Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009 - (Page 84)

ENTREPRENEURSHIP Awards Above and Beyond Meet the Winners of the 2008 Wells Fargo/NBMBAA Entrepreneurial Excellence Award Laurna Godwin and Jessica Perkins VECTOR COMMUNICATIONS people a voice,” says Godwin. “Not everyone agrees on the final decision, but at least people feel that they’ve had a voice in the process.” LET’S GET TOGETHER Before Vector and prior to entrepreneurship, Perkins, who received an MBA from the University of WisconsinMadison, held corporate jobs in sales and marketing. As far back as her senior year in high school, she intended to own a business. Godwin, who holds master’s degree in journalism, worked as a TV journalist. “I was tired of reporting on all of the bad things,” says Godwin. Perkins’ brother, Kelvyn Moore, a St. Louis NBMBAA chapter member and a former St. Louis chapter president, introduced Godwin and Perkins. Like any real relationship, Godwin and Perkins naturally fell into roles that maximize their skills. Perkins describes these roles as “inside-outside,” with Godwin as the “vivacious” business developer and herself as the analytical “backroom” accountant. Whenever there is a question, the partners always defer to whomever partner has more expertise in the area of concern. “We trust and respect each other and we have the same values,” continues Godwin, “and that’s key.” “The relationship that we have is really very much like a marriage,” says Perkins. “You have to learn to dance in the moment and… you have to learn personalities.” And unlike 10 years ago, there is more work, so there are more personalities. Vector Communications now has a total of eight employees, all of whom are women. “We enjoy our staff meetings,” says Paula M. Hughes, who is a Vector consultant and the St. Louis chapter member who nominated her employers for the award. “There’s a lot of compassion and caring.” But don’t let the camaraderie fool you; the Vector team often burns the midnight oil to overdeliver for its clientele. The team works hard “[because] we don’t get a second or third chance,” explains Godwin. MULTIPLE SERVICES IS KEY Vector’s success and longevity is built upon five core skills. In addition to public engagement, Vector offers strategic planning, event planning, media relations and video production services to its clientele. Perkins says that the ability to offer multiple services is key to their success. “We can take a client and we can grow them horizontally or we can grow them vertically.” Though the firm has expanded, Vector has not been immune to entrepreneurial growing pains. Though not a recent phenomenon, they remember periods when they had to forgo paychecks for themselves so that they could make payroll for the staff. Accepting new business to grow the firm is not always a straightforward decision. In addition to considering whether or not a project is worthwhile from a revenue standpoint, Godwin and Perkins also judge whether a potential project matches their skill set and if it is in line with their beliefs. Turning down a project that could generate revenue but goes against core values, they say, is tough but critical to long-term survival. “Reputation is everything,” says Godwin, who also explains that 80 to 90 percent of their work results from referrals. Eleven years ago, neither partner would have predicted the successful venture they now share, nor the character-building moments they’ve endured. “We’re still here today,” says Perkins, “[though] probably a little grayer.” Godwin counters jokingly, “Speak for yourself!” For more information about Vector Communications, visit www.vectorstl.com. Nicole Allen is a Chicago-based communications specialist and freelance writer and journalist. By Nicole Allen ELEVEN Y E AR S AGO, Laurna Godwin and Jessica Perkins were solo entrepreneurs who collaborated on a project. Today, as they celebrate winning $5,000 for receiving the 2008 Wells Fargo/NBMBAA® Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, they prove that their duet is better than a solo act. Godwin and Perkins are the principal owners of Vector Communications Corporation, a St. Louis-based public engagement and communications consulting firm they started in 1998. Public engagement brings people together so that upcoming public policy issues are discussed or resolved ahead of time in order to prevent blindsiding a community with unexpected changes. By proactively reaching out to communities, Vector consultants build a relationship between the public and the government agencies, corporations or nonprofit foundations that are Vector clients. For instance, if a city planner needs to position new transit stations, Vector consultants can help gather quantitative data and qualitative information to guide the process. “Basically, we give 84 BlackMBA • Winter 2008/2009 • www.nbmbaa.org http://www.vectorstl.com http://www.nbmbaa.org

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Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009 Contents Preserving Dr. King’s Legacy: Harry E. Johnson is Six Years and $100 million into his First Fundraising Effort Online: www.nbmbaa.org and www.blackmbaonline.com Up Front: Inauguration Takes Over D.C. From the President: Connecting With the Basics The First 100 Days – Already in Progress Back to Basics: Finances 101 Is the Middle Class Disappearing? – Your View From Medals to MBA Conference Highlights Market Forces: The Job of Trying to Find a Job in a Tight Market Applying to an MBA Program?: Avoid Making these Five Critical Mistakes How They Did It: Catching up with the Winning Teams from NBMBAA’s 2008 National Case Competition Change It Up: If a New Job is at the Top of your New Year’s Resolutions, it’s Time for Careful Planning and Preparation Bull Market: Now is the Time to Take Advantage of Web 2.0 On the Move: Member News, Promotions and More Backstage at BET: NBMBAA’s Leadership Institute Takes on BET’s Case for Growth Toronto Rising: NBMBAA’s Toronto Chapter is on a Progressive Track, Building Strong Partnerships and Exposure as Membership Climbs NBMBAA® Chapters: Find Your Local Chapter Here Do What You Love: Turning Your Passion into a Successful Business Requires Patience, Planning and Plenty of Hard Work Above and Beyond: Meet the Winners of the 2008 Wells Fargo/NBMBAA Entrepreneurial Excellence Award Decorating by Design: Michelle Rider Leaves Corporate Life for Entrepreneurship Culture Shock: Black Museums Nationwide Appeal for Greater Support from the People whose Heritage they Strive to Preserve Gear Up for 2009: Books to Herald Success in the New Year Advertiser Index: Who’s Who in the Issue

Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009

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