Gary Gottdiener – Wild Business Growth Podcast #262: The Sample Group

Happy Thanksgiving! That means it’s time for the 6th Annual Thanksgiving Family Special of the Wild Business Growth Podcast. This time, I was honored to sit down with father-in-law, Gary Gottdiener, the Founder and President of The Sample Group. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

• Episode Summary & Player
• Full Transcript
• Show Notes
• Wild Business Growth Podcast Summary

Episode 262: Gary Gottdiener – The Sample Group

Gary Gottdiener, the Founder and President of The Sample Group and the best father-in-law of all time, joins the show for a very special family edition during Thanksgiving week to be interviewed by his son-in-law, Max Branstetter. Hear how to navigate the ups and downs as an entrepreneur, provide excellent customer service, manage a busy travel schedule for work, get good at multiple sports at once, and the Gary Gottdiener Signature Collection. This episode covers everything from windows to pickleball. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• What was the highlight of the wedding for Gary
• How did he decide to pivot to the business world
• When did he realize he wanted to start his own business
• How did he start winning clients with The Sample Group
• Did he ever think The Sample Group would grow and last over multiple decades
• How do you stay connected to your family when traveling for work
• Star Trek
• Macallan 18

Connect with Gary at TheSampleGroup.com.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Wedding Recap
  • [0:33] Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:47] Connect with Gary at TheSampleGroup.com
  • [2:43] Heineken Light
  • [3:12] Dana Branstetter – Wild Business Growth Podcast #213: Wedding Recap
  • [3:31] What was the highlight of the wedding for Gary
  • [4:22] The Facepage
  • [4:38] Addison Reserve
  • [4:38] Palm Beach County (PBC)
  • [5:30] University of Rochester aka Rochacha
  • [5:44] What did Gary want to be when he grew up
  • [6:12] What excited him about dentistry as a career path
  • [6:36] What turned him away about Biology class
  • [7:13] How did Gary decide to pivot to the business world
  • [7:46] Economy Color Card
  • [7:54] Recession
  • [8:32] quid pro quo
  • [8:55] What was Steve’s textile business
  • [9:34] What did Gary do at Economy Color Card
  • [9:45] Fashion Avenue aka 7th Avenue
  • [10:11] Cold Calling
  • [10:42] What did Gary learn from that part of his career
  • [10:47] Cold Canvassing
  • [11:38] How much did Gary role’s change over time at that company
  • [12:24] What are Levolors
  • [12:31] Kleenex

• The Sample Group Story
  • [12:54] When did Gary realize he wanted to start his own business
  • [13:53] Monopoly
  • [14:18] Shoutout, Pat Manente!
  • [14:32] Shoutout, Steve Gottdiener!
  • [14:42] Asheville, NC
  • [15:16] Where did the name The Sample Group come from
  • [16:12] Groucho Glasses
  • [16:15] How did Gary start winning clients with The Sample Group
  • [17:12] What are the biggest products and sectors for the company
  • [18:11] What clients does he work with
  • [18:24] Hunter Douglas, Armstrong
  • [18:55] IP (Intellectual Property), Trade Secrets, Patents
  • [19:13] How do you manufacture so many different materials
  • [20:00] When did Gary realize it was a successful business
  • [21:05] How do you navigate ups and downs as an entrepreneur
  • [21:44] Geez, Max
  • [21:50] How do you decide roles with your business partner
  • [23:22] Did Gary ever think The Sample Group would grow and last over multiple decades
  • [24:12] What’s led to the company’s growth over the years
  • [26:24] How do you provide excellent customer service
  • [27:03] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23
  • [27:06] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
• Inspiration & Creativity
  • [27:47] How do you manage a busy travel schedule for work
  • [28:10] Wall Street
  • [28:58] How do you stay connected to your family when traveling for work
  • [29:09] FaceTime
  • [29:39] Technology (Tech)
  • [29:45] Zoom
  • [30:22] LinkedIn, Super Commuting
  • [31:26] Google Maps
  • [31:41] Shoutout, my dad Greg!
  • [31:58] Walmart
  • [32:04] Waze
  • [32:37] What are Gary’s top travel tips
  • [32:53] Asheville Airport (AVL)
  • [33:28] United Airlines
  • [34:21] What does Gary love so much about playing sports
  • [36:08] How do you get good at multiple sports
  • [36:22] Bazinga
  • [37:18] What inspired Gary to become a Board Member
  • [37:51] Now he loves it!
  • [38:38] Not the tuna!

• The Unusual
  • [39:37] Peter Griffin
  • [39:38] What’s Gary’s biggest pet peeve
  • [39:44] OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)
  • [40:04] What’s a quirk Gary has
  • [40:22] What’s a Weird Talent he has
  • [40:58] Sorry, Sheryl!
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [42:03] Macallan, 1942, Woodford Reserve
  • [42:38] Shoutout, Gary’s Smoked Old Fashioneds!
  • [43:22] Star Trek
  • [43:48] William Shatner, Captain Kirk
  • [44:07] Tiger Woods, The Masters
  • [44:57] Macallan 12, Macallan 18
  • [45:32] What’s Gary’s favorite memory from those winters in Vermont
  • [45:38] National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
  • [46:21] Shoutout, Dana & Emmy!
  • [47:07] Connect with Gary at TheSampleGroup.com
  • [47:30] What are Gary’s Final Thoughts
  • [48:15] Shoutout, Steve & Pat!
  • [48:51] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
  • [49:05] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [49:07] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and LinkedIn @MaxBranstetter
  • [49:10] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [49:15] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

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Thanks for listening to Gary Gottdiener on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a family member about it. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!