Go offline with the Player FM app!
StoryBooth: When a Tent Became a Brand and Trust Became the Product
Manage episode 514976487 series 2948998
A lot of development has happened since this episode was recorded, but what if the most valuable thing you make isn’t content or code—but trust? We open the door to Storybooth’s origin story, from a chance conversation at hot springs to a sold‑out Seattle wedding where a glass-walled “podcast booth” became the night’s most crowded corner. This is a founder’s-eye view of creating a new category: an experience that captures honest speech, family history, and the feelings that photos miss. StoryBooth specializes in creating custom event and brand media in a new and immersive way.
We talk through the craft behind it: a public radio backbone, editing that respects silence, and a proven interview technique that uses surprise messages from friends to bypass small talk and get to what’s real. You’ll hear how we validated the market, survived a noisy first activation at UW, and partnered with a booth maker to make joy visible from across the room. We’re transparent about the logistics, from transport and acoustics to guest flow and fast-turn delivery, and why the glass matters—people need to see delight before they’ll step inside.
The personal stakes are here too. One of us shares a sobriety pivot that restored clarity and grit; the other opens up about divorce and the odd intimacy of editing marriage blessings alone at night. We wrestle with success without self-loss, bootstrapping without burnout, and the move from one-off events to semi-permanent placements at destination venues and communities to business to business application.
If you care about founder journeys, category creation, event and brand storytelling, where connection is the product, this one’s for you.
The Circling Podcast is proud to be in partnership with Bend Magazine. Claim your five-dollar annual subscription when you visit www.bendmagazine.com and enter promo code: PODCAST at checkout. Your subscription includes 6 issues of our regions top publication celebrating mountain culture, and four bonus issues of Bend Home and Design, the leading home and building design magazine in Central Oregon.
Support The Circling Podcast:
Email us at: [email protected]
Join the Circling membership: patreon.com/Thecirclingpodcast
Follow us on Instagram @thecirclingpodcast @bendmagazine
Cover Song by: @theerinsmusic
Bend Magazine. Remember to enter promo code: Podcast at checkout for your five-dollar annual subscription. https://bendmagazine.com.
BOSS Sports Performance: https://www.bosssportsperformance.com
Back Porch Coffee: https://www.backporchcoffeeroasters.com
Story Booth: https://www.storyboothexperience.com
Remember, the health of our community, relies on us!
Chapters
1. StoryBooth: When a Tent Became a Brand and Trust Became the Product (00:00:00)
2. The Voice, Radio, and a New Idea (00:01:11)
3. The Circling Technique That Cuts Deeper (00:03:18)
4. Introducing Storybooth and BAO Context (00:04:30)
5. First Big Win: Seattle Wedding Recap (00:05:25)
6. Career Crossroads and Hot Springs Spark (00:07:00)
7. Validating the Market and Meeting (00:10:30)
8. Early Collaboration and First UW Event (00:14:20)
9. Why Storybooth: Trust Over Tech (00:19:25)
10. Sobriety, Habits, and Creative Return (00:22:46)
11. The Human Experience Inside a Booth (00:27:14)
12. Defining Success Without Losing Yourself (00:30:45)
13. Vulnerability, Divorce, and Building Again (00:35:19)
14. The Hard Thing About New Categories (00:39:10)
15. Partnership, Red Flags, and Respect (00:43:08)
16. These Are the Good Old Days (00:47:46)
17. Value Prop: Connection as a Product (00:52:09)
18. Strategy: Events vs. Permanent Installs (00:56:44)
19. Momentum, BAO, and What’s Next (01:01:02)
20. Practical Next Steps and Closing CTA (01:03:56)
73 episodes
Manage episode 514976487 series 2948998
A lot of development has happened since this episode was recorded, but what if the most valuable thing you make isn’t content or code—but trust? We open the door to Storybooth’s origin story, from a chance conversation at hot springs to a sold‑out Seattle wedding where a glass-walled “podcast booth” became the night’s most crowded corner. This is a founder’s-eye view of creating a new category: an experience that captures honest speech, family history, and the feelings that photos miss. StoryBooth specializes in creating custom event and brand media in a new and immersive way.
We talk through the craft behind it: a public radio backbone, editing that respects silence, and a proven interview technique that uses surprise messages from friends to bypass small talk and get to what’s real. You’ll hear how we validated the market, survived a noisy first activation at UW, and partnered with a booth maker to make joy visible from across the room. We’re transparent about the logistics, from transport and acoustics to guest flow and fast-turn delivery, and why the glass matters—people need to see delight before they’ll step inside.
The personal stakes are here too. One of us shares a sobriety pivot that restored clarity and grit; the other opens up about divorce and the odd intimacy of editing marriage blessings alone at night. We wrestle with success without self-loss, bootstrapping without burnout, and the move from one-off events to semi-permanent placements at destination venues and communities to business to business application.
If you care about founder journeys, category creation, event and brand storytelling, where connection is the product, this one’s for you.
The Circling Podcast is proud to be in partnership with Bend Magazine. Claim your five-dollar annual subscription when you visit www.bendmagazine.com and enter promo code: PODCAST at checkout. Your subscription includes 6 issues of our regions top publication celebrating mountain culture, and four bonus issues of Bend Home and Design, the leading home and building design magazine in Central Oregon.
Support The Circling Podcast:
Email us at: [email protected]
Join the Circling membership: patreon.com/Thecirclingpodcast
Follow us on Instagram @thecirclingpodcast @bendmagazine
Cover Song by: @theerinsmusic
Bend Magazine. Remember to enter promo code: Podcast at checkout for your five-dollar annual subscription. https://bendmagazine.com.
BOSS Sports Performance: https://www.bosssportsperformance.com
Back Porch Coffee: https://www.backporchcoffeeroasters.com
Story Booth: https://www.storyboothexperience.com
Remember, the health of our community, relies on us!
Chapters
1. StoryBooth: When a Tent Became a Brand and Trust Became the Product (00:00:00)
2. The Voice, Radio, and a New Idea (00:01:11)
3. The Circling Technique That Cuts Deeper (00:03:18)
4. Introducing Storybooth and BAO Context (00:04:30)
5. First Big Win: Seattle Wedding Recap (00:05:25)
6. Career Crossroads and Hot Springs Spark (00:07:00)
7. Validating the Market and Meeting (00:10:30)
8. Early Collaboration and First UW Event (00:14:20)
9. Why Storybooth: Trust Over Tech (00:19:25)
10. Sobriety, Habits, and Creative Return (00:22:46)
11. The Human Experience Inside a Booth (00:27:14)
12. Defining Success Without Losing Yourself (00:30:45)
13. Vulnerability, Divorce, and Building Again (00:35:19)
14. The Hard Thing About New Categories (00:39:10)
15. Partnership, Red Flags, and Respect (00:43:08)
16. These Are the Good Old Days (00:47:46)
17. Value Prop: Connection as a Product (00:52:09)
18. Strategy: Events vs. Permanent Installs (00:56:44)
19. Momentum, BAO, and What’s Next (01:01:02)
20. Practical Next Steps and Closing CTA (01:03:56)
73 episodes
All episodes
×Welcome to Player FM!
Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices.