Des Moines native Emily Steele is on a mission to build technology and community to support small businesses and local communities. Her company, Hummingbirds, offers a unique spin on influencer marketing by pairing brands with locals to drive hyperlocal behavior. Started in Iowa, the company now includes 22 cities nationwide. The CEO and co-founder appeared on Career Contessa’s podcast in January 2024 to share what most influenced her career journey. An excerpt from the interview appears below, edited for clarity.
Career Contessa (CC): So, the people who become the “influencers,” these are people like me and you, who are maybe not influencers per se on social media, is that right?
Emily Steele (ES): We call them Hummingbirds very intentionally in the sense they’re local pollinators. They have a voice and maybe they have 200 or 2,000 Instagram followers, but those people are the ones they bump into at the grocery store or they see at sand volleyball that would be like, “Hey, I saw you got a margarita at that new restaurant, was it good? Do they make it spicy?” and then you’re like, “Oh, my gosh, yes, you need to try the chips and queso.” There’s not another advertising [medium] where you can create dialogue like that. The focus is local everyday voices amplifying the things in their own backyard.
CC: How has the choice of location really impacted the overall success of your career but also Hummingbirds and your other career moves?
ES: It’s foundational for me because so much of what I attribute to any of the company success I have created is the people I’ve surrounded myself with, the people who have been willing to grab coffee or do a mentorship program with me or offer resources and connections. I spent my college career at Drake University in Des Moines getting to know people, and I can say for a fact that was the best move versus obsessing over my GPA.
CC: So, obviously Iowa has played a big role in this. What are the specific advantages of growing a business in a state like Iowa?
ES: I think there’s an entrepreneurial energy that has really blossomed over the last five years. Maybe that’s because I’ve been more a part of it than before, but to me it’s that sense of community and pride and people really advocating for and supporting fellow business owners and entrepreneurs. It’s all I know and am used to, but I think that that’s been something people have been delighted by as they move from other states.
CC: How does a lower cost of living in a place like Iowa contribute to building your business and your personal financial health overall?
ES: I could take bigger bets because the financial risk wasn’t as high. I think for me it was, okay, I can give myself X amount of runway because I have lower costs of living here. I feel like I’ve been able to make bigger moves, too, with investing in a 401k or programs that support my financial health for years to come. I could hire more people in my company because salary requirements aren’t as high as on the coast.
CC: In what ways does having a strong sense of purpose influence your career decisions and success overall?
ES: It’s everything to me. It’s what motivates me to get to work, to make a difference, to stay up later some nights when I’m really tired from my one-year-old who’s cutting teeth. So, for me, purpose has to be there or it’s not interesting to me, period. And, from that perspective, it’s really allowed us as the leadership team at Hummingbirds to say this is the culture, these are the values and we want you to have a purpose when you show up. When you care about someone, that builds a lot of stickiness, that emotional Velcro, that I think employees are looking for.
