Why do I do what I do?

It’s been almost a year since I started the journey of building Ikique. It’s been very interesting, with more challenges and surprises than I expected. At the beginning, I was mostly concerned about “what” to work on and whether I would be able to do it. With the stage fright now behind me, I spend more time thinking about “how” I want to work and, most importantly, the “why”. 

Technique (the how) and purpose (the why) are often overlooked, but I think they might be the biggest sources of fulfillment at work. At least, they are for me. In hindsight, that makes sense, but I honestly didn’t expect it would take me this long to truly define how I want to work and why.

This is a long way of saying that I decided that it was about time to write about why I do what I do, and to write more in general. Fear me not, but I think I’m back to blogging. Here is a rhyme for you: 

Thanks to AI, we have forgotten that writing is not a step that follows thinking, but rather the place where thought is formed. Writing is not communicating; it is thinking, so I want to write and think more. 

In very broad terms, I do what I do because I’ve always been interested in identifying the many forms and shapes that extraordinary talent and leadership can take. Regardless of how they look or behave, I’ve always been amazed by the ripple effect they create in the people and organizations around them.

Also, I’ve been lucky enough to recruit and hire so many incredibly talented people and to work with exceptional hiring leaders. Over the years, I’ve witnessed their impact firsthand. I’ve seen what a difference it makes when the right person is in the right role. This is something I can’t unsee. Candidates and hiring managers alike have pulled me into a repeated, virtuous circle that I enjoy and have no intention of getting out of. 

For this reason, I am kind of stuck in the best possible way in a constant curiosity and drive to find (or die trying) better ways to make hiring decisions, recognize talent before it fully shows itself, and truly understand what creates “fit” between people and the work they do to be able to help people be happy at work and make money while reaching their best. 

I’ve always been a little cynical about company mission statements. Why do I do what I do? I’m still not entirely sure but it’s been a huge enterprise to create the first draft of Ikique’s mission statement. 

So here is my attempt:

Ikique is built on a commitment to making better hiring decisions. I believe that becoming great at identifying and hiring extraordinary people is work worth doing for two reasons: 

• First, it’s good for business. Better hiring decisions build stronger teams, enable superior execution, and ultimately deliver a higher quality of service.
• Second, it’s also good for people. The work people do and how people do it shape who they become and add meaning to their lives, making the fit between person, work, and environment deeply consequential. 

For these two reasons, I am curious about which human attributes and behaviors lead to exceptional performance, and how leadership and organizational conditions allow potential to fully materialize.

My mission is to help hospitality organizations and leaders become better at identifying extraordinary individuals, hiring with confidence, building stronger teams, and creating the conditions where people can thrive and businesses can perform at their best.

By leading hands-on recruiting and by sharing insights, testimonials, and best practices drawn from leaders, research, and frontline operational experience, Ikique serves as a medium to improve how talent decisions are made across hiring, promotion, and development.

Based on Ikique’s focus and commitment, it comes naturally to specialize in deeply human-dependent organizations like startups and industries such as hospitality, travel, and wellness. These types of businesses and industries succeed because of people, making the pursuit of hiring excellence an imperative.

Thank you for reading, and don’t forget to subscribe if you want to know when the next post is out.