We recently had the chance to connect with Scott Baron and have shared our conversation below.
Scott, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
Being a dad of two amazing daughters, I am chasing a legacy for them to be proud of and above all learn from. I am almost 40 and have been through many of life’s challenges. Looking back I wouldn’t change a thing. At face value, starting a business and a brand new product seems like it should be “easy”. Over the past two years (right after my divorce), this journey has been beyond challenging. A lot of sacrifices and mental battles. I thought after starting The Marker Locker, success was going to happen overnight. Come to find out it is not a sprint, but a marathon with hurdle after hurdle. Balancing being a great single dad and working countless hours for what we are chasing is what makes our legacy. I have told my daughter’s when they ask “why are you so stressed or tired”, I tell them, I’m doing this for them. “I want you to be able to pick any college you want to go to and I will make it happen. Knowing they will get a great education and hopefully show them anything is possible with hard work and not letting life’s obstacles knock you down. There is no stopping and no quit in me or our team. Perseverance will prevail and my daughter’s will see that never giving up is life’s motto. We are chasing the American dream and making a name for our families to pass down from generation to generation.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am the co-founder of The Marker Locker and serve as the Chief Operating Officer for our start up company. I also am the IT Transformation Director for Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA as my full-time job (still need benefits for my daughters and myself). I resigned from my previous job (University of Central Florida – employed 9 years) recently to be able to scale back my hours to focus on The Marker Locker. I sold my house and downsized to a small apartment to free up cash for the business.
I know my story will inspire those that are thinking about giving up. I’ve been through a lot and have faced adversity in many different shapes and sizes. If anyone truly knew my story of how my life was flipped upside down in my marriage, my mom and step mom going through cancer, me dealing with a cancer scare and then trying to keep all the pieces together to be a strong father to my kids is not for the faint hearted.
Entrepreneurs face different, but similar emotions when it comes to peaks, valleys, struggles, barriers, being blindsided, losing, stressing and grinding. The question is do you say enough is enough or do you battle through it? Do you prove to yourself that just one more step could be the step that makes your dreams come true? I have questioned many things in my life, but can tell any entrepreneur that if you stay in it and just get off the starting line, the opportunities are endless on what doors can be opened.
Persevere, surround yourself with others with the same mindset and be prepared to fail. It will happen. Someone has been in your shoes and you are not alone in this journey. Learn, grow and transform yourself into something more and you will be that much stronger overcoming life’s obstacles and challenges.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
After I went through my divorce, I looked at life very differently. Complacency and the day-to-day routine consumes you if it is all you know. Being raised in a house of educators, I was taught to go to college, get a job and climb the corporate ladder. Taking risks was not part of the equation growing up and I only saw the world one way.
I thought I had it all. Climbed the corporate ladder, got married, had kids and woke up everyday doing the same thing to provide for my family and provide stability.
Post divorce, is when I woke up and changed how I perceived the world. Today, I wake up everyday thankful on where I am and what is in front of me. Defining my own path that isn’t the ordinary and being able to pay it forward to others that are on the fence or just starting the entrepreneurship journey. When I am on my death bed, I want no regrets and want to take the necessary risks to solidify my legacy. You can either stay knocked down or wake up and grind each day working toward something you never thought was possible.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
This is a great question. When your world is flipped upside down and you hit rock bottom, you can either stay there or pick yourself up bit by bit. Luckily, I grew up playing soccer and made it to division one in college. The amount of hard work that goes into becoming a collegiate athlete was my foundation where I was able to relate to life. My pain and embarrassment of getting a divorce was the hardest thing I have ever been through. Seeing the pain in my daughter’s eyes was unbearable. I was at an all time low.
As funny as life is, the business of The Marker Locker came to be right after my divorce. Instead of drowning in my sorrows, I harnessed this new opportunity as picking myself back up. Fighting for something I never thought was possible and proving to my daughters nothing can stand in your way with the right mindset. To this day, I motivate myself using my past as a strength.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Always do what is right. Good morals, integrity and trust is everything personally and professionally. Our company stands by doing what is right for the customer. There are no short cuts. So many people/mentors have been there for me in my career and have done so many selfless things for me. I will always pay it forward and will always be my genuine self. Everything else will work out with these cultural values.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope my story will give inspiration to others. Life is full of responsibility and choices. No matter if you’re kicked down, pushed down, given a streak of bad luck, you can persevere with the right mindset. Surround yourself with passionate people that believe in you and chase your dreams. You get one shot on this earth and make it count. Don’t become complacent. Don’t become bitter or resentful of what life has thrown at you. A positive mindset is everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://themarkerlocker.com
- Instagram: scottyb.themarkerlocker
- Linkedin: Scott Baron, MBA
