TOP 100 MAGAZINE

Christopher Tuma

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In the dormant years of the pandemic, entrepreneurs, visionaries, and innovators across the country were quietly turning their ideas into reality—bringing forth solutions to problems that have plagued consumers, businesses, and industries for decades. And Christopher Tuma is among them. He’s the founder of Churchill Fox, a company on a mission to revolutionize the recruiting industry. As competition for talent is at a fever pitch and companies struggle to find qualified candidates in the wake of the Great Resignation, it comes at a time in which the country is experiencing the greatest explosion of small businesses and startups in its history—and Churchill Fox is leading the charge to help them thrive with a model designed specifically for enterprises with 20 to 1000 employees, built by a man who knows every inch of the industry.

 

Christopher got his start in recruitment at just 22, and in eight years has held every role in the industry, from recruiter to CEO, working on behalf of over 200 of the Fortune 500s, and just as many small to mid-size companies. His experience gave him a deep insight into the industry. “When it comes to recruitment, I’m not someone who’s just managed a recruiting team or a sales team, I’ve actually done it, and still do it, myself,” he shares.

 

In 2022, at just 29 years old, Christopher opened the doors to Churchill Fox to not only provide top tier recruiting services, but to save companies time and money by giving them direct access to specialized recruiters who focus on the particular industry of the client company, thus eliminating the need for salespeople and allowing for lower fees. Most of all—he actually made it easy. Client companies simply visit the website and enter information about who they are and who they’re looking for, then book time to talk with a recruiter directly about their specific needs. Christopher’s colleagues, who come from some of the best agencies in the country, get to focus on the industries they know so they can hire based on the nuances and critical details needed for specific industries, and pull from networks built over years of successful recruitment.

 

We spoke with Christopher to learn more about what inspired Churchill Fox, and how they’re turning the recruiting industry on its head.

 

Why did you leave a thriving career as an executive to start your own firm?

 

I started to see how transactional the industry seemed, instead of human—just checking off boxes of skills and qualifications to find a résumé that matched. But it doesn’t end with checkboxes; they don’t necessarily mean a candidate is qualified, and oftentimes they’re not. There are nuances, very specific skills and personality traits that must be considered. I started the company to put the people at the center of it all. And I wanted was to help companies save money and have the experience be more efficient, enjoyable, and personable for everyone, resulting in a long-lasting union that allows both companies and candidates to thrive.

 

Where did the idea for your revolutionary recruiting model come from? How does it work?

 

The process is simple. A company can simply go to the Churchill Fox website and click “Hire Now.” This will lead them to a page where they add some basic details about the job they are looking to fill, and access to a calendar to schedule a time to connect with a recruiter about the role. Then they can just sit back and let us head hunt the best talent for them!

 

My goal is to serve as an extension of their internal recruiting team rather than an outsourced firm. If you post a job on a job board, every applicant costs money, whether or not they’re qualified. And most of the time the candidates aren’t vetted, they just have key words on their resume. Plus, if you go through a normal recruiting firm, there’s typically a much higher placement fee, but since we don’t have salespeople who earn commission, we can charge a much lower fee. We’re not salespeople, we’re recruiters who specialize in the specific industry for which you’re hiring. Time is of the essence in recruiting, and companies need qualified candidates who can hit the ground running. Our clients visit our site and talk with a recruiter that same day. Furthermore, I often show clients both the candidates they can afford, and those they actually need, because often times, the salary targeted and the skillset targeted do not match up. In this competitive market, the best candidates can demand a little more.

 

How is the Churchill Fox team unique?

 

I have an all-star team of previous coworkers, some of whom I’ve worked with for years, so I knew exactly who I wanted to bring on. This industry requires a lot of perseverance. It can take patience and creativity to find the right candidate. It takes flexibility and tenacity to get what your client needs, and my team has that. And because we don’t have salespeople, I can use more of our revenue to pay them higher commissions while keeping costs low for our clients.

 

What do you enjoy most about your work, Christopher?

 

First, it’s a cool feeling when you find someone their dream job and help them advance their career and help a company find that perfect person they’ve been looking for. Then there’s the relationships. I’ve had some clients for years, so I understand how they hire and what they really want. We go golfing, have dinner. I meet their families, and introduce them to mine, so this is not just transactional for me. This business is personal, and I treat it as such.

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What's new with Christopher in 2024

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From Boardroom Floors to Basketball Courts - A Sneaker Love Story

 

Christopher Tuma’s office at Churchill Fox might have a glamourous vibe, befitting of a top recruiting agency, but what truly captures his heart is what lies at home; his collection of immaculate sneakers. From formal to casual to his prized collection of sneakers, Christopher's love for footwear is as evident as the shine on his freshly cleaned kicks. It seems only natural that Christopher would embark on a new project based on his utter obsession with sneakers.

 

For the co-founder of SoleCrate, shoes aren’t just a style statement, but a canvas that narrates tales of his personal journey. From his college baseball days at Campbellsville University to running the revolutionary recruiting firm Churchill Fox, every shoe has seen its share of boardrooms, baseball fields, and the world beyond.

 

It hasn’t always been smooth (or clean) striding, however. Imagine this: You’re about to step out, the clock’s ticking, and snap! A shoelace breaks. Or imagine the horror of reaching a pristine hotel only to realize you forgot your shoe cleaner, and your favorite sneakers look like they’ve been in a mud-wrestling match. Christopher has been there, felt the frustration, and changed many an outfit.

 

This personal agony, combined with a fortuitous meeting with a sneaker businessman two doors down from his Churchill Fox office, led to the inception of SoleCrate. While the sneaker world had its individual players selling shoe restoration items, Christopher envisioned something grander: a subscription-based service, curating top-tier sneaker care products.

 

Launched on September 1st, 2023, SoleCrate took the sneaker community by storm. Targeting sneakerheads, young professionals, and the athletic crowd, the company addressed the unique needs of diverse sneaker lovers everywhere. Right out of the gate, orders flowed in, and the SoleCrate buzz was inescapable on social media.

 

But what set SoleCrate apart? First, it’s the range of products. Subscribers could expect anything from shoe cleaners, brushes, and microfiber towels to shoelaces in their monthly boxes. And secondly, the proprietary nature of these products. Crafted with care, the cleaners and products are SoleCrate's own formulations, developed out of the Founders’ experiences and expertise.

 

What SoleCrate truly offers is more than just products; it’s a passion in a box. Their mission encapsulates this ethos perfectly: to empower individual style while ensuring every step taken in those precious sneakers is confident, clean, and chic.

 

From recruiting to revolutionizing sneaker care, Christopher Tuma's journey is proof of what happens when one combines passion with purpose. And as subscribers unbox their SoleCrates month after month, they're not just receiving shoe care essentials; they're getting a piece of Christopher’s love for sneakers and his dedication to making every sneaker lover’s journey as impeccable as his collection.

 

We spoke with Christopher to learn more about what makes SoleCrate unique and where they’re headed from here.

 

Christopher, what makes your subscription box so unique?

 

We offer a unique subscription model, likely the only one on the market, priced at just $20/month. Individually, products like our cleaner would cost $20 each. However, our customers get a $40-$50 value in every box. Every month delivers a varied assortment of shoe care products, always including shoelaces of different styles and colors. Over a year, subscribers amass a comprehensive collection for their shoe needs. The main idea is convenience: customers have essential products readily available, tackling shoe care issues as they arise without having to think about purchasing them beforehand.

 

What’s on the horizon for SoleCrate?

 

We're planning to introduce a questionnaire to customize boxes based on individual preferences regarding shoe brands, sizes, and colors. This will lead to more tailored offerings, like size-specific shoe trees or crease protectors. We aim to provide products that cater to diverse shoe care needs, from repainting worn-down soles to anti-slip pads, essentially covering everything shoe-related except the shoes themselves.

 

You’re also a founder of Churchill Fox. Can you tell us a little about these dual roles and how they overlap?

 

Churchill Fox is revolutionizing the recruiting industry by giving companies direct access to specialized recruiters. SoleCrate is revolutionizing the shoe care industry by giving people direct access to premium accessories and supplies. As far as I know, they are both unprecedented in their individual sectors. As a founder of both, the overlap has been in recognizing an underserved or non-existent market, then serving it. The companies themselves are in different industries, but the models are the same; give the people what they want, and that’s what I focus on in both roles.

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Christopher Tuma
Co-Founder
SoleCrate

Email: chris@churchillfox.com
CC: tumachris@yahoo.com
Website: https://solecrate.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophertuma/