Kali M. Colocousis

I attribute my success to the fact that my success always feeds into everybody else's success. If I'm having success, I hope that others are having success as well. But I'm also constantly learning from them - even from people who may not have as much experience as I do, because in the long run, we all have the same goals. I'm a mother, but I've also always been a team leader, and I want to provide that strength and ability to others. I especially love when I find a woman in the trades - a maintenance manager, a maintenance mechanic, a CNC operator, or a welder - and I feed off of that thrive. It's unbelievable, and I always joke and say, you are the true Rosie the Riveter. That energy and seeing women succeed in all fields is what drives me.

The best career advice I’ve received is to trust your voice and stay open to pivoting when needed. My own journey has shown me that being adaptable and following where you can make the greatest impact leads to the most meaningful opportunities.

I would say take on every challenge. Don't ever allow anything to stop you from achieving your goals. Times can get tough, but in the long run, you have to have a support group. I have found myself with many women in my industry especially, or in my personal life, that has allowed me to achieve and succeed. Somebody that wants to come into a field like this has to be able to trust the unknown. That's the most important thing, and understand that there are people that are going to be here to support them along the way.

The biggest challenge is that it's a very competitive market. When I talk with somebody, I'm not just seeing a resume - I'm seeing more than just a resume, I'm getting to know the person. We're the advocate to that company on behalf of that candidate. I don't want them just to see a resume, that's why I'm calling and really giving them a thorough background and understanding as to who the person is, because they're not just paper, they have a personality, they are a human being. The biggest thing is getting companies to understand that if we have a great candidate and somebody that we've spoken with, I want them to be heard, and I feel like we're their voice. As for opportunities, growth is always something that is limitless. There is so much opportunity here, so many different changes across every type of business that we work with and every candidate. I've worked with candidates since 2018 that have a great opportunity, and then they want to move into a different direction, and they're coming back asking me for help with their next step. The sky's the limit here. It just depends on what potential you want to have, and you just gotta make it your own.

I'm very close with my grandmother. She has been my rock and my mentor my entire life. On a personal standpoint, it's just about never giving up and striving towards that goal, and helping others along the way to get to their goals. She definitely did that for myself, and I encourage any woman, especially - I have a goddaughter, daughter and son that look up to me as an influence in their life, and I want to always strive to be that person and continue to be that, just like my grandmother was for me.