Highlights From Interview With Marty Odlin: Founder and CEO of Running Tide

In October, I had the honor of speaking with Marty Odlin, the founder and CEO of Running Tide. This was my very first interview, and throughout the twenty minutes, I was able to learn Marty´s process on building his company, as well as more about the sustainability industry. Marty was a pleasure to interview and I am very grateful for this opportunity!

To prepare for the interview, I came up with a list of questions to guide me through. I thought of my list as a guide, and not a script, so that the interview could flow more like a conversation, casually. I also made sure to research as much as I could about Marty, but also leave room to learn about him first hand. Directly beforehand, I was somewhat nervous because I had never interviewed anyone before, but when I began to talk to Marty, I became less nervous since he was very affable and easygoing. 

When the conversation began, I began to ask my questions. I first learned from Marty about his childhood and upbringing and connections to sustainability. Marty worked on boats with his uncle, and was exposed to fishermen who were running their own business. He then moved to an industrial company where he was able to travel to different countries. As time went on, Marty sought out a more environmentally focused job, where he helped researchers collect their data and further deepen his understanding of science. He then helped run his family’s business for five years, which was a very active job with a quick pace. I was surprised to see the wide variety of jobs Marty had, and what he learned from each one. 

Collaborating with some friends of his who were engineers, as well as his wife, he started Running Tide with the ultimate goal of performing large scale carbon removal. His wife understood the basic steps of starting a company, but overall the knowledge he had gained from previous jobs and small lessons was very helpful. 

Marty is hopeful for the day where all the plastic from the ocean is removed, and the carbon is significantly removed from the atmosphere. The day the “balance is reset”, is what sustainability looks like for him. Being aggressive and getting the work done now is what he believes in, and thereafter reaching that balanced point is where everyone can take a deep breath and enjoy where they've made it to. 

Interestingly, Marty recommends not starting a company, and says, “You should do it only if you have to do it.” The hard work and understanding that goes into creating a company is often overlooked, and it consumes all of your time. Marty defines his success as “meaningfully moving the world”. 

Overall, I was able to learn a lot about Marty’s perspective and process creating a company and working through challenges. I am very grateful for this opportunity, I had a great time talking with Marty, and I look forward to seeing how Running Tide further progresses.