BIOGRAPHY
My name is J. Barrett (Barry) Hollister and, in addition to being the Chairperson and Host of the Entrepreneur Round Table, I have a lifetime of experience as a successful entrepreneur, business leader, mentor and guide to executive leaders, managers, and self-starting entrepreneurs alike.
But, as a young man, I didn’t dream of guiding companies toward financial success or helping professionals achieve their personal goals. I had simpler things on my mind: I just wanted to ski.
Fortunately, my upbringing taught me how investing in my passions could determine and support a profession. I was raised in an environment where the wisdom of my parents and early mentors guided me towards entering the entrepreneurial world. I learned early the importance of bringing personal and professional interests into harmony. Ultimately, I parlayed my experiences as a successful ski instructor at some of North America’s finest ski schools into a communications career that – I’ve been told – changed an industry.
In the mid-60s I founded Ski America Enterprises, Inc., a distribution service for ski-resort brochures, the primary advertising and communication tool of the industry at the time. From humble beginnings in San Francisco, California, Ski America expanded its network of ski shop and department store based retail-floor displays nationwide. Relocating to Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, Ski America expanded its reach and influence with the introduction of Ski America magazine. As a specialized and industry dedicated communications system, we were able to help the ski industry weather difficult times through the 70s thanks to innovations including a computerized discount lift-ticketing system and an expanded communications network.
Building on this success, I became an early promoter of freestyle skiing as showcased on ABC Wide World of Sports (which recognized me “a creative genius” for contributions to the production of freestyle events.) I was the producer, director and narrator of a nationally toured ski deck show including World Champion Freestyle Skiers culminating with a televised NFL half-time show. I earned a place as an announcer and commentator for on-the-hill World Championship skiing events throughout the 70s and 80s – a career that included department-head and announcing duties at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics and the 1989 World Championships in Vail Colorado.
In the early nineties Ski America introduced the Ski America Interactive Marketing Communications Network into ski shops. A custom in-store individualized ski-shop television network and fully automated ski-lift ticketing system for the in-store purchase of value-priced tickets to resorts nationwide. Ski America’s digital innovation was called “proof you can make money with kiosks,” by industry leader IBM that showcased the featured the system at Comdex, the largest computer show at the time.
We were also quick to make use of the newly emerged web-browsing technologies of the early 90s by migrating the ticketing systems to be an early adapter of the Internet with a fully automated transaction-based website offering ski-lift tickets and vacation packages.
In the twenty-five year span of the ticket program, Ski America bought and sold more ski lift tickets to more ski areas than any other organization in the world and evolved from a small start-up company into a successful multi-million dollar user-focused business that became template both for its native industry and electronic commerce in general.
I graduated from the Owner-President’s Management (OPM) program at the Harvard Business School. Each year the Business School offers admission to 100 business owners and Presidents from around the globe through a highly competitive process. The program is designed for entrepreneurs. Professors laud it as the most sought after teaching assignment on campus because it is the opportunity for “working with the street-savvy leaders and innovators who embrace change and make things happen.” For participants it is a learning bonanza among brilliant peers and wise professors through actual business case studies and related discussions of shadow experiences and shared knowledge.
I was also EVP / Executive Producer and co-founder with my son, Jeremy, President / Creative Director of Plus et Plus, Inc., an award-winning Manhattan-based creative firm specializing in concept, design, live-action direction, production and editing and motion graphics in 3D, 2D and Flame for broadcast network branding, on-air promotions and commercials. Clients include NBC Universal, MTV, VH1, Sci-Fi, Food Network, ESPN, Jet Blue, Nissan, Volvo, Nike, Starbucks, Getty Images, Verizon, MAC Cosmetics, and Aveda.
Perhaps more importantly than all of these accomplishments, from my early days I got to ski – a lot. For over thirty-plus years, I enjoyed sharing with friends, clients and others the pleasures of sliding and carving our way down more slopes and trails at America’s finest resorts than I can remember. I probably did more business deals on chair lifts, gondolas, and tramways than anyone else ever, while savoring the lifestyle that surrounds it all in a days work.
As few have, I was able to convert my childhood dreams into business capital, an exchange that not only led to the creation of several successful enterprises, but also allowed me to play and live exactly as I hoped I would all those years ago. Working on a legacy project that will live on with my son was a rewarding bonus, another dream realized.
As a successful businessperson who transformed a passion into a profession, I’m now following another of my dreams, teaching; a passion I discovered as a teenaged ski instructor and excelled at as a leader. Much as I used my passion for skiing to transform my life and my industry, I’m now using my passion for teaching to transform the lives of others. Employing my life’s experience and wisdom gained, I now work to provide entrepreneurs and future leaders with the same tools to achieve their personal and professional goals.
These days, I still can be found sowing seeds and working where creations develop, trends emerge, and inspired people make things happen. At play, you can find me in the hinterland of the Berkshire Hills in Western Massachusetts with best friend, companion for over thirty years, and wife, Susan who also possesses a passion for teaching. In addition to Jeremy, our world traveling, adventurous children Elizabeth, Colin, and Kathryn are following their dreams, exploring and carving out a place for themselves in an exciting age of discovery.
For me today, it’s all about sharing my wealth of inspiration, instinct, innovation, experience, knowledge and wisdom with others and guiding them to the fulfillment of their own personal life interests. I just love to teach and guide and I’ve learned my lessons well.
