Although he dabbled in standup comedy while pursuing his business degree UCR, work is no joke for Darin Barton ’04, who approaches every job with a serious intensity instilled in him from a very young age.
He was 14 when he got his first job, sweeping up hair at a barbershop. While pursuing his business degree at UCR with an accounting focus, he had jobs as a campus safety escort, working at a shoe store, serving on the university’s janitorial staff, organizing and officiating intramural sports. His hustle allowed him to graduate early — with a job offer waiting for him from Big Four accounting firm EY.
A comedy veteran once told him the mark of a true comic was getting booed off stage — and still being able to step back to the microphone. That never happened to Barton. But a series of entrepreneurial ventures after leaving EY reinforced the need to learn and power through adversity. Recounting the end of one business, he said: “We bit off more than we could chew and unfortunately had nothing to show for it, except a life lesson.”
That’s not to overlook the successes: Barton earned his MBA at Temple University, had a second stint at EY and held a position with the renowned global strategy consultant Altman Solon. Today he is back to his entrepreneurial roots and has launched a cleaning and maintenance service for homes and small businesses.
That business, Tackle Box Management, adds to his legacy of startups through the years, beginning with a successful e-commerce platform built with some friends. Other ventures included real estate, opening CrossFit gyms, launching a concept for a restaurant franchise. Some succeeded, others didn’t. Either way, Barton always looked for the lesson to be learned.
“I don't dwell on the bad stuff. I had to acknowledge some things were out of my control and some of the things I could have done better. Then you move on,” he said.
“I also don't dwell on the good stuff, either. I find that to be a little counterproductive unless there's a lesson to be learned about what did I do so well that I can take forward with me.”
‘If you’re going to do a job, do it right’
Barton credits his hard-working ethic partly to his nature and partly to his upbringing in Los Angeles.
His family’s nickname for him was “Little Old Man,” because as young as 6 he would wake up early, dress himself and make his own breakfast. The young self-starter also learned from his mother that any task worth doing was worth doing well — and if not, it had to be done over.
“I don't care if you were doing dishes, cutting the grass or playing in a basketball game,” he said. “She would say, ‘You could argue about this and spend more time doing it a second time, or just do it right the first time. If you're going to do a job, do it well.’ And so that’s just part of me and the lesson that my mom has instilled from an early age.”
It’s an attitude he brought with him to UCR.
‘Be willing to do the dirty work’
Barton said college is a time to grow as a person — not just academically but also by learning to uphold responsibilities, going to class and meeting deadlines when nobody is checking on you. Those fundamental skills are important not just in college but in career and life.
“My advice is to show up, be consistent, be reliable, set your ego aside and be willing to do the dirty work,” he said. “It may sound weird to say, ‘set your ego aside,’ but I’ve worked as a janitor, and I’ve worked as an accountant. There will be lots of times when you aren’t the top person. You never know what lessons you are going to get from that.”
Barton shared an example of the value of being willing to do the dirty work, a lesson learned from the newest business he launched.
Typically, he finds clients and assigns cleaning crews to do the job. But when talking with one of his crew members recently, the cleaner told him the job was bigger than he had quoted.
“I said, ‘You know what? I made a mistake. I should have quoted for more money. I should have booked two people to do the job,’” Barton recalled. He then told the cleaner he would join her on the job.
“I'm going to roll up my sleeves, grab the mop, grab the plunger, and let's go do the job,” he said. “That's going to help me have a better sense of how much time that takes now. So next time we get a job like that, I know what it takes.”
Being of service
Barton said his wide range of experience has helped him become “an expert generalist,” someone who can understand a situation quickly and see ways to make it better.
“Name the industry, if I haven't done it, I think I'm good at picking it up quickly and finding ways to be effective and efficient,” he said. “My whole thing is, how can you take something that's seven steps and make it six steps? How can you take six steps and make it five and then four?”
He also has learned the importance of offering to be of service instead of asking for something.
“When I am recruiting in consulting, my approach is to say, ‘Hey, I really want to submit my name for this opportunity. Is there anything I can do to help you out? Are there any projects you are working on where I can help?’”
One way he wants to help is by serving as a resource for UCR students or graduates who are just starting out. He invites them to contact him through LinkedIn or his website.
“I've had people along the way who I can look back and say, ‘Wow, I was really thankful that I've had these people there,’” he said. “I’d like to do more to pay that back.”
All joking aside about the ups and downs of business, Barton said that when things get tough it’s most important to keep a perspective of your goals and accomplishments.
“I have my frustrations. I worry about money and career as everybody else does,” he said. “But I have my health. I have two great, wonderful kids who are awesome and drive me crazy. I’ve got family. So in the grand scheme of things, I've got a pretty good life.”