Press: John Barnes Featured in The F-Suite Magazine
Our CEO, John Barnes, was recently asked by Anna Gelbman Edmonds, the Founder and Managing Editor of F-Suite magazine, to share the origins of our Footnotes interview series.
The original article is reproduced below. To view the original article, visit: https://thefsuite.com/footnotes
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It was March of 2020, and we all had something to say. Life as we knew it was taking a turn due to the COVID-19 pandemic — and little did we know how much of a turn it would take. Content was everywhere, all with an eye toward pivoting, unprecedented times and all the stuff we are still trying to figure out.
I’ve always been drawn to stories. My dad was a storyteller, a gift that fascinated me as a youngster. Now, in my day job, I get to listen to client stories so our business advisors can help them navigate make-or-break financial decisions. And I also get to tell stories about clients to other clients as we relate advice to them and help them navigate their way to a goal — and a better story.
We decided to launch our Footnotes video interviews as a way to share stories we already knew, specifically ones we thought would be helpful during a time when a lot of people seemed to be telling us what we already sensed: We’re all in trouble, and we all have to start doing things differently.
We started with stories that were close to home and that were worth getting out there in a professional way as a service to our community. That led to lots of “Oh, you should talk to so-and-so. She has a great story!” The Footnotes formula is: Find a visually stimulating location and a guest with a story to tell. My goal is to not get in the way, only create an atmosphere where folks want to talk and share. We aim to get into a conversational rhythm so everyone forgets the cameras, lights and mics and to capture a dialogue between two friends, not the typical volleys of an interview.
The Footnotes Platform
We’ve had great feedback about the series. One unique thing we do is give interviewees the footage of their interviews to use however they see fit. Guests have told me they’ve recruited employees to their businesses from posting their interviews. One guest used theirs to promote a new product. Another used the time we spent together to help make a hard decision they had been putting off. Yet another was able to gain the courage to make some tough but necessary decisions that ultimately led to greater internal peace and an improved business. We want these stories out there so others can borrow the hard-won experiences and knowledge of our guests. In fact, guest Caroline Crowder’s entire episode is on the topic of mentorship and how to use borrowed experience.
Everyone has a story to tell, though most people don’t realize it about themselves. Stories can be drawn out when someone knows how to ask the right questions in the right way. The surprising part is that few people get to tell their story to someone who is really listening and sincerely curious. Those stories usually get told in shorthand to develop their business or to gain something. Footnotes provides a platform for the story as a service to the world. The story itself is the end; it’s the reason we do it.
