Roots of Success: Bryan Levine

As Equiliem’s VP of Operations, Bryan Levine supports all facets of the business by aligning teams for accountability and optimizing processes, scalability, and services. He’s an impetus behind the company’s quest for continuous improvement. Here, we learn more about his career journey and what he views as the root of success.

Bryan Levine is the son of a successful entrepreneur who inspired his philosophy of servant-leadership with directives like, “Never place yourself first,” “Stick to your values,” and “If you make a mistake, be transparent and learn from it.” Levine works hard to establish relationships that encourage candid conversations when errors are made, or when things don’t go as intended. “If people aren’t able to talk about failures, then mistakes are more likely to be repeated. A mistake is only a mistake if it is repeated because nothing was learned,” he said.

It’s the Start that Stops You

Analysis paralysis is not one of Levine’s habits. He says, “I was the curious one who always jumped into a new challenge thinking that I could figure out what I didn’t know as I went along. If you spend an enormous time analyzing and planning, you’re not moving forward. If you simply start something, you’re already on your way.”

Levine recalls one of his many self-taught engineering experiments involving an at-the-time new electronic device, a VCR. “I remember taking apart the entire thing and threading the ribbon through the parts to put it back together,” he said. This specific task in reconstructing the machine serves as a metaphor for his current role—weaving a common thread throughout the organization to ensure everyone works together in the most efficient way.

Levine is passionate about creating a culture where team members are empowered, and he encourages people at all levels of the organization to raise a hand and volunteer for more responsibility. Levine exemplifies this behavior as well; he volunteers as a coach, mentor, and sounding board for others in the company and finds that listening to others stokes his creativity.

He’s particularly eager to hear about new approaches and ideas. “I’m especially interested in hearing from our newer hires. They bring a fresh perspective. It’s important for an organization to become a vessel filled with new ideas and to give people an opportunity to bring their good ones to fruition. If you don’t listen to people, they will quietly pack up and take their ideas across the street to your competitor,” he said.

Persevering Through Pain Points

Levine has weathered many challenges during his career in the staffing industry. He understands the significance of investing in a company and being accountable for ROI. He helped expand his previous company’s footprint from coast to coast and has survived extremely tough economic climates, managed through unexpected attrition and illness, and has led a team through mistakes to reach success. Levine views these challenges as “part of the journey and absolutely worth it. It was once stated that ‘the dots only connect looking backwards’ and I agree. I always try to live my life by learning from the past.”

He recalls the frustrations of the team he led through a marriage of technologies ahead of its time. “Multiple times the 18-month project failed at the finish line. Everyone was beyond worn out and had seemingly lost faith. We had to set egos and pride aside and not be clouded by failure. We had to rally, regroup, and figure out how to fix things. Ultimately, we mustered the courage, and the result was an absolute game-changer for the candidate experience we could deliver.”

Be Mindful of Your Strengths  

Levine said one of his mentors helped him become more judicious with his strengths. “He said to be aware that strengths can hurt you. He encouraged me not to push all my strengths forward because it could be too aggressive for some people.” This advice made Levine more accepting and patient. “I see the value of meeting people where they are,” he said. Being okay with where people are and the hiccups that inevitably arise in the workplace helps Levine stay centered.

Colleagues have attested that Levine brings a steadiness to projects. “Urgency without wisdom is chaos,” he said. “I don’t expect that every day will run as planned. Challenges will pop up, so why get upset about them?”

Life in Balance

As Levine sees it, people bring all of themselves everywhere they go; they don’t quit being a parent, a sibling, or a friend because they are at work. Likewise, he is open to receiving work ideas before and after typical working hours. He also says he transfers skills he’s learned at work to his personal life and vice versa.

Levine’s mindset is one of a perpetual student—always learning and evolving. Books you’ll find on his shelf include Eleven Rings by Phil Jackson, Rebound by Michael Jourdan, and Big Russ and Me: Father and Son: Lessons of Life by Tim Russert. He’s also a fan of U.S. and World history, sports biographies, and anything from Simon Sinek. Levine is interested in learning about great people and has had the privilege of meeting Warren Buffet, Richard Branson, Michele Obama, and many icons in the staffing industry through SIA. He said, “It’s great to meet people who are famous and successful yet approachable, humble, and funny. The common thread is that they are still putting themselves out there to inspire others.”

Looking Forward with Optimism

Interacting with his colleagues at Equiliem is what motivates Levine to start each workday and is what leaves him feeling excited, encouraged, and enthused at the end of each day. He is optimistic about the future of Equiliem and said, “My desire is to find continued success, to be something more for more people. No one is simply going through the motions. Everyone is committed to moving together towards a larger goal.”

It brings him great joy to help people become more self-assured and take their next step, even if it’s the first step to something new. “If I can encourage people to not get stuck before they start, to not allow the start to stop them, then I am guiding them toward success.” To Levine, helping others is the true definition of success.