The Opportunity
This winter CEO and founder Heather Caswell was approached with an opportunity that piqued her interest – an offer to spotlight The Omnia Group and the Omnia Behavioral Profile on national television.
About Empowered, Hosted by Meg Ryan.
Empowered, hosted by Meg Ryan, is a program dedicated to highlighting critical stories that influence how consumers live globally. With its skilled development and creative team and using the latest filming techniques and technology, Empowered creates compelling snapshots of our world and the future possibilities that can transform society. Each episode aims to shed light on underrepresented storylines and industry sectors.
Why Omnia?
The Empowered creative development team “…selected The Omnia Group because their innovative approach and core values align with our mission to highlight women leaders in HR Tech who are making significant impacts in their fields. Their cutting-edge use of behavioral analysis, commitment to educating and empowering the next generation, and dedication to employee development made them an ideal partner for our series.”
The Players
In addition to speaking with Omnia’s President and COO Keather Snyder, the Empowered team asked to hear from users of Omnia’s behavioral assessment. Ben Keating of Keating Auto Group, who has been a client of Omnia’s for over 20 years, generously agreed to record a segment from his own studio in Texas.
Keather also reached out to Karla Verdi, Vice President of Learning and Development at PuzzleHR, an Omnia Partner, to invite her on a road trip. Karla graciously offered to join Keather (on a Sunday, no less) to make the trek to the Empowered studio in South Florida.
The Lead Up
On the road to pick Karla up, Keather realized that, though they had met a few times in business settings, they hadn’t spent much time really talking. Would being in the car together for eight hours be awkward? That worry went away almost as soon as the two left Karla’s driveway. Karla’s personality is magnetic, and right away the two were talking as if they’d known each other forever. It helped that they each have a passion for coaching and a dedication for helping clients achieve success.
Some of the time on the road was spent reviewing the materials provided by the Empowered team and deciding who would answer what. A lot of the time was spent sharing stories and philosophies about the HR world in general. Keather and Karla shared one basic touchstone when it comes to human resources: “Don’t be a jerk.” Unsurprisingly, that part didn’t make it into the segment.
After preparing for some time, they decided that too much preparation and scripting might not be a good thing. As is typical of natural leadership personality types, they decided it would be best to “shoot from the hip.” That instinct ended up being just what the Empowered creative team wanted. More on that later.
A Crisis of Caffeine
The plan for the morning of the shoot was for Keather and Karla to each spend some time alone in their hotel rooms, preparing mentally. While they’ve both logged many hours speaking publicly, sometimes in front of large crowds, they both admitted to feeling nervous being on camera. Keather figured some quiet alone time would help them gather their thoughts before the filming began.
There was one problem, though. When Keather went down to the hotel lobby to get a cup of coffee, she found no coffee, no cups, and no help from the front desk. Also, no breakfast, and this was supposed to be a full-service hotel!
Not wanting to leave Karla in a coffeeless and breakfastless state, she needed to break into Karla’s reflective time to take her food and beverage order. Within a few minutes, Uber Eats delivered them both much-needed caffeine and pastries from a nearby café. According to Karla, the coffee was even more important than uninterrupted quiet time, especially with the task ahead!
At the Studio
There were a lot of nerves going into the studio, but it didn’t take long for Keather and Karla to feel welcome and comfortable. Both were impressed by the professionalism and warmth of the Empowered crew and how well they managed the experience. They started out in a beautiful room with cappuccino and snacks and a whole wall full of awards.
Before they each filmed their segments, one of the team got them started by asking questions. He had done his homework, and his knowledge and curiosity made Keather and Karla feel at ease; before long they were communicating their ideas freely, and it was clear that the unscripted approach to sharing their knowledge and passion was just what the Empowered team wanted to capture.
The creative team was open to direction and feedback regarding what Keather hoped to highlight about Omnia. They listened and created the shots or made the adjustments Keather requested.
The day was a whirlwind, and the results…
Well, we can’t give too much away before the premier! But those on the Omnia Team who’ve had the pleasure of seeing the final video couldn’t be any happier with it.
Gratitude
After Karla generously contributed so much time and enthusiasm to the project, Keather had to offer a special thank you. A bottle of wine and a bouquet of roses – but not just any roses. During one of their discussions, Keather learned that one of Karla’s favorite ways of unwinding is building intricate Lego projects, so what better way to say thank you than with Lego roses. Karla was thrilled and put them together the same day.
We can’t thank Ben Keating of Keating Auto Group and Karla Verdi of Puzzle HR enough for taking time out of their hectic schedules to speak so passionately about The Omnia Group. We’re so grateful for your loyalty and your enthusiasm for the Omnia Behavioral Profile.
Stay Tuned Keep an eye on The Omnia Group’s social media updates to find out when and where to watch the Empowered video. Local clients and Omnia team members will be attending a red-carpet viewing event on June 27th, in St. Petersburg. In addition to dressing up to toast the premier, we will also be gathering donations of school supplies and monetary contributions for the Hillsborough Education Foundation.
