‍

Introducing Marie Chevrier Schwartz 

Entrepreneurship often comes with a singular narrative: hustle, succeed, and never look back. 

But what happens when the chapter closes on a company you've built from the ground up?

In this episode of The Moment, we sat down with Marie Chevrier Schwartz – someone who’s experienced this scenario firsthand. She’s a seasoned entrepreneur and the former founder and CEO of Sampler. 

Sampler was a leader in retail tech that worked with companies like L'Oreal and Kroger to digitize their product sampling strategies. During its 10 years in business, the company provided over 4.5 million people with personalized product experiences – all from the comfort of their own homes.

Since Sampler’s sunset in 2024, Marie has stepped into her new role as the CEO in residence at TechTO, managing a community of 60,000 builders across Canada.

‍

Memorable moments from our conversation

How to approach failure

One of the standout moments from our conversation with Marie was her candid reflection on publicly announcing her company's bankruptcy on LinkedIn. After filing for bankruptcy two months earlier, she wrestled with the decision to go public. What drove her to finally "rip off the social media bandage" was a combination of responsibility and practicality.

"The night before I posted that, an article went out on Betakit," she shared. "I was asked to provide comment, and I knew that the story wouldn't be the raw version I wanted to tell.”

For Marie, sharing her failure wasn't just about personal closure — it was about setting an example in a world where entrepreneurs often avoid talking about setbacks.

"When I was going through this, I had no example of what it meant to fail. And I remembered how I had no example of being a woman in tech 10 years ago when I was starting. I felt a huge sense of responsibility to just be real about it."

By sharing her story authentically, Marie hoped to shift the entrepreneurial narrative around failure. "One of the biggest wastes of talent we can have is all the months entrepreneurs spend being afraid to say they failed," she emphasized. "If we can master the rebound, ​​we’ll be faster at coming back and making it better than the first.”

Marie’s courage to speak about Sampler’s sunset candidly, in her own words, stands as an inspiring testament to the resilience and the power of owning your own story. She hopes her honest approach will encourage others to embrace their failures, learn from them, and move forward stronger.

Every setback is a setup for a better comeback

Marie’s perspective on resilience and navigating failure can be summed up in a few words: "Every setback is a setup for a better comeback." As she reflected on winding down Sampler, it was clear that this mindset carried her through one of the most challenging periods of her life – both personally and professionally.

"The thing I can take away from the journey of Sampler is that I truly did everything I possibly could," she shared. "I knew I would only have peace of mind if I opened up every single door, if I did everything I possibly could."

The pandemic initially propelled Sampler’s growth as brands sought new ways to get products into consumers' hands. But that success was short-lived. "When the pandemic ended, we all got hit by the supply chain crisis," she explained. "Shipping costs increased by 200%, and we completely lost product-market fit nine years into the business."

As if the business challenges weren’t enough, Marie faced intense personal stress as well. "I was six months pregnant after having two miscarriages. Every day I was worried about the little human growing in my belly and thinking about how to keep the company and all these amazing employees and partners afloat."

But when the time came to let go, she knew she was ready. "I was like, I’m good. It’s time. I deserve to give up."

Marie’s story is a powerful reminder that true resilience isn’t about a continuous grind — it's about knowing when you've given your all and having the courage to move forward with lessons that set you up for your next chapter.

‍Mitigating founder burnout 

As Marie reflected on her journey as the founder of Sampler, she described a pivotal shift from the hustle culture that dominates entrepreneurship to a more balanced and intentional approach. "One of the most important traits of an entrepreneur is them being happy," she emphasized. "A happy leader is a better leader. I will stand by that."

Marie’s realization came from a conscious investment in things she loves – particularly her personal life. "For me, it's my family, my two small children, and my husband. Focusing on them made me a better leader." One of the key changes she embraced was setting boundaries and learning to say no: "We need to give ourselves permission," she added.

Marie also touched on the importance of leading by example to foster a healthy company culture. "In the early days, I was hiring people who were in the same stage of life as me — friends and friends of friends, all early in their careers. But when I started hiring people with families, I realized if I didn’t showcase balance, my team would think that’s not something we foster here. I won’t attract great talent, or I’ll create a false picture."

Her story serves as a reminder that success and sustainability as a founder come from balance, boundaries, and a commitment to leading with authenticity.

‍

Listen to “When One Door Shuts: The Story Behind Closing Sampler with CEO Marie Chevrier Schwartz”

To learn more about Marie and her founder’s journey, dive into the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.