Duston Harper 🧠’s Post

It’s with mixed emotions that I announce I have left Williams Commerce Being involved from the start, we’ve had ups and downs (like every business), but with commitment, passion and team work I enjoyed the past 13+ years. ⌚️I will take the opportunity for some personal time before I will be gearing up for a new start. 💬In the meantime if anyone from my network or beyond has a minute it would be a great support if you leave a recommendation on my profile to describe our relationship as a (old) colleague, partner, customer, friend or even family! 💡If you have or know about an opportunity which aligns with my values Honesty, Integrity & Commitment and is ideally a Strategic (Growth) role in Sales or Client Relations, remote or hybrid in the UK, please drop me a message of leave a comment. 🤝Introductions are also appreciated. 🆕I cant wait to find something new to get my teeth stuck into. #opentowork #changeisgood #newbeginnings #digital #growth #strategy #commited

From Candidate to Client: How Unexpected Turns Shape Success I just had a conversation with a client I've known since I began recruiting nearly 20 years ago. I first cold-called his store back in October 2005 when he was a Store Manager for an outdoorsmen retailer, fresh out of college with a major in Biology. At the time, he had worked part-time as an associate while in college and full-time during school breaks. When graduation came, senior leadership noticed him and offered him a Store Manager position. He accepted it as a temporary solution while he sought opportunities aligned with his education. Fast forward nearly 20 years, and he's now the SVP of Stores for that same company! He's played a key role in breaking into new markets and expanding the company's footprint. So, while I didn't manage to recruit him back then, we've remained connected. We've referred talent, shared market insights, and partnered on filling crucial positions. You never know where that one call might lead. Even if someone isn’t the right fit for a position or isn’t using outside search services at the time, you can still find and add value. ⭐ Thank you for your continued partnership.⭐ #retail #retailindustry #changingcourse #partnership #bringvalue #wholesale #supplychain #distribution #fulfillment #ecommerce #staffingneeds #searchsupport #openpositions #jobs #ceo #cfo #coo #cio #vpofstores #outdoorsman #homeandfarm #agretail #specialtyretail #ruralstores #districtmanager #regionalmanager

Around 5 years ago I came across a sales guy, Nathan, who I thought was a gun.   Down to earth, humbly confident, strong values, and smart, with a great personality.   He was starting to explore his next career move. He was specific about what he wanted – it was all about finding the right culture. He was more than happy to wait for the right opportunity.   Throughout the years, Nathan and I kept in touch. Sometimes just to check in on the job market. Other times just to chat about life in general. He stayed with his employer throughout this time. He wasn’t unhappy. He was promoted through the ranks. He just wanted something that was a better fit for his long game.   Last month, I took a brief for a new sales role that I was pretty pumped about. A great company. Ambitious growth plans. An inspiring leadership team. The whole time throughout the brief, all I could think was, “This is Nathan’s next career move.”   Last week, Nathan signed on the dotted line.   It’s everything he’s looking for – a company culture and values that align with him. And he is everything our client has been looking for.   I can’t wait to see what Nathan and this business achieve together.   Playing the long game can sometimes get frustrating. But when it pays off with a match that feels like it was always meant to be, it’s so rewarding.   Which long game partnerships are you most proud of?   #sales #longgame #recruitmentlife

From Candidate to Client: How Unexpected Turns Shape Success I just had a conversation with a client I've known since I began recruiting nearly 20 years ago. I first cold-called his store back in October 2005 when he was a Store Manager for an outdoorsmen retailer, fresh out of college with a major in Biology. At the time, he had worked part-time as an associate while in college and full-time during school breaks. When graduation came, senior leadership noticed him and offered him a Store Manager position. He accepted it as a temporary solution while he sought opportunities aligned with his education. Fast forward nearly 20 years, and he's now the SVP of Stores for that same company! He's played a key role in breaking into new markets and expanding the company's footprint. So, while I didn't manage to recruit him back then, we've remained connected. We've referred talent, shared market insights, and partnered on filling crucial positions. You never know where that one call might lead. Even if someone isn’t the right fit for a position or isn’t using outside search services at the time, you can still find and add value. ⭐ Thank you for your continued partnership.⭐ #retail #retailindustry #changingcourse #partnership #bringvalue #wholesale #supplychain #distribution #fulfillment #ecommerce #staffingneeds #searchsupport #openpositions #jobs #ceo #cfo #coo #cio #vpofstores #outdoorsman #homeandfarm #agretail #specialtyretail #ruralstores #districtmanager #regionalmanager

Recently in November I completed my first year at Best Buy and I want to share some of my reflections on my first year and a few months. 1. I've never stopped learning. From my first day to over a year in I have continuously learned new skills, roles, product knowledge, and sales approaches. This has made work exciting and rewarding because I love learning new things. 2. Being flexible has been super important over the last year. To date I have worked in most areas of the store. Warehouse, Customer Service and the Sales floor. Knowing how to work in all three departments makes my weekly schedule pretty diverse. I am primarily at the customer service desk but am frequently scheduled sales floor and can fill in the warehouse as need. This not only keeps work interesting for me but it also allows me to be moved anywhere in the store as needed, sometimes contributing to all three in one shift. 3. Retail is hard but having supportive leadership helps especially when things get stressful or customers need assistance that non-management are unequipped to handle. 4. Train how you want to be trained. When I first was trained there were some ways that I knew if I had the opportunity to train myself I would change the approach. That usually means walking through how to do something then watching from the side and having the person learn through doing. Also I make myself available through questions as much as I can. 5. Customers interactions can be super rewarding. Whether a nice comment left on a survey or emailed to our leadership team or being mistaken for a manager comments from customers are a good way to know that you're doing well and providing good service, which I pride myself on as much as my sales numbers. 6. I have been able to get leadership opportunities which include training new staff members, being one of two main customer service employees, being trusted to take on projects including preparing front end/customer service for Black Friday as well as rearrange displays on the sales floor and lastly leading the tear down of truck and all that is included with that process (validating manifest, putting product away, receiving truck). I've learned and accomplished a lot in little over a year at Best Buy including for several months being one of the top performers in selling memberships or card applications as well as being top three in a quarter for home theater and computing baskets (amount of additional product sold with a TV or Computer). I look forward to learning more and developing my skills further however long I remain at Best Buy. #BestBuy #sales #leadership #customerservice #warehouse #learning #retail #technology #training

Dirty linen, meet public, time to get aired 😂 I spent yesterday cold calling old connections for business. These are people who had connected with me on LI voluntarily. Some of them I know better than others but they are WORKING IN SALES LEADERSHIP roles. Anyway, one them, listened to my vm, went to the trouble of viewing my profile and then disconnected and blocked me without saying a word. 🤦♂️😂😂😂 And this fella is in charge of a sales team. Couldn't make it up. Killed myself laughing and lord help his charges. Happy Friday to you all. May our leaders be willing to do themselves what they ask of us 😂 #salesjobs #sdrhiring #salesrecruitment

Sharing a #TBT! DISH Network was where I landed my first #Sales job in the "corporate" world, and I realized only after a few days of sitting in my cubicle attached to my headset that I could not be trapped inside my cubicle for another second; #InsideSales just wasn’t for me, and needed to be out in the field. Fortunately, my boss recognized that I would thrive in a #FieldSales position; he took a chance on me and offered me an opportunity to take on a new role, and I'd be the first in the company! Jeffrey Sanford! I moved to Portland, OR, and covered the Northwest. I managed large accounts like Fred Meyer, Costco, and Ace Hardware. I was by far the youngest on the team, and I was also the ONLY woman. The funny thing is that they had to change their 2-to-hotel room travel policy since I wasn't bunking with a man! I experienced a lot of, let’s call them, “challenges,” being the only woman and so young at the time. But that’s for another post! I learned the product's features and benefits (yes, when solution selling was a thing)🤷♀️ because I was selling to managers and owners who were making a living off of OUR products. I LOVED this stuff. I wanted to learn EVERYTHING so I could answer questions and guide my customers to become successful. This presentation was in 1999. Yeah, I know, people will say I shouldn't share dates because you can figure out my age, but I think my experiences can be of value, and I'm proud of my career path! In the video, I was conducting a training where we were rolling out the ability to pause live. We were doing it before anybody else. It was an exciting time. I got to go to the EchoStar satellite launch party and events sponsored by HBO and Showtime, and I was even able to visit the TiVo HQ due to the partnership! This was my first #RemoteJob; I worked from home. I had DSL at the time and a camera with a floppy disk, so I could take pictures at all of my stores and send them back to corporate. I remember needing to update my notes and make sure to send over my files before the overnight synch happened! I learned to teach my customers how to sell and make more commission! I made sure to get in front of as many as possible! I planned my weeks in 4 states and even packed my snowboard in my pickup truck just in case I got caught in a snowstorm 😉. I would even climb up on the roof at Costco to fix the satellite so our demo TV would work. In my suit, mind you. If the demo TV wasn’t working, I knew we wouldn’t sell any DISH! I KNEW sales was the path for me; I loved the independence and doing something that would make an impact. #SalesMethodology has changed!!! I really hope we are not standing up rattling off features and benefits, but what is the same? It is dedication, truly understanding what you are “selling, “ and engaging with people. 🎥In the video, I do a #demo and Pause live TV. It was evident back then that I would become a #trainer and be #speaking; even as a sales rep, I was all over it! Enjoy!

🌟 Spotlight Alert! 🌟 Join us in celebrating Blanca Oseguera, Category Manager at OneSource Distributors, and a valued member of NAWIC LA Chapter #42! 🎉 Our membership team Simone Date and Stephani Valdez had the pleasure of interviewing Blanca to learn more about her incredible journey and contributions to the construction industry. Stay tuned for insights and inspiration from one of our esteemed members! What company do you work for? OneSource Distributors What’s your job title? Category Management- Lighting What duties do you have at work? Inventory, Supply Chain, Marketing, Sales, Vendor Relations What’s the most exciting part of your job? Getting to know people What’s something you find challenging about your work? Supply and Demand What motivates you at work? Helping a customer save money and time Who do you look up to in your company? Thea Copeland VP of Strategy Do you have any mentors in your professional life? Yes, 2 What was your first paying job? At a retail store Who inspires you? My son inspires me to do better everyday What kind of music do you like? Little bit of everything Do you like traveling? yes What’s the best place you’ve traveled to? Clearwater beach Florida Do you like reading? If so, what genre of books do you like? Woman Focused to Succeed What’s the best book you’ve read recently? “Be seen” What’s something you’re proud of? What I have accomplished in a short period of time What’s your favorite food? Mexican What’s your favorite movie? Devil wears Prada Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies? Interior Design Do you have any pets? no Are you a sports fan? What are your favorite teams? Yes Football and Baseball Cowboys and Yankees What’s your biggest fear? Not to succeed How would your friends describe you? Everyone needs a Blanca in their lives Why did you join construction? My chance when I was 20 years old. Please join us at WIC Week March 3rd-9th, register: www.nawicla.org #NAWICLA #WomenInConstruction #Spotlight #MemberAppreciation #BuildingTogether #ConstructionIndustry #Inspiration

Week 8 post layoff I continue to progress in landing a new role - some rejections but also some very positive movement. I continue to stay busy, focus on my future endeavors and volunteer. What I worry about a lot is the impact to my colleagues and especially those on my team that were impacted. So - I want to bring some visibility to a few folks and ask if you could share within your network and let's help these accomplished sales professionals land and add value to any organization! Kristen Battle: Rochester, NY - a tenured inside sales professional with an incredibly positive attitude! Pat Coogan: Rochester, NY - a tenured inside sales professional with a can-do attitude that adds immense value to his teammates. Gretchen Luneau: Lafayette, LA - a Medical Technologist, former lab manager and tenured sales professional with distribution experience. Has amazing relationships in the Southeast Region. Emma Koob: Denver, CO - Customer/Technical Service experience in addition to Inside Sales - can get to know a customer and understand their needs. Matthew Wisotzke, MBA: Tampa, FL - Business Analytics and Logistics background transitioned into sales. Well-rounded background and ready to land in a company that will help him continue his journey! All are highly trained, team-oriented sales professionals. Let's help them land a new role that can showcase their experience and skillsets. Getting impacted in a downsizing is not a reflection of our performance - for those of you in the same boat - keep supporting each other, stay busy and keep the focus....it's easy to get discouraged - let's help continue to lift each other. There are much better options out there!!!!!!!

Opportunity is knocking.