Forge News and Updates |
Our friends at Bham Now recently published a story about all of the upgrades we’ve made at Forge! Read on to see the changes to our workspace.
If the luster of working from home has worn off, you need to know about all the upgrades Forge, the cool coworking space just above The Pizitz Food Hall downtown, has made to keep everybody safe. Want to see for yourself? Book a tour today.
Forge really has thought of everything to make coworking safe and fun for everyone. I talked with Kim Lee, Founder and CEO and Kelsey Sizemore, Marketing and Community Manager, to get all the details, including 20% off for any Bham Now reader who signs up for a full-time or dedicated desk membership. 👇🏽
So many reasons to *not* work from home
Pajama bottoms and sports bras aside, there are *so many* reasons any of us might be itching to get back into a more professional setting.
In fact, Kim and Kelsey said over the past month or so, more and more people have hit a point where they’re wanting to go somewhere—even if it’s just for part of a workday or workweek. Forge is the perfect solution.
Take a look at all the ways Forge has upgraded
1. Clear safety protocols leave nothing to chance
Forge came up with these Health and Safety Procedures a while back and have tweaked them to keep current with the times.
2. Nooks help you keep your distance while getting things done
Not only can you block out distractions in one of these new little nooks, but they come with their own remote control so you can select the mood lighting that suits you. Also, note the cleaning supplies above the power strip. Sort of like a mint on your pillow in these mid-pandemic times…
3. Different size meeting rooms allow for privacy
Sometimes you just want to be able to step into a room with a colleague and shut the door for a conversation you don’t want the world to hear. Private meeting rooms are perfect for those times.
Need to have a team meeting but your office is closed and Zoom just won’t cut it? Forge has new team offices that can accommodate groups of 5-6 with plenty of room for people to spread out.
4. Forge makes the coffee for you 🙌🏽
Part of the new safety protocol at Forge is a centralized full-service coffee station. Plus, this is a nice treat for anyone who’s been making their own cup of coffee for the past 5+ months.
5. Make client calls—or dinner reservations—in your very own phone booth
I have to admit, these private phone booths are my absolute favorite upgrade. Now the people who are on sales calls for much of the day, or those of us who need to do a quick interview, have somewhere secluded to go. ❤️
Forge has 3 membership levels
1. Dedicated desk, starting at $325 / month
2. Full time, starting at $189 / month
3. Community, starting at $99 / month
The community membership is new, and designed for people who don’t necessarily need to come in every day. You get professional mailing capabilities, the member rate on meeting room space and day passes, and access to HR benefits including healthcare, retirement, HR services and more. Pretty sweet for a small biz working to keep expenses low.
Find all the details on membership here, and book your tour so you can see for yourself.
What people who work at Forge have to say
He’s been a member since Day 1
“As a sole proprietor who’s been in business for over 15 years, I have been in every type of office set up imaginable. Forge, to date, has been the best.
Working alone can be isolating, but Forge offers a great community environment at an affordable price right in the middle of downtown Birmingham.
If I have a deadline, I have the ability to focus in on my work without distraction in my private office. There is also a vast array of businesses sharing this space…several of whom I have hired to help with marketing/ web site development, strategic plans, and accounting.”
John Wilson of Golightly Landscape Architecture
These two joined more recently
“Working at Forge has been a great escape from my home office. The space is modern, well designed, has a great community and I love that it overlooks the Pizitz food hall.”
Michael Crider of Semco
“Forge has been a great turnkey solution for our company. We were up and running on day one. We also enjoy the energy of a shared work environment while having the privacy of a dedicated office.”
Perry Still of HNS Partners
Book a tour now so you can see all that Forge has to offer for yourself.
Forge News and Updates |
We love Birmingham. We are committed to supporting our black community, black businesses and black entrepreneurs, and standing together against racism. We are sharing a few Birmingham-based resources that elevate black voices in our city.
Journey Through Black History at These Key Places in Birmingham
Bham Now has written so many helpful articles like this one for those of us who are seeking to help and support our black friends.
I Create Birmingham : Blog Series on the Create Birmingham Website
Create Birmingham plays a unique role in growing the creative sector, including performing arts, visual arts and crafts, culture and heritage, media and film, design, and culinary arts. The “I Create Birmingham” blog series started months ago but we love reading about the various creators in Birmingham. Read these posts and support black artists and creators in Birmingham!
10 Insightful Quotes from Southern Black Women
Like Style Blueprint said, “much of the journey starts with active listening.” Active listening can be the beginning of change! We were inspired by this list of insightful quotes from southern black women.
Support 17 Black-owned Birmingham Retail Shops + Creative Services NOW
Let’s be intentional about where we spend our money right now. A primary way to support the black community is to spend money at black-owned businesses. Thank you Bham Now for sharing this article!
And here are some organizations truly making a difference for POC in Birmingham and beyond:
Be Bhm
Be Bhm is a 20-week program designed to empower Black entrepreneurs with the business knowledge, encouragement, social networks and resources needed to be competitive in Birmingham’s changing and expanding marketplace.
blkLSTed
Be Bhm’s newest initiative is blkLSTed– a community building initiative and economic empowerment strategy for Birmingham that utilizes an open-source, collaborative, living and unapologetic entrepreneurial directory for Black-owned, Black-led businesses and organizations in Birmingham.
Woke Vote
Woke Vote believes organizing for turnout is most effective when you execute a series of tactics, in a targeted universe, with a consistent presence. Since their inception Woke Vote has drastically increased the percentage rate of turnout (in some targets by more than 45% and in all of targeted communities by at least 5%).
Urban Impact
Urban Impact‘s mission is to preserve the physical structure of the 4th Avenue Historical Business District, the only intact African-American Business District in the State of Alabama.
Jefferson County Memorial Project
The mission of JCMP is to memorialize victims of racial terror violence and expand our county’s understanding of past and present issues of racial injustice. JCMP is currently composed of over 40 community partners and a multi-racial, multi-faith, multi-sector, and multi-generational group of committed volunteers.
In conclusion, we hope these resources are just a starting point for you. We hope you will research resources on anti-racism, read more, listen more, support social justice organizations and also buy from black brands and businesses. We will seek out ways to continually amplify black voices.
Social Media |
We all know that our screen time has gone up exponentially during this pandemic- no judgment from any of us at Forge! We’ve curated a list of (Birmingham centered) Instagram accounts that are definitely worth a follow while we’re all staying at home.
@styleblueprintbham
Recipes from local chefs, activity and gift ideas, real estate listings and much more. Follow @styleblueprintbham!
@woodfinforbham
He’s our fearless city leader and he even makes Spotify playlists- Quarantine Edition! You have to follow Randall Woodfin!
@thepopcast
A hilarious Birmingham based podcast hosted by Jamie Golden and Knox McCoy- they always share their favorite books, shows and movies. And they’ve started podcast episodes focused on recapping Tiger King for their Patreon supporters. Follow @thepopcast!
@house.peace
We’re all spending a lot of time at home so now is the time for home organization projects. Tara Bremer started House Peace and she shares super helpful tips to tidy up your closets, kitchen cabinets and much more. Follow @house.peace!
@bhamnow
Bham Now is full of resources like local business guides, a list of restaurants with pickup during quarantine and where to find handmade face masks. Check out @bhamnow and give them a follow!
@ignitecyclebhm
Even though Ignite Cycle is closed due to the pandemic, they are still holding virtual dance parties Monday through Friday at 5:15pm! Give @ignitecyclebhm a follow to join in on the exercise and fun.
@birminghammomcollective
Birmingham Moms Blog is sharing about anything from quarantine friendly Easter egg hunts to free printables for your kids. If you’re a Birmingham mom who needs encouragement and tips during this ‘stay at home’ phase, follow @birminghammomcollective.
@happeninsintheham
Happenins In The Ham usually focuses on events around Birmingham but since the pandemic, they’ve found ways to help local businesses and still provide fun activity ideas for you and your family. Follow @happeninsintheham here.
@true40bham_downtown
If you want to stay active during quarantine, True 40 can help! They have tons of at-home workout classes for free (donations are appreciated) so give @true40bham_downtown a follow!
@blueroot_co
Blueroot makes some delicious food and during this ‘stay at home’ order, they’ve started Sunday Supper Club where they go on Instagram Live and teach you how to cook up a family meal. Do yourself a favor and follow @blueroot_co!
@cityofbirmingham
Last but not least, you need to follow the official account for the City of Birmingham! Look out for updates from @cityofbirmingham.
Forge News and Updates |
We love having the whole Bham Now team coworking out of Forge! They wrote this story on the history of Bham Now and why they choose to office in our coworking space. Read on!
Even if you’re a longtime fan of Bham Now, we bet you don’t know the story behind the company, what we do, who we are and where we’re headed. I sat down with Cindy Martin, Bham Now’s Founder and President, to get the scoop. Yes, I work there, so I’ll tell you the real story. Read on for all the details.
1. How Bham Now came to be.
According to Cindy Martin (CM), “Bham Now is Birmingham’s modern media. Our mission is to help connect people in Birmingham and to help celebrate the city’s renaissance by reflecting all the positive energy that’s happening in the Greater Birmingham Area.”
Where’d you get the idea for Bham Now?
CM: We saw a need in the marketplace from two constituents.
One is the general populace—I was continually hearing people say “I don’t know what to do in Birmingham; I don’t know where to go to find out what’s happening in Bham.” There was really a desire to know “how do I get involved.”
On the business front, we saw a need for local businesses to share their messages using content (storytelling, video, behind the scenes tours) because that is how consumers respond today. But businesses don’t necessarily have the resources or acumen to create content in a way that resonates or know how to measure effectiveness.
So we pieced those two things together to create Bham Now.
Much of the team works out of Forge now, but how did you start?
CM: At the very beginning, we all worked out of our houses. It was a handful of interns from local colleges and me with some tech support from my husband.
Planning for Bham Now started 4 years ago.
I had lots of media and internet business experience over the past 25+ years, and had given a lot of thought to what would be the next big wave in digital media.
Bham Now: In case y’all didn’t know, Cindy was CEO of AL.com from its founding in 1997 to its merger with state newspapers in 2012.
CM: When I spoke with a few people whose business acumen I respect, their input was “you don’t need a business plan; just start doing it.” This was some of the best advice I got.
What made you choose to grow your team at Forge, and how has that shaped the business?
CM: Kim Lee was getting the Forge co-working space started about the same time as Bham Now. Our younger team members wanted a place to meet up and collaborate and Forge was the perfect solution!
It has offered Bham Now a beautiful, motivational and collaborative environment right in the middle of the downtown action. You can tell from all the pictures in this piece and from our Instagram how much fun the team has exploring all things Birmingham. Forge is the perfect launching pad for all that.
Since Bham Now has been growing so much, it has allowed our rent expense to grow as we add people which is a huge benefit for a start-up company.
You don’t always know what your needs will be 2 or 3 years down the road. Forge provides options so you can grow as your business requires without taking on too much too soon.
2. We’re passionate about Birmingham.
CM: There’s a lot to love about Bham Now.
First, sharing the resurgence of Birmingham with new food, new bars, new jobs…Amazon coming to town…there are so many positives happening right now in the Greater Birmingham area. Instead of focusing on negatives such as crime and politics, we focus on what’s up-lifting. This positive energy begets more positive energy.
Second, supporting local businesses, being out and about and meeting so many business people in the Birmingham area—established as well as up-and-coming businesses. There’s a lot of joy from that and being able to provide a service they wouldn’t have otherwise. We’re locally owned and operated so we’re deeply invested in Birmingham’s success.
3. Bham Now is backed by a dynamic, creative and diverse team.
CM: I love working with our team. We have lots of young folks—watching them grow and having them be part of the development and growth of the company is rewarding from a career development standpoint.
Bham Now currently employs 19 people. Four work in business development and the rest are content producers, including writers, photographers and videographers.
4. Bham Now’s reach and growth are impressive.
CM: We reach over 30% of the Greater Birmingham market, which means more than 300k people in this market visit us every month. We have over 134k social followers.
The growth year over year has been tremendous, and we continue to look for talent to grow the team. We look for people who care about Birmingham and have a passion for media and creative excellence. A sense of humor helps too!
We have a unique business model. Part of the goal is to build a sustainable local media model and to create new jobs in Birmingham. So far it’s working.
5. Bham Now connects Birminghamians, businesses and organizations.
CM: Bham Now combines two constituents’ needs: the Greater Birmingham populace who wants to know what’s going on, what’s opening, how to get involved in local businesses and nonprofits, and the business community’s desire to share their story with fun, engaging content. We do all this in a way that reaches what we call “millennial-minded people.”
We have a pretty broad definition of “millennial-minded.” We’re referring to anyone who’s active, out and about and involved in Birmingham. We’re also thinking of the actual Millennial generation, which is poised to have the most spending power of any other group of people in the population across the country.
They’re also the future leaders, forming what Birmingham will be in the coming decades. While I’m not a millennial, I thought “why not partner with millennials who are up and coming and give them access to do it even better, with more knowledge, more resources and more info than we had.”
6. Our content provides value to Birmingham and to our clients.
Bham Now: One of the things you might not know about Bham Now is that we have a unique combo of about 30% “sponsored” and 70% “earned” media.
Sponsored media includes paid offerings where we work with clients to produce particular content campaigns for them. Earned means it’s not backed by a particular company. Here’s what Cindy had to say about these offerings:
CM: We’re continuing to expand Bham Now’s offerings to provide more value to the Birmingham population and to our clients. Examples include multimedia campaigns, with a full-time videographer (you can see him above, jumping into the rooftop pool at Forge). You can’t ever say you have it (marketing and media) with a checkmark. It’s a constant evolution and learning process, and I really enjoy that.
Our campaigns are more than an article—each Bham Now sponsored campaign is uniquely crafted for the client, backed by expert photography, videography and social media presence. Plus, it gets the secret “pepper sauce” of creativity from the Bham Now team.
There’s a lot of work across all of Bham Now’s distribution channels. We manage each of them uniquely to communicate with the audience in a way that’s meaningful to them. It’s different on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and in our newsletters.
Our 100% Google rating means that Bham Now’s content jumps right to the top when you search for something to do in Birmingham. It is also a benefit to our sponsors who see their content from Bham Now live through Google for a long time. And, 60% of our traffic comes from non-social media, which means it’s coming from Google, Apple News and directly to our site.
This is a really important point and distinguishes us from social influencers. In fact, one of our national clients came to us because the marketing software they use showed that Bham Now has the largest engagement across all channels plus the added benefit of search engine excellence.
Currently we have over 60 active clients on Bham Now, from local makers to large businesses like EBSCO to tourism companies like Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.
Because of this range, we have offers that cover the gamut, from one-time social campaigns to multi-year media consulting and execution.
7. You can get involved with Bham Now, too.
Bham Now: Of course you can follow us on any or all of our channels: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | Newsletter. Hint: You gotta try our newsletter. It’s fun and includes puppies. 😉
Write to us with story leads, to ask about sponsorship opportunities, or to let us know you’d like to work with us at hello@bhamnow.com.
If it’s exciting for Bham, you’ll find it on Bham Now.
Forge News and Updates |
Our friends at Bham Now recently wrote this piece about Forge member Ryan Robinett with Multiply.
No matter what business you’re in, sales is part of it. That’s why you need to know Ryan Robinett, Principal and Founder of Birmingham-based Multiply.
A firm believer that “good salespeople are built, not born,” Robinett helps companies do more than they ever thought possible with the sales teams they have. Check out Multiply, or keep reading to find out more.
1. Who is Ryan Robinett?
Born and raised in Mountain Brook, where he and his wife are raising their two children, Ryan’s an Auburn grad with an MBA from UAB. After four and a half years at Accenture, he spent 12 years with Computer Technology Solutions (CTS).
When he joined in 2006, “CTS was a smallish IT professional services firm with one office in Birmingham.” He played a number of roles while helping to grow the company to a thriving regional firm.
Before long, Ryan was head of the Birmingham headquarters, then went to start and grow a new office in Chattanooga.
CTS’ success was noticed by CGI, a multibillion-dollar corporation based in Montreal, who bought them in 2017. At first, Ryan served as a VP operating in four states, but found he wasn’t enjoying his work as much as he wanted to.
So, he did what any good entrepreneurially-minded person does: he pivoted. This is where Multiply enters the story.
When Ryan asked himself what he most wanted to do next, he realized he wanted to help companies scale using the three-pronged approach that had worked for him at CTS.
“I boiled it down to three things that I really like—putting people in a position to be successful, equipping people to be successful and then seeing them achieve personal results which create corporate gains.”
Ryan Robinett, Principal of Multiply
2. What is Multiply?
Whether it’s helping a salesperson succeed, building a thriving team or helping existing sales teams, Multiply helps companies grow.
Helping companies scale
“Multiply is all about helping companies scale, which solves a universal problem.
I’ve helped companies that have eight employees, and I also work with some of the largest companies in Birmingham.
I assist them with organizational alignment as it relates to their messaging, their sales processes and the human capital management around preparing their sales team.”
Ryan Robinett, Principal of Multiply
Want to learn more? Visit Multiply at www.askmultiply.com.
Year 1 was a great one for Multiply, and there’s more ahead
Multiply’s had a great first year, serving Birmingham-based public utility companies, research institutions, financial institutions and more.
“I was part of a team that built a great services firm and formed Multiply based on the things I liked to do the most while scaling that company.
I look at 2019 as my first year for Multiply. I started in summer of 2018 and moved to Forge in December 2018. My first customers signed in January, which made for a great 1st year.”
Ryan Robinett, Principal of Multiply
Years 2+ promise to bring even more success: one thing to look for is the rollout of a tech solution that will sit in front of companies’ CRM (customer relationship management) software, that enables companies to better equip and manage their sales teams.
3. While Ryan Robinett’s a one-man show, he’s not alone.
While Ryan might consider adding employees someday, for now, he’s the only member of Multiply.
Because he works at Forge, though, he never has to work alone. Located at The Pizitz, Forge provides shared workspaces as well as office spaces for small businesses.
“When I was working in an office by myself, I couldn’t wait to hire people because I was lonely. Now I still work by myself, but Forge gives me the opportunity to have a coworker experience.
The other Forge workers and I share our day—the good things, the bad things. It checks the boxes of not just working alone, and you have people you develop camaraderie with and enjoy being around.”
Ryan Robinett, Principal of Multiply
Ryan likes that his Forge coworkers are all in different lines of work than he is, giving everyone the opportunity to learn new things and bounce ideas off of each other. Robinett also credits working in the shared space for increasing his productivity.
“There’s a motivation when you see people every day, and you want to tell them that your day is good,” Robinett said.
4. Ryan Robinett’s Birmingham-area favorites
We always love to ask people about their Birmingham-area faves, and Ryan didn’t disappoint with the top three things he and his family enjoy the most about the area.
Restaurant: Parish Seafood & Oyster House in Trussville
Haven’t heard of it? Ryan and his family like it that way. Parish’s is a dress-down kind of place where they’re not likely to run into the types of people who like to be seen out and about, and the seafood’s great.
Outdoor spot: Fishing two miles out on the Gulf of Mexico in a kayak
We realize this is a liberal interpretation of Birmingham-area, but we’ll go with it—because for some people, the beach is, in fact, an extension of their back yard, even if you have to drive a few hours to get there.
Ryan’s basically happiest when he’s out catching sharks or fish bigger than his kayak, and yes, he’s a fan of the Netflix series “Chasing Monsters.”
You can also catch him fishing at Lake Martin.
Local sports: all things UAB and The Birmingham Barons
As the incoming President of UAB’s Alumni Association, Ryan’s a fan of UAB sports, period. Well, that and Auburn football.
Also, he went to the first Barons game at the old stadium in Hoover, and the first one at Regions Field.
5. Have you ever thought about coworking?
If you’re currently trying to run your latest gig out of your recliner or your kitchen table, you may want to give coworking a try in 2020. It just might change your life.
