Downtime with Jenny McCallum, President of Express Employment Professionals


Jenny McCallum on work, life and play.

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What I’m reading

No Higher Honor by Condoleezza Rice; Presence, Bringing your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy; and 8 Critical Lifetime Decisions by Ralph Palmen.

What I’m watching

ESPN every night about 11 p.m., when we finally hit the pillow. Our family doesn’t watch a lot of shows. We do have football games, basketball games, musicals or performances by each kid nightly.

Must-have gadget

My son’s drone is currently my favorite. What he captures is simply amazing. I’m also a fan of my iPhone 7 Plus and our Roomba.

Latest download

HoopsStats app: It allows me to track our kids’ progress while we watch their games.

Family traditions

Every year at Christmas we play a family basketball game at Grandpa’s house that we all look forward to. We have a yearly tradition to take our boys to watch the 49ers play. We were blessed to take the kids to San Francisco and watch them at Candlestick before they closed the stadium.

No place like …

Portland. I have a nice home, a beautiful family, a wonderful husband and amazing opportunities.

When I’m not working

My most notable hobby is managing our small zoo. I am an animal whisperer and my kids laugh at me for this.

Kicking back

Spring break 2016 our family and my brother’s family took a cruise together on the Royal Caribbean. We visited St. Kitts, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Haiti and St. Thomas. This summer our family of six went to New York for the first time. We loved playing football in Central Park, were stunned by the size of the Statue of Liberty, experienced our first comedy show together as a family, took the best family selfie in Times Square, and got up early for the Today Show to say hi to Matt Lauer. My husband and I also went to Pindha and Cape Town South Africa for three weeks. It was unforgettable.

Strangest story you’ve heard in the staffing biz

We were interviewing a candidate in our office, and he gave his number as a reference with someone else’s name as his manager. Our team member went on to call his reference, and he answered the phone while he was sitting in our lobby. We once had an applicant show up for his interview with his goat. They were wearing matching rainbow outfits.

Best part of leading a staffing agency

Being able to play a part in helping someone find a job that allows them to provide and create a happy home for themselves and their families. Additionally, I cherish my relationships with my business partners and teammates; they make my job feel like I am part of something bigger.

Trends driving change in the staffing industry

Digital and video communication. This increases the speed and quantity of communication; however it also lowers the quality of communication.

Minimum wage increases. They bring a negative impact on the economy.