If you ask Scott Bartnick how his up-and-coming public relations firm got its name, he’ll grin and shrug at first. Pressing him for an answer, you might expect a sophisticated, thought-provoking explanation. Instead, you’ll have to settle for a quirky but practical one that speaks volumes about Bartnick himself.
“We wanted to build the brand around an animal, a color, or a fruit because these concepts tend to sit better with people at a psychological level. Otters are charismatic, playful, and interestingly unique animals. We decided it would be fun to build around the otter name. I mean, who doesn’t like otters?”
There you have it. Bartnick’s marketing strategy made sure the name would be appealing “at a psychological level” by choosing a charismatic and unique mascot. Even though there doesn’t seem to be much thought behind the name initially, it couldn’t be more fitting eight months later. Otter PR with Scott Bartnick as its Chief Operating Officer is making a splash as one of the up-and-coming new businesses in 2020. Even better — it’s expected to do much more than stay afloat with a 7-figure year-end earnings projection.
How does someone get so lucky? Anyone who knows Bartnick can tell you luck has nothing to do with it. At the onset of 2020, when the pandemic devastated businesses — including Bartnick’s — many people threw in the towel and accepted defeat. But Bartnick has always possessed an overwhelming inner strength that fuels him in the toughest of times. He decided he had to keep going because he didn’t make it that far only to get that far.
Even as a kid, Scott possessed something special that kept him motivated long after others quit. He developed a keen sense of focus early on, which allowed him to concentrate on school work for hours. He had an insatiable appetite for learning, and that quality has followed him into his adult life, making him a force to be reckoned with when it comes to setting a goal and making a plan to achieve that goal.
Also, in his earlier years, Scott never seemed to settle for good or even great. He always had to be the best he could be. Whether it was attaining the high honor of Eagle Scout, making it through “hell week” at a wrestling camp his coach begged him not to attend, or overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges with dyslexia, Scott never settled for less than his best. The results speak for themselves. Certainly, Bartnick would have preferred his prior businesses to stay afloat. But without these devastating circumstances, he would not have been primed to create his crowning glory, Otter PR. For Barnick, a setback didn’t mean he couldn’t get back. He had faced adversity before, so he was no stranger to re-framing his path and designing a new goal.
Is Scott Bartnick all work and no play? Absolutely not! After sitting at a desk inside a Fortune 500 firm for three years, Scott decided he needed something more. So, in his mid-twenties, he quit a job many people would kill to get, and decided to travel. But don’t let this decision fool you. Barnick was still working; he just wasn’t sitting at a desk doing it. And he was working on projects that mattered to him like his first successful eCommerce venture The Five Day Startup. Leaving a secure job was a risk. However, Bartnick discovered it was a risk worth taking. Very quickly into his adventures, Scott concluded that seeing the world and doing meaningful work was his calling.
Through the shutdown this year, many people learned that working from home requires discipline and a plan. These are facts Bartnick already knew from his experiences traveling and working. Scott has always been a great proponent of having a routine, and in this routine, he makes time to live a life beyond work and never allows himself to miss a rewarding opportunity. Bartnick claims a work-life balance requires time management skills. By mastering time management, Scott can create his schedule and be flexible enough to have a healthy dose of life mixed into every workday.
Right now, Bartnick is still adapting to a whole new game plan, but all signs point to the fact that Otter PR will sustain the incredible success it’s had in its first few months. This success is primarily due to Bartnick’s plan that became a goal. And once it was a goal, Bartnick’s management skills and his incredible drive to scratch his entrepreneurial itch put Otter PR well on its way to exceeding Bartnick’s original vision.
Bartnick, the strategist, and leader, wants nothing more than to help budding entrepreneurs and seasoned executives reach their goals. And you can bet, when Scott Bartnick makes your goals, his goals — you’re going to get there.
