Workplace MVP LIVE from SHRM 2021: Kris Garcia, Sandvik, and BriAnn Rachele, NOW CFO

Intro: [00:00:03] Broadcasting live from the SHRM 2021 Conference at the Las Vegas Convention Center, it’s time for Workplace MVP. Brought to you by R3 Continuum, a global leader in workplace behavioral health, crisis, and security solutions. Now, here’s your host.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:22] Hello, everyone. Jamie Gassmann, your host of Workplace MVP, here again, broadcasting episodes from our SHRM 2021 Conference here in Las Vegas. And with me, I have two guests with me for this episode. I’ve got Kris Garcia, Human Resource Generalist for Sandvik. And, I’ve got BriAnn Rachele, who is the Market President for Now CFO. Welcome to the show, you two.

Kris Garcia: [00:00:45] Thank you.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:00:46] Thanks, Jamie. Happy to be here.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:47] So, I’m going to go ahead and start out with Kris here today. Kris, tell us a little bit about yourself and what drove you into H.R. or kind of enticed you into H.R. however you want to approach that? Give us a little background on you.

Kris Garcia: [00:01:00] Yeah, sure. So, Kris Garcia, working at Sandvik. I’ve been there for about five years and, you know, I think that what started it for me was the people aspect of H.R. I really gravitate towards that. I came to a point in my life where I said, what is it that I really have a passion for? What is it that I really want to do? And, I took a three-month hiatus. I left the job that I was at before, and I said I can’t really do this anymore. I don’t like the people. I’m not feeling valued. I feel like I’m being criticized. Like, I can’t be my most authentic self.

Kris Garcia: [00:01:38] And so, what did I do? I said, well, let’s pick up a hobby. Let’s make bow ties. So, I made bow ties. So, I learned how to make bow ties, right. So, just like continue peeling layers and onion layers here, because that’s kind of what I am. So, I said, let’s do it, let’s try it for a couple of months. And then, I went to Europe for a little bit to just kind of find myself and took a little vacation. And then, I came back and I said let’s reevaluate who you are and what is it that you want to do? And, it came down to people. I like people operations. I like having empathy. It’s a big component of who I am as a person, and that kind of drove me into the world of H.R. And I said, yeah, this is where I belong. In whatever capacity that would have been, that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:30] I love that. That’s so powerful. You know, I have a mentor of my own that always says it’s okay to pause to speed up, slow down to speed up. You almost did that yourself with your career going this isn’t the direction I want. It’s so fascinating. And, bow ties.

Kris Garcia: [00:02:46] Yeah.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:46] Of all things.

Kris Garcia: [00:02:47] Of all things.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:48] Interesting.

Kris Garcia: [00:02:48] You know what? It’s funny because I said, “Hey, what is something quirky that not everybody wears?” And I said, “Yeah, it’s a bow tie.”

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:56] Yeah.

Kris Garcia: [00:02:57] And, I want it to be like men, women, anybody in between can wear it. And it’s just, it gives you a little bit of personality. It gives you a little bit of something. So, tomorrow for the concert, you’ll most likely see me in one of my own creations.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:03:12] Awesome.

Kris Garcia: [00:03:13] So, stay tuned to me. Look out for me.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:03:15] Stay tuned. That’s fantastic. So, you were also sharing with me. Now, over the last year, H.R. professionals across the globe have been challenged in balancing, you know, different work environments, you know, different regulations and rules. Talk to me a little bit about that, and I know you have a personal story that we’re going to get to a little bit. But how has that been for you as a professional over this last year?

Kris Garcia: [00:03:41] Well, you know, it’s funny because even with my job, I was 100% remote. I am 100% remote. I work from home doing H.R. I support the folks on the West Coast and I’m an East Coaster. I’m from New Jersey. So, I am three hours. And so, you know, I have to kind of be always in that kind of emotion where like, if someone needs me like 8 o’clock my time, it’s only 5 o’clock their time.

Kris Garcia: [00:04:05] So, a lot of it for me has been, how do I continue, especially after this pandemic and all this stuff that’s been going on that we’re currently living in how do I continue to best support my people who are a lot of them are our technicians that have to go into the office. They don’t have this flexibility of going and working from home. You can’t rebuild a machine from your garage. It’s too big. Our machines are too big, so it’s for mining and construction, so you can imagine the behemoths that we have. So, for me, it’s more like I want to be able to still show my presence there, even if it’s virtual.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:04:51] Yeah, amazing. And, you know, and I’m going to go into this like self-care channel because you shared something that was just really inspiring before we got onto the show itself. But, you know, from a self-care perspective, you know, they promote a lot of that and how you need to take care of yourself, not just in the work environment, but, like, whether it’s meditation or finding some type of an outlet to relieve stress and burnout. Share with us a little bit about what you did over the last year as you kind of balance that isolation that was felt when you were in quarantine.

Kris Garcia: [00:05:21] Yeah. It really was quite a feat for myself. I said I needed a place to have an outlet, especially that was virtual. I went and, you know, I usually go and see my friends all the time, brunches and gatherings, book club, you know wine club, whatever club, all the clubs, just so it gives us an opportunity to hang out, be together and do things together and share our stories. But with the pandemic, I didn’t get to see any of them.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:05:57] Yeah.

Kris Garcia: [00:05:58] We all were very aware of our surroundings and said, you know, we want to be part of our own clusters and we have to be. Like, we created our own clusters so that we knew who we were being a part of. But at the same time, it just didn’t give me that enough of a sensation to say, I don’t feel that connected to you anymore. So, I said, guys, I’m coming up with a podcast.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:06:21] Yeah.

Kris Garcia: [00:06:22] And, you know, my podcast evolved. It was originally just going to be more pop culture-related and ’90s driven. I’m a ’90s baby, so, for me, ’90s, anything excites me.

Kris Garcia: [00:06:35] But then as I kept doing it, I shifted into this what I called now, the podcast is now called BFF Energy! And, it’s just us. And, it’s my friends. I mean, I do it with my best friend and she’s my co-host. Shout out to you Neen. But we go in there and we just talk. And, it could be from anything from self-help to how we’re feeling, how we’re feeling at work, what frustrations we have. She’s about to get married in November, so we’ve been talking about that a lot. But it has brought me this overwhelming sense of joy that gave me a chance to do a check-in with myself.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:07:19] Yeah.

Kris Garcia: [00:07:20] You know, and it has been so great.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:07:23] So, looking at that from a personal kind of realization of the impact of that, from your H.R. perspective, how could something similar to that be implemented into a work environment that might aid in helping some of the employees have some of that connection?

Kris Garcia: [00:07:39] Yeah. Honestly, I think it starts with self-empathy, which it’s not, I don’t – it’s not really even a term, but to me, it is. It’s about really understanding who you are, what you want, and how – if your job isn’t helping you, figure out how to get that. Because sometimes it’s outsourcing the information. Sometimes it’s just not available whether because, you know, your H.R. person or your local manager or whoever maybe doesn’t have that knowledge base, and that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s about you understand you better than anybody understands you. So, you have to be the one to empower yourself to say, what’s going to help me stay focused, not go crazy, especially when things around me are out of control?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:08:31] Sure. Yeah.

Kris Garcia: [00:08:33] For me, that would be, the best advice is self-empathy.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:08:36] Yeah. And, you had that ability to take a three-month hiatus and kind of take some time off. If there’s somebody listening who’s just finding that really intriguing, going how can I do that? I can’t stop working to do that. How can they navigate that? Or what kind of resources do you know of that are accessible, like, maybe in an H.R. capacity that they can tap into? That might help them to be able to do that.

Kris Garcia: [00:08:59] Absolutely. So, I would say first thing, if you can take, you know, some FMLA, some short-term leave, that’s definitely one part to kind of, one secure that you still have a job when you come back if this is the job for you, right? If you are, I’m at a company that I love but right now I need a mental checkout. That’s okay. H.R. understands that. Your manager will at some point understand that. It may not feel right for their agenda, but we can’t be working off everybody’s agenda.

Kris Garcia: [00:09:29] I always say the most H.R. – the most non-H.R. thing sometimes is everybody at the end of the day is an employee ID number, and people hate when I say that. And, the reason I say that is because that kind of puts you in check to say, I am just a number, so I need to learn how to value myself and that the company that I’m at really values who I am. And if they don’t, then don’t.

Kris Garcia: [00:09:55] But also from a monetary perspective, because we have to worry about the bills and we have to worry about that stuff and you have to prepare yourself. I prepared myself six or eight months in advance.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:10:07] Yeah.

Kris Garcia: [00:10:08] I knew at some point that this was coming. So, I said, I need to do this and how am I going to do that? Fortunately, for me, I was living with some roommates, so it was easier for me to pay some stuff and kind of put stuff aside. But not everybody has that luxury. I would just assess what you have. If you have to take a small loan, you know that’s something that you have to do, that’s fine. It’s, again, at the end of the day, you have to have that mental check-in for yourself so that you can say, “Hey, self, if we’re going to do this, let’s plan today and let’s not wait till tomorrow.”

Jamie Gassmann: [00:10:41] Yeah. Let’s be prepared for it. But then, obviously, what you’re meant – what you’re sharing is that there’s options out there and people just may need to look at what’s the best option for them. And, just one final question and just kind of a thought to leave the audience with. If, you know, for you, what has this done in your life and career direction, taking that time out and kind of self-evaluating what’s important? What’s changed for you?

Kris Garcia: [00:11:08] My creativity has been heightened. I’m a very creative person. I like to do many things and giving myself that mental check to one say, what am I really passionate about career-wise? And, where do I see it going? It’s in H.R. Eventually, I joke with my boss, but I always say, at the end of the day, I’m going to take your job because I do, and he knows that and it’s great. But at the same time, it’s also about the job. The company that I work for and the people that I’m surrounded by also give me the space to be creative. And I can think outside the box, what I call my H.R. 2.0 version, and it’s what I go by. That’s what keeps me running so that I can maintain that creativity, that flexibility and then apply it to other things that I’m passionate about, like my podcast.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:12:07] Yeah.

Kris Garcia: [00:12:07] And, you know, maybe making more bow ties. I mean, who knows, right?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:12:11] Yeah.

Kris Garcia: [00:12:11] Like, the possibilities are endless, but I haven’t had done that. It really changed my entire outlook on my whole life. And, I would never take that back again.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:12:24] Yeah, wonderful. And, such a brave move. And, it’s paid off for you.

Kris Garcia: [00:12:28] It has.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:12:29] Very great. Awesome.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:12:30] So, now, we’re going to shift over to our next guest. We’ve got BriAnn Rachele, Market President at Now CFO. Hi, BriAnn.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:12:37] Hi, Jamie.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:12:38] So, BriAnn, share with us your career journey, how you got into being Market President for Now CFO.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:12:43] Okay, yeah. First, can I just say, Kris that was a really inspiring conversation.

Kris Garcia: [00:12:49] Thank you.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:12:49] Jamie, you asked great questions. It was really cool to listen to you and I learned a lot just from the short time that I’ve been sitting next to you.

Kris Garcia: [00:12:55] Thank you so much.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:12:55] Yeah, thank you. Yeah. So, I kind of have a really weird background. I dropped out of high school when I was 15 and I started modeling. I moved overseas and traveled around for 10 years, working full time as a model, and got my GED, didn’t go into any schooling after that. And so, I was kind of always in sales mode, right? As a model, you’re going on castings, you’re selling yourself, you’re trying to get jobs through your personality and trying to build that rapport with a potential client. And, you know, 30 seconds to five minutes of meeting someone, showing them your photos, which is the product, right? And then, trying to convince them that you’re the one that they want to work with.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:13:40] So, I feel like I’ve always had that sales face on, and then I always held a second job in hospitality, working as maybe a cocktail waitress or a barista or a server. And then, when I stopped modeling, I moved into events for hospitality groups, so restaurant and bar groups. This sounds so off-topic with where I’m sitting, but I promise I’m getting somewhere. And then, I moved into management for hospitality, moved into sales, and then I was just kind of complaining to my girlfriends over brunch about my job. And, I had moved back to Utah, which is where I live now.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:14:19] And, I wasn’t happy with where I was and my girlfriend just said, “You’re doing sales anyway, why don’t you come work for this company called Now CFO?” A few of my girlfriends worked there, and I said, “Well, what do they do?” They tried to explain it to me, and I didn’t really understand it, to be honest, at first. So, I had to do a lot of digging and a lot of learning. I interviewed with my former boss and I got the sales job.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:14:41] So, I’ve been with Now CFO for three years now. I worked as a sales, you know, business development representative for two and a half of those years under the founder of the company, worked for the flagship practice there in Utah. We do outsource accounting and finance for those of you who don’t know, so mostly high-level stuff, CFO controller level type stuff. We have a staff of CFOs and controllers even down to bookkeepers that we rent out on an hourly basis to clients who might not need them full time.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:15:13] So, I had to learn a lot in that position about finance and accounting. I got the opportunity to meet with different business owners and business leaders every single day, learning the ins and outs of different industries and how they came to be where they were. And then, I got to advise them on the financial and accounting side, on what they needed to do to get to where they wanted to go.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:15:35] So, I did that for two and a half years, and then my boss sidestepped into the CFO role at Now CFO, and me and the director at the time got bumped up to fill his role. He was a really great guy, is a really great guy. So, it took two of us to fill his position. And so, here I am, you know, no finance or accounting background, running my own practice, the flagship practice there in Utah for almost 400 person company. Super, super fun.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:16:05] I’m learning a lot every single day, and kind of the biggest takeaway for me right now is kind of running my own, it’s like I’m running my own business. I get to be the client, right. I have my CFO who I’m talking to on at least a monthly basis, going through our reports and everything, and I really get to see the client-side of why a CFO is so important. Because if I didn’t have him explaining the numbers to me, I would not know what I’m doing.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:16:31] So, anyway, very long-winded answer of how I came to be where I am. I definitely have, like, the imposter syndrome thing going on. I feel the people around me, especially at this conference. It’s great to see so many women, first of all, at a conference in general, but so many executive women who have worked really hard to get to where they are. And, yeah, it’s really great to be here.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:16:54] Yeah. That’s fascinating. So, it sounds like you kind of had your own kind of career track at some point in time going, “Gosh, this isn’t really what I want to be doing,” and got into something that’s now kind of brightened like a passion in you and kind of learning a different trade. Very cool.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:17:08] Thank you.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:17:09] So, you know, and you mentioned imposter syndrome, and that’s so common and a lot of, you know, as people climb ranks within, you know. What does that feel like for you? You know, in your role? Like, what are some of the things that you, you know – how do you combat that?

BriAnn Rachele: [00:17:26] Yeah. So, it is difficult and it is interesting as I talk with peers. You know, I’m a part of a lot of different networking groups. Now, I get to be amongst executives, and I’m learning that more often than not, other people, like you said, are experiencing the same thing, which sucks. But it’s also really great for me to be able to, you know, relate to these people.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:17:52] As far as combating it, I guess kind of what I’m doing here today. So, I came to this conference to meet people to be able to learn what resources are out there so I can take that back to our prospects and our clients and give them resources. A lot of the time the companies that we’re working for also don’t have, you know, an H.R. person or a department. And so, that’s what I’m really doing here is just learning so I can take that back to them.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:18:19] But from being here, I’m learning a lot for myself on how to become a better leader, which is really important to me. It’s a new thing for me, running a team. And so, I think I’ve kind of just fallen into this part of it. But that’s something that I’m doing, and I’m just trying to wrap my arms around it and really soak everything in and really listen to the people that I’m meeting, and everyone’s really interesting here. They all have their own stories like Kris. Had I not sat down to do this podcast, I probably wouldn’t have run into Kris and learn all this. And, there’s so much knowledge in this room alone. So, I think today I’m definitely going to just talk to as many people as I can and learn from them and try to fix that imposter syndrome and become the leader that I want to be so I don’t feel that anymore.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:19:02] Yeah, that’s fantastic. And, honestly, it’s always good to know when you talk to other people and open that dialogue that you’re not alone. And, that’s a very common feeling when people move into those certain roles. And, obviously, you know, the mentorship, you kind of mentioned that you moved into your previous boss’ role, you know. How has that been for you and kind of, because, obviously, you know, coming into that industry, maybe not with as much of the knowledge as maybe some of your peers might have had, you really have been able to embrace and kind of learn from others and I think it’s really fascinating. So, how has that mentorship helped you as you’ve grown in your career?

BriAnn Rachele: [00:19:40] With my previous boss specifically?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:19:43] Or just in general?

BriAnn Rachele: [00:19:44] Okay.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:19:44] It sounds like you’ve had a lot of mentors that have helped to guide you along your path.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:19:48] Yeah, super, super important. So, if I didn’t have those people, I would not be where I am today. I think I definitely would have given up and changed, you know, made a change, had some excuse as to why I would have needed to change industries or professions in some way, shape, or form. So, it’s been imperative. Can I throw a couple of names out there?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:20:11] Oh, absolutely. Yeah.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:20:12] So, my former boss, Brian Hayes, our founder, Jim Bennett, have been just the best resources, learning from them, watching them work, being able to be, work side by side with them for the last three years, and learn everything, be able to feel like I can openly ask questions. And, you know, they make me feel like those questions are valid and they walk me through it, and they’ve just given me so much knowledge. Also, my co-market president, Nate Sorenson, I would not be here without him. He is just so smart and we do things very differently from each other. So, really trying to have open conversations about how both of us can be better in whatever way has really helped. And then, Jeff Erickson, he’s with a company called Carta, my main mentor. I kind of go to him for everything in life, personally and professionally, and he’s been great.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:21:04] So, I think it’s imperative to make those connections with people and even if it’s a mentor for five minutes. And, I learned so much from Kris or you, Jamie. Or, if you have a mentor that you can have there for you over the years, just take it all in as you can, and it’s imperative that you have those people in your life.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:21:20] Yeah, absolutely. Well, and they see things in you that you don’t see in yourself. And so, I’m sure you probably have, you know, identified that in your career where it’s like, gosh, really me? Like, okay, I can do this, you know, they believe in me. I’m going to take that step forward, which is fantastic.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:21:37] Yeah, and I think the keyword is they, you know, I think, if people can really try to branch out and have many mentors. If you’re hearing it from one person, it can kind of get, you think that it might be biased, you know. But when you’re hearing it from different people around you, then that’s when it really kind of sinks in more and when it’s consistent. So, I think other people are the key. People are the key.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:22:00] Yeah. Well and as leaders too, right? When you think of like a leader, like you’re in a leadership role, you know, I lead a team of marketers as well, you know, being able to be that mentor for somebody else, you know, how much is – you know, do you feel like you’re doing that for your team or are you anxiously waiting to go back and be able to do some of that?

BriAnn Rachele: [00:22:24] I feel like I’m not there yet. I’m really trying, yeah.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:22:28] Yeah. You’ll get there. Yeah. I know, I mean, and it’s just being aware of, like, the impact that’s made on your own career. And so, here at the SHRM Conference, you know, obviously you mentioned that some of the sessions you’ve just gathered so much information. What have been some of the great takeaways that you can’t wait to kind of bring back to your team from what you’ve heard throughout the sessions?

BriAnn Rachele: [00:22:50] Yeah. I think, first of all, the resources that are here, I mean, I’m looking around the Expo Center right now and there are just so many booths and I’ve only made it through not even a quarter of them yet. And, I am writing notes on all the business cards. You know, there are just so many resources out there.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:23:08] So, that’s one thing that I that I’ve taken away is, and it’s kind of what you said, Kris, where if you don’t know, go searching for it, you’re going to find it. There are so many different services out there and technologies and they’re all there to help there, especially in the H.R. space, right. They’re there to help you. So, I think that’s one for sure.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:23:29] And then, the other big takeaway for me, I was sitting on in the general session yesterday with, oh gosh, I forgot his name but the founder of Chipotle and their H.R. director. And, culture, culture, culture, right? That’s what everyone says. But it’s so hard to figure out where to start with that. It’s like, what do you do? What do you – do I just have a meeting and say, hey, guys, we’re going to work on our culture.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:23:56] There’s so many steps that you can take, and I think it’s really important like Kris said, again, start with anything, start today, don’t start tomorrow because it keeps getting pushed off. Start with one little thing and then let it grow from there. You’ll see a difference and then you can start adding things. So, that’s a huge takeaway that I got from yesterday’s general session.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:24:14] I think what I’m going to do, and maybe you should check up on this with me. Make sure I do it, Jamie.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:24:20] [Inaudible] hold you accountable.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:24:22] One thing that she said is listen to your employees so they’ll go in and they’ll just – or they’ll have their leaders go in and just say they’ll take one minute to talk. Hey, this is what I’m doing here. Nice to see you guys. And then, instead of them presenting as a leader, they open it up and the next 59 minutes or 55 minutes are for the employees to talk and present to the leaders. And, I think that that’s awesome. So, I’m going to give that a go and we’ll see how it works.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:24:54] Yeah, yeah. Having that transparency and giving your employees that comfortability to know that it’s okay if they talk.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:25:02] Yes.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:25:02] That you want to hear from them is so important, especially after this last year, right? I mean, you need to hear from them because everything has changed so much, not only in our business world but also in our employees’ lives and worlds that, you know, hearing that conversation with them makes such a difference.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:25:19] Yeah. And, I think the other thing that they said was, you know, you can listen all you want but if you don’t do anything after, it doesn’t mean anything.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:25:26] That’s such a key takeaway right there. You got to put into action at least something.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:25:30] Yeah. And then, what they said beyond that because then it’s like, well, that’s really huge. That’s a lot of pressure. You know, like, what am I going to do? I’m going to go fix everything now. So, what they preface that with is, hey, we’re going to do – we’re going to make changes. We’re going to do the best that we can. If we don’t get it right, we’re going to try again until we get it right.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:25:48] So, I think that’s a really solid promise that you, as long as you’re trying, you’re going to be able to keep that. So, that takes a lot of pressure off of like getting things right the first time and probably the biggest takeaway thus far.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:26:00] Yeah. Well, I’m glad you shared that here on our show because that’s such a great takeaway and it’s also a really good reminder for leaders to know you don’t have to have it perfect right out the gate. But as long as you can show that you tried and that you heard and you listened and you took action from what they heard, it makes such a big difference. So, thank you for sharing that.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:26:18] Thank you.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:26:19] Now, if our guests wanted to get a hold of either of you, to touch base, learn a little bit more, find out where your podcast is or where to get a bow tie, or just wanting to hear more or like reach out in terms of mentoring and, you know, helping with imposter syndrome, which is so common, a lot of people go through that, how can they reach out to you? How would you like them to get in touch? Try that again.

Kris Garcia: [00:26:44] Let’s try that again. There you go. [Inaudible] once I can hear myself.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:26:47] Yeah.

Kris Garcia: [00:26:48] It’s like.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:26:48] Yeah.

Kris Garcia: [00:26:49] You can reach me on Instagram, Twitter, @krisjgarcia, K-R-I-S, J Garcia. And, I feel free. I love talking to people. I love being able to share my own journey but also listening to your journey and how best you can kind of get that. And, also, if you want to have a fun distraction, you can listen to the podcast. It’s called BFF Energy! With Neen and Kris, and that’s available on all platforms. Actually, it’s BFF Energy! With Kris and Neen. I made it up so it’s me first. What? How dare I? See. That’s how good of a friend I am. Put my friends first. But you can also follow that, BFF Energy! pod, on all the platforms and it’s available on all streaming services.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:27:36] Wonderful. How about for you, BriAnn?

BriAnn Rachele: [00:27:39] Yeah. So, I mean, everyone, please go add me on LinkedIn, Instagram. I couldn’t say it better than Kris had just said, just love meeting new people, hearing their stories, sharing mine. So BriAnn Rachele, B-R-I-A-N-N R-A-C-H-E-L-E.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:27:57] Wonderful.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:27:57] Yeah.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:27:57] Thank you both for being on our show. Very inspiring stories, both of you, honestly. I’ve learned so much and it’s just so great. You know, it’s okay to take a time out and reassess your career. And, that’s such a great takeaway from this conversation. Thank you for sharing all that.

Kris Garcia: [00:28:10] Thank you.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:28:10] Thanks, Jamie.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:28:11] And, if you are in our SHRM Expo, stop by Booth 4076 to hear our podcast or to kind of meet our show sponsor, R3 Continuum. And, with that, you guys have a great rest of your day.

Kris Garcia: [00:28:23] You too. Thank you so much.

BriAnn Rachele: [00:28:24] Thank you.