Robin Dimond of Fifth & Cor on innovating and adapting to an ever-changing industry

Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:

I am the CEO and Founder of Fifth & Cor, a marketing & innovation company.I bring over 15 years of experience that has led to a successful team and client success stories over the years. Passionate about the human experience, I strive to bring sensory experiences and the heart back into all my team’s work, thus comes the name– Fifth (five senses) & Cor (Latin for heart).

Fifth & Cor is at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and creativity. We’re a Marketing & Innovation Company harnessing the best tools to support brands, consumers, and communities. We work with clients to design the future, build the brand, and tell the story through multi-channel experiences.

What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

The community – being an entrepreneur brings on a lot of feelings that you wouldn’t expect. I’m excited to be surrounded by people who experience the same things and can share their best insight on how to approach new challenges.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

For me, that leap really came from seeing the market shift. I realized we couldn’t be a standard agency. It was just no longer an option. Instead, our relationship with our clients had to be a true partnership that was agile to the ever changing needs of the market. I knew I needed to create a company that could pivot quickly and deliver immediate results.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I have over 15 years of experience in the marketing industry that has led to a successful team and client relationships over the years. I was the VP of Marketing at a digital acceleration & technology services company before starting Fifth & Cor. 

I am also very involved with my local community by sitting on four school boards and participating in various charities near and dear to my heart. I believe in empowering the next generation of marketing leaders, and that starts in the classroom.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Yes, I have always known I wanted to be an entrepreneur. It was just a matter of how that would look. In the past, I owned restaurants and had a house-flipping business and now, Fifth & Cor. To me, the real meaning of being an entrepreneur means empowering others. The whole reason I’m an entrepreneur and the reason I didn’t take private equity investment when starting my business is because I want all of my employees to own their work and determine their destiny.

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

When Fifth & Cor was first launched it was all about spreading the word and telling the world about us! Being active in the community really contributed greatly to our growth, as well as having a great website designed by my team, a robust social media marketing strategy, partner relations, and much more!

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way and what did you learn from it?

The biggest challenge I’ve experienced is a result of the industry I’m in. The market is changing so rapidly and we have no choice but to keep up or get left behind. Fifth & Cor was started amidst a pandemic when the market shifted from in office to working remote. This was a culture shock for so many and everyone had to adjust. In that, we also saw a shift from brick and mortar to e-commerce and back again to brick and mortar retail. With that change we have to shift alongside it and be agile and innovate in the solutions that we come up with. This is why I think the omnichannel experience is so important– each consumer wants to experience a brand differently, which is why our innovative approach is crucial.

What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

Seeing my legacy and the next generation of women leaders coming up brings tears to my eyes. It is truly such a powerful feeling and makes all of the hard work worth it.

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

Of course! While it can be tough at times, work-life balance is so important. Working remote, having an established office space in my home helps to keep the two separate.

What’s a piece of advice you can share that you wish you’d known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” Michelangelo

This is one of my favorite quotes that I live by personally and professionally. My team knows I am always up for a challenge and set my goals and standards very high. I think this is what makes me as ambitious as I am and as a result, Fifth & Cor was born.

I would advise everyone looking to start their journey as an entrepreneur to always shoot for the stars – no dream is out of reach if you have the passion and ambition to work to make it a reality.

What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?

I recently made it through the 75 Hard Challenge and am proud of myself to say the least. 75 Hard is a program that is meant to build mental toughness. It challenges you in every single aspect of your life – mind, body and soul. As a result, it helps to improve every aspect of yourself. Doing this program has not only helped me improve in my personal life, but also in my professional career as a boss & CEO.

What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

​​I want Fifth & Cor to transform brands, communities, and to protect our clients in the crazy world of marketing. We believe that from private equity-owned companies to mom-and-pop shops, our marketing efforts are a key component that keeps their business afloat, and their staff employed. We love to see our clients’ excitement through the big and the small wins, and we celebrate with them each time.

Something I am very excited about in the industry is mixing virtual and augmented reality with true reality. It will allow us to see the future mixed with our current physical presence, and I think there is so much opportunity in the marketing industry to utilize this. Fifth & Cor works with tech companies and we are constantly shifting with new innovations in the industry along with the metaverse. So my answer is, next, we can see the combination of Web3 in everyday life.

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