This week on Own It we’re talking to Mary Cornette from Fuel. While we have the same last name, we don’t think we’re related. It’s spelled different. But, her family does have roots in Kentucky, so who knows?
Mary is based in Greenville, South Carolina and her firm Fuel is a brand-building agency. She landed there from New York where she spent time at R/GA and Digitas, among others. Her brand experience is a Who’s Who list of brands and her experiences and perspective are a treasure to learn from.
We so enjoyed her thoughts on our industry, hearing her journey and so much more. We know you’ll enjoy this episode.
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Mary Cornette initially did not plan to own an agency, viewing it as too much responsibility. However, after falling in love with the culture and people at Fuel, and contributing significantly to its rebranding, an opportunity arose to step into ownership. This unplanned path proved to be incredibly challenging yet exhilarating, leading to immense personal growth and fulfillment.
Mary Cornette emphasizes the importance of building purposeful brands that go beyond mere logos and color palettes. Her agency, Fuel, focuses on developing a comprehensive brand foundation including mission, vision, purpose, values, positioning, and key messages. This approach ensures brands are deeply rooted in meaning and intention, setting companies up for long-term business success, even if not all clients initially understand its depth.
Mary Cornette shares a powerful lesson she learned: to be scared and do it anyways. She equates the feeling of agency ownership to riding a motorcycle through challenging terrains – terrifying, risky, but ultimately empowering and strengthening. This mindset applies to leadership, where facing the unknown and navigating difficulties builds resilience and sets an inspiring example, especially for her daughters.
Mary Cornette advocates for work-life integration rather than balance, acknowledging that it can be messy and imperfect. She suggests that the fear of not being able to "do it all perfectly" deters many women from pursuing ownership. Her advice is to embrace the messiness, give oneself grace, and accept that mistakes and failures are part of the journey.
Mary Cornette highlights the importance of setting a clear vision as a leader and effectively communicating it. Drawing from principles like the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), she advises visualizing the desired future in detail and sharing that picture with others. This process of deep imagination and clear communication is crucial for manifesting the vision into reality and driving the business forward.
