We are not super good at looking back. Yet hitting the 15-year mark has brought some reflection. By no means is this an Oscar acceptance speech, yet there are many who deserve thanks for believing in us and pushing us forward. Clearly our best days are still ahead.
Backbone Holiday card circa 2004
Backbone’s name comes from an insult.
In 1997, Lisa Raleigh who co-founded Backbone, and I were debating possible company names, if we should even launch into the unknown and leave our jobs at Climbing Magazine. I had just had my first child, Chapin, and my entrepreneurial spirit was wrestling with reality.
“Come on noodle boy,” she implored. “Get some Backbone.”
And there you have it. Thank you Lisa for that profound statement. It clearly has had a direct and positive impact for the past 15 years.
Bi-annual cattle drive by Backbone offices
Backbone launched in a 250 square foot basement cell block, with 2 phone lines and a fax machine. The internet was just coming onto the scene. We and all of Carbondale had dial up. To our initial clients- Steve and Brooks West from Boreal, Bill Supple from Wild Country, Mike Call from Pusher, and a start up named Cloudveil run by Steve Sullivan and Brian Cousins – GRANDE GRACIAS.
Week #2, John Bouchard, who was running Wild Things, called us and flatly stated “I don’t exactly know what you guys are up to, but I want in.”
Nate Simmons joined us as a partner, cutting short a trip in the Himalaya to get a piece of nothing. In typical Backbone micro/macro form, we listened to our clients and focused on where we could have an impact, operating on a mix of well played themes: ‘do anything as you do everything’ and ‘people overestimate the change in the next 2 years and underestimate the change in the next 10’.
Nate lobbying for best place to work status
Chris Grover from Black Diamond brought us on to help with Bibler tents and the first AvaLung. Our first meeting with Bill Gamber from Big Agnes was in the back of a gas station off I-70 in Wolcott. Jeff Bowman and Carol Valianti from Polartec wanted a small focused agency who were believers in their products. Thank you to all three companies for your continued support.
In those middling years we placed gear on magazine covers, TV and Backbone employees on billboards. We’ve survived client bankruptcies and IPOs. We’ve worked for non-profits (currently Big City Mountaineers, Protect Our Winters and 1% For The Planet) and been pegged for perhaps coining the term softshell.
In 2005, Greg Williams joined Backbone to strengthen our media planning, buying and research, becoming a partner in 2009 as business flourished. Today, we are sad to report we can no longer conduct annual reviews on the Ajax gondola in 14-minute segments like we used to. With 30+ employees our legs can not handle that many top to bottom laps.
Greg and Carolyn Williams
Backbone currently represents over 35 clients globally in the active lifestyle space. We have satellite offices in Jackson, WY and Denver, CO with core competency in outdoor, snowsports, hunting and fishing, tourism and the beer markets. We buy $20MM in media annually.
We’ve been fortunate to ride the tides of public relations, social, media planning and research while harnessing creative thought and progressive campaigns in active lifestyle.
Looking back, there have been harrowing times of stress and sketch-iness. We’ve won awards, driven a lot of nights through snow storms, survived tornadoes, shared big laughs and real adventure with a cast of characters inside Backbone and with our friends both in the media and the brands we represent. What is most important? The friendships and community we are a part of. Even better is that this network continues to grow and evolve.
So to all our clients – former and current, employees, and friends of Backbone – THANK YOU FOR 15 GREAT YEARS and see ya out there!
Penn Newhard
Backbone Summer BBQ 2012
