Forge Ahead > Episode 14

Cultivating Career-Defining Partnerships

With Don Strasburg and Sam Warren, the Creators of Icelantic’s Winter on the Rocks

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Cultivating Career-Defining Partnerships with Don Strasburg and Sam Warren, the Creators of Icelantic’s Winter on the Rocks

Don Strasburg, co-President of AEG Presents Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest, teamed up with Sam Warren, Partnership Director at Icelantic Skis, to put on the only winter concert at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. In this episode of Forge Ahead, Don and Sam talk about cultivating lasting business partnerships, building products that reflect your values, and why shared, in-person experiences are more important than ever.

Today’s Guests

What Don does: Don Strasburg is co-President and Senior Talent Buyer for AEG Presents Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest. Strasburg started promoting concerts in 1991 when he brought Phish to perform at Colorado College for Earth Day. Since then, he has become one of the state’s leading concert promoters and has helped establish venues such as the Fox Theatre in Boulder, Colorado, and the Mission Ballroom in Denver, Colorado.

Key quote: “Isolation is not something that the human species does well. Hermits [are] not something we are. We crave to be with other people… Live music is something that’s way more important than we’ve thought about. And I think now people are like, ‘I need this. I need to see my friends. I need to dance. I need to forget. I need to just blow off steam.’ And it’s a critical part of existing.”

Where to find Don: Twitter

What Sam does: Sam Warren is one of the first five team members of Icelantic Skis and a founding partner of The Pinecone Project, a brand experience agency. He has produced over 100 large-scale music festivals/experiences over the last decade, including Icelantic’s Winter on the Rocks—the only winter concert held at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

Key quote: “We just never attempted to be anybody that we weren’t. We weren’t trying to be the best skiers on the mountain. We weren’t trying to produce the most technologically forward skis; we didn’t have that technology. We did want to produce a really good-looking ski that was bomb-proof and you couldn’t break it. And we wanted to go have fun. We really didn’t care what people were skiing on as long as they were up enjoying the mountains. So I think that story is what’s propelled the brand to be where it’s at. Simply just being relentlessly, authentically ourselves and allowing people to connect with that and resonate with that.”

Where to find Sam: LinkedIn

Episode Notes

Eleven years ago, Sam Warren walked into Don Strasburg’s office and said he wanted to put on a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, but not during the regular concert season—he wanted to do it in the middle of winter. As Partnership Director at Icelantic Skis, Sam described his vision as a pipe dream born out of a love for Colorado, live music, and bringing their like-minded community together. And there was one person who could make it happen: Don Strasburg, co-President of AEG Presents Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest. It’s through their partnership that Winter on the Rocks was born.

“I remember coming into [Don’s] office and sitting down, and being so nervous,” Sam said. “Don’s a big note taker. So he was writing his notes. [He] wrote this number down on a paper and he flipped it around. And that number was how much [money] artists for Red Rocks was going to be. And he said, ‘That’s what I need you to make in sponsorship.’ And the meeting was over. I think the rest is history.”

A decade later, Icelantic’s Winter on the Rocks has hosted artists like Anderson Paak, Major Lazer, Damian Marley, and De La Soul. And it has endured the pandemic. Don says live music has become more important than ever. He says it isn’t just a way to blow off steam; it’s “critical to existing.”

What You’ll Learn

Partner with other visionaries

Identify other ambitious professionals who could help bring your idea to life and support your vision. You can leverage both of your resources, increasing your potential exponentially.

Build a product that’s true to you

Design products that are based on your company’s values. Having a defined, authentic mission will resonate with customers. Not only will it entice new customers, but it will also earn their loyalty over time.

Find ways to create shared experiences

Nothing can replace the emotions of experiencing a live performance or event with other people. Shared moments are important—especially during the pandemic when people feel more isolated than ever. Create opportunities for social experiences with your customers and team.

Episode Highlights

Top Quotes

Joining forces with other visionaries leads to one-of-a-kind experiences

“I think the most beautiful thing about Winter on the Rocks is you have this independent ski company with a bunch of people who were born and raised here in Denver. You have, in my humble opinion, the best music production promotion company in the world in AEG. They have this thing down to just about as good of a science as you can get. And you have a government agency in the city of Denver. And it’s this trifecta of a really unique relationship that otherwise wouldn’t come together… and that takes a lot of trust.” – Sam Warren

Cultivating positive rapport creates an enduring partnership

“We’ve had a lot of challenges. Weather is a big one. Sammy’s got to get people to shovel Red Rocks. That’s always a pleasure. But good partnerships tend to work. And you have your funny moments and you have your glitches, but overall you don’t make it 10 or 11 years without having a really good rapport and it continues getting better.” – Don Strasburg

Sensory experiences like live concerts can’t be replicated or imitated

“Look, live music can’t be replicated. There’s nothing like sitting with another person live. The energy you give to that stage comes back to you. You can’t replicate that. We’re just starting to touch the world of VR. We’re not quite to the point technologically, where you can really feel somebody else’s body warmth through a computer. But on the same token, there’s a lot of value to the technology that exists and the technology can offer people opportunities that didn’t exist before. At the end of the day, you cannot replicate the real thing. So I think the technology is cool, but I also think that the real thing isn’t at risk.” – Don Strasburg

Following your passion also requires you to adapt to challenges along the way

“The very first trade show, we brought out an entire ream of order forms in a teepee. The whole goal was to present ourselves as a company out of this teepee with one pair of skis that we were showing. We had one model. And we went to the trade show and [we were] showing off the skis. Everybody thought we were selling teepees. We didn’t sell a single pair of skis. But I think when you have that drive and you have that passion, there’s this innate feeling in your stomach that you can’t let it not work. And so being nimble and being dynamic as a part of it, for sure.” – Sam Warren

Building a strong brand relies on a relentlessly unique product

“We just never attempted to be anybody that we weren’t. We weren’t trying to be the best skiers on the mountain. We weren’t trying to produce the most technologically forward skis; we didn’t have that technology. We did want to produce a really good-looking ski that was bomb-proof and you couldn’t break it. And we wanted to go have fun. We really didn’t care what people were skiing on as long as they were up enjoying the mountains. So I think that story is what’s propelled the brand to be where it’s at, is simply just being relentlessly, authentically ourselves and allowing people to connect with that and resonate with that.” – Sam Warren

Humans crave in-person experiences, especially during the pandemic

“Isolation is not something that the human species does well. Hermits [are] not something we are. We crave to be with other people… Live music is something that’s way more important than we’ve thought about. And I think now people are like, ‘I need this. I need to see my friends. I need to dance. I need to forget. I need to just blow off steam.’ And it’s a critical part of existing.” – Don Strasburg

Career-defining conversations demand courage

“I remember coming into [Don’s] office and sitting down, and being so nervous, and not even knowing how to even intro a conversation. Don’s a big note taker. So he was writing his notes. [He] wrote this number down on a paper and he flipped it around. And that number was how much [money] artists for Red Rocks was going to be. And he said, ‘That’s what I need you to make in sponsorship.’ And the meeting was over. I think the rest is history.” – Sam Warren

Resources

About Velocity Global

Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its platform helps companies compliantly employ distributed teams and expand internationally through best-in-breed technology, global expertise, and scale. As the largest global Employer of Record (also known as International PEO) in 185 countries and all 50 United States, more than 700 brands rely on Velocity Global to build global teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. Velocity Global offers additional services including Immigration, Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce, and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors.

About Ben Wright

Ben Wright, Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Ben Wright leads the strategy and growth of Velocity Global and its hundreds of global team members. He applies two decades of experience supporting companies’ global business and remote teams. Wright founded Velocity Global in 2014 as a revolutionary way for companies to expand and hire across global markets. He is a recognized expert on the future of work and global expansion strategies. Wright was a national finalist for EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year. He holds a B.B.A. in Accounting from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.

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