Today we’d like to introduce you to Hubert Thomas.
Hubert, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Ever since high school, I have been passionate about helping others be successful and reach their full potential. It didn’t matter what the task was, people came to me when they needed help.
I’m from a small town in South Georgia. I remember one summer, I was about 19 coming back home from my freshman year of college. My friends and I might have tried every business short of crossing into Tallahassee, but we just couldn’t find jobs. So, I got to thinking, gathered up some resources and the bit of money I had saved up and opened up my first business, Keep Talkin’. It was a phone store, it had a store front and everything. I was able to provide myself with a stream of income and put my people on a payroll.
In undergrad I was a typical, broke college kid and I couldn’t really ask my family for money (for lack of funds and a lot of pride), so I picked up a lot of jobs. I tutored, refereed, threw parties, had office assistant positions, did retail and a whole lot more. One of my bosses also joked about how I took a lot of pride in the fact that I was able to provide for myself and still have enough to buy the things I wanted and go where I wanted to go.
When it comes to others, I’ve always been a peoples’ person and genuinely feel like if I help others, others will help me. I’ve introduced people to networks, hired people to my team, got people hired to other teams, loaned money, and given money to people without expecting it back just to help. Upper Echelon was started after realizing how many people I helped in college gain interviews and land jobs. My ability to network and connect people, while also highlighting people’s strengths helped make it easy for people to grow. But it’s not just about getting a job. It’s about setting goals and helping people establish habits that fosters the lifestyles people want to have which ultimately makes them happy.
In Macon, GA (where I went to school and started Upper Echelon), there was a deficit of available employers and without knowing the right people it was difficult to find a job to apply for, let alone obtain the position. I worked diligently at creating this vast network, building resume critiquing skills, and even added some clothing to the mix of products and services I offer.
Today I am currently able to officially book clients for consultations.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. That’s just the way it has to be. Of course, I’ve had to deal with a few obstacles like start-up costs, branding, establishing a social media presence and many others. One of the largest struggles was dealing with the merchandise. Upper Echelon has a clothing line and my manufacturer closed down shortly after the launch. This was extremely difficult to deal with as there were people who had preordered products. Of course, I have since been able to find another manufacturer to fulfill my orders for clothing products.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Upper Echelon story. Tell us more about it.
Upper Echelon is a consulting firm that is equipped with the resources and expertise to assist young professionals to cultivate the lifestyle that they were destined to have. We specialize in resumé and application reviews, mock interviews, professional headshots, networking and anything involving professional development. I am most proud that with Upper Echelon, I have been able to assist recent graduates to get positions with companies like GEICO and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, as well as law firms, and even start-up companies. Upper Echelon is different than most consulting firms in that everything we do is tailored to the specific applicant and position that is being applied for. I take great passion in this and personally follow up with my clients to ensure that they are living the UE lifestyle.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck isn’t really something that I’m a huge believer in. However, I will say that I am blessed to be in an area with the opportunity to help many people. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who graduate from colleges and universities with thousands of dollars in student debt; and yet, have no solidified plans for employment after graduation. It has also been my experience that most of these individuals weren’t able to gain much from utilizing resources that the school was providing for them. Luckily, I’ve been blessed with the knowledge and resources to be able to make myself available to help them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theuelife.com
- Email: theuelife@mail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuelife
Image Credit:
Jordan Marshall
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