The Benefit of Reaching Out
(373 Words)
Last Monday, two strangers met for coffee in Waunakee, Wisconsin.
We both thought an hour would be plenty of time.
Two hours later, we were still talking.
Jennifer Hoege and I had something interesting in common before we ever met. We were both recognized by Influence Digest as members of the Top 15 Coaches in Madison in 2026.
But Jennifer did something important.
She reached out.
We agreed to meet at Grace Coffee in downtown Waunakee. I had never visited Waunakee before, so that was another benefit of saying yes. What a nice community just outside Madison!
As we compared our very different career paths, I learned something about Jennifer that caught my attention.
Before becoming an Executive Coach, Jennifer gained business experience from two distinctly different leadership perspectives: COO at one company and CHRO at another.
Think about that combination.
She understands a business from both the Operations and Human Capital perspectives. That combination can be especially valuable when a company is growing rapidly, struggling to grow, or trying to understand what is preventing it from moving forward.
Our conversation eventually turned to an area where our professional worlds intersect: Talent Attraction.
We discovered that we share concerns about the current reliance on requiring candidates to find and respond to online job postings, particularly when the Job Description itself may not accurately reflect what the Hiring Manager really needs.
After 45 years as a Professional Recruiter and Talent Attraction Consultant, I have learned that great talent is not always searching job boards.
Sometimes, you need to reach out.
Which, when you think about it, is exactly how Jennifer and I ended up having a two-hour conversation that was originally scheduled for one.
Jennifer reached out to a stranger.
I said yes.
Now we know each other.
That is the Benefit of Reaching Out.
If you are an Executive or business leader who could benefit from an experienced outside perspective, I encourage you to reach out to Jennifer Hoege and learn more about her Executive Coaching practice.
And if there is someone in your network you have been thinking about contacting, perhaps today is the day to reach out.
You never know where one conversation may lead.
#Networking #ExecutiveCoaching #Leadership #TalentAttraction #BusinessGrowth #MadisonWI
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Bill Humbert’s Bio
With 45 years of experience as a Professional Recruiter and Talent Attraction Consultant and more than 26 years as an Expert Career Coach, Bill Humbert brings a distinctive perspective to Talent Attraction, Career Search, and Proper Goal Setting.
Bill began his recruiting career in Washington, D.C., in 1981. In 1990, he founded Provocative Thinking Consulting, Inc. and developed a different approach to recruiting. Rather than relying on the traditional contingency recruiting model, Bill works directly with companies as a Talent Attraction Consultant, generally serving one client at a time for a flat monthly fee.
Throughout his career, Bill has helped organizations attract and hire talent across industries including telecommunications, construction, financial services, manufacturing, management consulting, renewable energy, and professional services.
His philosophy is simple:
Recruiting mirrors the SALES Process perfectly.
Bill has presented to audiences on three continents: North America, Europe, and Africa. He has also appeared in more than 175 television interviews and has been featured on numerous radio programs and podcasts discussing recruiting, career search, and Proper Goal Setting.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bill authored 104 consecutive weeks of #TalentAttractionTuesday and #JobSearchFriday articles. Today, his Article Bank contains more than 400 articles sharing lessons from his decades of professional experience.
As a Career Coach, Bill has guided hundreds of professionals through successful career transitions. He is the author of three career search books, including EXPECT SUCCESS! The Science of the Over 50 Career Search, which received a 5-star review from Readers’ Favorite.
Coming Soon from Bill Humbert
Bill’s upcoming fourth book on The Power of Proper Goal Setting, THUMBS UP! How I Hitchhiked 15,000 Miles and Learned The Secret of Achieving Any Goal, transforms his real hitchhiking adventures across America from 1969 to 1971 into an entertaining Business book about setting challenging goals and developing the strategy, determination, and persistence necessary to achieve them.
At the heart of the book is Bill’s THUMBS UP process for Proper Goal Setting, demonstrating through real adventures that seemingly impossible goals can become achievable when you properly define your Target, determine How you will get there, measure your progress, establish an end date, and continue pursuing the goal.
Bill Humbert
Talent Attraction Consultant | Expert Career Coach | Professional Speaker | Author
RecruiterGuy.com
Bill@RecruiterGuy.com
EXPECT SUCCESS!!
