Forge News and Updates |
We cannot believe the year is almost over… And what a year it has been!
As we head into 2022, we rounded up some of our favorite pieces of wisdom and lessons learned from Forge Members and Building Birmingham Together guests. We hope these tips and tricks will help kickstart your new year!
Jacqui Jones of One Degree Marketing
- Find and understand ways to put yourself first.
- This is not selfish! You cannot pour from an empty cup. And you cannot be everything to everyone if you are not everything to yourself first. It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life that we forget to slow down and put ourselves first, intentionally. In business and life, know yourself, love on yourself, show yourself grace, know when you need help. When you put yourself first, you will realize that everyone else comes with you. Your people will be standing beside you and not behind you as you move forward.
- Surround yourself with like minded people that want you to succeed.
- This is what Forge is all about! Surround yourself with people that want to succeed and people who you can cheer on along the way. This allows us to help each other thrive!
- You can’t walk into a gym and walk out with a six pack; it’s a little bit every day.
- Unless you stop and buy a six pack of beer on the way home! But, this is a tough one- you have to stay committed. We cannot click a button and have everything turn out exactly like we want it to. There will be good days and bad days but as long as you stick to your why, push forward, challenge yourself, grow and learn, that will help you. Always continue to grow whether through meeting new people, books, or podcasts like Building Birmingham Together!
Autumn Sanders of Quire Consulting
- Have a name and convention for your files and projects.
- This may be minor, but it really matters! It will make such a difference when you are bringing in a new team member or trying to find something in a project. It might be painful to do, but it speeds up your morning by at least ten minutes because you know where things are.
- Learn from your past experiences.
- One moment can be key to your success so always walk into a room prepared for what could happen (and if things do not work out, use it as a learning experience!)
- Be consistent.
- There are so many things in life that we can never prepare ourselves for, but be consistent. Learn from the yes’ and from the no’s and then you can figure it out from there.
- Prioritize the “aha” moments.
- The “aha” moments happen everyday and we have to start prioritizing them. We cannot stare at the disco ball and chase every bright light there, but we can stay in tune with our consistency and organization and thus run a successful business.
Happy New Year!!
Forge News and Updates |
Fa la la la la! It’s that time of year! Our Founder and CEO, Kim, has a podcast called Building Birmingham Together, where she talks to business leaders about building and growing their businesses in Birmingham and beyond. One of the hidden gems of each interview is the book suggestions each person gives! We wanted to create a list of all the books that have been suggested, so we did just that!
Enjoy this compilation of books that have been recommended in Building Birmingham Together interviews, including two recommendations from Kim herself!
Use this gift guide to purchase a book for yourself or for the business-person in your life!
Books 1 and 2: Recommended by: Cindy Martin, Founder and President of Bham Now and The Bama Buzz
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster By Jon Krakauer
“A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw nothing that suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down. He was wrong. The storm, which claimed five lives and left countless more–including Krakauer’s–in guilt-ridden disarray, would also provide the impetus for Into Thin Air, Krakauer’s epic account of the May 1996 disaster.”
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People By Stephen R. Covey
“One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has captivated readers for thirty years. It has transformed the lives of millions of people worldwide.”
Book 3: Recommended by Pamella Phipps, Executive Director of Grace House Ministries and Jacqui Jones, CEO of One Degree MMM
Dare to Lead By Brené Brown
“I’ve spent twenty years studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, and I recently completed a seven-year study on brave leadership. The goal of Dare to Lead is to share everything we’ve learned about taking off the armor and showing up as leaders in a skills-based and actionable playbook.”
Book 4: Recommended by Kellie Clark of Innovation Depot and Deon Gordon, CEO and President of Tech Birmingham
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less By Greg McKeown
“In Essentialism, Greg McKeown draws on experience and insight from working with the leaders of the most innovative companies in the world to show how to achieve the disciplined pursuit of less. By applying a more selective criteria for what is essential, the pursuit of less allows us to regain control of our own choices so we can channel our time, energy and effort into making the highest possible contribution toward the goals and activities that matter. Essentialism isn’t one more thing; it is a different way of doing everything. It is a discipline you apply constantly, effortlessly. Essentialism is a mindset; a way of life. It is an idea whose time has come.”
Book 5: Recommended by Russell Hooks with Happenins in the Ham
It’s All in Your Head By Russ
“With chapters named after his most powerful and popular songs, It’s All in Your Head will reflect on the lessons he’s learned from his career, family, and relationships. He’ll push readers to bet on themselves, take those leaps of faith, and recognize struggles as opportunities.”
Books 6 and 7: Recommended by Kim Lee, Founder and CEO of Forge
Excellence Wins by Horst Shulze
“This book is a great reminder of how important it is to conduct all of business with a customer service and hospitality mindset. This book specifically addresses the way that The Ritz Carlton approaches hospitality in every single area of their business, but every lesson addressed in this book can be applied to any business! (And to any leader.) The book is also a great reminder of the importance of intentionally thinking through every system and procedure in your business and evaluating if that is really the way that you want to operate or if you need to put a new system in place that reflects the values of your business.”
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
“I love this book because it is a great reminder that as the leader of your business or organization everything really does fall back on you. It is written as an encouragement for leaders to be intentional about the way they set up their organization and run their teams. This book inspires me to take very seriously my role as leader of my organization and to be the best that I can be for my team and for my business.”
Happy Holidays!!
Forge News and Updates |
Tell us a little bit about yourself…
My name is Lauren Cushman I went to Birmingham-Southern College, where I played volleyball and majored in English. I graduated in 2016. I met my husband Wil while at college, and we got married in 2019. We live in Crestwood and love the cozy, artsy neighborhood!
Lauren is the Forge Marketing and Community Manager
What do you do at Forge?
I am the Marketing and Community Manager here at Forge, which means I do a little bit of everything.
What brought you to Forge?
My journey to working here at Forge has been so crazy! I was actually a member here at Forge in 2018. Shortly after, I started working in the coworking industry here in town. When I saw the opportunity to work at Forge come up, I jumped at the chance. I’m so happy to be here!
What are you looking forward to about working here?
I love the energy here at Forge. There are so many go-getters, and it’s so fun to be in the mix with so many amazing startups and new businesses. I feel like we are right in the center of Birmingham’s business growth.
Tell us about your pottery business…
I started doing ceramics in 2018, and it quickly grew into a business as I got more interest in people buying pieces. My cousin and I work together on Lemon and Vines. We sell on Instagram and direct to customers via our website, and we also do markets like ArtWalk, CahaBAZAAR and various pop-ups around town.
A dinnerware set by Lemon and Vines
If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you choose?
I would choose to be at home, working in my pottery studio. It’s my happy place and it’s where I feel the most creative and inspired. Then I’d go out for a great glass of wine at Golden Age with my sweet husband.
What is your favorite thing about Birmingham?
I love that Birmingham feels like a small town inside a big city. It seems like everyone knows everyone in some way or another. Another favorite thing about Birmingham is the art community. There are so many amazing artists in town and so many art events like markets and festivals. I also love that right now, it feels like we are experiencing a huge period of growth and business development here in the Magic City!
Member Spotlight |
We love getting to know more about our members and what they do for our community. Read more to learn more about Chris and the non profit he recently founded!
Chris Nam of Project Sunflower
What is the name of your business and what do you do within the business?
Project Sunflower: Founder and CEO
Why did you start Project Sunflower?
I wanted to bring joy and happiness to healthcare facilities and also give students in the medical route an opportunity to get volunteer and community service hours.
Chris and some of his volunteers!
What have been some of the biggest challenges so far?
Students signing up to volunteer and not being responsive, funding, finding the right people with the right heart
What is the most rewarding part of Project Sunflower?
Seeing the smiles on people’s faces, whether it’s the people making the bouquets or the ones receiving them!
Project Sunflower brings joy to healthcare heroes.
Where do you see Project Sunflower in 5 years? 10 years?
Our vision for this project is for it to reach hundreds or thousands of universities across the nation or even the world, so that we can spread the same kind of joy to those in healthcare facilities around the world, and not just in the city of Bham.
What is your favorite thing to do in Birmingham?
On a nice Saturday morning, going to golf with friends and getting lunch! Cajun Roux and Masaman Thai Kitchen are some of my favorite restaurants, as well as Seeds Coffee for the best iced chai tea in town.
An example of their gorgeous bouquets.
