In a staffing marketplace where speed, technology, and process are often assumed to be the differentiators, clients and candidates are quietly asking a more fundamental question: Why should I choose you?

This webinar invites staffing leaders, recruiters, and sales professionals to step back and examine what truly drives trust, loyalty, and long-term success. Drawing from decades of business leadership and relationship-driven sales experience, Maureen O’Brien – The Sales Sage™ and CEO of the Global Wisdom & Leadership Forum, explores why the most successful staffing firms stand out not because of what they offer — but because of how they show up.

Participants will be challenged to rethink differentiation through a human lens and to uncover the often-overlooked elements that influence client and candidate decisions in moments of uncertainty, change, and risk. This session moves beyond tactics to help staffing firms clarify and communicate what makes them genuinely choose-worthy in a crowded market.

At the conclusion of this webinar, the participant will be able to:

1. Identify the real factors that influence why clients and candidates choose one staffing firm over another — beyond speed, tools, or price.
2. Strengthen trust and credibility at every touchpoint by aligning leadership, communication, and relationship-building across the organization.
3. Clearly articulate their firm’s value in a way that feels human, confident, and differentiated — especially in competitive or uncertain environments.

August 20, 2026 - 1PM CST

ISSA Members Free / Nonmembers $39

MEET THE SPEAKER

Maureen O'Brien is a dynamic business leader, globally recognized keynote speaker, and bestselling author known for helping organizations build high-performing teams through trust, clarity, and human-centered leadership.

With more than 30 years of experience leading a multi-generational, service-based construction business, Maureen understands firsthand what it takes to attract talent, develop people, retain clients, and grow revenue in competitive, relationship-driven industries. She is the founder and CEO of O’Brien & Son, Inc., a company she has successfully led for over 38 years, and the founder and Managing Partner of the Global Women’s Leadership Forum®, where she partners with organizations to strengthen leadership at every level.

Maureen’s work sits at the intersection of leadership, sales, and resilience. Her expertise in Relationship Sales and Point of Light Leadership™ equipping staffing professionals to build stronger pipelines, deepen trust with clients and candidates, and lead confidently through uncertainty and change.

A Stage IV lymphoma survivor, Maureen brings a powerful, real-world perspective on resilience, decision-making under pressure, and what truly matters when the stakes are high. Her message resonates deeply with leaders and sales professionals navigating rapid change while still being expected to deliver results.

Maureen is the author of four bestselling books, the most recent, “26 Points of Light—Illuminating One Cancer Survivor’s Journey from Diagnosis to Remission.” All profits from the book go to cancer research and patient care. She is a recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award, and she has been recognized as one of Illinois’ most powerful women. Audiences consistently describe her as insightful, grounded, and refreshingly real — a leader who speaks from experience, not theory.