Sam Norton
Heron Farms
Charleston, SC USA
"You don't get all the good, fun parts of running a start-up and providing a new product without all of the downsides. The downsides are more frequent but the upsides are more fun and they ultimately win out at the end of the day."
Career Roadmap
Sam's work combines: Environment & Nature, Entrepreneurship, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Political Science and Government, General
College of Charleston
Graduate Degree
Environmental Studies
College of Charleston
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Founder & CEO:
Bachelor's Degree: Political Science and Government, General
Graduate Degree: Environmental Studies
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I grew up on one of the barrier islands outside of Charleston, South Carolina.
2.
I went to college as a political science major.
3.
While studying the political ramifications of climate change, I saw that the big political and social problems of this century are going to play themselves out in the environmental arena.
4.
Realizing that the two dominant environmental problems are excess carbon dioxide and rising sea water levels, I began studying salt-tolerant plants called halophytes.
5.
I continued studying halophytes in graduate school through the environmental studies program.
6.
As a graduate student, I started questioning why underwater agriculture projects would stop working after a few years.
7.
After discovering the main issues preventing those underwater agriculture projects from being successful long-term, I presented an indoor model as a solution.
8.
Using that indoor model, I founded Heron Farms, the world’s first indoor saltwater vertical farm.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
People are relying on me. What if I can't do this? How are we ever going to succeed?
How I responded:
I'm the youngest person on our management team. I have people with ownership in the company raising kids and buying houses—they look to me to make the best decisions for everyone's success. I sometimes feel pressure and self-doubt from that. If a customer drops off, for example, I'll question how we'll get through it. You don't get all of the fun, exciting parts about building a company without all of the downsides. Those downsides may be more frequent, but the upsides make them all worth it.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I fell into some bad habits in my early 20s. I was drinking a lot and doing drugs. I eventually got kicked out of college and had to work as a roofer. Wanting to get back into school and get a better job was my motivator for turning my life around.