At LGC, we’re motivated by tales of career development and success – especially when it involves our employees. In this series, we highlight how members of our team have moved up the ladder and what inspired them to work their hardest.
The LGC tree has many branches from top to bottom, but no matter which role you hold, we’re all connected and help each other grow. Hopefully in this series you’ll read something that inspires you to either join our team or further develop your LGC Story.
Meet Kim McGuire, Executive VP – Central/West Regions
In the 15 years that Kim has been with LGC, she has been an integral part of building up our Indianapolis branch, as well as overseeing more than 10 of our other branches. Her hard work and dedication to each new role she has taken on is the defining factor in becoming a part of our Executive leadership team.
She grew up in Westfield, IN, a small town at the time, then attended IU and the University of Tennessee, graduating with a degree in Psychology. Kim has been a leader from the start, as she started and eventually owned a sports bar for 16 years. As an avid sports fan, closing the doors in 2008 was one of the hardest decisions she had to make, but it led her to an interview with CEO George Lessmeister.
Believe it or not, she started as the only person in the Indianapolis office at $10/hr. She remembers her initial days fondly, “I remember asking what my path was, as I wanted to grow and I definitely didn’t want to make $10 forever. I was told my earnings were endless as Indy was my oyster, and the rest is up to you! I hit the ground running and knew I could do it.”
Working from the ground up is the name of her game and didn’t scare her a bit. She recalls, “I remember coming home to tell him [her, now, husband John] I accepted a job making $10 and he said are you crazy??? I said I know I can make more than that someday and I need a purpose again. I’m going to try it, bust my ass, and be a success. Just you watch!!”
After 6 months, she was promoted to Branch Manager where she got the opportunity to start building a team. Her first hire was Elias Valdiva, one of our amazing recruiters who is still in the Indianapolis office to this day. She kept on, and built the “dream team” she considers her team today. She was quickly promoted to Regional Vice President and then Executive VP in 2020.
Kim talks about what being an Executive VP means to her saying, “being entrusted to be an Executive for LGC is an honor. I was rewarded and promoted off of my results, hard work, dedication, and believing in this company from the very beginning.”
When talking about some of the people who supported her along the way she mentions 3 people:
About professional mentor, George Lessmeister, she recounts:
“Throughout my time here he has given me support, yelled at me a few times, and always believed in me. He has trusted me to make decisions throughout my career here, valued my opinions and has truly been a mentor to me and for that I am truly lucky! Not only a great boss, but also a true friend.”
In her personal life, she talks about a family member:
“Personally, my father was always my biggest cheerleader and throughout my life had always encouraged and praised me. He knew I could accomplish anything I set out to do and taught me to work hard and never give up. Not every day has been easy, but to know you always have someone to love you and be proud of you no matter what, was a blessing.”
Lastly,
“My new husband John, he has been by me every step of my journey here at LGC. He has supported me, listened to me and believed in me and I am so lucky to have him in my life.”
In any career, it’s important to have people both professionally and personally that can stand by you and lift you up when you need it. For Kim, she has had both personal and professional mentors and friends who have become like family.
In any professional climb, perfection is impossible. Any leader will tell you that mistakes are a necessary part of the process – making them helps you learn. Kim would agree and holds a valuable piece of advice:
“Believe in yourself, trust yourself and don’t give up! Not every day is the same, take the good with the bad and build on it. We have been given the opportunity. It’s up to you what you do with it!”
Outside of work, Kim is a “Fantasy Football JUNKIE” with a very competitive spirit. She takes it very seriously as she doesn’t like to lose. She also just celebrated her marriage to “the one and only John Schenkel” so if you see a Kim Schenkel in your email, don’t worry, it’s still our amazing Kim.
Across LGC, we are inspired by our amazing leaders and the knowledge they can impart on the rest of us. Kim has helped LGC become who we are today and nurtured so many people to grow professionally in their roles here. Let Kim’s passion and determination inspire you to grow in your position at LGC or join our team and begin your journey!
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About LGC
Since 2003 LGC has been building connections between businesses with staffing needs and job seekers looking for new opportunities. Our range of solutions includes temporary and permanent placements (and everything in between) for a variety of industries. With offices located nationwide, we can tap into a dynamic pool of talented professionals. We have a passion for creating partnerships that last and work hard every day to ensure both clients and candidates reach their employment goals.