PROFILE
WE’ RE A VERY NEURODIVERSE FAMILY, AND WE LOVE IT.”
The next few years saw highs and lows – studying business and management at Northumbria University and a spell on phone sales, for example, didn’ t go well, but stints in hotel management, door knocking for a gas and electric company –“ having a door slammed in your face 100 times a day builds resilience,” he says.
And most importantly, aged 20, he met his wife Gemma – devoted mum to their three boys Oliver, 17, William, 14, and Elliot, nine, and a constant source of support as they built their lives, and the business, together.
His parents, John and Maxine Robinson, were both community stalwarts in Sedgefield with a compassion and work ethic Stephen is proud to emulate.
It also helps fuel Outrank’ s commitment to CSR, with lots of local good causes supported including Teesside Hospice, the Great North Air Ambulance, MFC Foundation, The Teesside Charity, Daisy Chain, Mark Solan Cancer Charity and several local sports teams to name just a few.
But as for many people, 2020 proved a turning point for Stephen.
He explained:“ Covid was a tough time. By then, the business was 24 people and doing £ 1.5m turnover with a new office – then we were told to close the doors.
“ Also, mam was really poorly – she’ d had heart disease for nearly four years and, unfortunately, we ended up losing her, aged 60. But during that time, for me it became‘ wine o’ clock’.
“ In business, it’ s tough switching off and I soon became acutely aware this was a slippery slope. A bottle of wine at night when you’ re growing a business can seem like a switch-off.
“ When you have a good day, you have a bottle of wine, and a bad day, you have a bottle of wine. And you only ever have good or bad days. I was stuck in the house and didn’ t have to worry about the next morning.”
Stephen has now been proudly teetotal for more than four years and there really is no looking back.
“ Life brings challenges, it’ s how you bounce back, what you do, determination and support around you, that‘ grit’ – which brings you back,” he says.
With Outrank now going great guns – it actively manages about 1,300 customers a year with almost 60 employees, a 96 % retention rate and provides a full service SME marketing consultancy and platform – Stephen, 40, is also happy to talk about what he sees as“ his superpower” he only learned about 18 months ago.
He smiled:“ We were at my cousin’ s 50th about 18 months ago and my aunty came over and asked,‘ How’ s business? When I said it was going well, she said,‘ That’ ll be your autism’.
“ I had no idea what she was talking about, so I took my dad for tea on the Sunday night for some clarity. It turns out my family believed I had been diagnosed with autism as a child.
“ So, by all accounts, it had been there for a long time. It was eye-opening, though, because I connected dots. Things just began to make sense, especially around how quickly things seem to slot together.
“ But I now know I’ m super fortunate to have low dependency and both an
16 | Tees Business