Countless businesses are riddled with problems that are deceivingly simple at first glance. These issues, such as unoptimized workflows and HR mismanagement, can spell death for a company, slowly leeching into the very culture of the workplace. Left unanswered, they lead to lowered productivity and can often leave already vulnerable workers first up on the chopping block for profit cuts.
Put simply, these issues require the expertise of someone who can incite positive change that is consistent and applied with care. Enter Drew Soule, a former Pinterest professional who ties in personal experience with professional HR services that are truly unmatched in the world of business management.
First-Hand Experiences With the Impact of HR Professionals
From the very day he was born, Drew Soule was destined to have a unique perspective. He has a condition known as spinal muscular dystrophy, which affects both his neurosystem and muscular system. His condition leaves him with minimal control of his voluntary muscles. To supplement his different abilities, Drew uses a wheelchair.
While his condition certainly does not stop him from accomplishing his goals, it does confront him with a unique set of challenges that few others face. Physically, he has limited mobility, making it hard to get from place to place. Furthermore, he can have difficulty performing everyday tasks, ultimately leading him to require the help of caregivers for a large portion of his life.
The social challenges have often outweighed the physical challenges with Drew’s condition. As a physically disabled person, he speaks to how his condition can be an alternative form of identification for others to use. Rather than taking time to learn about his personality and background, it is easy for others to know him as ‘the man with muscular dystrophy’. Disabled people across the globe have frequently been left behind or discounted in the public eye. Drew Soule is no stranger to this treatment.
Throughout his life, Drew has experienced the true ups and downs of having a disability. Professional caregivers have forged lifelong connections that he cherishes to this day. Challenges with traveling and experiencing roadblocks just to do what he wants have imposed hardships.
Drew Soule is inspired by his condition to speak for others who are facing similar situations in their personal and professional lives.
Drew Soule’s Pinterest Success
In line with his personal experiences and professional goals, Drew Soule pursued higher education in the field of HR. He proudly holds a Master’s in Human Resources Management from the University of Illinois, although if you ask him, he would be more ecstatic to describe the experience he has gained since his education.
With big aspirations and education to support them, Drew set out to change the world of HR in whatever way he could. After working at the Illinois Department of Human Services and Northrop Grumman, he landed at Pinterest, a highly popular social media networking platform.
He took on the role of Senior Human Resources Business Partner, set with the goals to address a variety of issues within the company. In his position, he took what already seemed like an excellently functioning platform and transformed it into a well-oiled machine that valued the employee experience as highly as it valued customer engagement.
Drew Soule’s Pinterest career was marked with success in improving performance management and collaborating across multiple teams to simplify processes. Pinterest marked the first significant HR contribution that Drew felt he left with the company. On top of improving productivity, he focused on fostering inclusivity, care, and innovation to match the company’s core values.
He also engaged in difficult conversations that would be challenges for even the most weathered of HR professionals. Of the hardest challenges he had to face, enforcing legal compliance, terminating employees with performance issues, addressing HR concerns, and handling employees’ grievances with care were some of his most successful.
Pivoting to Personal Goals in a Professional Space
As the saying goes, all things must come to an end. After a few years of extremely successful Drew Soule’s Pinterest career, he parted ways with the company. In the wake of this change, he took some time to evaluate what he truly wanted to do professionally.
Ultimately, he landed on creating a business venture of his very own, Soulepath Professional Services. His company acts as an online consulting firm that supports businesses in a variety of tasks. Of the services he offers, Drew Soule provides professional coaching, resume writing, interview preparation, and DEI consulting for ERGs across the nation.
His business allows him to transcend his past issues with mobility and identity. Through Soulepath, he has been able to extend the breadth of his expertise to businesses he would have never been able to work with before. His services also allow him to extend the expertise he has gained within his 12 years of HR services to others who are looking for guidance.
Drew and his team are devoted to quality service. They offer free consultations to start the process of helping businesses. They believe that everyone can make positive changes without the need for unnecessary charges and fees along the way. His free consultations allow for extreme customization of services, allowing even the most niche of clients to receive top-notch guidance.
Drew attributes the success of his Soulepath clients to goal-setting. He simplifies his goal-setting method with the simple acronym SMART.
In his own words, “SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. By following this framework, I ensure that my goals are clear, quantifiable, realistic, aligned with my career aspirations, and have a defined timeline. This approach helps me break down larger objectives into smaller, manageable tasks, making it easier to track progress and stay focused. Regularly reviewing and updating these goals ensures that they remain relevant and aligned with my professional growth and advancement.”
Drew conducts constant research in the form of attending conferences, reading new literature, and listening to podcasts. His efforts allow him to stay on the pulse of the HR and business management worlds. Paired with his colorful personal experiences, he has an outlook that is sought after in many businesses.
New Opportunities for Drew Soule
As a highly optimistic person, Drew is always on the lookout for new and upcoming opportunities. Throughout his life, he has come to the discovery that HR management and his personal life are synonymous. Despite their differences, his personal experiences and love for HR work have created a passion that is simply too strong to ignore.
Recently, Drew made the hard decision to move away from the West Coast to settle back with his family in the Midwest. He is grateful for the mobile freedom that his professional consulting has provided and hopes that he will be able to do what he loves: attending festivals, cooking, and spending quality time with his family.
He continues to remain optimistic for the future and hopes to inspire others like him to aim for their goals no matter how hard they may seem.
