Tyler Butler is the Founder & Principal of 11Eleven Consulting, which is a boutique consulting firm focused on aiding companies who aim to do well by doing good. What we find so fabulous about Tyler is the fact that she found a way to take her passion for helping others and turn that into a career. Learn more about Tyler…
Hometown: I had a gypsy nomad upbringing so no “real” hometown. My family owned and operated a government construction firm, so much like a military family, we moved often.
First job: In my first post college gig I founded and helped to launch the weekly publication, College Times. I was responsible for the advertising success and created one of Arizona’s first real street teams to promote the fledgling publication. I had a chance to be a true entrepreneur, network with valley movers and shakers and create a great brand that is still present in Arizona to this day.
Favorite AZ restaurant: One of my favorite restaurants is the intimate, unassuming Tratto from James Beard award-winning chef Chris Bianco. One my best friends, Rick McCartney, and I stumbled across this on one of our “date” nights and we just fell in love with the quaint atmosphere and amazing food. Now the restaurant is a hard one to get into, having recently received some much deserved rave reviews.
Person who has impacted your life the most: My mother is easily the person who has most impacted my life. Her unconditional love and support have made a huge difference in my success. She has instilled in me an ambition to excel and a level of resilience that continues to help me progress professionally and personally. Most importantly my mom and dad both taught me to be grateful for every blessing in my life and to live life to the fullest. I do my best each day to live up to these beautiful sentiments.
Your biggest accomplishment in your eyes: I’ve had several opportunities to make a positive impact during my life. Working for years in non-profit was tremendously rewarding and taught me a great deal about the hardships that charities face in trying to accomplish their missions. Then there was my time at Microsoft creating a program that aligned their enterprise offices with their retail stores and impacted countless communities and worthy causes. This program was replicated nationally in many more US markets after successfully launching here in Scottsdale. During my time at GoDaddy I reimagined their entire corporate philanthropy program starting with a more focused giving strategy and moving forward to enable a plethora of alternative ways to give back. I launched programs ranging from employee engagement and activism, in-kind support, customer fundraising initiatives, donation drives and finally an international giving program that successfully engaged 81% of the company’s employees. I had the chance to participate in taking this company public and my work was in large part responsible for their placement on the Forbes Best Places to Work list, amongst many other honors that were possible because of my work.
But, right now I feel like I am living my biggest accomplishment in launching my own corporate responsibility consulting firm. Through 11Eleven Consulting I have the opportunity to now aid many companies to give in strategic, sustainable, focused ways. I am enabling many more groups to be active in their communities and I am putting programs into place that will continue to grow and flourish throughout the country, creating more of a lineage of helping companies to do well by doing good. Working with companies like Lyft, UTI and Xtreme Canteen I am creating a larger legacy of doing well by doing good through the work at my company 11Eleven.
The biggest obstacle you have overcome: The biggest obstacle that I continue to work through is being a driven woman. While today’s standards of equality are much greater than they once were, there is still not equal pay for equal work for women in roles that are similar to their male counterparts. And it is extremely difficult to climb the corporate ladder as a female as it seems at many organizations there is still the preverbal glass ceiling in place that constantly finds reasons why a women should not be promoted.
Someone who inspires you: I am inspired by many women. One in particular that has been a mentor, friend and ally to me is Deborah Bateman. Deborah is not only a valley icon, but she is a well-known philanthropist and an avid community activist. Through Deborah’s leadership National Bank of Arizona has created a real presence here in Arizona and continues to give in meaningful ways thanks in large part to the legacy she has left behind. What’s more is Deborah has inspired a likeminded corporate responsibility program to be put into place at Zions sister bank, California Bank & Trust. Because of her passion and dedication she is inspiring more women to strive for the stars and is continuing to advocate for companies to give back to the communities that they serve in meaningful ways.
Favorite quote: I actually have two favorite quotes, but they are both by his holiness the Dalai Lama so I am only half way cheating on this question.
1. “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” – Dalai Lama
2. “There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow. So today is the right day to love, believe, do and live.” – Dalai Lama
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: I advise those who seek a career in corporate social responsibility (CSR) to have ample experience in the fields that comprise the main skill set needed for this role. First, I always advise that younger CSR ingénues first volunteer for causes that they are personally passionate about and then secondly work in non-profit for a few years. The exposure and experience gained from understanding those that you will ultimately serve through a CSR role is invaluable and necessary for optimal success. Next I recommend having experience in public relations or marketing. A firm understanding of how to thoughtfully promote the brand you represent is a great skill to have when looking to build positive brand sentiment. Finally, I advise having comfortability with public speaking and networking. A role in CSR requires a personality that relates well to others and can communicate effectively.
What makes someone fabulous: Authenticity and a grateful heart are the key ingredients to being fabulous. It takes time for any person to be comfortable in their own skin. But being unique and true to one’s self is the most authentic way to be truly fabulous. Equally important is having a grateful heart. Everyone has struggles, but the ability to celebrate the best of what your life has to offer and being thankful for it keeps people grounded and ultimately leads to greater kindness. All of which is essential to being fabulous.
Learn more about Tyler Butler’s newest endeavor, 11Eleven Consulting at 11elevenconsulting.com.
