Her Story
About Christy
Christy Essex is an entrepreneur, staffing and recruitment executive, and workforce development specialist who founded Se7en Staffing & Employment Solutions and Eighteen10 Hemp Staffing. Through Se7en, she has developed expertise in staffing, recruitment, human resources, career development, and workforce solutions, with a particular focus on the rapidly developing cannabis industry. She also provides services including business consulting, career development coaching, public speaking, executive coaching, interview preparation, resume writing, and payroll services. In 2026, she expanded her entrepreneurial work by founding Eighteen10 Hemp Staffing to support workforce needs in the hemp, manufacturing, and bottling sectors.
Christy's professional career extends beyond staffing and recruitment. She previously owned an insurance agency and an income tax company, giving her an entrepreneurial foundation before moving into workforce development and employment services. She has worked to help individuals, particularly women, minorities, and young people, identify opportunities, build soft skills, and transition their existing abilities into new industries. Her career has also included workforce speaking engagements, content development, and partnerships throughout the cannabis and employment sectors. Her business achievements have earned recognition through the Inc. 5000 list and Inc. Regionals Midwest, where Se7en Staffing & Employment Solutions ranked #16 among the regional growth champions in 2026.
Christy attributes her success to the strong work ethic, family values, resilience, and independence instilled by her father. She believes in taking steady steps forward, learning from others, finding purpose and passion, and remaining open to unexpected opportunities. Her leadership philosophy is grounded in integrity, inclusion, collaboration, and a genuine desire to see others succeed. She has supported her community through youth volunteering, employment-services initiatives, nonprofit mock interviews, and speaking engagements at high schools and colleges. Through her staffing companies and workforce advocacy, Christy continues to focus on helping businesses build strong teams while creating meaningful career opportunities for people entering or transitioning within the workforce.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Christy
01What do you attribute your success to?
My father was a big influence on my life. He worked very hard for 40 years with the same company, served in the military, and instilled family values and a strong work ethic in myself and my siblings. He also taught me to stand on my own as a woman.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You don't have to have everything figured out at once. It's about taking those steps forward and figuring things out along the way. Find people that are in the industry that you want to work in. Find like-minded people. Not to be the smartest one at the table and learn from others.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Find their purpose and their passion that drives them first and foremost, because opportunities and money will follow from that, and if you really are focused in on your purpose and passion, everything just kind of falls into place around that.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity. A strong desire to be around people with integrity. I like to see others succeed and win. Everyone deserves a seat at the table, everyone deserves to win, and you're only in competition with yourself.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.