NICHOLE BAJKO: SOH / THE HOSPITALITY MATCH MAKER / THE BIGGEST INDUSTRY IN THE SMALLEST WORLD

[SPEAKER_02]: Nicole, thank you so much for taking the time to come over and spend the afternoon.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, it's late morning, not afternoon.
[SPEAKER_02]: The late morning with me here in the studio, and we're gonna talk all things recruiting.
[SPEAKER_02]: The first question in this has been burning, literally since I were gonna chat is, what are your thoughts on the term headhunter?
[SPEAKER_02]: Is that a negative thing?
[SPEAKER_02]: Is it a good thing?
[SPEAKER_02]: Cause that's always how I've heard it in my terms when I was in the field was, oh, we have to hire a headhunter.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what?
[SPEAKER_00]: I, when I got into recruiting, I didn't really know much about it, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's, you know, part of my story.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I've never used the term head-on-ter.
[SPEAKER_00]: We really coined the phrase matchmaker at source one hospitality.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that's kind of part of my DNA now.
[SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, head-on-ter.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's an outdated term now.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think anyone's using it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's, I don't think it really represents what this process means anymore.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, perfect.
[SPEAKER_02]: You started an Italian Delhi of 15, right?
[SPEAKER_02]: A lot of people have their first jobs, you know, and they forget about those type of things.
[SPEAKER_02]: Clearly you built the career around the hospitality industry.
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, what wasn't like working at the Delhi and what kept you
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you know, I was 15.
[SPEAKER_00]: I started working in Italian Deli.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was like super comfortable for me.
[SPEAKER_00]: I grew up in a big New York Italian family.
[SPEAKER_00]: So the food was comfortable, the people were comfortable.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it just really became something I loved instantly.
[SPEAKER_00]: And
[SPEAKER_00]: I just knew right away.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was like, this is what I'm going to do for the rest of my life.
[SPEAKER_00]: And since I was so close to getting ready to go to college, I started looking at colleges for hospitality programs.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's funny because now there are so many options for student, you know, even doing pro start, which I actually did do pro start, but getting into pro start in high school.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then you can go to a four-year college, you can go to a community college, now you can, you know,
[SPEAKER_00]: the options are endless for getting into the education portion of culinary and hospitality.
[SPEAKER_00]: But for me, back in 2004, I only had two options, and it was Kendall or Northern Illinois University, and I wanted to go to football games and go to Kexeneg, so I chose Kexeneg, so I chose Kexeneg.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love some Kexeneg, you know, go Huskies.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was the best four years in my life, and
[SPEAKER_00]: that program launched me into my career.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was recruited right away at a college by Maryette.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I, you know, another reason I think getting into the educational piece of hospitality when you can is to have those connections.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it was a, it was a priority for the hospitality program for people to have jobs.
[SPEAKER_00]: and you know, I think now that's more important than ever.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I'm still really involved with the hospitality program at NIU.
[SPEAKER_00]: It has grown tremendously.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's now part of the business school.
[SPEAKER_00]: And from there, yeah, from seven years with Marianne International and then going into an independent restaurant and brewery in the suburbs, yeah, there was there was never another option for me.
[SPEAKER_02]: working at a job while in school is imperative.
[SPEAKER_02]: That was like one of the first things my chef said he's like you need to get a job.
[SPEAKER_02]: It doesn't matter because I had no experience.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was I wasn't the 15 year old that went into restaurant.
[SPEAKER_02]: I worked at a gas station and we had a little like.
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know, half ass kitchen that roast or chicken in like hunts brothers pizza.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's nuts.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, right.
[SPEAKER_02]: And fun fact, did you know hunts brothers pizzas like the number one selling pizza in America?
[SPEAKER_02]: I didn't know what he knows about because it's the gas stations.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I saw the chart and I was like, the blows my mind, fun fact for everybody.
[SPEAKER_02]: But that was a big deal was get a job while you're in culinary school.
[SPEAKER_02]: How does that tie in to also the network?
[SPEAKER_02]: I were going to jump right into that piece because in today's age, I feel like networking, it was, there was a weird face in my opinion where I was like, oh, go network and it was kind of like this weird term, like what do you mean go network and now it's kind of like, I feel like you have to do it.
[SPEAKER_02]: So what are your thoughts on networking in general?
[SPEAKER_02]: We can go social to in person, wherever you want to go.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, my network is my like most important aspect of my job and my life.
[SPEAKER_00]: And because I've always been so social, you know, I grew up in like the Northwest suburbs and went to school in Decal, which wasn't that far off.
[SPEAKER_00]: then, you know, working for Marriott and then working in South Barrington at a really well-known restaurant in Brewery, like I've just always had a huge network and getting into this job.
[SPEAKER_00]: It made me so successful so quickly.
[SPEAKER_00]: And now as I'm getting ready for year five and the network that I've built even from then.
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, it's, I always say tell like my candidates and my clients and anyone I'm talking to this hospitality industry is literally like the the biggest industry in the smallest world.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, we are all separated by one degree if that even, you know, in Chicago, it's like even tighter.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't say enough what like building your network, you know, whether you're building it on LinkedIn or you're going to some event.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's a combination of everything.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, people ask me that a lot.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I spend time working on social media making sure people
[SPEAKER_00]: see that I'm consistently posting so that they think of me when they, you know, are thinking about getting a job.
[SPEAKER_00]: I try to go to events like restaurant show.
[SPEAKER_00]: I try to go to lots of restaurant openings.
[SPEAKER_00]: I try to be supportive to my clients and my candidates.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm also just kind of that.
[SPEAKER_00]: social person in general with my friends and everyone in my community with kids, my husband.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think people see that, but they also see that I'm genuine about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, when I'm engaging with people at an event or at a restaurant or, you know, at the soccer field.
[SPEAKER_00]: you know there's there's a way to do it you know you really want to be intentional you really want to listen which is a skill that I think you really learn how to do you know I'm you know getting to almost 40 and I think listening has become something that I'm still learning about right because you can sit there and hear someone but you really like
[SPEAKER_00]: listening to what they're saying and really understanding what their message is.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you're not work is your most powerful tool and sometimes people will call me they're like, you know, I'm, all right, I'm done with this job, I'm ready to go, I want to do something new, I tell people just pen and paper sit down, write down your network, write down like people that have like really been an influence on you, write down people that you've met and are like, man, I'd love to work with her or him or
[SPEAKER_00]: Right down, somebody that was like, hey, if you ever need anything reach out and you'll be surprised like what you've done, but yeah, it's never too early and there's never a waste of putting a lot of effort into your network.
[SPEAKER_02]: And don't be afraid to ask people.
[SPEAKER_02]: I find it feels almost grimy like I'm gonna ask this person for a favor or I'm gonna ask them to recommend, you know make a connection and a reality.
[SPEAKER_02]: Most people wanna, in this industry, they wanna, are others.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's absolutely.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's doesn't feel like I've asked people.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, absolutely, let me hook you up with someone so and make this connection.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm like,
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, I was not expecting that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because we do it, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, somebody comes to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what I always tell my candidates.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, you think about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, if somebody came to you, you would do that immediately.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's a big part of our culture just in the industry in general.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I agree.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's imperative that, you know, you're working on your network and you're being a person that can not only be supportive to others, but then yeah, ask for the support when you need it.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's why you built it.
[SPEAKER_02]: How does one start their their young they're getting in the industry I mean whether they've been in it or not and they've worked at one place You know through their teen years, you know now they're trying to take it more serious there in their 20s.
[SPEAKER_02]: They're trying to work their way like how do they start to build that network?
[SPEAKER_02]: I see usually because I'm unlinked in a lot like you I see one extreme or the other they're they're they're all the time They're always engaging or they have a profile But there's nothing but there's nothing.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just it's just crickets.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's like how do you build the network?
[SPEAKER_02]: starting out in a way that keep track you can only remember so many people right there's only so many ways whereas you've used a social media platform or something to kind of I don't know I use it almost as like the CRM right it's it's holding all the people it's got all the conversations I've ever had with them so it's very easy to type in their name who are you and what did I talk about what company did you work at it's a little more laid out then you know you go to Instagram I mean good luck trying to find out what somebody's done or who they are so what's your kind of advice for someone just wanting to build that network right out the gate
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think what would really be impactful for somebody that's starting out is, yes, making those connections on LinkedIn, but it's not just about reaching out and making a connection on LinkedIn.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's having meaningful conversation and dialogue.
[SPEAKER_00]: So sending someone a message and saying, hey, this is where I'm at with things, and I'd love to keep in touch, and then actually do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, if you are
[SPEAKER_00]: interested in a company or getting to work with someone in the future, you know, it's okay to send somebody a message on LinkedIn or ask for their emails and follow up in a couple of months.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's really where people probably fall off is, okay, well, I made the connection.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like, okay, but what are you doing to work at that connection?
[SPEAKER_00]: And does that person know that you have a goal to end up here?
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think there's a lot, you know, because we're in this digital age and now everything is
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, really based on the computers, but if you can go to some network, I mean, we have a lot of great networking events, just for the industry and just for professionals in our city and in the suburbs, so I would highly recommend, you know, getting out there and talking to people and meeting people.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, sometimes people are surprised when I say, hey, if you really want a job, pronoun your resume and go there and
[SPEAKER_00]: drop it off to say hey you know what I saw this job posted would you mind passing this on to the HR director whoever's doing the hiring why not like you really want to show that you are committed to something and you really feel strongly that you're a fit for something you know who's who's going to turn you away from dropping off the piece of paper like what you do
[SPEAKER_02]: Especially now, because I had a question about that specific, you log in indeed, you log in to wherever you're looking for a job, and it just feels like...
[SPEAKER_02]: 100 people are playing 500 people are playing you know what you want to do you're like okay well 500 people They're probably one out of those 500 that more qualified than I am but from like a recruiters perspective How does one get set up when they're searching for a job?
[SPEAKER_02]: I feel a resume Nowadays unless you've done some of the The big names and you've staaged it places that have some some holdings people like oh okay They work there.
[SPEAKER_02]: They probably have some chops
[SPEAKER_02]: because hey, I can write anything for anybody.
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
[SPEAKER_02]: Anyone can, I feel like can BS their way through a resume now.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's pretty easy to just type in.
[SPEAKER_02]: Hey, I wanted to look like this and blah, blah, blah.
[SPEAKER_02]: How does a recruiter looking at that?
[SPEAKER_02]: How does someone, should you have a resume?
[SPEAKER_02]: What is your resume?
[SPEAKER_02]: Is a resume still the piece of paper is the best way to just go in person and just drop it off?
[SPEAKER_02]: What if you're looking to go across country?
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, what are those tactics?
[SPEAKER_02]: How do you even get started in today's age to start looking for a job?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, well, that's a great thing about utilizing a recruiter in general, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: If I think a lot of people might have some misunderstandings about what it's like to partner with a recruiter and that it has no cost to you as a candidate, typically, unless you're probably at an executive level.
[SPEAKER_00]: But for any executive chef, director of operations, sous chef, management level, you know, there is no cost to you to work with a recruiter and there are plenty of companies out there,
[SPEAKER_00]: What's a misconception is that, you know, it's not even a misconception, but what happens a lot with recruiters is people feel like they get ghosted or they're not really great dialogue or communication or, you know, I had a chef call me on the way here and he's like, you know, this, this recruiter said, he sent me here.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't even know where here is and, you know, that is definitely not how I do things or source one does things.
[SPEAKER_00]: So,
[SPEAKER_00]: using a recruiter can really allow you direct access to the hiring managers, you know, I worked directly with my clients on hires because guess what, they're just as overwhelmed without those postings.
[SPEAKER_00]: They put something on culinary agents and they got 50 applications and they're like,
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I don't want to deal with this either.
[SPEAKER_00]: So they rely on their partners, their recruiting partners to be like, hey, who are the best five candidates for this job?
[SPEAKER_00]: You guys know me, you know what I'm looking for, you know this culture, you know what we need to do here.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let me see the five best people.
[SPEAKER_00]: and it really is a time saver and eventually a money saver for everybody, you know, finding those candidates.
[SPEAKER_00]: So working with the recruiter, yes, we don't have access to every job that's out there, but the connections are invaluable.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we're able to, you know, I always say on my calls when I'm getting introduced to people, I said, you know, think of me as like a sports agent, like, okay,
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, you're a LeBron James, and I'm your agent, and I'm looking for the next best team, best coach, best pay, best culture, and I'm gonna represent you to the clients and make sure that these all check the boxes for you just as much as they check for them.
[SPEAKER_00]: So working with a recruiter can just really provide some direct correlation right to the clients, cause I mean, I can text somebody and say, hey, I got this person, and they're amazing, and you have to meet them.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's where the people matching comes in too because you could see a great post online.
[SPEAKER_00]: But what does that really say about the culture and and the person who's hiring, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like especially for chefs.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've learned on this is a people match more than anything.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know,
[SPEAKER_00]: Working in the kitchen is one of the hardest jobs anybody will ever have, you know, and in our industry, the heart of the house is the men and women that work in the kitchen.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you better be damn sure you like who you're going to work with.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you respect that shaft that you're going to report to, and that you can build a team, and you can provide something really special for the gas.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, it's always a people matter to me, but in the kitchen, it's just absolutely essential that, you know,
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, 100% me being in operations when I was a GM of, you know, getting colleges.
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, you have a lot of management and a lot of layers.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was about a people fit.
[SPEAKER_02]: Some of these guys, gals that I hired, I'm like, they probably aren't the most qualified skilled.
[SPEAKER_02]: But their people skills are really good.
[SPEAKER_02]: And they connect with the team and what they lack there.
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, me having culinary background, I was like, I can teach them.
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
[SPEAKER_02]: The little bits in here of the of this niche of the the higher ed sector.
[SPEAKER_02]: So you're so spot on because I just went I would go through chef after chef after chef and then I realized it's not about their skills.
[SPEAKER_02]: They work hard.
[SPEAKER_02]: They grind but they're an asshole to their team.
[SPEAKER_02]: Then the team doesn't want to work and when you're trying to feed thousands and thousands you need your team of 80 to perform at a high level to put out that food.
[SPEAKER_02]: So spot on.
[SPEAKER_02]: So would you say it's the secret sauce to find a recruiter and work with a recruiter if you're looking for a job like find a find.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean the the great thing about recruiting agencies so like source one hospitality we specialize in hospitality food and beverage.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, we don't really dabble in other industries because we're all former operators.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is where we have passion.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is where we've lived.
[SPEAKER_00]: We've been in everybody's shoes of what you're doing and I think that
[SPEAKER_00]: It allows us to really make the best matches possible.
[SPEAKER_00]: And for our clients, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like we do get paid for by the clients, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: So we have a client to take care of here.
[SPEAKER_00]: And as much as the candidates are equally as important to us, we gotta make sure we're performing for the clients.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there are recruiters in every industry at every level.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think it's a leg up when you're working with a recruiter for looking for a job.
[SPEAKER_00]: And honestly, there's probably a lot of misconceptions about working with a recruiter.
[SPEAKER_00]: as a client and you know here in Chicago we work with some of the most amazing groups and there are huge groups and there are groups with two restaurants and there are hotels and there are you know we work with every size and the value of that I think you know we've done some numbers that and some research that
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, when you work with a recruiter on hiring, specifically with source one hospitality, our candidates have 10 years probably 30% more than longer than the average.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's because we're taking the time to make sure this is a fit from all angles, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: The skills, the people, the personality, the culture.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, is this person coming on board and adding value?
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, where you're needing it because these are crucial hires, you know, you're hiring an executive chef of, you know, opening your third restaurant and you guys are the hot thing in Chicago.
[SPEAKER_00]: This, you know, the pressure is on.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, and it gets to be, you know, like we're talking about with the postings and stuff.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's overwhelming on everybody side with all of these.
[SPEAKER_00]: I wouldn't discourage you from.
[SPEAKER_00]: applying to jobs online.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's always best to go directly to the company.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like when you're working with a recruiter, they'll present you.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you're just like, hey, I really do want to apply for this job, go to their website directly.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think there's culinary agencies great, but the jobs always on there for the company.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you can always figure out what that is.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then to talk about moving cross-country, definitely work with a recruiter because it's like,
[SPEAKER_00]: No, I'm, and it's hard to say, but even people wanting to come to Chicago, we have a problem here in Chicago that we don't really want to talk to anybody outside of Chicago and, you know, we're not a market that's really accepting of talent, like just applying, but if you can work somebody to get, I know it seems weird, but like Nashville Dallas, like all these secondary markets, they want the talent from other markets.
[SPEAKER_00]: Chicago, we're kind of like, feel like we're a little pretty anxious.
[SPEAKER_02]: Right, you got New York, you've got Chicago, you've got LA, and it's kind of like, we're the mechas, like, we have our own town.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's interesting.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've probably only reload one person in my five years to Chicago, which is,
[SPEAKER_00]: pretty significant considering when we work with Texas, Florida, Nashville, some of the growing markets.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I would say it'd be really essential if you're really looking to move somewhere because you need to know about these companies just as much as they need to know about you.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, you're moving somewhere new.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is going to be a huge opportunity to make sure that you're getting in with the right group for you.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, how do you work with those candidates and companies like to build the relationships to find out what they want right new client comes to you and says, hey, we're going to need people you've never worked on before there are five chain restaurant they've got five locations.
[SPEAKER_02]: What is that process?
[SPEAKER_02]: How do you get to know them?
[SPEAKER_02]: Obviously they're in a crucial they need to hire somebody time is a factor.
[SPEAKER_02]: What's that process look like.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so even before I'm ever interacting with a client, whether it's really lucky for us at Source One and I guess it's not luck because it's what we build at and we've worked at.
[SPEAKER_00]: But most of our clients are word of mouth referrals, or a candidate who we've placed before, now works at a new company, somebody from another company moves over, even at all the other markets.
[SPEAKER_00]: These are all word of mouth and
[SPEAKER_00]: and, you know, just referral.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we're really thankful for that business, but before I ever talk to anybody, I mean, I've done my homework, you know, on the company.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know who the key players are, I know what you're doing, I know where you're building.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we also, you know, we really come to them, just like we're talking about here, like, this is our grassroots recruiters, we're not using ads, we're not using AI, we're having conversations with people, we're vetting them,
[SPEAKER_00]: thoroughly to see where their potential is for your if it's with your company or with none.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then, you know, once we get with them, it's it's normal dialogue.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think getting into this job, I thought like clients would be the scary part.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's the best part, you know, because we're getting on with operators who are growing or doing something exciting.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they're like, okay, this is what we need, you know, this is really going to fit.
[SPEAKER_00]: And from there, you know, it's never
[SPEAKER_00]: And we know a lot about all of our clients and who's been successful and who hasn't.
[SPEAKER_00]: We have a huge track record here in Chicago and some of the other markets, but it's dialogue.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we get the most, our most productive relationships with clients are the ones that put in just as much effort as us.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, we have some clients that might just be like, okay, we even, we need a culinary director.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you're like,
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, like what does that mean and what are they you know and then you have other clients and you know They give us so much information that it's like okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: I got that person and you know We're having a lot of dialogue all the time and it's through the process, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know when I'm working with a client If they're like you know, hey, we got a pivot.
[SPEAKER_00]: We thought we needed this we've met some of these people That's not really what we need.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's do this now
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's just constant dialogue, it's constant communication, feedback, there's a lot of nose in recruiting.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think people really get that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Most of the day is no.
[SPEAKER_00]: Most of the day is no.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's hard, because I think people see
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, oh, you know, you're recruiter, you work from wherever you want, you know, you work from home, you know, and it's like, yeah, no, I do have a really great job with flexibility for schedules and and for where I'm working, what I'm doing.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, it's it's a lot of no all day.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a lot of sales.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I'm going to say it's a literally sales.
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, but it's people.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, there's no from the, you know, oh, I talked to this great, you know, director of ops today and then it's like, oh, you know what I just took a job.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, it's a no.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then, you know, you're sending a great candidate to a client.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, we actually just made the higher yesterday.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I gotta tell you, you know, a lot of notes, but when the yeses happen and the higher's happen, it's
[SPEAKER_00]: It's life changing, you know, we impact people's lives and that's why I've never had a Sunday scary or never wanted to get out for work in the morning because I know how impactful I can be to help people, especially in restaurants and hospitality where you're grinding and this needs to be somewhere you like to go to and people you like to be with and I want to help people in our industry as much as I can because our industry needs it.
[SPEAKER_02]: We do need it because going back to what I said earlier is I feel like it's all you see all these job postings But then you see all these applicants applying But then they're still the job open and you're just like we right why why is this not being filled and it's reposted and then it gets reposted and you're like okay Well, it still has 500 people
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
[SPEAKER_02]: Exactly.
[SPEAKER_02]: It feels like this infinite loop of like we're trying to find people.
[SPEAKER_02]: We can't find people like it just never I don't know.
[SPEAKER_02]: It feels weird that there's a labor problem.
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, obviously on the lower level.
[SPEAKER_02]: We all know that, but even at the executive level, it feels like places are always constantly churning and burning.
[SPEAKER_02]: What are your thoughts on 10 year of stay?
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, are you looking at how old somebody is like, are you finding out, okay, here's what they're planning on doing the only one to go somewhere for a couple years or our clients.
[SPEAKER_02]: Accepting of that.
[SPEAKER_02]: I know the old nomenclature was I had one client where I brought in an assistant director and they're like Did they plan on saying at least five years?
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm like what I'm gonna tell you.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, yeah, because I don't want you to say no because I really want this candidate But really that realistically like Probably not if there's a better opportunity like they're gonna want to grow and continue and if that's not here.
[SPEAKER_02]: They're gonna leave.
[SPEAKER_02]: So I guess the question is
[SPEAKER_02]: has the client's point of you changed on length of stay and how do you guys approach approach that I mean again it's the culinary industry.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah I mean tenures are definitely something to be noted on resumes but in our industry you said it like there's a lot of times where you can be somewhere for two to three years and you don't have an opportunity to move up or
[SPEAKER_00]: and not that even your direct reports don't want to give you that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes it's just not an option, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: You've done what you've done there.
[SPEAKER_00]: And in our industry, more, you know, it's interesting seeing like other industries like financials and, you know, people that are an insurance like they stay forever, you know, they they stay with
[SPEAKER_02]: 40-50 years.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, still like, you know, my husband's work for Liberty Mutual for 14 years and he's a happy guy and we are team dug and we move all the way but in our industry that's not a reality.
[SPEAKER_00]: I do on the hotel side, you will see much longer tenures and there's a lot to be said for that because there's a lot more benefits and a lot more growth but in the restaurant groups like
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, yeah, I, you don't want to see people jumping around, but you also, there's always a story, there's always a story behind your resume.
[SPEAKER_00]: And as you get to know some of the groups and the restaurants and and the places that you're recruiting in, you can understand why, you know, people have come, come and gone.
[SPEAKER_00]: But
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, you would love to see people be somewhere two to three years.
[SPEAKER_00]: But it's just not always the reality and forget like 2020 to 2023 that doesn't count on anybody's on anybody's resume, but you know, you still want to show what you were doing during that time if you weren't, you know, if you weren't doing carryout at a restaurant and, you know, you were doing something else, you know, you want to show that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, the 10 years are, um, you, you'd like to see them, but in all reality.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: What about the statistic of the whole, you know, you have a better chance of higher pay, right, your career, if you change every two to three years versus that long, 10-year person, I know that I've seen a little bit throughout my career before when I'm my own of like, I've been here for this long and this person just came on and they're making
[SPEAKER_00]: What do you, what do you say doesn't allow for that?
[SPEAKER_00]: Our industry doesn't allow people to stay with companies, most companies, we do have the bigger groups that that you can do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, if you want to get to that next level, sometimes you have to go.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to go to a new group.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to otherwise it's what two to three percent every year.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we're not even increasing PTO, I mean the benefit, that's a whole conversation of our industry and benefits, but yeah, you have to pick up and go most of the time to, and no one's looking out for you except for yourself with that, you know, so yeah, I do think that.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's, you know, and salaries, it's probably another really frustrating thing for people right now in our industry.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, especially in Chicago, you're looking at salaries and you're like, what is going on?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, our salaries have compressed in a really dramatic way over the past year or two, you know, and, and that's.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a product of everything that's happening, but everything that's happening in a restaurant with cost is happening to you at home.
[SPEAKER_00]: So how are these salaries getting lower?
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's frustrating, but yeah, I do think that a lot of the times you don't have a choice.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are certain companies that will allow you to have the growth and that means financially.
[SPEAKER_00]: in a position, but a lot of the times you got to move on.
[SPEAKER_02]: They're far and few between fine finding those places.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was going to ask you about the wages in general, because I've looked at, you see, pop up and you're like $60,000 to run an operation.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, who's serving in the Chicago market?
[SPEAKER_02]: even in the suburbs.
[SPEAKER_02]: You got to live in the slums.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Survive off of that.
[SPEAKER_02]: Like realistically.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: I just filled up my car.
[SPEAKER_02]: $75.
[SPEAKER_02]: I bought a heart attack.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was like, oh my god, $75.
[SPEAKER_02]: And if you've got to drive because you're so far out, unless you're living in the city,
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, really close to where you're at and taking public transportation even then it's a different home like everything that it's affecting the restaurants, you know the food costs and you know everything in life is affecting you too and you know as as hard it is to to keep great profits or any profits at a restaurant right now it's impossible.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's so many things working against us, but yeah, like the, we're going the wrong way what salary and benefits, you know, there's still so many groups in Chicago that can't even, you know, offer health insurance to their management employees.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know, I people reach out all the time and they're like, you know, I'm a, I'm a lead bartender.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm a, I'm, you know, a lead line click.
[SPEAKER_00]: And
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, they make you don't want to know what they make compared to salary managers.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm like, you got to stay where you are to make that money because our salary managers just, you know, we're not taking care of them as much as we probably.
[SPEAKER_02]: What do you think the fixes?
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I wish I knew.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think that in general benefits, I think would be a huge impact to a lot of people, but I also get it from the business standpoint.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not cheap to provide these things.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, not, you know, our city and our state and our country isn't making it easy to help business small businesses provide for their people.
[SPEAKER_00]: So,
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a long way to go on all that, but you know, I even think some of the groups are getting really creative, you know, some of my clients have come up with some creative ways to that maybe you don't cost a lot of money, you know, a lot of them are helping with like a cell phone stipend or, you know, maybe a gym membership.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of the groups are now doing some wellness like stipends as part of the salary, like no matter what, and this is like something
[SPEAKER_00]: Jim or like a, you know, like a treadmill at home or you can use it to maybe use towards, you know, therapy.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's things like that, you know, some groups can pull off a four day work week and yeah, maybe you're working 10 to 12 hours, but we all know how that is, you know, having the actual day.
[SPEAKER_00]: We still have groups that need to let people have two days off a week and let them have those two days off.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think groups that, you know,
[SPEAKER_00]: that was a big issue for me in the restaurant, you know, operations world was you're never out, you're never clocked out, you know, you could be off on a Sunday or a Monday, but the restaurant's calling, you know, nonstop, you know, you're never really clocked out, you know.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if we can find a way to let people, especially now that we can do meetings online, you know, like and you never get a break.
[SPEAKER_00]: No.
[SPEAKER_00]: So there's never just a time for somebody to go home and just decompress.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it doesn't allow them to come back to work to be the best.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, mentally.
[SPEAKER_02]: It just messed with you.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we have lied.
[SPEAKER_02]: 24, 7.
[SPEAKER_02]: You've found it's like on and you're just waiting for an email.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then you almost get demonized if you don't respond to it within like 10 minutes and then you get a phone call.
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's like,
[SPEAKER_02]: It's the weekend.
[SPEAKER_02]: I out at the zoo with my family and like what we have an emergency and so figure it out.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not there.
[SPEAKER_02]: That's why there's other people in charge when I'm not there and it just doesn't get done.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think it does play to all benefits mental health, all those things add up real quick.
[SPEAKER_02]: I know again, just going on my own.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's like chopped my left arm off just to provide health coverage for my family and it's a lower, lower quality.
[SPEAKER_02]: I can't have the same quality that I had when I worked for a big company that could provide something and people just don't understand that that really starts to eat away at what you're bringing in every day.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Again, even a cell phone stipend.
[SPEAKER_02]: Fifty bucks and six bucks and it helps every little bit and I know companies are
[SPEAKER_02]: We've just got a fix.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, the insurance thing.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think if that was fixed and people could actually have affordable health insurance, I think you could get away with those lower wages because you're providing, I know when I worked for Harris.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so that was yeah, I don't know if they were, yeah, it was just Harris.
[SPEAKER_02]: My health insurance was like I was single at the time, but I was like 40 bucks a month.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and I at the time I don't think I comprehend it what that meant because I was like I'm healthy I'm single like what is it matter?
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, oh, I got pay 40 bucks for health insurance And now I look back.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm like 40 even if I had a family and it was 250 I would have been yeah, I'd be late
[SPEAKER_02]: But it's not where it is anymore unless you work for Omega Corporation, but your point potentially sacrifice growth development depending on what position you're in, etc.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's just a lot of, I don't know, there's a lot of we have a lot we've come far, but we have a really long way to go on as an industry for that, especially in the independent restaurant scene.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: You mentioned to me that you talked about the impossible balance of being a mom and operations, right?
[SPEAKER_02]: Work is good.
[SPEAKER_02]: Home suffers.
[SPEAKER_02]: Home is good.
[SPEAKER_02]: Works suffers.
[SPEAKER_02]: Like what's the solution?
[SPEAKER_02]: You hear work like balance.
[SPEAKER_02]: Here.
[SPEAKER_02]: This magical term and it's bullshit.
[SPEAKER_02]: But what are your thoughts on it?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I was really fortunate to work at an independent restaurant when I did have my kids and I had a lot of support and, you know, I think it was more me putting the pressure on myself than anything, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: And like you said, like, I did, if you didn't answer the call, you know, it was like, oh, just, you know, it was Nicole really care, like what is she doing?
[SPEAKER_00]: And I don't think anyone thought that, but I thought that, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: And I had, especially being a woman and at that point, I was like a general manager of a restaurant in Brewery, and it was like, you know, I wasn't able to turn it off ever.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it really affected things at home, you know?
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know, being a parent now fast forward, my kids are, you know, eight and 10.
[SPEAKER_00]: You never get that time back, you know, to be with little kids and be a mom like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, that's another area, you know, our industry really needs to figure out, like, most women who have kids don't work in hospitality operations because they can't, it's impossible.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, we can't even really help people with a paid maternity leave most of the time.
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, so it's like I don't know what the solutions are there, but there's a lot of great talented women that are missing out on being in this industry because it's impossible and we can't do it for them and I feel really, you know, I tell people all the time like I love my job, I have the best job in the world and
[SPEAKER_00]: part of that is because I get to be at home with my kids at soccer on Saturday mornings where normally I'd be at a restaurant working and you know you just never get that time back so and I think you know the mom especially for female chefs, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of like stigmatism with that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like if you're a mom and you're not in the kitchen and you know, I really think that we could do a better job supporting women in the kitchen and just in operations in general.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, it's it's a it's a long way to go on that one too.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it was always male dominated.
[SPEAKER_02]: It still is.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's a voice club.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, being in hospitality, you definitely feel like, you know, you can be in a big voice club a lot of the time.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you want to prove yourself.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, I went through that for sure.
[SPEAKER_00]: Try to, like, show my worth.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, I even looking back at it.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's decisions I made that I probably wouldn't make again.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, now, but it's kind of what you had to do, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: If you wanted to be in and accepted and you wanted to show that you could do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think our age group is we're kind of the last of that like you went to work and you didn't leave till the job was done and even when the job was done you might not have still left because there was still someone there and you're like, you know, you know what I'm going to show everybody I'm here and and I think that had a big play on it too is just our work ethic, you know, the way that we came into this industry in 60 70 hours was like nothing when we started.
[SPEAKER_02]: to like what do you mean yeah yeah I'm getting in five I'm leaving it five six and like what's the big deal and people are like what do you mean what's the big deal like you were twelve hours yeah what do you mean you close open like what is that term even me I guess I close last night and I came in this morning to cover cover the prep shift in the morning and they're like
[SPEAKER_02]: Why would you do that?
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, that's just what you do.
[SPEAKER_02]: That's what we did.
[SPEAKER_02]: It just felt like you had, almost like you had to, otherwise, to your point.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: You'd be ostracized by the group.
[SPEAKER_02]: Even though I worked for a big company at that time, it was like the group there was like, Oh, they're not putting in there.
[SPEAKER_02]: They're putting in there.
[SPEAKER_02]: But then you developed that mentality of the new person coming in.
[SPEAKER_00]: Exactly.
[SPEAKER_00]: What affected me becoming a mom was like,
[SPEAKER_00]: No, I'm the one that's always, you know, I'm there.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm the person that everybody can count on.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, um, but, you know, it's okay to go home and, you know, turn it off.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's okay to say no.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's okay to say no.
[SPEAKER_02]: I, it took me a long time to say no.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Very, very hard.
[SPEAKER_02]: I wouldn't say I'm a people pleaser, but...
[SPEAKER_02]: I've always felt a lot of value and worth through like doing a good job.
[SPEAKER_02]: My employers are doing good at them.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was like, that was my self.
[SPEAKER_00]: That was like my self-esteem.
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, okay, I've done a good job.
[SPEAKER_02]: So that must mean I'm a good person.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then I think it was the kid's thing that changed the whole thing.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I was like, well, for what?
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm missing this or that.
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
[SPEAKER_02]: Part of your, whatever it is, so I can go cover the kitchen for what?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then you cover said shift or I was doing whatever and didn't even matter.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was like if I wasn't here it wouldn't a matter.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's always in be a fire to put out.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's always a fire to put out.
[SPEAKER_02]: But yeah, learn to say no because that's.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, learn to say no.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's it's exactly.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm sure people in their 20s are just getting into this.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're like,
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, they have a different mentality than we did.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, we're all people pleading, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: That's why we're in this industry.
[SPEAKER_00]: We want to like make people happy and give them an experience.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we're also very loyal to our teams, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's always been a big thing for me.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't want to let my team down.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, if they, or my team needs me.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, that's always big.
[SPEAKER_02]: I learned that the hard way too.
[SPEAKER_02]: I would put in all the extra stuff back.
[SPEAKER_02]: My team, my team, my team.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: when I needed something, I just, not that it was the team, but it was everything.
[SPEAKER_02]: I get shit on, I was like, all right, this, it's the nomenclature, you know, it's your family.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not saying there aren't places that are good and that you feel like family, but to be honest, you got to look out for yourself at the end of the day.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not saying that you can't play nice in the kitchen.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you can't.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you can't.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can't.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can't.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can't.
[UNKNOWN]: You can't.
[SPEAKER_02]: be friendly in the workplace environment but don't bank on that person you know thinking you're going to have their back oh hey this happened can you and they say no can't get mad at them like they're looking out for themselves right so you've got to learn to put up boundaries boundaries or for us boundaries yeah that's and that's something I'm still working on making boundaries and when it comes to work and personal life and yeah
[SPEAKER_02]: So someone that's working long hours, they like the kitchen, what in your professional opinion, is a way like a path to management.
[SPEAKER_02]: I always work with like, people, cashiers, cooks, and I'm like, hey, here's your progression.
[SPEAKER_02]: But once you start to hit that, like, echelon,
[SPEAKER_02]: Right, those two ship positions and we're talking more the higher up etcheline like what should someone keep doing or not keep doing to like keep going because I feel like sometimes you get like stagnant and you just don't know how to break through the next level.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was at that point for a while and it took me leaving and then having.
[SPEAKER_02]: I've set up all of us to kind of like stand up for myself, but what would you say to those type people looking?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, first thing is like make it known to whoever is, you know, your person at work, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Who's your person in the kitchen or who's your person in the restaurant, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: You're like, listen, you know, I, but but also like make sure the timing's appropriate, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: If you've been at a restaurant for four months, are you been in a kitchen?
[SPEAKER_00]: This is not the time, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: I try to explain to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: I said, listen, I know we all think we're going in there and be humble and learn.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, go into a kitchen for a year, you're going to have.
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't ask about what the next step is for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Master what you're doing.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then you know what it's probably going to come that way.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think one-
[SPEAKER_00]: And like it's something I always tell people is you know even a lot of chefs lately have been like I'm really interested in learning front of the house.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm interested in learning because the chef and b has become like more of a role.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm like are you sure but all right, but you could do that when you're already working in a place and you know everybody could say but it might be extra time right like you might have to come in on a day off and be like hey can I.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, can I shadow the front of the house manager for the day, but guess what, that's not on your, your schedule.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's you taking initiative to come do that on your own time.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think having a mentor is, I mean, the chefs here in Chicago, everybody's got their mentors, everybody's got their, the people that inspired them, the people that have helped them.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think having continuing dialogue with your mentors and letting them know what your goals are.
[SPEAKER_00]: But be realistic, you know, like I, if I post a culinary director job on LinkedIn and a sous chef of a year reaches out to me, which they do all the time.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like that, I like that you're shooting for the stars, but where are you going to go?
[SPEAKER_00]: What's that path to get to there?
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what we'll talk about, too.
[SPEAKER_00]: And sometimes that's a hard part of my job.
[SPEAKER_00]: I had to tell people, like, this, you're not qualified for this.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're not even close to being qualified for this.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or I love that you're ambitious for that salary, but that's not a reality.
[SPEAKER_02]: But you guys actually give them, like,
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, just like real reasons, not just things for applying, but we're not picking you correct.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, but that's what a lot of people are getting, right?
[SPEAKER_02]: So I just say that because there was a time where I had applied for a spot at a Google campus.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Like it was a pretty big job.
[SPEAKER_02]: But I was like, I think I've done a lot.
[SPEAKER_02]: I've shown that I can manage systems and large people.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then it just was back was like, thanks for applying.
[SPEAKER_02]: we'll be in touch or you're not qualified.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, well, I want to know what I'm not qualified for, so I can work on that.
[SPEAKER_02]: I can gain those skills for what you are looking for, and it's just because I was looking.
[SPEAKER_00]: And most of the times, especially with chefs, like, I can kind of work with them to be like, okay, please, let's talk about like what your day is, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, what are what are things that you do every day?
[SPEAKER_00]: And like, oh, you know, I make schedules, I'm
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I'm starting to learn inventory and it's like great.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: Here are the things that I want you to learn now.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then yeah, those are great things to go in the kitchen and be like, hey, chef, you know, I'd really like to learn this as you're, you know, as we're going through this.
[SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, those are you got a master all the skills, you know, and you have to be you have to be a reliable.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, hey, you, you got to show up every day.
[SPEAKER_00]: You got to show up when you're scheduled, you got to show up every day.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you can't cause a scene, which I know that sounds really.
[SPEAKER_00]: like dumb down, but if we could have more chefs and sous chefs and cooks like that, I mean, there'd be a lot less issues, but there's a lot of personalities in the kitchen that cause ruckus and chaos for zero reason, and it's like, why are we going to work?
[SPEAKER_00]: Everybody's got everybody's got their stuff, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Everybody's got their stuff.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, not that your leaders aren't going to empathize with you and care about what's going on.
[SPEAKER_00]: But come in and work.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
[SPEAKER_02]: There's a difference between empathy and sympathy.
[SPEAKER_02]: I feel like too many employees want you to feel sorry for that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel like now more than ever, it's like work, life is now life work, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, you know, we come from the work life balance.
[SPEAKER_00]: But now this generation is a lot of it is life work and they have some points there.
[SPEAKER_00]: But also, when you're in the job, do the job, like you're here to work, work.
[SPEAKER_02]: And if you don't want to be in the century, there's other places you can go and work, right?
[SPEAKER_02]: There's certain things in certain industries that just require certain skill set, a certain mentality, a certain dependability, like you just, you have to show up.
[SPEAKER_02]: There are other places where it may not be as big of a deal where, you know, factory, per se, and they've got.
[SPEAKER_02]: 1000 other people and you're not there.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, somebody's gonna pick up the slack or maybe production slows down for whatever, you know, time period.
[SPEAKER_02]: But I like the cross-training thing you said because I found that that was huge.
[SPEAKER_02]: We teach our teams that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
[SPEAKER_02]: We say, hey, you should learn this station, this station and I want you to learn a little bit about what I do.
[SPEAKER_02]: But then when we
[SPEAKER_02]: sometimes the earned that management position like as a chef in the back house we're just like not front house like the hard line no and I learned the opposite like when I became a GM it was so much easier to become a GM of a property when I was like no I understand how to run the business and I know how the front works
[SPEAKER_02]: But I can also manage the back because I know what should and shouldn't be doing, and they're just like, wait, what?
[SPEAKER_02]: And I was like, yeah, it was so much easier because I could actually spend more time on the front of the house because I knew exactly how the kitchen should run.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I was the flip.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I...
[SPEAKER_00]: got into the kitchen like forever.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was like the girl that ran into the kitchen with her BEO put her boards up and was like, please no one asked me to run food and then when COVID hit and everything went crazy, I started, I was like, this is my time to get in the kitchen and learn everything and you know, you
[SPEAKER_00]: after that I was like you couldn't get me out of the kitchen couldn't get me out of the kitchen because that was my that was my team that was where I was comfortable I could control I felt like I could control the restaurant from there right and then I didn't have to deal with this in reverse so that was great but and it also all that time I spent in the kitchen.
[SPEAKER_02]: like, led me to hear to be able to talk to chefs and be like, okay, I have a perspective of understanding what that position, not that you were the executive chef, but you understood what that position took to do it because you were around it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just being around it is another front of the house.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it was easy.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was like, okay, I already know how all this works.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now I know this and now I'm unstoppable, like, same thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: But it took me putting in the extra time extra effort asking, you have to ask,
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, as much as you have mentors and people that want to see you be successful, like you're you're in charge of your own path here.
[SPEAKER_00]: You need to make it known and don't be obnoxious or annoying about it, but yeah, like this is why when you have reviews, you know, you come prepared and say, Yeah, you know what, I really, I'm really interested in learning how to do the costing and the inventory and I'd love to.
[SPEAKER_00]: to maybe put up a dish for a special, you know, sometimes soon.
[SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, but you're going to have to put in the work.
[SPEAKER_00]: No one's going to hand it to you, and no one's going to just come up with it for you.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I had them when I was kind of a mentor to a guy, he would always, he was front of house, didn't know much back house, and he's like, I want to learn the kitchen.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was like, okay, when you're ready, you come find me when I'm ordering, when I'm going through and doing the orders and doing stuff in the kitchen, come find me.
[SPEAKER_02]: and make it a point to do this on a regular basis, and I will teach you.
[SPEAKER_02]: And until you do that, you know, we'll keep business as usual.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I don't remember how it was like two weeks when buying.
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's like, when you're going to show me the stuff to get you know, when you're ready.
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's all I'd say to them, that's all I'd say to them from their at point on.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then just out of the blue, it was like a month month and a half later, he finally comes back and he's like, you're here right order, because I was like clockwork.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Two clock hits, there are one-on-clock hits, Jeff goes, he starts doing his walk, he sits down by two o'clock to place the orders, you know, I was regimented, you like, clock, or people hear my phone going up, he's going to do this, up, he's going to do that, and he came, and I said, and he's like, nope, you're teaching me today.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I was like, come walk with me.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I was like, okay, he's ready because until you flip that mental switch of like you're ready to actually learn you can say all day long of I want to learn I want to learn no when you want to learn you're going to put your ass in a position to learn and most people at your point will then take that and say okay, the ready to learn because I meant or so many people and they would always say.
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_02]: It felt like just a giant waste of time.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'd be like, if you, okay, you want to go to a cook to a sous chef.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_02]: This is what I need from you every day.
[SPEAKER_02]: Show up on time.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: I want your sandy bucket changed out every two hours.
[SPEAKER_02]: I want you to be able to show me that it's, it's changed out.
[SPEAKER_02]: Like those are the only two things.
[SPEAKER_02]: Couldn't get sanded bucket down.
[SPEAKER_02]: I go, so you don't want to be a sous chef.
[SPEAKER_02]: No, I, I, I so want to.
[SPEAKER_02]: I go, well, how can you hold the team to a standard that I expect when you can't hold the do the standard yourself.
[SPEAKER_02]: And they just had this pepperoni and they were just like, I don't think I'm ready to be I'm not going to be a sous chef and like you're not because you're not ready.
[SPEAKER_02]: You don't want it bad enough.
[SPEAKER_02]: What do you think the industry consistently gets wrong about what makes a great hospitality leader?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think one initial thought on that is sometimes just reading way too much into the resume, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like resumes are here.
[SPEAKER_00]: We need them.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is, you know, until something better comes along.
[SPEAKER_00]: But there's always a story behind the resume and like we said, there's sometimes a reason that you need to suddenly leave a job or something didn't work out at a group.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, when I present to Canada to a client, I get to tell their story behind the resume, and that I think is always really helpful because I mean, I have resumes all the time that I'm like, oh, all right, this is rough, but then I get on the phone with these people and I meet them and we talk about things and it's like, okay, there's something here.
[SPEAKER_00]: You just haven't been in the right kitchen or you haven't been with the right chef or you haven't been with the right GM.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you haven't been in a place that really, you know, has put culture out of forefront that you would respond to.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think the next part of that is training.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, we need to give people a chance to learn the operation before we throw them into it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the most successful clients we have with 10 years and longevity and growth are the ones that take the time to train in the beginning.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we all get it, you know, you're drowning and somebody tosses you like a stick and you grab on and you're like, okay, get in here and do this this and this, but like, are you doing that leader any justice by not taking the time to get them through a round?
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, front of the house, get through and a week through the kitchen.
[SPEAKER_00]: A week in the kitchen for a front of the house manager is invaluable.
[SPEAKER_00]: you're bonding with the team.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're learning how things are done.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, and they don't have to be back there.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't need them to like chop up onions and, you know, but wash dishes, well, they should wash dishes.
[SPEAKER_00]: But, you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like take that time.
[SPEAKER_00]: You never get that back to introduce someone.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the groups that can really put a focus on training.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think it has to be, I mean, I know it's hard.
[SPEAKER_00]: six weeks minimum.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, and that's a lot for a lot of groups, but we have most groups with June 10 to 12 weeks, but you have to train.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're not doing anybody any favors by not training them on the operation.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then being like, when they fail two or three months later,
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like, oh, well, they, you know, it's like, well, did they or did we?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, that's a big thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think training is a huge piece of it.
[SPEAKER_02]: Do you go back to clients when that happens?
[SPEAKER_02]: When someone fails, you place them into a job, and it's been like two, three months, and it doesn't work out.
[SPEAKER_02]: You follow up with that, both the client and the candidate to see what happens.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, the goal is to not have that happen, but it happens, you know, and they're listen, we're in the hospitality industry, things happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: People are people.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're not always dealing with, you know, rocket scientists, but in the, in, yeah, there are some times where, you know, the candidates like,
[SPEAKER_00]: I got in there.
[SPEAKER_00]: I wasn't trained.
[SPEAKER_00]: We also do a really good job of vetting our clients too to make sure that we are putting people places.
[SPEAKER_00]: They'll be successful.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, I think that's something that, you know, in probably any other industry, you know, training is a non-negotiable.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, and I know we say we do training, but like, what does it look like?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, what is, what does that program look, and you know how it is when you go to a new
[SPEAKER_00]: how many of us have walked into a restaurant and they're like, oh, you're you're starting today?
[SPEAKER_00]: Uh, okay, let me uh, okay, you follow this server for lunch and you're just like, okay, like, is that how you should start a new job or, you know, you go into the kitchen and they're like, what's your name and, you know, who are you?
[SPEAKER_00]: who hired you?
[SPEAKER_00]: We need to do a better job of making sure that our leaders are, you know, welcomed and trained and give them the tools to be successful.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like we're, you know, that to me is as a big part of of that, too.
[SPEAKER_02]: 100%.
[SPEAKER_02]: You have to train the staff.
[SPEAKER_02]: I can't say it enough if you're listening and you're running a kitchen train your staff at all levels entry mid level and to your point managers you go in at high level.
[SPEAKER_02]: You still don't know that restaurant.
[SPEAKER_02]: You don't know that the ins and outs of what they do in the nuances and little, you know,
[SPEAKER_02]: just leave it be, you know, and you come in and you're like, no, you must do this.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then they're just like, but I've been doing this for 10 years this exact way and no one said anything.
[SPEAKER_02]: And our, yeah, a lot of leaders just get set up to fail.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we have to give ourselves time, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, I'll have people that are two weeks in the job, and they're like,
[SPEAKER_00]: I, you're never going to be, I mean, you have to give yourself three to six months in a new job to even start to be comfortable, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like you got to give yourself that time to learn, like on the, on the employee and like give yourself a chance and you're going to make mistakes.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's okay, as long as you learn from a mistake and don't keep repeating it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But we have to give ourselves, we're in such a, you know, instant gratification, you know, industry.
[SPEAKER_00]: to develop or just learn.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we don't do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're like, you either get it or you don't.
[SPEAKER_00]: You get how we do it or you're out.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's like, okay.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, what success look like for you in year five, you know, going into this for the agency, for your candidates, for yourself.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, this is huge.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it's been like the fastest five years ever, but we're really, we're still getting new and exciting clients all the time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like even in Chicago, you know, you think you know everything.
[SPEAKER_00]: What's exciting for me is the people that I've.
[SPEAKER_00]: started this journey with are now like in really great positions or you know I've had chefs that were like candidates that I started talking to the beginning that now are opening their second and third restaurants in Chicago and it's like now I'm helping them hire people that's cool and it's like the coolest feeling um
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's just, it's a really gratifying job, you know, and you make a huge impact on people's lives.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that never gets old.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're really positioning ourselves for more multi-unit director, executive level jobs, which is exciting because that's like a whole, you know, as much as, you know, we love doing suit chefs and in general manager, we do all that.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, we got that, we know how to do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now we're positioning ourselves for a little bit more
[SPEAKER_00]: level, other other markets, you know, right now we're, it's so cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're doing an executive chef like culinary director search for a resort in Utah, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know, we get to do things all over the country, you know, I travel, I go to Dallas, really, you know, I oversee Texas, I'm overseeing Nashville, I get to go to Nashville and business develop and there's so many stories of just like people I've connected with and now they're doing really cool things and they're like, hey,
[SPEAKER_00]: Can you help me build this now?
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's like, yeah, this is amazing.
[SPEAKER_00]: We had a former executive in Chicago, and he went into a new role, was in Nashville, just opened a location in Charleston.
[SPEAKER_00]: We found him a GM, now it's Tampa.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's like, these are all like these relationships that just start, like, as a conversation, like all of these things.
[SPEAKER_00]: So really excited for that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we're trying to grow the agency.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, have that have the passion for the industry, but like we talked about like, you know, finding that like grind and that grit and the sales aspect of that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, that's something that I'd like to really do in the next year is try to find more recruiters that are going to find this is.
[SPEAKER_00]: valuable and rewarding as I do, but are also willing to get roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty.
[SPEAKER_02]: Get some thick skin, just like in the kitchen.
[SPEAKER_00]: You do.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's all the exciting things.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we just, every day is something new, you know, like we had a great call yesterday for a director of food and beverage rule for something that's kind of unique to Chicago.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's always, it's always something different.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, yes, there's a lot of nose and there's a lot of things that you have to
[SPEAKER_00]: get through, but at the end of the day, we get a lot of really cool opportunities.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, get to meet some of the coolest people, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, I have interacted with some amazing chefs.
[SPEAKER_00]: And now I'm doing it across the country, which is really exciting for me.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it all goes back, you know, it's totally full circle for me.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was telling you, you know, I worked for Marriott when I got out of college.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I used to do task force, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, I was in my 20s.
[SPEAKER_00]: They could like send me off to anywhere.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I got a really cool opportunity.
[SPEAKER_00]: the Cosmopolitan and Las Vegas.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, really?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: I lived this crazy.
[SPEAKER_00]: 25 years old lived in the hotel for eight weeks.
[SPEAKER_00]: And for those of you that are like my age or older, it was like a season of real world, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: There's like all these Marriott people.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like the real world, Marriott, and like you're living in the hotel.
[SPEAKER_00]: you're like working non-stop, you're out on the strip non-stop for eight weeks.
[SPEAKER_00]: We open the hotel and I get into the elevator and I, you know, standing next to Jose Andres, and I'm like, no way.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, Shah, and it was my first like, chef moment, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: And then who knew like years later, here I would be like at the center of like talking to chefs every day and interacting with chefs and chef that are opening restaurants all over the country.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm like, wow, I, who knew back then, but it was just, it was kind of that, it was all meant to be, but yeah, it was really cool being in the cosmopolitan.
[SPEAKER_00]: I got to do a lot of really cool stuff, but yeah, those.
[SPEAKER_02]: network people.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm telling you network network network network.
[SPEAKER_02]: That's how we met.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was literally a mutual friend said, hey, he literally said, I got some of that dropped out last minute.
[SPEAKER_02]: Can you come to an opening?
[SPEAKER_02]: And luckily it was right here local, the purple pig.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I was like, yeah, dude, it's like five minutes.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's like five minutes down the road.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was like, absolutely all come and have and do an afternoon thing.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then you were there.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then at your point, you just, we just started talking.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it was a normal conversation.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's like, oh, what are you doing?
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, let's have a deeper conversation and build another piece of the network right because it is just never know who knows who that one degree not even the 3D series the one degree of separation in this industry.
[SPEAKER_02]: That kind of got to connect you to the next big thing the next.
[SPEAKER_02]: business it doesn't matter like there's so many things and so many routes that you can go it's not just working in a restaurant.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, one of the biggest things for me is the referral business, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like now that I've been doing this entering your five and as you see, like obviously I've used my social media to do that and I am blown away with the amount of referrals I get from, you know, either people that have worked with me or people that just see me on social media or
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, that is the most invaluable way for me to meet people.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because, you know, if you're looking for a job, and you're like, I don't even know what to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, you talk to another friend in the kitchen.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're like, dude, I see this girl in Instagram.
[SPEAKER_00]: She's always like posting about jobs.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, you should reach out to her.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or, hey, you know, Nicole got me this job, or Nicole helped my friend get her job as GM.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that is,
[SPEAKER_00]: so invaluable to me because somebody really trust me to help somebody that they care about in a huge way that can impact their lives.
[SPEAKER_00]: So everybody that follows me on Instagram, I can't thank them enough for all that they do to help me meet other people and get connected and same thing on the client side.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I've made a lot of connections and gained clients through social media and you know LinkedIn works similarly, but there's something about Instagram.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's amazing to me how many chefs
[SPEAKER_00]: sit on Instagram all day scrolling but they're there and you know I'm really I really appreciate everybody letting me about be a part of that and a part of their network and you know everybody sharing things and it's huge but that's another aspect of the network that I just you know just something I did you know I was like I I'm used to being on social media all the time I did all the marketing for
[SPEAKER_00]: My old when I was GM and and events at the restaurant and it just felt right to me and now it's turned into something that's just incredibly special so I again it's just something and it's and it's fine right like we get to go to I mean purple pay was awesome that was awesome.
[SPEAKER_00]: Uh, we, and I get to do things like that all the time and everybody thinks that's kind of my life like I'm always at restaurants and doing things, but they also see that I'm a mom and you know I'm with the kids and I'm with my family and and that and you know, I hope, I hope we get to continue having fun like that because it's it's been great and I love the relationships, you know, I, I, not everybody is on LinkedIn.
[SPEAKER_00]: or indeed, you know, I recently placed a sous chef and he was a long time, you know, he was a steakhouse guy, been with the same company for a long time.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would never met him on LinkedIn, never met him on indeed, but another chef introduced me and he was, you know, one of the greatest sous chefs I've ever met, you know, and now he's really happy in his home.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's those
[SPEAKER_02]: Speaking of socials, where's everyone go?
[SPEAKER_02]: They want to find you and see what you're posting.
[SPEAKER_02]: See all these jobs?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so on Instagram, it's fine to your niche, FIND, while you are an ICH, and then you can connect with me on LinkedIn.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's Nicole Novelli-BICO, and then obviously, source onehospitality.com is an easy way to see me and the team.
[SPEAKER_00]: We also post jobs that we're working on, so you can actually go to our job boards and see things we're working on.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then we'll definitely get an email link out.
[SPEAKER_00]: We send out two email blasts a month.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, nothing to mess with your inbox, but we send out jobs.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you'll know what's going on and what we're looking for, you know, twice a month with some fun content, whatever restaurants, clients, we're at events, podcasts.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's invaluable.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think something simple like that newsletter.
[SPEAKER_02]: It shows people huge not that you're always looking But you just never know when something pops up and you're like, oh, it's closer to my house Oh, that would make for a better work like balance and it just fits.
[SPEAKER_02]: So always keep your eyes peeled and open So we'll put that definitely in the show notes People want to sign up.
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll put a link to that too.
[SPEAKER_02]: So people can click on that I've removed this if I didn't say because your Chicago girl and you know this area
[SPEAKER_02]: Give the listeners, you know, they're coming in our ace coming up soon.
[SPEAKER_02]: Mm-hmm.
[SPEAKER_02]: People are gonna be looking for places.
[SPEAKER_02]: They're always where do I go to eat where do I owe me give three spots?
[SPEAKER_02]: It could be in the burbs.
[SPEAKER_02]: It could be in the city, but three spots that people should go check out
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, like my go to is that's so hard because I'm going to I'm going to hurt somebody's feelings.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure, but for me, if I'm in the city, I am obsessed with Mira in buck town deals guys are also opening their next location.
[SPEAKER_00]: a big fan.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're in the city or you're in the suburbs, I'm a Shaw's girl.
[SPEAKER_00]: So always go to Shaw's for like a martini or apps or like a really great dinner and then I'm personally been hanging out at the Gregory Aton.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's a great.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's my new hangout that I really, you know, I think that they've done a, they've filled a gap in the suburbs that was really needed, especially for the Northwest suburbs, you know, and, and they do such a great job with service.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, obviously the food's dynamite, but,
[SPEAKER_00]: the the fact that they're you know you're you're going in there and these guys know who you are the owners are there.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're out on the floor.
[SPEAKER_00]: They've really said a new standard for that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And honestly, purple pig was is got to get back to our field soon.
[SPEAKER_02]: That was I feel like a lot.
[SPEAKER_02]: They're finally tapping into this the suburb.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and realizing we can make a market like you don't have to be in this city because a lot of people don't want to travel I got kids.
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't want to travel in this city.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's very difficult for me to get them to my in-laws to then take a train or go downtown Paper parking go eat by the time I get back It's a whole ordeal and so if there was in places in the burbs and there are places and they're more popping up those really hip trendy like more
[SPEAKER_02]: Upscale, you know, not necessarily fine dining, but the upscale place is where it's like, I can have a really good meal, fantastic service, and I don't have to travel all the way in the city if you are in the bird.
[SPEAKER_02]: I feel like some a lot of chefs are starting to pull and create.
[SPEAKER_02]: that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's a focus is a force and there's more coming for sure.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, and in the great part about that is that a lot of the city groups are putting concepts out here, but you still have suburban groups.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a great mix and and it's an easy way.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, yeah, I'm I'm always excited to go to Oakboro, you know, I would
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, just Oak Brook alone, I would say, you know, I love table at crate is a great place.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a great place.
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, you know, I love going into like a veolee, you know, Beatrix is right there.
[SPEAKER_00]: You could do a classic like wildfire.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a really, you know, there's so much going on.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, with the addition of purple pig and, you know, it's, and I know there's a few more groups like looking at that area.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's going to be a lot of fun.
[SPEAKER_02]: love it.
[SPEAKER_02]: Nicole, thank you so much for having me and unveiling the world of recruiting in today's crazy world.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I'm always a great resource just to like bounce ideas off or talk to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, there's a lot of people I talk to that I'll never probably get them a job.
[SPEAKER_00]: But you know, I always want people to know that they have somebody they can talk to and I'm always willing to introduce other people to great people and so reach out anytime on any of those platforms.
[SPEAKER_02]: Love it.
[SPEAKER_02]: You heard it.
[SPEAKER_02]: If you want to sign up for the newsletter, we will put that into the show notes.
[SPEAKER_02]: Go check out the Instagram.
[SPEAKER_02]: Go check out LinkedIn.
[SPEAKER_02]: Follow support, like, comment.
[SPEAKER_02]: Sure, this is the friend family.
[SPEAKER_02]: It always helps me out.
[SPEAKER_02]: But until next time, we'll catch you on the same side.