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In this episode of the She Lift Project Podcast, Cynthia Kirkpatrick sits down with Alison Niermann, founder and CEO of Tilley Partners. Alison is an executive recruiter and leadership advisor who helps organizations hire the right people and build teams that actually work. They talk about how to recognize your true professional value, how great leaders hire differently, and why protecting your spark at work changes everything.
This episode is for professionals ready for growth, leaders responsible for hiring, and anyone questioning their next career move. You will learn how to clarify what makes you valuable, how to show that value in conversations and interviews, and what strong hiring and culture look like behind the scenes. After listening, you will be able to approach your career or your team with clearer focus and make smarter decisions about where you work and who you hire.
0:00 Intro to She Lift Project Podcast
0:24 Meet Alison Niermann and Tilley Partners
3:28 What executive search really involves
6:56 Understanding company culture and hiring fit
10:35 Hiring mistakes and AI generated resumes
12:22 How the recruiting process really works
15:43 The “One Sheeter” career clarity exercise
17:48 Helping professionals see their true value
21:20 Leadership, strengths, and building strong teams
25:09 How leaders create real workplace culture
30:16 Why networks matter, especially in St. Louis
34:47 The changing job market and hiring trends
41:51 Working across departments and building influence
45:13 Alison’s Hiring to Thrive framework
47:29 The PATH leadership model explained
54:20 The story behind the name Tilley Partners
59:11 Why people are the real product in business
1:02:00 Helping employees connect to purpose
1:04:56 How to connect with Alison
Content Notice
This podcast and all She Lift Project content represents the opinions of Cynthia Kirkpatrick and her guests. The content here is for informational purposes only, and should not be taken as professional advice – financial, legal, medical, or otherwise.
Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and across all She Lift Project media channels are our own and do not represent that of our places of work. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.
“I got to a point in Frank’s office where I realized there was kind of a ceiling. People that I had come in after me, I was training, were now moving up. And my ego got to the best of me. This is the dream job. Like, what happens after Frank Gehry? What could possibly be next after that?”
We’re catalysts for better conversation. And we know at Filament that the teams that we work with are not looking for the right answer, because there’s no such thing as the right answer. There is the next best answer to the questions that we’re asking.
“Research actually shows when there’s this lack of trust in a relationship, this lack of connection, the same part of our brain that processes physical pain gets activated when there’s an emotional pain. Right? And so if I’m feeling rejected or I’m feeling like I’m not part of the team or I’m not valued in any way, that part of our brain activates and says, like, pain. And so if you think about it in that way, think about the number of people who are walking around your office every day in pain.”
“Women in their 40s start to disappear from photographs because they think that they’re not young enough, thin enough, pretty enough. But the truth is that when you are in your 40s, you are leading a company, you’ve had children, you have a family, you’re doing things in your community. This is when you should be photographed.”
“You have to be cautious and mindful of the board of directors you invite into your head. And we as women especially listen terribly to that board of directors. And if you have one bad seat on there, one bad teacher, one bad classmate, one whatever from your history that you are listening to, it can really sabotage you.”
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