Name: Stephen Adams
Business: Inspiring Cultures Ltd
Location: Herne Bay
Founded: 2022
➡️ What sparked the idea for your business?
First, a bit of context: Inspiring Cultures Ltd (ICL) helps HR and L&D teams in mid-sized organisations to build thriving, purpose-driven cultures through consultancy, workshops, and bespoke training programs. Our approach is tailored to align with their strategic objectives and drive accelerated growth.
We cover areas such as leadership development, conflict resolution, DEI, coaching, mediation, workplace investigations, and training. Clients include premiership football clubs, an NHS Trust, and organisations across the hospitality and pharmaceutical sectors.
Our objectives are clear: to help organisations remove barriers to success by creating a healthier, more productive workplace culture. We aim to empower leaders at all levels with the confidence and skills to have difficult conversations, constructively resolve conflict, and build engaged teams that thrive.
At the heart of our business are our PRIDE values, which guide our work and are reflected in the way we build strong, lasting relationships with our clients. With 95% of our business coming from recommendations, and consistently excellent client feedback (9.45 out of 10), we know this approach works. We have strict standards for responding to customers in a timely manner and client needs are always front and centre.
How it started: When I left my corporate banking career in 2019, I became a freelancer in the coaching and mediation space. I realised I was working with a client whose values didn’t align with mine, in any way, with a narcissistic 'manager'. That inspired me to leverage my thirty years of corporate experience to do things differently, and better, by building something rooted in the values I believe in. I suppose it was a bit of an epiphany!
Thus, ICL was born in 2022. I chose the name “Inspiring Cultures” because it reflects our mission: to spark positive change, engagement, and growth through people-centric organisational culture.
The company was entirely boot strapped, funding-wise; we had no customers, and we relied on careful planning, dedication, and reinvestment of early profits. I still take a minimum wage and reinvest most of our profit back into the team and the company.
Our first offering was a leadership workshop for small businesses. Over time, we’ve expanded into full culture audits, leadership and team development programs, and online learning modules. We also offer mediation and facilitation services, as well as being an ILM-accredited training organisation. We have grown quickly!
Once revenue became consistent and we had acquired a few long-term clients, I took the plunge and fully committed to gradually scaling the team alongside growth. I decided to keep the key operational team small, whilst utilising the services of expert ‘partners’ for some client delivery that is outside the scope of our experience or knowledge. I also use contractors for bookkeeping, accounting, HR and payroll. When I look back, I’m still amazed at how well everything fell into place!
I never wanted to run my own company, but that bad experience I had as a freelancer kickstarted the idea to do things better, and guess what… we have!
Now, I absolutely love running my own business. I can’t imagine doing anything else! So much so, I added two more businesses under the umbrella organisation in 2025, both of which are in the same field. The Inspiring Cultures Group is going from strength to strength and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
➡️ How did you win your very first customers?
Networking and referrals were key in the early days, and they are still a huge part of how we win new business. I focused on delivering exceptional results for initial clients, which led to word-of-mouth recommendations.
My key challenges were finding clients, building credibility, and balancing finances while ensuring high-quality delivery were all initial hurdles – probably the same issues that most start-ups and small business face.
My non-negotiables were (and still are) delivering consistent and measurable results, nurturing client relationships, providing exceptional customer service, leveraging referrals, and investing in thought leadership.
I’ve focused heavily on LinkedIn as a lead generation platform, which has worked well for both me and the business. I’ve grown my personal following to over 15,000 and this brings daily opportunities in my direct messages.
➡️ What has been the toughest challenge you have faced as a business owner so far?
Early on in the journey, we lost a major client, which was tough. It makes you question everything about your business and if you let yourself wallow, it becomes personal. I chose to focus on lessons learned, recalibrating our approach, and doubling down on service quality for our other clients.
When COVID came along, we had to rethink (as most businesses did) how we operated. We shifted from in-person workshops to online, and later on, hybrid solutions. This enabled us to reach more clients and respond to changing work environments, as well as allowing us to provide a more diverse offering.
I strongly believe in using failure as a learning and development tool. If things don't go well, we question what went wrong, what we can learn from it, and then we pick ourselves up and go again. We once launched a service that didn’t meet market needs. We listened to feedback, iterated quickly, and turned it into a successful offering.
It can be hard to balance personal responsibilities with running a business, but I block out dedicated family and personal time in my calendar and treat it as non-negotiable. Delegation to, and trust in my team also help me to maintain a balance.
➡️ What moment has made you feel most proud of your business?
I was always curious about how things worked, and my primary school teacher said I would be a lawyer or brain surgeon. I actually never wanted my own business. All I wanted was to retire at the age of 40, so I knew I would have to enhance my career to do this.
My first job was in retail. It taught me the value of customer service, patience, and attention to detail, which are lessons I carry into every client interaction today. One phrase I use is, “Clients pay our salaries.” This has kept us well-grounded.
When I turned forty, my wife and I were able to pay off our mortgage. I set this goal when I was a teenager, so I’m especially proud of achieving it.
Every year, we produce a 'Highlights and Insights' report which helps us to identify, and be proud of, the best moments from the past twelve months. It's amazing to look back and see how far we have come since 2022.
Growing my wonderful team to four people has been a major milestone for ICL, as has gaining ILM-Accredited status, and working with major clients such as Liverpool FC and Haven. I firmly believe that clients choose to work with us over our competitors because we combine practical strategies with an empathetic, human-first approach. Our clients feel understood and supported, rather than just being sold to. They also respect our level of integrity and the fact we always do what we say we will do.
Certainly starting the two umbrella companies - Restorative Mediation UK (RMUK) and Clear Path Investigations (CPI) - were very proud moments for me personally, too.
In partnership with another training company, we created MentoraAI - an AI platform for our ILM learners which helps them with their assignments. We recognised that plagiarism due to students using tools such as ChatGPT to create assignments was a big problem. MentoraAI helps them to draft and check answers, but using their own knowledge and brain power.
Over the past six months, we have entered four awards. We are awaiting the outcome of two of them, but we were named as a finalist in the 'Customer Service' category in the 2025 Kent Business Awards. Our Head of Cultural Transformation, Jenni Miller, was also a finalist in the 'Professional Services' category in the Kent Women in Business Awards 2026. To have that recognition is invaluable to the company, but it also highlights the hard work of the team, and it means a lot to us to be recognised locally, too.
I am also proud of all of the positive reviews and feedback we receive from clients, partners, and learners. It's all evidence that ICL is going in the right direction, and I am more than proud to be at the helm of our ship.
➡️ What do you enjoy most about running your own business day to day?
No two days are the same in my business, but most start with an early morning check-in on emails, revenue and project updates, followed by team meetings and client calls. I have time booked out in the diary for a lunch time dog walk – that’s a non-negotiable, and I'm grateful to be able to do that.
Afternoons are usually dedicated to strategy, business development, and working on new initiatives. I also make time for reflection and planning to ensure the business keeps moving forward sustainably. These are all things that I enjoy doing because I can see clearly where I want to take the business - without planning and reflection time, I wouldn't have such clear goals.
At least once a month I will travel to meet clients and deliver face to face training, coaching, or facilitation services. As a sociable person, I enjoy meeting our clients and the people who power their organisations.
I’m also quite a positive person, so thinking about the impact of our work on clients, employees, and the broader community keeps me focused. I’ve learned that I’m far more resilient and adaptable than I realised, because entrepreneurship forces you to confront challenges head-on, and I’ve discovered that creativity and persistence often outweigh experience. Challenges are temporary, but the change we create is lasting.
➡️ Have any mentors, role models, or other business owners influenced your journey?
My mentors, my first few clients, and definitely my team - they all provided guidance, feedback, and support that shaped our direction and growth.
I admire Simon Sinek for leadership insights; I would recommend his book, "Start With Why" to any entrepreneur or business owner. I also follow Reid Hoffman for advice on growth and scaling.
I an supportive of anyone who starts a new business; it's not for the faint-hearted, and I'm always happy to help other entrepreneurs with mentoring or advice where I can.
I couldn't ask for a more supportive champion than Kitty, my wife. She has encouraged me from day one, as a cheerleader, voice of reason, and absolute supporter. I couldn't have done it without her!
➡️ If you were starting your business again today, what would you do differently?
I've enjoyed the journey so far, and I don't think there is too much that I would do differently - I have no regrets!
Having said that, since the team has grown to four people, it has highlighted some operational issues that we are sorting as we go. When a company is new, and funds are tight, you do the necessary tasks that you need to do in order to stay afloat. Once the operation starts to get bigger, you realise that you do need to implement systems and processes to enable the organisation to continue to scale.
For example, over the past six months, we have retained the services of a local HR company to do all of our contracts, and to create a staff handbook. Now that resources are starting to grow, we have also outsourced our bookkeeping and accounts functions so that the team can focus on what we do best. When you're just starting out, you have to do all of these things yourself, because the resources are not available for anyone else to do them.
We have implemented a new CRM system, and we are putting onboarding processes into place for new clients and employees. It would have been lovely to have had these things right from the start, and perhaps, knowing what I know now, I might have thought more about them in the early days. Having processes just makes life a little bit easier!
The one key thing I would focus on if I were starting again today would be to start focusing earlier on building a strong digital presence and leveraging social media to scale awareness faster. It's only recently that we've started to use email newsletters, and to really start to use LinkedIn more effectively as a marketing tool.
We're definitely learning fast as we grow!
➡️ What advice would you give to someone in Kent who is thinking about starting their own business?
I would say, start small, focus on solving a real problem, and build a strong local network. Kent has an amazing community of entrepreneurs; connect, learn, and don’t be afraid to take calculated risks, or to ask questions. Persistence, creativity, and curiosity will take you further than you expect.
The best piece of advice I was given as a new business owner was to focus on solving real problems for people, and everything else - profit, growth, and recognition - will follow.
➡️ Where do you want your business to be in five years' time?
My short-term goals are to expand our digital learning platform, and grow partnerships with medium-sized businesses in Kent and beyond.
Longer-term, the vision is to be the leading consultancy in the UK for purpose-driven culture transformation, blending technology with human-centred strategies. Workplace culture is becoming more data-driven and flexible. We’re investing in tools that measure impact and enhance employee experience.
We currently support youth education programs and initiatives promoting workplace wellbeing. In terms of specific support, we recently partnered with Kent-based mental health charity, Head In The Game, making regular donations and providing webinars on relevant topics for their service users. We would like to strengthen and build on that partnership, and perhaps also broaden our support to another charity at the same time.
➡️ What is your favourite place in Kent to grab a coffee, take a break, or find inspiration?
I’m based in Herne Bay, which offers the perfect blend of community, coastal living, and commuter access to London. I enjoy running along the coast, walking with my wonderful wife and dog, and hacking around a golf course. We often take ourselves out for an early dinner at one of the many wonderful restaurants nearby.
Whilst we enjoy the occasional weekend away in London, we love having family over to our place for weekend meals and walks by the sea. A perfect day off would be a morning walk along the promenade, followed by a long brunch with my wife. No emails, no deadlines, just the two of us (and the dog, obviously!).
Our favourite local spot has to be Whitstable beach for walks and fresh seafood - it’s perfect for inspiration and downtime.
You can contact Steven and the team at Inspiring Cultures Ltd here:
Name: Stephen Adams
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07780955940
Website: www.inspiringculturesltd.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspiring-cultures-ltd
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