Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Barrett Blackman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Barrett, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?

Prior to accepting an offer with a mobile gaming app, I worked for the world’s leading payment processor for half a decade. A big part of my role was assisting with escalate complaints & support issues. I would often think how some of the customers I spoke with were lucky they got me & not someone else. Not because they were unable to assist them but because I often found creative ways to solve an issue that my colleagues may not think of as they were often more prone to not veer away from standard policies & procedures.

I remember speaking to a woman whose home was destroyed during the wildfires in Hawaii. She had gotten a payment from the Red Cross to help her obtain new housing, but it had been sent to the wrong account.

The policy with disbursements was that we could not intervene in anyway as the funds were sent from a 3rd party & it’s the responsibility of the customer to ensure the correct contact details are on file when being paid. While that does make sense & I understood the reasoning behind it, this just did not sit right with me.

I ended up tracking down the person who had gotten the payment & with the customer’s permission I reached out to them to explain what happened. I did let her know I could not make any promises as we could not make them send the money back, which was quite a significant amount. However, I was able to convince the incorrect recipient to send the funds back & she was able to utilize it to try & begin rebuild her home.

It turns out they lived not too far from each other, so in my head they’ve kept in touch & become best friends since then! While this was just an app to pay a friend for pizza for many people, for others these transactions heavily impacted their daily life. For some it could be the difference between having somewhere to live & being on the streets.

I think many times the human aspect is taken out of these interactions, people are so worried about sticking to the policy that they are not even bothering to at least try to see what they can do. I did not break any rules & even let management know what transpired & there was no issue. Due to me just taking a little extra time & having some compassion, I was able to make a big difference.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I like to think of myself as a man who wears many hats. I have my 9-5, my side hustle & my various other creative endeavors as well.

I got into the gaming industry in a very boring, non thrilling way, by applying on LinkedIn. I knew I wanted to work at another start-up, but I was not sold on staying in Fintech as I felt I needed to do something new. It is typical for me to change industries entirely whenever I get a new job, so I was not surprised that I ended up doing something that was not necessarily on my radar as that was the case when I worked in Insurance or at a Mortgage company. If Barbie can constantly change careers, why can’t I?

With every role I’ve had it’s in some way been customer focused. Since my friends have joked that I’m a “Karen”, I guess that makes me the most qualified to deal with customers! Nowadays customer service is often nonexistent, nobody wants to help, they have a bad attitude & at least in person, usually have on AirPods! Not that I don’t understand having done my bid in retail for a decade, but at the end of the day it is your job to help people!

I try to remember that when on the other side. Regardless of how rude the customer is being, or how ridiculous their claim may be, I am being paid to help them & resolve the problem. They don’t even know me! They are mad at the situation & sometimes for good reason. I try to be more of an advocate than anything. Moreover, I try to give the customer service that I want to receive myself!

I recently began selling my vintage clothing & accessories at a local vintage store called Poor Boy Rich Taste. That came about because I went to the store’s opening with a mutual friend. I liked what I saw & told the owner I sold similar items & asked if they’d be interested. Now I have my entire inventory permanently there.

People always ask me how I get involved with so many random things & it is literally just by asking. When at Statefarm I was initially at the office donating toys for Christmas after seeing an ad, then I talked to the Agent & asked was he hiring because I think I would be good at selling insurance. He actually was not hiring but was impressed with me literally walking in off of the street & asking.

Similarly when I interned at Kiss FM it was because I won concert tickets, then asked can I come be on the show. I went to be on the show & asked if they needed an intern! I always figure what does it hurt to ask, if they say no then I’m not any worse off than if I hadn’t asked!

My main focus outside of work has been @SoGoodWeNamedIt which initially began as a Golden Girls podcast & turned into an overall social media brand where I provide a semi-different experience depending on where you’re following me. That way there is something for everyone. I do still have the podcast, but now I also do short form content, graphic design, political commentary among other things. Such as writing & video editing.

Yet again this was able to grow at first because of Goldencon, I reached out to those in charge & asked if they would be interested in me being involved in the upcoming Golden Girls convention. The next thing I knew, I was on stage with actors & writers from the show, hosting panels. Again, what does it hurt to just ask??

Since then I have branched off into a side podcast “So Good We Named It & More” where I interview everyone from Golden Bachelorettes to Federal Prosecutors & legal analysts. Whatever the opposite of writer’s block is, that’s what I have! Sometimes I feel like I have my hand in too many pots, but I can’t help it. I plan to live until I’m at least 100, so I have a lot to fit in before then!

The thing I’m most proud of is my non-profit, “Lil’ Somethin” which I used to raise over $16,000 to make care packages for the unhoused population & hand them out for 5 years. Unfortunately it ended due to a lack of donations & volunteers, but I was still able to make a real difference for those who needed it. I hope to one day be able to bring it back as this is an issue that is not getting better any time soon.

To anyone who is unfamiliar with me, I’m not sure if this will be an accurate picture of everything that encompasses my brand or what’s to come. What I can say though is that if you don’t like what you’ve heard so far, I’m sure I will be doing something else soon, so just hang around until you find something you like!

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Something I don’t think many people realize is that I actually never finished college. I have had the same half a semester left for over a decade. I have paid off my balance & was even accepted when I re-applied. However, I have yet to enroll because I personally just don’t feel that I need a degree anymore. I will eventually finish just so my years of work were not in vain. However, while college is important (if you can afford it), not everyone needs college.

I make more than the average person with a degree & have no student loans. Not because I am special or some self made genius. What has helped me maintain consistent & significant growth in my pay which has then allowed me to have more disposable income to pursue my interests is personality.

It sounds very basic & maybe even like a load of crap! Yet it’s the truth, at least for me anyway! I think that unless you are trying to secure a job in a very specialized field that too many of my peers put too much focus on their (lack of) education when seeking employment.

I didn’t care if the job description said the requirements were a PHD in Rock Science, if I truly felt I could do the job well, I applied regardless. On paper I have not been qualified for most jobs that I’ve had. That did not stop me from excelling in all of them though.

When I say personality, maybe I should have added an asterisk that said “genuine”. I don’t think I’ve ever been one to
“play the game” in my various careers. I am myself, you interview me as me, hire me as me & work with me as me! It’s not hard to be consistent when you’re not keeping up a facade.

I know very talented & skilled people that do not go for roles because they don’t feel they’re what they’re looking for. When I am looking for a role or to move up within a company, I have the mindset that they’d be lucky to have me & if they turn me down, their loss.

I may just be full of myself & delusional, but I’d like to think it’s just high self confidence! Seriously though, I always try to bring my personality to interviews or in any type of networking. I want them to get more from me than my work experience or potential educational background, those are things anyone could have. I am the only one though that has what makes me who I am, which hopefully is something a prospective company or partnership would appreciate.

I would like to think my most recent role is a sign my theory is not too far off as I was specifically told that part of what made them want me for the role was my personality!

So I’d tell anyone that whatever your unique personality is, bring that to the table now. Let them see what sets you apart. Unless maybe if you’re applying to be a brain surgeon, personality is probably a bit less important & you probably should have a degree for that!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to come to terms with the fact that no matter how great of an employee you may be, no matter how your metrics look, if your attendance is great, you make money for the company, at the end of the day it means nothing. You can be “chopped” just like the rest!

This has not kept me from still doing my best in any role, but it has given me a different perspective. I can still do above & beyond within reason as it’s just in my competitive nature. However, I won’t kill myself trying to do everything & give more than I get. People are out here being so loyal to jobs that are not loyal to them!

Use your PTO, look for something else if you aren’t happy, say no if you cannot take on another project. So many companies will act like they own your soul & many folks willingly let them have it.

Luckily that is not the case in my current role, but it’s been the case enough in the past for me to always keep that in mind.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/SoGoodWeNamedIt
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SoGoodWeNamedIt/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoGoodWeNamedIt/community/?ref=page_internal
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrett-j-blackman-765ab3298/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoGoodWeNamedlt
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sogoodwenamedit