Birmingham Innovators: Chase Morrow, founder of Fetch
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Chase Morrow started Fetch, a talent-driven hiring platform, back in 2015 and is changing the way you look for jobs. Read about his experiences starting a business and what he thinks are the keys to being successful as an entrepreneur!
Chase has been in the staffing business in Birmingham for over 20 years. In 2000 he started ITAC Solutions, grew it into a success, and sold it in 2009. Later he launched an innovative staffing company called Moxy before also selling it in 2015.
How did you come to start Fetch?
I had this idea for Fetch in my head all the way back when I sold ITAC Solutions in 2009. I wanted it to be the Match.com for talent for the staffing world, improving or removing that expensive agency recruiter.
I realized to completely disrupt that broken, antiquated, and expensive industry of staffing itself, I needed to get out of it completely and start focusing on building the product that I had in my mind. I’ve had the vision for a long time but it was really just about timing.
What’s different about Fetch?
Fetch is a talent-driven hiring platform. We protect the privacy of our talent so that the only time their profile is seen is when they choose for it to be.
If the talent decides they are interested in a company, Fetch sends that user’s profile directly to the hiring manager for that position.
Why did you decide to build Fetch in Birmingham?
Birmingham’s been great to me with 2 companies and I feel a responsibility to give back. With Fetch, we didn’t outsource any of our tech work. Every dollar from Fetch has gone back into Birmingham’s tech ecosystem.
What time do you wake up? When do you call it quits?
I wake up every morning at 4. It’s a curse. We work constantly. I try to cut off work by 8 to spend time with my family.
Everybody thinks they’re cut out for the life of an entrepreneur and it’s not for everybody. You’re married to the business for a while and you have to make sure your family is cut out for it too.
What would you tell other entrepreneurs in Birmingham?
Stay a little unbalanced. There is true danger in the comfort zone. I think a lot of entrepreneurs get comfortable and I think you’ve got to stay a little off balance to really pull it off. I would avoid the comfort zone at all costs.
How do you think Birmingham can keep improving?
I think Birmingham has the ingredients to be great. Right now we’re really good, but we have the ingredients to be great. It just takes everybody getting behind certain things.
If we can get some sort of unification of our governments working together, I think this city will absolutely explode.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned starting Fetch?
Building a product company is totally different than starting a service company. Fetch is definitely a product company. We put our heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears into this product. It’s been different from my other two companies which were service-oriented.
What books have shaped the way that you do business?
Right now I’m reading Built to Sell and it’s awesome. My favorite book is called Primal Branding. Another great one about the guy who started Starbucks is called Pour Your Heart Into It.
What’s the most rewarding thing about your job?
I think the best part is that we’re changing something. We’re changing a massive industry that to us and to many others is antiquated and unnecessarily expensive. We’re really putting our heart into changing that so that the end result is better for the consumer.
Favorite restaurant in Birmingham?
It’s so hard to choose just one! Gianmarco’s in Homewood is absolutely my favorite. Anything Frank Stitt does is incredible, so I love Highlands Bar & Grill. My new favorite is Bamboo on 2nd-I took my kids the other day and they loved it.
We had such a great time getting to know Chase Morrow of Fetch and are so thankful for the positive effect he is having on our city.
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