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Baby Got Backstory is the ultimate insider’s guide to business storytelling, brand storytelling, messaging, and communications for entrepreneurs, visionary leaders, and progressive businesses of all sizes. We ask inspiring creators, entrepreneurs, and storytellers to share their backstory by answering the questions: “Who am I? How did I get here? And Where am I going? Listeners will not only hear the story behind the story of our guests but understand how their own story and backstory have shaped who they have become. Your host, Marc Gutman, is a story nerd. He’s served as Story Editor for Oliver Stone’s Illusion Entertainment, and written stories and screenplays for Oliver Stone, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox. In addition to his time in Hollywood, Marc scratched the entrepreneurial itch by founding a multimillion-dollar tech company in Boulder, Colorado. Today, Marc focuses his ene...
Episodes
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
BGBS Episode 013: Business as an Agent to Make Positive Change
Have you ever thought much about breastfeeding? If you’re a woman and have given or plan to give birth, then you probably care deeply about it. Ironically, men used to be the ones making decisions about all sorts of products that women use, including breastfeeding and nursing pads. Millions of mothers who nurse their babies experience some unpleasant realities, including breast milk leaking and soaking their attire. It’s not only embarrassing, but inconvenient. Years ago, breast pads were invented to address this kind of situation, but they were far from being effective. Among new mothers, a lack of breastfeeding products generated anger and frustration, as well as feelings of being overlooked and ignored. So, Kerry Gilmartin took matters into her own hands and conceived Bamboobies.
You’ll Learn…
- Kerry grew up in a family of entrepreneurs and was encouraged to be different
- She’d always been a busy-body and curious; involved in everything – nothing she didn’t want to do to follow her passions
- Mentors sparked interest in entrepreneurial businesses that made an eco impact
- Kerry discovered how business could create positive change; all companies, whether non-profit or not, should try to make a difference
- Instead of playing golf the last semester of college, Kerry started a business
- Listen to your instincts and align with your passions in business; failure is terrible, but a great learning experience and part of the process
- Commercial products world wasn’t taking care of new, vulnerable moms
- Breastfeeding used to be a hush-hush topic; nothing new that’s now trendy
- Kerry was unstoppable with Bamboobies; knew she had a great idea, could make a better product, and market needed it
- Drive to do something due to knowing the difference between right and wrong
- Titty Committee: Persistence, help, and support from other moms created a sustainable and scalable business with social and environmental benefits
- Kerry birthed and nurtured an idea, and then sent it off into the world; but it was a purpose and passion in her life that was really difficult to give up
Resources
Why Google Won’t Throw Away Its Data Center Gear
Quotes from Kerry Gilmartin:
“When you’re the entrepreneur…the buck stops with you.”
“I just followed my passions all the time.”
“It was a fascinating introduction to me for how business could actually create positive change.”
“Failure was a terrible lesson. I see it in hindsight now as having been a great learning experience and all a part of the learning process.”
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
BGBS Episode 012: Take Three Deep Breaths and Go For It!
Ross Powers was a kid from a small town in Vermont who dared to dream big and defy the odds. As a result, at 19 years old, he won the first U.S. medal in snowboarding. Ross may appear humble and soft spoken, but when he has a snowboard under his feet, he’s a stone-cold competitor and sets the standard for what it means to be a pro.
You’ll Learn…
- In 1998, before Ross dropped into the halfpipe, he envisioned a perfect run; he tried not to overthink it before he took three, deep breaths and decided to go for it
- How making history affected his life – wherever he went, people wanted to chat
- Ross will never forget when he received his first snowboard as a Christmas gift from his mother in 1987-88
- Painting the picture of popularity of snowboarding – Ross basically grew up with the sport; few snowboarders at first to bond and ride with, which created a culture
- Ross joined a training program to improve his skills and participate in events
- Love what you do; Ross made a commitment, worked hard, pushed himself, made the team, made some money, travelled, and experienced success
- Practice and preparation it takes to perform at the Olympic level
- Going pro involves freebies, big money, endorsement deals, and making a living
- Olympics: Despite being there to “work,” take time to enjoy the whole experience
- Push yourself, if you want to be the best you can and keep improving
- Aftermath of winning a gold medal included celebrating with family/friends and perks like going to the Daytona 500 and being on the David Letterman Show
- Ross learned what to expect and how to handle being in the spotlight; be positive and work hard because everyone is watching
- Ross now works as a coach at Stratton Mountain School and started the Ross Powers Foundation to help others
Resources
Quotes from Ross Powers:
“I actually didn’t realize how big the Olympics were until I got home…couldn’t even go to the grocery store.”
“I just kind of grew up with the sport. An adventurous ride with always something new popping up and something to challenge me.”
“I always think to try to push it harder, if you want to be the best you can and always keep improving.”
Tuesday Nov 27, 2018
Tuesday Nov 27, 2018
BGBS Episode 011: What Will It Cost You to Be Successful?
In the late 1990s, Aaron Houghton was one of those kids who had an interest in computers and a new phenomenon known as the World Wide Web. When he was 17 years old, he turned his solution for emailing bed-and-breakfast guests into a $180-million-dollar email marketing powerhouse. Eventually, Aaron sold his company, iContact. Despite such success and being at the top of his career, Aaron’s world came crashing down. He discovered the importance of self care and not losing sight of what’s really important. After all, if we don’t take care of ourselves and loved ones, then we won’t be around to share our successes. So, Aaron started to question what made him truly happy. What makes you happy? Make your own list!
You’ll Learn…
- Aaron’s entrepreneurial spirit comes from desire to explore and be adventurous
- Learn to communicate the value of what you do
- Lack of confidence caused Aaron to consider himself less competent than others
- Aaron created a solution that people were willing to pay for to solve a problem
- Don’t scale bad problems, but scale brand names
- What is the economic engine that can grow your business?
- Keep feeding the beast and maintain cash efficiency
- Running a business isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, it’s a lot of hard work
- Improve skills to avoid feeling intimidated, insignificant, and overwhelmed
- Solution to being stressed out was to work harder and do everything at once
- Metastatic thyroid cancer diagnosis forced Aaron to take time off/work less
- Focus on the right priority and gain perspective – nothing else matters
- Aaron made tons of money, but decided to keep working and became stressed out, again; stress comes with rewards and is addictive
- Aaron blamed his business for his stress; turns out that traits and characteristics he adopted didn’t go away – takes time to break bad habits
- What it costs to be successful: Time, physical health, mental health, and money
- What makes Aaron happy? Simple things that he hadn’t done for years – “I’m happy to be the new me!”
Resources
Telecommunications Act of 1996
Quotes from Aaron Houghton:
“My dad must have planted a seed in my head at some point that this might be a better way to make money than mowing lawns.”
“I don’t think I had the confidence to think that I could…out solve everybody else.”
“I just felt like the wheels were falling off this thing. It wasn’t the business…it was me. I was just so in over my head.”
“Like a lot of entrepreneurs, when I felt the stress coming on, my solution was to work harder.”
Tuesday Nov 13, 2018
Tuesday Nov 13, 2018
BGBS Episode 010: Hardwired to Stop and Make Things Better
Chris Warner is a quattro threat – mountain adventurer, leader, entrepreneur, and all-around great dude. He sketched out a business on toilet paper and ended up building the nation’s largest indoor climbing gym company – Earth Treks. It’s where people challenge themselves and love what they are doing – just like Chris. His mountaineering philosophy focuses on teamwork and looking out for partners. Coming home safe and alive is always more important than summiting. Chris’s live-and-breathe fascination with building teams has turned him into a student of leadership and leadership teacher for teams that face challenges where failure is not an option!
You’ll Learn…
- Chris was an avid reader as a kid and got hooked on the romanticism of being outdoors – fishing, hiking, rock climbing, etc.
- Outdoor guides dragged him into the woods as a form of scared-straight punishment, but he loved it and went from being a troublemaker to a leader
- Discovered he could have a career in the outdoors and give people of all ages life-enriching experiences to discover their potential
- Chris studied outdoor education, but found it to be a waste of time; you do outdoor education, you don’t study it
- Determination/resilience caused him to combine college, climbing, and curiosity
- Chris has a history of seeking out and finding opportunities to help and guide others to make things better (altruism vs. heroism)
- Mountaineering: Quantity, quality, difficulty mattered over taking the easy route
- Chris uses his brain over brawn to solve problems and survive falls
- Being the best version of yourself is addictive because it’s empowering and humbling to help others
- Tunnel Vision on Everest/K2: Chris was horrified when other climbers abandoned their partners or stepped over dying/dead climbers to selfishly make the summit
- Taking personal and professional risks because of people pushing you
- Power of teams focuses more on family and relationships than business; business is there to serve employees, and charity begins at home
- People will forgive you, if you are nice
Resources
High Altitude Leadership: What the World’s Most Forbidding Peaks Teach Us About Success
Chris Warner’s 2002 K2 Expedition
Quotes from Chris Warner:
“The best way for people to find themselves was to first get lost.”
“I just want to spend my life out in the woods, doing cool adventures.”
“I am just so curious about the world.”
“You stop and help when you think you can make things better.”
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
BGBS Episode 009: Manifesting a Shared Vision of Anarchy, Philosophy, Beliefs, Pastrami, and Social Good
We all have our own thoughts, beliefs, and problems. But it’s how we handle them that makes a difference in the world. Everyone should be able to pursue the life of their dreams. And, everyone should be treated as an intelligent, creative human being. It’s about having respect for one another. That’s how Ari Weinzweig turned Zingerman’s into a $70-million-dollar, socially conscious business community.
You’ll Learn…
- As a child, Ari wasn’t thinking about food and business; he was dealing with his parents’ divorce and remarriages
- Moved from Chicago to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan and study Russian history focused on the anarchists
- Started as a dishwasher and almost 40 years later is still working with some of the same people who have the same vision and have come to love each other
- Make choices about partnerships, problems, and positives; communicate constructively to resolve conflict
- Learning that most of the world does not function through love and understanding, despite what you were told or shown as a child
- Beliefs are not genetic, but learned; all of us have beliefs and take action based on them; when you change what you believe, you see things differently
- Break Beliefs: Acknowledge that an issue exists, identify your belief and where it came from, and decide whether you want to change it or not
- Studied anarchy because of his fascination with real people’s stories regarding freedom and free thinking – a positive belief in human beings
- Understand imperfection is normal and natural; minimize problems and outweigh them through positivity
- People thought he was going to fail when he opened the business, which is true of any meaningful work; such fear and concern has never left him
- Customers want to feel good and be treated well, so Zingerman’s makes food fun and creates an experience by knowing its strengths and weaknesses
- Enjoy life, work hard, and share what you have with those who don’t
- Free Choice: Choosing not to go is different than not being allowed to go
Resources
Zingerman’s Community of Business
Ari Weinzweig’s Articles in The Atlantic
12 laws of building a great company from one of America’s most innovative small-business owners
Ari Weinzweig: The 12 Natural Laws of Business
Transformed by Judith and Bob Wright
Wednesday Oct 31, 2018
Wednesday Oct 31, 2018
BGBS Episode 008: Writing Hollywood Blockbuster Movies by Osmosis
Do you like movies? Have you seen Osmosis Jones, The Avengers, Antz, or Ready Player One? Well, today’s guests, Marc Hyman and Zak Penn, are not only well-known Hollywood screenwriters, but friends who have shaped my life and of course my view on story. So, I’m glad you’re listening as we stroll down Memory Lane to share their backstory about stories they write that resonate with millions of people.
You’ll Learn…
- Becoming writers at a young age and their first breaks in the movie business
- Write something different or offbeat; if it doesn’t get made, it’s far from a failure, but often the key to a career
- How Hollywood and movies have changed; now watched on small screens and mostly limited to superheroes, so it’s difficult to be a feature film screenwriter
- Hunger for Story: People like watching well-told stories
- Differences between watching a movie in a theater with a community vs. a small screen that offers instant access and intimate setting
- Most common mistakes made with storytelling include not having a full story; the ending is the most important part
- Why are there bad movies? It’s hard to make things good due to collaboration
- Animated movies are usually better than live action movies because of the way they’re made – workshopped
- Rhythm of a story and storyboarding identifies what works and what doesn’t
- Backstory is a reflection of story; it may reveal character/story development by making up a character’s actions, motivation, psychological baggage, and flaws
- Some of the best movies ever made use backstory to keep you on your toes and add complexity to the story and characters
- Have gratitude, help others and effect them in a positive way, and remind yourself that you have nothing to complain about
- Failure early in your career can help you to learn what’s good and to look back on it fondly
- Whenever you make something good, it comes back to you
Resources
Quotes:
“Writing something that’s offbeat and doesn’t get made, it’s far from a failure. It’s often the key to a career.”- Zak Penn
“Hunger for Story: People like watching stories. They just like a good story well told.” – Zak Penn
“Backstory is the motivation of character because we live in a world where Hollywood believes that it’s nurture.” – Marc Hyman
“Whenever you make something good, it does come back to you.” – Zak Penn
Wednesday Oct 24, 2018
Wednesday Oct 24, 2018
BGBS Episode 007: Living Joyously As a Tadpole
What do goosebumps, surfing, Pink Floyd, and sheep have to do with building a billion-dollar brand? Well, for UGG boots, just about everything! You see them everywhere – the beach, mountains, cities – wherever there are chilly feet. The fashionable and functional UGG brand was founded by 70-year-old Brian Smith, who has a youthful spirit and infinite wisdom. Brian’s success in building a brand is a mix of philosophy, mysticism, business acumen, and emotion.
You’ll Learn…
- Growing up in Australia, Brian was into surfing and sports, not shoes; never thought he was going to be an entrepreneur
- Brian’s tenacity to never give up on things; he was good at a lot of things, but not the best at anything
- Power of Song Lyrics: Motivation to get up and do something
- One time after surfing, Brian put on his sheepskin boots from Australia and realized that they should be the “next big thing” in America
- You can’t give birth to adults; every new business has to go through stages: Conception, birth, infancy, youth, teenager, and maturity
- Send the right image to your target audience; make customers want something
- Quit or Not Quit: Took years to earn just a small salary from the business
- Overcoming his fear of sales and rejection; realized they weren’t rejecting him
- Dreams going down the drain that led to blessings; enjoying what you do, not working hard, making lots of money, and having fun
- The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live every day happily
- Goosebumps: A decision that’s in alignment with what you’re supposed to do gives you a spark of spirituality to let you know you’re on the right track
- Have faith and take action, even if you don’t know where you’re going; don’t give up when desperate
- Sometimes staying in the game is more important than dominating the game to ultimately be successful
Resources
Quotes by Brian Smith:
“One thing that I had when I was a kid that sort of led to why I became what I did, is that tenacity to never give up on things.”
“I was never interested in dropping everything else. I was really good at lots of things, but not the best at any.”
“You can’t give birth to adults.”
“The fear of rejection was really, really very strong with me.”
Wednesday Oct 17, 2018
Wednesday Oct 17, 2018
BGBS Episode 006: Stoked! From Kitebro to Electric Vehicle CEO
Dynamic, charismatic, intelligent, passionate, storyteller, athlete, leader, and futurist are words that describe Ryan Evans of Inboard Technology. It’s a transportation company that strives to have fewer cars on the road and replace them with short-range, electric vehicles. Ryan and his partner, Theo, are two passionate action sports athletes looking to redefine electric vehicles and urban transportation by offering an e-transportation suite of innovative, safe, and fun vehicles.
You’ll Learn…
- Marc’s first memory of Ryan: Kiteboarding in the middle of the Pamlico Sound where it’s raining and windy; Ryan is screaming, “Yeah… Gutmaaaaan!”
- As a kid, if Ryan had a robot that broke, he would open it and find the electronics; Theo would open it, figure out how it worked, rebuild it, and make it better
- Theo was an early influence on Ryan; support from mentors and others made a difference in Ryan’s pursuit
- Most entrepreneurs don’t realize how complex and challenging something will be; you need to have drive and passion because you can’t fake it
- How Inbound went from being in a dusty garage to actual office space with carpeting and adding locations in Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles
- A consistent feeling of being overwhelmed and not knowing what he was doing made Ryan realize that he needed to embrace opportunities and risks to grow
- Inboard’s future involves making its products better, beautiful, safer, and easy to use to empower riders
- Concept of Freedom: Ryan has always had a thirst for living life to its fullest
- Create value in this world by improving the lives of the people around you; have a vision to build a community, inspire people, be a leader, and have fun
Resources
Pure Action Sports Best Kiteboarding
Quotes:
“You just knew he was destined for bigger things.” – Marc Gutman
“Naivete. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.” – Ryan Evans
“I think for a lot of entrepreneurs, you don’t have any idea how complex, how challenging it’s going to be. You’ve got to have that drive and that passion.” – Ryan Evans
“Our goal was…we want to give this freedom to everybody. That was always in our DNA.” – Ryan Evans
Tuesday Oct 09, 2018
Tuesday Oct 09, 2018
BGBS Episode 005: Laughing At Business
Matt Kazam is a headlining comedian in Las Vegas. With 29 years of experience, he has performed more than 6,000 shows in 42 states and seven countries. Matt founded They Laugh You Win which leverages his experience and the power of humor to provide the highest level of corporate entertainment, innovative and entertaining training programs, and face-to-face marketing content. Matt’s energetic style, witty observations, and unassuming charm are the driving forces behind his unique and hilarious comedy and learning events. Through humor, Matt has taught thousands of people and helped hundreds of companies accomplish their goals. After all, we all like to laugh, even at work, because it feels good.
You’ll Learn…
- Matt was introduced to comedy while still in the womb; began performing for family and friends at 3 years old and started making money from it at age 6
- Humor in business – not about your sense of humor, but understanding how to make others laugh; think about your audience first and yourself second
- Can maintain your core essence and be authentic, even if you tweak your routine for the audience to increase engagement, build trust, and make a connection
- As a shy, chubby child growing up in New York, Matt could either learn how to fight or learn how to be funny; used comedy as a defense mechanism
- Create a career in comedy by understanding the science of it; only two reasons why people laugh – commonality and superiority
- Matt’s Obstacles: Getting fired, his venue being blown up, and overcoming Guillain-Barre Syndrome; find humor in dark moments to make situations better
- 40 is not the New 20: Matt’s show is not just his story, but “our” story; good comedians look at the world like it’s a funny place, great ones don’t
- Matt uses comedy to do good; performs at hospitals and other places where people are in need of comic relief
- They Laugh You Win: Humor is a form of verbal and non-verbal communication; it’s the universal language
- Being funny can be taught; funny lives inside all of us, and we’re born comedians
- Three Rings of Stand Up Comedy: Public speaking, performing, and joke writing
Resources
Quotes by Matt Kazam:
“I’ve been using the power of story pretty much my whole life, so I understand why it’s valuable.”
“Something I learned pretty early on is that it didn’t really matter about my sense of humor. It was about me understanding, how could I make them laugh.”
“If you use humor, people are going to be way more empathetic toward your cause.”
“Back then, if you weren’t funny, they cut off your head. Now, if you’re not funny, they give you an HBO special.”
Tuesday Oct 02, 2018
Tuesday Oct 02, 2018
BGBS Episode 004: Get It Done: Work Hard & Figure Things Out
If you’re a graphic designer, snowboarder, and/or skateboarder, then you probably know about preeminent designer Aaron Draplin of Draplin Design Company based in Portland, Ore. He tours the world to speak about his career, family, and even politics. He has created logos and done other work for major companies, including Patagonia and Nike. Aaron is a branding world celebrity now, but it wasn’t always that way.
You’ll Learn…
- Background on Draplin Design Company
- How Aaron’s upbringing affects how he approaches his work and views the world of design
- People are good at saying, ‘No,’ but Aaron takes every job and does what he says he will do
- How to get through rough times: Work hard, don’t waste money, buckle down to pay your bills, and accept what you need to do
- Get It Done: Make good use of your time, do your job, and figure things out
- Aaron’s Mom and Dad did not have a lot, but who cares – they were cool; they gave him Legos, love, and all the basics he needed
- Family’s blue-collar background helps supply Aaron’s design style
- Fight for people and stand up for them; don’t be mean and unfriendly, but accommodating, appreciative, and personable
- Aaron stays relevant by sharing his experience and knowing when to remove himself from a job
- Aaron wrestles with faith and existentialism and tries to be cognizant of and gentle with every lifeform
- Besides making money, what other kinds of paychecks are possible? Volunteer, be ethical/compassionate and help others
- The New Normal: Aaron communicates his story and is not afraid of offending others, but knows he has to be careful because people will come after him; stay positive
- Aaron loves the beauty, hard work that goes into design; function over fashion
- Is there any such thing as an original logo? It’s possible to come up with something new – that’s what Aaron wants to do
Resources
Pretty Much Everything by Aaron Draplin
Draplin Design Co. Merchandise
Quotes by Aaron Draplin:
“If the work is strong enough, hopefully, it will illicit a response, and I get hired for the next gig.”
“There is this weird midwestern work ethic shift that haunts me to this day. That’s why I work so much.”
“People are really good at saying, ‘No.’ You won’t get that out of me.”
“I took the money. They are going to get the service they paid for.”