Donn Harvey with Director RJ McHatton
It was a wonderful day as I drove over to the headquarters to Protingent Staffing in Redmond, WA. I was there to interview CEO Donn Harvey for the Puget Sound Business Journal’s “Best Workplaces” video project. I was immediately impressed because as I entered their front doors, I was met with a big sign that said, “Welcome RJ McHatton from Inventive Productions.” You always hear from leaders that its the little things that count, and I can testify that my attitude was definitely affected in a positive way by meeting that sign. Donn Harvey is a really nice guy. He had pictures everywhere with him and his motorcycles. As we began the interview I asked Donn about his childhood heroes and teenage ambitions. He told me that he was a musician from way back and that his heroes were all musicians. I later learned that Donn is a nationally recognized blues bass player. He told me about his background working in the Aerospace industry and how he became involved in the Staffing business. Donn told me about some of his philosophies of running a “Best Workplaces” business. He said it really comes down to the simple concept of respect. As soon as I got back to my office I googled Donn and found his Myspace page, where I proceeded to play several of his awesome songs. I enjoyed meeting Donn and I learned a lot about how to run a “Best Workplaces.”