Dream Big with Big Dreamers

Welcome to another inspiring episode of 'Dream Big with Big Dreamers'! Today, we have the privilege of hosting Marlo Ricketts Green, a seasoned HR executive with a rich background spanning over two decades. Marlo’s career journey is a testament to the power of resilience, authenticity, and continuous personal and professional growth. Episode Highlights: 🚀 Marlo's Journey into HR: From marketing to HR, driven by a desire to improve workplace behaviors. 🚀 Leadership Evolution: How Marlo developed her leadership style and embraced authenticity. 🚀 Coaching and Mentoring: Empowering young professionals and fostering growth within her teams. 🚀 HR Challenges: Navigating difficult situations, including mass layoffs, with compassion and integrity. 🚀 Personal and Professional Growth: Marlo’s goals for the future and her commitment to lifelong learning. Join us as Marlo shares her profound insights into leadership and the human side of HR. This episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiring stories that will resonate with professionals at all stages of their careers. Special Guest: Marlo Ricketts Green.

In this episode of 'Dream Big with Big Dreamers,' host Donna Serdula welcomes Rich Diekmann, founder of MDSI, to explore the world of recruitment. Rich shares his vast experience in executive search for technology sales, the importance of long-term relationships with candidates, and the evolving dynamics of recruiting. The discussion covers how recruiters operate, the significance of well-crafted LinkedIn profiles, and effective interview strategies. Rich provides valuable tips for both job seekers and recruiters on building networks, approaching potential opportunities, and closing interviews successfully. Tune in to gain an insider's perspective on navigating the job market and fostering professional connections. 0:00 Rich Deakman 00:11 Introduction and Welcoming Rich 00:46 Rich's Background and Company Overview 01:35 The Value of External Recruiters 03:08 Building Long-Term Relationships 06:10 Rich's Origin Story 08:12 The Evolution of Recruiting 18:40 Ensuring LinkedIn and Resume Consistency 20:48 The Importance of Interview Preparation 22:26 Effective Interview Closing Techniques 23:14 The Two-Way Street of Interviews 28:27 Follow-Up Strategies Post-Interview 33:03 Building Relationships with Recruiters 34:57 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Special Guest: Rich Deakmann.

Welcome to the DREAM BIG With Big Dreamers podcast! In this episode, Donna Serdula sits down with Tia Kleckner, co-founder of LinkTech, to explore how her company is revolutionizing talent acquisition with a human-centered approach. Discover how LinkTech goes beyond traditional diversity hiring metrics to truly understand and celebrate the unique stories and perspectives of candidates. Tia shares her personal journey from a diverse upbringing in Montana to her career in talent acquisition, highlighting the importance of cognitive diversity in building innovative and inclusive workforces. Learn how LinkTech's Diversity Unboxed initiative is reshaping the recruiting landscape and why a deeper understanding of candidates' backgrounds leads to better matches for companies and job seekers alike. Topics Covered: Introduction to LinkTech and its mission The concept of cognitive diversity and its importance Tia Kleckner's personal background and inspiration The challenges and rewards of diversity hiring Practical advice for job seekers in a competitive market The impact of AI on recruiting and the importance of human connection Connect with Us: Visit LinkTech: www.thelinktech.com Connect with Tia Kleckner on LinkedIn: Tia Kleckner's LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiakleckner/) Follow Donna Serdula: Donna Serdula's LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/todonna/) Subscribe for More: Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more inspiring conversations and career growth tips. Hit the notification bell to stay updated on our latest episodes. Special Guest: Tia Kleckner.

This episode of 'Dream Big with Big Dreamers' features an inspiring conversation with Lynn Ellen Miller of Straight Talk Writer LLC. Lynn shares her journey from an opera singer to a co-author of the book 'Lead from Within' and the founder of a unique approach empowering people to tenfold their expertise. The dialogue delves into the concept of being an 'Opportunity Champion,' highlighting the distinctions between hard work, talent, and the true essence of championing opportunities for growth and success. Through personal anecdotes and professional achievements, Lynn illustrates how discovering one's purpose and persistently seeking ways to support others can enrich lives and careers. Additionally, she discusses her method of helping individuals unearth their purposes, emphasizing the power of asking the right questions and the impact of storytelling in leadership and personal development. Special Guest: Lynn Miller.

Gloria Milner has transitioned from executive to life and career coach based on her years of experience and desire to help others make positive choices. In this episode she divulges information about what life was like for her as a mom, housewife and executive and how that led her to becoming a life coach today. She also discusses the impact her husband, a holocaust survivor, had on her life choices and how that is still influencing her today. Join us. Special Guest: Gloria Milner.

Dara loves the work she does to help women find their authentic voice and power. Dara, a confidence expert and speaker helps women speak up, be heard, get paid what they deserve and "kick fear to the curb." She joins me on this podcast to discuss how she grew from a shy child, canceled corporate employee, to now successful motivational speaker. Her experiences led her to find her voice and inspire women to realize their potential. In this episode she discusses why women may be afraid to speak up and how to become assertive and trust yourself. Join me to find out who inspires her as a confident woman in the public eye, and how she feels about the Me Too Movement as a leader in the industry. Special Guest: Dara Connolly.

Shelly is currently the Cheif People Officer at Unchained Labs. She has held roles as CPO at Balbix, Senior Human Resources Executive and Strategic Advisor with a strong history in the leadership of HR functions to strengthen organizations and drive company performance. With more than 20 years of experience in multinational HR leadership roles for global technology companies, she understands the complexities of the programs & processes that are the fundamentals of the People function — driving continuous improvements and the achievement of company goals. Join me as I talk with Shelly about how she started in HR, why she stayed, and what is happening in the job market amidst the flux in jobs due to the pandemic. Special Guest: Shelly Morales.

In this episode the three co-founders, Lauren Decker, Lynne Pagano and Suzanne Willian, join me as we disucss their dream to open a women-centric collaborate work space in the suburbs of New York City. Founders of The Co-Co saw a need in their community for women at all stages of their careers to have a place to work, collaborate, and network. Just as their business was starting to blossom, the pandemic hit; and like many other businesses in 2020, they had to find a new way to serve and connect their clients. The pandemic wound up benefiting The Co-Co in ways they hadn't imagined: offering collaboration and networking events virtually, and finding new and inventive ways to help women thrive. Join me as I explore starting a business and navigating the pandemic with three big dreamers. Special Guest: Lauren Decker-The Co-Co.

Brenda Abdilla is a well-respected and sought-after career and leadership coach. She works with corporate leaders who want more effective strategies for team accountability and change management, and with professionals who are navigating a change in their high-level careers. More than 90% of Brenda’s coaching clients get promoted, land the role they desire, or address their core issues within 12 months of engaging Brenda. In this episode, we discuss how she became an entrpreneur and the backstory of how she got to this success point in her story. Find out what the suprise in her journey wound up being and how it changed the course of her career entirely-- for the better! Special Guest: Brenda Abdilla.

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude” -Oprah Susan Guthrie, nationally recognized as one of the Top Family Law and Mediation Attorneys in the country, has been helping individuals and families navigate separation and divorce for 30 years. She has personally operated on a fully online basis as a family law mediator for several years and currently works with clients throughout the country and the world. Susan founded Learn to Mediate Online in order to help fellow mediators and professionals to ethically and efficiently integrate an online platform into their practice and to help them take their practice to the next level through effective marketing, practice optimization and more! Susan is also the Creator and Host of the iTunes top podcast, The Divorce & Beyond Podcast with Susan Guthrie, Esq. and the critically acclaimed The Learn to Mediate Online Podcast for dispute resolution professionals! Listen as Donna and Susan talk being a leader, founder, podcast host, and how to advocate for yourself. Special Guest: Susan Guthrie .

The Real Estate Marketing Dude is a video content creation company specializing in the real estate space by scripting editing and distributing video content. Mike and his team teach real estate agents, lenders, and service providers how to attract business instead of chasing it. Listen as Donna talks to Mike about how he got where he is today: serving vs. selling, his entreprenurial spirit and how his faith led him to make the biggest move in his career. Special Guest: Mike Cuevas.

In losing his best mate, Chris, after his brave cancer battle it changed his life forever. Lee has had a varied career history including: writing 5 children books, owning a bouncy castle business, DJ-ing dressed as a monkey....data input administrator to co-founding his own business in 2018. ALL of these steps on his career journey have shaped him as a person. But, it was losing Chris that has sharpened his focus. Special Guest: Lee Houghton.

Using his motto "The Gatekeepers Are Gone," Lamar has leveraged social media to move his online brands from small personal blogs to an international brand with over 650,000 social media fans and 55 thousand plus customers in all 50 states and 43 countries around the world. Among the recognition received for his work, Lamar, along with wife Ronnie was named one of Ebony Magazine's Power 100, a list of the top 100 movers and shakers in the black community, finalists for Black Enterprise's Family Business of the Year, finalists for Infusionsoft’s Small Business ICON award and winners of the ClickFunnels Two Comma Award. Lamar currently trains entrepreneurs how to leverage digital marketing strategies to scale their businesses with his Traffic, Sales & Profit (TSP) brand. Listen as he talks about how he built his business and his brand. Special Guest: Lamar Tyler.

Clark Payan is the CEO of Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of California. He believes you don't have to major in insurance or business to be a good fit. Most insurance agency owners/employees didn't have a direct path to where they are. Lot of factors contribute to making insurance a great career - stability, income potential, flexibility, helping others. Listen as Clark discusses how he got into the insurance business and how his success came from a willingness to lead and a positive mental attitude. Special Guest: Clark Payan.

After a life-changing accident, David pivoted his career to focus on a new vision. He literally gathered inspiration from his dreams-a new found spring of creativity and direction. Listen to hear more of David's story about how he changed professionally and personally. Special Guest: David Marchi.

Wendy King is Executive Director/CEO of the International Order of the Golden Rule, and an Executive Director at Raybourn Group International. She has taken a rather colorful career path over the past 35 years. Along the way, she has had to become an expert in fields such as the police and fire service, the roller skating industry, and even the funeral profession. Listen as she explains how she led with her heart and not just a map. Wendy talks about how regardless of the job you are doing, grasp the opportunity to learn from it. Every experience you have better prepares you for your next job. Show initiative early on (and grab new responsibilities), grow from your mistakes, and finally, fake it until you know it - we all do it. If you are not ever afraid, then you are probably not growing in your role. Special Guest: Wendy King.

Nelson started his career in the Army on an accelerated path. After the army and having been awarded an Army Commendation Medal and two Army Achievement Medals for his excellence in leadership and performance, Nelson spent 26 years with Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. During this time, Nelson held a multitude of roles ranging from Director of Investor Relations to VP and General Manager. Starting over in his 50's, Nelson went to WESCO where as Executive Vice President and General Manager for Electrical and Electronic Solutions, Nelson Squires leads the largest business segment of one of the world's largest distributors of electrical, industrial, MRO, and communications products and services. He thrives on building great teams and working with them to develop sound strategic plans. His inclusive communications style empowers teams to execute strategies and achieve targets ahead of plan. During our conversation, Nelson speaks of how the skills you have acquired over your life and career can be transferred and translated to new industries and new opportunities. Learning never ends. Special Guest: Nelson Squires.

Change Management isn't something James George only learned in school, he practiced it in his life throughout his time in the army and in his transition to a successful executive who strives for continuous improvement utilizing Lean Six Sigma practices. In this episode, we talk mindset and how civilians can learn from the Military's constant striving for improvement. Special Guest: James C. George.

Larry Kaufman tells us the 5 most powerful words and how he uses them to build life-changing relationships. Using Larry's simple formula, you can fast-track yourself to authentic, powerful, opportunity-rich relationships and career success that inspires. Larry Kaufman is the Best-Selling Author of The NCG Factor – A Formula for Building Life-Changing Relationships from College to Retirement. He is a connector, giver, and rainmaker who lives his life to help others succeed. He is a Senior Level Sales & Operations Leader running the Midwest Region for Jefferson Wells. Larry has also been a globally-published speaker and trainer on LinkedIn for more than a decade. Larry is an investor and advisor to several local technology companies and sits on the board of Holiday Heroes, a charity that brings joy and a sense of normalcy to hospitalized children. Larry resides in a Chicago suburb with his wife and two children. Special Guest: Larry Kaufman.

Cole Silver's entire career has been devoted to helping people live up to the promise of their full potential. Cole brings his insights and perspectives formed over 25 years of practicing law and how he finds meaning and purpose in his own life to help others find theirs. Cole Silver is a business man, lawyer, and client strategist. He has practiced law for over 35 years, first owning his own multi-state firm and then serving as a General Counsel to several high growth companies. He is now the Chief Client Officer of a global law firm helping align lawyers with client needs. He has authored 3 books, served as an instructor to several academic institutions and trained hundreds of professionals in leadership, business development and client service. Special Guest: Cole Silver.