Meet Bennie Brimage: CEO & Product Developer

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

Hi Bennie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process behind starting a business was that I wanted to create a platform that assists individuals who may not believe they have a creditable job history to be posted online, which is not true. I myself, have had numerous challenges and I have come to realize that if you expose your resume along with your skills online, your opportunity to receive notifications from recruiters and HR reps will increase.

There are still those out there that are just grasping the importance or may not be fully aware of this procedure. Thus, they may require additional hands-on guidance. We at Reference Hive just want to level the playing field for anyone that is seeking additional assistance.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

As technology continues to dominate our world, I see people struggling out there. I wondered “Could it be a job situation? I developed a hypothesis and found it to be true. “I truly believe we can solve that problem.” The solution is Reference Hive….an online employment platform that allows individuals to not only create an ideal networking-profile, but it allows personal or precessional references to add genuine, detailed commentary to their profile. 

Think about it, at the end of the interview, they may ask for your references. Why not have a website that caters to just that? We simplify the process of collecting and distributing references, making it convenient for the job seeker, their references, and the potential employer. We at Reference Hive are garnered to help individuals seeking employment opportunities by bridging the gap to a new future. We simplify complex steps of job seeking, which encourages individuals to search with more confidence and hope. 

Our online profile platform partners with social services agencies and workforce development programs that are seeking employment from many sectors of life. What sets us apart is that we believe you can only build an adaptable organization with adaptable people. Our team strives to accept the change and assist with the challenges with social recruiting to meet the needs of those looking to evolve. “Wehn thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22;31-32).

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Well, living in Maryland, most of the locals would suggest the Baltimore Harbor. It’s a great place to walk around, check the local stores and settle the evening with one of the many great places to dine.

I haven’t yet taken their popular boat rides, but I hear they’re entertaining. Any sports fanatics like myself, and depending on the season, you can attend the Baltimore Raven’s game (my favorite sport but I’m a NY Giant’s fan). If you are into a little competitive fun, then I would invite you to Urban Axes. I truly enjoyed attending that with some of my friends.

Now I usually cap off my tour by stopping by the Cheesecake Factory for lunch or dinner. Yet, for those seeking the Maryland seafood experience, the harbor’s McCormick& Schmick’s Seafood and Steak restaurant and Blackwall Hitch Restaurant are preferred choices amongst friends. One location you can’t miss is Captain James Crabhouse, which is built like a 2-story boat; kids would get a kick out of it.

For history-fanatics (like myself), I highly recommend a trip down Washington, D.C. for all the Smithsonian museums. In my opinion, each allows you to enjoy the art and culture via different perspectives and enjoyable, enlightening experiences. My personal goal is to attend the newly established National Museum of African American History and Culture.Finally, if you want to check out the nightlife, there are plenty of jazz joints to choose from, one, in particular, is the Blues Alley where they have live performances.

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?
This, of course, may seem cliché’, but I have to give credit to my family: my parents (Bennie and Marie) taught me so much about the importance of succeeding in life; most importantly, my mother – my #1 fan before her passing – has always believed I would be successful in anything I put my mind to; my cousin, Rob Cradle, who inspired me to understand that your business will not be effective without having a problem to solve; my wife (Chaura) with her creative designs and business mindset, and my siblings who show me constant support for every idea or struggle that I may face.

Website: https://www.referencehive.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/referencehive/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reference-hive/?viewAsMember=true

Twitter: https://twitter.com/referencehive

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/referencehive/?ref=bookmarks

Youtube: https://youtu.be/hFOsPSC2Kws

Image Credits
Bennie Brimage and Gerry Chase