Jennifer McClure`

Helping Leaders Leverage Influence & Create Maximum Impact.

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Written by Jennifer McClure

Turning Passion Into Purpose: From Career Coach to Recruiting Tech Company Founder With Ariel Lopez

photo of Ariel Lopez

One of the best things about the work that I do is that I have the opportunity to connect with so many talented people doing great things to make the world of work – and the world – better for us all in the future.

Early last year, while looking to expand my network of leaders with diversity and inclusion expertise, I reached out to my network and asked a simple question – “Who should I know that does great work in this area?”

What followed were over 90 recommendations, and I was able to make some great new connections, have some great conversations, and add to my list of potential referral partners in the future.

The first person who responded to my question was Daniel Chait, the CEO & co-founder of Greenhouse, an HR tech company that helps organizations become great at hiring.

Daniel was quick to recommend that I connect with one of his mentees – Ariel Lopez.

Ariel followed up with me shortly thereafter, and suggested that we connect briefly to get to know each other better. I enjoyed chatting with her so much, that I made introductions for her to a couple of leaders in my network as well, not because she or they had any specific need at the time, but because I could see that Ariel is someone who is making things happen, and I felt that they needed to know more about her and her work as well.

Which brings us to where we are today, where I’m also introducing Ariel to many of you. Pro tip: that’s how effective networking, relationship building, and follow up works, and you’ll hear more about how Ariel values that process in our conversation today.

So, without further adieu, let me introduce you to Ariel Lopez – a career coach, entrepreneur, and public speaker with an expertise in digital media and technology. Ariel is the Founder and CEO of Knac, a platform that provides recruiters with a more efficient tool for screening applicants, managing their pipeline, and ensuring that they don’t miss out on great talent.

With over a decade of recruiting experience, Ariel has had the privilege of helping some of the biggest brands in the world to build great teams, and as a career coach, she’s worked with thousands of marketing, advertising, and tech professionals to help them grow in their careers and find lucrative opportunities.

Passionate about the future of work and making the job search more humane, Ariel’s ultimate goal is to help people to find career happiness, and to live their best lives.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • Why Ariel loved coaching people in their career journey, and how that experience set her on the journey to helping people to find jobs that they’re passionate about, and care for.
  • Ariel’s recommendation for people interested in finding a career that they love.
  • The importance of resilience and confidence for reaching career goals.
  • How identifying your leverageable skills can help you take charge of your career, and make wise choices.
  • Ariel’s tips for networking and building relationships during COVID times.
  • The importance of figuring out your values, and the pillars that you will focus on and speak to as a thought leader.
  • What inspired Ariel to start a company focused on helping candidates to break through barriers and gain access to opportunities.
  • The trait that most Founders need in order to keep pressing ahead on any Founder’s journey.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 54

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Keep the why strong. If your why is strong, you’ll be flexible with the how.” ~ Ariel Lopez

“Take your ego out of it. That’s very helpful in knowing that it’s not about you. Anything that happens in your journey that doesn’t work out, ultimately wasn’t meant for you.” ~ Ariel Lopez

“Figuring out what your leverageable skills are is probably one of the things that most professionals don’t know how to do well. You have to review your experience and your background, and figure out what skills are transferable into the new job that you want. The funny thing is that you probably have more transferable skills than you think.” ~ Ariel Lopez

“You’re going to have great conversations, and people are going to say no. You’re going to have great conversations, and people are going to say, this sounds cool, but I can’t do anything right now. And, you can’t take that personally, You have to accept it as ‘this is a no for right now, but that doesn’t mean a no forever.’ Having that approach to some of the people in our network has been life changing.” ~ Ariel Lopez

“Network you ass off is always my piece of advice — and trust the process.” ~ Ariel Lopez

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Ariel Lopez

Ariel Lopez LinkedIn

Ariel Lopez Twitter

Knac

Knac on Twitter

Knac on LinkedIn

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Categories: Career Development, Job Search, Podcast
Posted on January 14, 2021

Written by Jennifer McClure

Putting Yourself First and Finally Taking Control of Your Career With Laurie Ruettimann

photo Laurie Ruettimann

I’m coming in hot into 2021 with Episode number 53 of the Impact Makers podcast!

Seriously.

I’m ready to emerge from my 2020 coronavirus induced cocoon, and to make great things happen in my world, and for you in this shiny and promising new year. And I can think of no better way to kick off the year, than with my BFF, Laurie Ruettimann.

Laurie is back as a guest on the podcast to chat about her first traditionally published book – Betting On You – which will be released on January 12, 2021.

And that’s truly a big deal.

In Episode 002 of the Impact Makers podcast, I shared a little bit about how I originally found Laurie online through one of her early blogs – Teambuilding Is For Suckers. She wrote every day about work, life and cats – among other things – and even though I didn’t always agree with her, or share some of her views, her writing style was totally engaging, and she always had an informed point of view that made me think.

Over the last 15+ years, she’s evolved online from the anonymous voice behind the Teambuilding Is For Suckers blog, to being the pixie of the apocalypse who penned the wildly popular Punk Rock HR blog, and then the successful blogger who blew everything up to rebrand, and become The Cynical Girl for awhile.

A few years ago, she took all of her great writing and talents over to her own online domain – laurieruettiman.com – and resurrected Punk Rock HR as the name of her popular weekly podcast.

And while she’s become my best friend over the last 11 years, I’m also her biggest Fan. She’s simply one of the best writers out there, and can always be counted on to share frank, informed – and sometimes contrary to popular opinions – career and life advice, which is what is needed in a world where many of the so-called career experts sound very much the same.

It’s always been a personal dream of Laurie’s to write a book, and to have it published by a traditional publishing house, and she’s finally made that dream come true. Her book – Betting On You: How To Put Yourself First And (Finally) Take Control Of Your Career – will be published and released by Henry Holt & Co on January 12, 2021.

So, of course, we needed to talk about this moment in time, and what it took to accomplish this major life goal. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m so glad that Laurie pushed through the challenges, did the hard work, and has reached the point where the book will go from a dream to reality next week.

In this episode, Laurie will share a couple of the career and life stories that are included in the book, and she’ll also unpack the framework she proposes for fixing work by fixing yourself – which includes focusing on self leadership, well-being, continuous learning, and risk taking.

I’m so proud of my friend. And I’m really proud of this book.

I’ve read an advance copy, have pre-ordered a hardback version, and will also purchase the audio book. I hope that you’ll buy at least one copy too, and will connect with Laurie to continue to follow her journey, as well as learn from her in the future.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • The steps Laurie took in the long process of selling her book proposal for Betting On You, and ultimately signing with a major publisher.
  • The project plan that Laurie and her team created to ensure that the book was written, and delivered on time.
  • The role that her husband, and a bottle of tequila, played in the receipt of the long awaited initially proposed book cover for Betting On You.
  • The framework for fixing work by fixing yourself: self leadership, well-being, continuous learning, and risk taking.
  • What the buyer of Betting On You is going to get – a fresh take on the world of work, and also life. Also, good stories, well told.
  • The role that punk rock singer Courtney Love played in Laurie deciding to put herself first, and reclaim her life.
  • Why everybody good gets fired at least once – and the lessons that can be learned in that process.
  • How using the pre-mortem process can help you approach your life and career more effectively.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 53

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“You fix work by fixing yourself. People really get sick and tired of me saying that. I don’t care. I’m going to say it until I die. You fix work by fixing yourself. When you look at your employer for the answer, you’re never going to be satisfied. When you look for your HR lady to swoop in and solve a problem, even if she nails it, it’s never going to feel good. Because most of the problems we have at work reflect the problems we have in our own personal lives. I’ve never dealt with someone who was chronically late at work that didn’t have something going on in their personal life that was driving some of those attendance issues. For me to just sit there and blather on about an attendance policy was a failed way to solve that problem. We had to drive in deeper. And it’s not just attendance. It’s attention, it’s attitude, it’s engagement. All of this doesn’t start at work, it starts at home. That’s what I believe.” ~ Laurie Ruettimann

“Your worth is not your work.” ~ Laurie Ruettimann

“If you’ve been fired, know that you’re in really great company. But beyond that, know that it’s not the defining moment of your life – or it doesn’t have to be.” ~ Laurie Ruettimann

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Order your copy of Betting on You: How to Put Yourself First and (Finally) Take Control of Your Career by Laurie Ruettimann

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 002    – The Thriving Contrarian with Laurie Ruettimann

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 036    – The Random Show — Conversations with My BFF Laurie Ruettimann

Laurie Ruettimann Website

Laurie Ruettimann books

Betting On You Book Resources

Laurie’s LinkedIn Learning courses on Self-Leadership & Managing Conflict

Punk Rock HR podcast with Laurie Ruettimann

Danny Ozment / Emerald City Productions

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins

Blake Mycosckie / Madefor

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Categories: Career Development, Personal Development, Podcast
Posted on January 8, 2021

Written by Jennifer McClure

How to Identify Your Career Drivers and Take Action

Last year, I attended a conference called BridgeCon, which is produced by the team at Instructure. The conference was held in beautiful Park City, Utah, and it was a great opportunity for me to learn more about their Bridge Career product — an employee-centric career development tool that aligns career vision with core values and skills to increase fulfillment and clarity and drive personal and business growth.

At the conference, I had the opportunity to meet Steve Arntz – Product Director at Instructure, and he led me through a process to determine my “career drivers”, using Bridge’s Career Drivers deck – a deck of cards designed for leaders to use with team members to facilitate insightful career discussions, and to create action steps to help them grow in meaningful ways.

I found the whole Career Drivers discussion to be fascinating, and using the card deck to facilitate the discussion was really helpful in guiding our conversation, as well as pulling out some insights that I wasn’t aware of. So, I invited Steve to join me on this episode of the Impact Makers podcast to share more about the process he and the team at Instructure went through to develop the Career Drivers exercise, as well as how it’s helped him personally in his interesting career journey thus far.

If you’re a leader in your organization, I think you’ll find this conversation helpful to you as you think about what motivates you personally in your career, but also how you can help your team members to identify their own career drivers in order to create more impact at work and in life.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 38

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Show Highlights:

  • The origins of Steve’s passion for career development and helping people to find their “Why”.
  • How Steve strives to help people connect with each other one-to-one, and his passion for working at the intersection of human connection and personal growth and development.
  • The creation of the Bridge Career Drivers card deck, and learning that that people care more about key motivations and drivers than they do about roles in their career journey.
  • The importance of taking the time to have conversations with your team members about their career goals, and the only mistake you can make in that process.

More Info and Resources:

King University
Steve Arntz on LinkedIn
Instructure
Bridge Career
Bridge Career Drivers cards

—–

Thanks to King University, who’s support makes this podcast possible! King is proud to offer sixteen online degrees with accelerated programs and affordable tuition so you can start a new career faster than ever. You can choose from programs in technology, communication, and business – like an online MBA with six concentrations including human resource management. And because the program is offered fully online, you can earn your degree on your own schedule in as little as 16 months. Visit https://online.king.edu/impactmakers to learn more about the King Difference today.

Categories: Career Development, Podcast
Posted on February 24, 2020

Written by Jennifer McClure

How HR, Recruiters And Job Seekers Can Prepare For The Future Of Work

Recently, I had the opportunity to be a guest on the Copeland Coaching Podcast, which is hosted by Angela Copeland – Career Coach and the CEO of Copeland Coaching.

Angela had some great questions related to typical challenges faced by job seekers, such as how to prepare for an interview, how to work with HR in the process, and how to ask for – and get – constructive feedback.

We also talked about the importance of managing your career like an entrepreneur, and why we must all become life-long learners – because the world of work is changing so rapidly that we’ll be left behind if we don’t.

[Read more…]

Categories: Career Development, Interviewing, Job Search, Personal Development
Posted on August 10, 2017

Written by Jennifer McClure

Set These 5 Leadership Goals To Achieve Career Success

Congratulations! You’ve just been promoted, and you’re ready to embark upon the next phase in your career as a new leader of a team. How can you best set yourself up for success?

Start by setting goals that focus on your team, your career and your continued personal development.

[Read more…]

Categories: Blog, Career Development, Leadership, Personal Development
Posted on March 3, 2017

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Recent Posts

  • Redefining HR: Embracing Modern People Practices To Fuel Business Success With Lars Schmidt
  • Turning Passion Into Purpose: From Career Coach to Recruiting Tech Company Founder With Ariel Lopez
  • Putting Yourself First and Finally Taking Control of Your Career With Laurie Ruettimann
  • How Human-Centered Workplaces Will Transform the Future of Work With Derek Irvine
  • The Value of Taking a Strategic Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion With Jennifer Ingram

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  • Redefining HR: Embracing Modern People Practices To Fuel Business Success With Lars Schmidt
  • Turning Passion Into Purpose: From Career Coach to Recruiting Tech Company Founder With Ariel Lopez
  • Putting Yourself First and Finally Taking Control of Your Career With Laurie Ruettimann
  • How Human-Centered Workplaces Will Transform the Future of Work With Derek Irvine
  • The Value of Taking a Strategic Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion With Jennifer Ingram

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