PARTNER > VENDOR

By: Peter Madden

I’ll never forget the first time I heard a certain word.

No, not the four-letter version! But it might as well have been. A few colleagues and I were in a kick-off meeting with a new client in their palatial offices. Smiles all around and much work to be done. And then their CMO casually uttered it in reference to the ‘Cat: Vendor.

VENDOR.

Sigh. The smile left my face in an instant. The word conjured up images of myself as a teenager, dropping coins into a boxy metal machine and pulling on a knob to get some candy (yes, I’m dating myself, but a shoutout to my Gen X friends, regardless!).

If only the “V” word was as sweet as a Reese’s. And to keep the candy theme going, no I’m not made of cinnamon and sugar but DAMN, I hate that word. It screams transactional. It shouts “check the box.” It frankly takes the air out of the room for me. And yes, I’m aware this is about business, so no, I don’t expect to be instant friends with clients, though this always happens organically after spending so much time with each other on projects, in meetings, on calls, and more.

Every Cat knows this word is forbidden at our HQ, The Treehouse. Whether speaking about a client, printer, media buyer, trade show booth business, it’s always PARTNER. And not in a rosy-cheeked, saccharin manner. It’s simply the truth. Whereas Vendor speaks to the aforementioned transaction, Partner as a word says so much more.

It stands for Trust. It stands for Candor. It’s symbolic and points to how we are in the trenches together. That we will have triumphs together we can all celebrate. And yes, there will be challenging days where we need to rise to the occasion – together.

So, while I was musing this little blog, I did something I’ve never done before: looked up the history of the word Partner (yes, I used AI for some speedy research, but before you call me a hypocrite from an earlier blog, I still prefer in-person for meetings, Cats!). So here you go:

The word “partner” originated around the 14th century, derived from the Old French term “parçonier,” meaning “joint owner” or “associate.” It has evolved to describe someone involved in a romantic or business relationship, emphasizing shared roles and responsibilities.

Ahhhh, how my smile lit up when I read this definition! There’s so much meat to it. I especially love “joint owner” and “shared.” And that’s what it’s all about. Two organizations and their people “owning” the tasks at hand, sharing responsibilities, and when done with intention – making each other better in the process!

A friend in business asked me recently what kinds of companies AgileCat looks to partner with. To me, it’s companies who are wildly ambitious, who are going to challenge us as much as we challenge them – to think bigger, go further, with a consistent and dedicated effort – always. Who isn’t for us? The company that needs us to check the box. Logo? Check. Website? Check. Ad Campaign? Check. Blah.

No boxes here, please. Neither the metal kind with the candy nor the transactional varietal either.

Here’s to owning everything you accomplish with your partners – shoulder to shoulder. Merci, parconiers!