Maya and Stone: One Year Anniversary

It’s been a big year for Maya and Stone!

After joining our US team fresh from the University of Miami, both have spent the past twelve months building their careers in executive search and making their mark on the US business.

From winning new clients to making their first placements, there’s been plenty to celebrate along the way. We caught up with them to look back on their first year at Blakely Brown, the moments they’re most proud of, and what they’re looking forward to in the year ahead.

What was your first year at Blakely Brown like?

Maya: My first year at Blakely Brown has been a great experience. I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from an experienced and talented team. They’ve taught me how to navigate this industry, handle difficult situations, and learn from every experience along the way.

Stone: It's been a massive learning curve, but genuinely a great first year. I came in knowing very little about recruitment and the construction industry, however it's been very rewarding seeing how much I have learned and developed over the last 12 months. 

What’s been your biggest highlight and best achievement? 

Maya: My biggest highlight was signing my first client. It was exciting to see all the work, training, and conversations finally come together.

My biggest achievement has been developing multiple clients across different markets and building strong relationships with them. It’s been rewarding to see those relationships grow and turn into new opportunities.

Stone: There have been many highlights in the last year. What stands out the most is building personal relationships with multiple clients through in person meetings and helping candidates with true major life changes. A daily highlight of mine is coming into the office everyday to see everyone, due to the energy and genuine joyful environment.  

I believe my biggest personal achievement has been developing my own client relationships in multiple different markets and being trusted to work independently. Another notable achievement was back in March of this year, when I closed the largest fee in the company's history with my boss. Also, seeing candidates sign the dotted line when I cold-called them less than a month ago is a top tier feeling as well. 

What’s been expected/unexpected so far? 

Maya: I expected to learn a lot and learn quickly, but I didn’t expect to have the opportunity to work so closely with the founders and senior consultants. Being able to learn directly from people with so much experience has made a huge difference.

Stone: I expected recruitment to be very sales-focused, but I didn’t realize how relationship-driven it actually is. I also definitely underestimated how much you learn about an entire industry just from speaking with people every day. I also did not expect to be sitting in the same room with two of the three founders from day one, which I truly believe has been the biggest benefit to building the foundation for my skills. 

What are your plans for the year ahead? 

Maya: Over the next year, I want to continue growing my current client relationships by visiting existing clients and developing more opportunities with them, while also bringing on new accounts for myself and the team.

Stone: My plans for next year are to simply double my achievements. I want to bill over $500,000 as a result of building my client base to the point of a client trip every month. I want my second year to be a pretty significant step up from year one.

What advice would you give to future members of the team?

Maya: I would say to take in as much as you can when you first start. Take notes, ask questions, and learn from the people around you. The beginning can definitely be challenging, but once you get the hang of it, you start to see how fun and rewarding the job can be.

Stone: You’re going to hear ‘no’ constantly from both candidates and clients and make plenty of mistakes, however, all you need is one genuine yes. The quickest way to improve and truly learn the market is just speaking with as many people as possible, asking questions and learning from everyone around you.

Overall, I’m really grateful for the opportunity and how much responsibility and freedom I’ve been given in my first year. Excited to see what year two looks like!