Get out of my way!  I'm insane in the morning.   Once my silly iPhone alarm goes off, all it takes is the tiny, little thought of firing up my Kuerig and rocking a 20 ounce coffee to get me flying. 

Mere moments into the new day, I'm already thinking and planning my morning activities at work.  Momentum in my mind builds as I travel mentally through to-do's with clients on JO's and my excitement starts sizzling.  Off to the shower and I sprint for my phone.

My favorite athlete right now is a young guy named Jose Iglesias.  You gotta see this guy!  He's one of the guys who plays shortstop with the Detroit Tigers.  He is so cool to watch.  He's a 23 year old guy who's entire persona glows with excitement for the 'the game'.  Half of you hate this expression but this is the guy who gives 110%.  I've watched him play on TV.  I've been to Comerica Park and have seen his energy first-hand live. 

Baseball is purely spectator sport and entertainment to me.  I don't really know the bells and whistles of the game.  Half the time I have to stop and try to remember what ERA, RBI, and pitch count means.  HOWEVER, I can spot passion a mile away.  And I eat it up like my dog gobbles down bacon.

Check it out for yourself, the Tigers are headed into the championship series and you can see for yourself what I'm talking about with this guy.  It's really cool!

That said.  I love making money.  Not like Donald Trump because I'll never see his kind of money.  But I love the deal.  And right now I'm batting .250.  (Half my stuff are fall-offs and I'm working on that.)

I have people who work for me and they make really good money.  Most of this success is clearly because of the infrastructure of our office.  We have the very best tools of the trade for our industry specialty.  We collectively take advantage of all of this to press on and make magic.

So here's the thing.  The other recruiters in the office aren't like me.  They are younger and to them this is a job.  They often trudge into the office in the morning and drag the lunch out an extra ten minutes.  I hear the yawns of boredom sometime around 4PM just about the time when I'm manufacturing my BIG BANG GRAND FINALE before I close the doors. 

I know it's me.  I know it's the environment.  I know it's also ten other things I can't put my finger on.

Let's put things in perspective.  These are people who yield four-figure commissions upon a successfully completed deal.  In my office, each recruiter makes either 2 or 3 placements per month.  Not bad. 

We have flex hours.  Unlimited vacation time.  Casual dress code.  An office designed to resemble an automotive shop to keep things fun.  Endless amounts of caffeine in the form of coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks.  We celebrate each placement with EVERYONE getting a check to deposit.  We have an office lunch or dinner every couple months and go to an occasional game.

They lack self motivation.  Plain and simple.

Incoming money has the opposite reaction to them than it does to me.  I love it!  I pay stuff off.  I buy stuff.  I save money.  I make donations.  I say my thankful prayers in private.  I LOVE IT!!!  Let's do it again!

Not them.  The money comes in and is distributed and it's like the fizz has left the soda.  Thought bubbles float invisibly above their skulls that say in ghostly neon, "That's it?"

I train metrics.  I encourage an "always market" office strategy.  We laugh at whacky candidates together and try to keep the spirit of the office on the climb. 

Last week, I brought a huge hamburger (10 pounder - one burger) to the office for fun with ketchup, mustard, and fries.  One recruiter slumped in her chair and expressed disappointment because I forgot mayonnaise.  Two other were playing Wolfgang Puck versus Gordon Ramsey and making comments about the bun.  Am I hypersensitive?  No.  I'm past that.  It's not hypersensitivity, it's disappointment.

My placements are running around four to their one.  I heal my own pain with what I do.

Tonight the Tigers play the Twins.  I hope Jose is on the roster.  Maybe I'll be inspired to tap into THE MYSTERY OF WHAT OTHER POSSIBLE MOTIVATOR THERE CAN EXIST FOR HEADHUNTERS OTHER THAN MAKING MONEY. 

Time for another coffee.  Then a placement.

- Steve