Matthew Tripp

Matthew Tripp

Founder of Backsplash. Luxury marketing and representation for creative artists. It costs nothing to be kind.

At 13, I did an ab workout that changed my life.

Not because of the workout itself, but because of what came after. The adrenaline, the discipline, the feeling of having fulfilled something I set out to do. I loved that energy. So I set a goal: get a six pack. Every single day I woke up and made it happen. Six months later, I did.

Around that time I came across a YouTube video titled "What to do before you turn 18." It said to stop the video and go read two books: How to Win Friends and Influence People and Think and Grow Rich. I bought them on the spot and read them immediately. That was my ticket into entrepreneurship. From that day on, I knew I could achieve more, and felt like I'd escaped the default path.

  1. 13

    The spark

    Discipline first, then the two books. After those I started buying and reading every business book I could get my hands on.

  2. 2020

    Sneaker reselling

    The first thing I'd call a business. I bought limited releases from Nike and Adidas and sold them through my own eBay store, more than $20,000 in sneakers while still in school. On the side I shoveled snow, mowed lawns, and cleaned cars, anything to keep building. More than anything, it taught me I could build something from nothing.

  3. 2022

    E-commerce and drop-shipping

    It took about a year to convince my parents, and because I was underage they had to cosign on everything. I tested over 30 products, failing again and again, before I found one that worked. I was up until 2am fulfilling orders and optimizing ads, then awake at 6 for a workout before school. I learned marketing, content, and how to figure things out with real money on the line. I also learned that what I enjoyed was seeing other people succeed.

  4. 2024

    Founded Backsplash

    I picked an industry I felt I knew, kitchen and bath remodeling, and cold called. For four months I dialed 100 to 150 calls every weekday. My first client later brought me into his office as an intern, and onto the sites of his remodels. That work built my first client relationships and my company.

  5. Now

    Artists and the luxury sector

    Along the way I found what I actually love: the luxury sector, artists, and brands with real identity. Today my focus is positioning them, representing them, finding deals and opportunities, and moving toward the acquisition side of business.

Where it started
Holding the first pair of sneakers I resold Sneaker inventory laid out on the bed Early days Mowing lawns Shopify order notifications from the drop-shipping store A shelf of business books full of sticky notes Monk Mode whiteboard, April 2023 A wall of notes and lessons Whiteboard mapping a dream client's problems Smiling in front of a wall of vines Working at the table next to my dad Walking outside in a navy polo With friends at the reflecting pool in Washington Teaching video structure at a whiteboard In a tattoo studio with two artists Working at the airport gate Portrait in a cream sweater With my dad on the deck
Air Jordan 1s on the box Yeezys on foot Pointing at the camera by the fireplace On the riding mower Rich Dad Poor Dad, full of notes and tabs Notebooks and more books Monk Mode whiteboard, July 2023 Handwritten notes on building value Wearing a Tripp Marketing hat Talking through an idea On a video call at my desk With a tattoo artist outside his studio Selfie on the way somewhere Working from the couch on a snowy day With my mom in Chicago At a golf outing Portrait by the water

The same caliber of representation as the world's finest brands.

Backsplash is a brand management and production firm representing luxury artists. We partner with a select group of exceptional artists and build them into enduring brands: content creation, brand development, marketing, and luxury strategy, alongside sourcing the partnerships, collaborations, and opportunities that match the caliber of the craft.

The finest artists obsess over their work, and everything surrounding that work deserves the same standard of care. Substance over signaling, restraint over noise, and brands built to appreciate over decades rather than trend for seasons.

Work with Backsplash →
Matthew Tripp teaching
21,000+
Tattoo Doctor's following, up from 4,900, as he opened a second and third studio.
20M+
Organic views for Hitch Hatchet in its first month of content.
$40K
Hitch Hatchet's first-month sales, with zero ad spend.
Films

The story, out loud.

YouTube →
What I'm here for

I grow companies I love, work with brands I believe in, and try to be of service to others where everyone wins.

"It costs nothing to be kind."