Dear BAMf Podcast: Episode 43 with Dan Tarman

Dear BAMf // Episode 43: Dan Tarman of DanTarman.com talks about media training the CEO for an IPO announcement.

In this episode of the Dear BAMf podcast, we speak with Dan Tarman, CEO and Founder at DanTarman.com, a business advisory and marketing consulting firm based in Southern California. Previously he served as Vice President of Communications at GOAT Group, where he led all aspects of communications for the company. Dan has more than 25 years of experience as a senior communications, marketing, and brand strategy professional and has served in a number of positions with leading companies and consultancies. In this episode, Dan answers some tough marketing and PR questions from our listeners, including this one about preparing your C-suite for an IPO announcement:  

Dear BAMf,

I love, love the startup I'm at. I'm the head of comms and I'm constantly challenged. The other good news is my startup is headed to an IPO, most likely, given the recent valuation we just got. The bad news (or potential bad news) is the C-suite in place is a bit unpolished. I'm getting sweaty just thinking of having our CTO or CEO on national business TV appearances. For instance, I have artfully avoided unscripted media ops, like live TV. But as we get closer to this goal, I want to mitigate surprises that could make us look unpolished — or worst — foolish to wall street. Obviously I can just tell them that media training is a must, but we've done that with limited "success."

Listen now to hear how Dan advises this writer to move forward.

Dear BAMf: Episode 43

Episode 43 highlights:

• (1:00) What is GOAT?

  Dan recently expanded to DanTarman.com, a business advisory and marketing consulting firm but explains what his former employer, GOAT Group, does. "GOAT was founded in 2015 to solve a problem that had existed in terms of buying sneakers online. The market was pretty much flooded with counterfeits and fakes and our founders identify that as a problem." Goat helps retailers and consumers identity fake sneakers and apparel. 

• (04:00) What are you most proud of accomplishing in the last 12 months?

  
  Dan was amped to share his fulfilling moments of the year and had these two experiences to share. "The first was the announcement of our funding round, which closed at the end of September. We really used that to change the narrative around GOAT, to elevate our share of voice." This media coverage flowed into Dan's next proud moment, Black Friday. Black Friday is always a big moment for GOAT, and despite a pandemic, 2020 was no exception. Dan explains, "We generated great media. We had our CEO on Black Friday on CNBC, on closing bell, Bloomberg Yahoo Finance, big hits in major media."
  

• (06:00) What is your favorite way to tell a story?

  Content is Dan's favorite way to tell a story. "The best way to tell the business story is through the story of the brand...let the brand be the proof of the business." Dan advises others to use social media to their advantage saying, "For instance, through Instagram, we have 3.5 million followers. We tell our brand story largely here." Read "6 Ways to Level-Up Your Social Media Marketing Game in 2021" on our blog for more advice.

• (07:20) How to get your C-suite ready for an IPO announcement?

  Dan encourages the listener to set their C-suite up for success, suggesting, "I would identify lower risk opportunities for those to stretch their legs. Give them real world practice where the risk isn't too great, but where they can actually do the stuff where you get out of the laboratory or the classroom." If they need media training, set up the opportunity and if they need project management experience give them that."  Beck emphasizes the importance of having employees do reps to create better habits. Creating an educational environment allows for confidence and skills to grow.  

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