An opera singer, an advertising account executive, and an organizational psychologist walk into a bar…
After the first round, the opera singer says “if either of you ever start a company, you should call it ‘Fortissimo’. Thirty years ago, that’s how the idea for Fortissimo first came to be with my brother, Rich, his best friend, Tony, and me. OK, maybe it wasn’t a bar, but it makes for a good set up.
Back then, Rich was a newly minted Philosophy grad turned advertising guy, Tony was an aspiring opera singer, and I was just finishing up graduate school. While we all shared a common love of music, we never really talked about what kind of company Fortissimo might be. We just always just thought that whatever the business, the name would fit—whether it was an accounting firm, HVAC repair operation, a coffee shop…you name it. The name always stuck with me.
Fast forward 30 years, Rich has served in numerous Chief Marketing Officer roles and Tony is a 30-year veteran soloist with the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. And for me, I’ve had the great fortune to accumulate a unique and diverse set of experiences—from Big 4 consulting, to building Talent and Organization Effectiveness functions in global businesses, and most recently helping start and grow a PE-focused Human Capital Advisory firm. Now, with all of that as prologue, I find a great opportunity to honor a 30-year promise to bring this wonderful name to life.
fôrˈtisəmō/. (especially as a direction) very loudly. Origin: Latin – Fortissimus. Very strong.
In music, fortissimo is the annotation instructing the musician(s) to play loud. In other words, “go big.” More than any annotation, it’s a mindset anchored in boldness, strength, passion, and provocation. It’s the finale in Beethoven’s 9th, the final 40 seconds in Puccini’s Nessum Dorma, and really anything from AC/DC. It’s the opposite of playing it safe or believing that good is good enough. When live, it’s less about what you hear and more about what you feel in your bones.
It’s what you get when that 120-person orchestra operates as one, but knowing how each person uniquely contributes. To play Fortissimo well requires mastery, judgment, and dedication. Just listen to any 7th grade Band grind through the 1812 Overture if you have any doubt. Last, but certainly not least, it’s also really fun to play at that level.
At Fortissimo Advisors, this mindset perfectly describes how we strive to partner with our clients, and more importantly, how we want our clients to achieve their success: thinking big, acting boldly, and looking beyond the status quo.