What Happens After the Promotion?
Navigating the gap between achievement and identity—lessons from building teams across eight cultures, and why leaders need artistic rituals as much as strategic plans.
Read excerptRooted in experience, voiced through story
Barry is a Santa Fe-based writer and artist who previously led multinational retail and manufacturing companies across four continents. He now focuses on translating decades of executive insight into accessible storytelling, father–son dialogue, and visual art that navigates chaos and renewal.
Words on the page
Essays and reflections on leadership, identity, and how families build resilient creative practice. Barry’s latest writing blends the personal tone of a journal with the pragmatism of a seasoned strategist.
Voices across generations
The Malestrum podcast shares real conversations between Barry and his son Griffin about business, pop culture, and finding meaning as two generations navigate modern life.
Art in motion
From abstract canvases to sketches on the road, Barry documents movement, thresholds, and luminous color. Artwork here provides a visual counterweight to the written word.
Recent writing
Published pieces and drafts-in-process from Barry’s notebook.
When Your Son Becomes Your Creative Partner
Inside the Malestrum studio, Barry examines the father–son journey from coaching to collaborating, and the trust required to create on mic together.
Listen and readNotes Toward a Tactical Life
Fragments, scenes, and character sketches from Barry’s longform project that explores resilience, reinvention, and a family marked by secrets.
View the notesMalestrum: Conversations that bridge generations
Barry and Griffin tackle modern masculinity, media, and meaning in a weekly father–son exchange. The podcast lives at Malestrum.com with a growing community newsletter.
Start listening
- Latest episode: “Making Peace with Ambition”
- Subscriber-only essays from Barry and Griffin
- Live Q&A sessions with founders and artists
“Malestrum is where the Rutherford family stages its loudest debates and softest wisdom. Every conversation reveals how work, identity, and
compassion evolve across generations.”
Creative projects in flight
The studio table features manuscripts, screenplays, and multimedia experiments.
Interviews in the Past Tense
A narrative series capturing pivotal life decisions long after the headlines fade. Barry revisits entrepreneurs, activists, and artists he has known—and documents what changed once the spotlight moved on.
Read synopsisAdam’s Night
A coming-of-age screenplay about a young father balancing duty and desire during a single neon-lit night in Tokyo. Currently in treatment development with Rutherford Creative Media.
Explore the worldA Tactical Life
Novel-in-progress that fuses military family history, culinary tradition, and the unexpected tenderness found in intergenerational mentorship.
See draft notesStudio snapshots
Abstract color studies, travel sketches, and works exploring sound as shape.
Northern Threshold
Signal Drift
Portal Study
Santa Fe Coordinates
Advisory and collaboration
Barry advises founders, family enterprises, and creative shops through Rutherford & Company SF and the broader Rutherford Creative Media network.
Executive advisory
Strategic positioning, culture-building, and hands-on change management drawn from fifty years in manufacturing, luxury retail, and brand partnerships.
Creative development
Script and story coaching, concept development, and creative direction through Rutherford Creative Media.
Speaking & workshops
Keynotes and collaborative sessions on intergenerational leadership, building meaningful father–son dialogue, and using art to reframe strategy.
Stay connected
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