We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Heather Gibbons a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Heather , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

In November 2019, I lost my dad to cancer. We knew he had limited time and moved him in to care for him, but it was still hard. The day after he died, I got biopsy results from a suspicious mammogram that confirmed that I had an early stage breast cancer. I had surgery in Jan 2020, a follow up surgery in February to clear the margins and then the world shut down in March due to COVID.

I was the VP of a creative marketing agency with large tech clients like PayPal, Facebook and more. We got very busy during COVID supporting our clients that were focused on supporting their SMBs to make everything digital.

I loved the work, our clients and my team, but I didn’t feel like I was making a difference in the world and I yearned to work for–or start–a company that aligned with my values and beliefs.

In June of 2022, I took a leap of faith and left my role as VP. I didn’t have a plan, and that was intentional. I wanted to take a breath and start a new chapter in my life with intention and purpose. I had many great conversations with people about potential opportunities, but nothing resonated with me until a good friend asked if I wanted to collaborate with him on a proposal for an RFP for a nonprofit organization. I didn’t think twice. That was a Monday, and by that Friday we had a name, logo, website, and a beautiful proposal. At that point I thought, “I guess this is what I’m doing!”.

It was a big risk leaving my role as VP to start my own agency, but the reward has been well worth it. I love our clients and the work we do. I’m able to take my years of experience working on creative marketing projects for large tech companies and apply them to serve underrepresented founders, economic and workforce development, and nonprofits clients.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Intentional Momentum Benefit Corp was founded in June 2022 by two friends who believe that business can be used as a force for good. Heather & Simon bring 25+ combined years of experience and are passionate about sharing their talent with impact-focused organizations and diverse-founded businesses.

Simon has 20 years of experience working as a creative director with nonprofits. He uses his skills, talent and passion to bring brands to life with visuals and messaging that authentically resonate with audiences.

Heather has an IT background and extensive experience creating marketing materials for large technology companies. With her unique skill set, she is able to merge technology and creativity to deliver impactful campaigns and drive positive change.

INMO Services:

Marketing Strategy
Branding & Messaging
Website Design, Development & Management
Print & Digital Content Creation, Implementation & Management (Design & Video)

We work with value-aligned businesses and partners, and our mission is to amplify the impact of the businesses we serve to create positive societal change.

Our clients understand that we are committed to them as individuals and dedicated to driving their business success. They recognize our ability to form transformational relationships and rely on us for leadership and support.

Client satisfaction, wins, and amazing work that makes a difference is what drives us. We love what we do.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’m still working on unlearning this lesson, but I think it’s important to take breaks and know how and when to say no.

For years I worked with large companies that had constant fire drills, last minute asks and the expectation of me and my team is that we were always available. We pretty much always said yes, which meant late nights and weekends more often than not.

I worked to change that culture at my previous company and even got buy-in from our clients. The creative output got better when we made those changes and people were happier.

I find myself working late and pushing myself and I have no one to blame but myself. I am a hard worker, and I also think my output is better when I take breaks. If I take a quick walk or play guitar for a few minutes, it clears my mind and I’m more creative. I have to remind myself to take breaks, stop working at a reasonable time, and say no when necessary.

I’m working on practicing the Pomodoro technique and I love this resource: https://untools.co

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Referrals and Word of Mouth.

Most of our clients have been referrals from friends and people we know in the industry or word of mouth from clients that we work with.

I attend a ton of networking events and conferences, both online and in person. We’ve gained some clients from connections made at those events.

Great work and happy clients lead to more great work and happy clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://inmocreative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inmo_creative
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inmocreative
• Linkedin: INMO: https://www.linkedin.com/company/86727528/admin/feed/posts Heather: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathergibbonsatl
• Youtube: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/inmocreative