Starting your own business can present a wide variety of challenges, especially when it comes to building out strong, competent teams that can scale with the organization. Thousand is an urban cycling helmet and accessory brand based in Los Angeles. Founder and CEO Gloria Hwang joins Roy to share the wisdom she’s gained in her entrepreneurial journey from Thousand’s startup days in her garage to its success as an innovative outdoor brand. Gloria takes Roy through the obstacles she faced when Thousand was a fledgling company, and the pair discuss the skills, recruitment acumen, and flexibility it takes to grow a purpose-driven, values-based company. 

Highlights from our conversation include:

• Early career lessons at TOMS (4:10)
• The beginnings of Thousand (5:16)
• The challenges faced by new entrepreneurs when trying to hire (7:02)
• How to develop the skills needed for effective talent recruitment as an entrepreneur (9:30)
• The less tangible qualities she looks for in a prospective hire (13:41)
• Thousand’s core values and how they influence recruitment (14:26)
• Cultivating a diverse and equitable candidate pipeline (15:06)
• Developing a hiring roadmap for Thousand in the midst of growth (18:18)
• How the hiring process has changed at Thousand as they’ve become more established (24:10)
• Lessons learned from hiring successes and failures (26:02)
• What makes an authentic and capable leader (29:02)
• The pros and cons of remote/hybrid/flexible work environments (32:03)

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Performance Pipeline: Getting the Right Performance At Every Level of Leadership by Stephen Drotter

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