We were lucky to catch up with Suzanne Scarano recently and have shared our conversation below.

Suzanne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with something countless entrepreneurs have had to figure out on the fly – how have you dealt with the rise of remote work?

When the business was founded in 2009, it was founded as a 100% virtual company. We embrace technology and require all team members to abide by easy-to-follow processes. We communicate frequently and ensure efficiency in all aspects of the business. The greatest non-obvious benefit has been loyalty. The team is so appreciative of the honor and respect and value that Forethought has for the quality of their life, that they are willing and able to go above and beyond to support the organization and are to see Forethought succeed and proud to be an integral part of that success.

Suzanne, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

While in Business school, I fell in love with marketing and strategy. And I am the type of person who thrives on diversity. Therefore, I always knew I would thrive more providing different organizations with my insights vs. working for one company. This is why I wanted to work on the marketing side in an agency type environment. After 14 years at a traditional agency, I realized that there was a different approach that could be more efficient and productive. That’s when I created the MAGIC SessionTM.

At Forethought, we provide communication solutions to encourage progress. And progress is different things to different organizations. In order to understand a clients needs and to ensure alignment within their team, we begin with a MAGIC Marketing Alignment Goal Implementing Collaboration Session. When clients have gaps with internal communication or need to reach their clients, we come in and provide those services. The Forethought three uniques are: MAGIC Sessions, Regularly scheduled touch points with a cloud-based agenda and tailor-made agreements based on the amount of time dedicated to your project. What we are most proud of is client and team longevity and having built a business for over 15 years with integrity and respect toward all with whom we collaborate.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

The critical success factors for the amazing Forethought team are: 1) living by quality core values, 2) being available to the team as a leader and friend and 3) finally respecting and honoring the quality of their lives.

Have between 3 – 5 actionable core values that speak to the integrity of your organization. Be the example by living them every day and bring them to meetings, discuss them, review and praise using the Core Values.

Part of leading is about being available to the team when they need you. You have the experience and knowledge and can guide them to what will best support in doing what is best for the organization. Empower them to be the best version of themselves and trust them to to the greater good for the business.

Finally, this is only one life we have to live, it is not a dress rehearsal. We should not be living to work, we should work to live. Remember that careers should only be a portion of our life and not rule our lives. And remind them of this to. Do not overwork your team, but provide them with the resources to do a great job and have a wonderful life.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Creating a Client Relationship process and ensuring the team follows this process has been valuable component of ensuring appropriate client connections and fostering brand loyalty. Additionally, every client is required to establish a regularly scheduled meeting calendar to review project timelines, track campaigns and plan for future initiaives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.forethoughtmarketing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forethoughtmarketing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForethoughtMarketing
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/forethoughtmarketing/