ClearEdge

Last week our CEO and Founder Leslie Vickrey and CMO and SVP of ClearEdge Recruiting Lesly Cardec made their way to Miami for SIA Executive Forum! It was a whirlwind few days of meetings, reconnecting with friends, and, of course, carving out some time to hang out with team members Jessica Castaneda and Maria J. Sweeney. Special shout out to Maria who took the stage as part of a must-see marketing panel: Getting the Most Out of Your Marketing Investment! Thank you to Staffing Industry Analysts for pulling together this incredible event!

Have you met our Marketing Strategist, Nikki Leonardi? With over 20 years of marketing experience (16 of those here at ClearEdge), she is a shining light on our team and is always ready to tackle whatever strategy challenge comes her way. But it's not just her marketing experience that makes her special. Read on to learn how she not only helps companies but also learns all about new tech...in between episodes of Love Is Blind because it's all about balance! ?? What do you do at ClearEdge? ?? I’m a marketing strategist, one of ClearEdge Marketing’s masterminds behind turning our clients’ solutions from “just another service” into a must-have solution by decoding their customers’ needs and outsmarting competitors. ?? What's a project you've worked on that you're most proud of? ?? I’m really proud of a fast-paced strategy overhaul we did for a company facing significant financial challenges. The initial outlook suggested drastic measures, but through deep data analysis and strategic decision-making, we developed a plan that optimized costs while preserving as many jobs as possible. It was a tough but rewarding experience that reinforced the power of smart strategy in turning a crisis into a sustainable path forward. ??? If you could have dinner with one person, who would it be and why? ??? If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be Nancy Brinker. As the founder of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, she turned personal loss into a global movement for breast cancer awareness, research, and early detection. Her relentless advocacy has saved countless lives, and I’d love to hear her insights on how to drive real change in the fight against breast cancer. As a survivor myself, I admire her ability to mobilize communities, influence policy, and make a lasting impact. ?? What are you listening to, watching, and learning from recently??? I just wrapped up the latest season of Love Is Blind and am now fully invested in the chaos of Temptation Island—because nothing teaches you about human decision-making quite like reality TV, right? But beyond my guilty pleasure, I’m also diving into AI business courses and podcasts, soaking up insights on how technology is shaping the future of marketing. On the flip side, I balance that with natural remedies and healthy lifestyle podcasts, because optimizing both mind and body is my real power move! Oh, and lately, I’ve been deep in research on dog training—our newly adopted mini poodle has some quirky behaviors, so I’m learning all the tricks to earn his trust and help him feel at home.

??? HAPPENING THIS WEEK ??? You know what your week needs? More Leslie Vickrey! Join her on two panel discussions on Thursday, March 20th diving into women in staffing and the strategies you can implement today to create more inclusive and supportive environments. At 1 PM ET, Leslie will be joining Robin Mee, Michelle D. Sims, and Bridget Harper to share their experiences as women in leadership roles in the staffing industry and what recent ClearlyRated data is showing about women in staffing. You'll walk away with ideas for how to bridge the leadership gap, create an inclusive culture, and attract, retain, and engage top talent. Register here: https://lnkd.in/ggauKteG At 2 PM ET, join Leslie and Women of Color in Staffing for a dynamic discussion on the critical strategies that will propel women forward: mentorship that builds bridges, leadership development that breaks molds, flexible work that fosters inclusion, and gender equity that delivers results. Save your spot here: https://lnkd.in/eJB3fbEY We can't wait to see you there! ????

In March, we honor Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, a time for those with disabilities and without to join together to build stronger and more inclusive communities. While inclusion is a goal every day, it's always worth taking some extra time to celebrate those with disabilities, use our voices to advocate for their rights, and promote understanding. Bello Machre, a ClearEdge client, has spent over 50 years supporting people with developmental disabilities to live full and independent lives. Today we hope that you'll join us in taking the pledge to commit to creating pathways to independence and fostering a community where all feel supported and ready to thrive. ?? Learn more about the pledge and the work that Bello Machre is doing here: https://lnkd.in/gUQdi5Ap

The stakes are high, and the time is now. Leslie Vickrey will be facilitating a conversation with our friends at Women of Color in Staffing on the critical strategies that will propel women forward. That means mentorship that builds bridges, leadership development that breaks molds, flexible work that fosters inclusion, and gender equity that delivers results. Join the discussion on Thursday, March 20th at 2 PM ET and be part of the solution ???? Register here: https://lnkd.in/eJB3fbEY

Did you know that two-thirds of staffing and recruiting firm employees are women, yet they only represent about half of director-level and above positions in the industry? Our CEO and Founder Leslie Vickrey will be joining MeeDerby CEO & Founder, Robin Mee, and ClearlyRated's VP of Customer Success, Bridget Harper, on Thursday, March 20th at 1 PM ET to share their experiences in the staffing industry and dive into how to bridge the leadership gap, create inclusive cultures, and attract, engage, and retain women to your firm. They'll look at how you can: ?????? Bridge the leadership gap: Explore effective strategies for increasing female representation in leadership roles within the staffing industry. ?? Create an inclusive culture: Learn how to foster an environment where female staff feel valued, supported, and motivated to excel. ?? Attract, engage, and retain top talent: Discover innovative recruitment techniques to attract high-performing women to your firm. Then successfully retain them through quality engagement that bolsters satisfaction, productivity, and loyalty. Save your spot here: https://lnkd.in/ggauKteG P.S. If you can't make it live, don't stress! Everyone who registers will get a copy of the recording and slides so you can learn when it's convenient for you!

Last week the ClearEdge Rising team sat down with some of the co-authors of #TogetherWeRise for a special event in honor of #WomensHistoryMonth. They shared their experiences with the habits that have held them back in their careers as outlined in "How Women Rise" and shared exactly what they’ve done to break them for good. ?? Kelly Boykin shared how she learned that being indispensable isn’t the same as being promotable. When she started investing in taking credit for her work and being a part of cross-functional projects, she unlocked new opportunities. ?? Kendra Cato tackled how she is working on overcoming her perfectionism by shifting from “perfect output” to “impactful outcome.” By letting go of perfectionism, she saw stronger results, smarter delegation, and a decrease in decision paralysis. ?? Anna Frazzetto shared her rule for breaking out of the rumination cycle - the 5-5-5 rule. Ask yourself, "Will this matter in 5 days, 5 months, or 5 years?" The answer to that will help you prioritize what's really worth your focus. ?? Ericka Hyson really struggled with talking about herself publicly, but she knew that she needed to start sharing her achievements in order to grow. When she stopped waiting for others to recognize her work and found her voice, she became her own best champion. ?? Lauren B. Jones ?? spent too much time tamping down her personality and style to fit what other people wanted. So when someone told her she was "too much" she took it as a challenge and reclaimed her bold, colorful, optimistic self. Now? “If I’m too much, go find less.” But it's not just the learnings that we walk away with after these events. A community coming together to learn, engage, and support each other is such a bright spot in our days and we can't wait for the next one! Take a look below at what some of the attendees had to say about our speakers and share the love by tagging a mentor in your life who has helped you become who you are. After all, we get stronger when we rely on each other. Here's to our community ??

Our fearless CEO and Founder, Leslie Vickrey, has been named to Inc. Magazine's #FemaleFounders500 list! This list highlights female founders who demonstrate both the grit and poise necessary to continually take their companies to the next level. Every year it receives thousands of submissions from founders across the U.S. and looks at what they and their companies have achieved in the last year. Ultimately, it honors only the best of the best companies and founders. As a leader, Leslie co-authored Together We Rise, which has helped fund over 10 scholarships for women in leadership. She was named to Staffing Industry Analysts's 2024 DE&I Influencer list thanks to her work with ClearEdge Rising, the Women of Color in Staffing and ClearEdge scholarship program, and Women in Staffing networking calls. She is a judge for the American Staffing Association Scholarship program and a Women Business Collaborative ambassador. She is a thought leader and speaker for the staffing and marketing industries, all while being a working mom. While the whole ClearEdge team knows the impact Leslie has as our founder, this award is a reminder of how long-lasting and far-reaching her influence is. Congratulations, Leslie! We’re so proud to be your team!

In this week's Spark the Space, we're sitting down with Lesly Cardec, CMO and SVP of ClearEdge Recruiting, to talk through a question we get all the time: How do I build the right marketing team? In less than 10 minutes, learn: ? The questions you need to ask before starting the hiring process ?? The pros and cons of in-house hires and outsourced support and how to know which one is right for you (Spoiler: You're probably going to want the best of both worlds!) ?? How to ensure your in-house and outsourced teams work together to hit every goal you set

In honor of International Women's Day happening tomorrow, March 8th, we're striking the #AccelerateAction pose! At ClearEdge, we are lucky to know so many women and allies in our community who accelerate action towards gender equality every single day. As we move forward together, remember that we are better when we join forces to work towards a future free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.