Meet Corean Canty | Speaker, Coach, Play Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Corean Canty and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Corean, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I used to believe there was a such thing as work life balance. Until I realized the entire concept is a fallacy. You can’t balance two things that are not separate. Work is not separate from life, it’s a part of life. And the fact that work is first implies that work is the most important thing. So we put life on the bottom of the list. And end up sacrificing our health and happiness and building up a lot of regrets. Life is not something at the bottom of the list, it’s the paper.

I now look at life more like an orchestra and we are the conductors. Each part of our life is a different instrument and depending on what song is currently playing, we decide which instrument is more in focus and which are more in the background. The balance is understanding which instrument needs the most attention in the current moment and knowing that the others will be okay until it’s time to focus on them.

My perspective now is more about harmony and integration of all aspects of life as opposed to trying to find the perfect balance that doesn’t exist.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I spent over 20 years in advertising and marketing, leading strategy for some of the world’s biggest brands and eventually stepping into a Chief Operating Officer (COO) role. After taking a break to become a caretaker for my mother, I started two businesses. The Life Is Project, a life and leadership coaching firm that focuses on life design, life-centered leadership and putting the living back into making a living. And I co-founded Shift to Play along with Yoshee Sodiq, a culture strategy firm that transforms workplace culture using our P.L.A.Y™ Framework. P.L.A.Y™ custom workshops and programs are designed to help organizations shift to a more collaborative, innovative and inclusive culture by transforming team communication, connection and creativity.

Both of these businesses were born out of the need I saw in the corporate world.

After experiencing my own health crisis from burnout and watching my teams face burnout and not a lot of joy, I knew the way we did work had to change. One of the greatest influences on the quality of our adult lives is our work. If we make work better we make life better. But we also have to unlearn a lot of things that have been programmed into us since we were kids about what success means and what work should look like.

So I began bringing well-being tools (mindfulness & breath work) and the principles from improv and play science (I’ve been an improvisor from 15+ years) to my teams. The more we incorporated well-being tools and play – the better the teams performed. And the happier they were. We focused on living and leading well and work got better for everyone.

Shift to Play exists to make work better. The Life Is Project exists to make lives and leaders better. I want to do both. And have a proven tool belt (and several certifications) to do it.

I also host a podcast called “Remember to Live.” Watching my mother at this stage in her life and the impact dementia and other health problems have on her mind and body, I realize there is a such thing as too late. I can’t get the years back for my mother, but I can make sure I am remembering to live right now and helping other do the same. It’s time to get rid of the epidemic of end of life regrets.

Last year, I did a TEDx BuckheadAve talk “Play: The Secret Sauce to Better Work and a Happier Life.” That teaches people why play is the ultimate adult responsibility and you need more of it.

Building businesses is definitely not easy as an intrapreneur or an entrepreneur. I was an intrapreneur most of my corporate career, building out new teams, functions and organizations. It still doesn’t prepare you for some of the shifts it takes to be an entrepreneur. Good thing I’m a Capricorn and love to do it.

Knowing that the work I do matters and changes lives helps me get through the challenging times and pushes me to figure it out when it feels impossible.

I believe life should be fully lived, leadership starts with self, workplaces should be engines of creativity and well-being and we all need to play a little more.

I want the world to know that we can create workplaces where both the business and the humans that power it thrive.

We just need to do things differently.

It’s possible – I’ve experienced it and helped to create workplaces where these things are true.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Here are the spots we would have on our must do list:

In the mornings:
We would definitely hit up Revolution Doughnuts – Inman Park. The Vanilla Bean Glazed and Blueberry Old Fashioned are my favs. The coffee is really good too. Then walk around the neighborhood to walk it off.

If we wanted a more hearty breakfast we would go to Snooze Buckhead North and grab a breakfast burrito or crab & asparagus omelet. Then head down the street and check out Phoenix & Dragon Bookstore to pick up some crystals, maybe an oracle card deck and say hello to the resident cats.

We would also take a morning and check out Spiller Park Toco Hills. They have my favorite Chai Latte, but also really good coffee. You can grab food there or walk over and grab a to-go biscuit sandwich from Flying Biscuit for a few bucks. We would then cross the street to Health Unlimited and explore. They have the most knowledgable people working there, a ton of cool metaphysical stuff and health goods you can’t find anywhere else.

The other coffee shop we would have to make a stop at is Urban Grind. We would go Thursday evening to check out the open mic and maybe pick up some new artwork from local artists.

Speaking of Art, we would definitely visit the High Museum and head down the street for brunch at Bulla Gastrobar. My favs are the patatas bravas, sauteed garlic shrimp and huevos bravos. Then we would head over to Piedmont park to take a walk, people watch and check out what’s happening in the park.

We would definitely plan a day exploring the BeltLine, making a pit stop at Ponce City Market to do a little shopping at SugarBoo to pick up something whimsical, Modern Mystic for some more crystals and Souk Bō’hēmian + Nōmad to get something soulful. Then grab a bite and drink at Bar Vegan. I love their vegan tacos.

For dinner, I would head down the road to Krog Street Market and check out Planta. Another one of my favorite vegan restaurants I used to travel to Miami for and so glad it’s here now. The dragon roll and crispy mushroom hand roll are must haves.

We would also spend a day hiking up Stone Mountain to check out the view, catch an amazing improv show at Dad’s Garage and end the night with crab fried rice topped with a fried lobster tail at Bar of Thailand in Midtown.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I was a mom before I was a legal adult. Everything I have ever done in my life has been for my kids. They are my inspiration and my greatest teachers. But I also wouldn’t be who I am today without my tribe (they know who they are) and my mate Anthony Goolsby who support me, lift me up, listen to all my wild ideas and encourage me to follow my dreams and step into my greatness.

Website: https://coreancanty.com

Instagram: @coreancanty

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreancanty/

Twitter: @coreancanty

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@remembertolivepodcast

Other: shifttoplay.com

TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/FEiRT2Rr6ME?si=_s1pyDiFdEp_XNT-

Image Credits
3 of the photos were taken by: Lola Scott