EP #36 Building Teams with Purpose with Kirstin Purcell

Tired of sifting through piles of unqualified resumes? Meet Kirstin Purcell, founder of Handshake in Heels, who's revolutionizing how businesses approach talent acquisition in Fredericksburg and beyond.

Kirstin joins the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast to shatter the biggest myth in recruiting: that posting a job online is enough to attract quality candidates. "The best candidates aren't actively looking—they're being pursued," she explains, highlighting why strategic recruiting requires much more than a well-written job advertisement. As a talent consultant rather than just a recruiter, Kirstin helps businesses build teams that align with their mission, culture, and long-term vision.

Her journey into specialized recruiting came after an unexpected layoff from her corporate position—a challenge that became the catalyst for fully committing to Handshake in Heels. This modern recruiting and consulting firm focuses on removing the guesswork from hiring through a blend of strategy, industry insights, and genuine human connection. For Kirstin, it's about building partnerships rather than transactions, guiding companies through everything from crafting compelling job descriptions to aligning their talent strategy with business objectives.

What strikes you most in this conversation is Kirstin's practical wisdom for anyone facing career transitions or considering entrepreneurship: "Start before you feel ready. Perfection is a myth, and waiting for it only delays your growth." Her advice to take "messy action" reminds us that building anything meaningful—whether a business or a team—is a journey of continuous learning rather than a race to perfection.

Want to elevate your company's hiring approach or build a team that truly fits your organization's culture? Connect with Kirstin through her website at www.handshakeinheels.com or find her on Facebook and LinkedIn to discover how strategic recruiting can transform your business.

Kirstin Purcell

Handshake in Heels

[e-mail]

handshakeinheels.com

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
, the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Dori Stewart.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome back to another episode of the
Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, where we share the stories of
our favorite local brands.
Today, I'm excited to introduceyou to Kirstin Purcell.
She is with Handshake in Heels.
Kirstin, welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well, I'm excited to dive in and get to know you and
your business a little bitbetter.
So let's start there.
Can you share with thelisteners a little bit about
your business?

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Sure.
So.
Handshake in Heels is a modernrecruiting and consulting firm.
We're focusing on helpingcompanies find, attract, retain
their top talent, specializingin taking the guesswork out of
everything.
Hiring by blending differentstrategies, industry insights,

(01:01):
human connection.
The approach is very muchresults driven, so it's not
transactional.
We help businesses build teamsand drive results that shape
their culture.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
That's amazing and so needed.
I know there are a lot ofbusinesses that struggle with
recruiting, so I love whatyou're doing, so tell me about
your journey.
How did you get into this?

Speaker 3 (01:28):
So I started in recruiting because I love
connecting people andopportunities.
So over time I realized thatcompanies weren't looking for
resumes.
They needed strategic guidancemore than just people.
So it shifted from being arecruiter to a true talent

(01:50):
consultant and I launchedHandshake in Heels to elevate
that hiring experience, bringclarity to the process and help
businesses build teams withpurpose.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
I love that talent consultant versus recruiter.
I love that it's it's much more.
It's much more elevated andmuch more involved than just
recruiting.
So I like that a lot.
Love that, yeah.
So let me ask you this Do youfind that there are any myths or
misconceptions about theindustry?

Speaker 3 (02:25):
Yes.
So a big one is that sometimes,you know, I hear a lot is that
I don't need a recruiter, we'lljust post the job online.
You know, sure you might getapplicants, but are they the
right ones?
So the best candidates actuallyaren't actively looking.
They're being pursued.

(02:47):
So recruiting isn't just aboutfilling those roles and
positions.
It's more about building a teamthat fits for your mission,
culture and long-term vision.
So and it requires strategy,outreach and insights that
you're not going to get from ajob board so much more than that
, yeah, yeah, so that's reallyinteresting.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
So instead of a business, just you know, placing
an ad on Indeed and getting aton of unqualified resumes, they
can come to you and you can bethe expert and you can help them
More of an outreach type ofsituation than people coming to
you.
Yes, that's awesome.
I love that.
I love that.

(03:28):
Okay, so clearly you work veryhard, and so when you're not
working hard on your business,what are you doing for fun?

Speaker 3 (03:37):
I love spending time with my family um exploring new
restaurants around the area.
We've been in fredericksburgabout four years now.
Um connecting with otherlike-minded entrepreneurs is
also something that I enjoydoing.
I'm also big on growth anddevelopment personally and

(03:58):
business wise, so I love a goodpodcast or book.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Awesome, I love that.
I love that.
So is there a hardship or achallenge that you have been
through and overcome that younow feel like you're stronger
because of it?

Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yes, I would say.
When I got laid offunexpectedly from my previous
corporate recruiting role, itwas a huge turning point, I
would say, in my life.
It forced me to reevaluate thepath and the ultimate ultimately
led me to jumping in andfocusing solely on handshaking

(04:43):
heels.
So it really pushed me to growin ways that I never imagined.
I had to trust myself, leaninto my ultimate vision and lead
with purpose.
Looking back, the challenge wasdefinitely a gift.
I didn't necessarily think thatway in the very beginning, but

(05:05):
it has definitely made mestronger and more resilient and
confident in what I've builtfrom the ground up.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
So now that you have beenthrough that, what advice would
you give someone who maybe is inyour shoes and have been laid
off?
There's a lot going on in thegovernment lately and I imagine
there are some listeners who arethinking about taking the leap

(05:34):
and starting a business on theirown, so do you have any advice
for those individuals?

Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yes.
So I would say start before youfeel ready.
Perfection is a myth, andwaiting for it is only going to
delay your growth, and waitingfor it is only going to delay
your growth.
Take messy action, ask for helpwhen you need it, and remember
that building a business is ajourney, it's not a race.
So every step counts, even theimperfect ones.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
I love that you don't have to have everything figured
out right away.
Just just start and you'llfigure it out step-by-step as
you scale in your business.

Speaker 3 (06:15):
Just start and you'll figure it out step by step as
you scale in your business.
Yeah, that's exactly what I didyou fall, you get back up, you
fall again, you learn and youmove on.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah, that's great advice.

Speaker 3 (06:28):
Thank you for that so what is something that you wish
the listeners knew about?
Handshake in Heels.
So I would say we're more thanjust recruiting.
Yes, I'm a recruiter by trade,but really I like to describe
Handshake in Heals as a partnerin your growth.
So, whether you need helpwriting a job description,

(06:50):
refining the hiring process oraligning talent strategy, you
know, to your business goals,we're in it with you.
So it's about more than justfilling the seat.
It's about building the rightfoundation for your company's
future.

Speaker 2 (07:08):
So that's really good to know.
So you can help both people whoare looking for employees as
well as employees who arelooking for work.

Speaker 3 (07:19):
So yes, so I am a, I guess what you would call a
client recruiter.
So I'm not a candidaterecruiter.
Candidate recruiter is you know, you get a resume and then you
go and pitch that resume tocompanies to get them interested
.
Client recruiter is the clientsreach out to me to fill
strategic positions or to helpthem build.

(07:41):
You know their teams.
So that consultant piece of it.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
Gotcha.
Okay, thank you for thatclarification.
Okay, so if someone islistening and wants to work with
you, where is the best placefor them to find you?

Speaker 3 (07:59):
Yep.
So I have a website.
It is www.
handshakeinhealscom.
I'm also on Facebook, as wellas LinkedIn.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
Awesome.
I love the name of yourbusiness.
It's fantastic.
Thank you, Kristin.
Thank you so much for joiningme on the podcast today and
sharing Handshake in Heals withus.

Speaker 3 (08:24):
Thank you so much for having me.
It's been so much fun Awesome.

Speaker 1 (08:28):
Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg
Neighbors Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tofxbgneighborspodcast.
com.
That's fxbgneighborspodcast.
com, or call 540-534-4618.