Digital Love Confessions: the Forum One Edition

I wasn’t looking for much out of that RFP review… certainly not to fall in love. But then I looked up from my notes and saw them. Bright, creative, engaging – I tell you, I couldn’t look away. I’d never met an agency like them. They got me. Embraced my issues. Yeah, I guess it was love at first site. And I’ve never looked back.

I’d been lonely for so long. Sure I had hired communications agencies, but none stuck. One-and-done, another disappointment. But then, they came along. Oh, I could tell they were different. They listened. They worked with me. They wanted to build something together. Something real, something meaningful, something impactful. They brought me bouquets of solutions and swept me off my feet with creativity. I could never imagine we’d be even happier together as the years went on.

I guess you know the ones like me. At all the big conferences, always meeting new consultants, bringing them in for short, meaningless projects and then never hiring them again. It made me feel powerful, but… Anyway, that all changed. It was the data that did it. Taking a good, hard look at my metrics – man, I realized I was doing lots of work, but not having fulfilling impact. Don’t get me wrong, it was hard to hear, but they made it easier. Talked straight. Knew the technology. Gave me good ideas – really creative ideas. Listened to what mattered. Who ever thought I – I! – would be with one partner this long. But they… they are special.

When I started out… wow! Just some big ideas and quality research and NO CLUE how to influence the world with them. Ahh, those were the days. So young and wild! Of course, they were with me then. I couldn’t offer much, but they gave me creative solutions that melted my knees and sent my page views racing. As my success grew, so did our relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I loved those boxes of WordPress plug-ins, but nothing makes you feel special like custom Drupal multisite modules, you know? And everything wrapped in an engaging, usability-tested bow of a user experience. I feel like the luckiest organization EVER!

Long ago, I was locked away in a dungeon of inflexible, outdated technology, banished from the face of all that was modern and useful. Many days I bided the time, making do with hacks and time-consuming manual efforts, knowing that others were out there, having more influence and charming the dashing funders. That final RFP was my last hope for a savior. My faith, though, was rewarded. They came galloping in, listened to my needs, and developed a plan to break me out. There were chasms to leap and walls to breach, but we collaborated and created and laughed, and in the end, we rode to freedom on that great, white steed of open-source technologies. Happily ever after.

I love that they push back when I have a bad idea. I love the way they make my content more directed. I love that they give me data to prove a feature isn’t working. And I love that they are the first people I want to talk to when I have a problem. And it’s not because I can’t hire someone else. I am here signing this contract because when you want to spend the rest of your career with a strategic advisor, you want the rest of your career to start as soon as possible.

What’s your love story? Share yours at #F1lovestories

Still missing that loving feeling? Check out the Forum One Personals:

Problem-solvers looking for long-term partnership

You: Full of brilliant ideas to address important problems. Looking for more impact.
Us: Creative. Data-driven. Innovative. Looking for long-term relationship of problem-solving. Let’s consciously couple.

Longing for impact and collaboration

80+ creative problem solvers seek important organizations for committed relationship. Desire for impact and willingness to collaborate a must. Let us complete you.

Happy Valentine’s Day from everyone at Forum One! Hope you enjoyed our loving feeling 🙂  #F1lovestories