By Jenn Greacen, an EO Central Florida member and executive director of The Clear Agency.

My 6-year-old presented it most appropriately when she told her teacher that she hadn’t seen much of mommy lately because she had been “preparing for a murder.” It wasn’t murder— it was a merger. Merging my advertising agency with an international design firm was, without a doubt, the learning experience of a lifetime.

I’m a marketing gal. I know pretty pictures, strong messaging and how to make people buy things they never knew existed. I had never done a merger before, and I didn’t realize that it could mean a forced partnership and giving up more than I was gaining. With my Forum backing me, I leapt into the venture, trusting that the answers would come through experience sharing. Overall, it was a success, but it wasn’t without its hiccups: