A Five-Pack of TE Hall of Fame Inductees!
Everybody loves a six-pack . . . of whatever you want your six-pack to be.
However, there IS something to be said for a five-pack. And that’s because we have a five-pack of Top Echelon Hall of Fame inductees this week in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog!
But that’s enough talking about the five-pack. Because just like the six-pack, you don’t want to stand around talking about it. You want to enjoy it. So let’s meet our HOF inductees for this week:
- Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search, Inc.
- Lou Michaels of Lou Michaels Associates, Inc.
- Donna Carroll, CPC of Systems Personnel
- Angela Marasco of A. Marasco Recruiting, LLC
- Nick Stoia, CPC of ASAP Search
We’re a little over a month into “Top Echelon’s Epic 95 Days of Summer,” so we have many more days (and HOF inductees) to go. Will we have another five-pack next week? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see.
Because there might—just might—be a six-pack.
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ALL IN: Thirty years ago on July 28, Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search, Inc. in Hollywood, Florida joined Top Echelon Network, which was still operating under the name of Nationwide Interchange Service (NIS).
Since that day, Steve has put together three decades of production that has been nearly unsurpassed in the history of Top Echelon. During the past 30 years, Steve has made 553 split placements as a member of the Network, putting him in the top two all-time in terms of cash-in as a member of TE.
There is perhaps no other recruiter who has been as split-minded as Steve and as willing to make the Network a part of his daily routine—and his business overall.
“We have access to so many expert recruiters who successfully run their businesses in so many different ways,” he said of Network membership. “The opportunities for learning better ways to do things, outside of split placements, are endless. The real magic of using a split placement network properly is that it enables each of us to perform better than we’re individually capable of. Top Echelon IS my business model.”
Steve’s success has also been a family affair over the years, as his daughters Rebecca and Hannah have made split placements while working for Affinity Executive Search. In addition, Steve’s agency has been named to Forbes magazine’s “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” list and “Best Professional Recruiting Firms” list.
“Steve Kohn has been ‘all in’ as a TE member since his first day in the Network,” said Top Echelon President Mark Demaree. “He has fully maximized his membership and stands as a model and example to other recruiters who want to do the same within Top Echelon. His induction is a foregone conclusion.”
We at Top Echelon are pleased to announce the induction of Steve Kohn into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 class!
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LEGEND: We’ve inducted a few “old-school” recruiters into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame already this summer, but guess what? We have yet another one!
That’s right, and that recruiter’s name is Lou Michaels of Lou Michaels Associates, Inc. in Battle Creek, Michigan. Lou just missed out on being a Charter Member of Top Echelon Network, as he and his agency joined Nationwide Interchange Service in October of 1988. NIS—now Top Echelon Network—was founded in March of that same year.
Lou made a total of 174 Network placements during his time in TE, and those placements helped make him one of the all-time cash-in leaders in Top Echelon history. However, what he did within the Network pales in comparison to what he did outside of it.
That’s because Lou had already been a recruiter for 20 years prior to his agency joining Top Echelon. Some recruiters can boast of being in the recruiting profession for 30 years. Some can even boast of being a recruiter for 40 years. However, it is the rare person who can say that they’ve been an agency recruiter for half a century. While Lou unfortunately passed on a few years ago, he was truly a recruiting legend within the profession and within Top Echelon Network.
According to Top Echelon President Mark Demaree, Lou was not only a model Network member, but he also exemplified Top Echelon’s mission statement of “helping the world work.”
“Lou Michaels was an icon during this time in Top Echelon Network,” said Mark. “He made a phenomenal impact on the lives of candidates, companies, and the recruiters with whom he made split placements. He truly helped the ‘world work’ on many levels.”
We at Top Echelon are pleased to announce the induction of Lou Michaels into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 class!
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MODEL MEMBER: Like many of the recruiters who we’ve inducted so far, Donna Carroll, CPC of Systems Personnel in Southwick, Massachusetts has earned the distinction for multiple reasons.
One reason: Donna made 150 Network placements during her tenure in Top Echelon Network.
A second reason: She made more than 50 of those split placements with the same recruiter!
That recruiter? You might recognize him because it’s Gary Silver of The Shay Group, who is also a 2024 inductee into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame! The trading partner relationship that Donna and Gary built and cultivated is the type of relationship to which all Network recruiters should aspire.
Here’s what Donna had to say about her trading partner relationship with Gary after they made their 50th split together:
“I believe the reason cited for our split placements—regular communication—is exactly the reason our trading partner relationship works so well. Not only do we share all of the details regarding our searches and candidates, but we also involve one another in our client relationships. Gary and I have often introduced one another to our clients and included the other on conference calls with our clients.
“This level of trust comes from years of cooperative work and understanding each other’s business philosophy. It also enables us to be a sounding board for the other when we need a second opinion or some advice on how to handle a particular situation. Were it not for our regular communication over the years, we would not have developed this level of trust that is the root of our success together.”
In addition to her production within Top Echelon’s recruiting network, Donna also made well over 50 contract placements with Top Echelon Contracting (now Foxhire). And it should not surprise you that some of those contract placements were splits with Gary Silver!
“Donna Carroll was a model Network member throughout her tenure in TE,” said Top Echelon President Mark Demaree. “She was a consummate professional and embraced the best practices and philosophies of Top Echelon Network.”
We at Top Echelon are pleased to announce the induction of Donna Carroll into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 class!
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FRIENDS: For Angela Marasco of A. Marasco Recruiting, LLC, Friends isn’t just a long-running television show that has found a second life on streaming for a new generation.
No, the word is synonymous with her Top Echelon Network membership. Not only has Angela made a ton of split placements as a member of the Network (114), but she’s also made quite a few new friends, as well.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. That’s because Angela holds many things in common with other Top Echelon Hall of Fame inductees:
- She is a split-minded recruiter. This means she looks for opportunities to make splits instead of reasons not to.
- Angela makes it a point to attend Top Echelon recruiter networking events, and not just the big ones, either. She also attends smaller events like the Ohio Regional Core Group meeting.
- Not only does Angela make splits, but she’s also made contract staffing a viable part of her recruiting desk. In fact, she’s made numerous contract split placements within the Network.
- Angela adheres to the Four Pillars of Top Echelon Network, which are Quality, Communication, Trust, and Active Participation.
“I started attending conferences and meetings immediately after joining the Network,” said Angela. “What I’ve gotten from these conferences has been invaluable to my business.”
However, business is just one aspect of her Top Echelon Network membership. Angela also relishes the networking and camaraderie that is the result of investing time and energy into her trading partners. According to Angela, there are many benefits to doing so.
“As an independent recruiter, the TE Network is my way to stay in communication with other recruiters,” she said. “I’ve learned so much from not only my trading partners, but also from the knowledge and experience that TE members so generously share with our Network. As a bonus, I have gained not just trading partners . . . but friends!”
We at Top Echelon are pleased to announce the induction of Angela Marasco into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 class!
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HIGHER POWER: As you read earlier in this blog post, you know that HOF inductee Lou Michaels of Lou Michaels & Associates, Inc. spent 50 years as an agency recruiter.
Well, the next inductee into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame has spent 45 years as a recruiter . . . and he’s still going strong!
That recruiter is Nick Stoia, CPC of ASAP Search, who started in the recruiting profession in 1979 and joined Top Echelon Network in 2004. Since joining the Network, Nick has been a consistent producer, making a total of 130 split placements in two decades. That’s an average of 6.5 TE splits per year, in good times and bad.
While Nick adheres to all Four Pillars of Top Echelon Network, he indicated that Communication has been especially integral to his success within TE.
“Our firm is committed to prioritizing Top Echelon as a resource for success,” said Nick. “We place a high value on communicating with affiliates regarding candidates being considered for our posted positions. Also, we enjoy building partner relationships, both existing and new.”
As a Christian, Nick credits his faith for keeping him centered and focused in what can be a topsy-turvy profession.
“As a Christ follower, both prayer and insights from the Bible have become very important to me as a recruiter in the midst of the ups and downs in this business,” he said.
Nick also uses his faith and the Bible as guides for how he operates within the confines of Top Echelon’s recruiter network. The results, of course, speak for themselves.
“The wisdom and promises found [in the Bible] are important, as they relate to both doing business and relating to others,” he added.
We at Top Echelon are pleased to announce the induction of Nick Stoia into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 class!
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Be sure to check The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog—as well as Top Echelon’s official LinkedIn account—for future announcements regarding 2024 inductees into Top Echelon’s Hall of Fame!