LifeStory with Steve Gatt: Lifelong Entrepreneur

This is Steve Gatt! I met Steve after I moved to Atlanta when we both took the same improv class. Steve quickly became one of my closest friends here and has given me a lot of support and advice. I sat down with Steve on the latest episode of my podcast, LifeStory.

Steve was born and raised in San José, California. As a kid, Steve would repair old junk cars with his dad. Steve was always rolling up to school in a newly refurbished beater that him and his dad threw together.

In his early years, Steve had a bunch of odd jobs. Once he worked at Six Flags and got fired 10 days in for being too nice to a customer. Later, Steve worked for his dad and helped him renovate houses. Steve’s dad was so busy as an entrepreneur that these renovations were partially used as an excuse to connect with the family.

Steve worked for Home Depot back when the company was rapidly growing. There were virtually no safety regulations, and Steve fondly remembers climbing to the tops of storage racks without so much as a harness. Steve quickly ascended the ranks at Home Depot. His mentality was to learn as much as possible about every role in the company so that he would never get bored. Because of this, Steve was indispensable.

Steve moved to multiple different cities around the US and took many career turns. In Dallas, Steve was first exposed to gay culture and gay bars. After lots of partying, Steve realized he was gay.

Eventually Steve was promoted to head of the paint department. He got the opportunity to basically run his own business, managing his own team, and making purchasing decisions, all while working for Home Depot. Steve transitioned into IT and working with computers, and eventually met his first mentor who gave him his first laptop and helped him get his first job.

Steve met his partner Jimmy in an online chatroom. They dated for multiple years, and eventually wanted to adopt a son. Steve tells the story of having to find an adoption agency who would cater to gay couples, filling out mountains of paperwork, and then travelling to the Ukraine to adopt their son.

Currently Steve lives in Atlanta and runs a security camera installation company.

Steve has been a great friend and mentor since I’ve moved here. He’s taught me a lot about the practical side of entrepreneurship, and he’s even helped me produce this show. The first half of his LifeStory interview drops today. Check it out!