A Medley for a Better You: A Conversation with Edith Cooper and Jordan Taylor, co-founders of Medley
A medley is a mixture of people or things. Edith Cooper and Jordan Taylor have created their own Medley, the name of their recently-launched company, by bringing together people with different backgrounds who share a similar goal of self-improvement. This mother-daughter team co-founded Medley to offer high-quality programming and coaching to a broader audience.
Edith is a Wall Street veteran and former Global Head of Human Capital Management at Goldman Sachs. Jordan is a former consultant with a Harvard MBA. Together, they’ve launched a service that places its members into small teams for monthly sessions with expert coaches. In a special discussion with Goldman Sachs, Edith and Jordan interviewed each other about their entrepreneurial journey, experience working together and advice for others who want to start a business.
Edith: How did your experience working in media and consulting inspire you to create a community for growth?
Jordan: As a twenty-something working in New York City, I found it challenging to find a space where I could take a holistic approach to integrating various aspects of my life: job, relationships, exercise, sleep and nutrition routines. Everything was connected, and yet, I felt like I couldn’t gain perspective across my life. At the same time, I felt like I was alone in that journey, even though I had an incredibly supportive family and friends. I missed the camaraderie and support I felt being on a team and in strong communities; I was on the varsity crew team in college and played team sports all of my life. Those experiences stuck with me as something I knew I wanted to continue to have, and that’s why we built Medley, to create spaces for growth, connection, and perspective. The journey of understanding yourself and others continues throughout our lives. Our community has people ranging from their 20s to 60s.
Jordan: When we originally discussed starting Medley, at what point did you recognize this was a project worth pursuing?
Edith: When you were at Harvard Business School, you were a Baker Scholar (top 5% of class). Throughout your education and career, you kept your focus on how to create a group experience that would help people achieve individual goals. You committed to building Medley when you graduated and had the data to support Medley’s thesis that traditional areas of support were eroding and access to coaching was limited. These things got my attention. I knew that employees were expecting more from their employers regarding the purpose of their work. I always benefited from learning about the experiences of people outside of my day-to-day environment, and I realized, “working with Jordan on Medley… no brainer.”
Edith: What is your goal for Medley? Who do you think will benefit most from the platform?
Jordan: We hope that Medley can create a new vocabulary around growth and connection. The small group format has existed throughout history and is still a mainstay in many communities, yet it can be difficult to access. We hope that Medley can one day bring our small group approach to millions around the world and bring coaching and research-backed emotional skills to a broader audience. The person who benefits most from joining Medley is one who appreciates our approach. They are drawn to our model that brings people together from different backgrounds. Medley members are deeply curious, open-minded and excited to learn about other’s experiences. It doesn’t matter if someone is single, married with children, a career veteran or just starting out professionally, Medley’s approach enables us to match them with a group of unique people.
Jordan: How are you translating your experience at Goldman Sachs and sitting on corporate boards, like Slack and Etsy, into our company?
Edith: I am a product of my life experiences, personally and professionally. At Goldman Sachs, my role as a leader was to create an environment in which each person on our team could perform to their potential. I learned the importance of this concept when I ran client franchises within the Securities Division at Goldman Sachs, and it informed my thinking when I led the Human Capital Management division. However, I knew there was a lot I didn’t know about the complexities of the firm’s people initiatives. I’ve always been comfortable asking questions, big and small. I had the confidence to realize that learning from others was not a weakness but a strength, and I recognized patterns with respect to people, leadership and innovation, which has been important as a board director and company founder.
Edith: What are the scariest and most exhilarating parts of being an entrepreneur?
Jordan: The most exhilarating moments are definitely when we are speaking with Medley members and potential members! It’s the best feeling, almost astonishing, when someone is genuinely excited for what we’ve put into the world and eager to be a part of it. Getting positive feedback after Medley group meetings and events is also rewarding. The scariest part of being an entrepreneur is that every aspect of the business feels personal, and it can be hard to manage the emotional roller coaster. We remind ourselves that a “no” has nothing to do with us. Medley’s success does not define who we are as people.
Jordan: Over the course of your career on Wall Street and beyond, what motivated you to grow and improve? Did you have a mentor?
Edith: I have been fortunate in my life and career. I was raised not to take things for granted, and I’ve felt that way in my work. I’ve thrived in situations where there was an opportunity to build things. First, it was developing client relationships, and then it was building and leading teams. I’ve been at my best when I was slightly uncomfortable and had a steep learning curve. I welcomed those opportunities and benefited from working for people who both pushed and supported me, including when things didn’t go well. As a result, I took more risks. And yes, I’ve had mentors along the way and sponsors. No one advances without help, and I certainly benefited from them greatly.
Edith: What is the best piece of advice you received?
Jordan: It was definitely advice from O’Neil! In high school. I was lucky enough to have O’Neil Medley as a coach and strength trainer. He created spaces for me to build my confidence and develop a positive mindset. His slogan was “Get your mind right!” I remember him giving me workouts that I thought were impossible, and yet time and time again, I’d accomplish these goals. I began to recognize my own critical thoughts and self-limiting beliefs, and I still think of him when I have self-doubt. I know that you had that same relationship with O’Neil. During training sessions, he’d listen to how things were going for you at work and home. I miss him every day. He sadly passed away in a tragic motorcycle accident when I was in college. When considering what to name our company, we reflected on people who positively impacted our lives, and O’Neil came to mind. His last name, Medley, was a perfect fit. Not only are we honoring someone who represents Medley’s values, but the definition of Medley is a “varied mixture of people or things,” which is how we think about life and the Medley experience.
Jordan: How are you able to separate your role at Medley from being mom to your co-founder?
Edith: Like most things, I’m forever learning as I go. I suppose it’s similar to motherhood. For example, being your mom when you were young is different than what our relationship is now. Then, it was setting the framework for life ahead, including the importance of values and striving to be your best self. There was also a fair amount of tactical — clean up your room and don’t stay up too late studying. Today as a Mom, I am growing and learning. It has prepared us well to be co-founders of Medley. We are both committed to building an extraordinary experience for our members and doing so can be all consuming, particularly in our virtual world. But as we often say, life shouldn’t fit around work, and we are careful to be intentional about our personal time together.
Edith: What is it like working with and having me, your mother, as a business partner?
Jordan: It has been such a joy. I feel very lucky to work with you — someone who I trust deeply, who has decades of experiences as a business leader and who makes work fun. In the moments of rare disagreement, our mutual trust enables us to focus on the best outcome for the business. We share a similar bar for quality and strategic thinking and also a similar level of goofiness on occasion.
Jordan: What advice would you share with other family members or mother-daughter duos working together?
Edith: Working together is not the same as being together as mother and daughter. Make sure that you carve out time for those special things, big and small, that fuel your spirit and connect you together.
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