A Candidate’s Manifesto

Firepole MarketingA Consummation in the making

Dream Job Search Unplugged

By Sharetha Y. DeShields

Talent Search DilemmaBusinesses are charged with securing the

resources necessary to generate revenue and growth.

Finding the right people often presents many dilemmas for businesses that follow traditional recruiting methods.

Firepole Marketing’s strategy for finding the best talent is to look where most businesses would not typically look: Their Clients! Absolutely Brilliant!!

Talent Search DilemmaQuote“Don’t hire people that believe in what you do. Hire people that believe what you believe.”

- Simon Sinek

**Firepole Marketing is obviously ahead of the curve**

So, what qualifies me to be the top leader’s right-hand person?

A PAST LIFE REGRESSION…..Allow me to start off by telling a brief, but ill-fated story about my role as an active managing partner with a company I co-founded and operated, Homewise Solutions….

…this is where I discovered who I really amand gained the most significant experienceabout administration, marketing, informa-tion systems, logistics management, andmanaging projects.

A PAST LIFE REGRESSION….. Our venture began with seven (7) partners enthusiastic about bringing a solution to the collapsed real estate market in the metro Atlanta area. We all had varying talents and skills. But with no prior model to follow, we had no idea what this collaborative effort would produce.

A PAST LIFE REGRESSION…..

We started from scratch…..

A PAST LIFE REGRESSION….. The market collapse forced lending regulations and guidelines to become heavily restrictive which resulted in a lot of real estate industry professionals losing a significant amount of business or folding altogether.

A PAST LIFE REGRESSION….. We set out to turn lemons…into lemonade

New Paradigm Shift – If the Buyer is no longer there, then we will CREATE them!

A PAST LIFE REGRESSION…..And then there were three (3)

Long story short, once the harsh realities that our business model had to constantly be restructured set in after about a year, Homewise’s weaknesses began to surface and rush in like a tsunami.We lost 2/3 of our partners & staff and a proportional amount of revenue right along with it.By the end of the second year, it was just the CEO, the Marketing Director and myself holding down the fort!

A PAST LIFE REGRESSION…..

Man Overboard!!…..

A PAST LIFE REGRESSION…..Fork in the road

Facing the agonizing decision to continue on full steam or call it quits, us girls said “let’s ride or die!”…And die we did, just not in the literal sense.I was the CFO/COO managing Client Services [with no personal assistant], which meant that I had my hands in EVERYTHING 24/7!! I even had to help with some marketing/Networking tasks!

A PAST LIFE REGRESSION…..The Aftermath…

Wearing several hats gave me the resolve to find creative solutions even if it meant I had to do it myself.I was determined to preserve current value to our clients and industry partners, but soon learned I was chasing fool’s gold. We were out of money with no viable way of obtaining a business loan to sustain operations and keep what little sanity we had left.Needless to say….We closed our doors

A PAST LIFE REGRESSION…..The Aftermath…

I now have a very keen awareness and understanding (with the battle scars to prove it) of the plight of the small biz entrepreneur and the need to have the right team onboard.Although I felt it necessary to close that chapter of my life, I know that I will one day start a new one. Except this time, I’ll have my knowledge bank and humility to create a different, but valuable experience for those I will serve.

Fast Forward to nowI say all that to say this…When an owner is burnt out from trying to do everything

him/herself, it leaves much to be desired.I quickly learned the value of having a trustworthy &

reliable assistant because I experienced what it was like not having one after we laid off some extremely valuable staff members.

In spite of all the devastation and fallout, I’ve acquired numerous skills that I never would have had I still been on a regular job.

More over, I personally “get” the psyche of the business owner. I know what keeps you awake at night.

And I look forward to being an understudy…learning from the best!

Personality mattersWhat determines my overall success

Personality mattersWhat personality trait will best support me in succeeding with Firepole Marketing? Positive/High Energy, Committed to life-long

learning, Resourceful, Detailed, Good Listener, Strong Interpersonal Skills, and Exceptional Task & Time Mgmt are all traits that I feel are MUST HAVES!!!

In this particular case, if I had to choose THE one best trait…it would be:

Having a Proactive focus on SUPPORT

What about Firepole Marketing that mostresonates with me as a place to work?

------------------------------------------------------------------- The authenticity, integrity, and passion for helping both clients and each other. I listened to the testimonials of the staff, and it was very comforting to know that Firepole Marketing appears to be a community where no one will get left behind (if they really don’t want to). I get the feeling that if someone sees you stumble & fall, they’ll come to your aid instead of laughing and throwing you under the bus. The Leadership philosophy resonates with me greatly because no one feels that they are above the other. Even Danny seems down-to-Earth. I found that particularly attractive because a lot of successful gurus and entrepreneurs tend to get very egotistical once they reach a certain threshold. Last, but not least, the client testimonials and comments speak for itself! You can’t have a successful business when a significant amount of people are dissatisfied with the value and service they are receiving.

A Candidate’s Manifesto

Firepole MarketingA Consummation in the making

Dream Job Search Unplugged