This Is Why You Invest in People Early

I've placed a lot of people over the course of my career.

But there's a specific kind of joy that comes from watching someone you believed in - before the world knew to believe in them - become exactly who you always thought they could be.

In Las Vegas, I got to experience that twice in the same weekend.

Sean Murphy and Jesse Login were two of the very first interns I ever recruited for WWE.

They came in through community relations. Entry level. Early career. The kind of roles where you're still figuring out how an office works, let alone an industry. I saw something in both of them, put them in the room, and then watched them do the rest.

They worked their way into full-time roles. They built careers. They grew.

Fast forward to this year's WWE fan expo event in Las Vegas, and there they are - Sean and Jesse, both back in the WWE ecosystem through their roles with Fanatics, both carrying real oversight responsibilities at one of the company's signature fan experiences.

I watched them work the room and couldn't help but think: yeah, that tracks.

"Rising through the ranks" is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot. But when you've watched someone from their very first day - nervous, eager, trying to figure out where they fit - and then you see them years later owning a room with confidence and competence, the phrase actually means something.

That's Sean. That's Jesse.

And they're not alone. Over the years, staying connected with former interns and early-career placements has become one of the most meaningful parts of what I do. Not as a recruiter. As an unofficial coach. A career advisor. Someone who picks up the phone when they call, and occasionally makes the call first.

These relationships were never transactional. That's exactly why they've lasted.

If there's one thing Vegas reminded me, it's this: the best investment you'll ever make is in a person who hasn't peaked yet.

Bet on people early. Stay in their corner. Show up when it counts.

Then one day you'll be at a fan expo watching them run the show — and you'll feel something that no commission check, no closed deal, and no filled role has ever quite matched.

I call it pride. The professional kind, and the kind that feels a little like family.

This is part of an ongoing series - Five Days in Vegas: Where Every Conversation Was the Right One - where I'm sharing the stories, reconnections, and unexpected lessons from a recent trip that reminded me why relationships are everything.

More soon. - Jon