We had the good fortune of connecting with Monique Porras and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Monique, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I feel extremely lucky to have seen many facets of life while growing up! I was born in Los Angeles. Don’t remember living there my dad moved us to Piscataway, NJ. I say, I learned how to talk there and eventually spent most of my life right outside of Washington, DC in Fairfax, VA. I was raised by multi-cultural parents who are comprised of many cultures themselves. One parent came from a farm in rural Alabama and the other from Los Angeles, with neither growing up with any luxuries at all. They had to work harder than others to move up and be accepted by a tumultuous society back then. I share those details because it is those roots that were passed onto me. I am the person today because I saw a dad start off as a clerk in the US Postal Service and make his way up to CFO. A nationally recognized & honored Hispanic American. I saw an African American mom who left the volatile south, go to college and build her own legacy at a large corporation. I was impacted at the humility and authenticity my parents always possessed. We were middle class. We didn’t live rich. We could have dinners at the Vice President of America’s house and be at the most distinguished banquets, but my parents never waivered from the realities of life. I was able to live in the Washington DC area exposed to some amazing things my dad was doing, but spend summers on a farm, stay having to pick my own food and stay in trailers or in economically challenged areas of LA. This upbringing and exposure taught me to never act better than anyone else. It has been tremendous with what I do everyday. I am in the business of people! I own a recruiting firm so I talk to all kinds of different people. I love it! I am comfortable talking to anyone in any economic class or notoriety and I always feel comfortable. My dad always said everyone’s S@!# stinks and no one is better than another. I say that to myself everyday. It is true. I have confidence in talking to everyone! I truly know I wouldn’t have this success with my business or personal relationships without this upbringing. This is indeed priceless!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am proud to share that I get to help put people’s permanent stamp on their professional life! I operate a local and national reach recruiting firm called The Kempington Group. Myself along with my team, successfully bring clients and candidates together in strategic ways. Our goal is to change the recruiting “game” and humanize recruiting again! This is our differentiator! The Kempington Group’s team is in the business of bringing people together for a long-term commitment. This means raising the level of respect and quality conversations on both the candidate and client side. Leading with the power of the candidate and company’s story, the recruiting process and the match has been game changing. We have been working tirelessly to bring the power of the story to the forefront of the recruiting process. This takes tireless work! Our “commodity” breaths and has emotions. We are responsible for managing all of that. I’ve learned to always be authentic! If we treat all clients and candidates with respect and open communication, we are doing it right. We are doing it honest!

I want to leave a legacy within my field and in overall business interactions. Through The Kempington Group’s brand, we want the world to know we authentically want people to feel phenomenal interacting with us! We bring a ton of value and insight on what is going on in talent acquisition. We have a lot to talk about!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a great one! The one thing I love is finding a great experience and an outstanding place to eat! Our city is known for some incredible sunsets! My place of serenity with a stellar view is A Different Point of View. Definitely the first place to take a friend to at sunset. A must stop at The Rooftop for a downtown rooftop vibe! Can you tell I am into views?! For restaurants, we would have to hit one of the many great Mexican restaurants. A nice mix of down-home style to upscale, Mochilero is a GREAT upscale Mexican restaurant and locally owned! We can’t forget to add a visit to The Americano, Ocean’s 44 and the larder + the delta to name a few. Because I grew up eating many cultural foods, we would have to eat at Mambo’s, Puerto Rico Latin Bar & Grill and Krachai Thai Kitchen. After all that eating, the hiking here is a must! Let’s not forget some outside yoga in downtown Phoenix!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My list of recognition is long!

I can only do what I do every day because of my community. When I say community, that includes family, friends, clients, acquaintances and all their extensions. It has been a wide cast from childhood to today of first connections and beyond that I dedicate all of my successes to!

Website: www.kempingtongroup.com

Instagram: dcmoni and kempingtongroup

Linkedin: L Monique Porras and The Kempington Group

Twitter: Laura Monique Porras

Facebook: L Monique Porras and The Kempington Group

Image Credits
Sarah Hoag Photography Elizabeth Marie Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.