How RNG Group Started: The First 45 Days

In the spring of 2015 our founder, Jessica Cafferty, packed up a life in Dallas, drove twenty-five hours to Boise, and started a recruiting firm from scratch. She wrote about it as it happened, in short posts counted out by the day.

Those posts are collected here. They are lightly edited for length, but the voice and the details are hers, written at the time and not tidied up afterwards. The company launched as Route Networking Group and is known today as RNG Group; the original name is kept below where the story depends on it.

Day 1: Finding my route

Here we are, finding my route. Rather, I should probably say “here I am”, because that is all that “we” are right now. Route Networking Group, LLC, or Route for short. It is just me and you for this brief moment of time. Me and you, and a big, fat, beautifully overwhelming idea that is turning into a business.

As of about an hour ago I submitted Route’s Certificate of Organization to the Idaho Secretary of State, so that by the time I reach Idaho next week (merely a twenty-five hour drive away from Dallas, oof) the company will be ready to operate as its own entity.

With that, Route will be more than just “me”. It will become “we”, a network of businesses and professionals with a common interest in finding routes to long-term careers and meaningful employment for people in Idaho. It is exciting stuff. It will help our community grow, and grow productively, and I want you to be a part of it.

Day 18: Making progress

It has been eighteen days, and in those eighteen days I have managed to pick up my life in the heart of Dallas and drive to Boise to start Idaho’s premier recruiting and networking agency. Since the last post I have received confirmation as a legitimate LLC in the state of Idaho, and I have made it about three quarters of the way through a to-do list as long as the drive was here.

Bottom line, we have made progress. Better yet, we are continuing to make progress. With a lease that officially starts on April 1, you can bet we will be ready to hit the ground running on April 3. That means we are one step closer to helping you find a fulfilling career, or, if you are a business, to helping you find qualified and professional talent.

Between now and then we will be adding to our team (wahoo), finalizing some administrative details (riveting), finishing the website (about time), and reaching out to colleges, groups and organizations around the Treasure Valley to start growing our network.

Day 32: Move-in day

It is our first day in our first official office space, 223 N. 6th Street, and no April fooling. Not only were we lucky enough to find a convenient location, but in case it is not immediately obvious, our office sits atop Java Coffee. Anyone with even the faintest knowledge of me knows about my addiction to all things coffee, and I would be lying if I said this space’s proximity to Java’s infamous Bowl of Soul was not a selling point. Bring on the buzz.

Coffee aside, we have been making a good number of changes to the site, working to get the business plan in full order, and getting out there to meet Boise’s best. Already I am impressed. Boise is rich in talented, career-driven, motivated professionals. But I am confident there are plenty of those same people out there, maybe even you, who are toying with the idea of “what else is out there?” and feel there is no real resource to help them look.

That is where we step in. We go to work for you, and we keep everything absolutely confidential, so you can see what is out there without any risk in case you decide otherwise.

Day 37: Wait, what is this going to cost me?

Since we launched our Facebook page, several questions have come up about how much our services cost for people looking for a job. So we thought we would take a minute to spell it out.

It does not cost you a thing. As a candidate in our network our services are 100% free, whether we help you land the next position or not. It is our goal to be an ally and a resource to our candidates, and finding a career is hard enough without the added pressure of paying someone to help you get one.

In short, we act as your liaison with potential employers, and we dig in to learn what makes you unique so we can show that to them. We also take the time to make sure you are prepared for the interview process, from pointers on what not to do through to rehearsing your answers to difficult questions. We support you through the whole hiring process, and we make sure you have somewhere to turn with any question.

Day 45: Meeting the College of Idaho

Today we spent the afternoon in Caldwell at the College of Idaho. As a small liberal arts college in what many might consider the least liberal of places, we were anxious to see how we could supplement and assist their career center, the PEAK Center. We were not disappointed.

It was a pleasure to meet the people on that campus and to see their genuine enthusiasm and passion for their institution and her students. We are cooking up some fun ideas and are excited to work with the Coyotes. Starting next week, students and alumni will be able to find us on their Coyote Connections job board, and in the weeks to come you may find us helping with and hosting seminars on all kinds of HR and career-building topics.

A big thank you to the PEAK Center and to Jack Cafferty for hosting us.

What happened next

The first forty-five days set the pattern: show up in the community, keep the service free for candidates, and treat the network as the product. That is still how we work. The office has moved to 211 W State Street, the team has grown well beyond “me and you”, and Route Networking Group became RNG Group. If you are curious about the name change, we wrote about it in what happened to Route Networking Group.

If you are hiring, take a look at how we approach talent acquisition. If you are looking for your next role, it is still free, and you can register with us to get started.