Kelly Bonn on Branding, Hiring, and the Human Factor

Guest: Kelly Bonn — Navy veteran, retained executive recruiter, executive coach

Location: The Centre Club, Tampa

Episode in a sentence

From small boats in the Med to C-suite searches in boardrooms, Kelly unpacks modern hiring, executive presence, and why your LinkedIn should teach—not trumpet.

What we cover

Kelly’s Navy path (Italy, small boats unit, coxswain/engineer) and the through-line to recruiting

Retained search vs. contingency—and why “human” beats “process”

Branding that works: educational posts, clear profile, and consistent presence

Posting cadence/windows that reach senior decision makers

Building a talent flywheel with employee advocates (and how to bonus them)

Interviewing that actually reveals judgment and fit (ditch lazy behavioral scripts)

Diversifying revenue streams so a weird year doesn’t sink you

Why the job market feels strange—and the signals it’s warming

Playbook & Tactics

Intro line: “I’m an executive coach and a headhunter. I help companies hire and leaders land.”

Three questions to ask in interviews:

“What would your current manager say about you?”

“What did you like most/least about your last role?”

“What’s the biggest challenge in the first 90 days here?”

LinkedIn content rule: educate > advertise. Case-style posts win.

Best posting windows (for exec audiences): Sun late AM/early PM; Mon late PM; Tue late AM.

Book pick: Captivate — Vanessa Van Edwards.

Offers & Resources

Kelly’s giveaway: Executive Bio + 1 hr coaching (leadership/job search) or hiring-manager interview training.

Services: retained search (Sr. Director → C-suite), executive coaching, resumes/executive bios, LinkedIn optimization.

Keep up with us

Tampa: monthly third-Tuesday meetups at The Centre Club

Clearwater: monthly wellness workouts

Message “TAMPA” to get reminders and invites.