People behind the brand: Jeremy.
Jeremy Leonard
“I wanted a way to take relationships to the next level and bring value to my network. Podcasting was the perfect solution.”
We’d like to proudly introduce a new addition to the Orbis team, Senior Consultant Jeremy Leonard.
More than a great recruiter and now an important fixture of our Nashville Office, Jeremy is also: An expert in personal branding, a huge advocate of the potential of LinkedIn as a networking platform, and host of the amazing podcast Your New Network.
It’s a show where Jeremy shares not only his own life lessons but also presents the insights of global thought leaders in Marketing, Health, psychology, Communication - so many of the things that are important to our community at Connects; we can't recommend it enough.
We often say at Orbis, no one leaves college knowing this will be the industry for them.
How many of us stood up at the age of five and said 'When I grow up I want to be: A Recruiter'..?
The great thing about that, however, is that our people come to us through so many unique channels, making for a diverse team of people from all walks of life bringing variable backgrounds, prior careers, and personal qualities to the Orbis table.
Like many of us, Jeremy came to Recruitment unexpectedly from a background in Sales;
“If it wasn’t for an incredible boss of mine, I might not have ever gone down this career path." Jeremy reflects, "After a few months of doing account management, my boss sat me down and recommended that I try out recruiting for a while.
"The truth is, I was struggling. I wasn’t overly fond of the work I was doing and visibly unhappy with where I was at that point in my career. Simply put, I didn’t love it. He was honest about the situation and told me it would be best to try something a little bit different. Instead of just letting me go, he helped me see my flaws and strengths and why that would align better with recruitment.
“To this day I am convinced that you have got to do something you love. Your work fills such a large part of your life, and the only way to be successful is to do what you believe is great work. ”
“Funny enough, that boss is now my boss again, our very own Niko Knechtel."
In fact, Jeremy's connection to recruitment goes even farther back than his former career, he explains, "My mother played a significant role as well. For many years, she was a recruiter and even ran her own agency. Watching and listening to her work growing up really gave me a first-hand look into how rewarding and exciting recruitment can be. Anytime I find myself struggling with recruiting, she’s the first person I call."
Jeremy's story of discovering Recruitment has so much to tell about the importance of job satisfaction and finding meaning as well as enjoyment in a career; that's something we value, and strive to foster both within the Orbis offices and beyond.
Speaking of which, Jeremy is also a great example of how the passions you find at work can expand beyond office hours. (And if you're interested in more examples of this, be sure to check out our Side Hustle Series).
We asked Jeremy about his podcast Your New Network and how important networking really is to him; it turns out that the move to launch his podcast was inspired by his desire to connect further with his network, reaching way beyond the office and even the Recruitment industry. He says:
"We’ve all heard the saying, 'your network is your net worth' and I full-heartedly believe that. Your ability to create a network of both personal and professional relationships must be one of the most important aspects of a successful career."
“But networking is a two-way street. You can’t simply take from a relationship; you must give. LinkedIn has allowed me to connect and learn from some of the greatest minds in the world. But I desperately wanted a way to take those relationships to the next level and bring value to my network. Podcasting was the perfect solution.”
"I’ve been able to bring value to these incredible humans by giving them a platform to spread their message and personal brand to a wide variety of highly educated listeners, while also creating a real relationship and learning directly from them. Funny enough, it just happens to have turned into something I love doing!"
Jeremy is tangibly passionate about so many aspects of his career; the final thing we wanted to know was, for him what is the most fulfilling part of being a recruiter?
"As far as the thing I love most, as cheesy as it may sound, I love when one of my candidates gets to do something they love. I’ve always had a passion for helping others find solutions to their problems. So, when I get the privilege of helping a jobseeker find not just another job… but work they truly love doing? There’s nothing better than that."