WHY I AM STARTING MY OWN EXECUTIVE SEARCH BUSINESS...

My decision to start my own executive search business came after a very tough year.

My sister was dying of cancer at 54, and never thought she would lose her battle. Simultaneously, I had started a new job as a contract recruiter working for a Fortune 20 company at its highest-levels of executive talent acquisition. ?I had never worked “contract” in my career as a recruiter, but thought I would try it in exchange for Fortune 20, in-house experience.

My assigned searches (5 within < two months w/no support or sourcers ??) were extraordinary and challenged me – exactly what I wanted when I accepted the job. I loved most of my hiring managers (the executives who needed to hire talent for their teams). Some I had known for years prior.

The talent part of the org was run by HR and middle managers. The managers were "nice" - but neither HR nor recruiters. HR is not recruiting. Recruiting is not HR. As a recruiter, your job is to find the best talent from outside of the company, externally, and help the company hire that talent. Sometimes, you get "lucky" and a great candidate/resume comes in through the company's ATS - applicant tracking system. That certainly was not the case in 2020, 2021, and 2022. The hottest, candidate-driven job market on record.

My biggest obstacle at my new job was the complete lack of onboarding or training on the company's software programs. I am highly tech proficient and have trained many colleagues on the databases used at the executive search firm level. This, was a whole new world. You need full privileges and some training on how to use it -- especially, when an Offer or any other transaction involving a candidate or potential new hire (i.e., posting a job internally vs. externally) needs to be run through the company’s software programs. To get an Offer approved, it is also important to understand WHO at the company must be involved in that process and when -- and WHAT do they need? After being assigned searches on Day 1, my manager sent me a lengthy Google doc on Day 2 with about 10-15 hyperlinks of people who work at the company. I was asked to reach out to each and introduce myself. I would set up video interviews with my new colleagues, including one in AIPAC, through another proprietary software system, and some would ask me, "Why are you contacting me?"

After being told I was taking up too much of HR and other recruiters’?time trying to figure out how the company's software and Offer processes worked, in order to get an Offer approved and processed for a senior-level hire from the biggest Big Tech company in the world (on Week 3 of my new job), when my manager told me he did not know how and kept directing me to other recruiters for assistance (who were quite busy themselves) - in the hottest, candidate-driven job market of all time where a clock was always ticking and there were not one but many job offers for the best talent, I made the decision to quit – without another job. Which meant no unemployment.

It was scary, terrifying, but I had far more important things on my mind. I flew across the country with my company-provided equipment to finish out my commitment and be where I was needed and valued, helping my sister and her family.

After my sister died, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I didn’t feel like I could make a decision about anything.?In an effort to help me reset and recharge, a close friend offered me a front office job at her beloved Summer Camp. So I packed up my car, my 75-lb lab, and spent two months working six days a week, in person, in the beautiful Adirondacks.

I had not worked in a physical office in many, many years. That part, I really enjoyed. I loved my ten-minute walk to work through Black Spruce and White Pine trees along one of the Adirondack's endless, picturesque lakes. The mindless daily task of sorting mail and packages for campers while chatting with my office mates: a bright, organized 25-year-old from Puebla who taught me how to voice text into Google docs (if you know me, you know I have been voice texting expertly for 10 years incessantly into my devices) and improved my conversational Spanish and a very hip, worldly Mom and Grandma from NYC whose kids attended the Camp – reminded me of my early days, starting out as an admin at one of the most prestigious PR agencies in NYC.

What occurred to me at camp – and afterwards – is I didn’t figure out anything about my future career path while I was there. For the first time in my life, I was able to live in the present moment and not “think.” My biggest responsibility outside of work was figuring out when to walk and feed my dog. Camp taught me that my pandemic rescue lab – who had never left my side pre-ADK – could be left alone happily for 6-7 hours/day. Pair that with a bed in an A/C room with endless nibbles delivered daily by me from the incredibly kind and hard-working kitchen staff – and my dog was one happy camper!

Before and after my camp experience, I had job interviews. Each one, more disappointing than the next. Each one, deflating my interest in continuing my career in executive search.

On my first-round video interview with a company whose mission and integrated approach to HR and talent acquisition intrigued me, because that is how it works in-house at a corporation, every recruiter is paired with an HRBP, I noticed that the (lovely) HR exec recruiting me was reading off a script. On the next video interview for the same company, a tag team, the senior-most hiring manager in charge jumped right into, “So tell me why you are interested in our company” – without sharing a shred of information about the company nor team. He seemed distracted throughout my hour+ - long Zoom and asked me to repeat two out of my three questions about growth and the company’s track record with CEO replacements, during a few final minutes of Q & A.

Perhaps the most disappointing interview of all was with my alma mater – for a job that deeply interested me. It would have leveraged my 20 years as a recruiter, building relationships with great companies all over N.A., relationships the university did not have and wanted, and taken my career in a new, adjacent direction. I would be helping its B-School graduates, MBAs, find jobs, especially in verticals that the U had not worked with heavily before. I would essentially be convincing the same exciting companies that I had recruited out of for decades, to work with the University on hiring its grads. What could be a better third career?

The first interview was with four people at once via video for 30 minutes (attn: hiring managers, when putting together an interviewing schedule, this is a NO NO – you should never have four people on a first-round interview, and if you do, please make sure the interview is 45 min. to one hour, and everyone on the call participates in some way, leaving plenty of room for a Q & A). During that 30-minute session, the hiring leader started by asking why I felt my background was a good fit for the role - sharing NOTHING about the position, strategy, goals, or team. During the one-minute remaining for a Q & A (full disclosure, I was having technical difficulties for the first four minutes of the interview), my question was lobbed by the hiring “leader” to someone else on the call who could "answer it best" - and he had no answer.?When I was informed by email a week later that I would be moving forward to Round 2, I politely declined/withdrew. Then, two weeks later, I received a generic email from the University, thanking me for my time, and stating that the University had decided to move forward with other candidates.? Gotta love the ATS.

Sadly, this type of scenario is all too common in the job search process. I hope to change that. Make executive search, recruiting, talent acquisition -- whatever we want to call it -- an honorable and coveted profession. Easy on the hiring teams as well as candidates. I need clients who want that, in order to do that. To improve what's not working. Who care about the overall "experience." A recruiter is often a company's first "touchpoint" into the company, its culture, its people. Why not make that an incredible experience?

I have worked at two boutique, NYC search firms and in house at a Fortune 20 – during what was undeniably, the hottest, candidate-driven job market any of us have ever experienced in our lifetimes. That experience, working across every business unit and job function of a very large corporation - from minute one, really tested me. It was extraordinary. And I delivered. So what the heck was I waiting for??? People who know me well have been asking me that question for a long time.

It was fear that held me back. Two kids to raise as a single Mom. Not living close enough to NYC for the daily commute, but somehow, making it all work. When someone close to you dies, that fear, magically disappears.?It becomes power. It is liberating.

I have been competing head to head with practice leaders at the elite BIG and boutique search firms for decades. The same “who’s who” of companies and hiring managers that retain and work with BIG search, have come to me through the years, and asked me to pitch their business – while I was working at smaller search firms. Why? Because those hiring leaders in a position of power to hire whomever they want, have worked with me in the past and trust me. They know I will deliver high-quality candidates with speed and precision and am capable of managing the entire search process – so they don’t have to.

My kids are grown and almost flown. Unlike what I eeked out for the past 20 years, I have all the time in the world now at my disposal to research and interview candidates and travel to wherever I need to be. I spend my time finding the best talent and helping everyone excel during the interviewing process.

I have very little overhead. I do not need to charge exorbitant fees to make payroll or pay for expensive office space. The fees charged by search firms, especially the ones that represent large corporations, can easily climb into the hundreds of thousands of dollars – per search. Not mine.

What I DO have that is on par with all of the BIG and other search firms’ assets are 30,000+-strong, first-degree LinkedIn connections and followers and a personal and professional network outside of LinkedIn that is loyal, global, and robust. Earned.

I do all of my own candidate research, identification, outreach, interviews, presentations, candidate summaries, compensation negotiations, and offers (as needed). I get the question often: "How did you find ME?" It is hard for people to believe I can do it all – but ??true. I know how to work "smart." Strategically. Time management.

I have been working directly with VP and C-level executives at small and large companies since my third PR job back in 1993. I am a high performer and used to a certain level of responsibility, commitment. I get it done. Always. And more often than not, my clients and candidates have a good time along the talent acquisition process.

To all of my former bosses and colleagues from my PR days who have hired me to do their searches at my former search firms, thank you.?

To all of my candidates who have become clients because they liked and appreciated my professionalism and style, thank you.

To all of the clients I worked with behind-the-scenes at my former search firms, whose business I did not bring in yet always found the winning hires for, thank you.

The people I would like to work with in the future, my clients, understand what I am writing. How I work -- my values, work ethic, experience – it resonates with the right people. They want what I have to offer and a professional representing their brand (s) in the marketplace.

In the days and weeks ahead, I will be reaching out to select former clients whom I have worked with and respect – whose values (kind, thoughtful) and demanding, high-performance standards match mine – to offer a meaningful fee structure for our first search together under my own brand.

To all of the executives who reach out to me for advice and career counsel, my first priority needs to be my business. I have helped thousands of executives for many years - for free, expecting nothing in return. I will continue to help, pay it forward, where possible.?I have helped one Editor In Chief with his resume 3x. I have career counseled an executive who reported directly into Jeff Bezos. Some of my communications will inevitably fall through the cracks, working for myself. For that, I apologize, in advance.

On my website , I have provided a comprehensive WHY RETAINED SEARCH section, as most people have not worked with a retained search firm or recruiter before.?It is one way for companies to hire talent – definitely best suited for more senior-level and specialized roles. It is a commitment on both ends. A partnership. The highest form of collaboration in talent acquisition.

I cannot thank everyone enough in my personal and professional life who has supported me unconditionally and appreciate/value my intellect + how hard I work. To the rest, I would write that there is enough room in this world for all of us to be successful and co exist.

It is time for me to shine bright – again ??

1/11/23 Update - please check out my brand new IG: trailside_chats for helpful advice about the job search process. Me and Diesel in the woods!