Four Years In: Still Obsessed with the Details (Including Our Stickers)

By Inga Rose, CEO

As Reference Medicine turns four, we’ve found ourselves reflecting—not just on how far we’ve come, but on why we started in the first place.

This milestone marks more than just years on the calendar. It marks four years of building a business grounded in values that came directly from our own lived experience in the lab: frustration, friction, and delays that slowed science instead of speeding it up. We remember being on the receiving end of that. We hated it. So we built something completely different.

What came out of those early whiteboard sessions wasn’t a product catalog—it was a promise. That working with a biospecimen provider should be seamless, efficient, and even—dare we say—delightful. That a shipment shouldn’t just contain what you asked for, but exactly what you need to move your science forward. That the people on the other end of your request actually understand what’s at stake.

That promise became our foundation. And it's still how we operate today.

Built by Scientists, for Scientists

From the start, our mission was clear: get researchers what they need, when they need it, with zero nonsense in between.

That’s why we built a team of highly competent scientists, project managers, and ops leaders who speak your language. When a researcher reaches out with a complex inclusion/exclusion matrix or a unique cohort build, they don’t get a blank stare—they get a tailored plan. We help construct cohorts with the right mix of biospecimen types, annotations, and QC support, so your science doesn’t stall while you're stuck waiting on the right samples.

And if we’re not the right fit for your request? We’ll say so—quickly, clearly, and respectfully. No runaround, no delays. You don’t have time to waste, and neither do we. Our job is to help you move forward, even if that means pointing you somewhere else.

Every touchpoint is designed to move the work forward. Our packaging keeps specimens secure and temperature-controlled—even in unpredictable conditions. Our samples are tightly screened, well-annotated, and selected with care. And our team stands behind every case we ship, no matter the size of the order.

Because quality doesn’t stop at the sample itself—it runs through the entire process.

From Bench Frustration to Branded Delight

We knew early on that excellent logistics and specimens were the baseline. But to truly change the way researchers feel about working with a biospecimen provider, we had to do more.

We wanted people to open our packages and immediately feel that something was different. More considered. More competent. More… fun?

That’s when the idea for stickers first came up. It was never meant to be a gimmick—it was just one small way to make a serious process feel a little more human, a little more joyful. Something unexpected that made you smile without sacrificing quality.

It Started With “Let’s Have a Moment of Science”

Our first sticker said exactly that: “Let’s Have a Moment of Science.” It was nerdy, a little cheeky, and very us.

It didn’t take long for customers to notice—and start asking for more. That one sticker turned into a full-blown series that now includes scientific puns, 90s throwback lyrics, and lab inside jokes, like:

• “I Like Big Blocks and I Cannot Lie”
• “You Down With PPE?”
• “I Like the Way You Pipette (No Diggity)”

These stickers show up on laptops, water bottles, -80s, and yes—on our trade show tables, where scientists swing by just to see what’s new in the collection. People talk about them. They remember them. And when they remember the sticker, they remember us—the team that sent it with the high-quality specimens that actually worked.

That kind of brand recognition isn’t manufactured. It’s earned.

Serious Science, Delivered with Style

Make no mistake: we’re here to support serious science.

Every FFPE block, every plasma tube, every data file we provide is selected to meet the exact needs of researchers pushing the boundaries of diagnostics, biomarkers, and translational discovery. Our clients rely on us to hit timelines, maintain quality, and build custom collections that others often can't or won't. And we do it with speed, transparency, and total ownership.

But adding a sticker—or a clever insert, or a limited-edition t-shirt—doesn’t undermine that mission. It reinforces it. It’s a signal that we’ve thought through every single detail. That we’ve taken the time to care about how this experience feels to our customers, not just what gets delivered on the manifest.

Because delight isn’t fluff. It’s operational excellence made visible.

Culture Shows Up in the Packaging

The stickers were just the start. We now run seasonal merch drops, like our Women in Science t-shirts (designed to look like a Taylor Swift Eras Tour tee) or our “Brain Fuel” insulated tumblers that ship to first-time customers. We’ve even printed custom messages inside the lids of our shipping boxes—because why shouldn’t a biospecimen box come with personality?

These aren’t just marketing plays. They’re signals of our culture. 

Reference Medicine doesn’t try to be something we’re not. We’re the scientists sitting beside our customer on the bench. When you’re side by side on a lab bench with someone, what do you do? You’re making jokes. You’re talking about everyday life. You’re a colleague and partner in more ways than just the work in front of you.

Our stickers and swag reflect that brand identity: not an arms-length provider or a scientist in an ivory tower, but a helpful peer with a sense of humor and a killer taste in throwback tracks.

How Do You Do This at Your Organization? 

As we’ve grown our specimen offerings and sticker collection alike, we’ve learned a few things about harmonizing branding and culture. Here are a few dos and don’ts to keep in mind from our experience:

DO:

• Lead with quality. The product has to speak for itself before branding ever enters the picture.
• Be consistent. Every customer, every order, every time.
• Use delight as a reflection of operational rigor—not a substitute for it.
• Let your culture shine through your brand in small, repeatable ways.

DON’T:

• Add fluff for the sake of trendiness.
• Prioritize clever over competent.
• Forget that your packaging and communication are part of your product, too.
• Cut corners. If you’re going to do it, do it well.
  
  

Four Years In: What We Know for Sure

At Reference Medicine, we’re not just shipping biospecimens—we’re building trust.

That trust is earned every time a researcher opens a box and sees that we got it right. The right tissue. The right packaging. The right data. And yes—a sticker that makes them chuckle at the end of a long day.

Four years ago, we set out to be the biospecimen provider we wished we’d had. Today, we’re proud to be that partner for scientists across the country—and we’re just getting started.

Thanks for being on this ride with us. Here’s to what’s next!

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