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a supportive crowd. She managed to even crack a
joke: "You got the audio, thank God you didn't get
the video… That was when I realized I truly loved
conference speaking. I could be terrifi ed and still do
it and learn from it."
Switching sectors to fi nance, Callocchia also
learned how transferrable HR skills are between
industries: "We fundamentally struggle with the
same people changes no matter what sector we
are in."
This enlightenment would play into her decision
a few years later to leave her job and launch an
HR consultancy, HR Impact, in 1989. Effectively,
Callocchia was providing interim HR management
services at a time when outsourcing did not exist.
"That decision was one of the biggest risks of my
career," she says. "I didn't know what I didn't know,
and it took me a while to fi gure out how to grow
my consultancy."
Fortunately, she continued to work part-time
for a friend developing leadership conferences —
while also welcoming a son and acting as a volunteer
police offi cef for Peel until 1997. By 1999, she had
an offi ce with a few employees.
"Hey, HR is not about the money," says Callocchia.
"It was really about fi nding the passion, what I loved."
The founding of HR Impact helped her reconnect
with a love of HR that was fading in the corporate
world, and since opening its doors — aside from a
short period when she consulted for Deloitte —
Callocchia has provided HR expertise to more than
1,000 businesses.
"Honestly, there is nothing better than HR,
because of the things we end up being a part of,"
she says. "People spend their lives at work, and we
can change those work lives by helping them fi nd
fulfi llment and feel valued and appreciated. When
people have more joy at work, they help build a
better company and better companies build better
communities, and better communities build better
relationships. HR are really like everyday heroes."
Because of her love of HR, Callocchia has spent
countless volunteer hours giving back, such as
being president of the Halton HR Chapter (1989),
giving presentations and speeches to peers and the
community, as well as many hours of educational
time, including teaching CHRP (Certifi ed Human
Resources Professional) courses for almost 20 years.
In 2006, Callocchia authored the fi rst HR Audit
toolkit and, in 2008, she developed a one-day
workshop for the Canadian Payroll Association
called "HR Fundamentals."
"If you have knowledge, it's incumbent to pass it
on. I want to infl uence aspiring HR professionals,"
she says. "Teaching is also the best way to learn."
Callocchia continues to push herself and has
obtained her Certifi ed Management Consultant
(CMC) designation, and is a certifi ed facilitator on
numerous leadership and team-building assessment
tools including leadership styles, Myers-Briggs, Hogan,
and team management systems.
These days, she's keen to tackle a book on
emotional intelligence, and is enjoying just how
much her love of HR is infl uencing family members.
"My son, who never asks me for anything, was
shortlisted for Canadian Memorial Chiropractic
College (and was ultimately accepted). He came to
me and said he would really love my expertise to
help him prepare for his behavioural style interview
— that was one of my proudest moments."
'Honestly, there is nothing better than HR': Callocchia
PASSION < pg. 31
