Founder Profile: Allison Small
Still celebrating TalentCMO's one-year anniversary!
Happy Monday! We are starting our week by sharing another story of TalentCMO's beginnings and our founders who are crucial to our success. Enjoy learning about our awesome co-founder:
ALLISON SMALL. VP OF PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND EXECUTION. AKA THE BOSS OF MAKING IT HAPPEN.
Q. How and why did you start TalentCMO?
A. After taking a 5-year break from the paid workforce when my girls were born, and moving far away from the frantic pace of DC professional life, I knew I didn't want to go back to an executive-level HR role in a large corporation. I was always drawn to roles where I could help businesses be successful by improving their people practices, so I started researching companies outside of DC where I could have an opportunity to do that.
I came across a surprisingly compelling job posting for a search consultant that was clearly written by someone who understood the importance of the "human" part of human resources. The job details didn't really matter to me at the time-- I wanted to know more about the guy who posted it! I reached out and Austin called me back right away, saying something along the lines of "This job is totally wrong for you and I think you'd hate it, but I have this other idea about improving how talent and opportunity come together...wanna talk about it?" Um- sure? He shared his theory about approaching recruitment as a marketing exercise, and why so many companies struggle with talent acquisition and it was like a light bulb went off for me. When I met Austin it was immediately clear he was the real deal, so I joined him in making what has become TalentCMO a reality.
Q. Favorite thing about TalentCMO and coming to work?
A. By far my favorite thing about TalentCMO is the team. I get to work with really smart, fun, creative, inspirational, and interesting people to solve real business problems every day. I'm so lucky.
Q. Goal for the future of TalentCMO?
A. My goal for TalentCMO is to continue to discover new and effective ways to help our clients achieve greater success by optimizing how they bring talent and opportunity together. When you work for a company that shares your values and leverages your strengths, there is a symbiotic relationship that somehow magnifies both success and satisfaction. I would love to see all companies try to do this better.
Q. Fun fact about your daily work schedule?
A. Hmmm, schedule? Lol-- I'd say we have more of a routine than schedule, but we all really enjoy coffee and croissants from Beans and Bagels perhaps more than we should. And I had dropped my afternoon soda habit when I left my corporate HR job years ago but have somehow picked it back up...
Q. What is one take-away/what did you learn from TalentCMO's one year of existence?
A. I can't possibly distill what I've learned down to one thing! This was my first experience starting a company with not much more than an idea, so I've learned all the crazy ups and downs and details that come along with it. Maybe my biggest take-away is trusting myself to let go of the rope and take that big step. In fairness, it has been much easier to do because of the incredible vision and leadership that Austin has demonstrated in starting this whole thing. Sometimes you have to trust yourself, and sometimes you have to put your trust in others.
Thank you, Allison, for all you do! We love your work and dedication to making TalentCMO happen!
Written by: Ana Filipovic Windsor, Digital Marketing Specialist, TalentCMO
Links and Other Interesting Stuff:
Do you currently have open positions within your company? Do you plan to do any hiring this year? If YES, then reach out to us for a FREE audit of your Employer Brand! Click here to contact us today.
Check out this sweet Career Showcase (a standalone microsite built for candidates to show company's authenticity) that we built for one of our clients.
Looking for interns? Join our Teaming for Talent program and connect with students in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia.