Why I Trust Tensure: People First, in the Office and Across Cincinnati

I've never written a blog before, but this year gave me a reason to start. Between client work and a string of community events around Cincinnati, I kept noticing the same thing: Tensure showing up for its clients and employees, and people across Cincinnati showing up for each other. That connection has become part of my why. 

It starts with community

This year I participated in Big Brothers Big Sisters' Project Role Model alongside Ray'vone. Ray’vone is my 12-year-old “little” (not so little because he is taller than me). He was impressive on stage working the crowd and enjoying the attention. Even while walking with a bum knee, he strutted and modeled his outfit with an award-winning grin. BBBS is a program that reminds me how much a steady, caring adult can shape a young person's path, and honestly, how much they shape you back.

During the 50th Labor Day fireworks celebration, I attended Best Point’s gala at Rockin' the River Fest. Best Point supports kids and families across Cincinnati through educational and mental health services. Community members raised $825,000 at the event, a reminder of how much this city shows up for its own. 

The next week, I had the honor of attending the Sleep in Heavenly Peace event hosted by Christy Commerton. The idea is simple: no kid should sleep on the floor. They build beds and provide bedding so children can be comfortable and safe. There's something special about seeing the reaction of a kid who receives something so most of us take for granted.

And recently, I played in the Fifth Third/Project SEARCH golf outing. Project SEARCH helps young adults with disabilities gain real work experience and build toward careers. A round of golf sounds small, but the money raised and the relationships built open doors for people who deserve a fair shot. They're grateful for the support and thrilled about the work experience they gain.  

Seeing the long game

One of my favorite days this year had nothing to do with an event or a fundraiser. I went to a McNicholas volleyball match and saw many former players at their volleyball alumni event, now with their friends and families beside them. It hit me how far these adults had come, many of them older now than when I coached them. The girls I remembered were now grown women building families and careers of their own. And running around the gym were little kids who will be the next generation of athletes and community members. You could see the whole story in one room: where they started, who they became and who's coming next.

That's what investing in people really looks like. You don't always see the payoff right away. Sometimes it takes years, effort, time, wins and losses. But when you pour into people, it keeps growing long after you've stepped back.

It's about others first

At these events, the donations and raffle items can look like the fun part: a prize table, a few tickets, some friendly competition. But every dollar goes somewhere real. It's a bed for a child, a mentor for a kid, or a job opportunity. Not only are these donations going to support, but that work set them up for a bigger, lasting impact.

None of this was about Tensure. But it means a lot to me that Tensure's culture reflects the same values, and that the company will keep making a local impact on our employees and in our communities. And for me it’s important to see that in Cincinnati.  

Culture is what makes the network real

People talk about networking like it's a transaction. In my experience, it only works when there's a real culture behind it. When a company genuinely cares about people, the relationships you build at a golf outing or as a volunteer aren't a pitch. They're relationships. And those are the ones that last.

Cincinnati has a way of rewarding that. This city loves people who show up, and I'm proud to work somewhere that encourages it.

The same values, on the client side

What I saw at these events isn't separate from what we do at work. It's the same thinking, just in a different setting.

Project Role Model is about showing up for someone and helping them grow. That's how Tensure approaches clients. We don't just do the work and leave. We teach, we coach and we make sure the people on the other side come out stronger.

Our work with St. Joe's is a good example. We invested in their people, explored technologies, learning business models and providing recommended solutions. This provided an opportunity that could drive a bigger /continued impact. The engagement has wrapped up, but the relationship hasn't. We're still talking, still trading ideas and still moving things forward together. Just like those former players coming back to the gym, the best client relationships don't end when the engagement does. Knowledge is meant to be shared, and it means more when it sticks. 

Clients want the same thing from us: work that holds up, and a partner who stands behind it with real support when things get hard.

Project SEARCH opens doors by believing in people's potential. Tensure does that with talent. We bring the right people to the right problems, and we invest in them so our clients get people who care, not just people who fill a seat. One of my clients often says Tensure's talent is "problem solving and thinking, not just executing and checking boxes. Tensure does the right thing in all of our partnerships. Hearing my client testify to our intentions and actions, I know I can stand behind doing the right thing, versus trying to force-feed solutions just to chase a sale. I've seen that happen elsewhere, and it's not something I want to be part of.

And the "others first" mindset behind every raffle ticket shows up in how we make decisions and negotiate. Doing right by a client sometimes means recommending the simpler option, or finding a deal that works for both sides instead of just one. That's how trust gets built, and it's why clients keep coming back even after a project ends.

Why I trust our leadership

Trust isn't built with a mission statement. It's built when leaders make choices that match what they say. I've watched Tensure's leadership invest in people, in the community and in doing right by clients, consistently. When I see that, I don't have to wonder whether we'll do the right thing. I already know.

That's the kind of place I want to work, and the kind of city I want to be part of.

I believe there are countless ways to make someone's day a little brighter in our community. The same goes for our clients. Tensure can do a lot of good by solving real problems and doing what's right, and I want to be more involved in making that happen.