The Steadfast Hero

Ian: [00:00:00] Batman's representative of something, right? And oftentimes he can't be in two places at once. And so he has to, just by his presence, empower Gotham to stand up for itself. And that's really I think, probably the most important part of the Hero archetype.

Kristen: [00:00:22] Welcome to Archetypes, a podcast by Future Commerce. I'm Kristen Vencel. Even with just a glance over the course of history, it's easy to see how important and powerful story has been throughout time. We humans thrive on story, whether we are the storytellers or the listeners. We feel connected to others through story. Archetypes is an exploration of the roles that we play in the story of a brand and features interviews with people who create the brands and experiences that are changing our world. It's an investigation into how we as people take part in these stories, ultimately making them our own. No matter who you are in this world, you engage in commerce. Commerce touches every living soul. We all have a role to play. We all have a story to tell. Archetypes is the story of commerce. The Hero: the protagonist who is victorious over struggles and trials. We all love a Hero. The Hero inspires and motivates us with optimism, goals, and strength. The Hero is there for us, offering security and a reason to be better tomorrow than we are today. We've looked at the Hero before in this season of Archetypes, but all Heroes have a different story. Ian Leslie, CMO at Industry West, shares his take on what it means to be the Hero as a person and as a brand, including some of the pressures, the positives, the negatives, and why it all matters in the arc of the story. Welcome to this episode of Archetypes. Tell me about what your first reaction was when you took the Archetypes quiz and you found that your result was Hero?

Ian: [00:02:20] Yeah, I mean, I think my initial reaction was surprise. I really don't see myself as a Hero or within the Hero archetype. I guess, insert pun here, insert joke here. Not all Heroes wear capes. But yeah, I think it was interesting. I really didn't see myself that way. But as I dove deeper into the description of the archetype, I could definitely see aspects of that, both negative and positive, which I think is cool about the archetype as well in terms of it's not all positive. I mean, the flaws of the Hero, kind of running headlong into sometimes bad ideas. So I could definitely see myself there and not always thinking before I leap sort of thing. But yeah, it was, I guess, surprised. But, like I said, as I dove deeper in, I could see aspects of it.

Kristen: [00:03:15] It's funny, I think that probably indicates a Hero even more that the Hero is like, "Really? I'm surprised I'm the Hero." {laughter}

Ian: [00:03:24] Yeah, the modest Hero, right? Yeah.

Kristen: [00:03:26] Yeah. And it is interesting the struggles that can come with a Hero, right? And I think of the pressures that can come with a Hero too, to be the Hero. So how do you think you've experienced that, whether it be in your personal life or your professional life or both? What are the pressures of Hero?

Ian: [00:03:46] Wow, that's a huge question. I mean, personally and professionally, because I mean, professionally, in being, I've been either at the Executive Director level or CMO level, C-level of a company or institution now, for gosh, going on nearly, I don't even know, 12, 13, 14 years whether it be when I was in higher ed or now on the eCommerce level. And I think [00:04:14] there's a lot of pressure that comes with like, "I need to fix it now. It needs to be right now. It needs to work right now." I think understanding and always kind of going back to what am I solving for, and can I solve for it? And I think there's a fair amount of pressure that comes with that. [00:04:33] So, I mean, that's on the professional level. On the personal level, I mean, you know, married, dad of three, two teenagers, a ten-year-old girl. Yeah, you want to be the Hero. You particularly want to be the Hero to your wife and your daughter. And sometimes you need to know you don't have to be and I think you have to consider that. And I think it's always like a good exercise I have with my wife and when we talk and she's like kind of venting to me about a few things and I'm like, "Is this something you want me to solve for? Or is this something you want me to listen to?" And I think that's an important kind of thing to consider when dealing with the pressures of the Hero archetype.

Kristen: [00:05:18] So that is a really good point, that the Hero is not always the fixer, but even just being there for the others around you, I think, is part of being a Hero as well.

Ian: [00:05:28] Right.

Kristen: [00:05:29] I think knowing that you're there is sometimes enough of a Hero for the people around you. So that's an interesting thing to think about because the Hero we say really serves as an example to us and their behavior influences us. So even in availability and approachability, that is an important aspect of being a Hero. So I think that's really cool in light of what you just shared.

Ian: [00:05:56] I'm a huge Batman fan, the most recent Batman movies, not the Ben Affleck ones, The Christian Bale ones. [00:06:03] Batman is representative of something, and oftentimes he can't be in two places at once. And so he has to, just by his presence, empower Gotham to stand up for itself. And that's really, I think, probably the most important part of the Hero archetype. [00:06:19] And I mean, I had someone, a media partner, our media agency, the CEO, owner, founder of that agency once said to me, "Ian, you have something that makes people want to work hard for you." And that was probably like the most just the nicest and most important piece of feedback I've ever received in my professional career. Because it's not just like anyone can say, "Ian, you work hard," or "Ian you're the hardest worker I've ever seen," and I'm not. But I think to hear someone say, "You're someone who people want to work hard for," really makes a world of difference and really says like, "Okay, I'm doing something right here."

Kristen: [00:07:00] How do you see Industry West as a Hero in this space?

Ian: [00:07:04] It's not a traditional Hero as some of the brands you may consider Hero brands, but I think we're an aspirational brand, to an extent. So I think to that point of calling people up, we're a brand that is aspirational in our design sensibilities but also wants to make that high design and trending design available to more people through price point. So I mean, I think that's, again, not just leading and saying like, "Oh, look at what we have." There's 1% of the population that can really afford this, but really kind of saying, "This is something that people are striving for and to strive to have this type of design in their homes or in their offices, and these trending pieces in their homes or offices, and we're working really hard to make it as expedient and as fast to your home and make it as affordable as possible." And I think that's something where we hear a lot of feedback of like, "Oh my gosh, the material, the quality, the timeline, you guys aren't charging enough." And I think that's really good feedback for us because we don't want to be exclusive. We want to be aspirational. And so I think that's really important feedback for us. And something that, you know, [00:08:22] I joke that a brand that doesn't come with a side order of world change is kind of looked down upon these days. But I think that's important, as the Hero brand that we are, I think that our side order of World Change is just accessibility and availability. [00:08:40]

Kristen: [00:08:40] Oh, I love that. Yeah. The Hero is not always flashy, but the Hero is steadfast. So what are some other brands that you would consider as Heroes? And it could be you know, there are different types of Heroes, right? So what are some brands you think that could also be seen in that archetype, that category?

Ian: [00:09:25] Yeah, I gave us a lot of thought. And I mean, it's really a tricky question because, yeah, there are so many different types of Heroes. I kind of started to focus on more of the health and wellness accessories, kind of almost CrossFit world. So like my mind started going to like Noble and started going to Kane, started going to Gymshark. And I think those brands that are just trying to not only pitch product but also pitch lifestyle and bringing the culture with them of exercise, of wellbeing, of health and wellness. So those are the brands that my mind really focused on in terms of the Hero brand because I think similar to the Batman analogy, it's not only a product that I want to be part of, but it's a community I want to be part of. Not so much with Gymshark with me, but definitely Noble and Kane. Those are brands that I want to be part of. A part of what those brands stand for, whether it be giving back or whether it be sourcing, or whether it be just lifestyle. Like, "Hey, you're associated with this kind of health and wellness lifestyle." Those were ones that came to mind.

Kristen: [00:10:53] Who are your Heroes?

Ian: [00:10:55] The answer to this question has always been my grandfather is always a Hero to me. And I don't know that... It's hard to fit it within the Hero archetype, especially talking about someone who was in the Korean War and just like so different. But anyway, I mean, my grandfather, you know, didn't graduate elementary school but was the most street smart and just most sensible and kind person I knew and just made me want to, he just wanted to teach me life lessons and did teach me life lessons in terms of being a better person and really just wanted to stand in the gap I felt, and I've just really kind of come to this realization of like what his lessons were about often was that he was really standing in the gap between me and bad decisions. And not because he didn't trust me, but because he didn't want me to have the hurt that he had. And so he was a Hero to me in that regard. And I think of course when you say stand in the gap, I mean, I think that's like a huge part of the Hero archetype, right? And I think that's really what he wanted to be for me was just... And it was more and it wasn't like, you know, a physical or financial or any kind of... I had a great upbringing and he wasn't someone like, he didn't have to foster me or anything, a crazy story like that, but he just literally in just day-to-day life lessons of standing in the gap between good and bad decisions. And that's something that, he's been gone for, gosh, I don't know, eight years ish now, but something that just still stays with me every day and something that I try to do my best to pass along, whether it be personal or work. Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows [00:12:40] I coach varsity soccer and that's something that is passed along to my soccer players and just truly when I instruct them, it's just like, "Hey, guys, this isn't because I don't trust you. It's because I'm trying to stand in the gap between you and a decision that could really change the trajectory of your life." [00:12:58] And yeah, so, I mean, that's a Hero for me.

Kristen: [00:13:01] That's so beautiful. I just think this is so cool, Ian, because so much of what you've shared this whole time, it really is indicative of the Hero archetype. This is such a beautiful story, what you have shared throughout this whole time together, and I think it's perfect. I'm not surprised that you tested and got the Hero archetype just hearing you talk.

Ian: [00:13:22] Well, yeah, I don't know about that, but we'll see when I get home tonight if the kids think I'm still a Hero. {laughter}

Kristen: [00:13:29] {laughter} Well, it's the long game sometimes. I have four kids. I totally understand. Not always day-to-day, in the moment, but the long game, yes, The arc will show itself as the Hero.

Ian: [00:13:42] And I joke there. But yeah, no, my kids... Hannah's daddy's little girl and my boys are always at my side. And I think that's great and something that I just hope continues forever. And yeah, it's all good.

Kristen: [00:13:54] I really appreciate everything you've shared. I think truly this is just a beautiful look at what the Hero can be. Join the discussion and read more about the Hero and other archetypes in the story of commerce by getting your copy of the Archetypes Journal at ArchetypesJournal.com. Archetypes is brought to you by Future Commerce. Discover the world of Archetypes, take the Archetypes quiz, and get the Archetypes Journal at ArchetypesJournal.com. You can find more episodes of this podcast and all Future Commerce properties at FutureCommerce.com.