TESHA Buss
Tesha Buss
Fletcher Allen Foundation
Career Highlights:
Tesha is the creator and owner of Good Commons, a retreat home in Plymouth, VT—dedicated to themed weekend getaways, vacations, business retreats, weddings and yoga retreats and teacher trainings. She is also the founder and owner of The Good Bus—a fleet of 24 passenger buses for hire for weddings, bachelor/bachelorette parties, day trips, tours, pub crawls and charter in the great northeast. She is a partner in The Good Retreat Company—a company dedicated to creating weekend getaways and events with culinary and educational themes as well as a partner in Uncommonly Good Books—in process: Uncommonly Good---stories of life, food and the birth of Good Commons. She recently purchased The Good Farm dedicated to sustainable agriculture and horse farming. The Goodcompanies have been her adult goals, but her childhood dream came true when she played Rumpleteazer in the Broadway company of Cats.
Community Involvement:
Since moving to Vermont, Tesha has dedicated most of her community service time to being a member of Rotary International in the Ludlow, VT club where she is proud to participate in numerous yearly fundraisers for Black River Good Neighbors, The Rotary Foreign Exchange Program, Shelter Box and Rotary's initial mission, which is to eradicate polio. In NYC, she dedicated her time over 6 years to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids annual fundraisers such as the Gypsy of the Year Competition, The Easter Bonnet Competition and Broadway Bares. She also gave her time to benefits for the Women's Health Initiative and the Christopher Reeves Foundation. Her retreat home, Good Commons, creates a charity partner for every retreat since opening in 2008. The recipients have been: VT Fresh Network, Pete's Greens, Vermont Food Bank, The Food Bank for NYC, The Miracle House, I'm Too Young for This, Vermont Earth Institute, Breast Cancer and Rutland's Amazing Race.
Favorite part of job?
The kitchen is the heart of every home and as a small business owner, I am often there scrubbing pots and pans at the end of each day. I am blessed by many guests who pop in and out to share stories of struggles and triumphs---being cancer free, a news reporter in the Middle East was given a blanket by a soldier when she was turning blue, a mother who just lost her 21 year old daughter and I look just like her.
Most inspiring mentor?
Debra Boudrieau of the Small Business Development Center is my most inspiring mentor. Our meetings force me look at the hard facts of budgets and projections, which gives me the motivation to quickly complete my homework to achieve the numbers I want and need for my growing businesses. She never has a shortage of ideas, collaborators or partnerships.
Who is your living hero?
My parents lost their 4th generation family farm when I was 10. Gone was our land, home, livestock and machinery. They bought a bar and restaurant in a neighboring town and 29 years later they are out of debt, they added a diner to the mix, opened a bowling alley and have 8 rental units. Their tenacity to recover from life’s challenges is extraordinary. Their greatest success is staying married while working beside each other for 43 years.
Favorite downtime activity?
Traveling to Vermont artisans to taste new cheese, salsa, syrups, wine and local brew.
Favorite Vermont Escape?
The vista at White Rocks National Park while headed to the ice beds.
Favorite social network?
Facebook
Favorite website?
Google search engine
Vermont Business Person you would most want to network with?
Pieter Bohen from the Farm & Wilderness Organization.
VBM's Publisher John Boutin, Tesha Buss and Lt. Governor Phil Scott