The Stroh File
Brad Stroh
Co-founder and CEO
Bills.com
Born: Chicago
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College; MBA from Stanford University
What was your first job?
I was a caddy. Until you turned 16 in my town, you couldn’t get a paycheck. So I caddied. Then, I had my own lawn mower business. I also scooped ice cream at the age of 16.
What sports did you play growing up?
I played everything, but the sport I excelled at was lacrosse. I went to Amherst College in Massachusetts and I was the captain of my lacrosse team. I would say I learned as much about leading a company as captain of lacrosse team as I did in two years of business school at Stanford. I also played basketball, football and soccer. In high school, I played three sports.
What do you do to regroup on a tough day?
I like to write creatively. I actually wrote a novel called ‘The Dharma King’… about the search for the Panchen Lama, a Tibetan Lama. For me, that’s a great creative outlet, which is very different than my day job. I like to work out. When you push yourself athletically, a lot of times you have these cathartic moments when your stress just sort of breaks, and you get clarity in a decision. And I really love going for walks with my kids. We kind of live out in the woods. I try to do it nightly.
