THREE E’S OF INNOVATION -JEREMIE BACON
The things I love to do when I’m not at the office are the things I’d like to do forever. That ambition sparked my vision to build an innovative business centered on purpose, passion, and people. People drive innovation. Everything starts with positive leadership and highly functional teams: groups of high achievers with opposing personalities and perspectives that embrace and learn through healthy friction. In my experience, this kind of team is integral to building an organization that enables innovative thinking. When you get the right group of passionate people who are united in purpose into the same room, they can do amazing things.
Passion is essential for innovation. One key to success in business through innovation is building authentic products that service your target customers in novel ways. My business partners at The Forge – Chris Gladwin and Bart Loethen – and I created psychographic customer profiles around which we designed a business model that incorporates sustainability and social responsibility meant to bring good to the planet and the people who enjoy our parks. My vision for The Forge is tied to my passion for integrating targeted philanthropy and outdoor recreation into a company that does well by doing good. One innovation that helps us achieve that vision is baked into our core pillars: Exhilarate, Educate and Entertain – our “ Three Es.” The Three E’s are intertwined in everything we create, from our unique activities and attractions, to the guest experiences we try to foster before, during, and after visiting the park.
We’re endeavoring to build environments that drive our guests through a coordinated journey that immerses them in the Three E’s without realizing it.
Innovation must also have a purpose. It must lead to clear benefits. A business as a force for good – or, a good business in all senses of the phrase – must build a relationship with its customers and accompany them on their journey. The Forge Adventure Parks is trying to take the outdoor recreation industry in new directions. At the heart of our company’s purpose is the desire to create communities by converting underutilized or otherwise unusable spaces in cities and suburbs into spectacular destinations that can sustain long-term positive social impact and become gathering places for communities of like-minded people.
To me, innovation is about figuring out how to take what people have been doing, and do it differently to make it more accessible, sustainable, and inclusive while improving the customer experience. I believe that combining that framework with the right people, passion, and purpose is a recipe for success.
