Core Matters, LLC

Please describe your company and your position there.

Partsmaster is a MRO supplier to the multi-family industry serving the Southwest US via 7 distribution centers. As VP of Merchandising and Marketing I worked directly with Ryan at Core Matters for the duration of our engagement.

For what projects/services did your company hire Core Matters, LLC?

Core Matters was brought on to assists Partsmaster in developing our Mission, Vision and Values statement, review/audit or prior sales and marketing efforts and to propose and execute various enhancements and market specific programs.

What were your goals for this project?

Increased visibility and sales.

How did you select this vendor?

Business introduction followed by extensive preliminary meetings and interviews.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Ryan was brought on with the goal of his being our offsite CMO. Working with our leadership team Mission, Vision and Values statements were created and distributed internally. The project lead was thoughtful and did an exceptional job keeping the entire team was engaged. Follow on projects including Partsmasters entry into social media and social media marketing delivered the results we had been promised.

What was the team composition?

I worked hand in hand with Ryan as well as additional staff he brought in as needed.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The LinkedIn campaigns Ryan implemented generated the number and quality of leads we anticipated, with a great conversion rate.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Ryan is exceptionally well organized, his follow up is relentless and as a high communicator you are never in doubt as to the status of a project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Ryan was challenged to be an agent of change in a 35 year old company, whose leadership team is, for the most part, extremely tenured. His patience, communications and persistence resulted in our making significant strides in all aspects of the digital world.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Ryan's efforts resulted in Partsmaster making strides forward in terms of customer contact via LinkedIn, Facebook and email marketing. He set the stage for advancements we continue to make in regards to our website and mobile presence.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of a company that helps businesses drive results.

What challenge were you trying to address with Core Matters, LLC?

I partner with Ryan (CEO, Core Matters, LLC) on several projects. Many of my clients are growing very quickly and are struggling to find the right hires because the unemployment market is low, and Ryan is great at finding the best people for the job.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main thing they do for our clients is finding the right people to hire for their teams. Ryan researches the values of a company and what’s going on within it before gathering resumes and potential hires. He consults with each client, screening, vetting, and promoting the businesses. Their team works closely with the companies throughout the entire process.

What is the team composition?

Almost all of my contact has been with Ryan directly, but my assistant coordinates with his team.

How did you come to work with Core Matters, LLC?

We were introduced at a workshop where I was speaking. We immediately recognized some opportunities to work together. Now, we’ve been partnering on different deals for several years.

How much have you invested with them?

We have more of a partnership; my clients have probably invested about $15,000 collectively with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2017 and continue to collaborate on projects together.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Their team makes a huge difference, and overall my clients are satisfied. With their support, one of my clients filled all of their open positions within three months that they had been struggling to fill before.  Ryan finds tons of potential candidates for various positions, whereas some competitors grapple to find one.

How did Core Matters, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

Ryan is easy to connect with over phone and email and is on top of everything. He’s been the driving force of the project, setting up meetings and holding everyone accountable. Part of what makes them successful is his management skills.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their priority is actually to help clients, not what they might get out of the deal. There have been a few instances when I’ve thought something would be a perfect fit, but Ryan will discover a few details that I didn’t know were important. He then tells us what to do but will also acknowledge that we don’t need his help for that particular task. I think that’s so impressive and it doesn’t cost my clients.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I can think of. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust the process. I’ve seen how they work enough times to know that it’s different from other recruiting companies. They know what they’re doing.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own 10 to 1 Public Relations, a strategic communications firm. We use proactive media relations to grow, maintain, and protect our clients’ brands, as well as build positive awareness of their companies.

For what projects/services did your company hire Core Matters, LLC?

We serve many clients who often struggle to find good blue-collar job candidates for open positions. Though we excel at media relations, we partner with Core Matters to help those clients attract and onboard the right hires for their business.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals vary with the customer, but there are several that are fairly common, such as: reducing cost per hire; reducing time to hire; improving both the quantity and quality of applicants; developing a brand based on culture; and systematizing and automating the hiring process.

How did you select this vendor?

We met while working with a mutual client. I was extremely impressed by their thoroughness and genuine desire to help the client achieve their goals. I also found Core Matters’ owner to be candid and honest, promising only what he could deliver and delivering everything he promised. 

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Core Matters works directly with company leadership to understand and remove friction points. This often consists of formalizing processes and company culture. Once these issues are acknowledged internally, Core Matters can then apply their marketing efforts toward promoting and recruiting new employees. Operating based on this common understanding increases the quality of the candidate, their ability to succeed within the company, and their likelihood to remain long-term. 

What was the team composition?

Though I have worked directly with the owner, I know that his team behind the scenes has been active in creating and implementing the established strategy. 

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Not only has Core Matters helped refine processes and develop the culture within my own company, but they have done so with our clients as well. Their improved processes have reduced the cost per hire and expedited employee recruitment time. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Core Matters’ emphasis on the process is evident in their workflow. They have been very easy to work with and always meet their deadlines. With the owner personally reviewing the entire team’s work, I have been consistently happy with their results.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am most impressed by how much they actually care for their clients. I feel safe recommending them to my clients knowing that they will serve all parties with the highest levels of integrity and aplomb.

They also know how to use their digital and traditional marketing expertise to target the intended audience, generate the best results, and achieve the desired goals. The way they use and refine best practices for traditional marketing to improve recruiting and hiring is impressive in its directness but brilliant in its execution.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Their process works, so there is no need to fix what works.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Shelby Erectors. We’re a construction company based in Florida, and we provide rebar installation, SIP metal decking installation, and bridge work.

What challenge were you trying to address with Core Matters?

We were trying to hire and maintain a quality workforce. We were finding it difficult to find quality workers to work in our industry and retain them. We have a high turnover, since our industry is a tough trade, and it’s outside in the Florida heat. We were looking for high-quality employees that would have some loyalty.

What was the scope of their involvement?

When Core Matters came on board, they helped us establish our core values, evaluate what we stood for, and figure out who we were looking for in the hiring process.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Ryan (CEO, Core Matters).

How did you come to work with Core Matters?

We first learned about Core Matters at a national convention. We heard a presentation that led us to an interview with them; we liked what they had to say.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $100,000 – $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in July 2018, and our work is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Core Matters helped us find 50 employees within the first 90 days of working with them, which was remarkable. They’re continually trying different methods of getting us more leadership personnel.

How did Core Matters perform from a project management standpoint?

Core Matters performs great in terms of project management. I look forward to every single weekly meeting; I feel like my leadership team and I always get something out of them. We do Zoom meetings, so we can see and hear each other.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was really impressed when Ryan flew out to our national convention in April and met with us face-to-face. He went to all of our meetings and tried to understand our scope of work a lot better; I think that was fantastic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. We’re doing great with Core Matters.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My most important word of advice is to not be afraid to spend the money to get the quality work back. As a small business, it was a little scary to put that investment monetarily in; we couldn’t be more thankful that we made that commitment. Don’t just look at the price tag and say no; give them a chance, and you won’t regret it.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a small electrical contractor. We have a small construction division and a service division. I'm the CEO.

What challenge were you trying to address with Core Matters, LLC?

We wanted help with recruiting and finding the right people for our business.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us create a hiring system, and they continue to help us make it better. They've also assisted with lead generation and process automation. They have a good mind for marketing, and they take our industry-specific ideas and make them impactful in terms of lead generation.

They're an integral part of our systems and processes, and they bring on new systems and app that matter. They give us the pros and cons of every system we consider, and their knowledge is way ahead of the curve. We look to them as our technical expert, and working with them is great for us.

What is the team composition?

I only have one point of contact, but the whole team is bigger. Everyone on their team is top-notch, and they ask all the right questions. Everything they do runs smoothly.

How did you come to work with Core Matters, LLC?

We're part of the same entrepreneurs’ organization, but I heard about them from a friend in another group. I followed up on that recommendation, and we've worked together ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them around $2,000-$3,000 per month, depending on the work we bring them. We've probably spent near $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in August 2017, and our work together is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The tangible deliverable is the hiring system we use. We have other applications we use every day. Lead generation and total ticket count have gone up, partly thanks to their contributions. Sales are up, and all our systems are better.

How did Core Matters, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is stellar. They have a tracking system for the process, and they finish everything on time. We communicate through phone, email, text, and in-person meetings. We've developed a strong personal friendship through this partnership.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The way they isolate our core problems is fantastic. We talk about those issues and find ways to resolve them. They make intuitive suggestions, and they are always to the point.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Whenever I have an idea, I can throw it at them to discuss the pros and cons. It's a good, functional deal, and I don't have any recommendations for improvements.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest and open with them. They're there to help, and they do a great job. We've gotten as far as we have because of our candidness with them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a Windy City Equipment Service (WCE), a commercial kitchen equipment, HVAC, and refrigeration repair company. We operate 4 branches across 3 states in the southwest.

For what projects/services did your company hire Core Matters, LLC?

WCE is a rapidly growing business, but our growth was bottlenecked by being unable to find quality talent. We hired Core Matters to help solve a few problems

1. finding quality talent
2. retaining quality talent and
3. to help us move closer to becoming the employer of choice in our industry.

How did you select this firm and what were the deciding factors?

Ryan had come in a presented for my CEO group. I was impressed with his knowledge and believed in his system.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

We began with an online curriculum that was incredibly detailed and descriptive. Every other week we met via zoom to review all the material, discuss the next steps, and create actionable goals.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked directly with Tammy and Ryan

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

We achieve brand consistency, both internally and externally so as to create recognition around our company. We completely revamped our interview and selection process to increase our chances of quality hires. We created clear and concise purpose and vision statements to generate excitement and motivation within our organization.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effect. It's not a set it and forget it course. They were real people who were really accountable for getting things completed and had impeccable communication. They were great at asking and answering questions.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

That they seemed to want to improve themselves as much as they seems to want to improve my company. It's refreshing to work with a company that isn't afraid to hold themselves accountable.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Not really. Just a lot of information and you need to be prepared to dedicate a sufficient amount of time to it.