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The Daring Author
The Daring Author
Intentional Hiring - Building your dream team
Finding the perfect team members is like choosing creative collaborators to help write your business story. Are you rushing the process or taking time to find people who truly align with your vision?
In this deeply personal episode, I pull back the curtain on my transformative approach to hiring for the Daring Press. After years of sometimes selecting the wrong people, I embarked on a thoroughly intentional two-month journey to find team members who would bring the right energy to our creative container.
The process began with a comprehensive application form featuring over 20 questions designed to reveal not just professional capabilities, but personal values and working styles. With 80+ applications to review across various roles. Editors, designers, formatters, and assistants, I created a methodical evaluation system against our core values of expression, integrity, collaboration, devotion, and creativity.
Shortlisted candidates received custom challenges that revealed how they would actually interact with clients. For editors, I examined not just technical ability but whether their feedback language honored authors' voices. For designers, I assessed how their creative vision aligned with client needs. These practical tasks gave invaluable insight into how candidates would embody our philosophy that "your story matters" in every client interaction.
This journey taught me profound lessons about business growth and authentic leadership. As I've moved away from hustle culture toward a more intentional approach, I've paradoxically seen greater success. By releasing the pressure to follow prescribed strategies and rigid timelines, I've created space for organic growth and meaningful connection, both within my team and with the authors we serve.
If you're currently hiring, I encourage you to slow down, take your time, and choose people who truly resonate with your vision. Technical skills are teachable, but alignment of values and energy is priceless. Reach out via DM at the daring press on Instagram with any questions about intentional hiring, I'd love to continue the conversation!
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Website: https://thedaringpress.com/
Hello and welcome back to another chapter of the Daring Author podcast. Now I am so excited because today we're going to be talking about hiring and this is the best possible time for me to record this, as I am in the depths of hiring for the Daring Press and the next evolution of the Daring Press that I am bringing to life. And, of course, I need the right team behind that to really help really make this the best possible experience. And I've gone into this hiring process over the years. I've hired a lot of people in a lot of different industries as well as this industry, hired a lot of people, sometimes the right people, sometimes the wrong people and I've gone through this process from such a different lens and been so intentional in the way that I hired. And one of the first things that I will talk about is why I didn't rush this now. I know most people and I've done this in the past hire very fast, especially when you're feeling overloaded, where everything's at the tipping point. You're feeling overwhelmed, you're feeling exhausted. You just want the support, you need help, and I did the opposite. I'm not at that stage yet with this new evolution and the hiring and the people that we need for this next phase of the Daring Press, and it really wasn't about filling the roles. It was really about inviting the right energy into a creative container With what I'm building and what the vision is. It's so much more than just them in their position or their experience or anything like that was really bringing them into the vision and why we do what we do, our mission, our values, all of that and I really wanted to take the time and treat this like I would choosing, you know, creative collaborators, not just contractors. So if I was choosing, like, to co-write a book with someone, how more intentional I would be to bring someone on as a collaborator in that space. Because we're going to be working together so closely. We really want to make sure that it is a beautiful experience.
Speaker 1:Now I had over 80 applications for the Daring Press. Now I'm talking from editors to virtual assistants, to marketing experts, to formatters, to cover designers, like it is all the works right. So we had a lot of applications. Now it took me a lot of time to process through these applications and I didn't want to rush this step. I didn't want to, even though we had a high volume of applications. I really wanted to take time and go through every single application. Now, even the application form in itself was a lot. It had a lot of questions. It had anything that you could think of.
Speaker 1:I really wanted to really know this person. I really wanted to know how they work, why they work, what's their passion, why they do what they do, what do they do outside of work? Like all of it. I was like very intentional, even in the questions, because I wanted to know who this person was, who they want to be, what they're. And it's not even about the experience, which I'll go into this, but it wasn't even about how much you know. It was about me having a gauge of who you are as a person, the energy that you are going to bring into the business, into our clients, into all of that.
Speaker 1:That was the intention behind it, and every step was really designed to reflect the values of the Daring Press, which are very much around expression, integrity, collaboration, devotion, creativity and expression is one of our biggest values, and I wanted them to express themselves. You know what are their values, what do they? What are they passionate about? What do they want to learn? What do they want to do? What's happening so far? Like I really had a lot of questions and I wish I had the form up right now but to tell you how many questions that was, but it was probably like 20 questions or something like that. So it wasn't a form where it was like, okay, just tell me your name, date of birth, like email address, and a little bit about yourself. No, we went into a lot more depth about them and their experience and who they are and their values and all of it. I was very, very intentional with that. So that was like the first step and the application wasn't about testing people. It was really about seeing how they work with real stories and if our visions really aligned.
Speaker 1:And, I think, going through this process of going through every application, tapping into their responses, reading over it, I had an Excel sheets document up and I had each application onto the sheet and I would write notes of like from zero to five. You know, what did I think? What experience did I have? Do I think they really align with our values, like? There was a few questions that I would gauge as I'm reading through and then I would take notes on each one. So, as you can imagine, going through 80 plus applications and taking my time and going through this process really really slowly, thoroughly, giving each person the time and the energy that I really wanted to give them. And then I had a scale of okay list or not not really the right fit, based on the numbers that I had added up out of 15, and then I would short list to the next round and I did this again, going through the whole list again of the short listed. Then again, it's like three times and this is over a span of two months. So so this is two months since the people applied.
Speaker 1:Now I know this process isn't for everybody and I know that I would have had some backlash from people that when I emailed them and said, you know, thank you for your patience, we are going through the process, I updated them with what was happening and you know this is the intention that we're having with this process and it's going to be a long process from you know, finding the right people, and I was so intentional about that because I want people who are going to be part of our vision, are going to be really aligned and not flake on me one month, three months into working together and they're just not into it. I just don't have time for that. They don't have, like, I don't want to waste their time, I don't want to waste my time. It was a really great way to weed people out as well. That might not have been the right fit. And this come when we were down to the short list and I sent out.
Speaker 1:The next phase of this hiring process was sending out an email. I did up a video. That was the vision of the Daring Press, so I recorded an audio transmission that was very much me stepping into and sharing the vision of the Daring Press, why we do what we do, the vision, the values, the experience. It was very much around the experience that our clients have when they come and work with the Daring Press. Each step that they take is all about their story matters. Your story matters, we care about your story. You're not just another number in the publishing house. You're not just another number to get data to bring a book to life in a way that just doesn't feel like you're holding their hand throughout the process.
Speaker 1:And I was very intentional with how I expressed that through my words. And then my team created a visual where we brought that to life through the visuals as well. So my voice was over and it was this video that they can watch and tap into. So I sent an email with that attached to it and the first task was let me know your thoughts around this With what I'm saying in this video, the Daring Press vision. Let me know your thoughts as you watched it. Like what come up for you? What do you really align with? Is there anything that you don't align with? Tell me what sparks from that video and this was so I took. Normally, I would never do this. This is like a whole new process for me. So it was so liberating to have this different experience on hiring and we aren't even at the end yet, but, yeah, it's so good.
Speaker 1:So in that email I also had a task for each section. So we had because we have editors, we have cover designers, we have formatters, we have virtual assistants and then more on the marketing side as well. So each of those sections I had a task. That was like, for example, for the editors, I really wanted to get a feel for our, the people applying to be an editor for the daring press. I, of course, want to send a sample, so it's a one-page sample of fiction, one-page sample of non-fiction and I wanted to see what they would comment. So it wasn't about the grammar as such. It was about I wanted to see what language and how they would edit, how they would pick up the sentence and what language they would use in their comments. Because to me and being an author and being in this industry and having worked with a lot of editors in my time in this industry, it was really important for me to have editors on our team who really cared about the story in the way that they edit, in a language that they use when they edit.
Speaker 1:So it is very critical, obviously, being an edit like you do want the critic, you do want the critical edits where we're helping making it better, like I totally get that, but there is a language that you use that makes the person us as authors, when you are reading the feedback, there's a different way of saying it. So if I was like, uh, now let's just change. Like, uh, change this to this, this, this, this, and it's just like very, there's no emotion in it, it's just like change, there's no emotion in it. It's just like change it to this. But on the flip side, if you're like, oh, I love this part. But what if we tweak it to this to make it sound even better, like how much better is that received? Much better than like more on that critical side where it's like, oh, just change, change, change. And I know people don't mean it as like I'm wanting to offend the author in any way, but there is just a way that I want our editors to work with our clients and so we had a test of that so I could see how the language that they use and how they would edit as well. So that was an example for the editors.
Speaker 1:Then, for cover designers, I had, um, a brief for them for, like a pretend client and I had a little brief and I wanted them to send back a concept, so not a whole cover, but a concept of like how how would they bring this cover to life? Like what would they use? And to really give me a gauge of like their creativity and like the way that they work and and what design they would bring forward and the language that they use, even in their creativity. And like the way that they work and and what design they would bring forward and the language that they use, even in their emails and how they respond and like what? Yeah, the ideas that they come up with, because that's so important. Like if I were to hire these people without even knowing how they work, without even knowing you know the how they communicate, and all of that, then I would be stepping in, I would be of that. Then I would be stepping in, I would be taking a risk and I would be stepping in thinking, oh yeah, they look good on paper. I don't know. I've seen a couple of things, but yeah, we'll see. We'll see how it goes. No, we don't have time for that. In the sense of finding the right people in this way, I really like this experience that we have gone through.
Speaker 1:So that was sort of yeah, the two tests on the email. So we had that test and another test. And I said at the bottom, because the email is quite long, I was like you know, I totally understand if things have changed for you. If you want to withdraw your application, I was very clear. If this does not align with you, if you don't want want to do this test, if you don't want to go to this next stage, like totally, tell me. No hard feelings.
Speaker 1:And I did have some people that did respond and were like, oh, you know, it's taken two months and now, yeah, things have changed. I don't really appreciate you giving me a test and like all this stuff. So I took that on and I was like that is exactly what I wanted. That is the exact response that I wanted, because it didn't align with them and the way that they work and their values and whatever's happening in their life situation at the moment, which is perfect, and it didn't align with me if they're not wanting to go ahead with the process and they might flake it in a month, in three months, in six months, in a year. So it worked out really really well to weed out people that weren't really aligned anymore and then weed in the people that were like, oh cool, yeah, I'm so like. I'm just, I love the vision, I'm really into it. This really aligns with me, and the way that you work with your clients, in the way that you work with your team, in a way that you know you talk about the vision and it being all about the story matters, like I'm so into that and like that's my vibe too. That's how it waiting about, you see, in this process, which is really cool.
Speaker 1:So the next stage after that was then reviewing all of the responses and going into each of these emails and, yeah, going through the responses and seeing if it aligns, if it doesn't, and still using that Excel sheet and, you know, shortlisting once again. We're shortlisting again, again, again. So now we're down to the final stage of this process, which is meet and greet on Zoom. So it is very well having written responses, responding in email, because you can see how they communicate via written form. But the next stage, I do really want to see them. I want to get a feel for them, because you can get a feel for people in written form, yes, but then the next step is actually seeing them on a Zoom, connecting with them in a place where you can see their facial expression. You can connect with them on a different level and really get a feel, for you know if what they've written lines up with who they actually are.
Speaker 1:Because I know in the world of AI, I know in the world of that it is so easy to get chat GPT to write up your responses to the emails and all of that, and I could. I could tell that in certain emails when it was AI written and not from the heart. So there was that way of weaving out people as well. But we're at the stage of now, video interviews. So I have had two interviews so far for the Daring Press and these positions and let me tell you these calls are quick, 15-minute, 30-minute calls. It is really for them to get to interview me and for me to get to interview them and get a vibe for them face to face, and it has been such like I feel like I know them already and the people that are jumping on these calls have been vetted throughout this process and the people that I'm jumping on calls with and like getting the feel and the vibe for them.
Speaker 1:It would have been so much harder jumping on a call with all these people I shortlisted before I gave them the test. It would have been a lot more time wasted I never say time's wasted because it never is but it would have taken, taken a longer, even longer time to get on a call and the energy it takes to get on these calls with these people if I had not gone through that next step and did the testing and did like okay, let's see what you're, what you can actually do. So there's a few steps here. So we've got like written response. We've got like, okay, let's see your creativity and do you align with the vision, with our values, with all the stuff that we're bringing forward? Like, I want to. I want to feel your energy there. Then I want to see you. I want to come to face to face on zoom, even though it would be better if we met in person.
Speaker 1:But technology and having that screen like it has just been a really, really beautiful, really beautiful process behind this, and every step was really designed to reflect the values of the Daring Press and really get a vibe and feel their vibe in the action and not just looking at the resumes and being like, oh yeah, they sound good, let's get on a call, let's see if, like, each step has been quite intentional. And one thing I will add as well is I'm not really I wasn't really looking for tasks like takers and in that sense, I'm I wasn't really looking for tasks like takers and in that sense, I'm really building a team of creative thinkers who are really heart-led, who really want to collaborate and really are the visionaries, are the people that can vision and can create from that space, because when, when clients come to us and want to be part of the experience of bringing their book to life and knowing that their story matters through every step of the way that we work with them. I want them to feel that, in the way that we communicate via emails, in the way that we communicate via video, in the way that our team works on their manuscript through the editing process, how we talk to them, how we communicate, bringing them along the journey, knowing that their story matters, that their words matter, that this is a huge, huge thing writing your story, bringing it to life, being in your self-expression. Each step of that. I want team. I want people that are in that, that believe in that, not people that are just doing this just to pay the bills. Not people that are just doing this because, oh, I'm just going to do this on the side until I get up enough money so I can go do my real dream job, which is canoeing in the river somewhere. I don't know, something like that.
Speaker 1:But you get the point there, like to have people on your team that believe in what you're creating, that are going to bring that across in the way that you work with your clients, like there is something in that. You feel that in the energy when you work with someone that is in it, that is in your team, that wants to, wants to work alongside you, wants to bring your vision to life, like that is the beauty. That is like the most tapped in beautiful experience. And I want that. I want that from when our clients are writing their book, like they're feeling so tapped into their self-expression and what they're writing and what they're bringing to life and the way that they express themselves and how liberating that is into the way that then they work with our team in bringing it to life through the cover design, through the editing, through the formatting, through the whole experience, and then into the marketing, into bringing the graphics, bringing the brand to life, bringing all of the aspects and then launching it out into the world with such beautiful intention, such beautiful feeling. It's like the birthing of your soul's words, your soul's expression. All of that words, your soul's expression, all of that. Like this experience has been so beautiful and I really wanted to share this with you and I think some lessons that have really come forward.
Speaker 1:Is that energetic alignment, not rushing this and I am someone that in the past I very much go, go, go, go, do, do, do. We've got to do this strategy, that strategy that and you'll probably have heard this throughout the Daring Author podcast the evolution of me and me coming back home and into myself. And the more I'm opening up, the more I'm tapping in to this. The more that I'm slowing down, the more intentional I'm being, the more energy that I have. The more that I am slowing down, the more intentional I'm being, the more energy that I have, the more that all this vision, this soul, work, this. What I'm here to do is coming alive and is so intentional in like, just scrapping back that old ways of like we have to hustle hard to make money, we have to work hard, we have to beat ourselves in the ground. We've always constantly got to be working Like.
Speaker 1:I am peeling that back, that identity of myself. I'm peeling that back and I'm stepping more into the flow, the flow energetic. And if you're listening and you're aligning to this, this is where you're meant to be. This is like the next step forward and it is so beautiful coming home and learning more about yourself and just taking that pressure off. Taking that pressure off of oh, you got to do this tiktok strategy. It is the number one thing to make success. And if you don't follow this path, then it's like, yeah, I was like that and you would have seen old episodes like that, but now we are stepping into a different era and I am so here for it.
Speaker 1:That self-expression, that connection, and the more I'm stepping away from that hustle mentality you know what, the more I'm making which is crazy, but it is so true the more I am stepping back and playing and experiencing life and trusting and just being and living this life that we've created. The more money that is coming in when I'm sleeping at night and come wake up in the morning, and when my notifications come in from my direct sales, from my bookshop, all of that, like I'm doing. I'm making sales in my sleep from that, from me, relaxing me, not not being on the computer, being like this TikTok, this tech, whatever tech talk. You know what I mean like the. This is more what I'm stepping into and this is the life and this is the business I want to create from this lens. So there, there is so much. There so much.
Speaker 1:And I think one key lesson if you're, if you are hiring right now, slow down, take your time, choose people who vibe with your vision, with what you're creating, not just your timeline. Get people that are along the journey with you, that want to stand with you, that want to hold your hand and step into it and go along this journey with you. Hire them. They don't need to know everything. They don't need to be a tiktok expert. They don't need to be a social media expert in this and that and that. Yeah, those skills are good. But if they're not walking alongside you, if they do not believe in your vision and they're trying to push you in different directions that don't feel aligned, then stop, slow down, take your time with hiring and yeah, that is it. It. I'm going to leave this episode at that. If you've got any questions, anything more you want me to dive into in terms of the hiring process, reach out. Reach out via dm, at the daring press, on instagram, and I'd be happy to chat with you. I'll see you in the next episode.