How Tiffany Williams made herself indispensable to Steph Curry

Stephen Curry is a legend on the court, but he’s also made unparalleled moves to build his personal brand and business. 

This goes beyond putting his name on Under Armour gear: He’s got golf and basketball tournaments for student athletes from underrepresented communities (sponsored by blue chip brands like KPMG ); a “massive” talent deal with NBCUniversal to create content and experiences that range from TV deals to Universal Studios tie-ins; a partnership with Rakuten to boost Black clothing designers; even a Kentucky-based bourbon called Gentleman’s Cut. Realizing he needed to build for future meant a “change of perspective from endorsement to enterprise," as he said last month.

So how does Stephen build an enterprise while also excelling at his day job?

Two words: Tiffany Williams. Tiffany is the chief operating officer of Thirty Ink, the parent company for Curry’s constellation of business interests. “She’s absolutely essential,” Curry told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2022. “This whole thing doesn’t happen without her.”

Every September, Tiffany puts together a leadership meeting with Steph to go over priorities and goals. And then she’s off and running, honing strategies, taking meetings, forging deeper ties with the "legacy partnership" brands that already support all of his priorities and entertaining new ones. And then she makes calls; she doesn't wait for Steph to sign off.

The goal isn’t to maximize quick cash but to create a set of initiatives that will continue to build and grow and support the areas Steph cares about — even if Steph isn't on the court. “These are all things that we're building that it doesn't matter if Stephen is playing or not,” Tiffany told me. “We look at what he's doing on the court as an opportunity now to use his platform to showcase these brands. But we anticipate that these things will live far, far after his playing days are over.”

For the latest This is Working, I wanted to talk to Tiffany about how you build someone else’s vision — particularly when you’re working with a bright spotlight but one that won’t last forever. It’s the kind of role that’s growing in the creator economy — where individuals are the brands and the opportunities maybe be fleeting — and in executive ranks, where professionals holding “chiefs of staff” roles have nearly doubled since 2017.

Here’s what stood out to me in my conversation with Tiffany:

Trust and role definitions are critical

Being second-in-command can often feel like living in someone’s shadow but that’s not the case for Tiffany. As COO, she shares power with CEO Curry. He trusts her to make decisions on his behalf. For any senior leader, establishing that kind of partnership can be tough. It requires finding a deputy who understands your mission and shares in your values. It also requires that you empower them.

Make sure you have shared values

Tiffany’s not only responsible for the business, she’s also safeguarding an icon’s legacy. She has to balance what’s right for Steph Curry with what’s right for the organization. 

She’s not necessarily looking for the deal that pays the most. Tiffany explained that a crucial part of her job is ensuring any potential partners are operating with the same values Curry espouses. 

“There isn't really a playbook,” for what she does, she said. “he way that we look at things is really different than what you may see from either a celebrity brand or even an athlete brand. Purpose is really important to us within Thirty Ink, and so we've really mesh that purpose and profit as our way of getting things done. We want to make sure that we have an impact in the community, as well as making money. So we look at everything from that scope. And I haven't seen that a lot with celebrity brands, but it is really what's kind of guided me.”

Be indispensable

Tiffany is not a self-promoter nor did she set out to become an essential part of Curry’s business empire. Starting at the reception desk, she moved up to a job in business development. “When that position came available,” she said, “I was like: ‘Oh, I have to get this.’ So, I talked to everybody who worked in that department and got some insights and tried to make them love me. Hopefully that would give me a foot in to get the role. And I did.” 

Tiffany moved around the Warriors organization building relationships and a reputation as a hard worker. Moving on to player development and special events gave her the opportunity to get to know Curry and learn about his vision – and it gave him a courtside view of her skills at work. 

For anyone looking to become indispensable to their boss, Tiffany is the model: Understand the mission, live the values, and earn trust through consistent results. 

🗣️I’d love to hear from you. What’s on your list of qualities that make an employee indispensable? 

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On LinkedIn’s video series This is Working, I sit down with top figures from the world of business and beyond to surface what they've learned about solving difficult problems. See more from Merck Group CEO Belén Garijo, J&J CEO Joaquin Duato, former US President Barack Obama, top executive coach Mark C. Thompson, Kellogg’s Francesca Cornelli, Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, cosmetics legend Bobbi Brown, F1’s Toto Wolff, and many more.