We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Magda Wolski. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Magda below.
Magda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
In order to be successful, you need to take risks. I truly live my life by the saying “no risk, no reward”. My biggest risk that I’ve taken is quitting my 9-5 position as a Recruiter and starting my own Recruitment business 4 years ago. I’ll never forget the moment I sent the resignation letter to the firm. It felt exhilarating, nerve- wracking and exciting; all at the same time. The biggest adjustment was not receiving a guaranteed pay cheque every two weeks, and assimilating into that entrepreneurial mindset. The fear of failure motivated me to work hard, stay consistent, and become a serious autodidact. With every obstacle in business, I pushed my way to finding a solution. After all, it’s all up to me to keep the business afloat (as well as myself). With a plethora of learning curves and lessons taught along the way, within one month of starting my business, I obtained my first client.
Fast forward to today, taking the risk to becoming a business owner has allowed me to expand into different avenues. I took the risk to become a Realtor, start a podcast and partner with a likeminded entrepreneur, Elphi Bolombo. It has also allowed me to enjoy side hobbies such as modelling, on a part time basis. Together, we stay hungry and continue to achieve the next level of success, without compromising any existing business practices.
We can’t be afraid to take risks, otherwise we hinder growth.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I consider myself a serial entrepreneur. I started off with launching my Permanent Search Staffing Firm called “Elite Jobs” 4 years ago. Prior to Elite Jobs, I was working at a Recruitment Firm that didn’t value my expertise. Under poor management and unrealistic demand, I was constantly overworked and underpaid. However, I was a great recruiter. I loved the industry; I loved the lasting relationships I have developed with my clients and I loved receiving positive feedback from employees that I had recruited. I started to realize that there were areas of improvement in the Recruitment business model. The feeling of being unappreciated intensified every day. I thought to myself “why would I work on somebody else’s dream, when I can work on mine?” That’s when Elite Jobs came into fruition. I am proud that I am capable (and a little gifted) to provide companies hard working employees, that stay long term. I take the time to cater to not only company specifications, however I also make sure to provide my clients with employees that are a personality fit. I don’t just fill positions to fill them; and my little to no turnaround rate and repeat clientele speaks volumes. Alternatively, I am proud when employees tell me that I have connected them with their dream jobs. I know how important it is to work for someone who acknowledges employees fairly.
During COVID I made the decision to pursue my Real Estate License as when lockdowns were occurring, business at Elite Jobs slowed down. It was the perfect time to branch off into a business that wasn’t so economically impacted as Recruitment is. I fell in love with real estate, as the skills learned from my Recruitment business were very much transferrable. Whether it’s employees or physical spaces, I have a knack for finding exactly what a client is looking for. I’m communicative, honest and above all, I listen to my client’s needs. Due to my versatile nature, I service both the Residential and Commercial spaces in Toronto, Greater Toronto Area, as well as London, Ontario.
Lastly, my business partner- Elphi Bolombo- and I have started a podcast called “Meet You At the Top”. The podcast circulates around successful individuals wanting to inspire others in the city. We want to share knowledge of how others can achieve success, regardless of what niche they may be in. We invite a variety of inspirational guests who are living their manifested lifestyles and provide value as to what it takes to get to the top! Everyone’s story is different, but the destination is the same. We all want to succeed, one way or another.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
I met Elphi Bolombo from a previous Real Estate Brokerage that we had both joined. I was new to the brokerage, and exchanged socials with Elphi in the instance that I had any Real Estate questions. Following her on Instagram made me realize we both have more in common than I thought. We liked the same music, we liked the same restaurants, and above all, we both liked to hustle. The friendship grew as we began to hang out outside of working hours. We started spending a lot of time with one another; whether it was working, attending events, or a night out on the town. Elphi and I naturally became a power team. We both have the same mindset, we both have the same vision and we both want to help one another to achieve it together. The partnership developed organically as we just get each other. We both balance each other out and support one another; whether its business or personal. Elphi is fun, driven, charismatic, and has a very inviting personality. I think our partnership works so well because our lives are very much intertwined. Not everyone understands our schedules or the sacrifices we make in order to achieve our goals. Elphi and I just get each other. We are our own cheerleaders, we work hard together and there is no room for envy, only support. She’s the ying to my yang.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Honestly, meeting people in non- business settings! Whether it’s an event, restaurants, gas station, even going down a condo elevator; the opportunities to meet clients is endless. I think it works so well because the conversation is organic, and non- salesy. The first point of interaction is the person judging your character. People do business with people they like. Once there’s an initial click, and the vibe is right- the person begins to learn about what you do for a living. I never start off the conversation with “I’m a Realtor” or “I own a Staffing Firm”, but I make sure to mention it before the conversation ends. Typically, people will ask me before I get to mention it anyways. I prefer not to push my services on individuals. I’d prefer to plant the seed, exchange contact information, and develop a relationship where that person trusts in using one of my services. I don’t want people to know me as their Realtor, or their Recruiter. I want them to know me as their friend.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elitejobscanada.com
- Instagram: @magdawolski
- Facebook: Magda Wolski
- Linkedin: Magda (Magdalena) Wolski
- Youtube: Meet You at the Top Podcast