On August 2, 2024, The Helen Brown Group (HBG) announced that Melissa Bank Stepno was the firm's new owner, president and CEO. Helen Brown will stay on for a year as founder, to assist with the transition.

This news offered the perfect opportunity to talk with Helen about her amazing role in our profession and her near-term plans. The following conversation took place via email.

Jeff Walker (JW): When you were studying at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and the University of Manchester, was there a specific career you were envisioning for yourself? Is there anything from your student days that still surprises you — or that might surprise Connections readers?

Helen Brown (HB): I’m still kind of surprised that a kid from North Carolina who had never traveled anywhere by herself managed to get accepted on a foreign exchange program, navigated international travel and lived for a year in Manchester, England, before cell phones and the internet were invented. My personality naturally bends toward shyness, but I made myself say yes to most of the opportunities that came my way that year abroad. It taught me that you rarely regret saying yes. It’s the stuff you don’t do that you end up regretting. (Illegal/immoral/unethical disclaimer here. Your mileage may vary.)

I was an English Lit and French major at UNC, but during my year at Manchester they let me study English and History. I loved all of the research that I got to do for my papers. I wanted to go into publishing, or work for a professor doing research for their books, or work for an antiques house — anything that allowed me to keep researching. I had no idea how to get jobs in any of those areas, so I took one with a temp agency while I tried to figure out what to do. My first (and last) temp job was in the development office at UNC, working with three amazing prospect research mentors. What incredible luck! So, like everybody else, I fell into prospect research.

One thing that surprises me now is that we’re all still falling into prospect research. Over the years we haven’t been able to crack the nut of publicizing and recruiting folks into this most wonderful of careers. For people like us — who love to find and share information and help make the world a better place — how do we get better about letting people know that this profession exists and is an option for them?

JW: Through August 2002, you mainly worked in higher ed philanthropy, and you launched HBG in January 2005. What did you enjoy most about being part of a university community, and what eventually sparked your interest in becoming a consultant and business owner instead?

HB: One thing I love about working in higher ed is that universities are so diverse. You get to work with all kinds of interesting people, doing such a variety of things. One week you’re brainstorming how to find donors for a special collection on jazz in the library, and the next you’re finding support for a cancer research facility in the med school. There are parents’ programs, reunion classes, complex prospect management questions and practically unending opportunities for data science. You get to scratch that prospect researcher’s curiosity and creativity itch every single day.

While I was working at my last job before I started HBG, the attacks on September 11, 2001, happened. It really made me stop and think about what I wanted to do for the next stage of my career. I’d been talking with friends about starting a new kind of prospect research consulting firm, and that tragic day solidified for me that life is short. It was time to stop talking and actually do something about my dream.

JW: What were the deepest joys and the steepest challenges of those early years?

HB: My deepest joys were the support I got right away from colleagues, clients and friends who recommended HBG, became long-term clients, gave me advice and cheered us on. I say us because it wasn’t too long before I hired my first employee, Rick Snyder, and then my second, Kenny Tavares. They’re both still with HBG, and I am incredibly lucky that those two took a chance on a new firm with a new concept.

The steepest challenges were learning and doing all of the running-a-business things while also doing research. Billing. Payroll. State laws. Marketing (or not). Really long days, lots of weekends, and always being available — even on vacation. The hardest things to learn all happened early on, and they were a lot. I had the help of small business services, but none of it would have been possible without my partner, Julie, who gradually took on the role of chief financial officer, while also doing a full-time job in a completely different field. Having the unqualified support of your spouse is incredibly important for small business success.

One of the deepest joys I experienced after getting things established was also a surprise. As the company grew, I spent much more time in business development, staff management, client engagement, marketing (sort of) and all of the other things that CEOs do. As I built a prospect research firm, I stopped doing prospect research. Initially, I missed doing research every day, but I discovered as time went on that I actually really liked running a company. That meant that I needed someone to run the research side of the business, and nobody does that better than Maureen Kilcommins, who is beyond talented at her ever-evolving job — and whom I will never be able to thank enough.

JW: How has your leadership within Apra, at both the international and regional levels, resonated for you professionally and personally?

HB: It’s always been important to me that we as a profession share new ideas, techniques, creativity and knowledge with each other, in order to keep moving our sector forward. I know I’m preaching to the choir, but nonprofits are doing some of the most important work there is to be done in the world. Prospect research, prospect management, due diligence and data science are the intelligence foundation that help guide nonprofits in the right directions. Apra and its chapters bring us together to share, learn, discuss and inspire each other. I’m very grateful for so many volunteer opportunities through Apra, like serving on the Education and Professional Development Committee and co-creating the first New Researchers Symposium curriculum with the amazing Valerie Anastasio. I was lucky to be able to co-teach it with her and others back in the day. Serving on the Apra and NEDRA boards gave me great insights for running my business. That kind of involvement has been really instructive to me on a professional and personal level.

JW: When you reflect on your career, your accomplishments, and volunteering and mentoring, what are you proudest of? What are your plans for this Exciting Next Chapter of your life? 

HB: I’m pretty proud of building a woman-owned company, where truly remarkable, smart, funny, talented, caring people want to work — and knowing it’s a business that helps nonprofits in meaningful ways. I’m proud that we created various products and services over the years, some of which worked and some of which didn’t. But each failure taught us something for a future success.

More widely, I’m proud of Apra and our profession. We’ve weathered a lot and continue to provide great value to our sector. I’m super proud of my home chapter, NEDRA, which just goes from strength to strength, consistently offering excellent programming and fostering solid board and volunteer leaders.

As for the future, I’m still going to be involved here at HBG for at least another year, consulting with clients and being a helpful bridge to Melissa Bank Stepno, the absolutely-couldn’t-ask-for-a-better new owner. She’s the perfect person to take on HBG and carry it forward, honoring the traditions we stand for and the innovation and creativity every business needs to succeed. 

Next year, I’ll take on chairing the Dedicated Ice Committee for my curling club. We’re currently playing in a hockey and figure skating arena, so we hope to build our own facility just for curling. I’ll learn a lot about real estate, permitting, working with municipalities, buying compressors and building a sports facility!

JW: If you could travel back through time and talk with your undergraduate self, what advice would you offer? And what perspective would you share with our youngest peers — those people who are just beginning their adventures as constituent intelligence professionals? 

HB: The first two or three years are solidly learning what you need to know. If you want this to be your profession, you really have to take the time to learn deeply. I wish that, in those early years, I hadn’t just taken the information I found as gospel, copied it down, and moved on. I wish that I’d been more critical of what I’d found and asked myself “What’s up with that?” more. What’s up with how that person is compensated? Why are they so interested in funding that particular thing? Why do they live here but belong to a golf club way over there? How does money move around in high circles? What’s up with private equity and venture capital? How does art dealing and collecting work? The stuff I know now because I started asking those sorts of questions — and taking advantage of self-education and continuing professional education — made my knowledge of philanthropy, the quality of my research, and my recommendations lots better.

The next thing I’d say is to believe in the mission of the organization you’re working for. If you don’t, your work is going to be lackluster, you’ll be bored, and it will show. When you work for a place that means something to you (and has decent management), your work sparkles. It delivers impact. You find that you spend time learning how to be better, and that makes you more valuable as a contributor. You grow. If you’ve learned everything and given everything, or if you’ve reached the ceiling, or lived through the third management team in three years, find the next organization whose mission inspires you. Life’s too short not to make an impact.

The last thing is not to be afraid to say yes to opportunities that come along, like speaking at conferences or volunteering at work or for your Apra chapter. Even if you’re not sure you can do a particular thing, put your hand up before your brain realizes what you’re doing. Chances are good you won’t regret it.