Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aj Eckstein. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, AJ thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about your team building process? How did you recruit and train your team and knowing what you know now would you have done anything differently?

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.

The interview process was more like a conversation rather than a formal, rigid interview. I wanted to see how people thought, their problem-solving skills, and how they’d handle the unpredictability of startup life. I didn’t have a traditional hiring structure at first—no long, complicated interview loops or standardized tests. It was more about cultural fit, passion, and drive. I asked a lot of “what would you do if…” questions to gauge their ability to handle chaos. If someone could handle ambiguity, I knew they’d thrive in a startup.

The unconventional part was how I trained and onboarded the team. It wasn’t the typical “here’s your onboarding packet and go.” I threw people into the fire right away. Learning by doing was key. They worked on real projects from the get-go, often alongside me in the trenches. There were no hand-holding moments. I didn’t have the time to micromanage, and I trusted them to figure things out on their own. That autonomy is something I think has set the foundation for our culture—everyone on the team knows they have a voice and can contribute without needing permission.

Now, we’re nearing a team of 10, a mix of employees and contractors. This has been a huge milestone. As the team has grown, the balance between employees and contractors has allowed us to remain flexible while scaling quickly. Each member brings a unique skill set, and the mix of full-time and contract workers has allowed us to tap into specialized talent while keeping the lean startup vibe alive. It’s an evolving dynamic, but one that’s been key to helping us move quickly without losing sight of our core values.

Looking back, would I have done anything differently? Yes and no. Starting as a solo founder meant I learned quickly, but it also meant I made a lot of mistakes and didn’t always get it right with team dynamics early on. If I could do it over, I’d probably prioritize building out a more structured recruiting process earlier—defining the roles and responsibilities more clearly. As much as I wanted to give everyone autonomy, having a bit more direction could have saved some time and confusion.

But honestly, that’s part of the beauty of startup life—you learn by doing. If you’re not making mistakes, you’re probably not pushing hard enough.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

At a high level, Creator Match serves as both a platform and an agency designed to bridge the gap between creators and brands, specifically on LinkedIn. We aim to help creators grow, monetize, and optimize their LinkedIn presence with data-driven insights, while also enabling brands to connect with the right creators to drive more impactful campaigns. Our platform provides in-depth analytics that show not only how creators are performing on LinkedIn but also allows brands to discover and evaluate potential creator partners through a data-rich environment.

Our agency services take it a step further, offering hands-on campaign management, helping brands and creators to execute and track influencer marketing initiatives on LinkedIn. This combination of self-serve and managed services has made Creator Match a one-stop shop for anyone looking to tap into LinkedIn’s creator economy.

Now, let’s talk about our free Chrome extension that just launched. This is a game-changer for LinkedIn creators, brands, and agencies alike. The extension provides an easy-to-use interface that delivers powerful insights directly from your browser while you’re browsing LinkedIn. It gives creators access to detailed analytics about their own posts, including performance metrics for both organic and sponsored content. Creators can easily discover which other creators are running brand sponsorships, see the brand’s name, and dive into the performance of those campaigns—all of which helps creators understand what’s working in their niche and refine their strategy.

For brands, this extension allows them to track sponsored content, understand what’s driving engagement, and discover the right creators to partner with for future campaigns. The real-time insights into creators’ performance help brands make more informed decisions when it comes to influencer marketing on LinkedIn.

And here’s the best part—it’s completely free. We’ve made this tool available to everyone because we believe that everyone in the creator ecosystem, whether you’re just getting started or already a pro, deserves access to these powerful insights. The idea is to democratize access to creator marketing data, and with the Chrome extension, it’s now easier than ever to stay on top of trends, track performance, and optimize your LinkedIn strategy.

In short, Creator Match is building a community and ecosystem for LinkedIn creators and brands, and this Chrome extension is just the beginning of what we hope will be a long list of tools to support that mission. Whether you’re a creator looking to grow your LinkedIn presence or a brand trying to navigate creator partnerships, Creator Match is here to help you every step of the way.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building an audience on social media was a journey that didn’t happen overnight. It took time, experimentation, and, honestly, a lot of trial and error. One of the first things I did was decide to focus on just one platform and go all-in. I chose LinkedIn, because at the time, it was clear there was a growing opportunity to create valuable, original content that stood out, especially for professionals and businesses. LinkedIn felt like the perfect platform to build my personal brand, and I committed to being consistent and authentic with what I shared.

My strategy from the start was to be known for one specific thing—and that thing became LinkedIn creator marketing. Instead of trying to be a jack-of-all-trades or jumping from topic to topic, I wanted to build my expertise around a niche that would set me apart and make me the go-to person when people thought about that space. So, I created content consistently about how creators could grow and monetize on LinkedIn, what brands should look for in creator partnerships, and tips on crafting content that resonates with LinkedIn’s audience.

The key here was to stick with it and be known for something specific. When you try to be everything to everyone, you risk becoming forgettable. But when you narrow your focus, people start to associate you with that niche. For me, it was all about LinkedIn content strategy and creator marketing, and it was a game-changer. Over time, I was able to build an engaged audience who came to me for advice, insights, and expertise in this field.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One story that really stands out when I think about resilience in my journey is the time I decided to leave Accenture and bet on myself to build Creator Match.

Leaving a stable job with a six-figure salary and diving headfirst into entrepreneurship was terrifying. It felt like I was walking away from everything secure to step into the unknown. The biggest challenge wasn’t just the financial risk—it was the self-doubt and imposter syndrome that crept in. I had to ask myself, “Am I really cut out for this? What if I fail? What if I can’t make it on my own?”

I had this vision of Creator Match, but the fear of failure was overwhelming. The first few months were brutal. There were days when I was working 16-hour days, barely scraping by, trying to build something from nothing. On top of that, I didn’t take a salary from the company at first, so I was living off savings, which added an additional layer of pressure.

But I kept telling myself: “If you believe in this, you have to stick with it, no matter how tough it gets.” I leaned into the fact that entrepreneurship isn’t a straight path—there are ups and downs, and you have to find the courage to push through even when it feels like everything is stacked against you.

One of the defining moments that showed me just how resilient I had become was when Creator Match finally started to pick up traction. Slowly, but surely, we started attracting creators and brands who were genuinely excited about the platform. We had small wins that made it clear I was on the right track. That feeling of validation—knowing that all the late nights, the sacrifices, and the tough decisions were starting to pay off—was what kept me going.

Today, Creator Match is a growing business, and we’ve built a team of nearly 10 people with a mix of employees and contractors. Looking back, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come from those early, uncertain days. But that resilience, that refusal to give up when the odds were stacked against me, is what has brought me here.

So, my biggest takeaway from that experience is this: Resilience doesn’t mean not feeling fear—it’s about taking action despite the fear, staying focused on the bigger picture, and never letting setbacks define you. It’s the moments when things seem darkest that your resilience is tested, and those are the moments that shape you into who you’re meant to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.creatormatch.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aj_eckstein/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/

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