In this episode Raul speaks with Matthew Powell, a fourth-generation leader of Century Companies, about the importance of generational thinking in business. They discuss Matthew's journey into leadership, the significance of working on oneself, and the family dynamics within a business. The conversation delves into building a culture of accountability, honoring past generations, and the balance between working in and on a business. Matthew emphasizes the need for simplicity in leadership and the importance of trust and relationships in fostering a successful organization.

Takeaways
-Generational thinking is essential for long-term business success.
-Working on oneself is crucial for effective leadership.
-Family dynamics play a significant role in business operations.
-Building a culture of accountability is key to success.
-Honoring past generations helps in creating a sustainable future.
-Simplicity in leadership can lead to better outcomes.
-Trust is fundamental in any organization.
-Distraction can hinder effective leadership.
-Balancing time and priorities is a continuous challenge for leaders.
-Investing in relationships is vital for personal and professional growth.

Follow Matthew Powell on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewwpowell/

In this episode of the Right People, Right Places podcast, host Raul speaks with Chynise Cunningham, a Senior Vice President of Human Resources, about the critical collaboration between HR and recruiting. Chynise shares her journey from retail to the financial industry, emphasizing the importance of asking questions, building relationships, and recognizing the value of HR professionals. The conversation explores how effective partnerships can enhance workplace culture, retention, and overall business success. Chynise also discusses the need for HR professionals to stay relevant in a rapidly changing environment and the importance of networking and continuous learning.

Takeaways
-Chynise emphasizes the importance of collaboration between HR and recruiting.
-Asking questions is crucial for success in HR and recruiting.
-Building effective partnerships requires understanding and speaking the language of stakeholders.
-HR professionals must own their craft and demonstrate their value to the organization.
-Networking is essential for staying updated on industry trends and laws.
-Recognizing opportunities for growth and development is key in HR roles.
-Engaging others in the recruitment process can help develop their skills.
-Curiosity drives learning and adaptation in the HR field.
-HR professionals should not minimize their contributions and talents.
-Continuous learning and adaptation are vital in the ever-changing HR landscape.

Follow Chynise Cunningham on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chynise-cunningham-99742660/

Raul reflected on 2024 as a phenomenal year of growth for Rapido Talent, highlighting significant achievements including bringing Matt Miller as a partner and expanding their fractional team.

- He emphasizes the company's adaptability in the rapidly changing talent acquisition landscape, with a commitment to providing customized recruiting solutions and supporting clients' talent acquisition needs.

- Raul plans to expand the podcast by bringing in new voices, including team members and recruiters who will share their professional journeys and experiences in the recruiting industry.

Key highlights includes:
1) The importance of teamwork in talent acquisition, focusing on building a collaborative approach that involves partnering closely with clients and creating a supportive internal team.

2) Rapido Talent is expanding its team, bringing in new recruiters and partners like Matt Miller, with a combined experience of over 50 years in talent acquisition.

3) Rapido Talent plans to share more client success stories and detailed insights about their recruiting achievements and how we did it in the upcoming year.

Follow Raul Mendoza on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/raulbmendoza/

Maeve describes a comprehensive leadership development program for emerging leaders, which involves a selective two-year cohort process where participants were nominated and had to be actively engaged in learning and growth.

-She emphasizes the importance of proactively preparing young professionals for leadership roles, recognizing that technical skills do not automatically translate to effective leadership.

-Her approach involves customized training with third-party experts, involving executive stakeholders, and creating communities of practice to ensure continuous learning and accountability.

Key advice includes:
1) Leadership development is crucial, with companies needing to recognize and invest in potential leaders through intentional programs that go beyond traditional training.

2) Proactive talent management is important, noting that good leaders should prevent surprises like employee resignations through consistent communication and development.

3) Focus on specialized leadership programs that are selective, involving executives directly, and tracking long-term success through metrics like promotions and career progression.

Follow Maeve Maguire on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maevemaguiremte/

In this episode, Raul provides tangible and actionable guidelines for how to discover meaning in the day-to-day grind of work. He offers this through sharing from his experience on how he's discovered it by paying attention to certain clues, persevering through hard work, and if you don't give up in the journey, you will not only grow personally... but also financially.

-He described perseverance as pushing forward even when feeling uncertain, afraid, or uncomfortable, viewing it as a commitment to continuous learning and personal growth.

-He emphasized that profits extend far beyond monetary gains, encompassing personal growth, character development, and meaningful relationships.

Key advice includes:
1) Purpose gives meaning to work, helps individuals avoid comparing themselves to others, and allows for a more authentic and fulfilling professional journey.

2) There is power in prayer, stating that people need help and resources beyond themselves.

3) Making profits includes building wisdom, developing leadership skills, and creating opportunities to be generous towards causes you're passionate about.

Follow Raul Mendoza on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/raulbmendoza/

Matt initially entered recruiting accidentally while recovering from surgery, helping his father clean up contact information at an engineering consulting company. He emphasizes having a genuine interest in people and helping them find opportunities that could improve their career.

-Matt developed a critical approach to recruiting by learning to thoroughly research companies, understand their technical needs, and target talent precisely rather than relying solely on keywords.

-Matt believes in being genuinely committed to making clients and candidates happy, even if recognition isn't immediate, by consistently putting in maximum effort.

-Key advice includes:
1) Create personalized messages that aren't generic and don't send identical messages to multiple candidates at the same company.

2) Researching candidates thoroughly is key, including looking at their social media profiles to find personal interests that can be incorporated into communication.

3) Servant leadership is having a mindset focused on working hard, being dedicated to clients and managers, and going above and beyond by making yourself available outside normal business hours.

Follow Matt Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/millerlink/

Raul emphasizes that experimentation in recruiting involves taking existing ideas, tweaking them, and learning from the results while building on what works and discarding what doesn't.

-He explains the critical importance of experimentation has become crucial in talent acquisition due to rapid changes in the industry, particularly with the advent of AI and new technologies.

-Raul highlights that experimentation and iteration creates a cycle of improvement, helping recruiters stay competitive and bring value to stakeholders, customers, and candidates.

-Key advice includes:
1) Experimentation is taking an existing idea or concept, tweaking it, adding a unique perspective, and learning from the execution while building on what works and discarding what doesn't.

2) Experimentation provides context for expressing ideas and generates.

3) A culture of Experimentation only works when pride and ego are set aside.

Follow Raul Mendoza on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/raulbmendoza/

Tushar has over 20 years of experience in people and operations including roles with responsibility regionally, domestically, and globally. He's worked in anywhere from startup to midsize and large public organizations building talent acquisition, people operations, and culture. He now serves as the Chief People Officer at SPINS located in Chicago, Illinois.

This episode is jam-packed with value. Although AI and technology are advancing rapidly, Tushar talks about the importance of the human dynamic still being critical in achieving business success when it comes to:

-Building teams
-Leading through change
-Investing in personal growth

-Key advice includes:

1) Advocating for leadership teams demonstrating collaboration and delivering on commitments.

2) Promotes the concept of 'permission leadership', encouraging open debate while ensuring commitment to final decisions.

3) It's a leaders job to simplify complex issues and break down large goals into smaller, achievable milestones.

Follow Tushar Pandit on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tusharpandit/

Emily's journey into talent acquisition was unique, starting with a marketing degree and exploring various career paths before finding her passion.

-She talks about how talent acquisition often finds you rather than being a planned career choice, as there's no specific degree or specialization for it.

-Key advice includes:
1) The importance of trusting the process and being open to detours or side steps in one's career journey.

2) The value of taking chances on candidates with potential, even if they don't meet all job requirements on paper.

3) The need for talent acquisition professionals to educate organizational leaders on the benefits of developing talent and taking chances on promising individuals.

Follow Emily Sheely on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-sheely-shrm-cp-200b06156/

Raul Mendoza has been in talent acquisition for 20 years, starting on the agency side and then moving to in-house corporate recruiting roles.

- During the COVID-19 pandemic, Raul began exploring the idea of starting his own company, Rapido Talent, which he launched full-time in late 2023.

- Raul has been advising others in his network who are considering making the entrepreneurial leap, and is sharing insights based on his own experience.

- Key advice includes: 
1) Leveraging social media to build thought leadership and brand.
2) Legitimizing the business through branding, operations, and legal setup.
3) Building a strong community and network for support.

Follow Raul Mendoza on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/raulbmendoza/