About twenty months ago, RecruitingBlogs.com put out a post to the membership stating that he would be attending the Kennedy Conference in Las Vegas and they had a couple cameras that needed to be manned. He They wondered if anyone was interested in attending and would like to help them out. I emailed and called expressing interest. It was at this conference that I met many RBC members including the new Chief Marketing Officer, Maren Hogan. Maren is the sunshine of this space that many of us call home. She works tirelessly to create and maintain the look and feel of the community.

Maren's personal vision coincides nicely with what she continuously achieves here at RBC: building loyalty, gratitude, and a learning environment. "This is how you engage with people and identify influencers." Maren, herself climbed on that loyalty boat long ago. She has been a member for almost two years and has given of herself freely for so long that when an official offer of employment came, she hesitated, taking a full month to accept. How do you stay true to that loyalty and devotion, built upon a passionate commitment of the heart and then suddenly attach a paycheck or dollar amount to it?


It may be easy for some, I sense not so easy for Maren, her hesitation speaks for itself. The key influencers in her life have always followed their hearts in any job or career they have chosen. It is the most important factor in saying yes to an offer, "I cannot understand going to a 9-5 job, every day, that you are not impassioned about, that you don't love. This is crucial to people's happiness, 70% of our lives are spent working..." The drive behind her presence is clear, she loves what she does and she does it well. She loves spotlighting others, making sure their message is delivered in the best possible way. Her impact is real and happiness is part of the sunshine package.

"I don't need my name in lights, in the marquee. I am happy to be changing the light bulbs." And change them she does, daily. Her pattern of support is consistent, she likes promoting the ideas of others and admits that she relentlessly studies their work. She considers herself to be an avid student and engaging with those who know more is the surest way to learn. "You can only skate by on common sense for so long." Her mad google skills brought her to us. She says simply, "Our family firm was depending upon me to learn about the business, the industry. I wanted to find blogs about recruiting - so I googled recruiting blogs." The rest, as they say, is history.

Given that Maren is a consummate student, I asked her about the most important lessons she has learned --

From marketing: "Sometimes it is better to be righteous than right. You hear all the time: blow your own horn, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, blah, blah, blah. Sometimes it is just not worth my time to engage in something that will not advance my job, my career, or my thoughts."

From being married: "Pick your battles." She is quick to recognize her husband's importance in her own career success, "I could not do what I do without my husband, Jeremy - he does everything. " Maren and Jeremy have three young sons: Quinlan, Jackson and Rocky and have been married for nine years.

From being a mom: "I think the most important thing is that children are people. They have rights, privileges, actions, thoughts - each child is their own person with their own heart and mind. Always frame choices for them. When we frame choices, we can influence what they choose, steering them toward a good choice, toward the right goal."

From RecruitingBlogs.com: "I learned how to really build community, not just throw up a Ning site, but to truly build, impact, and maintain a healthy community. It is not easy, not a part-time job. I have taken mental and written notes from the moment I started here."

Maren is a keen observer and she releases bits of sunshine and common sense along the way. Her path is clear. She gets it. Why? Because she is a watcher. She enjoys sitting back, watching people and seeing what is not being said. "Sometimes you just need to sit back and see what's going on." That and oh.., she loves to dance!

I have loved Maren from the moment I met her...




© by rayannethorn


I am very happy to feature Maren in this, my 200th Bonus Track!