San Francisco, June 2000—San Francisco-based Ivy Sea, Inc., a small firm with a big mission for more mindful communication in the workplace, is quietly gaining widespread attention for its public service web site and the vision that fuels it. As fate dictates, the low-key, three person employee and marketing communication boutique is tucked away in the very heart of the dot-com bugaboo, where civility, mindful communication and interpersonal skill seem to many to be more rare than a typewriter.

No capes, but definitely crusaders
The irony of their location is not lost on the firm’s principals: Jamie Walters, Ivy Sea's founder and principal of strategy and planning; Tom Tshontikidis, principal of operations and systems, and Walters’ husband and business partner; and Sarah Fenson, who joined the firm as its first full-time employee in January 1996 and is now principal of client services. "We’ve watched this neighborhood transform around us, but the location is a great motivator for us to stay on our mission," says Walters, whose firm located in the South Park office ahead of the dot-com wave. "While there are some great things coming out of the tech and dot-com sectors, good communication isn’t often one of them."

A mission that’s more than spin, a web site that’s more than technology
The firm’s mission is more than just a tagline and spin, whether in keeping rigorous standards for their own communication skill-building; how they service a select but impressive client list that has included Charles Schwab Corp., Gap Inc., California Federal Bank, Mervyn’s, Harbinger Corporation, Wind River, PG&E Corp., Chevron and several pro bono accounts per year; or in maintaining a public service web site, Ivy Sea Online Communication and Leadership Center (www.ivysea.com), that has gained praise from industry experts and individuals worldwide.

The site has no banner advertisements, no subscription fees, no flashing lights or spinning icons, no technology for technology’s sake, no big advertising campaign. "We want visitors to find a useful resource, with practical tips, tools and articles — updated every month — to build a communication repertoire that enhances human interactions," says Fenson, who contributes content to the site that Walters maintains. Adds Walters, "We don’t want things taking a long time to load, only to crash a typical user’s system without offering any value. Most web sites are more like ad showcases and online resumes for developers’ software and coding skills than they are effective communication vehicles."

Ivy Sea's site, technically simple and content-rich, has begun to attract outside attention, making "Best of…" lists on other content-driven portal sites such as About.com and the Lowe Foundation’s Entrepreneur’s Edge, and attracting a content partnership from Inc.com, the online entrepreneur resource center and sibling of Inc. Magazine. "When looking for great content partners, we aim for companies like Ivy Sea that have already been singled out and rewarded in their industry or in the larger world of small business," comments Karen Carney, Inc.com leadership and strategy channel producer. "Ivy Sea's content is immediately useful, and the advice is practical and real-world."

Tailored model for a unique vision
Unlike the typical business model that puts maximizing investor profit before passion or service, Ivy Sea has evolved with the notion that people create a business, and there’s no way or reason to separate your gut-level motivations from your work, at least in a small business. The firm collaborates with self-employed professionals and other small businesses as needed to serve a variety of clients and projects, and receives almost all of its business from repeat client engagements and referrals. With a book, Big Vision, Small Business: The Four Keys to Success & Satisfaction as a Lifestyle Entrepreneur, and other offerings in the works, Ivy Sea aims to keep evangelizing the value of high ethics and effective communication in the workplace.

"We consider Ivy Sea a living laboratory, in which we mold and test business models that best allow our mission. Likewise, each of us uses the company as a vehicle to attain the goals that are most important to us," says Tshontikidis. Adds Fenson, "From selecting clients to remaining a four-person shop, we filter all of our decisions through our mission to promote and foster mindful leadership and communication. We’re proud of the work we do. That’s why I’m here."

For a more detailed version of Ivy Sea's story, contact Sarah Fenson at 415/778-3910.

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