Introduction to Pete Larkin

Pete Larkin is not just a FinTech visionary, he’s a builder. Whether it’s building brands, businesses or doing big DIY projects Pete is always in the build. He’s the go-to-market strategy lead at Parlay, his latest FinTech startup and community chair of the Silicon Slopes marketing chapter where he’s building a community of marketers.

Under Pete’s leadership Parlay has seen a big increase in market presence. He’s led high impact marketing campaigns across the industry and has been experimenting with using AI to boost customer engagement and conversion rates at Parlay. He’s a big believer in data driven decision making and leading with innovation.

Outside of the office you can find Pete playing pickleball with his son, rock climbing with his daughter or mountain biking with friends.

Table of Contents

• Who is Pete Larkin?
• Current Projects That Excite Pete
• Tactical and Strategic Marketing Advice from Pete
• Where Does Pete See the Future Going in Marketing?
• How to Get in Contact with Pete
• Pete’s Advice to His Younger Self
• Books, Podcasts, and Leaders That Inspire Pete
• Conclusion

Who is Pete Larkin?

Growing Up in South Dakota

Pete Larkin’s journey begins in South Dakota, a place he describes as the best for growing up. Living outside of Sioux Falls, Pete’s childhood was marked by wide-open spaces and a sense of freedom that’s hard to come by in more urban settings.

“We had a lady, she’s super old. She lived literally right next to us, right next door. But aside from her, our closest neighbor was two miles away,” Pete recalls. This environment fostered a sense of independence and adventure in young Pete. He would often jump on his bike, tell his mom he’d be back by dinner, and spend the day exploring and playing with friends.

The family later moved to the McCook Lake area, where Pete’s backyard became a playground of endless possibilities. “We had this lake in our backyard,” he says. “We were not affluent, but we were rich in experiences.”

summers were spent swimming across the lake, building forts in the nearby woods, and living out adventures that Pete likens to a “Lord of the Flies” type of existence. Winters transformed the lake into an ice rink, where Pete and his friends would skate, play hockey, and build igloos.

Navigating Family Changes

Pete’s idyllic childhood took a turn when his parents divorced. His father, who had a successful career in South Dakota, made the difficult decision to relocate to Utah to be close to Pete and his siblings when Pete’s mother moved there. This move required Pete’s father to uproot his career at a time when remote work wasn’t an option.

The family’s journey didn’t end there. They soon moved to California, where Pete’s father remarried, bringing new siblings into the family. “Coming from a family of myself and four brothers, so five boys. And then all of a sudden my stepmom’s bringing in three girls and a boy. So now we’re a family of nine,” Pete explains.

Eventually, Pete’s mother moved back to Utah, presenting Pete with a difficult choice: stay in California with his dad or move to Utah with his mom. Pete chose to move back to Utah, where he found himself taking on significant responsibilities, particularly in caring for his brother with Down syndrome.

The Impact of Childhood Experiences

These experiences shaped Pete’s outlook on life and his approach to his career and family. “Now as I’m older, I step back and I look at that life and I’m like, dang, that was not normal,” Pete reflects. This realization has deeply influenced his priorities and decision-making processes.

Pete learned in therapy that almost everything he does that he really cares about derives from his desire to be a good dad and husband. “The jobs that I choose, the projects that I work on, how I spend my time – it ends up subconsciously or consciously being tied back to that,” he explains.

This focus on family and fatherhood isn’t about bragging or touting his virtues, Pete insists. It’s simply how his brain operates, likely stemming from a desire to provide his children with a different, perhaps more stable, experience than he had growing up.

Current Projects That Excite Pete

Exploring New Ventures

Pete’s current professional life is marked by exploration and experimentation. He’s involved in several projects, each allowing him to utilize different aspects of his skills and passions.

1. Parlay: Pete’s main job is working on this FinTech startup, where he leads the go-to-market strategy.
2. Fractional CMO Work: He’s doing consulting work for clients, providing high-level marketing expertise on a part-time basis.
3. Business Bricks: Pete is helping launch this company, which creates custom Lego sets for businesses. “It’s like Lego for the B2B world,” Pete explains. This project allows him to use both his analytical marketing skills and his creative capabilities in new and exciting ways.
4. Silicon Slopes Marketing Chapter: As the community chair, Pete is dedicated to bringing marketers together, helping them build connections and relationships. The chapter has grown to over 1,300 members and recently held its first marketing summit.

Experience Design Company

One of Pete’s most exciting new ventures is an experience design company he’s developing with his wife and a friend. The company aims to help organizations create meaningful, transformational experiences rather than just memorable ones.

“What I’m hoping to do is help individuals, families, organizations, whoever, take these experiences that they’re hoping to plan and create activities, whatever, and help them take them to the next level to actually reach their goals,” Pete explains.

The company will focus on designing intentional micro-experiences within larger events or programs to achieve specific outcomes. This approach goes beyond typical event planning, incorporating frameworks and science to create experiences that are not just memorable, but meaningful and transformational.

Tactical and Strategic Marketing Advice from Pete

Know Your Target Audience

Pete emphasizes the importance of understanding who you’re selling to. For new businesses without historical data, he advises:

1. Do thorough research
2. Ensure product-market fit
3. Solve a significant pain point for your target audience

For established companies, Pete recommends:

1. Analyze your CRM data
2. Understand the characteristics of your best customers (company size, industry, revenue, etc.)
3. Conduct qualitative research to understand why customers buy from you

Map Out the Customer Experience

Pete advises businesses to thoroughly map out the customer experience from initial contact through the sales process and beyond. “Try to really understand what they are thinking and feeling at every stage here and how can you make that experience really easy, really simple to consume and understand,” he says.

Be Transparent with Pricing

Especially for B2B companies, Pete recommends putting pricing information on your website. While this might lead to a drop in leads, it helps disqualify buyers who don’t have the budget, saving time and resources in the long run.

Balance Inbound and Outbound Marketing

Pete suggests focusing on qualified leads and supplementing with outbound marketing efforts. “Save yourself some more time in your day and go do a little bit of outbound, do some prospecting, send some LinkedIn messages, be cool about it,” he advises.

Experiment and Analyze

For B2C businesses, Pete encourages constant experimentation. “Go figure out which ones work the best. And it takes time and it’s hard. But be a scientist. That’s what we are. Marketers are scientists,” he says. He emphasizes the importance of testing different strategies and analyzing the results to find what works best for your specific business and audience.

Where Does Pete See the Future Going in Marketing?

Pete believes that as we continue to introduce more tools, technology, and artificial intelligence into marketing, there will be a growing hunger for more human connection.

“I believe that those who are really focusing more on personal human connection and more genuine interactions, experiences with people that build relationships in a more authentic way, I think that’s who’s going to win,” Pete predicts.

He advises marketers to:

1. Use tools and tech, including AI, but don’t overdo it
2. Focus on providing superior customer experiences
3. Emphasize genuine, authentic human interactions
4. Pay attention to all aspects of the customer journey, from website navigation to customer service

Pete believes that companies that can provide a superior experience across all touchpoints will be the ones to succeed in the future of marketing.

How to Get in Contact with Pete

Pete can be found on LinkedIn. He mentions that while he may sometimes be slow to respond to direct messages due to the volume he receives, he does eventually get back to everyone.

Pete’s Advice to His Younger Self

When asked what advice he would give to his younger self, Pete emphasizes the importance of savoring each moment:

“Don’t rush. Enjoy the day, and be intentional about each and every day, because it might be the last. If you can plan something that brings you joy today, that’s what matters. Ideally, a couple of things – make today count.”

Pete stresses the importance of not focusing solely on selling more or trying to retire earlier. Instead, he advises to design each day to be a good day. He believes that if you can do this every day, or at least a couple of times a week, life will be much more enjoyable. The financial success, he suggests, will be a byproduct of living a fulfilling life.

Books, Podcasts, and Leaders That Inspire Pete

Pete draws inspiration from a variety of sources, focusing on topics like trust, leadership, and experience design. Here are some of the books and authors he mentions:

1. Stephen and Mark Covey’s works, particularly “The Speed of Trust”
2. The Arbinger Institute’s books, including “The Anatomy of Peace” and “The Outward Mindset”
3. Matt Durden’s “Experience Design”
4. “The Power of Moments” by Chip and Dan Heath
5. “The Experience Economy” by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore
6. “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight

Pete also mentions the influence of David A. Bednar, particularly his teachings on work-life balance. Bednar’s analogy of an acrobat spinning plates resonates with Pete, emphasizing the importance of being fully present in each aspect of life, whether at work or with family.

These resources have shaped Pete’s philosophy on intentional living, experience design, and the importance of trust and authenticity in both personal and professional settings. They reflect his holistic approach to life and business, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all aspects of one’s life and the importance of living with intention and purpose.

Conclusion

Pete Larkin’s journey from a child in rural South Dakota to a marketing leader in Utah’s Silicon Slopes is a testament to the power of resilience, adaptability, and a focus on what truly matters. His emphasis on the human element in marketing, even as technology advances, offers valuable insights for marketers and business leaders alike.

Pete’s advice to “don’t rush” and to design each day intentionally resonates in a world that often prioritizes speed and efficiency over meaningful experiences. As he puts it, “If you can plan something that brings you joy today, that’s what matters. Ideally, a couple of things – make today count.”

In the evolving landscape of marketing, Pete’s perspective serves as a reminder that while tools and technology are important, it’s the human connections and experiences that truly drive success. Whether it’s in business or personal life, Pete’s philosophy of intentional living and focusing on what truly matters offers a blueprint for a fulfilling and successful life in the digital age.