Stacy Cowan is the founder/owner of Urban Legal in Calgary, Alberta

What is your 'WHY'? Why do you do what you do?

I feel very fortunate to have found a career that aligns with one of my "god-given gifts".

I love connecting people to other people and services that help them to shine their light brighter and live a happier life. Over the years, I have realized that I am a natural connector and even though I recruit for my career, I am constantly connecting people in my personal life as well. I know that I am on the right path because rarely does coming to work feel like work. It is truly just something that I enjoy and is undoubtfully a part of who I am.

What is your product/service?

We are a niche recruitment service, specializing in legal recruitment placements. We place partners, associates, paralegals, legal assistants and other legal support staff within law firms and in-house legal departments.

We primarily place candidates in Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto. We will also do the occasional specialized placement in other commonwealth jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and the Middle East.

What is your 'SECRET SAUCE'?

We genuinely care about people and understand that recruitment is so much more than just making a placement. It is about building long term relationships with our clients and our candidates. Even though we are working in the legal recruitment space, we do not see this as a legal business. This is a people business which requires a great deal of care and integrity.

Tell me about your team

What I've learned about building a team which is comparable to starting any kind of relationship in life. When there's a great deal of resistance, it's most likely telling you that it's not a good fit and not a healthy/positive relationship to engage in.

When you can feel the ease and inspiration with your team in the every day, which I like to refer to as “being in the flow”, it is a good sign that the fit is right.

I am infinitely grateful to have Shona and Robynn on my team as we are fortunate to flow very well together.

We are quite different yet fundamentally aligned and our personalities really compliment one another.

We also really care about each other. Instead of being competitive, we do the very best we can to support and empower one another to succeed professionally and personally. I couldn't ask for a better team to work with and grow with.

Describe your perfect client for me.

There really isn't one perfect client. I enjoy working with a variety of people/personalities which is what makes this job so interesting. Every client/candidate is unique and the real skill comes in aligning the candidate with the client and vice versa.

We are here to do the best that we can in aligning a candidates wants/needs with the wants/needs of our clients. It is important to communicate those want/needs effectively so that we can do our best to find the right fit for both the candidate and the client.

What is the best thing you ever did for your business?

I have always believed in myself. I started this business when I was 26 years old and at that time there were significant obstacles that I had to surmount to pursue this career path. I never gave time and energy to my business failing, it just wasn't an option. I have always known in my heart that no matter how big the obstacle, I am in the right place and doing what I am meant to be doing.