We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Charlie Saffro a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Charlie , appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Starting my business was honestly kind of an accident. I left a corporate recruiting job and started a side hustle helping some friends hire for their growing teams. I was pregnant with my third son and enjoying the opportunity to slow down a bit. This was right around the time LinkedIn hit the scene and so I created a profile and listed my title as a logistics recruiter. Within a few days, I received an email inviting me to a meeting with a big investor who was looking to start up a company in our industry and needed to hire an all star team.

I accepted the meeting invite even though had no business being in that room. I prepared as best I could and I just asked a lot of questions and stayed curious during the conversation. And somehow, I walked out with an opportunity that was way bigger than I expected.

Driving home in my minivan, I called my husband and said, “I think I need to hire someone tomorrow.” That’s when it hit me. This wasn’t a side gig anymore. It was real.

I leaned on my husband for help setting things up and Googled everything else. I didn’t have a plan. I had a client. That was enough.

The first year was scrappy. I learned fast, hired smart people, and reinvested anything we made.

Fast forward to today, 15 years later where we’ve been in growth mode ever since:)

Charlie , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Charlie Saffro, Founder and CEO of CS Recruiting. We’re a boutique search firm that specializes in logistics, transportation and supply chain. We help companies find the right talent and help people find roles where they can thrive.

After a few years as a corporate recruiter, I saw an opportunity to make hiring more personal by leaning into my network and deep industry knowledge. What started as a side hustle quickly grew into a real business. As a human-focused leader, I’ve had the privilege to support both job seekers and employers while building my own team of 20+ with a focus on an intentional company culture.

Today, we partner with startups, mid-size companies and Fortune 500s through a flexible service model that meets them where they are. What sets us apart is our niche expertise and our commitment to people first.

We don’t just fill roles. We solve people problems and help teams grow stronger.

Any advice for managing a team?

Managing a team is hard. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and I’ve definitely learned a lot through trial and error. For me, it comes down to creating an environment where people feel seen and supported. Not just as employees, but as humans.

One thing that’s helped is being honest about the business, about my own mistakes, about where we’re headed. I’ve found that people respond really well to transparency, even when the news isn’t perfect.

I also try to give people space to do their jobs in a way that works for them. I’m not big on micromanaging. I’d rather hire people I trust and give them the tools and support they need to succeed.

And when it comes to morale, small things matter more than we think. A quick Slack message, celebrating a win, or just asking how someone’s doing can go a long way. We’ve also built in some structure, like recognition programs and regular check-ins, so that it doesn’t just rely on good intentions.

At the end of the day, people want to feel appreciated, challenged, and like they belong. If you can create that kind of culture, morale usually follows

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Honestly, I didn’t set out to build a big audience on LinkedIn. In the early days, I was just sharing things I was thinking about, which were mostly related to work, leadership, and sometimes life in general. It was a mix of recruiting insights and real-time reflections on what I was learning as a business owner.

I wasn’t trying to go viral or crack the algorithm. I just posted consistently and started noticing what resonated. Turns out, the more personal and honest I was, the more people engaged. Posts about my team, my family, or even the things I was figuring out as a leader seemed to land the most.

It took time. There wasn’t a big moment that changed everything. It was more of a slow build from showing up, sharing what felt real, and responding to people who connected with it.

If someone’s just getting started, I’d probably say don’t overthink it. You don’t need a perfect strategy. Just start posting. Be yourself. And give it time to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://info.cs-recruiting.com/charlie-saffro-keynote-speaker?hs_preview=hweNvLnI-168185133104
• Instagram: charliesaffro
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliesaffro/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlV4bgNv6k8