TEES TIME
We continue to find out what makes local business leaders tick …
Name:
Stephen Robinson
Age: 39 Born: Sedgefield Lives: Wynyard
Family: Gemma, Oliver, William, Elliot and two dogs, Bonnie and Betty
Organisation and job title: CEO of SEO and digital marketing agency Outrank
Tell us about your upbringing: Sedgefield born and bred from two very hard-working parents who had political and NHS backgrounds, along with a huge sense of community spirit. A family very much ingrained in public service and the public sector, breaking out to the world of entrepreneurship didn’ t come without the odd eyebrow raise.
Tell us about your first job: After the mandatory paper round at 13, I went into kitchens as a pot washer at the Dun Cow in Sedgefield, working under the second most influential man in my life, David Owens, a fantastic chef and someone who reinforced the meaning of hard work. I absolutely loved working in kitchens, albeit it’ s not for the faint-hearted at times.
How different has your career been from how you imagined it at 21? At 21, I was flipping between a career in music or doorstep sales, not to mention welcoming my first son, Oliver. I don’ t think that at that age anyone truly knows what they want to do, and the best laid plans rarely pan out. I think my career has been shaped by what life has thrown at me, from two more amazing children in William and Elliot, to losing my mam well before her time and the usual trials and tribulations of business.
What one piece of advice would you pass on to those starting out in business? Don’ t sue me, Nike … JUST DO IT! Starting out is never easy. Celebrate the wins on the way because there will be so many failures, but focus on those more than the wins. With every loss comes a lesson. You only have to win more than you lose, and the results compound.
Which part of your job do you most enjoy? The people! I am truly honoured to work with some amazingly talented people here at Outrank and the list of individuals just keeps getting longer. We’ re all quirky in our own way and that’ s why I love the place so much.
Which part of your job do you least enjoy? Letting people down. I think for years I’ ve just said YES, and it’ s starting to become more difficult the bigger we’ re getting. Being the YES man to almost 50 people is not as easy, and I can’ t help but feel like I’ m not there to support them enough. We have an amazing management team in place at Outrank, and I know everyone is in safe hands.
Do you ever doubt yourself as a business leader? Every day, my management team doesn’ t let me lose sight of the progress we’ ve collectively made, and my amazingly supportive wife and co-director constantly reminds me of the“ Why”. I guess that’ s the key: always remember why you do what you do and you won’ t go far wrong.
How do you switch off from work? I am a huge foodie, so escaping with my wife somewhere to grab a nice meal has to be up there. Spending some quality time with my boys, more than likely watching Manchester United( I am a historical glory supporter, and admit it), plus of course the mighty Boro and, more recently, the odd game at Spennymoor’ s Brewery Field.
Why does your business matter? Imagine waking up on a morning knowing that today you are going to make a change for a small business and everyone in that entity. We are driven by the success of our customers, and there is no better feeling than knowing we have had a positive impact on not just one business, but more than 4,000 since we began, especially in the SME space.
Which of your personal traits has been the most important in your career? It’ s only in the last 18 months that I’ ve been able to find out about myself, and knowing that I have always been autistic probably answers so much. It’ s my superpower and something I’ m fully embracing. I think resilience is also something everyone says I have in abundance; it’ s that true northern grit that keeps us going.
Which of your own personal traits most frustrates you? I guess my autism is both a blessing and a curse. The ability to go quickly and connect the dots on the fly is fantastic for me, but not for everyone else. I get told I process and talk quickly, which makes it hard for me to relay things back at times. It also creates difficulty in managing people at times, but it’ s very much a work in progress.
If you were to recommend just one book to Tees Business readers, which would it be? I love to read, originally for self development, but now for enjoyment. It’ s difficult to answer as there are so many, but I think James Clear’ s Atomic Habits is a great book regardless of where you are on your journey. Nobody wins overnight, and the little but consistent changes make all the difference.
What’ s your favourite local restaurant and why? It has to be The Bay Horse at Hurworth, or if you go slightly further afield, 21 in Newcastle. If we are fortunate enough to get childcare for the night you just know one of those two places is getting a call.
What social media do you use? I am not a big social media fan, but I can’ t help having a little scroll on TikTok every now and then.
Which local business leader would you like to see interviewed in this feature? I think it’ s always important to hear from local leaders, but also future and aspiring leaders. As I said before, I think the failures are more important than the wins, so let’ s find someone who has built on the back of the losses.
The voice of business in the Tees region | 43