Member Spotlight |
MEET FORGE MEMBER, BRITTANI MEMBER Vice President of Digital Marketing at One Degree Marketing!
Read below to learn more about Brittani!
Q: What’s the last show you binge-watched?
A: The last show I binge-watched was Bridgerton (back to back, both seasons)
Q: Is there a product you can’t live without?
A: I cannot live without my headphones. I love listening to music and audiobooks too much to not have my headphones.
Q: What’s your ideal weekend in Birmingham?
A: I just moved here. So right now my ideal weekend is not having to unpack or organize something in my house. I am getting closer to that goal!
Q: In addition to your job title, tell us a little bit about what you do / what your company does.
A: I am the Vice President of Digital Marketing at One Degree Marketing. We are a full-service marketing firm that provides social media management, digital communications management as well as website design and maintenance!
Q: What is your favorite thing about Forge?
A: My favorite thing about Forge, besides the team and its members, is how close it is to my apartment. I save a ton on gas!
Forge News and Updates |
Fa la la la la! It’s that time of year! We asked some of our Forge Members to share what books they have enjoyed in 2022 that the business person in your life may enjoy!
Use this gift guide to purchase a book for yourself or for someone else!
The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business by Patrick Lencioni
“An organization is healthy when it is whole, consistent and complete, when its management, operations and culture are unified. Healthy organizations outperform their counterparts, are free of politics and confusion and provide an environment where star performers never want to leave. Lencioni’s first non-fiction book provides leaders with a groundbreaking, approachable model for achieving organizational health–complete with stories, tips and anecdotes from his experiences consulting to some of the nation’s leading organizations. In this age of informational ubiquity and nano-second change, it is no longer enough to build a competitive advantage based on intelligence alone.”
Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley
“There are lots of books about discovering or developing a vision for your organization, but this one is about making that vision endure the corrosion of time and complexity–how to make your vision stick. Influential author and pastor Andy Stanley reveals the reasons why leaders’ visions often falter, and he delivers 5 in-depth strategies so that you can dodge the pitfalls:
- How to state your vision simply.
- How to cast your vision convincingly.
- How to repeat your vision regularly.
- How to celebrate your vision systematically.
- How to embrace your vision personally.
Many of us have good ideas, even great ones. The difficult part is putting them into practice and keeping that vision clear and visible to your organization–whether that’s a business or a church–when there are so many things in the day-to-day living of that vision that can distract from it. Making Vision Stick offers valuable, practical tips and case studies. This is a book you’ll want to highlight and dog-ear and pass around as you learn how to propel your organization toward the vision God has granted you. Vision is about what could be and should be, but life is about right this minute. The test of a true leader is in keeping that vision on track, day in and day out.”
Book 3: Recommended by Drew Kirk, VP of Finance at AMZ Atlas
7 habits of highly effective people By Stephen Covey
“With Sean Covey’s added takeaways on how the habits can be used in our modern age, the wisdom of the 7 Habits will be refreshed for a new generation of leaders. They include:
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Habit 4: Think Win/Win
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Habit 6: Synergize
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw.”
The Doodle Revolution: Unlock the Power to Think Differently by Sunni Brown
“Sunni Brown was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business and one of the 10 Most Creative People on Twitter by Fast Company. She is founder of a creative consultancy, an international speaker, the co-author of Gamestorming, and the leader of a global campaign for visual literacy called The Doodle Revolution. Her TED Talk on doodling has drawn more than a million views on TED.com. Her work on visual literacy and gaming has been featured in over 35 nationally-syndicated news programs and reported on in The Wall Street Journal, CNN.com, the BBC, Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, etc. She lives in Keep Austin Weird, Texas.”
Book 5: Recommended by Jeremy Adams owner & CEO of Southern Heritage Consulting
It Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success by Rory Vaden
“How do successful people achieve results? In short, they do it the old-fashioned way, with focus and self-discipline. Popular speaker and strategist Rory Vaden presents a simple program for “taking the stairs”—that is, resisting the temptations of “quick fixes,” eliminating distractions, and transcending personal setbacks in order to reach your goals.”
Books 6 and 7: Recommended by Kim Lee, Founder and CEO of Forge
Excellence Wins by Horst Shulze
“Horst Schulze knows what it takes to win. In Excellence Wins, the cofounder and former president of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company lays out a blueprint for becoming the very best in a world of compromise. In his characteristic no-nonsense approach, Schulze shares the visionary and disruptive principles that have led to immense global success over the course of his still-prolific fifty-year career in the hospitality industry.”
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
“Combat, the most intense and dynamic environment imaginable, teaches the toughest leadership lessons, with absolutely everything at stake. Jocko Willink and Leif Babin learned this reality first-hand on the most violent and dangerous battlefield in Iraq. As leaders of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser, their mission was one many thought impossible: help U.S. forces secure Ramadi, a violent, insurgent-held city deemed “all but lost.” In gripping, firsthand accounts of heroism, tragic loss, and hard-won victories, they learned that leadership–at every level–is the most important factor in whether a team succeeds or fails.”
Happy Holidays!!
Forge News and Updates |
This week we celebrate 5 years of being in business at Forge. At the end of our celebration lunch I had a member ask if it felt like we had been in business one year or twenty. I actually had to stop and think about that for awhile. It definitely does not seem like the first year of business (thank goodness!), but it is hard to comprehend how five years have already passed. I remember signing the first five year lease on the opening day of The Pizitz Food Hall (in the space that is soon to be Honest Coffee). At that moment, five years seemed to be an eternity away! And somehow, here we are, five years later! When I actually pause to reflect all that we have accomplished over the last five years, I cannot believe how far we have come. The prominent thread through each accomplishment over the last five years is that there is no way I could have done any of this on my own. In honor of FIVE years, I have compiled a top FIVE list of my gratitudes for the ways others have been the reasons behind the success of Forge.
1. The Forge Team
First and foremost I am extremely grateful for all of the people who have served on the Forge team. Over the last five years we have had three Marketing and Community Managers, four Community Support Assistants, and eleven interns. These are the people who have made Forge such a wonderful place for our members to work, serving and building our community each and every day.
Kelsey Sizemore, Katelyn Foote, Lauren Cushman, Alex Ball, Ella Lee, Jenna Nielsen, Molly Grace Quinn, Maclaine Kuehn, Emily Jackson, D’Talian Poole, Claire Cassata, Pate Simmons, Jen Stone, Meghan Speckman, Sarah English Coggins, Brenna Truitt and McKenzie Mowoe, yall are truly the best!!!
2. Forge Members
Second, I am so grateful for our members, current and past! I am so grateful for the people who have chosen Forge as a place to work. I had a vision for what our community would look like and the way that our members would support each other. But the community that has actually formed is greater than I could have dreamed. Our best days at Forge are when we walk through the hall and hear Forge members helping each other tackle problems or hold each other accountable to their goals. We may provide space for our members to work, but our members are the true heartbeat of what we do!
3. The Birmingham Community
Third I am grateful for the support from the larger Birmingham community. So many people over the years have championed Forge either by recommending Forge to a friend or colleague, sharing a post, participating in a giveaway, leading a lunch and learn, hosting events at Forge, bringing your team to gather at Forge or using Forge as a place to hold meetings. I am grateful and proud to do business in a community that is dedicated to supporting local, small businesses.
4. The Coworking Community Support
Fourth, I love being a part of the larger coworking community. I have a great mentor who has walked with me through many ups and downs (Jamie Russo, you are the best!). And I have a network of other coworking space owners and operators and I lean on every day! I would not be where I am today without other coworking space owners who have given their time and wisdom to help me along the way!!
We’ve been hanging out on Zoom long before it was cool!
5. My Family!
Last and most important, I am so grateful for my family! When I started Forge, we had young children. Starting a business was a huge change for our family – this was a whole family commitment, mom, dad, kids, grandparents… Without the support from everyone, Forge would not have been possible. My husband, Murray, has been my number one champion and supporter every single day. Fun fact, Murray is now an expert whiteboard hanger! Grandparents pitch in every week helping us get kids where they need to be. And my kids have been such troopers through this journey! It has been an unexpected blessing to watch my kids mature as they have had to take on more responsibility with my days more busy. Even though they do not always like this extra responsibility, they know they are doing their part in helping Forge to succeed. Over the years they have cheered on every success with us and prayed with us through the really hard times. I could not do what I do without the love and support from my family!!
Those six on the front row are the ones who make it possible!
Thank you to everyone who has helped make Forge the thriving space and community that it is today!
Member Spotlight |
Tell us a little bit about yourself…
My name is Spencer Dixon, and I’m a recent graduate from the UAB Collat School of Business. I received my bachelors in Information Systems along with a minor in Entrepreneurship where I had the chance to work alongside multiple startups and local leaders in the Birmingham community. In addition to this new role at Forge, I am also on the management team at Warby Parker right here in The Pizitz. When I’m not working, I’m exploring Birmingham’s specialty coffee scene, hiking, and checking out local markets like Pepper Place and Art Walk.
What do you do at Forge?
I recently started as Forge’s first Business Development Intern. In the coming months, I’ll be working on member acquisition with new startups in the Greater Birmingham Area, optimizing conference room bookings, and working on various other projects for Forge’s short term and long term goals.
What is your future career plan?
With a background in Information Systems and Entrepreneurship, I plan on further developing my skills in data analysis and working towards an analyst role focused on growth strategy for startups. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my experience in Birmingham’s entrepreneurial community, and I’d love to start my own business one day.
What do you think is interesting about Forge?
Forge is a great centralized hub for startups, solopreneurs, and remote employees alike to network and grow their business right in the heart of Birmingham. Whether you need to have a large meeting for potential clients or partnerships or just need a place away from the home desk to get some work done, Forge provides access to a great variety of resources to promote productivity, community, and growth.
What is your favorite thing to do in Birmingham?
Exploring all of the different hiking trails around town! Red Mountain and Oak Mountain are two of my favorite places to go when we’ve got nice weather- which we’ve had plenty of lately. If you haven’t done the King’s Chair Loop at Oak Mountain, I highly recommend it. The overlook is one for the books and makes the steep trek up worth every step.
Is there a playlist or album you keep on repeat?
Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s “How to:” album is a long-time favorite of mine.
Member Spotlight |
Tell us a little bit about yourself…
My name is Brenna Truitt and I am a senior Entrepreneurship major at Samford University. I grew up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and plan on moving back to that area after graduation. I am the president of my sorority (which keeps me pretty busy) but in my free time I love to spend time with my friends and family, watch movies, and bake!
What do you do at Forge?
As the Forge Intern I work on posts for the Building Birmingham Together Podcast and run the Birmingham Coworking Collective Instagram account.
What do you like about being an Entrepreneurship major?
What I love most about being an Entrepreneurship major is getting to take classes in each area of business. I have an understanding of accounting, economics, finance, and entrepreneurship so It is almost like being all business majors at the same time.
What is your career plan?
My goal is to one day own a dance studio. I have had this dream since I was a kid and now have it as a long term goal. I know that having a successful business, like a dance studio, doesn’t happen overnight and that it might not happen in the direct months following graduation; so I am still thinking about what to do in between graduation and starting the studio. However, I am determined to make it happen. I have always loved business and the idea of being a business owner, plus, I have loved dancing since the age of three. Hopefully one day I can combine these two passions and have a successful business.
What do you think is interesting about Forge?
What I think is so interesting about Forge is the positive environment of all the members and the employees. Everyone knows each other and always stops to ask questions about their day or things going on. I have been here for two weeks and already feel so welcomed by everyone that I meet.
