Meet Paula Weiner | Founder & President, Weiner & Associates, Inc.

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

Hi Paula, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
a. I had been in the executive search business for about 18 years and loved all aspects of it and continue to love it. I had worked in 4 firms, including the first one that was being packaged for sale at the end of my tenure, and one that was sold while I was there. Each time I changed companies, or the company changed owners, the database (ATS – Applicant Tracking System/ CRM – Customer Relationship Management System) changed, which is critical to building and maintaining long-term relationships.
b. While part of someone else’s firm, I could bring in as much business as I wanted but didn’t always have control over my resources to execute the searches. In more than one situation, I had 8 searches or more and limited to no support, because members of the team had been pulled off my work to do work for others. This can make the work very difficult to impossible to do well. Doing great work for my clients is essential to me and core to my success in the business.
c. I felt I could deliver my best work if I could select a leading-edge database company and have control over my resources to get the work done.
d. In addition, in the executive search business there is something called off-limits companies. They are firm’s we’ve done business with, and we are not allowed to take candidates from, for a year following the completion of the search. The bigger the firm, the more companies that are off-limits and the tougher it is to find the best candidates to fill the searches. So boutique search firm’s, with excellent reputations, are the best option for clients who want great work done.
e. In my own firm, I feel I’m able to deliver stability, consistently well-resourced execution, and the smallest off-limits list, for the clients we serve. This enables us to successfully fill 99% to 100% of searches annually.

What is the one thing about your industry that outsiders are probably not aware of?
a. How carefully we select the winning candidates.
b. For a typical retained search we’ll reach out to anywhere from 250 to 500 highly targeted individuals. In addition, we’ll let another few hundred to a few thousand know about the search.
c. We base our targeting on a number of factors, for example in for a Chief Marketing Officer search we’ll consider the following:
i. The size (revenue and employees) of the target companies. We’ll also consider how they hire, train, and build their teams, and if people are promoted internally or hired externally, as well as employee retention. We’ll look at how decisions are made and at what level in the organization which decisions are made. The geographic footprint of where a firm does business is also essential information.
ii. The marketing budget and how it is spent. The break down of how marketing budgets are spent has changed significantly in recent years, and may include any or all of the following – TV, Radio, Print, Outdoor, Event, Publicity, Digital, Google Ads, SEM, SEO, Social Media, Email, Website, Catalogue, Product Placement, Celebrity Endorsement, SMS, Snail Mail, Loyalty, Share with a Friend, etc.
iii. In addition, it’s also important to look at the distribution side of business and understand how resources are deployed to get particular product placement in all aspects of digital marketing, eCommerce, and in-store marketing.
iv. It is also important to understand how certain industries are evolving and how consumer priorities are changing. For example, the automotive industry has traditionally sold through car dealerships, but now it’s possible to purchase a car online and have it delivered to your home. Insurance and Real Estate have historically been sold through specially trained sales people; however, information available online has changed the role of sales people, as consumers have become significantly more informed.
v. Many industries now have significant online intermediary websites, guiding consumers on product and service ratings, availability and pricing; this includes hotels, airlines, restaurants, and car rental companies as well as books, movies, and appliances, and more.
vi. We’ll also look at the industry, what companies products and services are growing and those that are not, is there new technology impacting this world, is something fundamental changing in distribution, quality, service delivery, and so much more.
vii. Industry events and publications may also provide important insights on the latest thinking and other developments, market size and growth projections, Wall Street performance, and so much more.
d. The very best talent in Retained Executive Search knows their industries and knows them well. We don’t just pick candidates out of our database, we go through a carefully curated process, to provide the best talent available to our clients, who will genuinely fit in their company and with how they do business.

Risk Taking; How do you think about risk? What role has taking risks played in your life and career?
a. It was a significant risk to open my own firm, when I could have comfortably continued to work in the best companies in retained executive search. I love the search business and plan to spend the rest of my career in it, and delivering the best quality work possible was essential to me. The best way to deliver it was to have my own firm.
b. Making major investments in my firm is also a risk; this includes continually having the best technology available for data management, accessing candidates, communicating with clients and candidates, social media marketing, and financial management of the business is essential to remain competitive. Laptops and ongoing servicing of equipment is critical, as is investing in back-up systems, as well as continually training employees to be up to date.
c. Sales efforts, including attending events, can be a significant expense and risk, but it is important to attend and continually bring in new clients. The business environment is constantly changing and major clients may be bought or sold, having a major impact on the future of that business.

Other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
a. To continually invest in the business, my own personal development, and the development of my team.

What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand?
a. Consistently delivering great work; we have filled 99% to 100% of our searches over nearly two decades and will continue to do so as long as we’re in the search business.
i. An important factor in this is treating everyone with respect and kindness. Eighty to ninety-five percent of candidates involved in a search will not get the job. It is so important that each one walk away with a good experience and willing, even eager, to engage with our firm again.
ii. We are helpful wherever possible, providing guidance and perspective with their careers, with regard to promotions, compensation, timing, strong moves, effective networking within their current companies, mentorships, and more.

What’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
a. To let a major financial services client go, who wanted to continue to work with us. This was a fortune 500 company, filled with top notch people, and an extremely well-run business. I filled my first search with them with one candidate and they were thrilled. The successful candidate worked at the company for many years and only moved on when they were offered a significant promotion.
b. They came back again for me to do 3 additional searches, which we took on. We found a great candidate, who they hired, but would not pay me for, because the individual was already in a database, they had but had not accessed for this position. In addition, as a service provider, we had no access to this database.
c. The client had the potential to contribute ½ a million to a million dollars a year to our revenue, but they had their own unique get out of jail free card.
d. I have since spoken to many service providers who have refused their business, because of similar situations.
e. They are a well-known financial services company and recently reached out to us, and other small businesses, to provide our banking and credit services. They emailed, called, and asked for market research responses. Obviously, we do not work with them.

Work life balance: How has your balance changed over time? How do you think about balance?
As I was learning the business, I wanted to do everything from interviewing the client, writing the position description, selecting the target list of companies and specific people within them, to interviewing each candidate and the discussions with the client. As I’ve become more experienced and comfortable with delegating I do so more and more, while maintaining the quality of the service we provide. The more I delegate the more I’m able to enjoy evenings and weekends as personal time.

Do you have a favorite quote or affirmation? What does it mean to you? What do you like about it?
a. There is an exercise I took part in; in a training program I did many years ago. There were two large circles of people, each circle with more than 75 individuals, facing each other. The moderator had us ‘step to the left’ every 20 seconds and vote 1 to 4 (4 being the highest and best vote), for each person we stood in front of. Each of us quickly discovered the more 4’s you gave out the better your experience became as you faced the same person again and again.
b. I learned we build our lives and our businesses one interaction at a time, and the better those few moments are with that person, the better our overall lives and businesses become. So it’s vital to show up fully engaged, to listen carefully, be responsive, respectful and kind, and keep confidences.

Why did you pursue and artistic or creative career?
a. I am endlessly fascinated with understanding who people are, why they are who they are, what they are capable of, and where they may best fit in the world to optimize their contribution and joy. This includes what are the appropriate challenges, key relationships, and best environments for them to be in.
b. I am also eternally captivated by companies, which are basically groups of people committed to achieving a goal or delivering a product or service. What makes them work effectively, competitively, and evolve and grow as needed to continue to be viable fully absorbs my attention.
c. When we make a placement, we match all the qualities that function well in a business and an individual, and we also see what dysfunctions on both sides. Neither will ever be perfect or ideal, and the challenge of optimizing this fit keeps me enchanted.

What do you want your legacy to be? What do you want people to remember about you?
a. Talking with me honestly, openly, and with vulnerability was a great experience. It enhanced their company by finding a great key leader, or it enriched their career because they understood their possibilities better.
b. I do plan on writing a book or two and perhaps a multi episode show to share what I’ve learned on my journey.

Weiner & Associates is a high quality, boutique retained executive search firm, that works extremely well with our clients and consistently delivers exceptional results. The firm is run by Paula Weiner, who loves this business and commits 100% to her clients. We have a track record of over 30 years of success and plan to continue to build on our great track record.

We are always learning about how companies operate, the people they hire, and those who thrive and those who do not. The rate of change is speeding up dramatically, and we are thorough in doing our due diligence to stay up to date.

At the moment, we are focused on growth, so we are building are team, our technology infrastructure, and our client list. It’s always a challenge to balance priorities during times of significant growth. This is my current challenge.

It was not easy to create and build this business, but each challenge is welcomed and appreciated, for the personal growth it stimulated in me. Next, we’ll be focused on building our social media presence.

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.
I live and work in New York City, so I love to take people to the theater, because it is unique to our city. I believe I’ve enjoyed many of the restaurants in that area, Carmine’s is a particular favorite. A walk in Central Park is always fun, even in light rain, particularly in the spring when all the flowers are in bloom, and in the fall when the leaves are changing colors.

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?
I don’t know the individual who referred me for this opportunity, but it would be lovely to recognize them for this opportunity.

Website: www.buildwinteam.com (not up yet, but will be by the end of summer)

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paula.weiner/

Image Credits
All the images are owned by Weiner & Associates, Inc.