How did Forum Social House come about?
Noah: The three of us know entertainment inside and out after being in the industry for well over 3 decades combined. We knew Topgolf was the perfect partnership to bring into the fold, being more entertainment driven than strictly golf driven. Once we were able to secure that partnership, then we started perfecting our Par1 Minigolf course. Icing on the cake was pairing those offerings with a top tier cocktail program and a food menu. End result: Forum Social House.
What do each of you enjoy most about the business?
Noah: Creating and the people. I love bringing an idea to life and seeing it manifest. There’s truly nothing like that feeling in the world for me. And being able to create with incredible people? That’s the good stuff.
Raj: Building the company we’ve always wanted to work for. Seeing what works and what doesn’t at other companies and being able to use that knowledge to our benefit in our own company.
Roger: Entertainment. It’s been a huge part of my career, and being able to collaborate and build our own unique brand of entertainment is something I take enormous pride in.
How do you handle conflicts that may arise?
Raj: With mutual respect and self-awareness. We all know each other very well, as well as ourselves which is key in any partnership. It also helps to have 3 partners, and we each have a vote. So worst case we have a tie-breaker if something comes to a vote, but it never comes to that in all honesty.
How do you keep each other motivated and accountable in achieving business goals?
Roger: The beauty of the three of us as partners is motivation has never been something we struggled to find. Accountability comes with transparency, and respecting each other enough to know that if any one of us are bringing concerns to the table, none of us are offended by it or take it as some personal attack. We know each other well enough to know any concerns that are voiced are for the betterment of the business and our company and will never be taken personally.
What different strengths do each of you bring to the business?
Roger: We each have experience in just about all facets, but we defer to each other’s strengths when necessary. Raj is well versed in operations, accounting, and business analysis. I’m great with software integration, marketing, and nightlife. Noah is great with our culture, team development and hiring. And we all lend our skill sets to achieve a common goal together.
Raj: We each bring a different perspective and experience to each portion of the business. We know when one of the others has a deeper knowledge or insight and usually defer. We all understand that deferring to an expert in a field is important as we can never be experts in everything.
What advice would you give to friends considering going into business together?
Noah: Don’t just start a company because you're friends and want to work together. Start the company because you all have a mutual passion and love for what you’re doing. Believe in what you’re doing, and fill in each other’s gaps so no one partner is doing everything. A healthy balance, passion for what you’re doing and a mutual respect can take you anywhere you want in life.
"The beauty of the three of us as partners is motivation has never been something we struggled to find."