Hera Hub is excited to share Startup Stories from our members in honor of National Entrepreneurship Week. Each day this week we will interview incredible business women from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Our goal is to share our members’ wonderful stories with the public.

Michele Richardson is the owner of Inciteful Communications. Inciteful Communications designs and implements internal communication strategies that influence employee action and drive business performance. We specialize in the areas of strategic messaging, leadership communication, employee engagement, change management and employer branding. Michele has been a member of our Sorrento Valley location for more than a year, but was a founding member back in 2011. Here is her Startup Story:

What was the inspiration behind your business? 

Inciteful Communications was inspired by my first business—a leadership & organization development consulting practice I founded in 2003. A natural introvert, I wasn’t motivated by traditional networking or other direct selling tactics, but I needed to grow my business. I had always been known for my writing skills, especially persuasive writing. So I decided to parlay that ability into developing thought leadership content that I used to get my name and expertise known.

While I did pursue print publications, I was drawn to the Web. Prior to leaving traditional employment I worked for many years in the software, and then Internet, industries. My last “real job” was with a dot-com that was eventually acquired by Yahoo! Search Marketing shortly after I left.

In 2009, I decided to officially close my consulting practice and started a company called Write to Incite that focused strictly on written communication for the Web. Most recently, we’ve refined our focus and merged be best of our expertise—organization development and communications. We renamed the business Inciteful Communications and now to focus on designing internal communication strategies to improve employee engagement.

Who are your clients and what do you do for them? 

We’ve been fortunate to work with a wide variety of clients—from solopreneurs to Fortune 100 firms—but we’re particularly interested in working with fast-growth small businesses and mid-market companies.

Our ideal clients typically have 150+ employees and are in the midst of organizational change—due to uncontrolled growth, new leadership or a change in the marketplace. These companies are going through growing pains; they don’t have the internal capabilities, time or resources to effectively manage how messages are communicated internally and that’s affecting their ability to attract, engage and retain the best people.

We provide varying levels of service to help our clients get over the “communication hump”—taking the stress and overwhelm out of the process. Often that means providing on-going support—providing consulting, coaching or training—to help them develop the plans, processes and people to deliver on their communication and employee engagement goals.

What are your business’ values? How do they align with your personal values? 

Our core values are: excellence, simplicity and joy, and these are definitely in alignment with my own values. I believe in continuous improvement. That comes from pursuing and giving your best. I also value simplicity. I’m a hard worker, but I don’t make things hard! And finally, seek joy in all things—even the challenges (and I’ve had my share of those!).

How/Why did you choose your business name?

I believe in the power of words to transform, so my goal is always to make every word count. When I named my business that meant producing communication that incited some type of action—changing what a person thinks, does or feels.

What do you love most about your work?

I love how the work we do produces “ah-ha!” moments for clients. My background in executive coaching and organization development has helped me develop a “third ear” when I work with clients. That’s the ear that listens for more than what is said on the surface. So when I client comes to me with a communication challenge, I usually hear what’s on the top, “I need help writing blogs.” But when we dig deeper, I might discover the real issue is something else. When we can attack a problem from its root cause, we can build a better solution. Finding that deeply buried root cause excites me because I know we’re providing more than a Band-Aid solution, but one that can generate sustainable success.

What is the biggest challenge in running your own business?

Letting go. I’m a recovering control freak. I care so much about delivering a quality experience for clients that I will too often default to, “I’ll just do it.” Ironically, that can actually diminish quality since I’m spread too thin. It’s a slow process, but I’m learning to delegate to my team so that I can focus on what I do best, while they do the same.

What are your/your business’ goals for the future?

I would like to grow to the point where I can be a true CEO of my company. Although I have a small team of contractors who help deliver services to clients, the bulk of work lands on my shoulders. I’m in the challenging position of being poised for growth, which will eventually necessitate full-time hires, but we’re just not 100% there. Also, it’s tough finding strong content writer and strategists. Admittedly, I tend to be really selective, but quality is a big reason my business has been successful, so I’m not willing to skimp in that area.

What advice would you give to a new entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. While most of us would prefer the quick path to success, it’s not the norm. Chances are, you’ll experience your fair share of setbacks. Those can be scary and frustrating, but don’t fret. You’ll pick yourself up. You’ll be smarter. You’ll survive. And the funny thing about challenges is that they make success that much sweeter when it arrives…and it will!