Reginald Reed
Reginald Reed lives by the creed, ““Consciousness creates reality.” He is driven by the belief that our energetic thoughts and intentions can have a dramatic impact on our surroundings. So, at age 31, the Wisconsin native ended a successful 13-year career in the construction industry and set out to return principle and passion to all areas of employment. Just one year later, in 2016, he founded Mindful Staffing Solutions, LLC—a free, sustainable, technical college platform headquartered in Milwaukee. Attached directly to employment and supportive services, the platform was designed to be profitable as well as duplicable and has already moved hundreds of individuals out of poverty and into sustainable careers without government assistance. As CEO, Reginald battles poverty, unsatisfactory race relations, and economic inequality through the strategic design of private commerce business models, which provide adequate training, education, and career opportunities for underserved communities across the country.
To further support this noble mission, in 2018, Reginald founded Mindful Measures, Inc., a Milwaukee-based software development company that specializes in products that help to create unbiased conditions for hiring, paying, promoting, and terminating within the workforce. Using a proprietary software system, the company produces a real-time résumé—a performance-based, data analytics résumé that drives unbiased hiring decisions. Reginald holds numerous responsibilities within both companies, which include process implementation and improvement as well as system design, software architecture, business development, and workforce performance data analytics. In recognition of his efforts, he was selected as a recipient of the 2016 Wisconsin Job Honor Award, and Milwaukee Business Journal named him a Power Broker in 2019. He was also listed among Fortune’s Future 50 and Milwaukee’s 40 Under 40. We recently had the honor of meeting with Reginald to discuss the Mindful companies, their services, and the clients they assist.
After working as a building tradesperson, what led you to change paths and launch your own staffing company?
Like so many others, the construction industry is subject to bias. I was the only black person at a lot of building companies, so I saw many barriers over the course of my career. When I finally made up my mind that something had to be done, I was at the highest level of my job as a commercial roofing envelope specialist, project estimate management, with financing that would have exceeded $600,000. At the same time, in my personal life, I was learning about human consciousness and how to be a selfless, egoless person. Through that process, I ultimately realized that businesses have egos just like people, and I decided to create a business that could serve while also being profitable. That’s how Mindful Staffing was born.
For what sectors do you provide staffing?
We provide staffing services for skilled trades—construction, electrical, plumbing, etc.—the medical industry—positions such as patient transport, CNA, CBRF, and others—and environmental technology. We also provide free training for all these areas, and we’re working on adding a medical assistant training program. Our mission is to create free college, and as we expand our training, our goal is to serve every industry.
What types of educational courses do you provide?
All the courses we offer are free, and they include medical training, building and construction, driver’s ed., and high school equivalency. Also, once the COVID-19 pandemic is under control, we will be opening our manufacturing and hospitality training courses.
That’s wonderful! What are some of the tools you’ve developed for creating unbiased workforce environments?
Since we were founded, we’ve been using the Real-Time Résumé, which was developed through our sister company, Mindful Measures. A Real-Time Résumé is the end product of REIGN—our real-time employee intelligence gathering network. REIGN is time and attendance combined with performance metrics and business intelligence, the three components that produce the Real-Time Résumé.
What benefits does a Real-Time Résumé provide clients and employees?
It gives both employers and employees a clear understanding of their value based upon their performance. The unique part is that a Real-Time Résumé does not include the names or faces of candidates—it shows only their metrics. This format is beneficial to all parties involved because it makes the hiring process unbiased and performance driven. It also results in faster hiring, higher retention, a healthier work environment, fair pay, an optimized workforce, and an improved bottom line.
Now, tell us a bit about Mindful Measures, Inc.
Mindful Measures is a software development company focused on metric-driven workforce decisions. Our goal is to push the world toward making unbiased decisions when hiring, firing, paying, and promoting employees. We do that by keeping the focus on performance data and data analytics. Through Mindful Measures, we’re currently building Real-Time Résumé software that other companies will be able to use in-house. When I tell people about the software, I explain it this way: “With a Real-Time Résumé, a woman will never again be passed over for a raise due to her gender because she will be backed by her metrics.” If used properly together, the Mindful Staffing model and the Mindful Measures model can solve workforce issues of any city.
Would you like to share a memorable example of someone you’ve helped?
I have a lot of examples, but one in particular that comes to mind is a man named Branden. At the time, he was an expectant father who never had a strong example to follow or any skills to help him prepare for a career. After coming to us, he is now fully sustained with a family-supporting life and career that he wouldn’t trade for the world. His baby is now two years old.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy the fact that the impact we make in people’s lives is compounded. For example, when I teach someone like Branden, he, in turn, teaches his son a trade. Seeing the generational impact that we’re making is the most fulfilling part of job. That’s what drives me. The training and free college are helpful to the world, and to neutralize biased hiring practices through our software is a true privilege. I believe wholeheartedly in the words “when old patterns are broken, new worlds emerge,” and to know that we’re helping to open new worlds to so many people is tremendously fulfilling.
Contact:
Reginald Reed
Founder and CEO
Mindful Staffing Solutions, LLC │ Mindful Measures, Inc.
Website: www.mindfulstaff.com
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