We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessica Mendoza. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessica below.

Jessica , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.

You’re absolutely right—what seems like “overnight success” is often the result of years of effort, tough decisions, and relentless determination. For me, scaling my business was a journey rooted in one key principle: surrounding myself with the right people. As one of the founders of Acute Talent, a company dedicated to finding exceptional talent for businesses, I can confidently say that the right team is the cornerstone of any growth strategy.

In the early days of the business, like many small business owners, we wore all the hats—operations, sales, client management—you name it. But as I sought to grow, we realized that trying to do it all was holding me back. I needed people who could not only share the workload but also bring expertise and fresh perspectives.

That’s where our expertise in talent acquisition became our biggest advantage. Acute Talent specializes in finding individuals who aren’t just qualified but who truly align with a company’s vision and goals. When we began applying that same approach to my business, everything changed.

One pivotal decision was hiring for critical roles in operations and management. These weren’t just hires—they were investments. Many small business owners worry about the cost of hiring, but I’ve seen time and again that the right hire doesn’t drain your resources—they multiply them. The individuals I brought on board helped streamline operations, create efficiencies, and open doors to new opportunities. They didn’t just pay for their roles—they helped the business scale in ways we couldn’t have achieved on our own.

There were, of course, challenges along the way. Finding the perfect fit requires patience, and not every hire is a home run. But those moments reinforced the importance of aligning talent with company culture and goals. It’s not just about filling a position—it’s about building a team that’s invested in the same vision.

Another key to scaling was leveraging technology and pairing it with the right talent. This combination allowed us to grow without sacrificing the personalized, high-quality service we were known for.

Through my journey, I’ve come to believe that no business scales successfully without a solid team behind it and technology. At Acute Talent, we’ve made it our mission to help other businesses find that team—because when you have the right people in the right roles, the possibilities for growth are endless.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hello, I’m Jessica Mendoza, the founder of Acute Talent, and I’m thrilled to share a bit about myself and what we do. Acute Talent is a specialized recruitment and talent acquisition agency that provides businesses across North and South America with the right people to help them grow. We focus on headhunting for high-level roles, recruitment for operational positions, cloudsourcing, and one of our most popular offerings: virtual assistants.

I started Acute Talent because I recognized that businesses of all sizes often struggle to find talent that aligns with their vision and goals. My own experience in business and operations taught me that hiring the right people is the key to unlocking growth. Acute Talent was born out of a passion to help businesses overcome this challenge by offering innovative, tailored, and cost-effective solutions.

One of the most accessible ways we’ve helped businesses reduce costs while maintaining or even increasing their earning potential is through virtual assistants. This service allows companies to access bilingual talent without the need to hire W-2 employees. It’s an ideal solution for businesses looking to streamline operations, lower overhead costs, and still achieve the same—if not greater—productivity. Virtual assistants can handle administrative, customer service, and operational tasks, freeing up time for business owners to focus on strategy and growth.

What sets us apart at Acute Talent is our innovative, tech-driven approach. We leverage advanced technologies to speed up hiring processes, conduct competency-based assessments, and even tap into trends like the Metaverse. We pride ourselves on being a forward-thinking HR company, providing our clients with efficient and effective solutions that evolve with their needs.

Since launching in 2020, we’ve helped over 500 professionals secure roles in 47 companies across 12 countries. Every placement is a success story that represents a win-win for both the individual and the organization, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished.

At Acute Talent, we don’t just connect businesses with candidates—we act as true partners in growth. Whether it’s through executive recruitment, operational hiring, or virtual assistant services, our goal is to provide businesses with the human capital they need to thrive while keeping costs manageable.

If there’s one thing I’d like potential clients to know, it’s that your business deserves access to the best talent, no matter its size or industry. With Acute Talent, you don’t have to compromise between quality and affordability—we deliver both.

I’m incredibly proud of the work we do and excited to continue helping businesses achieve their goals through the power of exceptional talent.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the most important lessons I had to unlearn is the idea that success needs to be hard—grueling, exhausting, and all-consuming. For a long time, I believed that the only way to grow a business was through constant hustle and sacrifice. But through my journey with Acute Talent, We learned that success doesn’t have to come at the cost of your well-being or your life outside of work.

When we first started Acute Talent, we fell into the same trap that so many entrepreneurs do—we thought we had to do everything ourselves to make it work. We worked around the clock, micromanaged every detail, and wore so many hats that we barely had time to think strategically. It was draining, and while we were proud of the progress we were making, We often felt like we were just surviving rather than truly thriving.

The turning point came when I realized I was limiting the company’s growth by holding onto the belief that hard work alone was the only path to success. We saw that our biggest strength wasn’t in doing everything ourselves, but in empowering others. That’s when we began to lean into the very foundation of what Acute Talent is built on: finding the right people and trusting them to do what they do best.

We hired talented individuals to handle operations, client management, and other day-to-day responsibilities. We even embraced the power of virtual assistants, who allowed us to scale while reducing costs. Letting go of tasks and trusting my team wasn’t easy at first—it required unlearning my belief that success only came from personal sacrifice. But as I stepped back from the grind and focused on growth strategies, I realized something powerful: when you surround yourself with the right talent and delegate effectively, success becomes sustainable and even enjoyable.

This shift not only helped us grow Acute Talent, but it also allowed us to find balance. We learned that success is about working smarter, not harder, and that building a strong team and systems can multiply your impact in ways you can’t achieve on your own.

Now, when I work with business owners through Acute Talent, I share this lesson with them. Many of them come to us thinking they can’t afford to hire or that they need to struggle through everything themselves to succeed. But when they see the impact the right hire or virtual assistant can have on their business, they realize that success doesn’t have to be hard—it just requires the right strategy and support.

Unlearning that old belief transformed my business and my life, and I hope it inspires others to rethink what success can look like for them.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What truly helped us build our reputation within the market was a relentless commitment to delivering results and building trust with both clients and candidates. From the very beginning, We made it a priority to approach every project with integrity, transparency, and a deep understanding of what businesses need to succeed.

One of the most significant factors was Acute Talent’s personalized and results-driven approach. We don’t just fill roles—we solve problems. We built our reputation by ensuring that every recommendation, every candidate, and every solution we provided was aligned with the unique goals and challenges of each client. By focusing on the quality of placements and not just the quantity, we’ve earned the trust of businesses who know that we’re invested in their success.

Additionally, our innovative approach to recruitment has been a game-changer. Leveraging technology to streamline processes, offering virtual assistants to help companies scale affordably, and being the first in our industry to explore NFTs and the Metaverse have positioned us as a forward-thinking partner. These innovations, combined with our human touch, helped set Acute Talent apart in a crowded market.

Consistency also played a significant role. Whether it was for a small startup or a multinational corporation, We treated every client with the same level of care and dedication. Showing up, delivering what I promised, and going above and beyond to exceed expectations built a strong foundation of credibility.

But more than anything, what built our reputation was listening. Listening to the needs of our clients and candidates allowed us to create real value and foster lasting relationships. When people see that you genuinely care about their goals and are committed to helping them succeed, word spreads—and that’s what has helped Acute Talent thrive in the market.

Ultimately, I believe our reputation stems from a combination of innovation, consistency, and a people-first approach. It’s about showing businesses that success isn’t just about finding any talent—it’s about finding the right talent, and we’re here to make that happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.acute-talent.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acutetalent/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AcuteTalent/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acute-talent/?viewAsMember=true