Nicky Wallace is the founder and CEO of Recruit DSM, Hire DSM, and NMW Consulting Group. All three businesses work to connect top talent to jobs and industries around Greater Des Moines. 

Please tell us about your background.

I am an Iowan born and raised! I’m originally from Fort Dodge but have lived in Des Moines since I graduated college. I went to Arizona State University for two years before finishing my degree here at the University of Iowa (go Hawks!) In college, I also did a “Semester at Sea,” where I lived on a ship and traveled the world. I currently live in Clive with my husband, Matt, two girls, Olivia and Norah, and our goldendoodle Walden. We love to travel, go to the lake and spend time with family.

Please tell us about your business.

My business was formed in May of 2021 as NMW Consulting Group. It started after I left my former employer without a plan, but knowing I needed to do something different. After a week of "retirement," NMWCG was born.

I started contract recruiting for a friend at a now longtime client. Realizing that I could do this for other companies, I started asking around. I realized Recruiting Process Outsourcing (RPO) is a more widely used business model on the coasts for recruiting talent.

By October 2021, I added a part-time employee and took on three more clients. This past January, we rebranded our RPO to Recruit DSM and expanded our recruiting services by adding a full-service staffing company, Hire DSM. We also continue NMW Consulting Group where we work with clients on different consulting needs within recruiting, such as building intern programs.

Why did you join NAWBO Iowa and what do you appreciate about it?

I joined NAWBO because I needed a group of like-minded individuals that were also in the same spot as me — owning a business and navigating the waters on their own day in and day out. As a business, we are part of other networking groups, but nothing specific to business owners. So, it has been great to connect with others at varying stages. I appreciate how welcoming everyone has been! It always is a safe space to ask questions and network. 

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I enjoy partnering with my clients and getting ingrained in their hiring needs. Until getting into talent acquisition consulting, I assumed everyone knew how to hire, create a great candidate experience and knew their plan for attracting talent. Being able to do that in various forms is extremely rewarding.

What are you most looking forward to in 2023?

I was asked what my word for 2023 was, and I answered, “Growth through stabilization!” We have been in discovery, then hyper-growth mode since we started. We went from just me to a team of eight very quickly. I look forward to developing my team and client relationships this year since we got our expansion done and a great team hired.

What does NAWBO mean to you?

Relationships. Relationships have always been important to me, but running a business is not for the faint of heart, and strong relationships get you through the roller coaster of emotions with all of the "things" that go along with running a business. Being able to come to meetings and starting to see some familiar faces has been great!