We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elisabeth Richardson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elisabeth below.
Elisabeth, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share a bit about your background and how you first got into business operations? Was it your original career choice, and how has your journey evolved within the field?
My journey began in early childhood, deeply rooted in service. My mother was intentional about instilling in my siblings and me the importance of giving back—not only to our own community, but to communities beyond our own. I began volunteering at just two years old at KPC Clothing Ministry, a free thrift store in Virginia Beach, Virginia. My first task was simple: picking up toys after children finished playing. By the age of nine or ten, I was independently managing the front desk and, when customer traffic was low, assisting with back-of-house duties such as sorting donations and restocking the floor. These early experiences shaped my organizational instincts and planted the first seeds of my operational mindset.
While I naturally gravitated toward business systems and operational efficiency, my passion had always been literature. I initially planned to major in English and transfer to a four-year university to pursue journalism—imagining a life of writing novels, poetry, and freelancing around the world. But just before starting college, a conversation with my grandfather shifted my path. He encouraged me to pursue business, highlighting its long-term value and reminding me that I already had the gift of writing. That conversation changed everything.
I enrolled at Tidewater Community College – Portsmouth Campus, earning my A.S. in Business Administration in 2016. I then completed my B.S. in Finance at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 2018. After a short break, I returned to VCU for my MBA, graduating in 2022. I’m currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration with a concentration in Strategic Management at Liberty University.
Throughout my academic journey, my love for business—especially operations—grew tremendously. One of the most rewarding aspects of studying business is the ability to apply what you learn in real time. I’ve had the privilege of improving operational efficiency, streamlining workflows, and strengthening interdepartmental coordination within the organizations I’ve worked with. I take a data-informed approach to problem-solving—tracking inefficiencies, customizing solutions, and ensuring departments operate in harmony rather than in silos. The outcomes have been measurable: improved customer experiences, enhanced employee engagement, greater progress toward strategic goals, and sustainable revenue growth.
Although I’ve gained valuable experience as an internal team member, some of my most fulfilling work has come through external advisory roles. During my MBA program, I co-led a consulting project for J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. Our team developed a strategic plan to repurpose an underutilized facility to drive community engagement and increase the college’s culinary program enrollment. The initiative aimed to support workforce development and create above-minimum-wage jobs through a local partnership. Through a targeted community survey supplemented by a focus group, along with alumni feedback, we gathered insights that enabled the college to better align its culinary curriculum with the community’s needs. These findings positioned the college to pursue its primary objective of revitalizing the idle space for public benefit, while advancing its secondary goal of strengthening enrollment—ultimately supporting the broader mission of uplifting the surrounding community.
More recently, I’ve served as a lead consultant through Black BRAND’s B-Force Accelerator program, working with Nicole Jernigan of A Distinct Image, who graciously nominated me for this feature. That nomination was a humbling reminder of how powerful and meaningful purpose-driven work can be.
Over the years, I’ve developed hardcopy and digital archiving systems, internal and external communication templates, and comprehensive procedural manuals that continue to be used long after my engagements end. These tools bring structure, clarity, and sustainability to business operations—especially in organizations where standardized practices are limited. One of my most widely adopted manuals, originally created to fully develop and elevate the office administrator role at HQ, was later implemented by senior leadership across multiple out-of-state offices. For me, operational excellence isn’t just about organization—it’s about strategic execution.
At the core of my work is a belief that businesses should operate with dignity, equity, and purpose. I believe frontline workers are the backbone of every organization—their contributions directly influence customer experience, brand perception, and financial outcomes. To support them, we must offer living wages, provide the right tools, and foster a culture of respect and inclusion. That isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s good business.
A truly successful organization knows its mission, lives its values, and adapts with intentionality. That’s the kind of business landscape I want to help shape—one built on ethics, driven by strategy, and positioned for long-term impact.
Today, I’m channeling these passions into the launch of Deltic Consulting Group—a strategic business consulting firm dedicated to helping small businesses, nonprofits, and startups operate more effectively and efficiently. Deltic will offer services in strategic management, business planning, and process optimization, supported by a network of specialized consultants. With a virtual-first delivery model and a focus on long-term partnerships, the firm is designed to be a trusted advisor throughout every stage of the business life cycle.
Those interested in learning more can be added to the Notify Me Launch Campaign list by contacting delticconsultinggro
Was your journey in this field an easy one, or did you face some obstacles and challenges along the way? If so, could you share a few of them and how you navigated through them?
It has been anything but easy [laughs]. A few years ago, I wrote a poem titled Black Gal, and in it, I say, “this was not a day trip or overnight journey, but a trail of tears.” Nothing could better encapsulate my path. I worked full-time while earning my associate’s, bachelor’s, and MBA degrees. When I began my DBA program, I was still working full-time. Balancing work, life, and school has been a continuous challenge—one I’ve only been able to manage through the grace of God.
Professionally, I’ve faced challenges like inertia, entropy, poor organizational culture, and—most difficult of all—a lack of business ethics. That last one has been particularly painful. Still, I’ve made the deliberate choice to lead with integrity, even when its cost me stability. At times, that has meant walking away from roles to stand for what’s right—both for clients and employees. While this path hasn’t always been linear, I find peace in the impact I’ve made—whether through improving operations or advocating for those often overlooked. For me, that’s not just a professional responsibility; it’s a spiritual calling, rooted in the values God set before me and exemplified by my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
There have also been periods of unemployment. I was first laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic—less than two weeks into a new role. More recently, I lost my position with the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation in the Office of Export Control Cooperation due to executive orders issued under the Trump Administration. Those losses were difficult, but they weren’t without purpose. If I hadn’t lost my job at the Bureau, I wouldn’t have gone on to work with Black BRAND, provide consultation to Nicole Jernigan, or be nominated for this feature.
So no, the road hasn’t been easy—and if I’m honest, I don’t fully understand the arc of my journey just yet. But I trust that God is intentional, and that truth brings me peace. I believe one day I’ll be able to look back and see it all more clearly. For now, I’m simply grateful to be exactly where God’s placed me.
You’ve referenced your writing several times, including your poem Black Gal. Can you tell us more about your approach to writing—what inspires it, and what role it plays in your life today?
My approach to writing has always been deeply intentional, and my work ethic toward it is largely inspired by Prince. Growing up, I was utterly captivated by his artistic range and discipline. He had this incredible ability to stretch himself creatively across domains—and that pushed me to do the same with my writing. I’ll revise a sentence ten times if I have to, just to ensure it evokes the right emotions or paints the precise sensory landscape I want the reader to step into. My goal is for the reader to not just observe the story, but to feel it—to see it unfold in their mind, smell it, hear it, taste it. I want them to experience it so vividly that, like in real life, they begin to form their own interpretations and emotional connections to it.
As for what inspires my stories—it can be anything. I’m always looking for that seed of inspiration in everyday life. I approach the world with openness, always ready to learn and be moved by what I encounter. At this stage of life, my relationship with God deeply influences how I write. That doesn’t mean every story explicitly references God—most don’t—but the underlying thread is always something that uplifts, comforts, provokes thought, or invites wonder.
Writing continues to play the same role in my life as it did when I started my first novel at eleven or twelve. It’s a medium of self-expression, a tool to reshape the world around me, and a mechanism for creating new worlds altogether. It’s also a bridge—an invitation for others to step into those worlds with me. Alongside my career in business operations, writing is one of the things I hope to be globally known for.
I currently self-publish my stories on Vocal.Media. Those interested in reading or potentially brokering a book deal can find my work at https://vocal.media/
How do you define success in the contexts of business, art, and life?
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Images are provided exclusively for publication in CanvasRebel’s Hidden Gems: Elisabeth Richardson feature. All photos are the property of the owner and may not be used, reproduced, or distributed without prior permission.