When I founded Front Burner Marketing back in 2002, it was partly out of wanting to take back control of my career, and partly because I believed work could be done differently. I was coming from the world of big corporations—places with custom Salesforce CRMs, AC Nielsen researchers on staff, five agencies at the ready, and entire teams of web developers and graphic designers just down the hall. Starting my own shop meant trading all that for…well, me. Just me.
I wanted to build something different. A company rooted in real relationships, not just retainer agreements. A workplace that was exciting, supportive, and full of growth—for our clients and our team. But those early days? They were scrappy.
I stitched together a ragtag tech stack using whatever I could afford at the time—email tools, CRMs, blogging software, you name it. Nothing talked to each other. Nothing flowed. And certainly nothing came close to the integrated experience I knew marketing teams (including mine) needed.
Then I Found HubSpot.
It was 2011, and I stumbled across this new tool that promised to bring all those separate systems together. HubSpot was calling it "inbound marketing” and “marketing automation," and to me, it felt like the future. I signed up for their Value Added Reseller (VAR) program immediately.
But here’s the kicker—I couldn’t even afford my own portal. So when a client named Bob who ran a Managed Service Provider business said, “Sure, use ours,” it changed everything. Bob, if you’re reading this: thank you for believing in me. That single decision helped set the course for what would become a core part of Front Burner’s growth, and ultimately, our Platinum Partner status today.
A (Not-So-Linear) Climb to Platinum
That first client turned into a few more. Over time, our team grew. HubSpot evolved its VAR program into the modern Partner Program, so we solidified our official HubSpot Partner status on November 18th, 2014. Gradually, by 2015 we’d finally hit our first major milestone: Gold Tier status! We celebrated like we’d won an Oscar.
And then… we stayed Gold. For years.
Why? Because our goal was never to "climb tiers." It was—and still is—to help clients find the right solution for their needs. If that’s HubSpot, great. If it’s something else, we’ll tell you. We’ve never been the kind of agency that pushes software just to hit a quota or unlock a commission.
Instead, we’ve focused on helping our clients squeeze every bit of value out of whatever tools they already have. If we can train their team to do the simple stuff, they can use their budget more efficiently—and we get to focus on the fun, high-impact projects.
We were early advocates for HubSpot training, too. Long before HubSpot created their Certified Trainer badge, we were bugging them to recognize the value of helping clients learn the system. So when they finally launched their Certified HubSpot Trainer program? We were among the first in line.
Today: So Much More Than Onboarding
Fast forward to today, and our services have expanded in ways that would make my early-2000s self do a happy dance.
We still offer customized HubSpot onboarding and training, but we’ve also developed a new strategic service called Flow. It’s all about uncovering what’s slowing your business down—getting all your stakeholders together and mapping your workflows, integrating the right tools, and building custom processes that help you scale without the chaos. We bridge gaps between teams, between systems, between people and their goals.
And—plot twist—that’s how we got to Platinum.
We weren’t chasing the tier. We were just helping a client get their dream HubSpot setup humming, helping their data flow like they wanted it to, when suddenly… we got the email. The one that said:
“Congratulations. You’re now a Platinum HubSpot Solutions Partner.”
Cue the champagne. (Okay, fine. It was sparkling water. We had client meetings.)
A Moment Worth Celebrating
“Front Burner Marketing has shown outstanding dedication to driving meaningful results for their clients,” said Angela O’Dowd, vice president of the Solutions Partner Program at HubSpot. “We’re proud to welcome them to the platinum tier.”
Hearing that from HubSpot meant the world. Not just because it reflects how hard we’ve worked—but because it shows that our client-first philosophy can also lead to growth and recognition.
A Huge Thank You
To every client who’s brought us into your existing HubSpot portal, and to those who’ve trusted our recommendation to try the platform—we wouldn’t be here without you.
To the folks who showed up for training sessions, asked smart questions, and let us dig into the messy backend stuff to make your systems better—thank you.
To our team of brilliant, curious, passionate marketers who love solving puzzles and making tools work better for real people—you’re the reason we’re here. Platinum looks good on you.
This milestone means a lot. Not because of the badge or the tier itself, but because it reflects years of dedication, doing the right thing, and staying focused on what actually matters: helping people do their best work.
Here’s to what’s next.
Key Insights from Our Journey to HubSpot Platinum Partner
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Pillar of Growth: HubSpot has been a core part of Front Burner Marketing’s growth since 2011, starting with our first client’s shared portal and evolving into a Platinum Solutions Partnership.
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Client-First, Always: We’ve never chased tiers—we’ve focused on helping clients get more value from their marketing tools, whether that’s HubSpot or another platform that better fits their goals.
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Beyond Onboarding: Today, our services go far beyond HubSpot setup. With our Flow service, we help clients uncover bottlenecks, align their teams, and integrate the right tech to scale smarter.
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Trusted HubSpot Experts: From custom CRM implementations to HubSpot onboarding, training, and workflow optimization, we help clients maximize efficiency and results.
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Recognition that Reflects the Work: Earning Platinum wasn’t our goal—but it’s a milestone that validates years of thoughtful strategy, client education, and doing marketing the right way.
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