Please enjoy this guest blog by Isaac Bartholomew. As COO and Integrator at Bonfire Effect, Isaac has spent his career proving that love isn’t a soft leadership concept, it’s the operating system behind teams that actually execute. He believes clarity is an act of care, structure is a form of love, and the best-run organizations are the ones where people genuinely flourish. When he’s not helping leadership teams turn big goals into clear plans and aligned execution, he’s thinking about how to make great work sustainable.
— Bonfire Editorial Team
Love is in the air!
Hearts, flowers, chocolate—it’s February and Valentine’s Day reminds us to celebrate the people we care about.
At Bonfire Effect, love isn’t just a February feeling. It’s a core value we live by every single day. And I’m not talking about surface-level “we care about our people” corporate speak. I’m talking about something deeper, harder, and more transformative than most business leaders are willing to commit to.
Our core value “Spread Contagious Love” speaks to this mentality.
Most people think love has no place in business. I’ve learned the opposite is true—and I strive to live it every day.
I'm not talking about being nice, avoiding conflict, or making everyone happy.
That's not love—
that's people-pleasing.
Love is a leadership skill
Let me be clear about what I mean by love. I’m not talking about being nice, avoiding conflict, or making everyone happy. That’s not love—that’s people-pleasing.
I’m talking about what Marcus Buckingham defines in his book Love + Work as “the deep and unwavering commitment to the flourishing of a human.”
Read that again: the deep and unwavering commitment to the flourishing of a human.
That’s not soft. That’s not easy. That’s one of the hardest, most strategic things a leader can do.
It means caring about who your people are becoming, not just what they’re producing. It means asking “What are you loving about your work right now?” and actually listening. It means building systems and teams around people’s strengths instead of forcing them into boxes that don’t fit.
We believe this deeply: You can be ambitious AND care about people’s flourishing. In fact, WE have to.
How love shows up daily
So what does this look like in practice? How does “Spread Contagious Love” move from a value on the wall to the way we actually work?
It shows up in our 1:1s. I ask my team: What are you loving about your work right now? How can I help? What does next week look like? Not as a checkbox exercise, but because I genuinely want to know. I want to fuel more of what makes them come alive and clear away what’s draining their fire.
It shows up in how we hire. We don’t just look for skills—we look for people who want to flourish here. People who resonate with our values. People who want to do great work and be seen as whole humans in the process. We’re building a team where you don’t have to choose between being excellent and being yourself.
It means caring about who your people are becoming, not just what they're producing. It means asking "What are you loving about your work right now?" and actually listening.
It even shows up in how we engage with competitors and peers in the industry. There’s enough work to go around, and we’re not interested in a scarcity mindset. We’d rather build a community of people doing great work than hoard opportunities for ourselves.
And here’s what it costs: intentionality, vulnerability (Brené Brown says you can’t have courage without vulnerability), and time. Maybe this means choosing the harder path, but that doesn’t mean it is the wrong path. It’s easier to hire for skills alone. It’s faster to treat clients as transactions. It’s simpler to see other agencies as threats. But we’ve learned in this space and time; the sustainable, meaningful work requires love. And we’re willing to pay that price.
The Bonfire difference
Why does any of this matter?
“Spread Contagious Love” is not only a core value for us—we feel it is our differentiator.
Yes, we do exceptional creative work. Yes, we bring brand strategy, creative services, change management, and professional services under one roof in ways most agencies don’t. Yes, we solve complex problems for our friends and clients, but most agencies can claim the same thing.
But what makes the “Bonfire Effect” is this: the deep and unwavering commitment to the flourishing of humans—and we show up every day genuinely trying to live it out.
And that care isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s not a perk. It’s not what we do when we have extra time or budget.
It’s the foundation of everything we build.
When we lead with love, we get:
- Teams that trust each other enough to do bold, creative work
- Clients who become long-term partners because they don’t just feel seen—we see them as the heroes in this story
- A culture where people can be ambitious, excellent, and whole at the same time
- Sustainable growth—because you’re not burning people out to hit numbers
This is what’s possible when love isn’t soft—it’s strategic. When it’s not optional—it’s essential.
Love Is in the Air—And in the Work
So here we are. It’s February, love is in the air, and the world is handing out chocolates and flowers.
But at Bonfire, love isn’t a seasonal celebration. It’s the fire that fuels everything we do.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “That sounds like the kind of place I want to work”—reach out. We’re growing, and we’re looking for people who want to do exceptional work while being seen as whole humans.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “That sounds like the kind of partner I want for my business”—let’s talk. We’re building partnerships with leaders who believe that great work happens when people feel genuinely cared for.
Because here’s what I believe: the best work happens when people feel loved.
Not coddled. Not protected from challenge or feedback. But loved—in the sense that someone is deeply and unwaveringly committed to their flourishing.
That’s the kind of place we’re building. That’s the kind of leaders we want to be. And that’s the kind of fire we’re tending together.
Let’s build something meaningful. Let’s do it with excellence. And let’s do it with love.
