Happy almost Fourth of July! I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer so far. I wanted to use this moment to share a few updates across Partner Programs, highlight some exciting things in motion, and open the floor — because what we build here is always better with your input.
It’s hard to believe I’m nearly 2.5 years in. My role here has evolved in ways I couldn’t have mapped on day one — and I love that. What started as a focused position supporting one area of the business has grown into something much broader, touching Partner enablement, training, content, cross-functional projects, and more. Every day looks different, and I’m grateful for the trust that comes with that kind of growth. The CR team, for what it’s worth, is absolutely still stuck with me 😄 — but thanks to our fantastic admins keeping things running smoothly there, I’ve been able to stretch my skills into more areas of the BF machine. I don’t take that lightly.
A few things currently in motion: the BF Skool Community launch and a Partner Onboarding Training Series built to live in Skool; the Gain Share Training Series with Chris Franzen this July; launch of our new Affiliate newsletter The Connector; and a BF Print + Media Webpage Collaboration initiative helping Partners build or refresh pages that properly reflect their business and strengthen their positioning for BFAM and Gain Share. Full plate — but an organized one.
A gentle but sincere reminder about getting to the right people here at BF: please use the correct tickets and @-mention the right team members directly. Our team is built to handle things efficiently when routed well — so lean on that, and only escalate when you’ve genuinely hit a wall. That said, if you are truly in a pickle, you know you can always call or text me and I will do my very best to help move things forward.
One of my favorite things to witness this year has been real, meaningful collaboration between Partners — especially through BF Labs like the 12-week Foundational training that just wrapped up. Watching Partners share ideas, learn from one another, and genuinely connect in those sessions has been exciting. I hope we keep building on it and find even more opportunities like that — including in person. Please always send your suggestions; the best ideas often come from you.
Networking is a real growth strategy here, not just a buzzword — finding Affiliates vetted by Partners, attending events, leveraging ZoomInfo to surface synergies, and Partners simply supporting each other. I bring that same value to every relationship at BF.
Which is also why BF Skool matters. Life is busy — we get it. Between managing accounts, staying on top of carrier updates, and everything else on your plate, it's easy for content to pile up unread. Skool is designed to fix that. It's a central hub where you can access program info, training content, and updates at your own pace, on your own time — and the best part is the ability to keyword search so you can pull up exactly the article or video you need, whether you're catching up or looking for a quick refresher. The more we all engage in the platform, the more value we'll all get out of it.
What can we do to add more value to your experience as a BF Partner?
I mean that sincerely — we only get better when we’re talking honestly. Share ideas, wins, or even frustrations. And if you’re local or visiting SoCal: South OC Partners, please reach out — I’d love to connect in person. San Diego Partners, I’m happy to make the drive. Let’s find time. And as always, hope to see some of you in September when Joe makes his trip to SoCal.
On a personal note — before BF, I worked somewhere that didn’t exactly celebrate big ideas or cross-collaboration. It wasn’t the right fit. I’ll leave it at that and just say: I am genuinely grateful to be somewhere that does. Nearly 2.5 years in and I still feel lucky to show up, contribute, and build something real with people I respect. To every Partner and BF teammate who has been part of this ride — thank you.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July. I’ll be a little hard to reach July 13–20 — my kids play competitive baseball as many of you know and we have a tournament in Colorado that week. While I’m out, please reach out to the right team member, and they’ll take great care of you. Hope to see some of you when Joe visits SoCal in September!
With gratitude, collaboration, and a little sunscreen,
Carolyn