Meet Contessa Corkern | CEO Philanthropist

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

Hi Contessa, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The GIVING! By far the most successful part of BeeConnectedNow is the giving. I have potential clients contact me all the time, they ask about the service & yes they like what they hear but when I tell them “My Why” its a done deal. People want to be apart of something more than just the service a business offers & the service benefits for them as the consumer. Thats what every business does & gives right? Why is Tom’s so great? not because the shoes are so fabulous but because of what each pair represents. Same for my utility connection co. every new home utility connection equals hope for the Homeless…..When you have a passion beyond your paycheck & that passion involves lifting up the life of another human being….That’s the golden ticket!Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I run a utility connection co. we help families who are moving, businesses who are setting up shop & people who are simply shopping their current utility bills for a better deal. The mission of our service is what sets us apart. We use the utility connections as a way to get the people we help truly connected! Many people move & when they do they know their new address, how to get to their job & if they have kids where the school is. But that’s it & that means a lot of disconnection. I want to see someone’s new home become home! We accomplish by not only connecting their utilities but connecting their life! Its the Local Buzz that we love the most. I am almost 3yrs in & the giving is by far the sweetest part of it all for me. Leveraging something everyone needs- utilities to create change in the community knowing each home connection we make for our clients equals hope for the homeless is a win! People use our free service & as co we get to give our time, our dime, donations & platform to be an extra voice for one of the many great non profits fighting to overcome homelessness in our communities The Bible says we are all made in his image, thank you God that this is true! I started out on a very different path in my 20’s hustling cars instead of going to college but the Lord had other plans & before I even acknowledged him he had already decided the gifts I had were going to be used for him. I went from cars to non profit! Seriously! And that was it, yrs in that world working to build affordable housing, working for HUD & FEMA during Katrina running the Disaster Housing Program all of it has led up to today. The challenges are muting the voices that tell you to quit, the voice of your bank account, maybe even your spouse, your friends, the co’s that want to hire you & even your own voice at times. The one that questions your why & whispers, “you can still live & give but it doesn’t have to be so risky! And you’d have benefits & health insurance too!” You have to stand strong in what you know you have been called to do! You will have”Oh Dang what am I doing” days! If you stand strong thru all the ups & downs you will see the victories, the little lifts that let you know KEEP GOING YOU GOT THIS! Authentically share who you are & what you want to do with those around you. Real is really refreshing! Go above, go beyond & allow yourself to be free to help someone especially when its outside the bounds of your job description or your companies services. When step out boldly like that for others you will never need to market again! The lives you impact will be your greatest billboards, the money always follows when your mission is leading not your pocket book! I want BeeConnectedNow to lead in the live2give dept. I want other business to look out how we have attached giving to everything we do & then ask themselves “Hey how can we do this too?” That is what its going to take for us to truly bee impactful & create a better world!Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Local Buzz you already know that’s my JAM! Ok excercise is soulfood so White Rock Lake in Dallas is a must! Some of the most amazing views of the city, cute little cottage pocket neighborhoods & historic Dallas spots like the Boat House on the lake. Then next stop has to be Deep Ellum for some vintage shopping & live music & the best pizza in Dallas & the Biggest my favorite Serious Pizza! Each slice is about the size of both hands & feet! Now since I specialize in all of DFW I would then have to move the road trip North to visit the sweetest little Donkey Rescue in Celina TX where you can grab a $2 bag of carrots & walk to the pasture next door to Brookshires & feed & pet donkeys of all shapes & sizes that have been rescued from bad homes & given a new one! Now all of this will require refueling at the very best coffee spot found only in Frisco TX Summer Moon the home of the Moon Milk!! Moon milk their very own creamer that is so divine they started selling it in a $6 to go container!!! by now itd be dark & the best place to take in some all around every age & every style spot the newest latest & greatest indoor outdoor hot spot Grandscape in The Colony. Bars, sports stores, go karts, outdoor movies amazing places to eat even Nebraska Furniture mart they all share this huge spot designed to entertain. I can go on & on but I wont! I just want to say when I think of enjoying DFW I think of all the amazing little cities that make this area my home!Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
10+ years in non profit working side by side with amazing organizations like The Samaritan Inn Homeless shelter in McKinney, Our Calling Homeless shelter in Dallas, The McKinney Housing Authority, FEMA, HUD. BCL of Texas, The Blessing Project Frisco, CASA of Collin County, Collin County Homeless Association, Chase Oaks Church, Open Bible Academy & Habitat for Humanity Collin County are just a few of the selfless organizations that I have had the pleasure of working with over the years. The people within the walls of these amazing places have taught me the power of connection, they have influenced the calling of my heart, they have shown me the continued joy & the struggle of working for something more than just my financial bottom line. And they have shown me the priceless reward of impacting the life of another human being. These organizations don’t due what they do so they can have it all, They spend their days giving it all away, their time, their money, their emotions, their heart, their words & their ideas..all so that our world can bee a better place. I am humbled to say that I have had the joy of being impacted by groups like these!

Website: www.beeconnectednow.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beeconnectednow/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beeconnectednow

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/beeconnectednow-plano

Other: YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING THANK YOU

Image Credits
Todd Thonen, BeeConnectedNow Our Calling Mindy Ezeh, The Blessing Project Union Gospel of Hope Lauren Bowen, The Blessing Project Aidan Corkern