Growth Through Relationships: How Keith Miner Built Gravity’s Columbus Market

A successful career in staffing is built one conversation at a time. For Keith Miner, Managing Partner of Gravity’s Columbus market, that has meant investing in people, showing up consistently, and building relationships that last.

After nearly 30 years in the industry, Keith’s approach has stayed consistent: do the right things for the right reasons, stay adaptable, and never underestimate the value of a genuine connection. 

His story is one of building from the ground up, leading through change, and creating opportunities for the people around him. 

 

A Foundation Built on Networking 

Keith’s connection to Gravity started long before he officially joined the company.

He and Gravity Co-Founder Rick Connolly have known each other since the early 1990s through Rick’s friendship with Keith’s older brother and their shared connection to Wake Forest University. That relationship was built on friendship first, which made the opportunity to work together years later feel like a natural next chapter. 

Keith spent more than two decades growing his career in staffing before conversations with Rick and Co-Founder Stephen Dettor about joining Gravity became more serious. When the timing aligned in late 2019, Keith knew it was the right opportunity. 

He traveled to Fort Lauderdale the day of Gravity’s holiday party, met with Rick and Steve, and got a firsthand look at the company’s momentum after Gravity was named to the Inc. 500 list.

Then COVID changed the timeline.

The opportunity didn’t go away. Keith stayed connected, continued supporting where he could, and in August 2020 officially opened Gravity’s Columbus market.

 

Building Columbus From the Ground Up 

Starting a new market is challenging under normal circumstances. Doing it during a pandemic required patience, flexibility, and a willingness to find a different way forward. 

Without traditional face-to-face meetings, Keith relied on what he had built over decades: trust. 

The first opportunities came through former colleagues, long-term connections, and people who knew Keith’s work. These weren’t relationships built overnight. They were the result of years spent helping people, staying in touch, and creating value without expecting something in return.  

That approach helped Columbus gain traction and positioned the team for growth as technology hiring accelerated. 

 

Staying Adaptable as a Leader 

Building a market is never a finished project. It requires constant evaluation, adjustment, and a willingness to evolve. 

Keith has always focused on putting the right people in the right opportunities and creating an environment where they can succeed. As the market has changed, his leadership approach has changed with it by embracing new tools, improving efficiency, and giving people room to grow. 

“My goal is to help people really be able to monetize this opportunity. Not to overstaff it and have people feel like they don’t have a great chance to succeed. When they tell me they can’t keep up, then I’ll look at bringing someone else in.” 

For Keith, trust is a key part of building a strong team. When people feel ownership, they’re more invested in the outcome. 

 

The Courage to Ask 

One of the biggest lessons Keith has learned throughout his career is simple: don’t be afraid to ask. 

Whether it’s pursuing a new opportunity, strengthening a client relationship, or learning something new, Keith believes confidence comes from knowing the value you bring. 

“Don’t undersell the value you can bring to somebody. Don’t overcomplicate introducing yourself, particularly if you have a good story and you’re a genuine person. And don’t be scared to ask for something.” 

That mindset played a major role in the growth of Gravity’s national Workday practice. 

Through connections made at a golf tournament, Keith found himself in conversations with senior leaders who were navigating challenges around Workday talent and support. A simple follow-up conversation created an opportunity to better understand their needs, and that relationship eventually grew into a partnership that expanded Gravity’s capabilities in the Workday space. 

For Keith, it was another example of why relationships matter. The right conversations, built on trust and genuine interest, can lead to great opportunities for both parties. 

Keith brings that same philosophy to his team by encouraging curiosity, collaboration, and the willingness to ask questions. 

 

Bringing the Workday Community Together 

Keith’s focus on relationships extends beyond individual conversations. He has also looks for ways to bring people together around shared challenges and opportunities.

That mindset helped shape the Gravity partnered Columbus Executive Roundtable event focused on Workday, where Keith (Regional Co-Chair & Moderator) brought together leaders to discuss the realities of managing and optimizing Workday environments.

The conversation centered around the challenges organizations face as they continue evolving their HR technology strategies, from implementation and adoption to finding the right expertise to support long-term success.

For Keith, events like these are another way to create value for the community. They provide a space for leaders to exchange ideas, learn from each other, and build connections that continue well beyond the event itself.

 

What Keeps Him Going 

When Keith looks back on nearly 30 years in staffing, he points to two things that have mattered most: adaptability and people. 

The ability to recognize what’s working, adjust when needed, and keep moving forward has helped him navigate every stage of his career. 

But the relationships built along the way are what stand out most.

 

The Importance of Staying Connected 

Nearly 30 years into his career, Keith Miner’s approach remains simple. 

Invest in people. Stay adaptable. Build genuine relationships. And when the right opportunity comes along, don’t hesitate to ask.

 

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About Gravity IT Resources

Gravity is a Human Capital Management company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale with offices across the country including Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbus, Cincinnati, Nashville, DC, Salt Lake City, San Diego and Tampa. Our company has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as an “Inc. 5000” award winner and one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States for the last 7 consecutive years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025). Additionally, Gravity is proud to be Great Place to Work certified for the 5th year in a row (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) and was also recognized on the SIA’s Fastest-Growing Staffing Firms in the US list the last two years (2024, 2025).

Gravity helps prominent clients like Salesforce, Chewy, Carnival Cruise Lines, AutoNation, Mosaic and hundreds of other enterprise and SMB companies to identify, recruit and hire IT professionals for their most critical projects and jobs. Our recruitment spans across various roles, including artificial intelligence (AI) specialists, software engineers, cloud engineers, project managers, data engineers, business analysts, security engineers, CXO leaders and more.

Gravity provides a variety of delivery models and services designed to meet client needs efficiently and effectively.

• Contract, Contract-to-Hire & Direct Hire of US-based Resources
• Nearshore Staff Augmentation
• Managed Team Services
• Executive Search
• ERP Program Leadership
• Workday Certified Staffing Partner

To learn more about Gravity IT Resources practices, career opportunities and culture, visit gravityitresources.com