Overwhelmingly, media coverage of team building, hiring, training, etc. is often geared towards the issues faced by HR at Fortune 500 sized companies. Even when it’s positioned as advice for small business owners it is often coming from an executive or consultant working primarily with giant corporations. We think it’s far more relevant to hear from small and medium business owners who have successfully grown their businesses – and so we asked some very talented folks to tell us the stories of their initial hires and the struggles and lessons they can share.
Marissa Guarino
From the start, I knew the importance of having a team that truly aligned with the core values we were building. It wasn’t just about skills and experience—it was about finding individuals who shared our passion for what we were trying to achieve. That’s why I focus so much on how each person embodies our mission. It’s not enough to just “show up”; you have to understand, believe, and live the mission. If you don’t, it will ultimately reflect in your actions, and that can hinder both personal growth and the company’s overall ability to evolve. Read more>>
Aj Eckstein
When I started Creator Match, it was just me at the beginning. I had to wear every hat—visionary, product designer, marketer, customer service rep, and even the janitor at times. It was overwhelming but also exciting because it was entirely my own creation, from concept to execution.
Recruiting those first few team members was one of the hardest and most rewarding things I’ve done. I didn’t have the luxury of a big budget to hire experienced professionals or use fancy recruiting platforms. I relied heavily on my network—people I had met over the years through consulting, LinkedIn, or even from my personal brand. I wanted to bring on people who were not just skilled but also had that same entrepreneurial spirit, who understood that at a startup, everyone does everything. Read more>>
Mark Hemstock
When I first launched Hemstock Films, it was just me—one person with a camera, a vision, and a deep passion for storytelling. As a growing Calgary corporate video production company, I took on every role: director, cinematographer, editor, and even the guy carrying gear. It was an exciting Bringing on my first team members was a big step. Instead of traditional job postings, I found my early collaborators through networking—local filmmakers, editors, and creatives I’d crossed paths with. Rather than a formal interview process, I focused on passion and talent. I’d often bring potential team members onto a shoot to see how they worked in a real-world setting. Could they handle the pressure? Did they bring creative energy? That hands-on approach helped build a team of like-minded professionals who truly cared about producing high-quality work. Read more>>