In this episode, Lydia interviews Katie McConnell Olson, Founder and CEO of GrowthWise Search Partners and Hire Education Consulting Group, Inc. Katie shares her experience in serving clients of all sizes and industries in consulting roles and on internal teams within organizations, with a focus on middle market companies.

Katie started her career in public accounting as an auditor for publicly traded companies and construction and manufacturing entities. After leaving a start-up CPA firm, she joined a worldwide recruitment organization where she specialized in middle-market companies and CPA firms. Later, Katie re-entered public accounting as Director of Recruitment & Development for a large regional CPA firm, where she formed a hiring consulting practice within the firm.

Katie's experience in recruitment led her to create Hire Education Consulting Group with the idea that successful hiring is much more than just "putting a butt in a seat." It is a holistic process that starts before a company ever makes a hire. Hire Education Consulting Group empowers organizations with the tools they need to create lasting improvements to talent processes and provide education on the hiring process.

GrowthWise Search Partners supports full cycle search for rapid growth businesses. Katie's focus is on placing people in such a way that it helps them feel fulfilled and purposeful. She leverages her experience to help businesses accelerate financial and human capital growth. Katie is a connector, innovator, and curiosity ambassador who brings transformations and solutions that help businesses thrive.