Liberal Arts Grad Brings Fresh View to Tech Firm
As a non-engineer, Erin Sheehy is a rarity in the world of environmental consulting. She got a degree in liberal arts, studying economics at Smith College in Massachusetts, then went to work as an air-quality regulator for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. She then worked for a private environmental consulting firm before starting her own business almost five years ago. Using her nontechnical skills strategically and leveraging her job experiences has helped Sheehy succeed as an outsider in a highly complicated, technical field. She was interviewed by freelance writer Karen E. Klein.
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I decided to open my own company because I felt like I had learned a lot after eight years in this industry, and I wanted to parlay that knowledge and my liking for marketing and client development into my own consulting practice. I funded the start-up myself, through personal savings.
Our clients hire us to get them air-quality permits, calculate what their emissions are and do audits to make sure they have all the necessary environmental permits and that their facilities are in compliance with government air-quality standards.
We go to South Coast Air Quality Management District meetings and negotiate on our clients’ behalf, and we help them get tickets and fines settled. I have 10 contract engineers who work for me on a per-project basis for large industrial clients like Arco, Dunn-Edwards, California Steel and Waste Management. They are the top people in the fields of chemical engineering and toxicology, and using their skills, we can staff any air-quality job, no matter how technical it gets.
My role--and my strength--is as a middleman. I see my not being an engineer as an advantage in my position, because I have to take the data my engineers come up with back to the clients--who are businesspeople--and back to the general public for purposes of legal disclosure. It’s important for me to be able to explain that data in clear, plain English. That’s where my liberal arts, reading and writing skills come into play. A lot of times, the engineers are really good at explaining their findings to me, because I’ve forced myself to understand the details, but it’s more challenging for them to explain it to someone who does not have a technical background.
I used my previous job experiences as a training ground for starting my own business, and I think my ability to rely on those experiences is another strength. Working for the SCAQMD and for a large, private environmental consultant gave me a familiarity with industrial processes and environmental controls, not only in the air quality arena, but also in terms of advising companies dealing with hazardous waste.
Now that I work mainly with clients who have air-quality concerns, the fact that I maintained relationships with both my prior employers has been truly valuable. A lot of the same people I used to work with at the SCAQMD are still there, so I’m not a new face when I bring in a permit application for a client. I have a history there and I’m able to cut through a lot of the red tape. A lot of clients are very intimidated by the agency, which has 700 employees. I’ve taken the time to maintain relationships with many of them, and that’s been helpful for business as well as personal reasons. Plus, it’s a huge selling point that helps us get additional clients, because we are able to point to the success we’ve had negotiating with the agency and getting air-quality permits.
Even after leaving the agency, I’ve continued to keep up on regulatory changes, come to governing board meetings to talk about proposed regulations, serve on committees, and eat a lot of meals in the cafeteria. I’ve managed to stay visible and tried hard not to burn any bridges. This is a very small industry, and maintaining a good reputation is really important if you’re going to be in it for the long haul.
I took the same approach with the consulting firm I worked for before starting my own company. I learned a lot there about hazardous waste and regulatory agencies. They knew I wanted to start my own firm, and when I went out on my own, the first few jobs I took were as a subcontractor for my previous employer. They retained the clients I had worked with as a project manager and hired me to continue on their jobs. Instead of stealing clients from their roster right off the bat, I worked as a sub and made a lower rate. The first year was pretty tough and I could have said that I wanted the extra $25 an hour and gone to the client and signed them up directly, but it was worth it to sacrifice profits in the short term rather than burn a long-term relationship. That decision has definitely paid off, since I’ve done contracts for the SCAQMD and for my old firm. I think it’s a good sign for my company that they’ve both hired me back.
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If your business can provide a lesson to other entrepreneurs, contact Karen E. Klein at the Los Angeles Times, 1333 S. Mayflower Ave., Suite 100, Monrovia, CA 91016 or at kklein6349@aol.com. Include your name, address and telephone number.
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At a Glance
* Company: Environmental Compliance Solutions
* Owner: Erin Sheehy
* Nature of business: Environmental consulting
* Location: 3360 E. Foothill Blvd., Suite 157, Pasadena 91107
* Founded: 1995
* E-mail: envcomp@earthlink.net
* Employees: 1
* Annual revenue: $225,000
