Hi, I'm Brielle, but you can call me Bree. I found my calling in recruitment after opting out of going to medical school and Googling the word "jobs" (a very sophisticated job search strategy, I know).

Elementary as it may have been, that Google search led me the boutique executive search firm, AC Lion, that would become my home for almost eight years.

I didn't know at this at the time, but AC Lion had a strict policy of not hiring Executive Recruiters straight out of college...let alone those whose only work experience had been in hospitals. What convinced them to waive their policy was not my own persistence (although in retrospect, taking the train from Philly to NYC once a month for six months to shadow the team didn't hurt), but rather the persistence of my manager-to-be.

He saw something in me that others didn't: potential.

Mike's willingness to take a chance on me did more than get my foot in the door at AC Lion; it also set the tone for every career decision I've made in the 11 years since. From leaving the agency world to learn a new industry (B2B SaaS). To rejoining that same agency to start their SaaS Recruitment Division.

To following Mike to another executive search firm to open their GTM division.

To Ergatta, which I joined prior to their Series A fundraise as their first talent hire and have since built out and operationalized the talent department, while scaling every department (at every level) across the entire org. To say it has been the opportunity of a lifetime would be an understatement.

As for what the future holds, I'm not entirely certain. To borrow one of Mike's favorite phrases, "I'm too young to be comfortable."

I can tell you with certainty that it will involve discomfort, and in turn it will involve growth.

And of course, it will involve helping other startups create their single most important asset: their team.

Basic requirements to do great work largely depend on the type of work I'm tasked with...but to start, coffee. I am one of those polarizing people who "ruin" their coffee with creamers (not sugar) & in all seriousness, my favorite place for coffee on the run is 7/11...

I completely understand if you'd like to stop reading here.

For those of you whose image of me hasn't been irreparably tainted, here's the deal:

• Deep focus work, e.g. writing: I need total silence + non-offensive lighting is key. The fluorescent bulbs of OG office spaces were not a catalyst for creativity. I write often, and I tend to write well. But I find it an excruciating process that in the end, is always worth the pain.

• Project planning/ kicking off a new work stream: bring on the noise, fluorescent lights, whiteboards, and great people (or person). If I'm working on anything that involves creating a new process, planning out a project, or launching a new initiative, I thrive when I have a thought partner(s). I absolutely love a good brainstorm session and no idea is too big or too small in my book. That said, I've learned to include an agenda with a clear objective and "end state" in any workshopping invite because from experience, without clarity, it can go off the rails quickly.

As far as the other "requirements" I have, honestly- it really does come down to the people. While I understand the need for hierarchy within an organization, I feel very strongly that hierarchy should NEVER be used a way to grade the value of someone's ideas. I've learned some of my greatest life lessons from kindergarteners. Egos aren't my thing :)

I'll admit, I phoned some friends for this one. Not because I can't find value in myself, but rather because I think their words may be more poignant.

Here are what some of my colleagues had to say (they're making me blush <3):

"The sheer passion and dedication that Bree shows for this company is so so admirable. Bree never fails to go above and beyond. Whether it's recruiting, planning for the future of the Talent Org, or advocating for her team, she puts her whole heart and soul into everything that she does. She's not afraid to work the long hours or put in the extra work."

"Bree adds value by making you believe in yourself, and believe that seemingly impossible tasks are in fact possible. She never backs down from a challenge, and she’s a fierce learner and researcher. She has the ability to become an expert in anything you throw at her - and fast, too!"

"If I had to list a few of Bree's SUPERPOWERS they would include: -> fearlessness when taking on new challenges (partnerships, omni-channel expansion) -> tenacity + persistent outreaching leads and networking; seeing a project thru to the finish line -> growth-mindset - "I've never done XYZ before, but I'll learn along the way." -> relationship-building -- she could talk to anyone about anything (and get something useful out of the convo) -> generating ideas - her partnership targets list is so comprehensive and well-researched"

"My experience working with Brielle was truly exceptional. Throughout every step in the job search, she conveyed a genuine interest in aligning my career goals with potential opportunities. Her rapid and honest responses, as well her extensive knowledge of the landscape makes a typically painful process quite the opposite!"

Suffice to say, I work with some incredible people.

Beyond work, I am incredibly passionate about holistic health and am a board certified holistic health coach.

To be clear, I am not one who always practices what I preach (cue 7/11 coffee creamer); however, as noted in my first entry, I've always been incredibly interested in the medical field and can talk for HOURS about anything related to the brain.

I've co-authored a book (which you can buy on Amazon) and have always had a profound appreciation for the written word. In my opinion, there is nothing more powerful than the ability to string words together in a way resonates with the reader on level so deep it's almost physical.

I'm also an incredibly proud mom of my five year old, Kevin. He's a newfoundland poodle mix (aka a newfypoo) and he can work a room in a way that puts celebrities to shame. Hence his nickname, "little ham."

I'm a feedback junkie and will take it in whatever form I can get it :)

That said, if it's constructive, foundational feedback (vs. a one off), providing details and examples of what 'good' looks like goes a long way in my ability to implement it. I also likely will have follow up questions, so I appreciate it when whoever provided the feedback is open to my following up to discuss further.

I also believe that how you say something is just as important as what you say. So if you're providing neutral feedback (or news or updates), a disclaimer that this is neither "good" nor "bad," allows me to process it accordingly.

A practice a mentor of mine uses, that I think I'm going to adopt, is starting a message with "context: this is a good thing," e.g. - so that in the absence of information, I don't formulate my own conclusions. If we work together in the future, I may ask for this structure.

Whenever I'm working on something new, I ask two questions: "how does this impact the business?" and "what does the ideal outcome look like?"

Work that is high impact, with an ambitious outcome, that doesn't yet have a clear playbook is the type of work that lights me up.

One of the things I love most about working with startups is that rarely do any two days look the same. I work best when there's room for autonomy, but I very much value collaboration and having a thought partner (even if that thought partner is someone who is willing to act as a sounding board).

I also love being a sounding board for others and have found that often, answers to questions or solutions to problems come from people who can see the forest for the trees (i.e. they have a bit of distance from whatever challenge you're working through).

From a recruitment perspective, I like to understand those same two questions, and can get just as excited about an entry level marketing search as I can about a CTO search, depending on the answers. Admittedly, I love working on searches that are the "hardest to fill" and require a combination of skillsets that are rarely found together. I even keep a running list of those - so if you're interested, ping me to learn more!

My working patterns have evolved over time, but one thing has held consistent: my work has always been more to me than just work. For better or for worse, my career is part of who I am.

To be clear, it's not about having big brand names on my resume or having a fancy job title to promote on my LinkedIn.

It's about a genuine passion for building exceptional, diverse teams and shaping talent strategy. It's about hiring for potential (as Mike did with me) as well as experience, and watching extraordinary individuals create extraordinary careers. It's about helping companies turn talent into a competitive advantage for their business and creating an award winning employer brand shaped by the voices of the team, rather than my own.

You learn very quickly when you join a seed round startup that in order to succeed, you need to work smart as well as hard. But after doing it a few times, you realize that "hard" becomes relative.

If I need to get something done, I'll put in early mornings, late nights, and weekends. But I also realize that operating on that schedule 24/7 is a recipe for burnout. I have a profound respect for companies that offer flexibility, as it's a sign that they trust the people they hire (and in most cases, it's an indication that I've done my job well).

I operate best when there are clear goals and clear deadlines rather than clear "office hours." Inspiration can strike me at unexpected times, so as long as I have clear expectations (which can take the shape of an ideal outcome), I'll adjust my schedule to reflect when I'm most productive at the types of work needed to reach (or exceed) them.

When I'm dealing with stress, I can get a bit frazzled and try to solve for too many of the stressors at once, rather than one at a time. The way I've learned to combat this tendency is to step away from the screen and handwrite a list of everything I need to get done that is contributing to my stress level (*or what I believe to be contributing).

Once that list is finished, I'll prioritize the tasks based on level of urgency and many times, find myself removing tasks entirely.

Trying to do this while I'm in front of my laptop backfires. Because I can type infinitely faster than I can write, I'll sometimes find myself adding items to the list that probably didn't belong there in the first place.

While I'm a huge believer in the mind-clearing power of a planned brain dump (for more info on what that entails, check out this article: https://littlecoffeefox.com/brain-dump/) & have found that if I don't actually know why I'm feeling stressed, a brain dump can be a game changing exercise, they should not be confused with to-do lists.

If you catch me coming off a bit scattered, I will never take offense to your letting me know!

That's my cue to step away from my screen and regroup + reprioritize...even if that was next on my agenda anyway.

If anyone wants to learn more about either exercise (the screen free stressor list or the planned brain dump), reach out ANY time. These have been instrumental to my ability to get things done under pressure...and they are not exclusive to your professional life!

Simply put, I'm looking for a fulfilling challenge and to work with great people.

Because I've spent my career in talent, I imagine that my impact will be greatest if recruitment/ talent strategy/ employer branding is involved; however, I'm always open to exploring ways to transfer my skillset.

A perfect example of recent project I undertook that was not talent related but absolutely leveraged the skills I've honed as a recruiter is taking on strategic commercial and brand partnerships at Ergatta.

Despite not having a traditional "partnerships" background, I was successful in this role (and helped spearhead our first major co-marketing partnership with Rhone!) because at it's core, the requirements are very, very similar.

You need to do a sufficient amount of market research and fully understand what you are trying to accomplish with each partnership channel, you must find a way to get in front of the right people/ decision makers and give them a reason to connect with you, you need to understand the right questions to ask and ask them in a way that gives an accurate picture, and finally (so long as the steps above check out), you pitch an opportunity that is mutually beneficial to both parties involved.

The stakeholders may be different, the objectives might be different, and the way you measure success may be different...but the skills required to execute effectively are extremely similar.