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

Hi Betsy, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind my success was surrounding myself with people that could do the things I couldn’t. For instance, a good accountant, a good attorney, and good staff. But it is not only important to surround yourself with these people but to DELEGATE to them. Success does not mean that you need to do all-be all. It means you have to know your skill set and work on that. The success behind my brand was being true to my vision even if it meant (and it often did) being different. When I started my cryobank I knew I was a tiny player in a big industry so I played to that interest. I never became a large corporate, faceless company. I stayed small and in doing so served a population of people that wanted that type of attention when needing our services. This game plan served me well and my reputation reflected that. Being told by my competitors that I wouldn’t last past 8 years or so only fueled me and here I am 31 years later. It is important to stay true to your mission. If you enjoy what you do, the money will follow.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My money making business is CryoGam Colorado located in loveland, CO (I also have a non-profit call Look Both Ways). I started CryoGam 31 years ago. I think what sets me apart from others is that I am the only commercial cryobank in Colorado, and I believe the only female owned cryobank in the US. But that is not the only thing that sets me apart. What makes me really different is that I have not succumbed to corporate medicine. We are a small (probably the smallest) commercial cryobank around. Our prices are lower than national average and we are only a staff of 3 full-time and one part-timer. Anyone who works for me will soon realize that this is a family affair. I want my staff to feel invested in this small, family run company, and I think the only way to do that is to invest in my staff. To work for me means that you will wear a lot of hats. You don’t just get to be a lab technician, or a front office person, or a phlebotomist, or a patient educator. You are all of those things and more. We are all cross-trained so that if someone is gone, the others can carry on. I encourage my staff to continue their education and even offer to pay for it. But working for me is not for everyone. Things can get really intense at times as we are handling people’s DNA. We also are exposed to really sad stories. Kids with cancer storing prior to treatment. Men being deployed and storing in case they don’t come back. But there are really happy stories too. Kids storing prior to transitioning, same-sex couples being able to have a family thru donor sperm, or other third party parenting stories. Or people who stored prior to cancer treatments and now using their samples for family. So it takes a special kind of person to work here as you have to be able to ride the highs and survive the lows. It was not easy making it to the 31 year mark. There were times early on when I did not think we would make it to the next year. But I feel that one of the reasons we are still around is that we don’t just do one thing. Diversity is what has carried us thru. I want the world to know that being a small fish in a big pond is not a bad thing. That success isn’t based on how big you are but how much positive impact the work you do has on society.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Loveland, CO is a wonderful place to live. It is a very artsy town but offers so many other things as well. I would encourage my friend to visit during the first week in August. This is when Sculpture in the Park takes place. This is the largest outdoor juried sculpture show in the country. Quite a big deal for a little city. Once we were done viewing all the sculptures (which could take two days) I would want to treat my guest to locally owned restaurants in old town (downtown) Loveland. We could enjoy anything from fine dining at the local Chop House, to locally brewed beers at one of the many micro breweries around town. The newly finished Foundry houses restaurants of all tastes and often has live music at night on the weekends. Because of Loveland’s location, it would be a quick trip up the canyon to visit a wonderful mountain town called Estes Park. Estes sits at the base of Rocky Mountain National Forest. There we could indulge in more shopping, great food and of course a beautiful drive combined with a fantastic hike or two as well. It wouldn’t be a trip to Estes without driving over Trail Ridge Road. This mountain pass is not for the faint of heart, but its views are spectacular. I so enjoy living in Loveland. It is truly the heart of northern Colorado.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband deserves a huge shout out. There is absolutely no way I could have done what I did if he didn’t do what he did. We definitely were a team. He was my sounding board, voice of reason, and shoulder to lean on. He supported me going back to school to get my doctorate while knowing most of the child care, house running, and overall domestic duties would fall to him. And then after that he never wavered from those responsibilities while I worked to build the business. He did this while having an at home business of his own.

Website: www.cryogam.com and www.lookbothways.us

Instagram: cryogamcolorado and lookbothwaysinc

Twitter: info@cryogam.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cryogam and https://www.facebook.com/LookBothWaysInc

Youtube: look both ways for reproductive health

Other: Podbean podcast: It’s Not Human Sexuality https://lkbthwys.podbean.com/ Or where ever you stream.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado 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.