If you hang around anyone at Response Bridge – you’ll notice that we use the term “Carry the FIRE” quite a bit. People frequently ask me "what the heck does that mean?" So, I thought I would write my first blog post (EVER!) about it. It’s really pretty simple. Our core values are Faith, Integrity, Resolve, and Encouragement – get it? FIRE.
At Response Bridge we don’t want to be just another company out to make a buck, use employees to the detriment of their families, grind down our vendors, and do whatever it takes to get a deal - there’s enough of those. We strive to be a company with purpose, and in order to be that, we needed to know what really mattered to us – hence FIRE. Sure every company has a set of “values” whether they are expressly stated or not – but around here it’s serious and we hold each other accountable and ask for your help in this as well.
Here’s how they breakdown.
Faith leads us to put our trust in God and use the talent and experiences He has blessed us with to the best of our abilities. I know what you might be thinking. Does this mean that everyone who works at Response Bridge HAS to believe in God? Of course not, but I do suggest that currently your “faith” is being placed in something or someone. We just promote an environment that challenges you to answer the question of what that “something or someone” is, and more importantly why is it the object of your faith.
Integrity matters because it is the one measure that lasts long after the money is made and spent. Here we just try to always do the right thing, at the right time, and for the right reasons.
Resolve is important because business is just like life, there are going to be challenging times and how we handle those shows who we are. A strong resolve will carry us through the tough times, the deadlines and the inclines. We don’t give up – especially not on people.
Encouragement is the cornerstone of our principles and serves as the octane in all of our relationships. We desire to have an uplifting workplace and relationship with our partners. We understand that failure is an event. Not a person. Keep in mind however, encouragement is not always a pat on the back, sometimes it can be a kick in the tail. I heard it said best in this quote from A.T. Robertson. “None are more formidable instruments of temptation than well-meaning friends, who care more for our comfort than our character.” The times in my life that I can point back to as “turning points” are when someone cared enough about me to “call” me to another level. It’s been done by my parents, friends, and business partners. To them I say thank you!
The Mission of Response Bridge
Our mission is clear and concise: Carry the FIRE. Which means, take those core principles and put them into ACTION with every co-worker, partner, and vendor whenever and wherever we can.
Whoever knows me knows that I’m a habitual entrepreneur. I’ve started, run, and sold a few companies in my day, but after it’s all said and done, when I’d look back on it, I always asked myself what did we as a company or me personally really accomplish? Did we “just” make money? Or did we have an impact in the lives of our employees and other folks with whom we did business with.
So at Response Bridge, we want to be sure that we can be proud of our business for all the “intangible” reasons. We believe that it is important for our business to be a vehicle of change in the marketplace. To us, business is about people, relationships, and making a difference in the world we live in. Simply put, we believe that the best way to do this is to “Carry the FIRE” everywhere we go. It’s our purpose for existing. Who knows? Maybe it will catch on – I pray that it does.
What’s Your FIRE?
So, I’ll leave you with this. Whether you’re a CEO, sales person, teacher, or stay-at-home mom reading this blog, you’ve probably figured out what’s important to me, what gets me excited, and what really matters to me, so I have to ask you – What’s your FIRE? What gets you passionate, what fuels you? I believe we ALL have a purpose that’s bigger than the business we carry on. It’s been inside us all along, All we have to do is dig in, and find out what that is. I “e”ncourage you to do so.