7 Mission-Driven Business Leaders Share Their Wisdom

Elizabeth McGinsky – The Enterprise Center

How would you describe the work your company does?
The Enterprise Center supports POC entrepreneurs and our surrounding West Philadelphia community through business services, small-business lending, and community programming.

Are TEC services available to people outside of the Philadelphia area?
It depends on the service. For my service, the Minority Business Development Agency Coronavirus Response and Relief Center (MBDA CRR), I can – and do! – help businesses nationwide because it’s virtual. They do have to be owned by people of color, however. [Other] services are more location-based, like our CDFI which has a specific lending territory, our 52nd St. corridor manager who only works in West Philly, etc.

What is the most rewarding part of the work you do?
I am currently the Project Director of our MBDA CRR Center. My center provides workshops and free one-on-one virtual office hours with expert consultants. I find it most rewarding when a small-business owner comes back to me ecstatic that one of my consultants could help them solve a substantive issue they were trying to work through with their business. That feedback lets me know that I’ve made a real difference in someone’s life!

How does your company’s mission tie in with Creative Repute’s (to tirelessly promote and build up transformative brands that are actively making the world a better place)?
I’d like to think that The Enterprise Center is one of those transformative brands – haha! We seek to transform the economic landscape for POC-owned businesses and support the transformative work of our clients, such as Mosaic Development, whose Golaski Labs and Navy Yard projects both approach inclusivity in innovative ways. Creative Repute is Black-owned, so contracting with the company and helping to connect them with opportunities also complements our company’s mission. We invest in people and projects at the heart of business and communities, believing that aligning capital with expertise is the strongest pathway to economic wealth and prosperity. One excellent example of our shared goals is Creative Repute’s participation as expert presenters in our upcoming “Small Business Success” digital marketing workshop series. Creative Repute will host free workshops on branding and marketing via email newsletters.

We invest in people and projects at the heart of business and communities, believing that aligning capital with expertise is the strongest pathway to economic wealth and prosperity.

As a company that focuses so heavily on helping small businesses thrive, especially minority-owned ones, do you have any advice you want to give to our readers?

1. Take advantage of all of the free services available to you (such as my CRR Center), SCORE mentors, free assistance from SDBC’s, etc.
2. Make sure that you base your business plan on as many concrete facts as possible.
3. Always keep on top of your business finances. Knowing the true cost of doing business will help you maintain profitability, and understanding your biggest revenue drivers will help you continue to grow your business. Having a solid financial grounding also helps you make the best strategic decisions about taking on debt or an equity investor.

Why should people choose your company over others?
This is a tough one. We prefer to collaborate with other non-profit service providers in our space. I frequently refer my clients to workshops and services being offered by others. We all provide complementary services, and we’re all working towards the same goal of helping small businesses. Ultimately, I think that The Enterprise Center is the premier service provider for POC business owners in particular. Everything The Enterprise Center offers is designed based on the needs of business owners of color, first and foremost. One-size-fits-all approaches tend to ignore intersectional differences; when you choose The Enterprise Center, you’re selecting a nonprofit that for over 30 years has been dedicated to helping POC entrepreneurs.

Additionally, The Enterprise Center is uniquely affiliated with a community small-business lender (our CDFI: The Enterprise Center Capital Corporation) and a community development corporation (The Enterprise Center CDC). Housing three different types of nonprofit entities under one roof enables us to provide advanced resources for businesses to grow, such as loans up to $500,000 and equity investments. We also infuse our work with our overall community-informed mission which is important for small-business owners who want to do well by doing good.

What is the best part about working in partnership with Creative Repute?
I love the collaborative, team-based approach that Creative Repute brings to all of their work. Creative Repute has a large team with both depth and breadth of expertise. The Enterprise Center has been a longtime client, and it’s been amazing to see Creative Repute continue to grow and expand.

Nicole Meyenberg – Fairmount Ventures

How would you describe the work your company does?
Fairmount Ventures helps non-profits dream of, plan out, and fund big ideas that change people’s lives throughout the region.

What is the most rewarding part of the work you do?
I’m consistently humbled by the great organizations we get to learn about, the trust non-profits place in us to be their thought partner, and the impact we get to help make on so many different issues.

How does your company’s mission tie in with Creative Repute’s (to tirelessly promote and build up transformative brands that are actively making the world a better place)?
We’re trying to do the exact same thing. And what’s perfect is that we bring different and complementary skill sets to work. [While Creative Repute provides more creative services such as copywriting, website development, and graphic design, Fairmount Ventures provides more business and finance-centric assistance, such as business and strategy planning as well as fundraising.]

What is the most common piece of advice you find yourself giving clients?
The most important and most frequent thing I tell clients is that they need to help donors see that giving to their organization is a way donors can live their values. It’s the difference between saying, “We provide 1,000 hours of ESL classes a year” and “Juan can read job listings that are written in English now.” The donor cares about the impact on people – and the organization is the vehicle by which they can make that impact since they’re not personally able to help teach someone English.

Why should people choose your company over others?
We’re experts in both fundraising and strategic planning, and we bring both skillsets to every engagement. After all, good fundraising needs to be rooted in an organization’s strategic priorities, and a good strategic plan needs to root in an understanding of the funding landscape (something we know incredibly well). We’re a team of really smart problem-solvers with a fierce commitment to supporting projects and organizations that are making the kind of positive change we want to see in the world. Clients have a dedicated team, yes, but they also get access to our entire “brain trust” because we constantly test ideas and learn from the whole Fairmount team.

We’re a team of really smart problem-solvers with a fierce commitment to supporting projects and organizations that are making the kind of positive change we want to see in the world.

What is the best part about working in partnership with Creative Repute?
They’re great designers who can bring abstract ideas to life and distill complexity into something visually compelling. They really listen to clients. They’re incredibly responsive.

James Johnson-Piett – Urbane Development

Pulled straight from the company’s website, Urbane Development says it “build[s] the infrastructure that catalyzes community wealth.” They offer research and analytics, business and development advisory services, and place-based investing. We spoke with James Johnson-Piett, Principal and CEO of Urbane Development, about why he loves working for Urbane, the relationship between Urbane and Creative Repute, and their client’s needs.

What is the most rewarding part of the work you do?
As a mission-driven organization, Urbane is hyper-focused on strengthening underserved communities by giving small-business owners opportunities to build wealth. It’s been so rewarding to see how the support we provide small-business owners enables them to achieve their dreams. There’s nothing better than to work with a client from the germ of an idea and watch it come alive over time.

How does your company’s mission tie in with Creative Repute’s (to tirelessly promote and build up transformative brands interested in making the world a better place)?
Transformation seems to be the tying bind here. Urbane’s tagline is ‘Trust Transforms.’ We can’t support communities in their drive to become better, stronger, and more equitable without trust at the core of our relationship. We shape our values around three core principles: transformative experiences, relationships, and performance in our work. These brand values are also inherent in Creative Repute’s goals to work with brands that make the world a better place.

What type of SEO assistance do your clients typically need, if any?
Most of our clients are neophytes to more complex digital web-based marketing, so they need everything you can think of regarding SEO and other web optimization options.

Why should people choose your company over others?
We marry a solid analytical, evidence-based approach to supporting communities of color with decades of experience executing projects, initiatives, and developments of all scales.At Urbane, we think big and execute with depth and precision, and that’s a unique combo.

We marry a solid analytical, evidence-based approach to supporting communities of color with decades of experience executing projects, initiatives, and developments of all scales.

What is the best part about working in partnership with Creative Repute?
The best part about working with Creative Repute is that we’re both mission-aligned companies with the willingness to be flexible and creative while resource-constrained. Incredibly appreciative of their flexibility and eagerness to problem-solve to get the best product out to BIPOC entrepreneurs in Philly! We asked for a lot with a modest budget, and Creative Repute has worked tirelessly to help us get a product that our partners and communities can be proud of.

Lowell Weiss – Cascade Philanthropy Advisors

Lowell Weiss is the President of Cascade Philanthropy Advisors and works unrelentingly to provide personalized guidance to individuals seeking to deepen their impact. We spoke about the mission of Cascade, how it coincides with Creative Repute’s, and why the two companies find themselves servicing the same clients.

How would you describe the work your company does?
My firm provides help to donors so they may achieve more impact on important social and environmental issues—and more meaning, purpose, and joy in their lives as they do so. We work hard to help our clients avoid pitfalls that can undermine good intentions. For example, we help them understand the root causes of the problems they are addressing, including the role of systemic injustices. We help them build strong, trust-based relationships with their grantees. And we help them use their time and talents, not just their treasure, to set grantees up for success.

We work hard to help our clients avoid pitfalls that can undermine good intentions. For example, we help them understand the root causes of the problems they are addressing, including the role of systemic injustices.

What is the most rewarding part of the work you do?
I get to use my creative skills every single day to help clients advance causes that I care about deeply. For example, this week, I’m working on several projects focused on helping Indigenous communities worldwide gain full rights to be the stewards and guardians of their ancestral forests and waterways, which has huge implications for all citizens of our warming planet. I’m not Indigenous myself, and I have so much to learn about Indigenous ways and means. But I feel great about how I can help Indigenous leaders advance their goals thanks to the experiences I’ve had in philanthropy, government, and the media.

How does your company’s mission tie in with Creative Repute’s (to tirelessly promote and build up transformative brands actively making the world a better place)?
My clients work every single day to make the world a better place. And on my good days, I’m a real asset to them on this journey.

You get to work with so many special-interest-focused groups. Do you find yourself gravitating towards any one issue?
Yes. The majority of my clients focus on climate change. That’s not an accident. Ever since my days writing President Clinton’s speeches on the topic, I have been passionate about this existentially important issue. I feel I owe it to my three teenagers to help the world meet this challenge before it’s too late.

Why should people choose your company over others?
I can’t say, in a generalized way, that people should choose Cascade Philanthropy Advisors over others. I hope donors choose us when we can add the most value for them because we have the right mix of skills, experiences (including lived experiences), values, and approaches. If we don’t have the right mix for them, I’ll make referrals to colleagues who might be a better fit. During our 13 years, we’ve learned that we can only add high value for clients when having great alignment with our clients and having a chance to earn their trust.

What is the best part about working in partnership with Creative Repute?
I love Creative Repute’s high integrity. Like Cascade Philanthropy Advisors, Creative Repute only takes on clients with whom they have values-alignment and whose work matters to them.

Rosalyn McPherson – The ROZ Group

The ROZ Group is a strategic planning and marketing communications firm. They are adept at taking even the smallest ideas and amplifying them into their most impactful final form. We spoke with Rosalyn McPherson about the alignment between The Roz Group and Creative Repute’s missions and the best part of working in strategic planning.

How would you describe the work your company does?
We are intercultural strategists who perform a number of services, including strategic planning, marketing, community engagement, and exhibit development. We love content and delving into plans and activities that result in connecting people for the greater good.

What is the most rewarding part of the work you do?
We feel a deep sense of responsibility for connecting people and organizations to further the goals of a better society. When the client tells us that our work made a difference with their team, we feel rewarded. When we facilitate a group session, we feel a great sense of gratitude when someone expresses a deep thought or experience, thus taking the risk of being vulnerable. We feel a sense of pride when we drive around Philadelphia and see some of our work that has revealed fascinating Black histories, such as The President’s House (adjacent to the Liberty Bell) and the Octavius Catto Memorial at City Hall.

How does your company’s mission tie in with Creative Repute’s (to tirelessly promote and build up transformative brands that are actively making the world a better place)?
We are in direct alignment with the mission of Creative Repute because we love projects that allow us to influence the world in small and large ways. We are especially adept at working with communities to ensure that everyone has a voice in the important issues that affect us as citizens and human beings. Education and intercultural understanding are inextricably woven into the core of our approach and our projects.

We are especially adept at working with communities to ensure that everyone has a voice in the important issues that affect us as citizens and human beings. Education and intercultural understanding are inextricably woven into the core of our approach and our projects.

Why should people choose your company over others?
As a diverse team with varied perspectives, we have vast experience in the things we do. We understand the varied sectors: corporate, non-profit, and government. And most of all, we love people and we love connecting with them for the greater good.

What is the best part about working in partnership with Creative Repute?
I love their fresh, bold, contemporary creativity. Their designs are captivating. We have deep respect for each other’s companies and the ways that our work can be complementary. I believe in supporting the next generation of talent.

Brittany Campese – Vision Driving Consulting

If the name doesn’t make it clear, Vision Driving Consulting is an organizational consulting service primarily focused on providing services to trans-inclusive, feminist, and anti-oppressive voices. We spoke with Brittany Campese about the work Vision Driven Consulting (VDC) does, who they serve, and what VDC enjoys most about its partnership with Creative Repute.

How would you describe the work your company does?
Vision Driven Consulting (VDC) supports the visionary work of artists, community groups, and not-for-profit organizations by providing consulting, facilitation, and training services. We offer general capacity-building training in subjects that include grant writing, general fundraising, and project planning. Clients typically ask us for long-term consulting projects like strategic planning, leadership development, or short-term consulting projects like meeting/retreat facilitation and grants support.

What is the most rewarding part of the work you do?
The most rewarding part of this work is providing tools, skills, resources, and advice to people and organizations who are doing the most important work in their communities. From growing food, creating powerful art, educating young people, advocating for the environment, preserving cultures, and working on issues of decarceration, to actively challenging multiple systems of oppression. Also, our clients are some of the most thoughtful, creative, and loving people in the world who are simply a pleasure to work with each day!

How does your company’s mission tie in with Creative Repute’s (to tirelessly promote and build up transformative brands that are actively making the world a better place)?
We are very intentional about who we select as clients. Our clients are very intentional about choosing to work with VDC because we are explicit about our politics of being trans-inclusive, feminist, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist in the ways we do our work. Our clients are working hard to make the world a better place, and we are optimistic that our work together helps them achieve their goals.

What is your advice to readers who want to align themselves with VDC and their goals?
Capitalism programs us to believe that never-ending growth and excessive wealth should be the central goals. Those goals have proven divisive and damaging to human beings and all living things. If we want to live in a healthier world that values life, we need to shift the ways we think and act – centering relationships (with people and nature) over profit. I don’t see inclusivity as a choice. I see it as the only way towards any sort of future. This may sound dire, but the truth is that the old models are not working and are causing suffering. We need to start working together – not in superficial ways, but in deep and sometimes messy ways – to move away from competition and towards reciprocity. I’ve learned a lot from Indigenous, Black, and POC feminists about healing and getting back into the right relationship with ourselves, with nature, and with each other to shift into a healthier, safer, and more loving world.

If we want to live in a healthier world that values life, we need to shift the ways we think and act – centering relationships (with people and nature) over profit. I don’t see inclusivity as a choice. I see it as the only way towards any sort of future.

What type of SEO assistance do your clients typically need, if any?
Many of our clients could use SEO assistance but cannot afford it, and it’s not a priority, especially because they don’t have staff who can maintain the systems or products. Our clients need free/affordable, and easy-to-use software and systems that don’t require a lot of expertise.

Why should people choose your company over others?
Consultants have a reputation for being expensive and offering incomplete or unhelpful products, and that seems to come from utilizing a “one size fits all” approach to the work. At VDC, we modify every project for each new client – always centering on our shared values and their mission and goals. We offer a sliding-scale fee structure to ensure that everyone has access to high-quality consulting. Our team members come from diverse backgrounds and bring a range of wisdom and methodological frameworks to the table, which helps us build culturally sensitive, engaging, and fun processes. VDC also insists upon working with people at multiple levels of power within organizations because we know that top-down processes just aren’t sustainable.

Can you say more about your thoughts on why top-down processes aren’t sustainable?
Top-down planning processes don’t typically involve engagement with an organization’s staff, clients, or neighbors, which means a big piece of the strategic puzzle is missing. Staff and clients frequently answer our big questions because they have the most direct experience with the challenges. Boards typically have big-picture views of the challenges. They tend to have different priorities since they aren’t present on the ground or in the day-to-day. So, if you want sustainable solutions, the data-gathering and problem-solving processes must involve the most familiar people with the challenges and the people who will be implementing those solutions.

What is the best part about working in partnership with Creative Repute?
Working with Creative Repute is great because all of their team members come in with clear and shared politics and values right from the start. Everyone we have worked with has been extremely talented and warm. Creative Repute provides high-quality products through engagement with a warm and thoughtful team with explicitly anti-oppressive values. Also, your design aesthetics are so, so good!

Jon Gettle – Prosecutor Impact

Our interview with Jon Gettle mixes things up a little. Creative Repute has both a partnership and a business relationship with Jon. His company, Prosecutor Impact, is a client of Creative Repute while forming a consulting relationship with us as well. We asked Jon some questions about his consulting career.

How would you describe the work your company does?
At PI, we are working to improve community safety through training and culture change work with prosecutors’ offices around the U.S. We have worked with dozens of offices around the country to facilitate important conversations about disparities in criminal justice outcomes, implicit bias, and alternatives to incarceration.

What is the most rewarding part of the work you do?
The average assistant district attorney handles hundreds of cases each year, and the outcomes of those cases can have serious consequences for individuals, families, and entire communities. Those attorneys are also committed to public safety, but like any occupation where the stakes can mean life or death, it is crucial that they receive ongoing education about the communities they serve. The most rewarding part of the work we do is seeing prosecutors work more closely with the people who engage with at-risk individuals on a daily basis and commit to developing creative solutions to public safety problems.

How does your company’s mission tie in with Creative Repute’s (to tirelessly promote and build up transformative brands that are actively making the world a better place)?
Our mission is really to guide the American prosecutor toward an understanding that incarceration is a net-negative for public safety and to understand their caseload in a way that solves for community improvement. Creative Repute’s commitment to serving not only its clients but its community is something that makes me proud to be working together. Apart from the branding and design work we’ve collaborated on, Creative Repute’s consultative project team serves as a guide for us to ensure that we are embodying our mission and displaying that truth in a way that can inspire boldness and a bias toward action.

What is the best part about working in partnership with Creative Repute?
Creative Repute’s mission to support transformative and socially-conscious brands was discussed on day one of our work together, and it has been at the core of everything we’ve done. It is clear that each team member is there to ensure the quality of the work they delivered to us and that it matches the intentions we set out with. So, the best part of working with Creative Repute really is the sense of partnership and collaboration toward a shared vision.

Are there any tips and tricks you might offer the readers on growing a company?
Solo founders and entrepreneurs are driven by their vision, but they cannot realize that vision alone. It will be important to identify opportunities to delegate in the early days of a company’s growth journey, and delegation is all about trust. When you are recruiting and interviewing candidates, one of the key questions you want to ask yourself is, “Do I trust this person with the success of our vision?” I think the answer to that is as important as their ability to write beautiful code or persuade new clients to work with you.

When you are recruiting and interviewing candidates, one of the key questions you want to ask yourself is, “Do I trust this person with the success of our vision?”

What are common ways companies accidentally backslide when trying to move forward and grow?
When companies aren’t conscious about the culture they are developing or making choices that compromise the norms and cultural truths that have already developed. One common example is hiring just for skills and not culture fit and complementary working styles.

What is the most challenging thing when helping a business grow sustainably?
Sustainable growth requires a team of the right people, motivated and incentivized in the right way to deliver a product or service that solves a problem for a customer or client. While not compromising on principles or cultural fit, finding the right people is the first big challenge. The next challenge comes after you’ve found the right team to work with. Now the question boils down to focus. I have heard it described as “vectored thrust.” If the business has thrust or momentum pointing in multiple directions – if it isn’t laser-focused on reaching the same destination simultaneously – it will be extremely difficult to grow sustainably. As your whole team works on their part of the overall mission, you need to ask, is that work all pointing the organization in the same direction?