Team Member Spotlight: Morgan Reeves

This month we’re featuring our team member, Morgan Reeves. Morgan joined Judson Group as a recruiter in 2019 and has served clients and candidates in our Wealth Management Practice.

Q: What drew you to the recruiting industry? Why do you think that appealed to you?
A: I was naturally drawn to recruiting, as I am a third-generation executive recruiter. Recruiting has always appealed to me because of the huge impact that you can make in the lives of your candidates and clients. I’m passionate about helping people advance in their careers. Being able to combine my technical knowledge of the recruiting industry, and the passion I have for helping others is extremely fulfilling to me.

Q: Where did you go to school and what did you study? Why?
A: I studied psychology at Grand Valley State University. I knew that executive recruiting was the career I wanted to pursue, but I chose to major in psychology instead of communications or business like many recruiters. I wanted to expand my understanding of human behavior and actions and how they affect individual choices that affect our professional lives. There is so much to be learned from an organizational psychology perspective that can be applied in business. Through those years of study, I gained skills to better understand people and their behavior on an individual level. I also learned valuable lessons in group dynamics and organizational psychology that help when consulting my clients as they build teams.

Q: Which has been more valuable in your career, your education or your experience?
A: I think that my experience and my education have been equally valuable. That is to say, I don’t think I would be where I am today without both of them. My day to day work experience in the various roles I’ve held delivered real-life experience on how to deal with people and how to be successful in a high-paced environment. These experiences taught me so much about work ethic, accountability, and my own strengths and weaknesses. My education, on the other hand, has given me a unique perspective in this field that has proven itself to be invaluable.

Q: Where do you see the recruiting industry going in the future?
A: I believe that the executive recruiting industry is already shifting. Historically recruiters and “headhunters” have had a very transactional approach and reputation. This is absolutely changing. AS executive recruiters we are able to partner with our clients and become trusted consultants that can help them with a myriad of talent related projects that extend far beyond just brining them talented individuals.

Q: What are your hobbies? How do you spend your time outside of work?
A: I fell in love with the wine industry while I was in the service industry. I was able to meet wine reps and vineyard reps that really opened my eyes to how expansive and fascinating wine really can be. I spend a lot of my free time researching and reading about new types of wines and different styles of winemaking! In the summer, you can find me fishing and spending time on the beach with my family in northern Michigan!

Q: What was your first job? What did you learn from it?
A: My first job was waitressing. I spent time with a few restaurants before I joined the team at Terra GR here in East Grand Rapids! Being in the service industry taught me how to deal with all types of people. Besides opening up my eyes to the world of wine, I was able to gain skills in training new staff, becoming a leader, and most importantly – I walked away with a tremendous work ethic. I think that some of the biggest lessons we learn in our first few jobs revolve around learning about ourselves and learning how to be accountable.

Q: If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing instead?
A: In another life I would be a sommelier, able to travel and taste great wines around the world.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
A: That only YOU are responsible for your own actions. I think we often want to blame external factors when things don’t go the way we hoped in our lives, professionally or personally. The ability to take full responsibility for your actions is the sign of a strong person! It’s not always easy, but it teaches you to self-reflect and learn from your mistakes – we all make them.

Q: What is your favorite time of the day and why?
A: I am a night owl. Often I am the most productive in the evenings and I enjoy the unscheduled time – it allows my brain to wander, which is sometimes when I do my best thinking!

Q: What book, movie read/seen recently you would recommend and why?
A: In The Company Of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs
This book is great – it is full of uplifting stories and advice, broken into short stories. This makes it easy to just pick one story at a time to read when you only have a few minutes.