There’s an old saying in business, “It’s not what you know but who you know,” and as anyone who’s done business will tell you, there is more than a little truth to that adage.

In today’s LinkedIn world it’s easy to connect with people, but how do you get to know the right people? For that matter, how do you really know the people who are a part of your organization and whether they are maximizing their potential?

John Beck can shed a bit of light on these questions. John is CEO of The Assessment Company, a Donaldsonville-based company that specializes in employee assessment solutions – which means, specifically helping match people to the work they do best.

John Beck’s Assessment Company rewrites how employers ask questions

The Assessment Company does this using different IT tools John has developed – software that measures, for instance, a candidate’s cognitive abilities, behaviors and interests, or that predicts the likelihood of certain types of conflicts with employees, or that helps unlock an employee’s hidden potential.

John developed these tools over the past 30 years in his career as an expert in Occupational DNA, and his clients include company’s all over the world. He also hosts the podcast, Hire UP, which covers a range of HR topics with guests’ interviews. And he’s the author of a new book, Breaking the Code: Hiring Strategies, Occupational DNA and the modern organization.

Brian Oliver is co-founder and CEO of Matchpoint Connection, a Baton Rouge based company that also plays a matchmaker role, helping to match brands – like Nike – with talent – like athletes.

Brian Oliver’s Matchpoint Connection is the Match.com of athletic endorsements

Athlete-endorsements has become a huge business phenomenon since NCAA rule changes in 2021 began allowing college athletes to cash in on their Name Image and Likeness or NIL. But the Matchpoint platform, which functions sort of like a dating app, is not limited to athletes and NIL deals. The platform connects all kinds of people looking for professional hookups, for example bloggers, models or musicians with brands eager to find influencers to partner with.

Brian co-founded the company in early 2020, shortly before the college NIL deal became a reality. In the two years since, Matchpoint has grown to host about 5,000 influencers in nearly all 50 states and represents 550 brands.

Stephanie Riegel makes her own assessments and connections over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard

Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. Photos by Erik Otts .

Check out John Beck’s previous visit to Out to Lunch with his entrepreneur daughter, Emily.