The first thing you’ll notice when visiting Forge Worldwide’s modest Back Bay office are the people. They’re incredibly nice. Not just polite. Genuinely happy. And enthusiastic. They like being in the office and working on odd brands you’ve never heard of, as much as they like going home at the end of the day. That’s your first hint there’s something unique about this place.
The next time you visit you’ll notice that everyone knows their stuff. The creatives and account peeps know what good work is, and want to make more of it. And even though some have been in the industry for decades, there’s no bitterness about advertising. These kinds of people would be easy to work with. This kind of place would be pleasant to work at. A rising tide raises all ships kind of place.
Later, as you’re thinking about Forge and the people you met, you realize there’s more to this opportunity than meets the eye. And then it dawns on you, this isn’t just a place where you can make ads. This a place where you can make an ad agency. Where you can own your work, win the pitch, bring in the awards, and when the time is right, demand they hire a barista and buy a ping-pong table (because that’s what an agency that’s made it does).
By the time they send you an offer, you know there’s only one logical move to make.