One year ago, I had just completed my first search under my own brand and was about to launch a new website and all social media platforms. The months leading up to that involved personal and professional soul-searching, internal pep talks to assuage plentiful self-doubt, and countless hours of hard work. The target web launch date of January 1 came and went, roadblocks were abundant, and the pull for more time - my time - was relentless.
It was just a few months prior when I made the very difficult decision to leave the firm in which I’d spent more than 18 years. It was the place where I found my people passion, grew my career, and had the best mentors a person could ask for. Although they were no longer with the firm, I felt a huge sense of loyalty and duty to further the vision they started all those years ago, so it was no easy or quick decision to make such a big change. But the conviction to do so was undeniable.
Moving on was momentous and inspiring as I built my team and implemented refined systems I was certain would better serve my future clients. I knew exactly what I wanted and had an amazing crew who was so on board and in sync that they could produce results I swore I’d only ever seen in my own mind. I was on a high with all of the building and creating and bringing the dream to life, and even more so when I got my first call to conduct a search before SuiteSpot had even launched publicly.
While the process was invigorating, it was incredibly eye-opening, as it seemed for every two steps we took forward, we took ten backwards. ESPECIALLY during launch week. The most accurate comparison I can make is to the work involved in renovating an old home. Tearing down a wall may reveal unwanted moisture that leads to unpredicted expenses to repair. Pulling up old flooring may lead to layers of MORE old flooring, at the bottom of which, you find can only be properly removed by experts in hazmat suits. Old electrical wiring may need to be brought up to code, and a well-intended drill might lead to the replacement of a punctured water line. As we pushed forward to build an efficient and structurally sound business model, navigating the incidentals in web design, operational structure, branding and marketing efforts, system implementations, integrations, training, each and every phase revealed unforeseen fixes needed, layers of customization evaluated, and replacements of systems previously installed that just weren’t working.
Much like a renovation, having knowledgeable and trustworthy experts on the job was essential to staying within budget and maintaining momentum and a level-head. Since the entire premise of the business is working within one’s “sweet spot,” I carefully selected subject matter experts to help my business baby get on her feet and grow. I found a whole new appreciation for the term “growing pains;” the snafus and undos and redos were unwavering.
So was my team. So were my cheerleaders.
You see, when you hire the right people, those who fully understand and embrace and are excited about your mission, the hurdles and obstacles that arise become minor blips on the radar. When you trust the experts in any industry to do what they do, you will be blown away by the results. Your project, department - your entire organization - starts to run like a well-oiled machine with repeatable and consistent processes that drive growth and productivity. You are able to focus on YOUR job and creating and building streams of revenue with the comfort of knowing all is well in YOUR house.
You may even start to view things differently. Personally, I learned in order to find success, I had no choice but to turn the negatives into positives. Some takeaways from the struggles:
Our delayed launch date allowed SuiteSpot to go live on Valentine’s Day, which was so fitting because I love what I do and I want nothing more than for my clients to love who I help them hire. Yes, I unapologetically admit I am that recruiter who geeks out and gets the warm fuzzies when I hear a client gush over a perfect candidate we provided, especially those they were told were impossible to find. I call it passion.
Building something new is hard. Growth is hard. Change is hard. Putting yourself out there is hard. You will be met with resistance. You will be discounted. You will be second-guessed. You will second guess yourself. And, unfortunately, you will be surprised at who your supporters are and are not. Make sure YOU are your number one supporter and forget the rest. Keep. Showing. Up.
When it comes to other people’s endeavors, clients included, I am ALL IN. “You can do it!” “How can I help you make this happen?” Never discount what even the smallest amount of encouragement can do for someone. It takes less than a minute to laud an accomplishment, give a pat on the back, or remind someone they are a badass at what they do. Spend sixty seconds on someone every day. And then spend sixty seconds on YOU!
Some days are still riddled with snafus, but I now view them as opportunities: the glitches we encounter in our day-to-day allow us to refine and perfect a process before it becomes an issue for the clients we serve and ultimately, provide them with desirable deliverables seamlessly. Instead of letting frustrations become setbacks, use them as chances to learn.
Anniversaries are for more than celebrating. They are for reflection on milestones met, goal-setting, and assessment of what’s serving the business and what isn’t. Through any times of uncertainty, I was and still am completely confident that ours is the best approach to executive recruiting and that we serve our clients better than anyone out there. I also know in order to do that, we must constantly, consistently, and willingly learn and evolve. One year later, and we have evolved from a vision into a national team of specialized recruiters representing every region of the country. One year later, and the drive to do what is best for our clients, for the legal profession, is as strong as ever. We do it because we can, because the field needs and deserves partners who are seasoned experts and partners who care. One year later and my advice remains: Hire the people who are as excited about your success as you are. Trust the experts to do what they do, to use their gifts just like your clients trust you to use yours. Do what you love. Love who you hire. You won’t go wrong.