What I know about some friends of mine

There’s been some disappointing behaviour lately around these parts.  There have been things written and things hinted at which don’t line up exactly with reality. These things seem to be directed at my partners, Steve and Bryan Lewis. I wouldn’t normally bring it up, but these are not just my partners, they are also my friends.

I’d like to tell you a little bit about my friends.

I met Steve and Bryan about 10 years ago, just before they founded Fusionary Media. Shortly thereafter they asked me to join them as a third partner. This was not a trivial decision for me, but it was an easy one because I had always wanted to work with people who were driven by the same desire to do great work – to do things better than everyone else.

We started out small and worked hard. I’d never seen anyone work that hard. We didn’t talk about profits or salaries or wealth. What we talked about was creating an environment where smart, talented people would be allowed and encouraged to do great work. This hasn’t changed much in ten years.

We’ve always had very high standards and expectations for the work that Fusionary produces. The painful part of working here is having to meet or exceed the high expectations – all the time. It’s a good pain, but not everyone can do it. It’s sometimes exasperating, but it’s ultimately worth it. You’ve seen our work.

Without this extra drive, without those two guys constantly editing, correcting, guiding and pushing to improve friggin' everything, Fusionary would be a good-but-not-great web shop. We would be wasting the talented team we’ve assembled (and it’s a very talented team) because even the best teams need coaching.

Our work is the result of Steve and Bryan helping a brilliant team of people produce to the best of their ability.

They do all of this while maintaining a level of honesty and integrity that always amazes me. It’s built in – hardwired. To suggest otherwise is to have completely missed the point. It means you’re just not paying attention.