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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 Sep 25, 2018
Tuesday Sep 25, 2018
BGBS Episode 003: Anywhere On Your Map
Do you wear outdoor-inspired clothing while spending time in the great outdoors? Then, you may be familiar with Topo Designs, which is known for “backpacks, bags, and apparel for anywhere on your map.” In a day and age where we love to over-engineer everything, Topo Designs’ classic and retro-style products feel just right and perform flawlessly. Jedd Rose, Topo Designs co-founder, strives for such flexibility in each of his company’s products. Topo Designs is one of the fastest growing outdoor brands in America.
You’ll Learn…
- Do you remember the first backpack you ever had? Does it generate memories and meaning?
- From growing up in Wyoming and being hassled for what he wore to school to making fashion cool and courageous by creating fashion-forward lifestyle gear
- Inspiration came partly from both of Jedd’s parents to spot outdoor gear trends and be into fashion through activities, including camping, hunting, and fishing
- Jedd approached Topo as a missing piece of what he wanted in his fashion/gear
- Years ago, outdoor gear was focused on tech – a spacesuit quest for gear; Jedd wanted to integrate gear and make it functional in other areas of your life
- Quintessential Design: Products that serve a wide variety of use cases, yet are simple and timeless
- Despite limited creative training, Jedd’s college experience of fine art, printmaking, digital software, and sculpting prepared him on how to start a company
- From starting on his own in his basement to having about 60 employees and four retail locations, Jedd plans for Topo Designs to continue to reflect and expand
- Gear needs to be functional and comfortable, yet look good at the same time
- Topo Designs tribe practices what it preaches and is a good representation of the company’s customer base
Resources
Topo Designs Locations and Retailers
Quotes:
“In a day and age where we love to over-engineer everything, Topo Designs’ products feel exactly just right.” – Marc Gutman
“There’s this huge piece of me that was always really into clothing and gear and just the esthetic of it.” – Jedd Rose
“I didn’t really ever approach Topo as a business when I was first coming out with it. I guess I did always approach it as there’s a missing piece of what I want in my fashion/gear life.” – Jedd Rose
“Our plan, as of now, is to open a zillion of our own stores.” – Jedd Rose
Tuesday Sep 18, 2018
Tuesday Sep 18, 2018
BGBS Episode 002: Out Living It…Fighting the Cancer Epidemic with Adventure
When you’re in your 20s, time is spent on holding down a job, making friends, and paying rent. On top of all that, could you imagine having to fight cancer at that age? About 70,000 young adults are diagnosed annually with cancer. Fortunately, Brad Ludden, a professional kayaker, created an organization called First Descents (FD). It leverages the healing power of adventure to help young adults diagnosed with cancer. The physical, social, and emotional transformation for participants is real and powerful.
You’ll Learn…
- Quality of life that growing up in the mountains and with nature offers
- Brad started kayaking at 9 – spent much of the time being scared and crying; eventually, he fell in love with the sport and became obsessed with it
- Brad’s first experience with cancer (aunt’s diagnosis) – wanted to help, but didn’t know how to; it inspired him to create FD
- Brad started to teach kids with cancer how to kayak because of how much positivity and growth it brought to his life; could be transformational for them
- Kayaking helps cancer patients rise to the challenge and obstacle of the river and apply what they learn about themselves to recovery from cancer
- Society treats people differently after the diagnosis (like they’re fragile), but the river doesn’t discern – treats everyone equally, empowers them to face their fight
- Cancer creates a sense of isolation and alienation; outdoor adventures are catalysts that create a tribe around a shared experience of cancer
- People, passion, and processes involved in starting FD and making it successful; research now supports such alternative ways of healing
- Importance of nicknames to differentiate participants and develop a new identity other than the cancer patient
Resources:
Quotes by Brad Ludden:
“Rivers are ever present. They’re such a source of life around the world, and they are everywhere.”
“It’s (kayaking) all I knew. It’s the one gift I had to give.”
“Most good things in life come with challenges (such as kayaking). I just knew that if we could deliver this experience in a positive way to people with cancer, that it could be transformational.”
“That sense of accomplishment and growth and transformation is very real.”
Tuesday Sep 18, 2018
Tuesday Sep 18, 2018
BGBS Episode 001: Dream Big, Work Hard, Create Value
He may not be as well-known as William Shatner, but Jeff Hoffman knows him. Jeff has gained global insight and experience from launching and growing various companies, including Priceline.com. His impact on how we travel and do things in life has been significant. Jeff has built a career by innovating through entrepreneurship and seeking out solutions that create industry shifts – from the way we book airline tickets to how we create entrepreneurship in emerging economies across the continents.
You’ll Learn…
- Purpose and process of starting Priceline.com was to create buyer-driven commerce and harvest consumer demand
- Challenge for Priceline was on the consumer side – needed to get people to trust it and change consumer behavior
- When you check in at airports today, you can use a kiosk that prints your boarding pass; you can thank Jeff for those kiosks and saving you time
- Entrepreneurship is the tool, not the purpose of solving big problems; people complain when there’s a problem, entrepreneurs are the ones to take action
- Entrepreneurship went from being crazy and can’t find a job to being cool; Jeff made a connection between goals and dreams with the work he could do
- Jeff’s Formula for Success: Dream Big, Work Hard, Create Value
- Nothing is ever easy, and there are always obstacles; shake off failures and learn from them
- Jeff spends time mentoring entrepreneurs around the world and teaching them how to turn ideas into businesses – making their dreams a reality
- Badge of honor used to be working for a major company for numerous years; now it’s about the gig economy where you have multiple jobs to reach fulfilment
- Jeff uses stories to learn something and get his point across; makes customers the heroes of his stories
- Be an entrepreneur with an eye for wonder and non-stop intellectual curiosity; what are successful people doing that others aren’t doing?
Resources
Quotes from Jeff Hoffman:
“Entrepreneurship is a set of tools you use to solve a problem. It’s a mindset and it’s a tool set to take you anywhere you want to go.”
“Solving problems and making things more efficient is a DNA thing for me.”
“Nothing is ever easy. But nothing worth having is ever easy. There’s always a lot of obstacles, which just makes the victory that much sweeter.”
“Get to know them (customers). Listen to them, don’t listen to what your competitors are doing.”
Friday Sep 14, 2018
Friday Sep 14, 2018
BGBS Episode 000: I Like Big Backstories (TRAILER)
Do you like big backstories? Now, don’t lie. Who doesn’t? Dive into the story behind the story with storytellers, creators, and entrepreneurs. Marc Gutman is your host for the Baby Got Backstory podcast.
Marc is a storyteller, entrepreneur, adventurer, and idealist who enjoys cold beer, strong coffee, hidden beaches, Colorado mountains, and fluffy snow.
He also loves hearing other people’s stories – especially learning their backstory on how they got to where they are today. Stories answer fundamental questions: Who am I? How did I get here? Where am I going?
Stories provide inspiration, insight, motivation, and knowledge. We rely on stories to interpret the world and find meaning.
We are always trying to find ourselves in other people’s stories. How do you relate? Ideas are triggered in your mind to put yourself in someone else’s story.
We all have a great story to tell! Ready to learn from great guests and their stories?
Resources
Quotes from Marc Gutman:
“I love big stories, and I cannot lie.”
“Along my journey of writing my own story, I’ve always loved hearing other people’s stories – especially learning how they got to where they are today.”
“As humans, we rely on stories to interpret the world.”
“Story is how we tribe.”