Sam Trett
Work, play, and lots of spirit. Sam Trett tells how his studies, and more significantly his hobbies, at University led him to becoming a drinks entrepreneur.
| Name |
Sam Trett |
| Degree Course |
MA Hons Spanish, MBA Business Administration |
| Year of Graduation |
2011, 2013 |
Your time at the University
I fell in love with the city of Edinburgh when I visited for an open day. It was a bright sunny day, and having a great academic reputation and good sports facilities it seemed the perfect choice.
By the end of my first degree, MA Hons Spanish, I was proficient in Spanish and had enjoyed a stint in Malaga working on a golf course – sport and play seemed to be a big theme of my Edinburgh career. There was some work too, somewhere, but what really motivated me were my various roles within sport. I set up an Intra-Mural football team in my first week and played and socialised with the hockey club (EUHC) each weekend.
I met the majority of my friends through sport, my hockey ‘induction’ partner went on to become my flat mate, and I am to be his best man at his wedding later this year.
For me sport really brought people together and created long-standing relationships; it provided me with the most memorable moments of my Edinburgh career.
The University of Edinburgh taught me the importance of personal relationships and teamwork and applying those principles has helped me get to where I am today.
Tell us about your Experiences since leaving the University
After graduating, I was fortunate enough to be elected as EUSU (Edinburgh University Sports Union) president, a role with a lot of responsibility that taught me about the real world and this experience led me to enrol in the MBA Business Administration. The MBA provided me with the time to research the opportunity and after having a handful of knock backs from jobs that I wasn’t that keen on, I decided to throw myself in head first into the world of self-employment.
Having furthered my knowledge of business and management I launched my own company in the spirits industry Having formed an incredible team around me, we launched our first product Minus 33, a new type of artisan clear spirit, in April 2015. The experience hasn’t been without its challenges but I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. We are going from strength to strength and a top score from the world’s leading gin blogger and recently being chosen in the top 20 of global spirit innovations of 2015 has really helped us grow. The University of Edinburgh taught me the importance of personal relationships and teamwork and applying those principles has helped me get to where I am today.
Alumni wisdom
Get involved in the organisation of a club or society. Be that in a formal or informal capacity. I wasn’t the best academic but I feel the majority of experiences that have helped me in my career came from what I learned outside the lecture hall. Edinburgh, as a University, has a virtually unlimited amount of extra-curricular activities on offer and thus countless opportunities to learn, grow and develop and crucially build long-standing relationships with your peers.
Finally, enjoy your time, as it’s over too quickly, and once it’s over you’ll miss the freedom you had to spend time with friends whenever you wanted, to volunteer, to learn and the time when your next hand-in was your biggest worry.
Related links
The School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures