like two thousand members and they're Sarah O'Sell (4:19.279) That's different than greater Seattle Partners. Okay. Rachael Barclay (4:23.286) Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I'll send you their link. They do great stuff. and Alona was a chair. I actually put her on the board of Columbia Tower Club before I left. And then we all know what happened after I left and then after it closed. But she's wonderful. She's super supportive. And the people are in GSBA are awesome. So that would be a huge win for Vantage just from like a partnership standpoint and just like people doing great things. So that's today. So we'll see. It's every day is a new day. Sarah O'Sell (4:49.935) Nice. Rachael Barclay (4:52.910) Like, okay, now we're going this way. Great. Wonderful. Good thing I like to pivot. Yeah. which brings me to what I was thinking about for your advantage voices episode, which I think could be titled the patient pivot, right? So you sort of pivoted and you've been waiting, right? So so I don't know how much you know about the episode, but it's usually the same line of like three questions, and then I know that you know that it influences the Sarah O'Sell (5:7.096) Okay. Rachael Barclay (5:22.424) the introductions that are made from like the underneath tech side. but we'll use it. It will be in your member profile. So before people even meet you, whether that be virtually or in person, they'll be able to look at your advantage voices episode if if you are okay with it being public. And then it will be on if you're okay with it, all data streaming providers as well. So it could be good content for you. So I'm very conscious of Rachael Barclay (5:51.543) making sure that we do things in it that will help support what you're doing and all of that kind of stuff and you're able to use it or or not use it as you'd like. Yeah. Okay. All right. So I've been recording this whole time, but obviously this part won't be on it. thank you. Thank you to Riverside and AI. but one of the really interesting things I think for this one is I mean the highly debated like are you Sarah O'Sell (6:0.860) Okay? Rachael Barclay (6:20.086) Are you pro AI or are you pro-environment? Right? Because how do how do you marry the two? And I think some people think it's not possible, which is not the case. but I that's sort of like buried in the middle. It's sort of the peak of the of the episode, in my opinion. So we'll get started. Seven questions. It'll just be the core of who you are, origin, what the world gets wrong, the centerpiece, as I mentioned, then the AI question. Sarah O'Sell (6:23.579) okay. Rachael Barclay (6:50.274) What can you give? You know, that whole culture thing of like let's leave with give instead of take. And then the ask, which will be who are you looking to meet and why? and then just some like fun quick fires at the end. So hopefully this will be about 15 minutes or so. Okay, cool. All right, so welcome to the next episode of Vantage Voices. I am Rachel Barclay. I'm the founder of Vantage, and today I have Sarah O'Sell (7:6.107) Okay. Rachael Barclay (7:18.754) with me a founding member. and her name is Sarah O'Sell. Welcome Sarah. Sarah O'Sell (7:22.844) Hello, everyone, and hi Rachel. Rachael Barclay (7:26.202) Yeah, hi. okay, and so you know, the the for those who are watching this for perhaps the first time, the purpose of this podcast is to get to know our members better. And for those who are looking to meet our members to get a little bit about what they're doing. and then underneath all of it, it helps with our introductions. so we will start with Sarah in one sentence, who do you help? Rachael Barclay (7:54.934) And what changes for them when you do? Sarah O'Sell (7:58.278) I just posted on LinkedIn actually. She fixes TVs and businesses. I help entrepreneurs grow their business and reach the right people. That seems to be my superpower, is I will typically know someone that you need to meet who can help you. Rachael Barclay (8:5.438) Mm-hmm. Rachael Barclay (8:24.499) Which I love because I mean you've been doing that since I've met you unprompted, which is like, yes, there are so many more of us. Yeah. okay, so so you do you have your hands a lot of things, kind of like I do, and a lot of us do. What would you say your title is? Do you have? Sarah O'Sell (8:47.673) Well, my day-to-day title is I lead partnerships at the Seattle Climate Innovation Hub and I manage the CoMotion Lab's Climate Tech Incubator. so quite a long title. but I would say my community title is a startup gardener. And I take that approach to Rachael Barclay (9:2.751) Mm-hmm. Sarah O'Sell (9:14.157) network building and kind of how I think about the ecosystem that your business exists in. Rachael Barclay (9:21.550) Startup gardener is brilliant. Maybe that's the name of it. Okay. You did good. Good. It's perfect. Okay, so the or let's go a bit a little bit into the origin of Sarah. So you were at GE, that's correct, right? Yeah, so you're at GE and then you were not. so what did you actually see from the inside that made you think somebody has to fix this if if that's what happened? And that someone is me. Sarah O'Sell (9:22.362) Yes. Sarah O'Sell (9:25.465) I trademarked that. Sarah O'Sell (9:38.618) Yes. Sarah O'Sell (9:51.269) Yeah, so I was originally hired at GE to advise on sustainability solutions and lead digital marketing through their software division. shortly after I joined, the corporation announced their corporate split. They went through a huge restructuring, the sustainability budget was canceled. they told me not to talk about this, but it's been a while, so I Rachael Barclay (10:15.359) Yeah. Sarah O'Sell (10:17.040) I immediately got put on a management track for lean facilitation and that involves mapping processes and identifying friction. Sarah O'Sell (10:26.716) I leveraged my access to data and creating and customer advocacy to advocate to prove that customers actually wanted sustainability. And I was able to use that data to help bring the budget back for a sustainability solution that was then launched to market and won an award. And so I think. Sarah O'Sell (10:50.308) I noticed lot of things that were broken, but I think the foundational innovation process when you get to an enterprise and the way that they've grown their business is by making acquisitions, they they kind of lose their way in the foundations. And I started my career in startups and I kind of worked my way up to enterprise. I feel like I've been through the whole journey now. And I really thrive in the early days and scaling business side of things. While I was really excellent. Rachael Barclay (10:53.590) No Sarah O'Sell (11:20.282) at enterprise, I think I love that tangible impact and seeing a business store. Rachael Barclay (11:28.716) I love those. You have it's the gritty part, right? It's like, okay, yeah. You so you like chaos, Sarah. Yeah. Yes. I love it. Okay, so people hear climate and picture panels and protests a lot oftentimes. so you work in industrial B2B. What does the world get wrong about where the emissions actually are and who gets to fix them? Sarah O'Sell (11:31.098) Yes. Sarah O'Sell (11:35.278) I said I'm good at cleaning up dirt. Sarah O'Sell (11:56.593) I that's that's many questions. I Rachael Barclay (12:0.618) I yeah, sorry, I'm a terrible two part question interviewer. Sarah O'Sell (12:4.812) Yeah, on the activists and I think when people are in a position where they feel so powerless, they can have a lot of rage. And I do think it is important to let people express their voices. Sometimes that can come in a place where it becomes scary for people who Sarah O'Sell (12:27.728) Are actually trying to make change. So I would challenge activists to think about what venues they are using their voice and and who they are potentially directing that towards. Because if that person is actually someone that you want to be collaborating with, maybe consider a different approach. however, please please use your voice. and Sarah O'Sell (12:56.302) Then the rest of the question. Rachael Barclay (12:59.762) Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what does the world what does the world get wrong about where the emissions actually are? Sarah O'Sell (13:2.816) get wrong. Yeah. So Sarah O'Sell (13:7.180) On the flip side, there is a huge propaganda machine that is trying to make fossil fuels. they they use the terms we we power your life, your life would your the things in your life would not exist if fossil fuels did not exist and plastics did not exist. I once researched how much money we are putting into fossil fuel-based materials and plastics versus biomaterials, and it's like 16 times more. So it's just the fact that we've spent like Sarah O'Sell (13:37.207) many, many decades more in that research and infrastructure build, and the fact that we have to start from the beginning and like the innovative alternative side. we really need to move away from extractive processes and emissions. anytime we burn something in the energy space, that's going to be polluting our atmosphere, chemicals are polluting our soil and water. So Sarah O'Sell (14:5.154) As much as it does, that is true that it does power our world right now, there are other ways. And I think what people need to realize is wherever your job is, you can make a change. Recognize Sarah O'Sell (14:20.484) Like I said in marketing, I identified that data could help advocate for sustainability innovation. Whatever job you have, even HR, you might be hiring people who are inclusive, diverse, they know about sustainability. Even if that isn't the core part of the job description, you can look for them. So you can look at whatever job you have and impact sustainability. It doesn't have to be a sustainability title. Rachael Barclay (14:50.634) I love that. That's a really good tip. And because that's the thing, right? It will take a very large collective to make a difference, being, you know, behind as it were. But I think I I love that. okay, so the title I was thinking for your episode, as I mentioned to you, would be the patient pivot. And and patient is the strange word for it because most b burnout stories are door slamming. Sarah O'Sell (15:0.806) Yes. Rachael Barclay (15:19.084) but yours sounds like you waited instead of slammed doors in your face. So, what were you waiting for? And how did you know the waiting was over? Sarah O'Sell (15:28.790) the patient pivot I would say is several chapters of my career. My job coming out of college, I traveled all over China. I was working for a vendor that Rachael Barclay (15:34.786) Mm. Sarah O'Sell (15:40.551) produce retail products for a lot of major retailers including Starbucks. On the Starbucks side, I saw the best practice in sustainability on the other retailers' side, not Starbucks, I need to be clear about that. I saw child labor, terrible working conditions, and that one was a rage quit. I brought it up and the CEO said that's not our responsibility, get back to work. And so I tried to do a startup. It was too early for that. I then Rachael Barclay (15:52.749) Yeah. Sarah O'Sell (16:10.084) wanted to work, I I was passionate about surfacing supply chain data in order to make sustainability decisions. And I worked my way up through startups eventually to GE. By the time I got to GE, I realized, you know, if you if you truly like you are working on the cutting edge, you are often the most knowledgeable in these areas that you are really mad about. Sarah O'Sell (16:34.724) And so if you're not willing to stick around and collaborate with people in order to make these changes, I'm like I'm you meaning me, like I'm just going to keep running into this wall of organizations doing things that I don't think are ethical or healthy for humans on our planet. And so at GE, it was awesome to have the opportunity to roll that boulder up that hill and prove that sustainability has value. I Rachael Barclay (16:35.758) Mm. Rachael Barclay (16:47.222) Mm. Sarah O'Sell (17:4.700) realize now that that is the data that we created to prove customers wanted this was novel and I'd love to talk to other organizations about how I did that. so I think now I try like I I I have gone through therapy like you know now recognize when you're mad, don't dismiss it, but then channel that into pathways to making change. Rachael Barclay (17:31.170) Mm-hmm. Yeah, opportunity for growth. Yeah. Sarah O'Sell (17:33.019) Yeah. And I I left I guess the end of that question, I left after I had a Sarah O'Sell (17:39.769) stress-cause medical situation and I really just needed to take a break from working for a while and get back to what I'm passionate about. I think sustain it people need to recognize that sustainability leaders have an incredibly hard job and there may come a point where you you just need to stop because you're worn out. So that happened for me. Rachael Barclay (18:2.604) Yeah. Yeah, life will rearrange itself if it needs to, right? Mm-hmm. So this is one of my favorite topics. the AI question, right? So you bridge AI and climate, which most people treat as opposites. I mean, there are people who feel very strongly about AI and don't consider the climate. There are people who feel very strongly about AI. Sarah O'Sell (18:6.468) Yes. Sarah O'Sell (18:17.964) Okay. Rachael Barclay (18:30.071) the climate and data centers and you know, so where, you know, one burns the planet, the other one's trying to save it. How do you hold space for both? Sarah O'Sell (18:40.016) That that's a good question. I have been someone with a foot in both worlds in my life, and it's been interesting seeing how those two sides often fight. I think that AI is a tool, and we can build that tool in certain ways. There are people working to make AI better. Sarah O'Sell (19:7.994) whether that be on the ethical Sarah O'Sell (19:11.824) human side of things or energy consumption and the the people need to recognize you know data centers are have been around for a long time they are a built environment made of materials and they have algorithms that control their compute speeds and they are connected to our grid infrastructure and they use water and all of these things are problems that we can solve Sarah O'Sell (19:40.091) The reason that we are using so much emissions and creating such a such a problem is because the people who are rolling them out are making choices to invest in cheap infrastructure and legacy ways of building. they are not Rachael Barclay (19:55.690) Mm. Sarah O'Sell (20:0.603) Regulated as much as they should be. And we need to make better choices moving forward. And that is partially why I've been working for the past year. And now we've formed a partnership with Microsoft and E8 to have a data center incubator program here at the Co Mission Climate Tech Incubator. So I think that. Rachael Barclay (20:15.736) Mm. Sarah O'Sell (20:24.804) Similar to when I was working in three D printing, a lot of people got mad that, you know, now you could produce guns. it is it is a tool that the people can choose to use in certain ways, and it is a tool that we can choose to build in certain ways, and we need to choose to build and use them better. Rachael Barclay (20:33.826) Mm-hmm. Rachael Barclay (20:47.104) Yeah, I love that. Yeah, it's really much more deeper than than the than the like two-dimensional thing you see. Like they're building in a data center, but what does that mean? And right, it's like an under having a bigger understanding and getting involved is so important. I love that. So so you know, because we've had conversations at length about this, but one of the big things with Vantage is our culture being intentional. Sarah O'Sell (20:59.098) Yeah. Rachael Barclay (21:16.782) ways we are intentional is we lead with what can each member give to or bring to the community before going into like the extractive like extracting something from the community. I call it like the grabby, the grabby taky energy. So for you specifically, what can you give another member just by being who you are? Sarah O'Sell (21:31.802) Yeah. Sarah O'Sell (21:41.405) that's a good question. I try to listen and see people for who they are. I want to know what you care about and your values. And I also really try to be really intentional about connection. Sarah O'Sell (21:59.129) I also really try to think of conversation flows. when you have two people, it can get to that give and take, but if you have three people, then they might be moving between each other. And how can we form like the triangle is the strongest shape? How can we form more triangles and resilient connections? and then also I try to notice, you know, if someone's off in a corner being quiet, maybe go say hi to them and include them in the conversation. Sarah O'Sell (22:29.723) I think I don't help myself as much as I help others. So I guess for people helping me, maybe you can ask me how you can help me. Rachael Barclay (22:41.568) Mm. Yeah. I love that. A lot of times people who are givers never ask for anything. And so I think it's balancing out both sides. Or and sometimes you could be a giver and sometimes you might act in a a taky way, right? But I I totally I get what you're saying. So then we go after we've gone into the give, which we already covered. Sarah O'Sell (22:53.105) Yeah. Rachael Barclay (23:7.554) What about if you could walk up? I mean, you're so connected. So this is a hard question for you. But if I could if you could walk, if I could walk anybody in the city or somebody in Vantage could introduce you to anybody in the city next week, who would it be? And it could be a specific person, it could be funders, policy people. and I don't need to put this part in the public forum, although if it's something, if it's a big get, then it might be helpful. Sarah O'Sell (23:11.960) Yeah. Sarah O'Sell (23:31.131) Yeah. Well, where I am going in my life, I just finished a VC, the VC University course. I'm not I don't come from money and I don't have money, but I'm very good at partnering and helping people spend money in in in ways that can help generate money. I'm looking for connections to VC firms or consulting or business turnaround firms that Sarah O'Sell (24:1.486) Need excellent operators, excellent partnership people. I that's kind of where I would like to grow my career in my life. I really love what I'm doing now, and I am trying to make these programs as strong as possible and help as many businesses as possible, but that's kind of my trajectory. Rachael Barclay (24:23.928) yeah, you are like a true connector. Like I c I often call myself the dot connector, but I'm like, wow, the dots that she's connecting are like impressive. Okay, now into the fun part. Well, this was all fun, but the quick fires. So what is your go-to coffee order or thing you drink in the morning if you're not a coffee drinker, tea? Sarah O'Sell (24:33.356) Yeah. Sarah O'Sell (24:38.171) Yeah. Sarah O'Sell (24:49.454) I just have an Americano with a little bit of milk. but if I'm at a coffee shop, I will order a latte with coconut milk. Rachael Barclay (24:58.134) Hmm. What's your favorite coffee shop in the city? Sarah O'Sell (25:4.114) Ghost Alley Coffee in Pike Place Market. Rachael Barclay (25:9.100) Yes, I live right there. Well, push and tell people where I live. Cut bleep that out. but it's it it's it is like I I lived here for four years and I had gone for the first time like a year ago. I was like, this is like actually really good coffee. Okay, I love coffee as you can tell. what is a book that you always find yourself recommending to people, whether it be reading it or an audio book? Sarah O'Sell (25:13.231) Yeah. Sarah O'Sell (25:23.568) Yes. Sarah O'Sell (25:34.166) there's a book called Bad Data. and it is about there's a long there's multiple books called bad data, but this one is about it's like why we measure the things we do and how to improve. But basically it's about quality and outcomes. Whereas often when we start measuring things, we think of volume, we always want to be doing more, but that can actually cause us to create a lot of waste and energy that Sarah O'Sell (26:2.043) We don't need to be spending. Rachael Barclay (26:5.938) fascinating to add that to my list. This is a little bit self-serving of a question every time I do this interview. Like add that to my list. Okay, and then my last one. The one, what's the one thing about Washington's economy that you change tomorrow if someone handed you the authority? Sarah O'Sell (26:10.161) Yeah. Sarah O'Sell (26:25.278) a lot of companies in the earth so this is actually apparent in the recent economic development report report that came out. We are very reliant on four major companies here, whereas comparable cities and states are more reliant around eighteen to twenty. Rachael Barclay (26:35.864) Mm. Sarah O'Sell (26:41.321) major companies. We really halt early stage and mid stage companies from growing here. I would love to get people like me, and this is why I'm in economic development, but more people like me who are really excellent at creating pathways to growth for businesses because I love it here. I want our economy to thrive. And if these businesses can't grow, we are already seeing a lot of these major corporations leave. So Sarah O'Sell (27:11.135) So we we really need to the mayor of Seattle used the phrase market making and she even said gardening. We need more startup gardeners here and yeah. Rachael Barclay (27:21.100) Hmm. She's took your word. Hmm. I love that. I couldn't I couldn't agree more either. Okay, so if you would like to connect with Sarah and you're a member, you can do so in the app. there it's right now it's only out in the app store, but there are ways on the website to put it, install it as your app, as an app if you're an Android user. Sarah O'Sell (27:24.637) I don't I don't know if she got that word, but Rachael Barclay (27:50.287) and if you're not a member yet, we would love for you to join us and you can connect with Sarah there. so that is the end of our episode. Thank you so much, Sarah. This was so much fun. I've been long awaiting our our advantage voices episode. And I will talk to you later. Sarah O'Sell (27:56.007) Thank you. Sarah O'Sell (28:0.678) Yeah. Sarah O'Sell (28:6.299) Bye. Rachael Barclay (28:8.259) Thank you.