Hiring the right talent is one of the most challenging aspects of running a business, and today’s guest is here to help you master it. Jacqueline De Leon, founder of Empire Staffing Network, shares how she’s transforming the recruitment industry by prioritizing human connections, culture fit, and a strategic hiring process. From struggling to place her first candidate to building a successful boutique recruitment firm, Jacky's entrepreneurial journey is packed with lessons on resilience, relationship-building, and leveraging technology for smarter hiring.
If you’ve ever struggled with finding the right people, making hiring decisions, or ensuring long-term employee success, this episode is a must-listen!
💡 What You'll Take Away for YOUR Business
🚀 Why most business owners fail at hiring—and how to do it right
🔎 The secret to finding top talent (beyond job postings)
🤖 How AI and technology are transforming recruitment (and what tools you should be using)
💬 How to conduct interviews that predict job success (and spot red flags early)
👥 Why culture fit matters more than skills—and how to evaluate it
💡 The importance of branding when hiring top-tier employees
✅ How to set up new hires for success with structured onboarding
📝 About Jacqueline De Leon
Jacky De Leon is the founder of Empire Staffing Network, a values-driven boutique recruitment firm specializing in direct hire placements. With a passion for humanizing recruitment, Jacky leverages a personalized and empathetic approach to connect businesses with exceptional talent. As a Latina entrepreneur, she is dedicated to creating opportunities while fostering meaningful relationships that transform careers and companies alike.
🎯 Jackie’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
“Just start. Don’t overthink the details—your business name, your LLC, or the perfect plan. Passion and commitment will take you further than perfection.”
Key Takeaways from Her Advice:
✔ Action beats analysis—start before you’re ready
✔ Be willing to pivot and learn as you go
✔ Passion fuels success—your enthusiasm attracts the right people
📢 Memorable Quotes
"Recruiting is both an art and a science. The right hire isn’t just about skills—it’s about culture, alignment, and fit." – Jacqueline De Leon
"Your business needs to be attractive to top talent. If your company doesn’t stand out, the best candidates won’t take the job." – Jacqueline De Leon
"Hiring is an investment, not an expense. The right person can transform your company, while the wrong hire will cost you time and money." – Jacqueline De Leon
💡 Actionable Takeaways
✅ Stop relying only on job boards—use proactive outreach to find top talent
✅ Invest in your company’s branding to attract high-quality candidates
✅ Develop a structured hiring process that goes beyond gut instinct
✅ Use AI tools to optimize your recruitment, but never lose the human touch
✅ Build an onboarding plan that sets new hires up for long-term success
🔗 Links & Resources
- Visit Empire Staffing Network’s Website
- Connect with Jacqueline on LinkedIn
- Follow Empire Staffing Network on LinkedIn
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, what is up?
Welcome to this episode of theWantrepreneur to Entrepreneur
podcast.
As always, I'm your host, brianLoFermento, and I'll tell you
what.
In over 16 years of being anentrepreneur, I have found that
one aspect of business is evenmore difficult than most other
aspects of it, and that aspectis hiring.
It's so difficult to find thatright talent, to know that you
(00:22):
found the right talent to setthem up for success in whatever
role it is that you're fillingin your business, and that's why
we're all in for a treat today,because we are being joined by
an incredible guest who not onlyis amazing at all things hiring
and recruiting, but also she'sone of us.
She's a fellow entrepreneurrunning her own boutique
recruitment firm.
So let me introduce you to her.
Her name is Jackie DeLeon.
(00:43):
Jackie is the founder of EmpireStaffing, which is a
values-driven boutiquerecruitment firm specializing in
direct hire placements.
With a passion for humanizingrecruitment, jackie leverages a
personalized and empatheticapproach to connect businesses
with exceptional talent.
That's what we're all lookingfor, isn't it?
As a Latina entrepreneur, sheis dedicated to creating
(01:05):
opportunities while fosteringmeaningful relationships that
transform careers and companiesalike.
We are all going to learn somuch from her here today.
And, of course, creatingopportunities for people to
succeed is what we're allinterested in, so I'm not going
to say anything else.
Let's dive straight into myinterview with Jackie DeLeon.
All right, jackie, I am so veryexcited that you're here with
(01:29):
us today.
First things first.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Thank you, excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Heck.
Yes, I honestly this topic.
I think that it is incrediblyimportant for all of us to get
right, and it's so difficult, soI love the work that you do.
Before we get into those linesof questions, though, take us
beyond the bio.
Who's Jackie?
How'd you start doing all thesecool things?
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, most definitely so.
I've been in recruiting forover seven years and it's funny
because all the recruiters willtell you they fell into this
industry and it's very much thetruth.
I mean, no one really wakes upand says you know, I want to be
a recruiter, you know you justfall into the industry, but I
fell in love with it.
I started the company aboutthree years ago and started off
(02:15):
as a recruiter, then branchedout into a branch manager role
and just wasn't, just wasn'thappy.
I see so many problems withinthe industry of like, using
people if, like, if we don'tneed them, then you know goodbye
.
And you know that that's justsomething that I wanted to
change.
(02:35):
I wanted to make sure that Itreated with people, with
compassion, as I do my clients,and you know I looked to my wife
one day and was like you know,do you believe in me, do you
think I can do this?
And she said yes and from there, you know, a lot of people
thought I was crazy.
You know, branching out on myown at 26 years old, and you
(02:56):
know it's, it was hard, it wasdifficult.
You know they see a youngperson and they say, you know,
she doesn't know what she'stalking about, and so it took
six months to get a placementand you know I enjoyed those six
months of just learning andadjusting to having people take
a chance on me and notregretting it, so it's
(03:16):
definitely been fun.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Yeah, I love that overview so much, Jackie,
especially because right thereearlier in our conversation, you
talk about so many of thosemindset things that we all face
as entrepreneurs, and huge kudosto you for having a partner
that supports you in thosedreams and those ambitions and
obviously that enables you togrow an incredible company.
So let's dive right into themeat of your company, because
when we're talking aboutrecruiting, when we're talking
(03:40):
about hiring people the rightpeople for the right positions,
it's not the easiest thing inthe world to do.
So I love the fact that you'veso much experience there, Jackie
.
What's so difficult about thisstuff?
How do we start thinking aboutrecruiting in the correct way?
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Yeah.
So a lot of the times when youknow business owners, they think
recruiting as you know, I'mgoing to post an ad and then you
know, we'll see what kind ofapplicants we get and I always
like to tell people it's likethrowing spaghetti at a wall and
seeing if it sticks Like yeah,you know, you might get some
good people.
You know, in 2021, that was athing like everyone wanted to
(04:13):
work.
You know, if you had two hands,two feet, you can do it.
But now we're in this.
It's just changed so much.
Recruiting has changed so muchover the years and you know,
passive talent is definitelywhere it's at um.
You know there's so muchtechnology.
There's just so many things outthere that we use as recruiters
.
That wasn't there before.
(04:34):
You know, like ai is huge and,like I said, recruiting is is an
art in a science.
So it's definitely not the sameas it used to be.
There's a lot that goes to it.
It's definitely not the same asit used to be.
There's a lot that goes to it.
It's about finding the rightculture, fit, not just the skill
set, because if you want tohire someone, it's an investment
and you don't want to have thewrong hire when it's one month
(04:55):
down the road, six months downthe road, and it's clear that
they're not a good fit.
So from the beginning, it'svery, very important to
acknowledge those red flags andmake sure that you know exactly
what fits well with your team.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, really well said.
And gosh, we're going to getinto so many of those topics, ai
, you mentioned the job posting,all of those, but where I'd
really love to start with you isto understand the process from
your perspective, because,jackie, I will very publicly
confess to you that the way thatI've traditionally hired for my
businesses is to start out asthe freelance route, and I've
used websites like Upwork, which, you're right, it is overly
(05:28):
simplistic, and the fact that wecan write a job description,
probably reuse one that a lot ofcompanies have used before, and
then post it, have people findus and apply and then, hopefully
, unscientifically, weed throughthose candidates.
Obviously you have a way betterprocess.
Walk us through how it shouldwork.
What are those steps?
Speaker 2 (05:46):
yeah, most definitely so.
Whenever I have a search, youknow, I always like to ask the
right questions, like why isthis role open and why is it
important to the company?
Like, if this role were to stayopen for the next you know, god
forbid like 30, 60 days whatwill that mean for your company?
And really understand, okay,what does that look like?
You know, is God forbid like 30, 60 days?
What will that mean for yourcompany?
(06:06):
And really understand, okay,what does that look like?
You know, is this like a veryurgent, I need someone now.
Or is this, you know, we'rejust looking for someone?
You know, not really a big deal?
So, the urgent roles, I alwayslike to look at competitors.
You know competitors have thetalent that you need.
So it's all about that valueproposition and what we do is we
(06:27):
gather everything we need, webuild an ICP, what is we call an
ideal candidate profile, andfrom there we take on with the
search.
We look at competitors, we lookat ways to attract and we do
this very aggressively.
So once we find some candidatesand they're interested, we
bring them on.
We'll say you know, hey, youknow you took this call with me
(06:50):
why.
You know you're employed, youknow why are you not happy.
You know what is the pain pointthere.
And once we understand the painpoint, that's when we will say
okay.
So we know why.
Let's pitch this role to themin a way that solves that
problem, so that really yieldsso much results.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yeah, I really like hearing that, because it does
sound like you give really equalfocus on, I guess, three
aspects of it One is thecandidates themselves, two is
the actual role itself and thenthree, the business that's
looking to hire it.
It because those are threeimportant things that have to be
aligned and obviously so muchof it happens in the interview.
I'm so fascinated by hiringinterviews and the way that that
(07:32):
works.
Maybe it's because I've been anentrepreneur for so long so
I've done so few interviews as acandidate.
But, jackie, walk us throughwhat these interviews look like.
How do we make them soeffective?
It's funny having this chanceto interact with you today,
because a lot of times I talkabout sales and people always
ask about sales scripts and howscripted it should be.
I guess the same is true ininterviews how scripted should
(07:53):
those be and what's the rightway to interview a candidate?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah, most definitely , like I said, and you bring up
a good point.
So, yeah, I feel likerecruiting is sales.
You have to pitch the role andyou also have to acknowledge
those red flags when you seethem.
And when I talk to candidates,I like to hear what they have to
say first.
I never speak first, I alwaysjust say, hey, tell me about
yourself, why did you take thiscall with me?
(08:18):
And they'll walk me throughlike yeah, this really piqued my
interest, like I'm really happywhere I am.
But you know, there's alwayssomething.
There's always something either, you know, the culture is bad,
change of leadership.
They see some red flags ofthemselves, like themselves in
their own company.
You know, we see a lot ofcompanies that are selling and
(08:40):
leadership is changing.
So many things are changing.
So they're like, oh, you know,maybe I'm open to opportunities.
So it starts with asking theright questions.
It starts, you know, withculturally.
You know, make sure that you'realways, always, always looking
for that culture, fit, whetherit's, you know, this person has
(09:00):
to get along with this person.
What's that personality, whatfits in your company.
So, asking those questions,asking the skills questions as
well, but, as they're answering,acknowledging that they have to
be a cultural fit as well.
So red flags, you know.
Ask them about their previouspositions.
(09:21):
You know why they're lookingfor a new job.
Sometimes you don't want to hearthe oh, you know, I just didn't
get along with this person, orit's about the money.
You know, we want to hear likewe're looking for a new
opportunity, we're looking forgrowth, we want, we want good
people.
So that's what I see all thetime.
Or when it's about leadership,right, you know, if it's a
(09:43):
leadership role, you know how.
What are they?
How are they as a leader?
Do they fit?
How are they with their team?
These are things that you wantto acknowledge.
If they're going to lead a team, what's the personality of your
team?
Are they going to fit?
Is it the right fit?
It's always things you want tolook for because, let's say, you
hire this person and they'renot.
Again, it's gonna cost youmoney one and it's gonna cost
(10:07):
you time because you're trainingthis person and you're also
losing the time of where youcould have looked for another
person.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Yeah, really important stuff.
I will say as a business ownerthat's what I've realized
throughout the years is thatevery single hire costs us.
It's a big investment Really Iview it more that way than a
cost and that investment is hugefor us.
So we obviously want thatinvestment to pay off.
We want to set them up forsuccess and so, with that in
mind, I wanna ask you abouttying the interview answers to
(10:38):
predicted job performance,because you mentioned so much of
what this process is is both anart and a science.
So a lot of it is.
You just have the right earsand eyes and experience from
your own personal life that youcan sort of spot these things in
real time.
But how can we in thoseinterviews know if this person's
going to succeed or maybe wedon't know, jackie, but how can
(11:00):
we best tell if the things thatthey're telling us are going to
actually set them up for success?
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah, for sure.
I think that it starts to likewith when you see a resume, do
your own research, just likethey're probably doing a
research on you.
And okay, who are you as acompany?
You have to do your research onthem.
And who are they as a person?
Who are they on linkedin?
Does their resume match theirlinkedin profile?
You know, I see all the timelike I talk to my clients and
they'll talk about some badhires that they had and it
(11:28):
starts with that.
You know, I realized that.
You know their linkedin didn'tmatch their resume.
Well, there you go, that'sfirst red flag.
That's the first red flagbecause we want to do our own
research.
Just like they are, they'redoing their own research on the
company, the culture.
So that's always reallyimportant.
I think that definitely not inthe first interview, you'll know
(11:49):
You'd have to see how theyinteract with other teammates,
with other leaders.
So I think it's reallyimportant to have an established
plan to make sure that you'rehiring the right people.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Yeah, Jackie, I'll tell you what.
I know that a lot of listenersobviously we're talking about
hiring in a really broad sensehere right now, but probably a
lot of listeners don't realizethat there are companies like
yours that actually assist inthe recruitment process.
I'd love for you to talk aboutthe model that your company uses
in order to place this talentinside of companies, because we
don't have to do it alone.
(12:24):
It's a constant reminder for usas entrepreneurs we don't have
to do every single thing alone.
So, Jackie, talk to us aboutthe way that your company
operates.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Yeah, most definitely .
So one of the things that Ithink it's really important to
bring up is you know, when youwork with a headhunter recruiter
, you know most of the time youdon't pay anything up front, so
it's actually risk-free.
So it's not like you have topay us up front.
You know if you have aparticular role you're
struggling with.
You know you've posted a role.
(12:54):
You can't find anyone.
So then you come and you talkto an expert.
You're like, hey, this is whatI need, but I can't find it on
my own.
So you know that's when wewould take a call.
We would say, hey, that soundsgreat.
These are the questions I needto know, like what do you want
in this person?
Give me three must haves.
What's you know the personalitythat you're looking for?
(13:23):
What's your culture like?
Once we understand that webuild that ICP and, like I said,
you don't owe us anythingunless we give you the results
that you're looking for so yeah,that's kind of the sum of it.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Yeah, I love that, Jackie.
It's a really cool businessmodel.
Talk to us about timelines andhow you work with the clients.
I've gone through your website.
I love the fact that you lay itout.
Your FAQs, by the way, are someof the best in the business,
because you answer everythingthat I thought of, like how long
does this take?
What industries do you workwith?
How are you finding thesepeople?
So I've obviously seen it,Jackie, but I'd love for you to
(13:48):
tell listeners about it.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Yeah, most definitely so.
Like I said, it's awesome, it'srisk-free, but it's like I said
, when we look for people, welook at competitors.
We use a ton of technology.
Right, there's only so much oneperson can do.
So you know we use a lot of AIin there.
You know we also use, like Isaid, various forms of
(14:14):
technology that allows us tocreate these candidate profiles
that match skill sets,geographic location, whatever it
is that you're looking totarget.
These are the profiles we'relooking to target of passive
talent, and what we do is wepitch your opportunity to them,
and a lot of times, companiesdon't feel comfortable going
(14:34):
after their competitors' talent,so that's where we're like, hey
, we'll do that for you.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
I love that, Jackie.
Talk to us about that proactiveoutreach, because that's very
different than kind of theapproach that I joked about
earlier in our conversationtoday of just making a job
posting and hoping that theright people find you and that
they reach out to you.
Talk to me about that balancebetween, of course, attracting
talent but I love how muchyou're passionate about this of
(15:01):
proactively finding that talentyou're interested in.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yes.
So I think that it's alsoimportant that companies have
the right branding.
It's really important becauseif you're interested you're
interested in a particular likeset of skill and they're very
senior and they see your companyand you don't have a lot of
content, you're not really outthere.
You know it's questionable,just like we're in that like
(15:29):
trust recession right now with,you know, on the business
development side, you know ifthey don't see who you are,
they're not going to give youany time, you know.
So it's all about putting your,your, your business out there
and making sure that you are onLinkedIn, that you know you have
some, some, some good stuff onthere.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Yeah, for sure.
That's the cool thing, jackie.
I'm going to call this out forlisteners because I think it's
important.
It's so clear to me in gettingto talk to you today that you
actually made the analogyearlier of it being like sales
in the fact that we as businessowners, as people who are hiring
others, we also need to sellourselves.
It's so easy to place theemphasis on the fact that we're
looking for talent, but it isthat two-way street and I love
(16:12):
that you point out that they'regoing to look into us, they're
going to look at our businesswebsite, they're going to look
into our LinkedIn entities.
So I think that's a reallyimportant takeaway.
I want to ask you about thenature of how we onboard
somebody, because hiring theright person is one thing, but
setting them up for success whenthey come into our teams, that
(16:32):
is an entirely different thing.
You obviously love seeingpeople succeed.
What's?
Speaker 2 (16:38):
your take on onboarding?
Most definitely yes.
So I've seen some reallyawesome onboarding and I've also
seen onboarding that you knowis an instance so great A lot of
time it's outdated, so thatkind of sets the tone right For
this new employee to come intoyour business.
So I think that the plan has tobe very structured, like where
(16:59):
is it that you want this personto be in the next 60, 90 days?
What are the goals that theyneed to achieve?
What do you need from them forthem to know that they're being
successful?
I've seen that that yields thebest results.
You know, sometimes that's youknow within that time frame is
when the candidate is going tobe like, yeah, this know.
Sometimes that's you knowwithin that timeframe is when
the candidate is gonna be like,yeah, this is the place for me.
Or you know this is definitelynot the place for me.
(17:21):
I have no direction, I don'tknow what to do.
So a training structure is alsovery, very important.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Yeah, and Jackie, I will say clearly you love
technology.
What are some of those favoritetech tools that we can have in
place?
Because I am very much on theAI train, I try to leverage AI
for all of the things that I dobehind the scenes, especially
back office staff.
I'll tell you, as someone whohires people quite frequently,
I've noticed that everybody'scover letter these days is
amazing thanks to AI.
(17:49):
But what's your perspective onhow we should be using AI, what
other tech we can use to ouradvantage throughout this whole
process?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Yeah, most definitely .
Well, if you're in recruiting,there's a lot of tech out there
and you definitely need to geton that train because as a solo
recruiter myself, it'simpossible to do everything.
So I use ChatGPT for everything.
It's my best friend.
That's where I go foreverything.
I can't live without it.
(18:16):
But I think that it's alsoimportant to note that, although
there's so much technology outthere, you also want to be
personable with the content thatyou put out there.
You want to make sure that theyknow it's just not a bot.
And now, if you use AI, you canspot AI.
And now that so many people areusing it, like they can spot
those words that you know AIuses and you know they're just
(18:39):
like okay, this is like an AI,but if it's your tone, if it's
your voice, it's different.
But ChatGPT is awesome.
I use this really awesome toolcalled Rackstack AI, which
totally check out.
It's awesome.
One of my mentors runs it, soit's a lot of cool stuff you
know, on there.
It's awesome.
One of my mentors runs it, soit's a lot of cool stuff on
(19:00):
there.
There's a section where I canload all of my content.
That's something that I'm bigon.
This year is just building mypersonal brand.
So then when I am out theresending emails, sending messages
, people know that it's me.
I'm not a bot, I'm an actualperson and that seems to be very
huge, since we're in that trustrecession.
They know that it's you.
So, yeah, that's a reallyawesome tool that I use, so that
(19:21):
chat, gpt people, gpt, super,super awesome tools.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Yeah, very cool, jackie.
I love that point you madeabout retaining that person
ability in our businesses.
We have a video on our homepageof the podcast and that leads
to a live chat, and I always getlive chats from listeners who
are just like is this really,brian?
And yes, it really is, because,even though we can use
technology to our advantage,that human aspect is so
important, and that's what Ireally respect about your
(19:47):
company is.
I love the acronym that you'veturned humanity into an acronym.
I'm going to read it out forlisteners Honesty, understanding
, motivation, agility, nurturingintegrity, thankfulness and
yielding success.
Jackie, talk to us about theimportance of that human
approach, and you're doingsomething that a lot of people
are very frustrated about withinthe world of hiring.
(20:08):
People don't enjoy trying tofind the right job and people
don't enjoy trying to find theright talent.
So where are those touch points?
How are you adding humanityinto all the things that you're
doing?
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah, I think that it's super important, especially
because I come from staffingmyself and have seen how
difficult it is to have thatapproach where it's like if this
candidate doesn't fit, thenthat's it.
Sometimes you don't even hearback from the recruiter and
that's actually an ongoing issuenow where it's like you have a
candidate, you talk to them andthen what is called ghosting, so
(20:44):
it's, it's a real problem andit is like part of my mission to
not be that way.
You know, if for some reason, acandidate approaches me, you
know, and for some reason, okay,they don't fit the ICP, but
here's what I'll do.
I'll give you tips on yourresume, I'll give you tips on
how to do better in theinterview and, if I can, I
already have this person on thephone, why not?
(21:05):
But it is really somethingsuper important and just having
a real conversation, it doesn'thave to go straight to the
interview.
What can you bring to the table?
It can be hey, you know, youknow my name's Jackie.
Tell you a little bit aboutmyself.
Like, yes, I run a boutiquefirm and you know.
Like, who are you?
Like, you know, do you have afamily?
You know, and you get to learnso much from people and it
(21:29):
actually opens the door for themto be honest and you to even
learn more about who this personis.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Yeah, for sure.
I love that perspective andit's just like you and I talked
even before we hit record today,about where in the world we are
and the fact that you're inChicago.
We have so many amazing Chicagobased guests and it's cool to
see those potential connectionsalong the way as well, and I
would imagine, as a recruiter,that those relationships stay
with you.
Whether they fit that role ornot, there's always going to be
chances in the future.
(21:55):
So, jackie, one thing that Ireally love about these
conversations is we get toswitch gears and I get to talk
to you not only as the subjectmatter expert that you are in
hiring, but also as one of us,also as a fellow entrepreneur.
So, with that in mind, I wantto hear that backstory, because
you had a career in recruitingbeforehand.
Now you're running a boutiquefirm.
What was that transition like?
(22:15):
What are some of the thingsthat surprised you or that you
didn't expect?
I'd love to hear that backstory.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
For sure.
It was definitely difficult,because you have that mindset of
I'm a worker, I work my nine tofive, this is what I'm meant to
do, and then you're open to,and then when you're walk into
this door of opportunity andentrepreneurship, it changes,
like your mindset shifts, but ittakes a while to get there.
(22:44):
You know there's that impostersyndrome.
You know, as a youngentrepreneur, you know there's
people that are my competitors,that have been in this industry
for a long time, and you knowit's crazy because you just wake
up one day with just you wantsomething different.
You see a, a problem, you wantto solve it.
And you know, for me it took sixmonths of no revenue, of you
(23:08):
know how do I make ends meet anddoing whatever it takes to do
that.
You know.
So I would, you know, do allthings business.
You know, from nine to five,and then from there I would door
dash to make ends meet for sixmonths straight.
Six months straight I didn'tsee anything.
I and it's crazy because I alsodidn't have money to have all
the nice technology.
(23:30):
So I had to do the old schoolroute.
I had to go and meet withpeople face to face.
And you know one thing that Ifeel that has always yielded
great results for me, and thebest success has been zigging
while others are zagging.
So everyone's using all thistechnology.
What am I doing?
I'm going out and getting infront of people.
Hey, you know, I'm Jackie, Ihave this boutique firm I'd love
(23:52):
to help you hire.
And you know, six months afterthat I was able to place my
first candidate and see thatclients actually did want to
take a chance with me.
I just had to partner with theright ones.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Yeah, I love that story, Jackie.
That's that hustler spirit,that entrepreneurial spirit
inside of you.
You and I have that one thingin common my first six months of
being an entrepreneur gosh, Iwas working 60 to 80 hour weeks
and I made $200 and I felt likethat was like all the best money
in the world, because it wasthe sign of something that was
working.
So I always love hearing aboutthose first client stories, and
(24:26):
in so many cases I hear it wassomeone that someone used to
work with, or someone they justmet, or someone that they knew
personally.
Talk to us about that because,jackie, I'm going to put you on
the spot here.
It sounds like you actuallyenjoy networking with others,
which that's not always the casefor a lot of people.
So I'd love to hear yourperspective on what networking
looks like for you.
And then, how'd that firstclient come about?
Speaker 2 (24:49):
yeah, most definitely so.
I.
So I figured in the beginninglike I'm not gonna be able to,
you know, work with these twoawesome tools that yield so much
good results.
I just can't afford it rightnow.
So what can I do in themeantime?
So so I noticed that you knowjob fairs.
Clearly, everyone there ishiring, they need people.
(25:09):
So I am not, I'm an introvert,but I had to learn how to put
myself out there.
So, you know, I would just, youknow, tell myself like this is
the only way.
I don't want to go back to anine to five, like this has to
work, like it has to.
So I remember job fair afterjob fair, table to table, like
(25:30):
it was from one table to thenext, to the next to the next.
Hey, my name is Jackie, youknow, same thing.
And you know I got a lot ofcards.
You know, you know I got a lotof cards.
You know it.
Sometimes it didn't go anywhereand that's fine, it had.
It definitely taught me so much.
But in one job fair I remembergiving my card to this HR lady
and just telling her aboutmyself, and she looked very
(25:53):
serious.
By the way, I was like thislady is not going to sign with
me.
But I just, you know, I gave ita shot.
I was like, you know, I own myown recruiting firm and you know
(26:24):
I'm super excited about whatI'm doing.
I'd love to help you.
I know you're looking for thisJava developer.
I can definitely help you withthat.
And she was like okay, I'lltake your card.
Awesome, I remember thinkingshe's not going to sign with me,
but I'm going to follow up.
I called her and I was like hey,we met at this job fair.
You know, I'm wondering if youstill need some assistance with
this role.
She's like yeah, send me acontract, send her the contract.
And within five minutes shesigned it.
I just couldn't believe it.
I just couldn't believe it.
And from there I was able toplace, I think, like seven
people with this company.
And you know, araceli, if she'slistening, thank you so much,
(26:44):
she's, she's definitely fromthere.
After that one Uh, yes, I justkept seeing more of them, but it
only takes one.
Yes for sure.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Yes, I love that real life story.
Jackie, huge kudos to you,because a lot of listeners will
listen to that and be like, wow,you're so lucky you met the
right person.
But the truth is you, Jackie,were the driving force behind
that and especially youmentioned follow-ups and I would
imagine that in your industry,in your line of work, you have
to be super organized.
Give us some insights into thelife and the systems that
(27:08):
support Jackie.
How is it that you stayorganized, that you maintain
these follow-ups?
You're managing a lot ofrelationships on both sides of
the table.
Talk to us about that.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yeah.
So I definitely am someone thatplans ahead.
So you know, sunday night is myplanning day.
So what am I doing tomorrow?
What am I doing tomorrow?
I have my list set up like okay, my my calendar looks like this
Monday you know I talked tothis person at this time and
then I block out times to dodifferent things, Like if I want
to, um, you know, do my contactthat day, I I sit, do content
(27:44):
and post on social media and,you know, do like my email
sequences and LinkedInconnections.
So it's very organized.
Like I think that you have a todo list and you put it on your
calendar.
It's the best way that I stayorganized.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Yeah, for sure, and that's something that is ever
evolving for all of usentrepreneurs.
But again, I'm going to giveyou public praise here, because
I think it's important that notonly are we organized and we
have that to-do list, but wefollow through with it.
And it sounds like that's partof your secret sauce, jackie, is
that you love that side ofactually executing.
So it's no surprise to me thatyou've got that spirit of a
hustler.
(28:21):
So one of the things that Ilove to do in all of these
interviews is ask a super broadquestion here at the end, and
that is with your fellowentrepreneurial hat on, and that
is what is your best piece ofadvice for listeners, knowing
that they are both entrepreneursand entrepreneurs at all
different stages of their growthjourneys.
Jackie, I can already see thatyou love entrepreneurship in
(28:41):
addition to the actual work thatyou do.
So, with all of that wisdom andyour experiences and stories in
mind, what's that one piece ofadvice that you wanna leave
listeners with today?
Speaker 2 (28:52):
I think I would say that you have to be 100%
committed and passionate aboutwhat you do, and it's all about
starting.
I think a lot of people getstuck on oh what am I going to
name my company?
And I have to do my LLC.
It's like, just start it.
You know, you can always changethat name, you know.
But it's all about starting.
You know how many people havean idea and they don't do it
(29:14):
because they're stuck on so manythings.
Just do it, just go for it, butbe passionate.
You know, if and if you'relooking to grow a team, you have
to be passionate about what youdo and you can't expect your
team to be as passionate as you.
But you can bring to the tableis you don't give up and you
bring that passion, andsometimes that passion just
(29:35):
vibrates and you create um anenvironment where they just
become as passionate as you.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
Yes, I love that perspective.
It's why I've always loved thatquote as well of your vibe
attracts your tribe.
And, jackie, having a chance tointeract with you here for
today's episode, it's so clearthat not only do you love what
you do, not only do you love thepeople aspect of it, but you
love putting people in positionswhere they can thrive and they
can flourish.
So I really appreciate thatabout your work and all the
wisdom you've shared with us.
(30:03):
I also know I'm going toreemphasize something I said
earlier of entrepreneurs,business owners.
We don't have to do thesethings alone.
You heard how Jackie talkedabout her approach of
understanding you as thebusiness, as the business owner,
the role that you have, thatyou need to fill, and her
ability to go get that talentfor you.
So, jackie, for listeners whowant to figure out all the cool
(30:25):
things that you're doing andfollow along with your work and
engage with you if they needyour services, drop those links
on us.
Where should listeners go fromhere?
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Yeah, so you can connect with me on LinkedIn.
You can follow our businesspage.
I'm on Facebook, but LinkedInis the best way to reach me, or
email as well.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Yes, and listeners, you already know the drill.
We're making it as easy aspossible for you to find Jackie
and all of those places downbelow in the show notes, no
matter where it is that you'retuning into today's episode.
Do not be shy Most people areand, like I said, you don't have
to do it alone.
You can have someone likeJackie in your corner.
So, jackie, on behalf of myselfand all the listeners worldwide
, thanks so much for coming onthe show today.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Hey, it's Brian here, and thanks for tuning in to yet
another episode of theWantrepreneur to Entrepreneur
podcast.
If you haven't checked us outonline, there's so much good
stuff there.
Check out the show's websiteand all the show notes that we
talked about in today's episodeat thewantrepreneurshowcom.
And I just want to give a shoutout to our amazing guests.
There's a reason why we are adfree and have produced so many
incredible episodes five days aweek for you, and it's because
(31:32):
our guests step up to the plate.
These are not sponsored episodes.
These are not infomercials.
Our guests help us cover thecosts of our productions.
They so deeply believe in thepower of getting their message
out in front of you, awesomeentrepreneurs and entrepreneurs,
that they contribute to help usmake these productions possible
.
So thank you to not onlytoday's guests, but all of our
(31:55):
guests in general, and I justwant to invite you check out our
website because you can send usa voicemail there.
We also have live chat.
If you want to interactdirectly with me, go to the one
trip nurse showcom.
Initiate a live chat.
It's for real me, and I'mexcited because I'll see you, as
always every Monday, wednesday,friday, saturday and Sunday
(32:15):
here on the one trip nerdsentrepreneur podcast.
Hey, what is up?
Welcome to this episode of theWantrepreneur to Entrepreneur
podcast.
As always, I'm your host, brianLoFermento, and I'll tell you
what.
In over 16 years of being anentrepreneur, I have found that
one aspect of business is evenmore difficult than most other
aspects of it, and that aspectis hiring.
It's so difficult to find thatright talent, to know that you
(00:22):
found the right talent to setthem up for success in whatever
role it is that you're fillingin your business, and that's why
we're all in for a treat today,because we are being joined by
an incredible guest who not onlyis amazing at all things hiring
and recruiting, but also she'sone of us.
She's a fellow entrepreneurrunning her own boutique
recruitment firm.
So let me introduce you to her.
Her name is Jackie DeLeon.
(00:43):
Jackie is the founder of EmpireStaffing, which is a
values-driven boutiquerecruitment firm specializing in
direct hire placements.
With a passion for humanizingrecruitment, jackie leverages a
personalized and empatheticapproach to connect businesses
with exceptional talent.
That's what we're all lookingfor, isn't it?
As a Latina entrepreneur, sheis dedicated to creating
(01:05):
opportunities while fosteringmeaningful relationships that
transform careers and companiesalike.
We are all going to learn somuch from her here today.
And, of course, creatingopportunities for people to
succeed is what we're allinterested in, so I'm not going
to say anything else.
Let's dive straight into myinterview with Jackie DeLeon.
All right, jackie, I am so veryexcited that you're here with
(01:29):
us today.
First things first.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Thank you, excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Heck.
Yes, I honestly this topic.
I think that it is incrediblyimportant for all of us to get
right, and it's so difficult, soI love the work that you do.
Before we get into those linesof questions, though, take us
beyond the bio.
Who's Jackie?
How'd you start doing all thesecool things?
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, most definitely so.
I've been in recruiting forover seven years and it's funny
because all the recruiters willtell you they fell into this
industry and it's very much thetruth.
I mean, no one really wakes upand says you know, I want to be
a recruiter, you know you justfall into the industry, but I
fell in love with it.
I started the company aboutthree years ago and started off
(02:15):
as a recruiter, then branchedout into a branch manager role
and just wasn't, just wasn'thappy.
I see so many problems withinthe industry of like, using
people if, like, if we don'tneed them, then you know goodbye
.
And you know that that's justsomething that I wanted to
change.
(02:35):
I wanted to make sure that Itreated with people, with
compassion, as I do my clients,and you know I looked to my wife
one day and was like you know,do you believe in me, do you
think I can do this?
And she said yes and from there, you know, a lot of people
thought I was crazy.
You know, branching out on myown at 26 years old, and you
(02:56):
know it's, it was hard, it wasdifficult.
You know they see a youngperson and they say, you know,
she doesn't know what she'stalking about, and so it took
six months to get a placementand you know I enjoyed those six
months of just learning andadjusting to having people take
a chance on me and notregretting it, so it's
(03:16):
definitely been fun.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Yeah, I love that overview so much, Jackie,
especially because right thereearlier in our conversation, you
talk about so many of thosemindset things that we all face
as entrepreneurs, and huge kudosto you for having a partner
that supports you in thosedreams and those ambitions and
obviously that enables you togrow an incredible company.
So let's dive right into themeat of your company, because
when we're talking aboutrecruiting, when we're talking
(03:40):
about hiring people the rightpeople for the right positions,
it's not the easiest thing inthe world to do.
So I love the fact that you'veso much experience there, Jackie
.
What's so difficult about thisstuff?
How do we start thinking aboutrecruiting in the correct way?
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Yeah.
So a lot of the times when youknow business owners, they think
recruiting as you know, I'mgoing to post an ad and then you
know, we'll see what kind ofapplicants we get and I always
like to tell people it's likethrowing spaghetti at a wall and
seeing if it sticks Like yeah,you know, you might get some
good people.
You know, in 2021, that was athing like everyone wanted to
(04:13):
work.
You know, if you had two hands,two feet, you can do it.
But now we're in this.
It's just changed so much.
Recruiting has changed so muchover the years and you know,
passive talent is definitelywhere it's at um.
You know there's so muchtechnology.
There's just so many things outthere that we use as recruiters
.
That wasn't there before.
(04:34):
You know, like ai is huge and,like I said, recruiting is is an
art in a science.
So it's definitely not the sameas it used to be.
There's a lot that goes to it.
It's definitely not the same asit used to be.
There's a lot that goes to it.
It's about finding the rightculture, fit, not just the skill
set, because if you want tohire someone, it's an investment
and you don't want to have thewrong hire when it's one month
(04:55):
down the road, six months downthe road, and it's clear that
they're not a good fit.
So from the beginning, it'svery, very important to
acknowledge those red flags andmake sure that you know exactly
what fits well with your team.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, really well said.
And gosh, we're going to getinto so many of those topics, ai
, you mentioned the job posting,all of those, but where I'd
really love to start with you isto understand the process from
your perspective, because,jackie, I will very publicly
confess to you that the way thatI've traditionally hired for my
businesses is to start out asthe freelance route, and I've
used websites like Upwork, which, you're right, it is overly
(05:28):
simplistic, and the fact that wecan write a job description,
probably reuse one that a lot ofcompanies have used before, and
then post it, have people findus and apply and then, hopefully
, unscientifically, weed throughthose candidates.
Obviously you have a way betterprocess.
Walk us through how it shouldwork.
What are those steps?
Speaker 2 (05:46):
yeah, most definitely so.
Whenever I have a search, youknow, I always like to ask the
right questions, like why isthis role open and why is it
important to the company?
Like, if this role were to stayopen for the next you know, god
forbid like 30, 60 days whatwill that mean for your company?
And really understand, okay,what does that look like?
You know, is God forbid like 30, 60 days?
What will that mean for yourcompany?
(06:06):
And really understand, okay,what does that look like?
You know, is this like a veryurgent, I need someone now.
Or is this, you know, we'rejust looking for someone?
You know, not really a big deal?
So, the urgent roles, I alwayslike to look at competitors.
You know competitors have thetalent that you need.
So it's all about that valueproposition and what we do is we
(06:27):
gather everything we need, webuild an ICP, what is we call an
ideal candidate profile, andfrom there we take on with the
search.
We look at competitors, we lookat ways to attract and we do
this very aggressively.
So once we find some candidatesand they're interested, we
bring them on.
We'll say you know, hey, youknow you took this call with me
(06:50):
why.
You know you're employed, youknow why are you not happy.
You know what is the pain pointthere.
And once we understand the painpoint, that's when we will say
okay.
So we know why.
Let's pitch this role to themin a way that solves that
problem, so that really yieldsso much results.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yeah, I really like hearing that, because it does
sound like you give really equalfocus on, I guess, three
aspects of it One is thecandidates themselves, two is
the actual role itself and thenthree, the business that's
looking to hire it.
It because those are threeimportant things that have to be
aligned and obviously so muchof it happens in the interview.
I'm so fascinated by hiringinterviews and the way that that
(07:32):
works.
Maybe it's because I've been anentrepreneur for so long so
I've done so few interviews as acandidate.
But, jackie, walk us throughwhat these interviews look like.
How do we make them soeffective?
It's funny having this chanceto interact with you today,
because a lot of times I talkabout sales and people always
ask about sales scripts and howscripted it should be.
I guess the same is true ininterviews how scripted should
(07:53):
those be and what's the rightway to interview a candidate?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah, most definitely , like I said, and you bring up
a good point.
So, yeah, I feel likerecruiting is sales.
You have to pitch the role andyou also have to acknowledge
those red flags when you seethem.
And when I talk to candidates,I like to hear what they have to
say first.
I never speak first, I alwaysjust say, hey, tell me about
yourself, why did you take thiscall with me?
(08:18):
And they'll walk me throughlike yeah, this really piqued my
interest, like I'm really happywhere I am.
But you know, there's alwayssomething.
There's always something either, you know, the culture is bad,
change of leadership.
They see some red flags ofthemselves, like themselves in
their own company.
You know, we see a lot ofcompanies that are selling and
(08:40):
leadership is changing.
So many things are changing.
So they're like, oh, you know,maybe I'm open to opportunities.
So it starts with asking theright questions.
It starts, you know, withculturally.
You know, make sure that you'realways, always, always looking
for that culture, fit, whetherit's, you know, this person has
(09:00):
to get along with this person.
What's that personality, whatfits in your company.
So, asking those questions,asking the skills questions as
well, but, as they're answering,acknowledging that they have to
be a cultural fit as well.
So red flags, you know.
Ask them about their previouspositions.
(09:21):
You know why they're lookingfor a new job.
Sometimes you don't want to hearthe oh, you know, I just didn't
get along with this person, orit's about the money.
You know, we want to hear likewe're looking for a new
opportunity, we're looking forgrowth, we want, we want good
people.
So that's what I see all thetime.
Or when it's about leadership,right, you know, if it's a
(09:43):
leadership role, you know how.
What are they?
How are they as a leader?
Do they fit?
How are they with their team?
These are things that you wantto acknowledge.
If they're going to lead a team, what's the personality of your
team?
Are they going to fit?
Is it the right fit?
It's always things you want tolook for because, let's say, you
hire this person and they'renot.
Again, it's gonna cost youmoney one and it's gonna cost
(10:07):
you time because you're trainingthis person and you're also
losing the time of where youcould have looked for another
person.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Yeah, really important stuff.
I will say as a business ownerthat's what I've realized
throughout the years is thatevery single hire costs us.
It's a big investment Really Iview it more that way than a
cost and that investment is hugefor us.
So we obviously want thatinvestment to pay off.
We want to set them up forsuccess and so, with that in
mind, I wanna ask you abouttying the interview answers to
(10:38):
predicted job performance,because you mentioned so much of
what this process is is both anart and a science.
So a lot of it is.
You just have the right earsand eyes and experience from
your own personal life that youcan sort of spot these things in
real time.
But how can we in thoseinterviews know if this person's
going to succeed or maybe wedon't know, jackie, but how can
(11:00):
we best tell if the things thatthey're telling us are going to
actually set them up for success?
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah, for sure.
I think that it starts to likewith when you see a resume, do
your own research, just likethey're probably doing a
research on you.
And okay, who are you as acompany?
You have to do your research onthem.
And who are they as a person?
Who are they on linkedin?
Does their resume match theirlinkedin profile?
You know, I see all the timelike I talk to my clients and
they'll talk about some badhires that they had and it
(11:28):
starts with that.
You know, I realized that.
You know their linkedin didn'tmatch their resume.
Well, there you go, that'sfirst red flag.
That's the first red flagbecause we want to do our own
research.
Just like they are, they'redoing their own research on the
company, the culture.
So that's always reallyimportant.
I think that definitely not inthe first interview, you'll know
(11:49):
You'd have to see how theyinteract with other teammates,
with other leaders.
So I think it's reallyimportant to have an established
plan to make sure that you'rehiring the right people.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Yeah, Jackie, I'll tell you what.
I know that a lot of listenersobviously we're talking about
hiring in a really broad sensehere right now, but probably a
lot of listeners don't realizethat there are companies like
yours that actually assist inthe recruitment process.
I'd love for you to talk aboutthe model that your company uses
in order to place this talentinside of companies, because we
don't have to do it alone.
(12:24):
It's a constant reminder for usas entrepreneurs we don't have
to do every single thing alone.
So, Jackie, talk to us aboutthe way that your company
operates.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Yeah, most definitely .
So one of the things that Ithink it's really important to
bring up is you know, when youwork with a headhunter recruiter
, you know most of the time youdon't pay anything up front, so
it's actually risk-free.
So it's not like you have topay us up front.
You know if you have aparticular role you're
struggling with.
You know you've posted a role.
(12:54):
You can't find anyone.
So then you come and you talkto an expert.
You're like, hey, this is whatI need, but I can't find it on
my own.
So you know that's when wewould take a call.
We would say, hey, that soundsgreat.
These are the questions I needto know, like what do you want
in this person?
Give me three must haves.
What's you know the personalitythat you're looking for?
(13:23):
What's your culture like?
Once we understand that webuild that ICP and, like I said,
you don't owe us anythingunless we give you the results
that you're looking for so yeah,that's kind of the sum of it.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Yeah, I love that, Jackie.
It's a really cool businessmodel.
Talk to us about timelines andhow you work with the clients.
I've gone through your website.
I love the fact that you lay itout.
Your FAQs, by the way, are someof the best in the business,
because you answer everythingthat I thought of, like how long
does this take?
What industries do you workwith?
How are you finding thesepeople?
So I've obviously seen it,Jackie, but I'd love for you to
(13:48):
tell listeners about it.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Yeah, most definitely so.
Like I said, it's awesome, it'srisk-free, but it's like I said
, when we look for people, welook at competitors.
We use a ton of technology.
Right, there's only so much oneperson can do.
So you know we use a lot of AIin there.
You know we also use, like Isaid, various forms of
(14:14):
technology that allows us tocreate these candidate profiles
that match skill sets,geographic location, whatever it
is that you're looking totarget.
These are the profiles we'relooking to target of passive
talent, and what we do is wepitch your opportunity to them,
and a lot of times, companiesdon't feel comfortable going
(14:34):
after their competitors' talent,so that's where we're like, hey
, we'll do that for you.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
I love that, Jackie.
Talk to us about that proactiveoutreach, because that's very
different than kind of theapproach that I joked about
earlier in our conversationtoday of just making a job
posting and hoping that theright people find you and that
they reach out to you.
Talk to me about that balancebetween, of course, attracting
talent but I love how muchyou're passionate about this of
(15:01):
proactively finding that talentyou're interested in.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yes.
So I think that it's alsoimportant that companies have
the right branding.
It's really important becauseif you're interested you're
interested in a particular likeset of skill and they're very
senior and they see your companyand you don't have a lot of
content, you're not really outthere.
You know it's questionable,just like we're in that like
(15:29):
trust recession right now with,you know, on the business
development side, you know ifthey don't see who you are,
they're not going to give youany time, you know.
So it's all about putting your,your, your business out there
and making sure that you are onLinkedIn, that you know you have
some, some, some good stuff onthere.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Yeah, for sure.
That's the cool thing, jackie.
I'm going to call this out forlisteners because I think it's
important.
It's so clear to me in gettingto talk to you today that you
actually made the analogyearlier of it being like sales
in the fact that we as businessowners, as people who are hiring
others, we also need to sellourselves.
It's so easy to place theemphasis on the fact that we're
looking for talent, but it isthat two-way street and I love
(16:12):
that you point out that they'regoing to look into us, they're
going to look at our businesswebsite, they're going to look
into our LinkedIn entities.
So I think that's a reallyimportant takeaway.
I want to ask you about thenature of how we onboard
somebody, because hiring theright person is one thing, but
setting them up for success whenthey come into our teams, that
(16:32):
is an entirely different thing.
You obviously love seeingpeople succeed.
What's?
Speaker 2 (16:38):
your take on onboarding?
Most definitely yes.
So I've seen some reallyawesome onboarding and I've also
seen onboarding that you knowis an instance so great A lot of
time it's outdated, so thatkind of sets the tone right For
this new employee to come intoyour business.
So I think that the plan has tobe very structured, like where
(16:59):
is it that you want this personto be in the next 60, 90 days?
What are the goals that theyneed to achieve?
What do you need from them forthem to know that they're being
successful?
I've seen that that yields thebest results.
You know, sometimes that's youknow within that time frame is
when the candidate is going tobe like, yeah, this know.
Sometimes that's you knowwithin that timeframe is when
the candidate is gonna be like,yeah, this is the place for me.
Or you know this is definitelynot the place for me.
(17:21):
I have no direction, I don'tknow what to do.
So a training structure is alsovery, very important.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Yeah, and Jackie, I will say clearly you love
technology.
What are some of those favoritetech tools that we can have in
place?
Because I am very much on theAI train, I try to leverage AI
for all of the things that I dobehind the scenes, especially
back office staff.
I'll tell you, as someone whohires people quite frequently,
I've noticed that everybody'scover letter these days is
amazing thanks to AI.
(17:49):
But what's your perspective onhow we should be using AI, what
other tech we can use to ouradvantage throughout this whole
process?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Yeah, most definitely .
Well, if you're in recruiting,there's a lot of tech out there
and you definitely need to geton that train because as a solo
recruiter myself, it'simpossible to do everything.
So I use ChatGPT for everything.
It's my best friend.
That's where I go foreverything.
I can't live without it.
(18:16):
But I think that it's alsoimportant to note that, although
there's so much technology outthere, you also want to be
personable with the content thatyou put out there.
You want to make sure that theyknow it's just not a bot.
And now, if you use AI, you canspot AI.
And now that so many people areusing it, like they can spot
those words that you know AIuses and you know they're just
(18:39):
like okay, this is like an AI,but if it's your tone, if it's
your voice, it's different.
But ChatGPT is awesome.
I use this really awesome toolcalled Rackstack AI, which
totally check out.
It's awesome.
One of my mentors runs it, soit's a lot of cool stuff you
know, on there.
It's awesome.
One of my mentors runs it, soit's a lot of cool stuff on
(19:00):
there.
There's a section where I canload all of my content.
That's something that I'm bigon.
This year is just building mypersonal brand.
So then when I am out theresending emails, sending messages
, people know that it's me.
I'm not a bot, I'm an actualperson and that seems to be very
huge, since we're in that trustrecession.
They know that it's you.
So, yeah, that's a reallyawesome tool that I use, so that
(19:21):
chat, gpt people, gpt, super,super awesome tools.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Yeah, very cool, jackie.
I love that point you madeabout retaining that person
ability in our businesses.
We have a video on our homepageof the podcast and that leads
to a live chat, and I always getlive chats from listeners who
are just like is this really,brian?
And yes, it really is, because,even though we can use
technology to our advantage,that human aspect is so
important, and that's what Ireally respect about your
(19:47):
company is.
I love the acronym that you'veturned humanity into an acronym.
I'm going to read it out forlisteners Honesty, understanding
, motivation, agility, nurturingintegrity, thankfulness and
yielding success.
Jackie, talk to us about theimportance of that human
approach, and you're doingsomething that a lot of people
are very frustrated about withinthe world of hiring.
(20:08):
People don't enjoy trying tofind the right job and people
don't enjoy trying to find theright talent.
So where are those touch points?
How are you adding humanityinto all the things that you're
doing?
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah, I think that it's super important, especially
because I come from staffingmyself and have seen how
difficult it is to have thatapproach where it's like if this
candidate doesn't fit, thenthat's it.
Sometimes you don't even hearback from the recruiter and
that's actually an ongoing issuenow where it's like you have a
candidate, you talk to them andthen what is called ghosting, so
(20:44):
it's, it's a real problem andit is like part of my mission to
not be that way.
You know, if for some reason, acandidate approaches me, you
know, and for some reason, okay,they don't fit the ICP, but
here's what I'll do.
I'll give you tips on yourresume, I'll give you tips on
how to do better in theinterview and, if I can, I
already have this person on thephone, why not?
(21:05):
But it is really somethingsuper important and just having
a real conversation, it doesn'thave to go straight to the
interview.
What can you bring to the table?
It can be hey, you know, youknow my name's Jackie.
Tell you a little bit aboutmyself.
Like, yes, I run a boutiquefirm and you know.
Like, who are you?
Like, you know, do you have afamily?
You know, and you get to learnso much from people and it
(21:29):
actually opens the door for themto be honest and you to even
learn more about who this personis.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Yeah, for sure.
I love that perspective andit's just like you and I talked
even before we hit record today,about where in the world we are
and the fact that you're inChicago.
We have so many amazing Chicagobased guests and it's cool to
see those potential connectionsalong the way as well, and I
would imagine, as a recruiter,that those relationships stay
with you.
Whether they fit that role ornot, there's always going to be
chances in the future.
(21:55):
So, jackie, one thing that Ireally love about these
conversations is we get toswitch gears and I get to talk
to you not only as the subjectmatter expert that you are in
hiring, but also as one of us,also as a fellow entrepreneur.
So, with that in mind, I wantto hear that backstory, because
you had a career in recruitingbeforehand.
Now you're running a boutiquefirm.
What was that transition like?
(22:15):
What are some of the thingsthat surprised you or that you
didn't expect?
I'd love to hear that backstory.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
For sure.
It was definitely difficult,because you have that mindset of
I'm a worker, I work my nine tofive, this is what I'm meant to
do, and then you're open to,and then when you're walk into
this door of opportunity andentrepreneurship, it changes,
like your mindset shifts, but ittakes a while to get there.
(22:44):
You know there's that impostersyndrome.
You know, as a youngentrepreneur, you know there's
people that are my competitors,that have been in this industry
for a long time, and you knowit's crazy because you just wake
up one day with just you wantsomething different.
You see a, a problem, you wantto solve it.
And you know, for me it took sixmonths of no revenue, of you
(23:08):
know how do I make ends meet anddoing whatever it takes to do
that.
You know.
So I would, you know, do allthings business.
You know, from nine to five,and then from there I would door
dash to make ends meet for sixmonths straight.
Six months straight I didn'tsee anything.
I and it's crazy because I alsodidn't have money to have all
the nice technology.
(23:30):
So I had to do the old schoolroute.
I had to go and meet withpeople face to face.
And you know one thing that Ifeel that has always yielded
great results for me, and thebest success has been zigging
while others are zagging.
So everyone's using all thistechnology.
What am I doing?
I'm going out and getting infront of people.
Hey, you know, I'm Jackie, Ihave this boutique firm I'd love
(23:52):
to help you hire.
And you know, six months afterthat I was able to place my
first candidate and see thatclients actually did want to
take a chance with me.
I just had to partner with theright ones.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Yeah, I love that story, Jackie.
That's that hustler spirit,that entrepreneurial spirit
inside of you.
You and I have that one thingin common my first six months of
being an entrepreneur gosh, Iwas working 60 to 80 hour weeks
and I made $200 and I felt likethat was like all the best money
in the world, because it wasthe sign of something that was
working.
So I always love hearing aboutthose first client stories, and
(24:26):
in so many cases I hear it wassomeone that someone used to
work with, or someone they justmet, or someone that they knew
personally.
Talk to us about that because,jackie, I'm going to put you on
the spot here.
It sounds like you actuallyenjoy networking with others,
which that's not always the casefor a lot of people.
So I'd love to hear yourperspective on what networking
looks like for you.
And then, how'd that firstclient come about?
Speaker 2 (24:49):
yeah, most definitely so.
I.
So I figured in the beginninglike I'm not gonna be able to,
you know, work with these twoawesome tools that yield so much
good results.
I just can't afford it rightnow.
So what can I do in themeantime?
So so I noticed that you knowjob fairs.
Clearly, everyone there ishiring, they need people.
(25:09):
So I am not, I'm an introvert,but I had to learn how to put
myself out there.
So, you know, I would just, youknow, tell myself like this is
the only way.
I don't want to go back to anine to five, like this has to
work, like it has to.
So I remember job fair afterjob fair, table to table, like
(25:30):
it was from one table to thenext, to the next to the next.
Hey, my name is Jackie, youknow, same thing.
And you know I got a lot ofcards.
You know, you know I got a lotof cards.
You know it.
Sometimes it didn't go anywhereand that's fine, it had.
It definitely taught me so much.
But in one job fair I remembergiving my card to this HR lady
and just telling her aboutmyself, and she looked very
(25:53):
serious.
By the way, I was like thislady is not going to sign with
me.
But I just, you know, I gave ita shot.
I was like, you know, I own myown recruiting firm and you know
(26:24):
I'm super excited about whatI'm doing.
I'd love to help you.
I know you're looking for thisJava developer.
I can definitely help you withthat.
And she was like okay, I'lltake your card.
Awesome, I remember thinkingshe's not going to sign with me,
but I'm going to follow up.
I called her and I was like hey,we met at this job fair.
You know, I'm wondering if youstill need some assistance with
this role.
She's like yeah, send me acontract, send her the contract.
And within five minutes shesigned it.
I just couldn't believe it.
I just couldn't believe it.
And from there I was able toplace, I think, like seven
people with this company.
And you know, araceli, if she'slistening, thank you so much,
(26:44):
she's, she's definitely fromthere.
After that one Uh, yes, I justkept seeing more of them, but it
only takes one.
Yes for sure.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Yes, I love that real life story.
Jackie, huge kudos to you,because a lot of listeners will
listen to that and be like, wow,you're so lucky you met the
right person.
But the truth is you, Jackie,were the driving force behind
that and especially youmentioned follow-ups and I would
imagine that in your industry,in your line of work, you have
to be super organized.
Give us some insights into thelife and the systems that
(27:08):
support Jackie.
How is it that you stayorganized, that you maintain
these follow-ups?
You're managing a lot ofrelationships on both sides of
the table.
Talk to us about that.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yeah.
So I definitely am someone thatplans ahead.
So you know, sunday night is myplanning day.
So what am I doing tomorrow?
What am I doing tomorrow?
I have my list set up like okay, my my calendar looks like this
Monday you know I talked tothis person at this time and
then I block out times to dodifferent things, Like if I want
to, um, you know, do my contactthat day, I I sit, do content
(27:44):
and post on social media and,you know, do like my email
sequences and LinkedInconnections.
So it's very organized.
Like I think that you have a todo list and you put it on your
calendar.
It's the best way that I stayorganized.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Yeah, for sure, and that's something that is ever
evolving for all of usentrepreneurs.
But again, I'm going to giveyou public praise here, because
I think it's important that notonly are we organized and we
have that to-do list, but wefollow through with it.
And it sounds like that's partof your secret sauce, jackie, is
that you love that side ofactually executing.
So it's no surprise to me thatyou've got that spirit of a
hustler.
(28:21):
So one of the things that Ilove to do in all of these
interviews is ask a super broadquestion here at the end, and
that is with your fellowentrepreneurial hat on, and that
is what is your best piece ofadvice for listeners, knowing
that they are both entrepreneursand entrepreneurs at all
different stages of their growthjourneys.
Jackie, I can already see thatyou love entrepreneurship in
(28:41):
addition to the actual work thatyou do.
So, with all of that wisdom andyour experiences and stories in
mind, what's that one piece ofadvice that you wanna leave
listeners with today?
Speaker 2 (28:52):
I think I would say that you have to be 100%
committed and passionate aboutwhat you do, and it's all about
starting.
I think a lot of people getstuck on oh what am I going to
name my company?
And I have to do my LLC.
It's like, just start it.
You know, you can always changethat name, you know.
But it's all about starting.
You know how many people havean idea and they don't do it
(29:14):
because they're stuck on so manythings.
Just do it, just go for it, butbe passionate.
You know, if and if you'relooking to grow a team, you have
to be passionate about what youdo and you can't expect your
team to be as passionate as you.
But you can bring to the tableis you don't give up and you
bring that passion, andsometimes that passion just
(29:35):
vibrates and you create um anenvironment where they just
become as passionate as you.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
Yes, I love that perspective.
It's why I've always loved thatquote as well of your vibe
attracts your tribe.
And, jackie, having a chance tointeract with you here for
today's episode, it's so clearthat not only do you love what
you do, not only do you love thepeople aspect of it, but you
love putting people in positionswhere they can thrive and they
can flourish.
So I really appreciate thatabout your work and all the
wisdom you've shared with us.
(30:03):
I also know I'm going toreemphasize something I said
earlier of entrepreneurs,business owners.
We don't have to do thesethings alone.
You heard how Jackie talkedabout her approach of
understanding you as thebusiness, as the business owner,
the role that you have, thatyou need to fill, and her
ability to go get that talentfor you.
So, jackie, for listeners whowant to figure out all the cool
(30:25):
things that you're doing andfollow along with your work and
engage with you if they needyour services, drop those links
on us.
Where should listeners go fromhere?
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Yeah, so you can connect with me on LinkedIn.
You can follow our businesspage.
I'm on Facebook, but LinkedInis the best way to reach me, or
email as well.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Yes, and listeners, you already know the drill.
We're making it as easy aspossible for you to find Jackie
and all of those places downbelow in the show notes, no
matter where it is that you'retuning into today's episode.
Do not be shy Most people areand, like I said, you don't have
to do it alone.
You can have someone likeJackie in your corner.
So, jackie, on behalf of myselfand all the listeners worldwide
, thanks so much for coming onthe show today.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Hey, it's Brian here, and thanks for tuning in to yet
another episode of theWantrepreneur to Entrepreneur
podcast.
If you haven't checked us outonline, there's so much good
stuff there.
Check out the show's websiteand all the show notes that we
talked about in today's episodeat thewantrepreneurshowcom.
And I just want to give a shoutout to our amazing guests.
There's a reason why we are adfree and have produced so many
incredible episodes five days aweek for you, and it's because
(31:32):
our guests step up to the plate.
These are not sponsored episodes.
These are not infomercials.
Our guests help us cover thecosts of our productions.
They so deeply believe in thepower of getting their message
out in front of you, awesomeentrepreneurs and entrepreneurs,
that they contribute to help usmake these productions possible
.
So thank you to not onlytoday's guests, but all of our
(31:55):
guests in general, and I justwant to invite you check out our
website because you can send usa voicemail there.
We also have live chat.
If you want to interactdirectly with me, go to the one
trip nurse showcom.
Initiate a live chat.
It's for real me, and I'mexcited because I'll see you, as
always every Monday, wednesday,friday, saturday and Sunday
(32:15):
here on the one trip nerdsentrepreneur podcast.
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