Book Release Behind the Scenes: Q&A with Coauthors Amanda and Brenda

When did y’all first consider writing this The Hiring Process: A Complete System to Save Time, Simplify Steps, and Strengthen Your Team?

Amanda: Brenda planted a seed with me about it in the spring, but that was long before I took action on it. But the idea stayed in my head. I knew we had developed an excellent system that could be easily replicated for all small business owners. Eventually, I gave in to the nagging idea in my head and started writing.?

Brenda: I mentioned it in a text to Amanda in April of 2021 when I was at a conference talking with a company Visionary looking to hire an Integrator. Amanda and I had been using and working on the process together, and I knew it could help save him time and help him find the right candidate. Amanda laughed. She was knee deep in CFO spreadsheets. I even suggested a title, but we will hold that close for now as it might surface in a future book.

Who started working on the content first?

Amanda: Surprisingly, me! I just started dumping all of the knowledge that was in my head into a Google Doc. I shared it with Brenda once I had it cleaned up and organized.?

Brenda: Amanda! She surprised me in a meeting one day and said she’d been working on a book. I was thrilled. She wouldn’t let me have access to the file until much later. Then the magic of our partnership whipped it into the book framework. Our writing skills complement each other well.?

When did one book turn into a series of four?

Amanda: As I was writing Book 1, I realized there could easily be a Book 2. The more we discussed it, we knew Brenda’s next one would be the 3rd in the series. Brenda had the idea of rounding it out with Book 4. It took me a bit of time to consider it, but then it clicked. Once we committed to the titles and named the series, it was done. We knew that this would hold us accountable to stay focused and get the entire Team Solution Series completed.?

Brenda: I’d started working on Book 3 in the series after my first book Save the Butter Tubs!: Discover Your Worth in a Disposable World released in 2018. I’d just add a line here or there amidst the distractions of running a business helping others publish their books. The original title I had for the book will show up in the subtitle.?

What is the one thing you hope this book will help readers with?

Amanda: Hiring is the obvious answer, but it’s deeper than that. It’s really about clarity and how to communicate it. Clarity of what your team needs. Clarity on how to evaluate candidates. Clarity about what you are and aren’t willing to negotiate. Once they have the clarity, the book provides the tools and methods to communicate it.?

Brenda: A process! I was just telling Amanda today how I personally work better with a process in place. I know The Hiring Process will provide a level of professionalism and communication that small businesses need when inviting others to work with them.?

How many tools are in the free Hiring Toolbox and where can people get this?

Amanda: There are eleven tools in the Toolbox. Each of these tools and how to utilize them are shared in the book. They cover the entire process from start to finish. These are available for free download here: thejoyofpursuit.com/hiring?

Brenda: These eleven tried and test tools are game changers. Measuring data and facts instead of feelings and emotions is vital in hiring. Similar to the dating advice I was given over two decades ago, make a list of the qualities you want so when you see them, you’ll know. Don’t just wish and hope the person that was nice to talk to once will work out. Nice doesn’t always mean qualified or emotionally intelligent.?

What is your favorite tool in the Hiring Toolbox?

Amanda: Definitely the?Screening Questions. This tool helped me immensely during many hiring phases. It is the first step in sifting through candidates, streamlines the process, and clearly communicates with candidates what is required of the position.

Brenda: The Capacity Check because it works with both internal and external candidates. You can check your team and shift people to the right seats. Seeing this magic happen firsthand will be worth implementing it. The relief on employees’ faces when they know they can give feedback and pick up or let go of tasks that aren’t their grace-given gifts, is priceless.

Who is the audience for this book and why?

Amanda: Anyone on a small business leadership team who cares about the future of the company. As we state in the book, hiring should be a collaborative effort. Everyone on a leadership team should understand, support, and be somewhat involved in their company’s hiring process. People are the greatest asset to any company and the driving force of success. The right hire will promote company success. The wrong hire can be a costly mistake—time, money, and resources. How people affect the company culture and bottom line for the business should be a priority for all members of the leadership team.?

Brenda: CEOs, Visionaries, COOs, Integrators, and small business owners should be buying this for their leadership and middle managers. Anyone that leads people should understand the principles in The Hiring Process. If more of the team understands the process and collaborates in the process, they will see the investment and protect it.

What are your thoughts on the Great Resignation?

Amanda: I think it is a turning point in how society looks at jobs versus careers, and employees versus team members. The notion of a “9-5” is outdated in many fields. With technology advancements and many discovering that work can get accomplished in a remote environment, people have realized it is possible to have a better work/life balance. A balance that supports emotional and mental health. The influx of “gig” and entrepreneurial opportunities has allowed many the opportunity to reconsider what their priorities are in life, leave toxic work environments, and start their own career where they control the environment. Now is the time for companies to take note, reassess their culture, and improve how they treat employees.?

Brenda: Well, we were actually both part of the great resignation. In 2021, we both decided it was time to exit our former company. I was calling it the Mass Exodus because it was like dominos after Amanda and I resigned. I hadn’t heard the term “great resignation” until after we had already launched Joy of Pursuit. I can see how company culture, environment, the rise of online businesses, and variety of freelance work available are presenting a new challenge in the workforce. I believe that if more companies had The Team Solution Series in place, their culture would be one that employees wouldn’t want to walk away from.

What if readers want help implementing any part of this process?

Amanda: Connect with us via our website or social media. We love working with individuals and small teams to help them achieve their goals. The beauty about a small business is being able to tailor your services to what your client needs at the time. We can provide everything from onsite team training to customizing forms from the Hiring Toolbox.?

Brenda: Reach out. Depending on the need, we can work with them remotely, come in for a team workshop, or simply write a job description for them.?

What’s next from Joy of Pursuit?

Amanda: Wrapping up Book 2 in the series is my current priority. The Onboarding Process is the next step in The Team Solution Series. I’m also working on additional services that are HR focused. We’ll roll these out soon.?

Brenda: I’m always working on another book. Current focus is wrapping up The Team Solution Series so businesses have the full suite to keep their companies strong and profitable. I also lead two Inner Circle Masterminds. One focuses on branding, business development and strategy. The other focuses on publishing your nonfiction book. I have several speaking engagements on the calendar as well for 2022.

Where can people buy the book?

Amanda: Amazon is the first place most go for books— all versions are there (e-book, paperback, and hardback). Other major book retailers also have it.?

Brenda: Anywhere books are sold, Amazon of course, and if they’d like to buy in bulk for their teams they can order at thejoyofpursuit.com/hiring.

Anyone you’d like to thank or acknowledge?

Yes, we have had amazing support from our family and valued colleagues. We’d like to thank Tyler Wagner, Founder of Authors Unite and WSJ Bestselling Author for writing the foreword, for his friendship, and continued support. Justin Donald, Investor, Entrepreneur, Podcast Host, and Author of the #1 WSJ and USA Today Bestseller, The Lifestyle Investor; Dexter Godfrey, Founder and CEO of Leadership and Sales Academy; Chris O'Byrne, Founder and CEO of JETLAUNCH Publishing; Brenda Dunagan, CEO Dunagan and Associates LLC; and Mike Domeny, speaker, actor, and author of Thrown off Script: Turn Interruptions into Opportunities and Thrive in the Unexpected for their wonderful endorsements and support of this project. We’d also like to thank our editors Dara Parker and Tina Morlock and our series cover designer Debbie O’Byrne. To our readers, we thank you for investing in your teams. They matter.

Amanda Painter is the Co-founder and CFO of Joy of Pursuit, a consulting agency helping individuals and small businesses position or pivot by clarifying your purpose, creating better processes, or publishing your brand story all while experiencing joy in the pursuit. Amanda is the author of The Hiring Process: A Complete System to Save Time, Simplify Steps, and Strengthen Your Team.

Brenda Haire is the Co-founder and CEO of Joy of Pursuit, a consulting agency helping individuals and small businesses position or pivot—whether just starting out or having lost your way—by clarifying your purpose, creating better processes, or publishing your brand story all while experiencing joy in the pursuit. Brenda is the author of Save the Butter Tubs!: Discover Your Worth in a Disposable World, Worthy: Know Your Worth and Act Accordingly to Experience Freedom, Enjoy Fulfillment, and Live Fearlessly, and The Hiring Process: A Complete System to Save Time, Simplify Steps, and Strengthen Your Team.