Betsy Cairo says her job is often a conversation stopper. She does own a sperm bank, after all.

Believe or not, some people even get offended, but that doesn’t bother her. She loves her job.

As long as she can remember, Cairo has been interested in reproduction. The 45-year-old Loveland woman studied animal science and reproduction in college, but never in her wildest dreams did she think she would one day own a human sperm bank. In 1990, she founded CryoGam Colorado and 16 years later, the business is still going strong.

“I think in this country we are so uptight about sexuality and its teachings, I think people immediately equate what I do with sex and that makes them uncomfortable,” she said.

Name: Betsy Cairo, 45
Company: CryoGam Colorado, LLC
Title, Director and Founder
How long have you worked there: 16 years (founded CryoGam in 1990)

1. What is it about this job that makes it challenging? Makes you get out of bed in the morning?
“I think it depends how you define challenge, so If challenge is something that is exasperating or sometimes stressful, then I would say all aspects of the job can be that way. If you think that challenging is finding donors or getting an order out on time then that can be challenging, but it’s all rewarding. I think knowing you make a difference in people’s lives whether it’s somebody storing because they are looking at chemotherapy or surgery and end up having a family later on in life or helping a couple become a family in other aspects.”

2. Things that impress you? Things that don’t.
“Arrogance never impresses me. You can see arrogance with colleagues around the country. I don’t really see arrogance with our donors or our clients. Arrogance never impresses me. Sincerity always does, probably because you don’t see it a lot.”

3. How do young/new employees get ahead?
“Well, we are a very small company so in regard to this company its not a function of getting ahead. It’s just a function of learning and becoming more valuable and that’s just a function of time and experience. But it takes a special type of person to be able to work here because of the nature of the business. We are dealing with people’s reproductive future. Often times we are dealing with really emotional situations.”

4. Did you ever think in a million years you’d work here?
“No, I never thought I’d own a human sperm bank. ”

5. If you weren’t doing this, what would you do?
“Well, I also teach full time at UNC so I would probably do that. I think because I started out in the animal industry I probably would have stayed in that arena but, at the time I stepped into the human industry it was just in the beginnings of expanding and taking off. Really the human industry was way behind in research because they aren’t allowed to research as well. Bringing the animal science background in was very beneficial and it seemed it was a pretty easy move.”

6. What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done while at work? Smartest?
“I don’t know I’d have to think about that. I think one of the smarter things I ever did was surround myself with good people, consultants, people I work with, good lawyer, good accountant, good staff, good medical director.”

7. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever done to make money?
“I don’t know what would be unusual. I never sold plasma. Obviously, I never sold sperm. I don’t know. I’ve always been career oriented so I never really had unusual jobs. I can’t think of anything unless working in restaurants is unusual.”

8. Any interesting anecdotes?
“My dad always told me the people you step on climbing the ladder are the same people you step on coming down, so I have always tried to be humble in that regard, I guess. I believe in just always doing the right thing and I think everything happens for a reason.”

9. What’s the one thing you wish you could do on the job that you can’t right now?
“I would probably like to do more consulting. It’s interesting to go into other people’s situations and help them do things better.”

10. What do you do during your breaks?
“We don’t really have breaks, but if I do take a break I either chat with staff or read a magazine, something typically very light and meaningless, like People. I’m sure they would be offended by that.”

“We try not to too many things seriously here. We definitely behave professionally but try not to let the work become us. It’s not what defines you. Everything can’t be science. Maintaining a sense of humor is always beneficial.”

11. What’s one thing about your job you would do, even if you weren’t paid to do it?
“Probably talk to the patients, patient education, because I think education is the key to unlocking a lot of issues, and I like doing that. I think it is important that people understand what they are doing, why they are doing it and what’s involved.”

12. Name one thing in your life that really prepared you for your job.
“Having kids because, for me, it put value on what I do because I understand for me how fulfilling that was on that side of it and then on the other side of it if my kids or if my son needed a place like this to store sperm prior to chemotherapy or something like that, then I would want it to be as good as this.”

13. What’s the biggest payoff in your job?
“Knowing you made a difference.”

14. Are you the boss? Do you think you should be?
Yes

15. What do you do when you’re not at work?
“I like to golf. I am very outdoorsy. I like to read. I enjoy a good meal. Traveling, traveling is right up there.”

16. Pets? Family?
“We have a rat terrier and her name is Remy.”
“I’ve been married for 21 years.” (Has two kids one 19-year-old girl and one 16-year-old boy.)

17. Favorite TV shows. Movies. Books.
“Law and Order. I prefer the original series, although I don’t like Criminal Intent. I like the Medium and I like The Closer. My all time favorite movie is All That Jazz. I like the Harry Potter series and then I read non-fiction as well.”

18. What Web sites do you have bookmarked?
“A lot. Other university Web sites, shopping sites like overstock.com and then of course laboratory equipment stuff like that, laboratory supply Web sites, FDA.”

19. Where do you play?
“I play typically outside, golfing, hunting hiking or diving. Something outside.”
Go out to eat?
“Any place as long as the atmosphere is conducive to good conversation. I don’t like loud places.”

20. Favorite spot?
“I like to go to my parents’ cabin. It’s in southern Colorado.”

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