Cassie Blench, Principal
To be honest, I was never that person who always knew what they wanted to do with their life. There was no particular subject in school that lit my fire, and so the old adage, Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life infuriated me. What if you don’t know what you love? In 2004 I left my hometown of Seal Beach, California looking for it.
Following college in Chico and San Francisco, in 2008 I began my career in Seattle in Hospitality & Event Planning. It was certainly exciting, but my mentors were miserable and after two years, so was I. This wasn’t it. The recession was limiting opportunity anyway, so I sold my worldly possessions and flew off to Argentina for six months to do some soul searching.
Once stateside again, in 2012 a cute boy convinced me to move to San Diego. It was an interview with a staffing agency there that changed everything. In discussing my strengths, the Recruiter casually mentioned that they sounded compatible with an average day in her job. With no recruiting experience, no one would give me a shot, but I eventually agreed to go out on assignment for a staffing agency if they would consider me for their next internal opening. I was relentless and they eventually caved - I was in! I spent a year there recruiting, learning the ropes and making lifelong friends before I moved on to a corporate recruiting role and fell head over heels in love with talent acquisition. This! This was it!
Since 2013 I’ve worked for three fantastic companies as an integral part of building and scaling their TA functions. I’ve learned as much from these experiences as I have from the inspirational leaders I’ve been fortunate to work for. When I made the decision to start my own business and provide my skillset to organizations on a consultative basis, it was met with support from these mentors whose thoughtful perspectives I continue to seek.
It turns out, love what you do doesn’t mean what I thought it did. I didn’t love a specific subject matter so I felt aimless in my quest for a career that suited me, but I love relationships and making a difference in someone’s life. I love a good hustle, being independant and organized, and putting all the pieces together for the perfect fit. I love process, documentation and influencing impactful decisions. I love diving deep and bringing my findings to the surface to affect change or spark new ideas. I love building and thriving in the trenches with partners to achieve remarkable feats together. In short, I love all the elements of talent acquisition. It just had to find me.
Oh, and as for the cute boy, we were married in 2015 and welcomed a daughter in 2019, though Goose will always be our firstborn.
See detailed experience on LinkedIn
Goose, Security & Wellness
I’m a silly guy but don’t be fooled, I take my work very seriously. My ferocious bark keeps the office safe from all external threats, particularly those delivering packages. It’s a self appointed duty that I honestly feel is underappreciated.
This headshot captured a midday meeting request for a walk. In my role it’s critical to recognize when the team needs to recharge, so I lead outdoor recreation activities to ensure those creative juices keep on flowing! You’re welcome!