A Decade of Impact: 10 Things We Learned From Starting Our Own Consulting Firm

When my business partner Caleb and I launched 18 Coffees in 2014, we had no idea our conversations about "doing things differently" from the global consulting and communications firms we’d come up in would turn into a thriving consultancy. As a minority woman in leadership who had navigated both corporate America and the startup world for fifteen years before taking this leap, I brought strategic communications and client service expertise. Caleb brought deep strategy, change management and digital transformation knowledge. Together, we knew we could build something special.

Reflecting on 10 years of entrepreneurship, here are ten honest lessons from our journey:

1. Great Partnerships Come From Conflict

Caleb and I worked together for three years at a digital communications agency and then went on to different leadership roles before starting 18 Coffees. While our skillsets were different – I was leading a client services department at a tech service agency while he was deep in political and community organizing at OFA – we shared a vision for how our company could be done better, but only after we butt heads as account and strategy leads on a client account. When we founded our firm, we quickly realized that our complementary differences were actually our superpower. Our partnership’s foundation is rooted in radical honesty and we work productively through constructive tension. Today, clients regularly tell us it's this blend of strategic and operational expertise that sets us apart.

2. Betting on Yourself Pays Off

As a woman of color with experience in a leadership position at a tech service startup, I'd grown used to being underestimated. But the confidence I'd built growing a client services department from startup through the company’s acquisition and Caleb’s expertise creating some of the largest communications programs in the world gave us the courage to take this leap. When potential buyers suggested we could roll our client and service lines into their companies, we chose to bootstrap instead. That decision allowed us to stay true to our vision and build the consulting firm we'd always wanted to work for.

3. Non-Traditional Backgrounds Can Give You New Perspectives

We learned quickly that our success depended entirely on who we hired. Some of our first team members came from non-traditional consulting backgrounds – a former journalist, a community organizer, and a behavioral therapist. Their diverse perspectives have shaped our approach and helped us see challenges differently than our competitors, and we continue looking for expertise that’s additive to our skills rather than replicating them.

4. Success Looks Different Than You Expect

Our initial business plan focused on digital marketing, brand strategy and change management. Today, we're known for helping companies navigate complex transformations across strategy, operations, and culture, and companies regularly come to us to train their leaders to be more resilient. Being open to evolution while staying true to our values has been crucial.

5. Community Matters

We've made community a core part of our business. It’s not a one-time donation or an ERG, it’s something we built into our company from day one. Together with more than 200 Community Partners – individuals with diverse skill sets who all care about social impact – we help connect changemakers to interesting job opportunities and people, and support pro bono projects for organizations like Vote.org, the Obama Foundation, and She Should Run. While the community has evolved just like our business has over the past decade, our commitment to community has attracted invaluable like-minded clients and employees to our network. 

6. Values Shouldn’t Be Compromised

We've turned down lucrative projects that didn't align with our values and walked away from potential clients who didn't demonstrate a commitment to inclusion. These decisions were hard in the moment, but have preserved our integrity and strengthened our brand.

7.  A Small Scale Can Mean Big Impact

Remaining intentionally lean allowed us to maintain the agility and personal touch that larger firms often sacrifice. We discovered that our size wasn't a limitation but a strategic advantage, enabling us to pivot quickly and maintain deep relationships with clients. Our nimbleness has allowed us to punch above our weight when it comes to client projects.

8. Cultural Architecture Requires Leading with Emotional Intelligence

Our commitment to flexibility and independence became a cornerstone of our culture, but we’ve discovered that these values require careful stewardship. When past team members interpreted this freedom as license for minimal engagement, we faced the challenging reality that preserving a culture of excellence sometimes means making difficult personnel decisions. These moments taught us that being compassionate leaders doesn't preclude making tough choices—in fact, it demands them.

9. Your Network is Everything

Our most significant client relationships often emerged organically from authentic connections made years prior, sometimes through unexpected channels. A conversation at a global conference led to a change management project with a global accounting network months later. A friend’s introduction at a social impact conference opened doors to reshaping organizational culture at one of the largest privately funded nonprofits in the world. These weren't just business opportunities—they were invitations to co-create meaningful change that aligned perfectly with our firm's purpose.

10. The Journey Is Worth It

Building 18 Coffees hasn't been easy. There were months when Caleb and I argued, worried, and had moments of doubt. But seeing the impact we've had on our clients, our team, and our community makes it all worthwhile.

Looking Forward

As we enter our second decade, these lessons continue to guide our decisions. The consulting landscape is evolving rapidly with the rise of AI, changing client expectations, chaotic news cycles and new delivery models. But we’re confident that the fundamentals of building a successful consulting practice – deep expertise, strong relationships, and unwavering focus on client value – will remain constant.

The journey of building 18 Coffees has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of our professional lives. We're proud to have built a firm that's not just successful by traditional metrics, but is actively changing what leadership and consulting can look like. Cheers to the next 10 years.

Are you ready to transform your organization and achieve meaningful impact? At 18 Coffees, we specialize in building adaptable leaders, creating resilient organizations, and navigating complex business challenges. Let’s work together to navigate change and drive growth in your organization. Schedule a consultation today to explore how we can help you achieve your goals.