The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce honors some of the community’s greatest contributors at the Sunrise Pinnacle Award Ceremony. This massive event is held each year at the Royal Park Hotel in Downtown Rochester. As a photography sponsor, I was excited to help the individual winners celebrate with a new headshot. A few had time for a quick interview.
Congratulations to Sandy Fiaschetti of Magnet Consulting for winning Small Business of the Year!
Wondering what Magnet Consulting does? I’ll let Sandy fill us in:
Scott Lawrence: Tell us about your business.
Sandy Fiaschetti: Magnet Consulting is a strategic people consulting firm and a certified Women-Owned Business. We work with client organizations across industries and size to assist in Organizational Culture, Employee Assessment and Selection, and Team and Leader Development.
SL: What does winning a Pinnacle Award mean to you?
Sandy: It's really quite a surprise and an honor to win it! We didn't actually even have any idea how a company won... we imagined you had to do a packet and nominate yourself like with other awards, and that's not it at all. Apparently, people in our local business community noticed our growth and the work we're doing with companies both locally and nationally and nominated us. That makes it all the more special!
SL: What’s unique about how you do what you do?
Sandy: Well, in our space, a couple types of consultants exist and we believe we are different from both of those. One is the academic Ph.D. who doesn't really get the practicalities of applying our science to business because they've only ever been a consultant, and the other is the "I took a short online class and I can hang a shingle and do this." Although one of our founding partners is actually a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology, we aren't like either of those types of competitors. We understand the science of human behavior and the realities of the business world because we've worked in business for decades, not just in consulting. Our clients tell us that we bring a no-nonsense, fact-based but sensitive point-of-view to their people engagement issues.
SL: What’s the one thing most people don’t know about your business or industry, but should?
Sandy: Probably that the industry even exists! Crazy as that sounds, we know there are many companies who think that people issues can be solved via their gut or with only the help of traditional HR. Many don't even know organizational psychologists, and their scientific approach to business problems, exist. One of the biggest specific things many don't know is how their hiring practices can land them in legal trouble if they don't involve an expert in creating them.
SL: Where should readers go to learn more about your business?
Sandy: Visit www.MagnetConsulting.com or check out these posts where others have taken note of what we do: