We recently had the chance to connect with Steven Foster CMP and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Steven, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity. Now that probably sounds like an easy answer, but being consistently “honest” with yourself is often challeneging. Shakespeare said it best, “if I lose my honor, I lose myself,” Integrity is where honesty meets action, so I have to be intentional in speaking truth to the man in the mirror, and sometimes, he doen’t want to listen. When I’m self-aware and honest with myself, I can face my fears, flaws and doubts. Ultimately, the positive impact of aligning my actions and values is where integrity begins.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Steven G. Foster, CMP, is Managing Partner of Foster+Fathom, a Leadership and Team-Giving Development Group in Dallas, TX. An award-winning speaker, author, and business “bucket-filler, ” Steven is “One Man on One Motorcycle on One Mission” – to help organizations and individuals fuel their “Ride” with Passion, Power and Purpose.
That’s not surprising, considering the Harley-Davidson LIFE member completed a 13,000-Mile, 34-Day, 34-State solo motorcycle ride around the perimeter of the United States in 2013 to support the Boot Campaign, a national veteran’s organization where he serves as an Ambassador. That journey is chronicled in his book, “Full-Throttle Leadership: Passion, Power & Purpose on the Edge of America.”
His “Full-Throttle” resume includes being named one of the most influential people in the Meetings and Events Industry, and he is a member of the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Community of Honorees, a group comprised of distinguished MPI Global award recipients and industry leaders; in 2022 was named one of MPI’s 50 Most Influential Members and in 2024 received the MPI RISE Award for Meetings Industry Leadership.
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A passionate advocate for service in the communities where we live, work, and meet; Steven applies lessons learned from his 30 years as an entrepreneur and business owner to provide others a “Route to Stand Out” through meaningful engagement experiences. He co-founded the “2 Guys Doing Good” Team-Giving Initiative which is reshaping the narrative, expectation, and delivery of team-building events beyond competitions with winners and losers, to promote instead “Doing Good as Good Business” that build high-performance culture, teamwork and brand loyalty.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I grew up in Alabama during the 1950s and 1960s, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. In my own community, I witnessed both the worst and the best of humanity. I saw violence, destruction, and hate, but I also saw people standing up for change—speaking out, risking much, and helping reshape the world around us. Even within my own family, I experienced both sides of that coin. Those early years gave me a perspective on life that has stayed with me. They shaped my understanding of what is good, what is fair, and what is right—not just for some of us, but for all of us.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
It’s going to be OK.
Life has a way of moving, shifting, and carrying us forward. Things change. Circumstances change. Who you are today is not who you will always be. he very challenges that seem overwhelming right now are shaping you, strengthening you, and preparing you for what comes next.
So hang in there. It’s going to be OK. Maybe not all at once, and maybe not as quickly as you’d like, but new doors will open for you.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
You are lucky if, in your lifetime, you have just a few true friends. Along the way, you’ll meet many people—colleagues, neighbors, classmates, acquaintances—each playing their part in your story. But a true friend is something different.
A true friend sticks. They are there when the road is smooth, and they are there when the path gets hard. They have your back when you’re unsure of yourself, and they remind you of who you are when you forget. They hold you up when you feel like falling and, just as importantly, they hold you accountable when you need it most.
True friendship is rare, and it is powerful. It isn’t about how often you see one another, or how much time has passed—it’s about trust, loyalty, and knowing that when life tests you, someone will be standing right beside you.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
For me, the answer is simple.
An amazing wife, Wendy—who was, is, and will always be better and smarter than me. She has been my partner in every sense of the word: grounding me when I drift, lifting me when I stumble, and teaching me daily what love truly means.
Two beautiful children, Aubrey and Conor, who fill my life with pride and purpose. They inspire me with their courage, their curiosity, and the ways they are already shaping the world in their own right. They remind me that legacy isn’t what you build for yourself, but what you help create in others.
And a few true friends—the kind who stayed through the good times and the bad, who didn’t just walk beside me when the road was easy but who held me up when the path grew steep.
Strip away the titles, the roles, the things we accumulate, and this is what remains. And the truth is, this is more than enough.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.foster-fathom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fosterfathom/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevengfostercmp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FosterandFathom
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FosterFathom
