Fast Five: Katie Hunt: ‘Live your purpose!’

By DEVIN WEEKS

Meet Katie Hunt, an energetic, highly motivated leader with more than 10 years of proven success with business development and community relations. Katie is an expert relationship-builder with a large established and influential network in North Idaho. She consistently and easily creates meaningful relationships, developing each encounter into an ongoing profitable and mutually beneficial relationship. Katie is a community ambassador who is passionate about helping organizations and businesses reach the next level in their success.

Generation:

I am in the middle of the Gen X generation ABSOLUTELY relating to the Latch Key Kid identification. My dad was a farmer AND worked at a local quarry full time, while my mom was a drug and alcohol counselor who was completing her college degree as we were growing up. While this generation is known for MTV, I grew up in a small town where cable was not available.

Career and community involvement:

I have been fortunate to be a part of a community with an incredible heart. I found my calling to help people and businesses connect. I serve as a community ambassador including Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce board member, Human Resources Network of North Idaho president, Kootenai County Police and Fire Memorial Foundation director, Coeur d’Alene Rotary – Noon Club and I’m one of the founders of the Lady d’Alenes. My career is with Express Employment Professionals as a client relations manager. This position allows me to love on the clients we serve, making sure our service is to the level our clients would expect, and expanding the knowledge of what our service provides. The perception of a “temporary agency” is not our model necessarily; we connect well-qualified candidates with employment opportunities that may be a traditional temporary contract where a specified start and stop date have been identified. Think of your data entry clerk that is hired by an accounting firm for seasonal employment or to cover an employee on leave, or the general labor a company would need to help box up and move an office, to give a couple of examples. Most of our success and service is found in the evaluation to hire, AKA “temp to hire,” realm where we serve as an extension of a company’s hiring efforts in recruiting, interviewing, screening and ultimately hiring an associate to work for our clients in hopes that our clients find them to be a great match to their culture and position, hiring at the end of the evaluation-to-hire time frame. We also provide direct hire for our clients, usually in the scope of middle and upper level experience, think skilled trades like our mechanics, engineering, or CFOs and sales professionals. Fun fact: when I first moved to Idaho, I was a stay at home mom who knew NOBODY! When it was determined I needed to go to work, I went to Express Employment Professionals, then located in Post Falls, and they placed me at my first job here in Idaho, working for Stimson Lumber Company as their human resources (HR) assistant. Here again is a key transformational moment in my life, all because of the company I now work for! There’s another CRAZY connection I have with Express Employment Professionals, but you’ll have to wait to read my #IAmExpress story in the Business Journal when that comes out late 2020…

Parental status:

I am the mother to two AWESOME human beings. My older daughter is attending college on a full ride academic and softball scholarship. She killed it in her freshman year at College of Idaho, breaking softball records that had been in place since the start of the softball program there. She just made the Dean’s List the first semester of her sophomore year, and is on pace to accomplish the recognition again this semester. I am so incredibly proud of her! Huge shout-out to all those who invested in her because she is pretty amazing young woman and it took a tribe to make her who she is today. My Facebook posts are either her or my other daughter, it’s pretty much my life outside of work. My younger little is attending middle school and plays multiple sports as well. Everything in her world seems to revolve around running and she is carrying on the Hunt tradition of running cross country, track, playing basketball and is a striker/wing for Thorns 07G. I love watching her competitive spirit! Don’t mess with her because she’ll put it in “four-low” with fire in her eyes and come back in a fury! She too has great grades and works hard to balance being a student and athlete. I am truly humbled by both my girls’ dedication to be outstanding and well-rounded individuals.

1. “Live life to inspire others so that they dream more, desire to do more, seek to learn more and aspire to become more.” What does this phrase mean to you?

When I look back on my life, I have been blessed by an incredible amount of people who have taken time to share themselves with me, help support me in my life journey or believed in me when I didn’t necessarily believe in myself (even to this day I find this happening). People have invested in me through my ENTIRE life. It would take millions to billions of dollars to thank those individuals for their investments in me. One way I am able to truly show my appreciation and grow their investment into returns is by helping and being available to others. It is my hope that in everything I do, that I honor those by being a part of others’ lives with the deepest desire to make our community a better place than it was yesterday, and to come alongside the people that want for the same. We have such an opportunity to make a difference! Find your passion! Live your purpose!

2. Why do you love

working with and helping people?

I believe I answered this above.

3. What do you think the world could use more of today?

Empathy. For a moment, pause… think about what the other person in any situation is going through at that moment. Put yourself in their shoes. Ask questions of them to understand them better. There is much loss when we don’t understand or communicate. What is the common ground? Build from there. Let me throw in another… We could use more SMILES too. Smiling communicates in an international language and immediately removes barriers. I challenge each reader to make eye contact and smile as you walk into the grocery store next time and see how the individual responds… not to mention the endorphin release that smiling provides.

4. What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I spent a transformational summer in Uganda, Africa when I was 16 years old on a mission. We built the foundation for what would become a medical clinic for the local tribe. On weekends, we taught national students how to play volleyball and basketball. It was one of the scariest and most fulfilling journeys I’ve experienced to this day.

5. Who are some of your biggest influences, and why?

Coach Mike Brittain – he was my high school basketball and softball coach assistant. He was later my league coach as well. His influence started by making a simple basketball play to take advantage of my speed and defensive play strength. It was the first time I remember someone believing so wholeheartedly that he made an entire PLAY based on me. It affirmed to me that I was a good athlete, which allowed me to believe in myself even just a little bit more. Worth has always been my biggest issue, and I have strived to feel worthy throughout my entire life.

Mark Fisher from Advanced Benefits was the next to really make an impression in my world that was life-changing. He created a position for me in 2014 (thanks to some influence by Jaime Arnold thank you lady!) that allowed my personality, skills and experience to shine and flourish as a result. He also believed in personal and professional development, putting many of his employees through the Cd’A Chamber Leadership program. He is also who encouraged that I participate in Coeur d’Alene Rotary (Noon Club), an international service organization. This is a connection that means a great deal to me as my dad is a Rotarian in Duvall, Wash., the town I grew up in. It’s an awesome connection to share with my almost 90-year-old dad, especially since we both chaired the Membership and Greeting Committee at some point in our Rotary service.

My experience in the Cd’A Leadership program is what prompted me to start the Lady d’Alenes, a network of young professional women collaborating together for the betterment of our community. We are a heartfelt extension of the Coeur Group, who many in this community know make a huge difference with their Locker Projects. I’m not sure that everyone has a Mark Fisher in their corner as I did, and do to this day. It was my heart’s desire to bring the opportunity to others as they develop in their career, and help connect them to ways they might give back to our community. I am so honored that other AMAZING and IMPACTFUL women have continued the vision of Lady d’Alenes, more than 50 members through the years, many who I wish I could list here. I will recognize the first few who really took ahold of the vision including Ann Thomas, Jeanette Laster and Miranda Hamilton. We are who we are today much due to their investment in the early years. If you would like to know about either organization, visit www.IAmLDA.com or www.TheCoeurGroup.com.