Today we’d like to introduce you to Julian Placino.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Julian. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Recruiter | Podcaster | Speaker | Founder, Pathways to Success Training Co.
I’ve worked in the recruiting and staffing industry for over 11 years in the Dallas area. Today, I oversee talent acquisition for Bottle Rocket, one of the premier mobile development firms in the world, located right here in Addison, TX. Bottle Rocket is an amazing company that is made up of so many incredibly talented and passionate people.
At Bottle Rocket, I learned the importance of following your passion, doing meaningful work, and loving what you do. This philosophy has completely changed my life over the past 2.5 years and has shaped the entrepreneurial path I am on today.
Once a year at Bottle Rocket, we do something called, “Rocket Science.” Rocket Science is our yearly Hackathon, where Rocketeers (Bottle Rocket employees) are able to work on any project of their choosing. With a truly world-class team of engineers and creatives, the projects that have come out of Rocket Science are absolutely incredible!
As amazing of an event as Rocket Science is, I secretly dreaded it every year because I was so intimidated by the brilliant makers I was surrounded by. I couldn’t write a line of code, I had no skills in design…I just couldn’t “make” things like the other Rocketeers could. Seriously, what kind of project could a recruiter do at a Hackathon?
In 2016, this idea of, “Following your passion” just kept beating me over the head, and I finally surrendered to it. As a recruiter, I love engaging in conversations with people! As a result of quality conversations, I knew that value was created in the form of advice, specialized knowledge, and even entertainment. So, I figured, why not capture these conversations and share them with others?
In March of 2016 for my Rocket Science project, I launched the Pathways to Success Podcast where I interview leaders from various backgrounds about their journeys to success. Fast forward to present day, I’ve produced 109 episodes, developed a regular listening audience from 12 countries, achieved a 5-star rating on iTunes, and have generated over 44,000 downloads. I’ve interviewed CEOs, company founders, New York Times Bestselling Authors, TEDx speakers, celebrity athletes, leading entrepreneurs, and prolific thought leaders. In addition to the success metrics of the podcast, I received product sponsorships, paid speaking opportunities, and was even signed by one of the premier talent agencies in the country, Kim Dawson.
As a professionally represented actor and model of Kim Dawson, I’ve done acting, modeling, and voiceover work for AT&T, FORD, NFL, American Heart Association, Southern Methodist University, Edward Jones, ABM Aviation, Hilti USA, Orthofix, DCCCD and more.
Having seen the power of following your passion and doing meaningful work, I’ve set my eyes on transforming the industry I come from and have a genuine love for. Having both an agency and corporate recruiting background, I discovered that I was able to serve as a translator between staffing agencies and their clients. In February 2018, I began leveraging my experience as a podcast content creator when I started making informational videos for the staffing industry and posting them on LinkedIn.
My video titled, “3 Keys to Making Effective Cold Calls in Staffing Sales!” received over 34,000 views, 308 likes, and 88 comments in 7 days. Since then, my LinkedIn profile has never been the same! Staffing Sales Professionals from all over the country began reaching out to me for advice, coaching requests, and content ideas for future videos. I continue to receive job offers, consulting requests, and speaking opportunities as a result of the content I post on LinkedIn.
This level of engagement confirmed assumptions I had about the needs in the staffing industry and how I was uniquely qualified to serve them. This realization gave me a new purpose: To transform the way staffing services are offered by teaching client empathy, personal branding, and innovative sales strategies to close new business.
The market continues to validate my ideas as I’ve been hired by two local staffing companies in the Dallas area to train their sales teams. This marked the beginning of the Pathways to Success Training Co. Between my day job, podcast, acting career, and training company, I’m only able to train two clients at a time. My next step will be figuring out how to get my training offerings out to every staffing company in Dallas…and then outside of it!
If there is a lesson I wish to impart to those seeking their entrepreneurial identity, it’s this…find the intersection of what you are good at, what you love to do, and what helps other people. Somewhere in that intersection is a business for you. If you are lucky, you may find more than just a business, but a purpose as well.
Has it been a smooth road?
Definitely not. But I wouldn’t have had it any other way! The bumps in the road are there to teach you lessons, and in some cases, move you in a better direction.
The biggest challenge I faced was that I didn’t know who I was as an entrepreneur. For 10 years, I pursued various entrepreneurial ventures with the sole purpose of making money. I started internet businesses, got involved in various network marketing companies, and invested in real estate. They were all great experiences, but I didn’t LOVE any of them.
The podcast was purely a passion project. As a result of this passion project, I became a sponsored podcaster, professionally represented actor, keynote speaker, and founder of a training and development company.
I’m a true believer in the importance of loving what you do.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Pathways to Success Training Co. – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
The Pathways to Success Training Co. helps staffing companies gain new clients by teaching client empathy, personal branding, and innovative sales strategies to close new business in staffing.
What sets my training company apart is its focus on the staffing industry. Having both an agency and corporate staffing background, I’m able to empathize with both sides of the hiring spectrum and translate between staffing companies and their clients.
In addition to my unique confluence of staffing experience, the success of my podcast has made me an unlikely expert in personal branding. With over 20,000 staffing companies in the U.S., the industry struggles to create meaningful differentiation amongst their competitors.
With my training, I help staffing companies create meaningful differentiation by helping create a personal brand around each individual salesperson. People like to do business with real people. Not salespeople.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the entrepreneurial community in Dallas. We all seem to want to genuinely help each other. I would have never been able to achieve the results I have if it weren’t for the friends and connections I’ve made in the Dallas entrepreneurial scene. As a matter of fact, I was referred to VoyageDallas.com by a good friend, and one of your previously featured stories, Anthony John Amyx!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://julianplacino.com/
- Email: julian@julianplacino.com
Image Credit:
https://www.competeeveryday.com/ (one of my product sponsors)
http://www.socialventurepartners.org/dallas/ (Social Venture Partners of Dallas is a Non-Profit I support)
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
