We have all heard the phrase “next chapter” being used when change is bounding around us both personally and professionally.  Well there you go, my next chapter has started and it’s indeed the continuation of my story.

This long chapter starts over the last 13 years. I’ve started several small companies and been part of a couple of growth companies that my knowledge and unique skills supported achieving their vision.  Over the last 4½ years I’ve been part of PeopleClues, one of the leading behavioral assessment companies in the world. My role was leading the strategic direction as the Chief Strategy Officer; providing better science and being kind in our actions was always how we treated people of which I’m very proud.  I’ve recently left my role with PeopleClues; they also have a new chapter.  PeopleClues is now part of the Charleston, SC-based talent management company PeopleMatter.  I greatly appreciate the opportunity given to me by Julie Moreland, Founder of PeopleClues as well as wish my team, customers and friends raving success in the future.  It will only get better!

I met Nate DaPore, CEO of PeopleMatter about 3 years ago; it’s been exciting watching PM evolve as a company and technology forerunner within the hospitality, retail and restaurant space.  They are putting pressure on the market place to up their game on the quality of the user experience and at the same time creating a badass cool company culture – Mission Accomplished.  On March 14^th PeopleMatter acquired PeopleClues creating one of the most strategically positioned big-data talent management plays in the Human Capital vertical.  It’s truly a marriage of science, technology and socially purposeful culture.

In 2010 I started DriveThruHR, a successful Internet radio show (podcast) as a way to satisfy my need to build a new company of my own.  I’m constantly getting that entrepreneur’s anxiousness that has always been an advantage for me in the corporate world, because I think like an officer and shareholder (always have, always will) and searching for what is next.  I’ve been involved in HR and HR technology related ventures for 20 years, the next chapter would need to be extra special with these criteria:

1) make an impact on the future
2) impact a lot of people
3) impact me – completely consume my thoughts, inspire me and provide me a bigger purpose

Out of all the thoughts on Admiral’s Club napkins for business plans and ideas the one that stuck was “ceVoke“ which is a services company that represents Keynote Speakers to corporate and non-profit meeting planners and audiences in the US, Canada and UK.  A friend and partner at PeopleClues, Cat Carlos and I brainstormed many nights and weekends about this part-time venture, ceVoke.   Our first conversation turned into what is ceVoke today, a boutique speakers’ agency with intent of improving the experience and impact for the audience, speakers’, event planners and ceVoke family.

With 30+ conferences attended over the previous 18 months I had lots of opportunities to hear and meet great to horrible speakers and listen to how disappointed and positively impacted the audience was by the speakers who really nailed it and got it right.  When the acquisition happened in March 2013 there were probably 10 different opportunities within PeopleMatter that where amazing and would have made total sense.

But my thoughts over the last few months have been consumed more and more about ceVoke and the differences that I can be making for people who are searching for something/someone to impact and inspire them to be better than maybe they even thought they could be, well that is ceVoke for me.  So my choice and path was to step back into the crazy adrenaline of being an entrepreneur.  We represent real people globally who are the “Voices of Thought Leadership”.   Looking forward to continuing those friendships in my next chapter called:  ceVoke.

Bryan Wempen
co-Founder, CEO
bryan@ceVoke.com
918-609-3109 o
918-284-4157 m
ceVoke, LLC
www.ceVoke.com