Spencer Bader’s 32-year career in high-tech manufacturing, marketing and program management has made him one of SCORE’s most in-demand North Bay mentors.
“When I retired I needed something to keep me active and engaged,” he adds. “I’m a natural recluse, but I didn’t want to fall into a hole and close it behind me. I was intrigued by the work being done by SCORE, helping people who want to help themselves, and it’s been very rewarding for me.” Spencer Bader, also a long-time SCORE mentor in the North Bay, first began counseling clients more than 22 years ago. “One of the things that attracted me to SCORE is it’s an activity where I can contribute to the local small-business community and spend as much or as little time as I feel I can. There’s a lot of time flexibility.” His career experience is wide- ranging, including high-tech manufacturing, marketing and program management. SCORE’s North Bay service area includes the counties of Sonoma, Napa, Lake, Mendocino and Humboldt, says Bader. “Basically, we cover northern California to the Oregon border.” The organization once had an office in the federal building in downtown Santa Rosa, but they gave it up, he says, due to strict security requirements which were burdensome to clients, as well as what he describes as “poor parking options.” He says most SCORE mentors consult with clients—those seeking business advice and guidance—face to face in coffee shops or similar settings, or they talk via email, phone or through Zoom sessions. “Chambers of commerce are one source of referrals for sending clients our way, and sometimes the chambers let us use their facilities for meetings, too.”
Reaching out for expert help Bader explains that most clients learn about SCORE through referrals from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which launched SCORE as a nonprofit 60 years ago. “We also have clients who find us through online searches, and also word-of-mouth from friends and family.” When a prospective client reaches out to SCORE, they are assigned to a specific mentor who has the job experience that best matches their goals and ambitions. “In just two years I’ve had sessions with 38 clients,” says Karen Shapiro, who in 2018 sold her share in a company that specialized in retirement plans for small businesses. “I ran marketing and sales for my company and had a lot of contact with financial advisors and business owners. When I sold it, I missed the creative business problem-solving. So being a SCORE mentor has been a great way to keep my brain working. I’m loving it. I keep learning, and every situation is new.” Bader sees about two new clients per month, plus the clients he continues to communicate with. “Some of them I’ve been assisting for more than six years,” he says. “A lot of people are exploring the idea of starting a business, so we have one session. Sometimes they go ahead on their own without our help or they don’t follow through with starting their business. We never tell anyone they shouldn’t start a business, but we try to help them reach that conclusion on their own if they don’t have the resources or the business background to make it successful.”
38 NorthBaybiz
February 2025
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