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By Brent Long

Celebrating the past, looking (forward) to the future

Fusion celebrated its 30th birthday at the end of September with an event in the Distillery District of Toronto. It was a humbling evening. So much of what I’ve written in my previous posts from this year literally came to life. The people, the stories, the reasons we’ve been around for 30 years.

There were faces from every stage of Fusion’s history. And from before Fusion, too. People that shaped me, my creative and technical know how, but more importantly who I am as a person. My “family” from Consumers Gas (which became Enbridge in 1998), cherished clients from our past and present, vendors who have become friends, and of course my real family, including my parents, my wife, and some truly special people for which the term “friend” really doesn’t cover their importance in my life. There is no way to fully convey what all of that support means to me. As much as it pains me to step outside of my self-deprecating mode, we must be doing something really right to be championed by such an amazing group of people.

“I’m excited about what is ahead. What we can do, and who we will be doing it with. Old friends. New prospects.”

The night was full of nostalgia; looking back. Revelling in the memories, experiences, and all that we’ve achieved. But it has brought about an invigorated feeling of inspiration for the future. A new level of confidence stemming from weathering a lot of different challenges over our three decades, or at least a preparedness for what may be to come. There are a lot of things that really haven’t changed, including our creativity, both in designing communication solutions, but also in how we execute on those solutions. Our focus on details. The shared belief that work can be fun, and the people that you do it with are so much more than colleagues. But an evolution has taken place. We are more experienced, more organized, more capable. We are far better suited to actually help our clients because we understand the process that is ahead of them. We partner up for bigger, more complex projects, collaborating for the win. This has been our biggest change in the last decade.

Our biggest strength going into the next 30 years is that we know who we are. Decades of experience has brought a clarity of purpose and an understanding of what drives us, and how we can create value for our clients (and ourselves). We’ve built trust and credibility with those in our circle by being reliable, stable, and above all else, authentic. Internal decisions come naturally (albeit with healthy debate) and we all work toward a common vision. With this confidence, we are able to focus on what truly matters, the people that we work with.

One of the questions asked during our video shoot was, “Where do you picture Fusion in 30 years?” Well, I’ll be 83 so… There is no way that I could have answered that question accurately back when I was 23 and the idea of Fusion was conceptualized at a New Year’s party with Norm and Lance. I know that Fusion is bigger than me. Sarah Prouse has been an integral part of Fusion for over 20 years. And Sarah Falzon almost as long. Natasha and Elmira are far from “newbies” at this point either. Our team is the strongest it’s ever been. And that’s saying something since we are all remote. I’m excited about what is ahead. What we can do, and who we will be doing it with. Old friends. New prospects. We hope that if you’re reading this, you’ll join us for these next chapters as they unfold.