The 60-Second Interview: Sally Forman
The 60-Second Interview: Sally Forman
Friday, November 27, 2009
Chris Rose
About a year ago, the Idea Village, a local nonprofit group with a mission of supporting small businesses, had the idea of putting together a promotional packet that highlighted the successes of New Orleans-area entrepreneurs over the years.
Scores of candidates emerged, New Orleans being more of a business incubator than one might think. From the past, there were the founders of Tabasco, Leidenheimer's Bakery and Dr.Tichenor's Antiseptic. From the present, there are the folks who brought us Naked Pizza, Basin Street Records, the Sucre sweet shop -- and dozens more.
Uncovering a trove of local business triumphs over the decades, Idea Village expanded the project into a full-fledged coffee table book, "How They Did It: Profiles of New Orleans Entrepreneurs." Local author Sally Forman was tapped to interview the entrepreneurs -- or their descendants, in the cases of folks such as Dr. Tichenor -- and compile a breezy volume of one-page, question-and-answer profiles.
The book debuts on December 3rd with Forman signing copies at Garden District Books on December 5th at 11 a.m. I talked with Forman this week about what it was like to immerse herself in the lives of so many men and women with the Midas touch.
Let's define our terms: What is an entrepreneur?
That depends on who's providing the definition, but I would say: risk taker, inventor, designer, barrier-breaker, visionary " for starters.
What is the key to being a successful entrepreneur?
Access to good talent, access to money, access to resources -- but also the ability to believe in your dream and have the tenacity to push it forward.
What's the point of the book?
The point is to showcase the entrepreneurs who helped build our city, those who are still creating great change in our city, and those who are most likely to be a huge part of the future of our city.
It's a little Chamber-of-Commercey, very rah-rah. Is this something people will want to buy?
I hope so, because the minds behind these businesses that are so synonymous with New Orleans are so interesting and intriguing.
This book seems to carry a big message of hope and optimism for the city.
I think so.
Since it's a book about successful business ventures, will its own success be measured?
It's really not important that it sell; what's important is that people understand what these entrepreneurs did for our city and what the future ones can continue to do for our city -- particularly if we support them.
I guess we'll find out once and for all whether or not good news sells.
I think this is less about good news selling than it is about people appreciating the colorful characters that made this city, are still living in this city and will help drive its future.
The book has a vaguely familiar format -- short questions, short answers. Seems I've seen that sort of thing before.
From the 60-Second Interview, of course.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
Actually, the format I went with is called the Proust Questionnaire. Are you familiar with that?
Hit me.
There was a man in England named Proust who developed a set of questions that try to quickly get to the essence of someone's soul. So I took the Proust Questionnaire, and I tweaked the questions a little more toward business.
And what was the result?
There is so much information about people who created these really large companies and who did incredible things throughout their lives, so the challenge was to take what they've done and whittle it down to an interesting, effective piece that is 1,000 words or less. The Q&A format seemed logical.
What made you go with the Proust format rather than, say, conventional profiles?
There were space limitations to a project like his. So, 10 or 15 paragraphs about these larger-than-life personalities were going to be a total miss. It had to be something interesting, quick, irreverent and different.
What's the secret to a good interview?
Getting the person comfortable with you, making sure they understand the purpose of your project and getting them to talk from a personal point of view about how they did what they did.
Who was your favorite interview?
All of the above. Each one had its own unique flavor, but each and every one is also so New Orleans.
Go out on a limb and pick a favorite.
I had so many. There was someone like Cosimo Matassa, who led me up this giant, long rickety set of steps in the French Quarter, and I was so afraid I was going to fall through the steps before the interview even began. And then I'm sitting there in the interview, and in comes Dr. John! And he sits down and pow-wows with us in his gravelly voice, talking about the old days at the J&M Recording Studio. How could you not love talking to these people?
What did you take away, personally, from this project?
I learned something so incredible: That 99.9 percent of these people -- I guess I should say "all of them" -- have a very humble side to them, and it made me realize that perhaps their humble beginnings provided a humility that never leaves them because so many of them are confident but not arrogant -- and that was wonderful to discover.
Final thoughts?
Aren't we lucky to be along for the ride?