Business Unusual featuring Steph Corker
An interview series featuring amazing women building life and business on their own terms, right on time.
Let me spin a yarn real quick about how I met Steph Corker (find her namely as Steph Corker on here). Many moons ago, we were both working at lululemon, Steph based in Vancouver at HQ running recruitment for lululemon when the company was launching beyond North America. All the while I was living in Chicago at the time remote working for HQ - this was before remote working was all the rage - on the brand team flying all over the map working the job of at least five people opening stores and launching large-scale events in the Midwest, Southern US (add in Colorado and Georgia, why not?). Truthfully, I was drowning in the wrong job(s). I was in prove-it mode, performance mode, keep-up-with-Jones-comparison mode and burnt the f*ck out.
And then Steph called.
And she made me an offer to jump departments to the people team, hopscotch from Chicago and back to California and start to dream and create my own role at the company. The biggest question she asked me was during salary negotiations and she said to me: ‘how much do you need to make to live your whole life?’. And I will never forget that question and I took three days to answer it and when I presented her with a number, she said yes and we (Chris moved to California with me) turned a whole new page, hell, a new life chapter.
The question she posed and our friendship have stayed with me.
Meet Steph:
What inspired you to start your business?
Truthfully, this time around, I thought I wanted to be an employee again. After applying to way too many jobs all around the world, I heard more No’s than Yes’s. Internally, I heard a gong that said: you must start again. And with that, a new consulting practice was born: the tendr way. So I suppose you could say I was inspired from a place of rejection.
How do you define ‘success’?
I think the greatest measure of success is: how quickly you can fall asleep at night, how swiftly you can rise in the morning and who is with you to celebrate the moments that matter in life? I wish those metrics hit more performance reviews for human health where ever you define “work” to be.
What’s one major decision that changed the trajectory of your work?
Most recently, being promoted to Aunty Steph made me wildly committed to crafting my work-life around the opportunity to visit my incredible nephew who lives in the UK (and his Dads!). Children have a way of making the clock tick faster and I feel the race to make the moments matter. With that clear distinction, it became imperative that my work could support global love!
What core values guide how you run your business?
I have been completely *unable* to separate my own values from those of my work. Perhaps it is (one of) my greatest downfall or my secret sauce. My Core Values as a compass are:
WILD ADVENTURE
TOTALLY POSSIBLE
ABUNDANCE ALWAYS
ENORMOUS LOVE
I know you don’t 9-5, so tell us what does a day in the life look like?
My preference is to rise before the sun and sweat to start the day. After that, I’ll quite literally do whatever the calendar calls for! However, my naughty sidekick named Bernie will always jump at exactly 5PM looking for a walk and his dinner. So there is an undeniable pause in every day for him. Admittedly, I feel less constricted by a calendar and more committed to doing the most important things for health and vitality. If that means walking on the treadmill in the middle of the day - I’ll do it. And if that means very early morning calls with Europe - I’ll happily do that too. Less boundaries, more bounty is the current era.
What’s something people don’t see about being a founder?
There is no off switch. Ever. Ever. Ever. It’s the background music and the foreground headlight. Everything is an opportunity; everything is a possibility. Some may see it as a constant buzz. When I changed my perspective to the buzz being a beating drum of purpose, it completely changed how I see the privilege of being “on”.
What is your vision for the future, be it in your business or beyond?
A few years ago I had some health challenges that put the preciousness of life into perspective. It’s so cliche, yet when it hits, it really hits. I quickly committed that I would honour health as my greatest wealth. I would be of conscious contribution to all relationships and energetic exchanges (ie. work!). I would promise to spend my days asking: how good are you willing to feel? With that, I’m here to explore the future -- really, in a state of awe. (And in the current state of of the world, finding awe sometimes makes me feel like an astronaut!)
What advice would you give someone building something of their own?
“Their own” is powerful in so many ways, yet I really believe in “together” being even more powerful. Find the crew, the tribe, the advisors, the support team - paid or unpaid, that is not what it is about. It’s the support in an otherwise pretty wild (and sometimes lonely) version of life. Beyond my personal Board of Directors, I think goals matter - micro and macro - direction and focus are a currency. And of course, joy or hobbies of inspirational pursuit. Be it Writing Club with you, Jacki, my garden or trail adventures, having things to pull me away from an online space into offline reality is imperative -- I think it is for everyone to build the castle of their dreams.
If I were starting a secret society of support, what would you ask for?
I really wouldn’t mind air travel that was easeful, reliable wifi in the sky and a cure for jet lag.
Keep up with Steph:
Loved reading this. This quote — Less boundaries, more bounty is the current era. 🔥