Pandemic sets new direction for former Schaumburg Business Association leader
Not everyone has contracted COVID-19, but very few have been immune to its economic impacts - including the prior president of the Schaumburg Business Association.
Despite the pandemic bringing an end to the business she started two years ago after stepping down from her leadership role at the SBA, Kaili Kaminski said she recently landed on her feet by reinventing herself once again at The Salem Group's North Suburban Staffing Center in Buffalo Grove.
Kaminski's business, Presence Image and Personal Brand, centered around crafting professional images for business executives and people on book and speaking tours - including TED Talks and "Shark Tank" appearances.
"COVID-19 sadly put an abrupt halt on my business as 'Shark Tank' and TED Talks both ceased, book and speaking tours stopped, and when working from home there isn't much need for a professional wardrobe," Kaminski said.
"I had some clients reach out about helping their companies with Zoom meeting protocol and best practices, but other than that, my business very quickly went from busy to chirping crickets."
Then in June, she joined forces with The Salem Group, which she describes as a provider of world-class staff augmentation, strategic workforce solutions, web-enabled workforce procurement and applications to better manage service delivery and talent supply chains.
Kaminski said she's also pleased by the company's status as a certified Woman-Owned Business Enterprise, the value it places on diversity, and its being a perennial winner of the Daily Herald Business Ledger's Best Places to Work in Illinois award.
"If you had asked me at the beginning of the year, I would not have predicted that I would bring my experience and talents to staffing, but it has really been a seamless fit, and I've been so thrilled with the experience so far," Kaminski said.