Frank Fusaro: What a Brooklyn Kid, the Marine Corps, and 50 Years in Staffing Teaches You About Life

From Brooklyn to Five Decades of Impact: Frank Fusaro on Staffing, Scholarships, and ServiceFrank Fusaro, co-founder and president of The Forum Group, shares his journey from a Brooklyn childhood raised on $75 a month, through the Marine Corps that gave him the confidence school never did, to building a 50-year staffing firm by helping his competitors retain their best people, raising over $22 million in scholarships through the Columbus Citizens Foundation, and now channeling his network toward Tunnel to Towers at $5.4 million and counting.Key Insights You'll Learn:Graduated last in his class at a Jesuit high school, joined the Marine Corps at 17, and credits the experience with giving him the confidence he had been missing his whole young lifeBuilt a staffing practice inside the public accounting world by forming a networking group among competing firms, giving away presentations for free, and letting the relationships do the sellingThe most important clients he ever had came not from sales calls but from charitable and community work, a pattern he repeated across Catholic Charities, Columbus Foundation, and Tunnel to TowersLaunched the Columbus Citizens Foundation Adopt-A-Scholar program with a simple brochure, no budget, and two calls that raised $900,000 on day one aloneRaised over $22 million in scholarships funding 500 students a year and ran the New York Columbus Day Parade for 10 years, earning Emmy nominations each yearTunnel to Towers has built smart homes for catastrophically wounded veterans, paid off mortgages for fallen first responder families, and removed 17,500 homeless veterans from the streetsPassed the Forum Group CEO role to his son Chris after a deliberate two-year transition where disagreements went the son's way in the final stageThe firm's growth model today offers proven producers equity on day one, no capital required, guaranteed first-year comp, and a full back office so they can focus on billingSenior employees stay for decades because Frank never asks anyone to do something he hasn't done himself and never took money from the business that he didn't needThe real driver behind 50 years of building was never ambition but fear of failure rooted in a childhood with nothing to fall back onFrank's Key Mentors:His Mother: Raised two boys on $75 a month with a smile on her face and a rock-steady even keel that set the emotional tone for Frank's entire lifeHis Stepfather: A dock boss and one of the most ethical human beings Frank ever met, a quiet force in the household from the time Frank was eightThe United States Marine Corps: Gave Frank the discipline and confidence that school never provided and set the leadership standard he carried into every role that followedNew York State Society of CPAs: The platform where Frank built relationships, delivered lectures, and turned competitors into his most loyal referral sourcesJohn Farrell, JPMorgan Chase: A dear friend met through Catholic Charities who gave Frank access to one of the firm's most important long-term client relationshipsDon't miss this conversation about what it really means to build a business through service, why the people you meet at charity events are worth more than the ones you cold call, and how a kid from Brooklyn with nothing built something that will outlast him.Connect with Frank Fusaro:Email: [email protected] to Towers: t2t.org📎 Transcript Available: Frank Fusaro: What a Brooklyn Kid, the Marine Corps, and 50 Years in Staffing Teaches You About Life📺 Watch on YouTube: Inspired Stories Podcast🌐 Our Website: The Inspired Stories Podcast📎 Special Thanks to Anthony Codispoti & AddBack Benefits Agency: Providing innovative employee benefits solutions that improve employee well-being while optimizing your bottom line. Website: addbackbenefits.com