Few cultures are more fascinating than corporate cultures. People will spend most of their lives working for multiple companies, and their interactions will end up defining many aspects of their lives.
Laura Whaley knows that as well as anyone, and she’s been able to turn her sketches about those interactions into a large audience. The 30-year old Canadian has racked up over six million followers, posting clips about the vagaries of corporate communication while working from home as an IT consultant.
The Corporate Culture Path
Whaley’s early path didn’t offer any hints that her path would be anything but ordinary. Laura worked as an IT consultant in real life for a national company in ecommerce but left her job in 2022.
Things shifted considerably in 2020 when Whaley started a unique diversion, making videos satirizing corporate culture. She did this with another woman she describes as her “work bestie” who happens to be a corporate communication expert.
They have a rapport that translates to a buddy show as they try to unravel the mysterious layers beneath the messages, memos and emails that define life in the corporate bubble. These chats quickly took off when she joined TikTok. Whaley’s most prominent tagline, “How do you say professionally?” made her a social media sensation.
Whaley has expanded her content to cover nearly all aspects of corporate life. She’s now part of a growing army of TikTok creators trying to figure out how to handle the new normal when it comes to working remotely.
She’s definitely at the head of the pack, though. Her social media handle, @loewhaley, has become something of a brand, although Whaley doesn’t seem to have done a lot to capitalize on it to date.
Which is interesting, because Whaley obviously has talent. Her looks are definitely part of the package, but Whaley also has some solid chops as a humorist, too. Her work is clever, funny and entertaining, and it seems clear that there are bigger opportunities for her on the horizon.
Personal Life
While she may have tons of followers, Whaley has been low-key about her personal life. The non-work photos on her social media accounts show her in a variety of outdoor settings, but they’re all solo shots.
They reveal little about her beyond that fact that she loves the outdoors and has a cute dog. Whaley is just as private about her dating life but on a podcast with Attorney Ryan, Laura did reveal she has a supportive partner.
Laura seems content with her current dual-gig set up, and Whaley certainly has provided her share of light moments during the pandemic. It would be fun to see her expand and spread her wings, but it’s anyone’s guess where her talent will take her from here.
