Recruiting C-Suite and Board Seats

Speaker 1 (00:00:02) - Good day, fellow dealmakers. We got seven minutes on the clock. I'm here with my man, Mr. Kipp. Welcome to the deal, Scout seven minute series. Why don't you talk to us about the deals of people? How do you take how do you go after a leadership role and you find the best of the best, and you, you get them to leave what they've got going on to work for an organization that you represent. How do you do that?

Speaker 2 (00:00:26) - Great question Josh. Thank you. high performance leaders. I mean, obviously money is a big thing, but they're motivated by opportunity. So it has to be an opportunity like aspirational, like to take their skill set to the next level, you know, to take a company to the next level, something that is beyond what they're doing now and something that's going to be a challenge for them. I mean, a players want to be challenged. They don't want to make a lateral move and do the same thing at another company. They typically don't like to do the same thing over and over again.

Speaker 2 (00:00:56) - They want a real challenge and something to aspire to advance their career. or, you know, if it's a if it's a technology, you mean something really cool, cutting edge. You know, now we're talking a lot about AI and other things like that, but something that's just on the cutting edge or bleeding edge for technologists. That's something that really, really attracts them to.

Speaker 1 (00:01:16) - So it's not always just about money, like, hey, we got this great, you know, we've got this company and we could pay you a crap ton of money. It's it's not always about the money. And do you think that a lot of other groups go wrong when they're just trying to recruit you based on money?

Speaker 2 (00:01:30) - Yeah. I mean, money obviously is a factor. And if and if you're trying to recruit a high performance person, you can't. You have to give them a bump and pay. Like you can't think you're going to either pay them less than they're making now or make it a lateral move.

Speaker 2 (00:01:44) - There does need to be an increase in pay, but beyond that, I mean, it's these aspirational things that are challenges, that are opportunities. I mean, you have to have a compelling story to talk about your brand and your culture and your core values. I mean, those are things that attract high performance people, too. And you you have to be very conscious of that and have somebody, whether it's the company or recruiter like us. I mean, tell a compelling story about your brand, where the company is now and where you're headed.

Speaker 1 (00:02:15) - Yeah. So things that are that will challenge them, like what would be a challenge. So I've made it to the top of the game. I'm a CEO or you know, I'm a CMO or CFO for a big, you know, big group. I'm making tons of money. Got the 401 K maxed out, you know, the the lake house and all that stuff. So it seems like I got everything I, I need. What would be a challenge to me that would get my interest enough to go? I'm willing to take a look at it.

Speaker 2 (00:02:43) - Yeah. I mean mergers and acquisitions. I mean, if there's a strategy to do a lot of M&A work, I mean, that's super interesting for people, especially CFOs. if there's an opportunity to, like, take some super compelling thing to the marketplace, and I mean, especially in venture capital, because those are the types of companies that are investing, and there's just a huge opportunity to disrupt the marketplace and really shake things up. People like that. back to the comp thing. I mean, equity I mean, equity is something that you need to really think about again, for a players, for high performance people and somewhere where they can come and make an impact. And then if they have equity, they're sharing in the results that they create and help create is the team to take the company to the next level. So just those real opportunities to like. You know, skyrocket something or have a, you know, a unicorn kind of opportunity. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (00:03:37) - All right, so as you're building this out, what about board members? You do a lot of, board work where you're helping attract board of advisors.

Speaker 1 (00:03:44) - Board of directors? How how do you get someone who's made it exit? They don't need to work anymore. How do you how do you entice them? How do you inspire them or motivate them to come back into the game?

Speaker 2 (00:03:56) - Yeah. No, that's a fabulous question. I think with board members, I mean, if there's a if there's a CEO and a team, you know, executive team running the company that they really like, and they think I could add a lot of value mentoring this person and helping this person, you know, teach them what they don't already know or or just bring my skillset to to bear with this excellent executive leadership team. And I know that I can really make an impact again. And and mentoring them and teaching them and coaching them and helping them to take the their business to the next level. That's a very attractive thing for for board members because they want to make you have the money. Now. It's like, what is my legacy? What is the impact I can make beyond money? And that's something very attractive for board members.

Speaker 1 (00:04:40) - interesting. All right. What about, like, a chief marketing officer? So we're going through the different motivations of of different roles. As you can see, I'm like, splattered in what motivates a CMO.

Speaker 2 (00:04:52) - Yeah, this is great. In fact, I just. This just arrived two days ago. This is Gary Vaynerchuk day trading attention. So I mean, this is. Essentially every chief marketing officer should have this book and read this book. But like. Digital marketing mean an opportunity to take a business and where you can really see the marketing opportunity and the branding and how that can really make a tremendous impact in sharing this business, this this device, this process, the service to the marketplace, in compelling and exciting and new ways, especially with digital marketing and social, Again. Data retention Gary Vaynerchuk new book. I mean, it is spot on with that and not TV commercials and not billboards and not print ads. Well, those things have a place. But like digital marketing. and if you can spend the money with the number one thing, which is a spot on on the Super Bowl when you have millions and millions and millions of people watching.

Speaker 2 (00:05:53) - I mean, that is that's the the most undervalued piece of attention you can create.

Speaker 1 (00:05:58) - And that crazy is the what is the hardest role, C-suite or board seat. What's the hardest role to head hunt for?

Speaker 2 (00:06:07) - I mean, for sure, CEO. Just because it's it's it's so much more complex than just a single function and there's just so much more to it. And not that it's necessarily harder, but they just take longer to do the CEO searches because there's there's so much more at that at stake. But it's just a much more complex role than a chief financial officer or chief operating officer or a chief marketing officer. There's just so much more to it. I mean, that's the hardest or more complex, most complex, longest lasting role to, to execute a search on.

Speaker 1 (00:06:40) - Yeah. So, Kip, if people need your help finding C-suite and board seat, talent, where could they go to connect with you?

Speaker 2 (00:06:48) - Yeah. Our firm Kip, search.com. You can see right behind me, but go to Kip search.

Speaker 2 (00:06:53) - Com, you can fill out a form there, share your email and reach out. And, that is the best way to get Ahold of us.

Speaker 1 (00:07:00) - Cool. Guys. Hey, we did that all in under seven minutes. I hope you guys are enjoying these seven minute chats about deals and deal makers. As always, reach out to our guests or contacts. Information's in the show notes below. Reach out to them, say thanks for being on the show and find a way to do a deal with them. Till then, we'll talk to you all on the next episode. Cheers.