Meet Corinne Rose Guirgis | Growth & Innovation Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Corinne Rose Guirgis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Corinne Rose, how does your business help the community?

First of all, this is a super important question for me and I’m grateful for any opportunity to reflect on it. I truly believe that in the world we live in today, it’s essential to be asking yourself in all that you do in both your business and your life how you add value to the community and the world; rather than only thinking about how you help yourself and your immediate goals. We live in a world that encourages a highly individualistic mindset and often fails to reward people who put the collective first. It’s extremely egoic and it blinds us from living a life of true service. As I go deeper into the world of business, it’s clear that this is entirely by design.

Traditionally, success in the world of business and commerce is predicated on capitalizing on the consequences of this individualistic “ME FIRST” mindset. It encourages mindless conusmption in search of identity, status, power, wealth and success, regardless of the outcome to others. I’m talking about grave outcomes that hurt us as both individuals and collectively as a society, and that continue to plague our world with greater severity every day. Outcomes like hopeless isolation and mental health issues from a young age, environmental destruction, obesity, and fear-based political polarization which ultimately furthers issues like systemic racism, extreme wealth disparity, poverty, drug addiction, criminality and more.

Although a lot of these issues may feel insurmountable, I truly believe the answer lies in a collective consciousness winning over the hyper-individualistic mindset. In order to do this, we must understand that everything we do impacts our neighbor who then goes out into the world and impacts their neighbor.

For much of my digital marketing career, I had a real ethical problem with what I was doing (but not enough of one to switch gears with so much opportunity on the table, hence, being part of the problem.) Although I felt social media was a powerful and incredible tool that supported the free flow of knowledge and information, gave voices to those who were previously silenced, presented a new world of career opportunities for millions of people, and granted us unprecedented ease of connection between families, friends and global communities, I also saw the dark side from its early onset. I was right in the mix as social tools turned to advertising tools in real time.

I have worked at some major agencies servicing some of the biggest corporations in the world. I knew that ultimately what I was doing was taking my clients’ millions of dollars, routing it to the main social media networks and tech companies, to sell products that may make people feel better in the short term, but in the long term were creating real problems for those who purchase them and for the collective society (condo developments, alcohol etc.) Ultimately, as most people now know, these social media companies were using the data collected by consumers of our ads to make that buy-sell process even more efficient, so we would continue to buy more ads, you would continue to mindlessly consume, and they would continue to make insane amounts of money exploiting your personal information and manipulating your mind with addictive algorithms. The rich and powerful are playing hot potato with billions of dollars at the expense of the individual, and the collective world, and using me, a lowly social media manager with a median salary to do it.

Although I didn’t have the courage to walk away completely from what became an increasingly lucrative and stable career, I did make a promise to myself early on that I would extract all of the information humanly possible that I could about how to best use these tools in service to a greater purpose. I learned and guided how the most powerful and successful companies in the world use them – in order to apply this knowledge to spaces that have the greater good of our world in mind.

This means creatives and artists, young innovative entrepreneurs of color, non-profits, and basically anyone doing any work that creates a better, more equitable and more beautiful world for the next generation. Purpose-driven businesses and people. I help these companies successfully launch in the marketplace by democratizing the information that I’ve learned and offer my services on a sliding scale so I can support these future-focused innovators and leaders by building out their digital assets, brand positions and campaigns. My hope is that this work will allow them to both positively impact society, and make a great deal of money that will be re-invested into both their personal wellbeing AND the greater purpose they serve of elevating our world.

I am very proud of some of the incredible projects I am supporting – including:
1. Abgara Life, a non-profit that inspire youth from underserved minority and Black communities to get involved in STEAM (science, tech, engineering, art, math),
2. Global edutainment initiatives developed by Nick Cooper, one of the world’s leading transformation experts, that will enable young artists, entrepreneurs and innovators to shed their limiting beliefs and express themselves authentically and to their fullest potential
3. Digital platforms like Rascal Land Entertainment that will democratize safe access to technology and digital learning tools for kids around the world.

Each of the projects I’m involved are focused on impact both domestically and abroad, specifically in Africa and the Middle East, where I am from.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

The best part about my business is that it’s still defining itself. I stay open to new opportunities and ways to add value, and that often means that what I walked into a room thinking I was going to do is not what I end up doing! I called my company Shai Media. Shai was the ancient Egyptian Goddess of fate, destiny and fortune. I chose this because I am uniquely gifted at supporting artists and entrepreneurs in being able to synthesize and communicate their core philosophies, their purpose, their mission and their vision in a way that will ultimately allow them to fulfill their destinies – by way of attracting the right investors, partners, customers or team members. I do this in a way that does not focus on what they are creating or selling, but rather on who they are and WHY they are creating or selling it. My process allows them to connect to their highest level of authenticity so that they can communicate the deeper value of their proposition and tell a true story.

We live in an almost counter-culture led by Gen Z and now Gen Alpha where authenticity is the most important value they possess – after living through and in the consequences of a social/digital world that rewarded those whose identities were disingenuously crafted for the aim of selling. In order for a business today to be truly successful and market what they are selling in a way that resonates, they must first connect to this collective exhaustion, and peel back the curtain of curation with vulnerability and fearlessness. This process starts with me, but ultimately extends to their desired audience in a way that provides both my client and their audience with a breath of fresh air and a new perspective, even if they didn’t know that’s what they were looking for.

My path to get to where I am today was the furthest thing from easy. Certain things about my circumstances did make it easier – like being born into a high achieving family with resources and an abundance of support – both financial and moral – that allowed me to fall on my face more than a few times, and still recover because of their extremely cushy security blanket. My battles to success were very much internal. To the same token of being born into a high-achieving family, I was placed in environments where excellence was the only option – and it was a very narrow definition of excellence. Everyone gets honor roll in high school, plays multiple instruments, excels at sports, goes to college, becomes a doctor or a lawyer, and anybody that stays from that conveyor belt is “not living up to their potential”. I am extremely neuro-divergent, and this went undetected until I was 17-years-old and had already shown up as the black sheep lazy failure of my family and classmates for the entirety of my life and academic career.

It took me another decade to figure out how to take my ADHD seriously and treat it appropriately – a journey which came with academic probation, dropping out of school, and a ton of firings from great jobs, all of which dramatically impacted my self worth and my ability to bounce back and try again. Once I did begin to manage and optimize my brain so that I could be successful in more traditional corporate environments, but also so that I could earn the trust required to take creative risks and color outside the lines within those environments, there was a great deal of catching up to do. I put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed – which resulted in a hyper-focus on this work and ultimately a ton of burnout, mental exhaustion and a complete neglect of my mind, body and spirit in favor of this success. So while I finally managed to hold a great job for four years, and reach incredible heights within my field and industry, I was failing myself.

What I’ve since learned is that success in life is not about how we manage our TIME. It’s actually all about how we manage our ENERGY. Meaning I used to believe that there was not enough time in a day to do all that I needed to get done for work, and still do the things required to take care of myself like personal hygiene, cleaning my apartment, getting exercise, eating well etc. What I neglected to notice, was that each of those acts of self-care may take a little bit of time away from my work, BUT they also replenish me with the energy required to do that work; such that I can be a lot more efficient with my time, and ultimately require less of it to get the job done! I try to bring this mentality into the work that I do with artists and entrpreneurs who often feel like even one moment away from working on their business or their goals will compromise their chances at success, but fail to realize that not taking time to care for themselves stands to compromise their chances at success in a far greater capacity. So while I am a marketing professional, I also really value connecting with my clients as PEOPLE first, and creating space for them to safely articulate what they’re struggling them, and encourage them with permission to breathe, take space, and show up for themselves – even if that slightly delays the process.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I moved to Los Angeles in January of 2022, but I had spent a lot of time here in the 5 years before that as a tourist and the first thing I’ll say is that to really get the most out of any city you move to, you should always aim to treat that city like you’re a tourist, even well after you’ve settled in. Expose yourself to new things outside your comfort zone, go places alone and trust you’ll meet great people along the way, spend tonnes of time outside, get to know people who were born and raised there and know all of the and learn as much as you can about the history of the city, its important landmarks, its neighorhoods and how they’ve changed – who used to occupy them, and who occupies them now.

With that said, the main reason I moved to LA was to be able to access the mountains and the ocean basically in my backyard at any time. Whenever friends visit I always schedule at least one major hike so I can share the type of perspective-altering, meditative experience that standing at the peak of these incredible mountains and staring at the infinite ocean offers me with them. Some of my favorite hikes are in the Malibu area – Solstice Canyon and Sanstone Peak – the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains! After these hikes, I love to take people down to some of the lesser known beaches in Malibu like El Matador State Beach which is full of caves and lagoons and is a gorgeous place to watch the sunset.

In terms of culture and the city – I love the arts district in downtown LA – specifically The Last Bookstore, Grand Central Market, and Little Tokyo. Walking around the fashion district of West Hollywood by Melrose and La Brea always inspires me creatively and the collective buzz and energy is a guaranteed good time. Coming from Canada, where we spend 6-8 months of the year hibernating in the cold, I love that LA offers year-round rooftop cinema and outdoor concerts! Then there’s the classics like Griffith Park, The Getty, the Venice Canals and the Santa Monica pier. If you have time, I always encourage people to drive to surrounding areas – Ojai in Central California, Palm Springs/Joshua Tree, Santa Barbara or Santa Ynez. Southern California is an INFINITE place and you could truly live here 20 years and not see everything!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I don’t even know where to start with answering this question. The list of people who have contributed to my success and the outcome of my life is infinite. *cue Oscars get off the stage music*

But speaking of accepting an Academy Award… I’d like to thank God. Far before I could see it or recognize it, the Most High had designed my life and all the lessons that have contributed to the life and the truth that I am so blessed to live in today. I truly believe that God equips each person with a unique set of gifts, a thumbprint like no one else’s, and that it’s our life’s purpose to align with those gifts so that we can be of best service to the collective. I have known from a young age that my gifts were special to me, but figuring out how to use them and make sense of them within the structures of this world and all of the influences, pressures, voices and failures that made me doubt their value was no easy feat. It wasn’t until I surrendered to my faith and told God that I was ready to live my life as authentically as possible and bless the world with things that I was born knowing, but raised doubting that real opportunities to do just that started happening. Anyone else that I think after this, I still owe to God, who brought them into my life to meet my spirit at the exact right time so we could help expose each other to new lessons and possibilities – whether it was for a reason, season or lifetime.

Along the way, there were many people who reminded or showed me what I was capable of, and reinforced my sense of purpose, even when I couldn’t connect with it.

1. My grandmother, parents and brothers. I am nothing without the love of family. For better or for worse, they push you to your aim for greater and ultimately, I am who I am because they never stopped believing in me, even when it was hard to watch me struggle and stumble.
2. My first mentor in college Nate Black who has since passed, but who exemplified the giving spirit and was an absolute king at identifying talented people who were a little lost and blessing them with the perfect mix of love, encouragement, opportunity and belonging.
3. My former boss turned client Matt has been an incredible friend and mentor who never ceases to exemplify and represent true vision and leadership and who has always empowered me and the rest of our teams to rise to the occasion without fear, which is I’m on year 4 of working with him and his two companies PRAXIS PR and Curium Agency; the longest I’ve ever worked with any company.
4. My current client turned mentor Nick Cooper who has exposed me to the most limiting corners of my mind and allowed me to safely connect with true vulnerability so that I can make Quantum Leaps into the realm of infinite possibility that we are all intended to occupy. Nick has exposed me to the importance of adding TRUE value, giving yourself permission in the face of trauma and fear, living in your highest integrity, and aligning yourself to your greatest love of self and highest frequencies, so that you may serve the world at that level. I learn something new every day from Nick and how he approaches the world and his service to others (particularly his own family!). I also feel blessed to be shown a real example of someone who is both conventionally successful and celebrated, and who lives a life of service.

Website: www.shaimedia.expert

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corinnethemillennial/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinne-guirgis/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cothemillennial

Image Credits
Anthony Bryce Graham (@thebrycestudio)