Today we’re speaking with Kendall Cherry, the Founder and Chief Storyteller at The Candid Collective. Kendall, can you start by introducing yourself and describing your work at The Candid Collective?

I started my career as a copywriter and ghostwriter for 7-figure brands. I've written for content powerhouses like Codie Sanchez at Contrarian Thinking, Vanessa Dew who co-founded Health-Ade Kombucha, and AppSumo just to name a few.

I've also developed an educational curriculum around storytelling and sales skills that serves both small business owners and copywriters who are ready to emerge into a premium market.

If you’re hiring for a VC-backed startup or a PE-portfolio company, you already know the stakes. You’re looking for someone who can build the plane while flying it, which is no easy task. The standard search process usually fails here because it’s transactional. It’s a game of keyword matching. But in a "fly the plane as you build it" environment, technical skills are just the baseline.  The real work is finding the 0.1% of people who have the actual grit to thrive when things get messy.

Today, we’re speaking with Courtney King, SVP of People & Culture at BeatBox Beverages. Courtney, can you start by introducing yourself and your role at BeatBox Beverages?

When I joined, the company had fewer than 40 employees and a big vision to redefine what it means to work in the alcohol beverage industry. Today, BeatBox has grown exponentially in size, creativity, reach, and impact.

My role is to make sure that as we scale, our people and culture grow with us. I lead the People & Culture team, which covers everything from recruiting and onboarding to learning, leadership development, analytics, and engagement. Our goal is to create an environment where people can do the best work of their careers while feeling connected to something fun, fast-paced, and purpose-driven.

Can you start by introducing yourself and sharing a bit about your career journey in HR? What drew you to this field, and what keeps you motivated today?

I have over 20 years of experience in human resources, including 10 years as a Human Resources Business Partner, where I serve as a trusted advocate and strategic partner for the business.

What drew me to Human Resources was my enjoyment of partnering with the business. Each business has unique goals and needs for success. When reviewing a business-to-people strategy, I gain a sense of fulfillment working closely with business leaders. Understanding not just their operations, but also their challenges, allows me to help identify solutions. I get enormous satisfaction from collaborating with leaders, setting up businesses to deliver and meet their commitments, and fostering a happy, healthy employee culture.

Today we’re speaking with Cathy Miron, CEO of eSilo. Cathy, can you start by introducing yourself and describing your work at eSilo?

My 20-year career journey has landed me squarely at the intersection where technology meets risk management and business operations. Having served as the global head of IT Audit for GE Capital back when it was at its peak, and later in a CTO role at the GE parent company level, I’ve been an integral part of multi-million-dollar process reengineering, security, and compliance projects across a range of regulated industries—from finance to healthcare.

Today, I lead eSilo, a data protection and cybersecurity company that supports small and mid-market businesses in securing their most critical information assets. Our focus is on preventative security—helping leaders implement practical protections aligned with their stage of growth. And as a woman- and minority-owned firm, we understand the importance of building trust, delivering on our commitments, and empowering decision-makers to navigate complex technical issues with confidence.

The start of a new year is the perfect time to invest in your professional growth. For front-line Managers, Directors, and VPs alike, one of the most impactful investments you can make is working with an executive coach. In many organizations, coaching is reserved for the C-Suite, but it’s proven to be a powerful tool that helps leaders at ALL levels increase effectiveness.

That said, many professionals hesitate to ask for executive coaching because they’re not sure how to make the case to their manager or leadership team. If you’ve been thinking about coaching, now is the time to advocate for yourself, and with the right approach, you can make it an easy “yes” for your organization.

Today we’re speaking with Ilona Anderson, Founder of Carpe Diem Law Firm. Ilona, can you start by introducing yourself and describing your work?

I'm Ilona Anderson, founder of Carpe Diem Law Firm, a boutique legal practice based in Miami, Florida. I serve both sides of the spectrum: helping conscious entrepreneurs with trademark registration, employment compliance, and legal strategy, while also advocating for employees who've experienced workplace discrimination, harassment, or wrongful termination.

The name Carpe Diem – "seize the day" – isn't just clever branding. It's a promise to my clients and to myself. For my clients, it's a reminder that time is of the essence when dealing with legal matters, and that they can offload those concerns to me and go enjoy their lives, knowing they're in good hands. For me, it means building a practice rooted in excellence and sustainability – where I give my clients my absolute best work without burning myself out in the process. I try to work smart, not just hard, and to always make time for what matters most and give myself permission to live a full, joyous life, no matter how demanding my business gets.

Welcome to our Women Leaders Spotlight blog series, part of our Changing the Conversation initiative. This series reflects our founding commitment to advancing women in leadership by moving beyond identifying barriers to focusing on solutions—supporting women in their careers while also influencing organizational practices and policymaking.

Can you start by introducing yourself and describing your work at Durable Minds Everboarding?

Today we are talking with Beth Forester, CEO of Animoto, whose path to leadership spans more than 25 years as an entrepreneur before stepping into the corporate world. Beth, can you start by describing your experience and role at Animoto?

My path into corporate leadership was not traditional. I spent more than twenty-five years as an entrepreneur running my own photography business before shifting into the corporate world later in life. I eventually joined Animoto and moved from product marketing into broader leadership roles, and today I lead the company through an exciting transformation.

Today we are talking with Angela Smith, the Founder and CEO of Work Nouveau, where she partners with leaders to build workplaces that balance compliance and culture while empowering people to do their best work. With more than 20 years of HR experience, she brings a human-centered, practical approach to creating respectful, healthy, and inspiring work environments for today’s modern workforce.

Consider how you're moving through your professional life. Your success likely depends not only on your expertise or effort, but on the quality of your relationships, as well as your ability to engage, influence, collaborate, and lead others.

In our executive search and coaching practice, we’re finding that one of the most valued professional attributes today is the ability to deal with ambiguity.

With so many unknowns on a daily basis, “business as usual” is no longer the norm. Regardless of company size or stage, leaders are being called to adapt quickly. They need to make decisions with incomplete information and stay attuned to shifting conditions. In other words, it’s no longer about having the perfect plan. It’s about reading the weather, adjusting course, and guiding others through uncertainty with clarity and calm.

Welcome to our HR Leaders in Focus blog series, where we feature conversations with HR executives shaping the future of work. These leaders share strategies, lessons learned, and insights on the evolving role HR plays in driving organizational success across industries.

At CFW Careers, we bring together the expertise of global executive search and the personalized guidance of professional coaching. Our dual practice allows us to support organizations in building strong leadership teams while helping individual leaders navigate transitions and accelerate their growth.

Today we are talking with Claudio Diaz, an experienced CHRO who has scaled teams at companies of all sizes. In addition to his track record of success at Walt Disney World, Claudio has helped CEOs in 4 different industries achieve their growth targets while building effective and accountable HR infrastructures.

Which leadership assessments or development strategies have you found most impactful in identifying and nurturing leaders within your organization? 

Begin with a proven recruiting tool, like Predictive Index, to assess a leader’s natural strengths and ensure a right fit for the role. For executives, consider an assessment center (not just online psychometric and cognitive tests) to observe a candidate’s real-time competence in strategy, emotional intelligence, problem solving and dealing with ambiguity and difficult people/situations. The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) and many executive recruiting firms have facilities to support this real-time analysis. I understand that your firm, CFW, has a robust Leadership Assessment as well. 

Welcome to our Women Leaders Spotlight blog series, part of our Changing the Conversation initiative. This series reflects our founding commitment to advancing women in leadership by moving beyond identifying barriers to focusing on solutions—supporting women in their careers while also influencing organizational practices and policymaking.

Can you start by introducing yourself and describing your work at Durable Minds Everboarding?

My name is Jillian Ferry, and I’m the CEO and Co-Founder of Durable Minds Everboarding. After more than 16 years in HR and people operations, I saw firsthand how many talented young professionals enter the workplace feeling underprepared—not because they lack ambition, but because traditional career readiness only takes them part of the way. Career readiness has become a buzzword, but too often it stops at the surface level. Students learn how to polish a résumé, answer interview questions, or network effectively, but not how to navigate the day-to-day challenges that come once they’ve been hired.

Consider how you're moving through your professional life. Your success likely depends not only on your expertise or effort, but on the quality of your relationships—and your ability to engage, influence, collaborate, and lead others.

Whether it’s your boss, your team, your peers, or the broader constellation of stakeholders in your ecosystem, every relationship plays a role in how effectively you lead and build a positive worklife for yourself and those around you. Yet too often, we navigate these networks unconsciously—responding to what’s right in front of us and our in-the-moment experience, rather than stepping back to see the whole picture.

In our executive coaching practice, we use various assessment tools to help our coaching clients gain essential perspective and to support executive growth–from emotional intelligence and behavioral style to motivational drivers and engagement factors. Relationship Mapping adds another layer of strategic insight. 

Welcome to our Women Leaders Spotlight blog series, part of our Changing the Conversation initiative. This series reflects our founding commitment to advancing women in leadership by moving beyond identifying barriers to focusing on solutions—supporting women in their careers while also influencing organizational practices and policymaking.

Can you start by introducing yourself and describing your role at CEA Staffing?

My name is Adrienne Burgos and I am the founder and CEO of CEA Staffing, an experiential and event staffing agency based in Chicago with a nationwide reach. I started this business completely on my own when I was just 24 years old, and over the years I’ve grown it into a trusted partner for some of the biggest brands and events in the country.

Welcome to our HR Leaders in Focus blog series, where we feature conversations with HR executives shaping the future of work. These leaders share strategies, lessons learned, and insights on the evolving role HR plays in driving organizational success across industries.

At CFW Careers, we bring together the expertise of global executive search and the personalized guidance of professional coaching. Our dual practice allows us to support organizations in building strong leadership teams while helping individual leaders navigate transitions and accelerate their growth.

We’re now talking with Colette Gardner, a former opera singer turned people leader who is now part of Movement's executive team, where she embeds the people perspective at the heart of the agency’s overall strategy.

Welcome to our Women Leaders Spotlight blog series, part of our Changing the Conversation initiative. This series reflects our founding commitment to advancing women in leadership by moving beyond identifying barriers to focusing on solutions—supporting women in their careers while also influencing organizational practices and policymaking.

Can you start by introducing yourself and describing your work at Social Hospitality?

My work revolves around the world of digital marketing and communications. I specialize in helping businesses and individuals establish strong online presences, connect with their target audiences, and build meaningful relationships online. Whether it’s through social media, email marketing, content creation, or website optimization, I’m passionate about crafting compelling narratives and strategies that resonate with people.