(Photo by Brian Baiamonte)
Position: Founder and CEO
Company: Solid Ground Innovations
What they do: Communications and management firm offering brand development, public relations, advertising and program management
Address: 4242 Government St.
Next goals: Continue to expand in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, open office in Washington, D.C., and enter into the federal contracting space
THE ART OF YES
For Sevetri Wilson, the word “yes” has been key to her success. The founder and CEO of Solid Ground Innovations says she has only been able to build her public relations business over the past seven years because of the yeses she has received from others along the way. “You need people to tell you yes to accomplish your goals at the end of the day,” she explains. That’s why Wilson places a special emphasis on helping her clients learn the art of yes though paying it forward. With a passion for writing, Wilson initially sought a career in journalism. But after graduating from the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication in 2008 she began working on national nonprofit campaigns, which ultimately led her into branding and marketing. In 2009, Wilson founded SGI as a nonprofit management consulting agency. Since then, she has added private sector services, providing traditional public relations and marketing assistance as well as helping businesses embrace corporate social responsibility.
CONSULTING TO CARE
Within SGI exist two arms of the business. SGI Cares operates primarily as an organizational support and management team for clients, which helps organizations implement and complete projects. At the same time, SGI provides traditional marketing, advertising and digital media support. Whether working in the private or public sector, Wilson uses her experience in understanding communities to identify where their needs intersect with the mission of her clients. “So we look at corporate social responsibility as a true means to an end as we are talking about marketing and advertising,” Wilson says. What was once termed “cause marketing” for corporations is now simply marketing, says Wilson, as today’s consumers place increased value on community impact. SGI’s ability to help clients adapt to this cultural shift sets it apart from the countless other public relations firms in the Capital Region, she says.
BRIDGING THE GAP
As a small business owner focused on finding the intersection of community outreach and corporate consulting, Wilson prides herself on being welcomed and respected in both south and north Baton Rouge for the work she has accomplished in the often divided communities. At the same time, she’s just as adept at walking into a corporate boardroom and understanding a company’s needs. “That is what makes our firm unique, and that is why people reach out to us,” Wilson says. One of the biggest challenges her team faces on a daily basis is finding ways to break Baton Rouge’s bad habit of not seeing its plans come to fruition. “We are really big on execution—sometimes to the point where we annoy our clients,” Wilson says. “There are a lot of things that keep people from executing plans, but one of the things we pride ourselves on that can be challenging is trying to execute the ultimate plan.”
AT HOME AND BEYOND
As SGI continues to grow and evolve—the firm recently established a New Orleans office—Wilson is constantly keeping an eye on her own company’s branding and marketing strategy. “In many ways, your company has to become a client for you to execute marketing and branding on the same level and scale—and not forget about it because you are working on client work at the same time,” she says. In 2015, SGI ranked seventh on LSU’s annual listing of the 100 fastest growing alumni-led businesses, and Wilson anticipates more room for growth. She has her sights set on opening a third office in Washington, D.C., to further expand her firm’s scope of work into the federal contracting space. She also plans to launch a product spinoff, creating a new company separate from SGI in the form of a web-based compliance platform for tax-exempt organizations.
