7 values that drive our work

Written by katie test davis

When I meet a potential client for the first time, they often ask what our company core values are.

I love that question, because we recently gave Forthright’s values a spring cleaning.

I cooked up our old set of values back in our founding in 2019. In the interim, we evolved from a team of two (just me and Niki) to a team of 12 spread out across the United States.

We have now grown from our first handful of clients to more than 60 – and produced everything from advocacy campaigns to annual reports to talking points. We’ve also learned a lot about how we do client services, what sets us apart and how we like to show up in the world.

Our updated set of values, which I’m sharing below, are a combination of what those in the leadership biz would call “core values” (cornerstones of deeply ingrained principles we hold dear), as well as “accidental values” (values that came about more spontaneously and reflect our teammates’ personalities as we’ve grown these past four years).

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Here’s where we landed:

People First. We believe that people matter most – ours, yours and the people we work alongside in the communities we serve. Great relationships are at the heart of successful strategic communications, and we build ours with kindness, empathy, trust and respect.
Inclusive. Forthright believes in creating – and maintaining – open spaces where everyone belongs. Come as you are, work the way you like and have a real say. Simple as that.
Curious. We seek to understand and commit to collaboration. We always ask “why” and care about the big picture. During a project, we expect things will change and priorities will shift. We respond positively and share workable solutions.
Creating a better world for children and families. We are passionate about the causes we work for, driven by a collective vision of a brighter future. We like to do good, and we always have fun along the way.
Data and research-driven. Our recommendations are steeped in research, and we love to measure our results. We give feedback and create our recommendations based on the latest research on your issues and industry trends, knowing that an informed solution serves our clients best.
No bullsh*t. We believe clarity is kindness, and we aren’t yes people. At all levels, we are committed to asking for and receiving honest, gracious, transparent and candid feedback. When someone says jump, we ask if they’ve considered skipping, running or leaping instead, just to make sure we’re choosing the best option together.
We deliver great work. We do what we say we’re going to do, and we do it really well. We provide high-quality services to our clients, ensuring that we meet or exceed our partners’ expectations.