I finished my keynote and relaxed into the audience Q&A that the organizers asked me to do. An audience member in the back raised his hand and asked, “Who is a CEO I particularly admire for their storytelling skills?”
And I blank on the stage. Nothing, made even more embarrassing by the fact that, of course, I must know SOMEONE. (I know tons) So I had the brilliant idea to crowdsource from the audience, thinking it would buy me time. As I silently thank each of the audience members for their contribution, I still got nuthin’. So I make the wisecrack that I will definitely think of a whole bunch as soon as I step off the stage.
It’s called adrenal amnesia, and as good as my word – the ideas came to me: Scott Harrison of Charity: Water, Ivan Ingvar Kamprad of IKEA, small business owners like Jen Castle and Blake Spaulding of Hells Backbone Grill, and the one I want to talk about today – Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia.
Yvon Chouinard is one of my favorite examples because he is a self proclaimed “reluctant businessman” and yet Patagonia has grown to a billion dollar outdoor apparel brand, which haters call Patagucci as a dig to it’s (air quotes) designer level pricing, which leads to my very point that it has grown to it’s size despite it’s founder not wanting to go into business, and it’s premium price point because ironically, people will pay more for a pair of running shorts because they want to be a part of a story.
The stories we tell each other create bonds that drive us to make decisions not because they make sense, not because they are practical, or low cost, but because it’s what we want more than anything. We want to be a part of something, we believe in something, we are swept away by something. The stories evoke a “yes, that’s for me. That’s what I need/want.”
I’m kind of old. I’ve been around for a few eras, including the emergence of the internet, when everyone rushed to SEO so they could be found online, then social media, when everyone hurried to build more followers, more engagement, more comments!, and now AI, and all we need to do to use AI to stand out and be chosen. At each occurrence, the stress about the end of the world as we know it sends everyone rushing to adapt, like the people in Airplane when the gate keeps changing and they run from gate to gate to keep up.
Amidst the ever-evolving landscape of technology, one piece of advice has remained constant – be human.
A story-driven leader creates a culture of connectivity – internally and externally. This connectivity is critical to influence – the kind of influence that motivates people to go out of their way to choose you. It is a crucial factor in building high-performing leaders and organizations.
Yvon Chouinard is unintentionally a storyteller. He is clear on who he is, his purpose, and how he wants to run his business that aligns with those values. It’s a powerful formula when the company culture aligns with the values and purpose.
“Marketing for us is telling everybody who we are.”
Patagonia was founded as a climbing gear company, called Chouinard Equipment, pioneering equipment manufacturing and becoming so popular that they soon expanded into clothing. Their rapid growth caused Chouinard to pause, realizing he was becoming part of the climate change problem. So they began using materials that didn’t cause harm to the environment. Then they started giving back to climate change initiatives through the One Percent for the Planet.
There are two ways to grow, he said – you can grow fat or you can grow strong. They decided to be intentional about growing strong and doing less harm to the planet in the process. They wanted to build a company that would be around for 100 years. This philosophy of sustainable growth has been a guiding principle for Patagonia.
Also, looking at his DNA, what makes Yvon Chouinard who he is? In a podcast interview for Rockefeller Client Insights, he described a childhood where he was the shortest guy in school and terrible at team sports. The kids all made fun of him. So he decided to do his own sports. That ethos never left him. In business, it was nothing new to him to do things his way. “Don’t go up against Coke,” he said, “do something and do it a different way.
What a great story. And the title of his story? Patagonia, named after a place he spent a lot of time in 1968 when it was an unknown destination, and he wanted to make gear and clothing for the people who were adventuring and playing there.
Questions for you to consider:
- What are the patterns in your life that make you who you are?
- Why do you do what you do?
Relatable
Help people feel a sense of belonging.
Patagonia stands for the earth. That’s why Earth, as of 2022, is the sole owner of Patagonia.
The ‘Don’t Buy This Jacket’ campaign aims to encourage people to think twice about buying/consuming.
When the Trump Administration attempted to reduce the size of Bears Ears and Escalante National Monuments, they changed their homepage to this:
While these and many other messages may seem risky and certainly not possible for publicly held companies, Patagonia didn’t shy away from them. Because if their story isn’t for everyone, and they don’t mind.
In our desire to be universally liked, we lose the ability to be uniquely loved.
People will go out of their way to buy from Patagonia because of what they stand for and because they want to be a part of that. “It’s not cheap to make things,” Yvon said, “We make high-quality clothing with a lifetime guarantee, and it causes less harm to the environment. People will pay for that.”
The details of our stories may be unique, but the themes are universal – and that’s where stories bring us together: around shared purpose. Patagonia has a clear purpose.
And that, my friends, is why people will pay $80 for a pair of running shorts, why Patagonia has become a billion-dollar empire despite all its efforts to seemingly not do so.
And that is a pretty good story.
Questions for you to consider
- What stories would you tell if you weren’t afraid?
- What matters most to you?
Further reading and listening:
- Let My People Go Surfing
- Great Business Stories podcast
- Founders podcast
- Rockefeller Client Insights
Take care out there.
When you’re ready, here are a few ways I can help you and your team:
Need to get better at telling your story? (Or the story you tell yourself!) I can work with you one-to-one or with your team to help you prepare for your next presentation, pitch, or even navigate your next big change.
Pause in Provence is now full! Thank you for your interest—it’s going to be a beautiful gathering. If you’d like to be added to the waitlist (in case a spot opens up or we offer a second week), we’d love to hear from you. Stay tuned for a look inside the experience and what might be next.
Looking for an engaging speaker? I deliver inspiring keynotes that help people connect to their stories and each other to better engage their teams, customers, and communities.
See a video showcasing my work here and if you need help with one of the items below, let’s schedule a time to talk.
Need something else you think I can help with? I’d love to connect.
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