#60 Carrie Schochet | From Forced Entrepreneurship to Purple Squirrel Hunter: Building Success Through Community

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In this episode, Ross Drakes sits down with Carrie Schochet, founder of Purple Squirrel Advisors, who got "forced" into entrepreneurship when circumstances changed after maternity leave.

From starting as a single recruiter competing against global firms to building a thriving business by hunting "purple squirrels" (the impossible-to-find perfect candidates), Carrie shares her strategic approach to finding opportunities in the spaces others avoid.

The conversation covers her journey from pre-med to accidentally discovering recruiting, the power of community building, surviving a devastating ski accident that changed her relationship with her business, and why your identity as an entrepreneur shouldn't be tied to a single company.

This is a story about resilience, strategic thinking, and the unexpected gifts that come from being forced out of your comfort zone.

Key Takeaways:

Find opportunities where others won't go
Community is your competitive advantage
Sometimes you need to be forced into your destiny
Your identity should be an entrepreneur, not just your business
The right team permits you to lead differently

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More About Carrie Schochet

Carrie is the Founder and CEO of Purple Squirrel Advisors, a boutique executive search firm based in Troy. Passionate about helping companies grow by creating exceptional leadership teams, she has spent the past 16 years connecting C-level and senior executives with leadership positions in finance, accounting, human resources, operations, sales, and marketing. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 2001, she spent over a decade advancing her career at one of the nation's leading recruitment and staffing firms in Chicago. In 2012, she moved back to the Detroit area to be closer to her family. On January 1, 2015, she founded Purple Squirrel Advisors with the mission of designing a consultative, white-glove recruitment process customised to each client.

Carrie is also the founder of CFO Next, a group she launched in early 2013 after discovering a lack of resources and networking opportunities for transitioning or unemployed senior financial executives. She also uses her network and resources as Co-Chair of the Career Services Committee for Financial Executives International (FEI), a non-profit organisation with the mission to support senior finance executives through professional development and networking. She is the Learning Chair for the Entrepreneurs Organisation Detroit Chapter and sits on the ACG Detroit Board as Women's Forum Chair.

Carrie is a passionate philanthropist who has raised money for 100 Women Who Care - Greater Rochester Area, and in 2016, co-founded 100 Businesses Who Care to connect executives who want to make a philanthropic impact on the Metro-Detroit community.

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