"Let's Make Something Happen", Bobbie Carlton Talks The Role of Women in Public Speaking, "Innovation Women", and Using Humor to Tell Your Story
Let’s Make Something Happen”. Today’s woman dreamer, Bobbie Carlton is the founder of Mass Innovation Nights, Innovation Women, and Carlton PR & Marketing. With a passion for entrepreneurship, marketing, public speaking, and PR, she is a woman of many talents. Bobbie’s Mass Innovation Nights have showcased thousands of products and raised billions in funding. She is also a strong advocate for bringing women into public speaking roles. With the majority of public speakers being male, she seeks to create a gender equity on stage. In this interview, Bobbie shares the story behind her many ventures, her passion for public speaking, the power of using humor to tell your story, and her dream to empower women entrepreneurs globally.
1. Tell us your story. What inspired you to pursue the world of entrepreneurship, PR, & marketing, and what were some challenges or interesting experiences you faced along the way?
“Some days I feel like my current business/life was entirely accidental. Other days I look back and it all makes perfect sense. ”
Some days I feel like my current business/life was entirely accidental. Other days I look back and it all makes perfect sense. I began my career on the media side, writing for newspapers and working in radio news before realizing “Hmm, the PR people always seem to have all the answers” and switching sides. I worked in agencies and in-house (for 2 publicly-held enterprise software companies) before being enticed into the startup world where I was able to officially expand my purview to all things marketing.
Then the economy fell off a cliff in 2008 and I was out of work with a stay-at-home spouse, two kids, a mortgage and little in the way of savings. There were no jobs to be had so it was a forgone conclusion that I would hang out a shingle and start offering PR and marketing services as Carlton PR & Marketing. (The lack of a creative name was due to my thinking I would “soon” go back to working for someone else.)
But social media was peeking over the horizon and I was intrigued. I created Mass Innovation Nights to have a place to experiment. The monthly new product showcases were a great way to demonstrate what was possible with social media AND help out local startups who couldn’t afford my services (and whom I couldn’t afford to help individually.)
“During these events, I noticed a disturbing trend – the people onstage looked the same – male and pale, and often the same male and pale speakers and panelists.”
The success of Mass Innovation Nights resulted in lots of personal invitations to events. (“Come! Tweet about my event, Bobbie!”) During these events, I noticed a disturbing trend – the people onstage looked the same – male and pale, and often the same male and pale speakers and panelists. Spend any serious time at events in a specific place or industry and you will almost always notice some people show up over and over again – often because they are good on stage but usually because they are “known.”
I started helping some event managers diversify their speaking slates but quickly realized this could become a full-time job (and I already had two!) I crowd funded the money to develop a platform to connect event managers and speakers and Innovation Women was born.
Fast forward to the summer of 2020 and I have added two more projects to my “empire.” I purchased MySpeakerLeads, another speaker service, and Lioness Magazine for female entrepreneurs.
2. You are the Founder of Mass Innovation Nights (MIN), a social media powered new product showcase that has launched more than 1500 new products which have received a combined $4B billion in funding. What inspired you to launch this venture, and what was the need you saw? How do you seek to empower women entrepreneurs?
Originally, Mass Innovation Nights was the result of my curiosity around social media and my position as a board member for the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation, the site of America’s first integrated factory – the birthplace of American manufacturing. The museum needed more visibility and more foot traffic, and our events helped on both counts. By filling the museum with members of the high tech community, I was seeking to construct a bridge between the past and the present while I built myself a sandbox in which to learn about social media and how it worked as a serious marketing tool.
Mass Innovation Nights isn’t just for female entrepreneurs – it’s for everyone. We do hold annual female founder events and were a part of the group that helped launch Boston’s annual week for women entrepreneurs – WEBos Week. In addition, our “all new products” approach includes products not seen at other local product showcases which helps diversify our platform – both launchers and audience.
3. You are also known for your humorous approach, and your "Let's Make Something Happen" approach. Why is humor and personal voice/connection essential to every startup and every woman's story?
The business world (and many people in it) tend to take themselves WAY too seriously. I work at the crossroads of the creative and innovative industries. Humor is an important part of both.
“A 2012 study by the Bell Leadership Institute found the two most prized leadership traits were 1) a strong work ethic and 2) a good sense of humor.”
A 2012 study by the Bell Leadership Institute found the two most prized leadership traits were 1) a strong work ethic and 2) a good sense of humor. My kids once told me that I am funny because I’m not funny. (They both agreed on this rather odd phrasing.) In my attempt to get them to explain what they meant the only thing I could figure out is that people find me funny because it isn’t expected. On the surface I’m somewhat serious and dry. I’m also silly and I love to throw in side comments when I am presenting to make sure everyone’s awake and paying attention. During our 100th event, a blow-out at the Museum of Science, one of my cousins was in town and was surprised to be informed that I was considered ‘hilarious’ by the person sitting next to her.
Innovation Nights has to be entertaining – it’s business networking, a new product showcase AND a party. It has to be fun and enjoyable for people to come back month-after-month, year-after-year. We try to guide the companies to telling their story versus talking about the deep techy details that only people in their industry might know or care about. We feature those stories to capture the audience’s imagination and get them to share it with someone else. “Did you know…” “Did you hear about…”
“Successful businesspeople can tell a good story. When you talk about your company’s origin story or ah ha moment, see what lines get a laugh. ”
Successful businesspeople can tell a good story. It helps them gain media coverage and social media share of voice and expand their reach without spending a ton on advertising. When you talk about your company’s origin story or ah ha moment, see what lines get a laugh. What part of the story gets your audience to perk up and where in the story you lose people?
4. You are also an advocate for bringing women into more public speaking opportunities, seeking to create gender equity on stage (2/3 speakers are men). How do you seek to do this, and what is your advice to women and organizations who are looking to share their voice?
Public speaking is an important path to thought leadership, credibility and expert status. It’s a way to connect with customers, partners, the media and investors. Without women and other underrepresented groups on stage (whether live or virtual) we are all getting brainwashed into expecting a certain “look” from our leaders.
Innovation Women was designed to make connecting with awesome speakers easy. Event managers can easily search the platform for speakers on specific topics or they can place a call for speakers and our speakers will apply to present. Originally focused on technical and entrepreneurial women, we’ve expanded to include all manner of business professionals. We also promote what our members are doing – showcasing their speaking engagements, awards, media coverage and books. This is an important part of becoming “known”.
“My best advice about public speaking starts with understanding the realities of the game. Understand how event managers choose their speakers and why they pick certain speakers.”
My best advice about public speaking starts with understanding the realities of the game. Understand how event managers choose their speakers and why they pick certain speakers. Understand the economics of tradeshows and events, including virtual events, webinars and live online events. Knowing these things can help you connect the dots and present yourself as a partner to event managers. Understand the differences between speakers, presenters and experts. Each one is appropriate to different kinds of opportunities.
Then you need to consider the foundation you have and what else you need to add to be seen as a credible candidate for the stage. What have you accomplished? What do you know? What have you experienced that no one else has? What question can you answer for the audience that Google cannot?
The next step is to treat public speaking as a craft. The best speakers prepare. They practice. They test and hone their material. They study their audience and their audience’s problems.
5. As a #Dreamcatchers platform, what is your next big dream?
The pandemic has created a new level of challenges for women and other underrepresented groups. Women, especially women of color, are more likely to have been laid off or furloughed, stalling careers and jeopardizing financial security. Meanwhile, according to a recent survey from McKinsey & Co and LeanIn.org, more than one in four women are considering downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce completely due to stress and burnout. Progress we had been making could be erased. The fight isn’t over – far from it.
I want to bring together the platforms I have created and the ones I have purchased to establish a path to equal visibility and leadership opportunities for women and other underrepresented groups.
Bio: Bobbie Carlton is the founder of Carlton PR & Marketing, Innovation Nights and Innovation Women, or, as she calls them, the day job, the night job and the dream job.