A little late, but better than never! I wasn’t going to do a 2023 year in review post, but as I looked through all of the change and accomplishments from the year as I wrapped up my 2023 planner, I decided I wanted to. I love reading my prior year in review posts and remembering all of the good that came from the year and how there is so much (and so many people) to be thankful for. This will be my 4th year in review post on the blog and I love how the format has evolved over the years! 2022 in review celebrated at a high level the good things that happened during the year. I had a whole section dedicated to awards and certifications – and for 2023 I get to swap that section with new jobs and organizations I’m working with which I’m really excited about. At the end I’ll share some fun things that are already in my planner for 2024. Let’s go!
Speaking, Teaching and Coaching
One of my goals each year is to do more speaking engagements (volunteer and paid!) and I blew that goal out of the water. I had a blast at #SHRM23 in Las Vegas presenting conference orientation for the third year in a row! One of my 2023 goals was to present again at NYS SHRM at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY and get accepted to speak at NYC SHRM for the first time, and I can proudly say both happened! I got to do my Elevate and Uplift the Next Generation of HR Leaders session for both. (: It was well attended and I received such positive feedback from it! I met so many young and emerging HR professionals eager to advance their careers. I love sharing my insight and experience on building a personal brand, building relationships and credibility at work, moving up, networking, and using social media to your advantage. I also continue to participate as a mentor in the SHRM Foundation’s mentoring program, and it’s so rewarding to help those HR students and EP’s get ahead!
I did LinkedIn and personal branding presentations for multiple companies in Buffalo and really enjoyed helping them learn to showcase themselves online and make meaningful connections for personal and professional growth. I loved teaching Jencap’s Sales Development Program employees how to get the most of LinkedIn and networking to build their brands and attract new clients. I also taught my first 3 hour workshop – for Say Yes Buffalo’s Apprenticeship Program participants. Engaging high school seniors for 3 hours on the topics of LinkedIn, navigating the workplace and networking was a bit of a challenge lol but I made it through and we all enjoyed it! I also got to be the resident LinkedIn Expert for the Forge Buffalo 716 Career Fair, and had a line going for 3 hours of folks who wanted profile reviews. I always leave that event without a voice, but it’s one of my favorite evenings of the year getting to help so many people. I’m also grateful to have been a featured speaker for one of the Women in Tech Events, and BNHRA/Be in Buffalo/Tech Buffalo hosted a collab event on busting hiring myths where I presented my piece on how employers can widen their talent pools and get more applicants.
I also worked with clients 1:1 who were on their job search or career advancement journeys. I help individuals and organizations take their careers and businesses to the next level with a relationship building and personal branding strategy. Connect, post and engage intentionally online to attract opportunities to yourself, build your network, showcase your personality and voice, and reach your goals! Working with my client Katie was a particularly sweet treat this year. She rocked it out. See pic below of all we accomplished! (: If I could help you, please reach out to me or book a call with me through my services page. I can’t wait to chat with you!
I also was accepted to the SHRM Speakers Bureau in June! Although SHRM ended up sunsetting the program in October, I’m still super proud of the traction I’ve made in building my speaking skills and reputation over the last few years. I created a Speaker Hub profile where you can see 4 of the most common topics I’m speaking about! I also love to build new content, so please reach out to me if you have a topic in mind that you don’t see on my profile. I’d love to discuss your needs with you.
Let’s round out this section with two super fun podcasts! Check out the University at Buffalo’s Lead On podcast, a leadership podcast by UB Student Engagement. We talked about saying yes to opportunities and showcasing transferable skills. I also got to be on Tom’s Engaging HR Pod where we talked about career coaching, being an early career professional, working with hiring managers, and so many other things lol. This one was extra special because Tom and I got to record together in person in Denver. And even better, we were pool side with a cocktail at a beautiful hotel on a gorgeous weather day!
New Jobs and Partnerships
I took on a new role at Lighthouse – Manager of Managed Talent Services! Moving forward I’ll be helping HR Pros and business leaders with their talent retention and attraction strategies and initiatives. You can see more on my LinkedIn profile and pinned posts in my featured section. With the help of our amazing Marketing Manager Joe Ray, I launched my new video series #ClaireShares where I bring you weekly talent retention and attraction insights in 10 minutes or less. I’ll post each episode here on my blog and link the YouTube and Spotify links within the blog post. If you want to talk further about any of the shared topics, please reach out to me! I’d love to set up a chat and dive in with you!
I accepted a remote Career Coach role with OpenClassrooms, the leading online education and employment platform in the world, with a mission to make quality education and career advancement accessible and affordable to all. So far I’ve been working with students (adult learners making a pivot) taking certification pathways in Help Desk, Web Development and Data Analytics. It’s so much fun to bring my tech recruiter, HR and career coach experience to help these learners as they advance their careers!
I also started working with the incredible Erich Kurschat to support his HR Community, HRHotSeat! Erich hosts incredible monthly events for HR Pros to come together, knowledge share, and come up with solutions to their greatest HR challenges in real time. Sign up on the website and choose Chicago as your home chapter. I look forward to seeing you at a future event! Please message me if you have any questions. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Erich is also a DiSC facilitator expert. If you’re looking to bring DiSC and leadership training to your organization this year, definitely connect with Erich.
Lastly, for a few months I got to support Honest Jobs with Community Management. Honest Jobs is the top fair-chance hiring platform dedicated to rebuilding lives through employment. If you’re open to hiring individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, you can start posting jobs on their website for free today. I ran weekly orientation calls on Fridays with HR and Recruiting Pros looking to learn more about Honest Jobs, or who had recently joined and needed some info on how to get started and how the platform works.
Personal
I decided to explore Denver for a few months in the fall. I’m very grateful to Lighthouse for allowing me the flexibility to work remotely during that time. I had never been away from Buffalo for that long, and it was a really good learning opportunity. I gained a lot of perspective and new friends, realized what I took for granted at home, and ultimately was excited to get back to my friends, coworkers and community here in Buffalo. Looking forward to strengthening those relationships in the year ahead!
It was a great year of networking and learning about the city as I completed Leadership Buffalo Class Experience. I especially enjoyed the volunteer opportunities where we engaged with community members and served meals. I’ve since made Urban Christian Ministries on Jefferson Ave the place I choose to donate clothes. Criminal and Social Justice Day was eye opening, and I shared all the resources and take-a-ways here on the blog.
The Yelp Elite Squad in Buffalo continued to have a ton of fun under the leadership of our Community Manager, Brandon! It was fun connecting Edgy Vegy with Brandon for an elite event, and supporting them throughout the year. Their food is delicious, and you can see tons of photos of their menu offerings on my Yelp profile! Keep an eye out for the Edgy Vegy food truck throught this year. (: I’m excited to keep supporting Buffalo business owners throughout 2024 and writing reviews.
I continued with therapy and love to look at my growth over the past 2 years. I did a lot by myself which I’m proud of. Two favorite days were going to the Seven Lions show at River Works, and snagging the adorable window nook at Overwinter Coffee in Williamsville for the afternoon.
The Year Ahead
2024 is going to be an incredible year. Three good friends are each expecting their first child this spring, and two more are wedding planning. It’ll be an exciting year for those close to me and I can’t wait to help celebrate and surround them with so much love! I also have a trip planned to Austin in February to visit one of my best friends.
I’m also starting a Community Manager role with the amazing PeoplePeople Slack Community! I’ll be engaging with the #HRCommunity there and answering their HR questions, and introducing people to each other and resources. If you’re in HR and looking for a safe space to network and ask questions, join us! We are also currently planning monthly virtual networking events and webinars. We have 10k+ members now, so if you’re interested in sponsoring one of our upcoming events, reach out to me!
Last but not least, I’ve been accepted to speak at SHRM Talent in Las Vegas in April! This is my first big SHRM conference where I’ll have the stage to myself, delivering my own material. I’m so pumped and so grateful to receive this opportunity. Flights and hotel booked. See you there!
Thanks for the memories 2023. Proud of everything I accomplished and thankful for the amazing people who were along for the ride. I can’t wait to see what other events and opportunities come up throughout the year. Connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter and let’s stay connected! I wish you a prosperous 2024. Take care of yourself friends. Please reach out if there’s anything I can help you with. Let’s do this! Cheers!
Claire is Coaching 