March 15, 2019
fwbusiness.com
Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly
PAGE C11
Adam Bartrom • 37 Employer: Partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP Education: Bishop Dwenger High School; Saint Joseph’s College; Notre Dame Law School Community organizations: Fort Wayne Trails (board member); Saint Vincent DePaul Church (parishioner/volunteer); pro bono counsel for GiGi’s Playhouse; former board president of Parkview YMCA; former executive committee member, Leukemia Lymphoma Society; volunteer coach for Wallen Baseball; Saint Vincent’s basketball and football coach Hobbies: Golf, fishing, hiking and trail running Why are you in northeast Indiana? Fort Wayne is my hometown. I was born here and this is where I wanted to start a family. It has been incredible to see downtown transform into a vibrant place for work and play. I look forward to all of the new and exciting developments on deck. What is it about your profession that you enjoy and why? Partnering with clients to achieve their goals through strategic thinking, competition, oratory, persuasion and personal relationships. What does success mean to you? Being the best husband and father
that I can be, providing for my family, enjoying what I do and having a lot of fun doing it. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A professional baseball player. But my skill set didn’t match my desire. This was exemplified when, while pitching in high school, I gave up a home run that still hasn’t landed yet. So, I shadowed Magistrate Judge Phil Houk for a day and decided that the law was for me. Where did your first paycheck come from, and what was your job then? Finish Line. At 16, I began working as a sales associate slinging shoes. I learned the meaning of add-on sales and what it’s like to work on commission — and that I could buy three Auntie Anne’s pretzels for $6. Who was your biggest supporter who helped you advance in your career? I have been fortunate to have many mentors throughout my career that have pushed me to heights that I didn’t think were possible, but my biggest supporter has always been my wife, Emily. What has been your biggest accomplishment thus far in your career? My biggest accomplishment has been building a successful and fulfilling practice by representing
a diverse and robust client base. I sincerely enjoy working with all of them. What has been your greatest mistake thus far, and what lessons did you learn from it? Failing to delegate. As a young partner, I initially struggled to distribute tasks to team members and was bit of a control freak. As I grew into my role, I learned to better delegate these tasks to maximize the efficiency of the team (and reduce my stress level). What are your current professional goals? To continue to grow a successful labor/employment practice with clients of all industries and have as much fun as possible doing it. How do you remain current/relevant in your profession? Hard work, strategic/creative thinking and embracing the advantages of technology. How do you balance your career, family, life and community service? Caffeine, a supportive wife and an understanding that very seldom does the urgent trump the important. What do you do to relax? Wine with my wife, goofing off with the kids, a trail run and golf with friends.
Zachary Briggs Sr. • 31 Employer: Visual Prime Studios LLC, owner Education: Homestead High School; IPFW Community organizations: Say Win Community Connection, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Summit Church Hobbies: I enjoy creating video production and writing music. Why are you in northeast Indiana? I was raised in Fort Wayne. I did not have the most glamorous life. In fact, I grew up in poverty, moved around from house to house, was taken away from my mom, stayed in trouble at school, was sent to jail and surrounded by violence. Amongst all of that, there was always someone in my corner helping me through. Different people, some friends, some strangers, but they were always in my corner. Needless to say, Fort Wayne has always taken care of me when I needed it most. Now that I’ve found success, I stay local to contribute as much as I can so I can return the favor. Unfortunately, I’ve also experienced hurt in Fort Wayne, but I believe I can use my background to impact the areas where I’ve experienced that pain. What is it about your profession that you enjoy and why? My love for creating video production is why I got in my profession, and remains my heart’s desire. As I and the company have grown, providing jobs for others with the passion for video as I do is most enjoyable. What does success mean to you? Simply waking up with the intent to walk in whatever you are purposed to do. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? When I was a child, I wanted to be an actor, writer, doctor, athlete, cowboy; basically anyone I saw on TV hat had better life than the one I was living. Although my career choice repeatedly changed, one aspiration remained consistent: I wanted to love the job I chose so much that I
would even do it for free. Where did your first paycheck come from, and what was your job then? My first paycheck was from Cold Stone Creamery — I was an ice cream scooper! Who was your biggest supporter who helped you advance in your career? For me it’s impossible to point names…It could be the person who first introduced me to a computer. It could be the boss I hated at Taco Bell that forced me to start my own career. I have several business mentors, aspiring friends and supporting clients, not to mention my talented mother! How do you choose one? Besides, the most authentic answer I can give is not a person at all, but God. His guidance has been endless on all my journeys and I would not have achieved anything noteworthy had it not been for my relationship with him. What has been your biggest accomplishment thus far in your career? My biggest accomplishment is creating a platform where I can inspire others to follow dreams and work at a job they love. What has been your greatest mistake thus far, and what lessons did you learn from it? Procrastination — it leaves no room for consistency. This has wounded my progress more times than I can count and is the most crippling barrier of trying to find success with anything in life. What are your current professional goals? My current professional goal is to continue to grow a thriving business so that it creates more opportunity for the nonprofit, Say Win, that we’ve started. How do you remain current/relevant in your profession? I believe if you take care of your city, the city takes care of you. While we have market strategies to reach our demographics, the key is still quality service to people. My clients help me stay relevant.
How do you balance your career, family, life and community service? I’m still figuring this out. It’s a question I confront with my business mentors religiously. It seems inevitable that something will always take priority. As of now, I just write a schedule to make sure nothing is neglected, at the same time being sensitive and flexible enough detour from the script in the event that one of them requires immediate attention. What do you do to relax? I love water and fire — small as a fireplace or large as the ocean. When I’m accompanied by those elements I’m good. What book do you recommend? “E-Myth” by Michael Gerber. Based on what you know now, what would you tell your high school self? Nothing, I wouldn’t want to mess things up for him. He is headed down the necessary path.
What book do you recommend? “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu; “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. Based on what you know now, what would you tell your high school self? Listen to your parents more, read CliffsNotes less, trust in God’s plan and enjoy the journey.