Reflecting on the 25th Anniversary of ROI Solutions, I can’t help but think about what it means to be 25. In some ways, it seems like we were just getting started yesterday. In others, a lifetime ago.
When I turned 25, I had just moved from Minneapolis to Boston to take on a new job as Director of the New England Region of Corporate Accountability International (INFACT) while still managing the Upper Midwest Region. At 25, I could take on the world for the right reasons. And we did. Shortly after winning an Academy Award for “Best Documentary, Short,” and with the impact on millions of people worldwide, we forced a major corporation to stop and withdraw its involvement in making nuclear weapons. It was a significant victory for the Peace Movement.
Working with several other nonprofit organizations along the way taught me the importance of good partners who are dedicated to the importance of the work being done by the social impact sector, and that led me to found ROI Solutions with optimism and hope for our future and the work you do each day.
The world has been through a lot in the last 25 years, and at ROI Solutions, we’ve measured our success not by our longevity in good and tough times nor growth but by the success and the impact being made by our partner clients. In that regard, we’ve only just begun. To quote Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia – “the faster a business grows, the faster it dies,” and we’ve always been careful about our growth and the work we take on in a way that does not negatively impact our clients’ experience in working with us and by staying true to our independence.
“The faster a business grows, the faster it dies. We decided on a growth program so that we would be around 100 years from now. So, all decisions were made as if we’re going to be around 100 years from now.”
Yvon Chouinard, Founder, Patagonia
When I think of being all “grown up,” I see that path in front of us, and that’s because our longevity gives a tremendous amount of experience and direction that few companies experience and that gives us the power to provide new and innovative offerings that enable you to change the world with your data. Believe it or not, I can see the next 25+ years.
Taking on the world for the right reasons.
This is the first in an ongoing series of You @ 25 blog posts where ROI Solutions staff, clients, and partners reflect on lessons they learned at the age of 25 (or through 25 years of professional work) that still guide their path today. Do you have a story to tell? Email [email protected].
