Debra Horowitz
Debra Horowitz is a seasoned recruitment marketing expert and the Founder and CEO of Impact Talent Collective, a pioneering fractional resource for on-demand recruitment marketing, employer branding, and TA tech consulting. With over 25 years of experience spanning agency, media, and technology roles, Debra has consistently challenged traditional recruitment models, advocating for a more holistic, results-driven approach. Her work focuses on solving talent acquisition challenges efficiently, helping organizations optimize their hiring strategies from candidate attraction to onboarding and employee engagement. Throughout her career, Debra has held leadership roles across multiple organizations, including BizyBoss Network, which evolved into Impact Talent Collective, and prior leadership roles in both media companies and recruitment marketing agencies. She has a proven track record of improving candidate experiences, leveraging technology, and helping employers leverage the right strategies and tools to increase engagement with the right talent. Her consulting expertise spans employer branding, recruitment marketing, digital media, TA technology implementation, data analytics, and organizational development, offering clients direct access to subject matter experts rather than traditional agency layers. Debra is also a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR). Passionate about empowering others, she supports business leaders and small business owners through networking, education, and strategic partnerships. Actively engaged in communities such as the National Association for Health Care Recruitment (NAHCR), Debra is dedicated to advancing the talent acquisition field and connecting professionals with innovative solutions that drive measurable impact.
• PHR
• Ohio University
• National Association for Health Care Recruitment (NAHCR)
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the hard work, dedication, and passion I have brought to this field over the past 25 years. A year and a half ago, I took the leap to pursue my entrepreneurial vision and founded Impact Talent Collective. As Founder and CEO, I am committed to growing the business and helping others achieve their own success.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received was from my parents, who taught me at an early age that I could be whatever I wanted to be. They gave me the freedom early on to try new things and not be afraid of failure; rather, to embrace and learn from each experience, whether successful or not. They also encouraged curiosity, which I have relied on throughout my career.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women seeking to be their own boss is simple: You can, and you will. Be sure you know yourself well enough to understand where your passion and skills intersect. This intersection will be the foundation upon which you build your business. Embrace lifelong learning and challenge yourself to learn new things every day. And always trust your gut, use data, but trust your gut in all your decisions.
Don’t be afraid to make the difficult, sometimes scary decisions that are necessary for growth and success.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges and opportunities in my field right now is growing my company, which I founded less than two years ago. Not only does my company represent income and growth for me, but I've built my organization to leverage the talents of other solopreneurs who work with me on client projects. About 95% of these solopreneurs within the Collective are women; which provides an extra level of pressure and pride that I can add to other entrepreneurs' success while building my own!
This journey has been both exciting and demanding, and I am eager to expand while helping others achieve their own success along the way.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values to me in both my work and personal life are honesty and transparency. In today's climate, it's more difficult for people to trust one another which I view as a huge loss for all of us. By bringing honesty and transparency into the work environment and my personal life, I've discovered that it forges stronger relationships with meaningful outcomes. People who work with me or are part of my inner circle feel heard, supported and appreciated always. I take great pride in that.