How Forest Green Rovers will impact Go Up for years to come

Tom Skinner and I launched Go Up ten years ago. At the time, I had left a job in magazine advertising, somewhat bruised by the outdated work culture. I took some time out and recognised how print magazines were being challenged by a march towards digital advertising. Tom was also keen to exit his advertising agency role focused on print advertising. We spent one night discussing our mutual experiences and the future direction of marketing and business culture and decided to launch our own SEO agency.

It seems obvious now but at that time we felt like new age mavericks. We were both committed to exploring new marketing methods and a new way of working. We discussed launching a business that not only embraced digital marketing but also a new type of workplace culture and leadership style. Being fair, considerate and kind were values that were really important to the both of us. We knew we had to work hard but we also wanted to behave like decent people.

I follow a doctrine that underpins the importance of doing good things and being an honest person. But this sense of fairness is intrinsic to both myself and Tom and it’s the way we’ve endeavoured to grow the agency. We began working with SME trades like plumbing and electricians. We achieved success and as we grew, embraced a wider array of UK and global clients including Diageo, Hackett, John Lewis and Pasta Evangelists. We hired a team (who were better than us!) and set up an office in the US. Things really took off.

10 years later – it’s a great time to reflect on many of the things that have changed us and challenged us but most importantly it’s a time to bring forward learnings and look ahead to the next 10 years. Our partnership with Forest Green Rovers will be fundamental in inspiring us to become a greener agency. And we’re not just talking about recycling in the office! In 5 years time, we want to have a client base that is 100% green, planet kind, carbon zero and socially impactful. We want to support the pioneers who are taking those bold, innovative steps to change the planet for the better. And we want to take those bold steps ourselves too. Helping to drive the success for green innovators and behave as like minded partners. A green manifesto led by our team at Go Up will ensure we do everything we can to reduce our impact on climate change, protecting this planet as much as we can for the next generation.

Launching our partnership with Forest Green Rovers means we get to support and draw direct inspiration from a sport and community enterprise that is incredibly visionary and brave. Chairman, Dale Vince bought the club over 10 years ago when it wasn’t fashionable to be vocal about saving the planet. It especially wasn’t cool or easy to make a football club more eco conscious. For me, Dale Vince is an unbelievable role model. A real evangelist who took risks to achieve his mission.

In simple terms, over the next decade, our ambition is not to harm the planet or people. But we want to do more. To become a cog in a giant wheel that’s a source for good. I want to drive forward a successful and profitable SEO agency that has a reputation for kindness. One that is fair to staff and suppliers – where people enjoy working. Our 10th year anniversary in 2021 will also see the launch of our Happiness Manifesto. Again it’s a team led initiative that puts our staff in the driving seat. They will decide what we need to do to amplify and maintain a positive workplace culture.

As we build our agency here and in California, the values will be the same. Luckily the culture of California absolutely suits our ambitions for being purposeful and green. There’s an entrenched business behaviour there that will support and inspire us.

Our mission statement is clear: Do Good Work With Good People For Good People. Being in partnership with Forest Green Rovers will help us achieve that ambition, keeping us focused and inspiring us to do better.