Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Torres.
Hi Heidi, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up around San Antonio, TX, studied at 14 schools, and lived in three countries. It turned out that I was good at building relationships and leveraged that skill for more than 20 years in commissioned sales across multiple states for a major retailer.
Over the years, I hired, trained, and led progressively larger sales teams. I loved developing and training employees and helping them become successful at work. That was when I realized I needed to change careers to something that would allow me to do more of what I loved which turned out to be HR. I earned my bachelor’s degree in HR Management from Texas Woman’s University. I graduated and passed the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) certification exam. I currently volunteer on four non-profit organization committees and after losing my father to Alzheimer’s in 2020 I raised thousands of dollars for the Alzheimer’s Association that year alone. During the pandemic, I wrote a book, and landed a dream job working at HerrinHR.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The change in careers was easier than one might expect because I had my husband’s encouragement to pursue my newfound passion. The toughest part was trying to balance school, taking care of my father during his final stages of Alzheimer’s, learning how to network, and finding an HR job.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My boss Mallory Herrin is amazing! I am an HR Generalist for HerrinHR, a consultancy firm that specializes in strategic HR services for small and medium-sized businesses. Mrs. Herrin and I connected at a DallasHR Gala where we were both nominated for an award. The challenges of my job are a little different every day, which is part of what makes my job so much fun.
Some of my responsibilities include developing customized trainings, research, producing social media content regarding current HR topics, and coordinating tasks that improve HR functions for our clients.
I am known as HRHeidi, the connector who gets stuff done. I am the first to volunteer to help those who are in transition and in my spare time provide free job seeker consultations. In fact, before I worked at HerrinHR Mrs. Herrin reached out to me to see if I knew anyone who would be a good fit for one of her clients. I am proud to announce that New Degree Press is publishing my book, “The CEOs of Networking: Connecting, Engaging, & the Opportunities to Serve.” It will be released in August 2021. The pre-sale campaign is live the month of April at https://igg.me/at/CEOsofNetworking.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
It is never too late to find something you are passionate about. I never thought after working 20 years in one career that I could feel so energized doing something else. Making a change in careers was the best thing I did and while I am busier now than I have ever been – I love it! The keys to successfully changing or transitioning careers are volunteering (serving others) and networking. The opportunities will follow.
Contact Info:
- Email: heidi.torres@herrinhr.com
- Work Website: https://herrinhr.com/
- Personal Website: https://hrheidi.com
- Website: https://herrinhr.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hrheiditorres/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Htorres37
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuA3M4N2p-nTF-pC5uGUZug
