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Meet Hillary Kuenn of HiConsulting in Glendale

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Hillary Kuenn.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Hillary. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 2014, I completed my Master’s degree in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology. I had a really good job, and so did my significant other, Mike. We had worked so hard to get this place, and once there, found ourselves not overly excited to reach what we thought was “the dream.”

Mike and I decided to take a serious look at what it is that we wanted to achieve in life, and did this in the only way that we knew how; we drove from Arizona to Alaska and back, travelling for a total of eight weeks. We spent hours around campfires contemplating, “What do I want to do in life?” One night, enjoying a warm fire in the middle of nowhere, I started to think about all of the amazing people I have worked with over the years, and the great things they have accomplished. Most of the time, their achievements were possible because someone believed in them, or just gave them a chance.

I knew at that moment what I wanted to do in life. I wanted to be the person that gave others a chance, the one that believes in you, the one that knows you can do it. I came up with my tagline first, “helping you reach your greatest potential,” because that is the foundation of my business. The name, HiConsulting, I came up with later by playing around with my initials, and the word “hello.”

I started slowly. I attended as many networking events as I possibly could, talking to people about what I wanted to do and gauge if there was a market for it or not. It seemed like there was, so I put together a website, a friend designed my logo and business cards, and I started reaching out to recruiters and other career professionals asking if anyone needed help with resumes. That’s how it all started. I still write resumes, but have expanded to teaching people how to use LinkedIn, working with individuals and conducting corporate workshops, and coaching professionals about building their personal brand. I also provide writing services to support small businesses, writing things like employee handbooks, sales and marketing plans, job descriptions and operating procedures.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Overall, I would say it has been a smooth road. I have definitely encountered some road bumps, but they have all provided me with a learning experience.

At the beginning, I was really worried about the accounting side of running a business. I had some experience in that area, but not a lot – and to be honest, I wasn’t even sure if the procedure I was using to pay myself was correct. Well, I attended a small business leadership forum, and it just so happened that the first person I met that morning was a CPA. She was also just venturing off in her own adventure of becoming a business owner. The two of us bonded quickly, she teaching me about accounting, and me teaching her about networking and building relationships.

No matter the issues that I have encountered, I have never been afraid to admit what I am not sure of, or to seek advice from others. I think that has made the road smoother than if I was just trying to do this all on my own and not listen to the guidance of others.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about HiConsulting – what should we know?
In a nut shell, HiConsulting helps individuals reach their personal and professional development goals through motivational coaching, creating a systematic plan and building your personal brand. The bread and butter of the business is to help individuals write their resume and cover letter. I take a unique approach to this. Starting with a phone consultation, I ask questions to learn about my client’s goals, where they currently stand, and their current methodology for seeking a new position. From there, we develop a plan, which may include a resume, a LinkedIn profile, coaching sessions, etc. All of that is similar to others in my profession, but what I do that is different is that I educate my clients about the recruiting process and the use of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) software. I teach my clients how to read a job description and pull out key words and how to update the resume and cover letter as they apply for various roles.

On the other side, the B2B side, I work side by side with business leaders to help set their company up for success. I take care of the mundane, time consuming, yet incredibly vital tasks that involve a lot of technical writing. These projects typically consist of mapping out business processes, developing a marketing plan, or writing an employee handbook. These are really daunting tasks for a small business take on, and although they are important, often are pushed to the back burner. I simply offer my skill set as a resource with the intention of helping another small business succeed.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I am an incredibly positive person. The glass is always half-full for me. Even in times of struggle, I know that tomorrow will bring something new, so let’s just keep moving forward.

Other than that, I’m not very different from most of the other people I meet. I get nervous, I feel lost, I feel grateful, and I get excited.

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Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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