I was delighted to be joined on the A Better HR Business show by Aaron Rubens, Co-Founder and CEO at Kudoboard, an appreciation tool teams in more than 10,000 organizations are using for special occasions, shout-outs, and everything in between.
Aaron Rubens
Among other things, Kudoboard is often used as a replacement for the card that’s passed around and signed on birthdays, work anniversaries, farewells, and more!
Aaron is passionate about building great products for mission-driven organizations. He is also an entrepreneur, product manager, and former educator. He attended Harvard Business School and Tulane University.
His early career was focused on education, having taught high school math at Alta Vista Charter School in Kansas City, and joining a highly selective national service corps, Teach for America. During this time, he designed and taught the entrepreneurship class and conceived the idea of Kudoboard: at year-end, he’d have students write their name and what they liked about each other on notes and pass it to classmates.
In a wide-ranging discussion, Aaron and I talked about:
Why Aaron started Kudoboard and whom does it help
Kudoboard is a workplace appreciation solution for special occasions, events, and shout-outs.
Building a cohesive culture and keeping people connected in a remote environment
Kudoboard is a platform to bring people together and reinforce organizational values
I was delighted to be joined on the A Better HR Business show by Gemma Alicia Long, Founder & HR Consultant at HR & Co, an HR consultancy that specializes in supporting small businesses, with expert, affordable, and bespoke outsourced HR solutions.
Gemma recently celebrated the 1-year anniversary of HR & Co which is always a great occasion for any new business. She kindly joined me to share her story and advice on starting & growing a new Human Resources consultancy.
Gemma Alicia Long
Gemma is a chartered member of the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development). She graduated from Coventry University with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Resources, Level 7 and she is also a qualified Mental health first aider and trained in Mediation.
Gemma has over 18 years of experience in senior HR roles supporting a range of industries including engineering, automotive, retail, education, Film and TV, and HR consultancy.
HR & Co supports small businesses with up to 50 employees who are looking for flexible HR support and an onsite HR presence or larger companies who may need extra HR support onsite.
I was delighted to be joined on the A Better HR Business show by Natalie Hirsch, Head of Strategy & Operations at DreamTeam, a fast-growing startup, developing the next generation of HR platforms with a focus on customization and analytics.
Natalie Hirsch
DreamTeam provides a comprehensive HR solution for small businesses, which is both free and fully functional. The software is designed to tailor every aspect to the company’s specific needs, thereby eliminating the disorganized management of employee information. This ensures that data is easily accessible for employees, HR personnel, and finance teams alike.
In addition, by integrating your ATS with DreamTeam’s software, you can gain valuable insights into your entire candidate lifecycle, from sourcing and application to their final promotion. Along with customizable features such as people directories and onboarding/offboarding workflows, DreamTeam also offers a people analytics tool that integrates all HR-related data processes.
In a wide-ranging discussion, Natalie and I talked about:
What is DreamTeam and who does it help?
The pain points in the HR industry that DreamTeam is trying to solve
How DreamTeam helps organize data and identify insights that are helpful for management.
DreamTeams’ onboarding workflow
The critical 90 days of a new hire managed easily with DreamTeam
Natalie’s advice for growing and winning new business
I had a conversation recently with a client of mine and told her about how, many years ago, when I started out in business, I charged $150 per hour for HR consulting services.
Some of my very first consulting gigs were for 3 or so hours of work.
3 x $150 = $450.
Problem was, I had to factor in travel time to get to and from the client’s office.
Plus, before a client site visit, you’re not really working on anything else. You’re preparing mentally and getting documents ready.
So, really, my 3-hour consulting gigs were close to a full day but for only 3 billable hours.
🙁
Last week, I had a Zoom meeting with a larger client of mine.
They have just closed a 6-figure HR consulting deal (not hourly billing).
They also have the potential to turn that into a 7-figure deal (yes, that’s more than 1 million dollars) if they do a good job which I know they will because I’m lucky enough to only work with good HR companies that always deliver.
The money’s good but the cool thing is that the consulting work is exciting too.
🙂
So, as you can tell, I’m not a big fan of hourly billing.
You’re probably not a fan of it either, I know, and you’re probably using retainers and/or project rates.
However, what is a good rate for your services and how high can you go?
“How much should we charge for HR consulting services?”
I was delighted to be joined on the A Better HR Business show by Robin Choy, CEO of HireSweet CRM, a talent acquisition software that helps recruiters automate their candidate outreach, get real-time insights on their pipeline, and create a centralized database of ‘warm’ contacts.
Robin Choy
Robin is very active on LinkedIn, where he shares “the things I learned over the past 6 years, from my podcast, from my own experience, from talking to thousands of top recruiters & founders.”
He is also the host of A-Players Podcast, where he interviews recruiting leaders & execs and collects their stories and battle-tested advice on how to build teams of A-players.
HireSweet CRM helps companies hiring improve their sourcing and meet more quality candidates. That’s especially useful to companies that don’t get enough quality applicants.
Recruiting teams are using HireSweet CRM on top of their ATS to be 10X more efficient with outbound recruiting, to find people faster and get more replies, which includes managing talent pools, cold outreach, searching inside the ATS, etc.
In a wide-ranging discussion, Robin and I talked about:
What is HireSweet and who it helps.
How recruiting teams can use HireSweet on top of their ATS to be more efficient with outbound recruiting.
How HireSweet manages the different aspects of the recruitment process.
The types of businesses that use HireSweet.
HireSweet’s marketing strategy.
HireSweet’s referral program for consultants.
Business growth advice for companies in the HR sector.
What is HR consulting and why become an HR consultant?
In today’s ever-changing business landscape, organizations require HR consulting services to meet their human resource needs. HR consulting has become a popular profession due to the increasing demand for HR experts who can offer solutions and strategies to solve HR-related issues.
This article provides an in-depth look at what is HR consulting and why become an HR consultant, including the benefits of becoming an HR consultant, and how to actually become an HR consultant.
I was delighted to be joined on the A Better HR Business show by Reuben Swartz, Founder of Mimiran which is an ‘anti-CRM’ for solo consultants who hate ‘selling’ but love serving clients.
Ruben is also the host and “Chief Nerd” of the Sales for Nerds podcast.
Reuben Swartz
Reuben considers himself “a software engineer by training, a consultant by background (helping firms from startups to Global 100 firms sell more profitably), and a sales rep by necessity.”
Reuben has blended his expertise in computer science with his past experience as a sales and marketing consultant for Fortune 500 companies, along with his dissatisfaction with conventional sales tools. His objective is to assist other consultants in avoiding the difficulties he faced when trying to let go of misleading beliefs about sales and marketing.
Mimiran helps companies sell faster and more profitably by streamlining the sales process, converting more visitors into leads, more leads into conversations, and more conversations into e-signed proposals.
In a wide-ranging discussion, Reuben and I talked about:
What is Mimiran and how it can help you develop your business?
How Mimiran is making the experience of getting to the lead magnet easier than other CRM tools.
Mimiran helps businesses have more conversations with new leads and existing contacts.
How to automate proposals and track referrals using Mimiran.
I was delighted to be joined on the A Better HR Business show by Nikki Rausch, speaker, author, community builder, CEO and Founder of Sales Maven, an organization dedicated to authentic selling.
Nikki Rausch integrates her 25+ years of experience selling to such prestigious organizations as The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Hewlett-Packard, and NASA, sharing with her clients the same approaches that led to her shattering sales records in her industry and receiving multiple “top producer” awards along the way.
Nikki Rausch
A business degree from the University of Washington and her master certification in Neuro-Linguistic Programming mesh perfectly to create a powerful foundation upon which Nikki built tremendous sales skills and now provides enormous benefits for her clients.
Nikki’s three popular books are available on Amazon. And her podcast, Sales Maven, can be found on your favorite podcast platform.
In a wide-ranging discussion, Nikki and I talked about:
How to prepare for a meeting: milestones, structure, frame.
How asking the right questions helps you put together a proposal for your client.
The trap of providing free advice.
The five-step process of selling.
Mistakes to avoid in a meeting: projecting limiting beliefs and “hallucinating”.
How asking the right question can earn you business.
I want to explore a thought-provoking question that has been on my mind. This question can help you reflect on your HR-related business and identify areas for improvement.
The question is . . .
If you sold your business, what would a new owner change about the business to make it more successful?
I was inspired to ask this question after observing a transformation in a corner store near my home. The store used to be a dusty, run-of-the-mill establishment that sold basic necessities like newspapers, milk, and bread.
However, after being purchased by new owners, the store underwent a complete makeover.
The new owners introduced a fresh design, new decor, and updated branding, including new logos. They also expanded the product line to include hot sandwiches, premium items, Italian wines, cheeses, and a high-quality coffee machine. The store became a bustling hub of activity, creating jobs and community involvement.
Every time I drive by the store, I wonder what the previous owner would think of it now.
I was delighted to be joined on the A Better HR Business show by Don Phin, HR entrepreneur, speaker, author, and mental fitness coach for executives.
Don Phin has been a California employment practices attorney since 1983. He litigated cases for 17 years, figured out how ridiculous it all was, and decided to help employees and companies avoid destructive dramas.
Don Phin
In 2002 Don built HR That Works which he sold to ThinkHR in 2014 (and ThinkHR became part of Mineralrecently). After two years as a VP on the ThinkHR executive team, Don left as planned to begin his newest work on his most recent program, Great HR.
Don has written 6 books on the workplace, created dozens of training programs, and presented to hundreds of CEO, HR, and insurance groups. His goal is to help companies build powerful employment relationships that grow careers and the bottom line.
His book, ‘The 40/40 Solution: Mastering Emotional Energy in Leadership and Sales’ is the solution to ending painful and destructive dramas, whether in the boardroom, in coaching sessions, sales meetings, at home, or in conversations with yourself. Unlike most emotional intelligence books that focus on thinking your way through emotional problems, this book helps you learn how to feel your way through them. So that you can feel good about yourself afterward.
Don has created 10 courses for LinkedIn Learning (his programs there have had around 1 million views so far). He recently finished recording and producing the LinkedIn Learning program on Transferable Skills. LinkedIn has asked him to do a new program about Building a Skills-Based Organization.
In a wide-ranging discussion, Don and I talked about:
Transitioning from law attorney to the HR world.
Don has presented over 600 times -two-thirds of which have been to Vistage CEO groups – this has created a unique opportunity to understand the needs & wants of top leaders.
How to run an HR hotline with 3500 clients by yourself!
The decision to sell your business and move on.
Using white labeling to add extra value through your consulting service.
Don’s book, ‘The 40/40 Solution – Mastering Emotional Energy in Leadership and Sales’.
Jeremy is a social psychologist focusing on peace and conflict psychology. As a researcher, he studies cognitive, behavioral, and cultural patterns that tend to lead people into conflicts or into peace. He also studies how leaders play a role in creating systems of peace or conflict. He is further interested in the neuropsychological components of threat and fear and how acute stress responses (fight-flight) impact people’s capacities for optimal functioning, especially in social environments.
Pollack Peacebuilding Systems provides workplace conflict transformation services, including conflict analysis, peacebuilding interventions, coaching, training, and various other methodologies to help create more peaceful and productive organizational cultures.
“What we do is mitigate those risks, increase efficiency, and decrease the stress. We do this by teaching leaders and employees how to communicate more effectively and rebuild mutual trust, through coaching, training, and conflict resolution services that we call peacemaking. In fact, we’ve helped dozens of companies, large and small, in all varieties of industries around the world, resolve conflicts and foster greater peace. Pollack Peacebuilding Systems is not your average conflict resolution consulting firm. We are a complete 360-degree peace generator empowering organizations toward positive change through transformative peace processes.“
In a wide-ranging discussion, Jeremy and I talked about:
The most common and the most difficult workplace conflict situations that Pollack Peacebuilding typically deals with
The different approaches, techniques, and tools used for conflict resolution
What Pollack Peacebuilding is doing and whom does it help?
How to measure the business benefit?
Training and certifications for teams and companies
Sophia is proud of working as an international award-winning speaker, corporate trainer, bestselling author and executive coach. She was named one of the top transformational coaches in the country by USA Today. Sophia is the founder of Sophia Casey Enterprises – a leadership development, executive coaching, and consulting firm.
As an educator for more than 25 years in some of the toughest areas in the U.S., her passion for helping students use their socio-economic circumstances as strengths rather than as perceived weaknesses, was consistently rewarded by school district officials. Sophia currently works with universities, law enforcement organizations, and IT companies as a speaker, facilitator, trainer and executive coach. Sophia received her education at UCLA and Johns Hopkins.
Her book Fierce Vulnerability: a Colored Girl’s Truths, Trials, and Triumphs is an Amazon Best Selling New Release. She is also the author of the very popular journal, the Ease & Flow Journal and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
In a wide-ranging discussion, Sophia and I talked about:
In a wide-ranging discussion, Sophia and I talked about:
What is the ICLI (International Coaching & Leadership Institute) and who is it for
The coaching program for HR people designed by the ICLI
Sophia’s advice on growing an HR business
Finding your place in a crowded HR market
Sophia’s plans to achieve her goal: “Coaching for everyone, everywhere”
I was delighted to be joined on the A Better HR Business show by Dean Garamella, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SourceOwls, a virtual recruiting Marketplace that brings experienced recruiters and hiring companies together to quickly and efficiently fill pressing human capital hiring needs.
Dean Garamella
Over the past two decades, Dean has mastered what it means to be the “right fit” and has successfully managed several thousand searches for companies of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500.
Dean Garamella continues his passion for providing a valuable service to all the HireResources members, clients, by now overseeing the recruitment operations and overall Member satisfaction for all the HireResources business units.
Outside of his work, Dean Garamella enjoys spending time with his wife and sons: mountain biking, golfing and coaching baseball.
SourceOwls is a recruitment platform built for the busy recruiter:
Source and recruit qualified candidates
Conduct one qualifications assessment via phone or video call
Provided the candidate is qualified and interested supply them with the client and jobs details
Submit an up-to-date resume from the candidate in the SourceOwls platform
You will receive notifications each time the candidate status is changed
In a wide-ranging discussion, Dean and I talked about:
What is SourceOwls and who is it for
The advantages of using SourceOwls from an employer’s perspective
The benefits of using the SourceOwls platform versus using a traditional staffing firm
How SourceOwls manages to attract both employers and recruiters to grow the platform
Dean’s advice on how to find and attract new customers
Claudia is a sought-after career coach for women in tech and she’s helped her clients land fulfilling jobs at a senior level.
Claudia’s signature program, ’90-Day Job Offer’, has helped her clients advance their careers in 90 days or less, and secure, on average, a 56% increase in salary (to date her clients have received $30,000 – $120,000 on average in additional earned income per year).
Claudia also partners with companies and organizations in identifying rising stars within their organizations and providing strategic insights and support in developing a leadership and talent pipeline with a focus on women and women of color.
Claudi has worked with Top Fortune 500 Clients and has partnered with World Business Chicago in developing a Workforce Development strategy in coordination with the City of Chicago’s efforts in decreasing unemployment rates for persons of color.
In a wide-ranging discussion, Claudia and I talked about:
Claudia’s background and how she became a career coach
Why an employee should consider a career development
“90-Day Job Offer”, a step-by-step process on how to navigate the job search process
Claudia’s business growth advice
How “Roadmap to the Executive Suite” Podcast helps grow a business
