Colleen LeGrande

I'm a faith-based person, and I think my success comes from my vertical alignment - God first, family, country, and then my career. Because I have such a good foundation, I've been able to surround myself and be blessed with phenomenal people in my life. No matter what happens, you get kicked in the teeth all the time in business, but I don't feel sorry for myself. I was in IT staffing for 10 years, and it was a man's world back in the day. I didn't go play golf or have drinks with them, but because I was true to myself and surrounded myself with strong people who had strong foundations and purpose, I've been able to be successful. Being humble is key - I don't know it all, and I'm always willing to learn from somebody else. I've lived by the three R's: recognize the situation, review it, and find a resolution. Whether it's a great situation or a bad one, we recognize it, review it, and resolve to either get to the next level or fix it to a better position. I was brought up in a big family in a small neighborhood where everybody leaned on everybody - when someone was down, you helped them up. I've been knocked down 100 million times, but I never stay down. It's because of the wonderful people God has put in my life - people who challenge me, help me grow, and appreciate what I have to offer. I've never stayed where I'm not appreciated. If someone doesn't value what gifts you have and only looks at your mistakes, you need to leave and find another place where you are valued. I've always depicted myself as a leader because I look at people's strengths versus their weaknesses. I was around people who saw my strength and let me utilize it.

The best career advice I’ve received came from a mentor, Jack Joffe, who encouraged me to believe in myself and to commit to learning every single day—guidance that has continually shaped my growth and direction.

Remember this is your first quarter. I'm in my fourth quarter of life and business, and every quarter counts. What you learn now is going to be built on getting to your second quarter, third quarter, and fourth quarter. Keep your eyes open and understand that we all need a mentor at every quarter we're in. Once you've done that and you believe in it and have a solid foundation for who you are, nobody can tell you you're not gonna grow, because you'll have the leadership skills to grow. I was very fortunate - I had a gentleman named Jack Joffe years ago who inspired me. I listened to what he said and directed myself, putting myself in a position where I said, just believe in me, learn every single day, and that'll make the difference. Don't let one person's opinion change your directive to where you want to go. One mistake that young people make is staying where they're not appreciated. If someone doesn't appreciate what gifts you have and all they do is look at the mistakes you've made, you need to leave. You need to find another place to be. I've never put myself in a position where if you're not going to value me, I'm gonna stay. I'm gonna move on, because I need to be someplace where I am valued. You have value - it doesn't mean you know everything, but it means you contribute. If someone sees the good in you, that's a leader who's gonna help you bring out the good of who you are.

One of the biggest challenges in my field is navigating historically male-dominated sectors, such as IT staffing, where cultural barriers can still exist. At the same time, there is a strong opportunity in building flexible, diversified staffing models that are tailored to each company’s specific needs and culture.

The values most important to me in my work and personal life are faith (putting God first), family, country, humility, service to children and the community, resilience, and honoring the unique gifts that others bring.