Meet Kate Pletcher | Founder & Connector

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Pletcher and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve known since I was a young kid that I was going to be an entrepreneur someday. Throughout my life, I kept waiting for “The Great Idea” to come to me so I could quit my day job and pursue. At one point, in my early 30s, I realized The Great Idea for me wasn’t some sort of innovative new product that was going to change the world but, rather, getting paid to do something I already did, loved to do, and was really good at… namely, connecting people! So I took about a year to learn more about the recruiting world, build a business plan, and test the waters with some potential future clients. Within 3 months of starting my company, it was clear this was it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Treehouse Partners is a recruiting firm focused on helping businesses find rare talent across business/professional functions (finance, strategy, marketing, operations, HR, sales, legal, etc.). Our clients often tell us how impressed they are with our ability to find executives who are aligned not just with the technical needs of the job, but the personalities, culture, stage of growth, and unique intangibles of the company. We spend a lot of time getting to know the PEOPLE on both sides of the match, which ensures a better and longer-term overall fit. A lot of folks who start recruiting firms come from other recruiting firms… that wasn’t my background. I was a match-maker of companies, a general connector of people, and a business school grad… so I came into it with a different perspective. I pretty quickly came to understand that my inherent desire to match PEOPLE to PEOPLE versus candidates to a job description would really set our firm apart. We also have an incredible team who has a lot of fun doing what we do, and the playful nature of the Treehouse comes across every day – we’re clever, we have a bias for action, and we care a lot.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Being from Minnesota, I’m lucky enough to get a LOT of visitors – particularly when winter temperatures drop! I immediately dispel the idea you need to sit in traffic to get to the best things in LA. I’m also shocked at how few people take advantage of the incredible beaches we have. So… I spend most of my time with visitors on bike… spending time in Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Abbott Kinney, and the Venice Canals. All of those spots have great food and drink, but I like the Venice Beach Club, KazuNori, and Firestone Walker. I also love taking a trip (maybe on the Metro!) to K-Town, Little Tokyo, or downtown. Back in Venice, I love catching live music at Venice West or The Penmar. On top of all that, there’s always world-class concerts/sporting events/shows happening around town, so you really can’t be bored. So many options!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband! He held the “steady” job that allowed me to take the risk to start my business and then, since he joined the company ~9 years ago, he’s been an incredible partner both at Treehouse and at home, allowing me to continue to drive growth, handle clients, and manage the day-to-day.

Website: https://www.thetreehousepartners.com

Instagram: treehousepartners

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katepletcher/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreehousePartners/