Meet the Referential Founders: Helen Feber
Perhaps one of the strongest driving forces behind Referential’s daily operations is Helen Feber, who also happens to be a Managing Partner alongside her husband and business partner, David Feber. She originally started the company in 1994, and from that point on the rest is history!
HELEN WINE TASTING AT ROBERT MONDAVI WINERY
Helen built up her skill set and experience in customer advocacy after she “fell in” (as she puts it) to being a consultant after having left Hewlett Packard. Through a project she was asked to work on, she came to recognize the obvious lack of customers who would be able to talk about and provide insight on a product. And she credits that experience bringing her awareness to the absence of customer advocacy in so many corporations, and to the absolute necessity for these programs.
Helen is responsible for a wide range of tasks, from handling communicating with clients, to fulfilling HR functions, to even being a handywoman when needed. One minute she could be replacing a lightbulb in the boardroom and the next she could be making a sales call or conducting a performance evaluation. She said, “Running a business requires flexibility to keep it operating optimally: It means tackling anything and everything but it makes life interesting!” This trait is prominent in her character and personality; she mentioned she was raised to have a mantra of ‘there’s nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it.’
She especially feels a strong sense of responsibility for her colleagues, and really does take both their well-being and input into consideration. She says that there’s a pressure in keeping the business flowing and bringing in new clients and talent but it’s rewarding seeing efforts pay off. A goal of hers is to keep everyone part of the Referential team living happily, healthily, and comfortably. She feels that it’s important they’re content in their roles and passionate about supporting clients’ advocacy programs.
HELEN AND HER FAMILY ENJOYING A CAMPING TRIP IN HALF MOON BAY
All of this contributes to the emphasis of family and bonds that’s so ingrained into the Referential culture. It is an organization built through connections and word-of-mouth; the company’s growth to a multi-million-dollar agency has been entirely due to its own customers’ advocacy. New clients come to Referential through recommendations and Helen along with all of the staff are very proud to be a working demonstration of the power of customer advocacy.
When time allows, you can find Helen gardening, tinkering, and doing almost any kind of hands-on work. Her relaxation time is laying down with a good book under a tree in the shade. As of now, she’s starting to make her own wine and hoping to get into bee-keeping, and business-wise she’s always excited about developing even more client relationships in the future!
