265. Global Hiring Made Easy with Valerie Bowden of CRDLE

  "If you're serious about scaling, it's time to look beyond borders—Africa has the talent, the drive, and the innovation the world needs." – Valerie Bowden In this episode of Turmeric & Tequila™, host Kristen Olson sits down with Valerie Bowden—founder of CRDLE and a trailblazer in remote talent acquisition from Africa. Valerie shares her journey from solo backpacking across Africa to living in Ethiopia for eight years, and how those experiences led to building a global business that connects companies with top-tier African talent. We explore how ethical hiring, cross-cultural collaboration, and untapped global potential are changing the future of business. Valerie's mission? Help companies rise above the competition with one smart, conscious move: Choose Africa. Whether you're a startup founder, remote team leader, or impact-driven entrepreneur—this one's for you. Learn more: crdle.com Time Stamps: 00:00 – Intro: Meet Valerie Bowden 02:45 – Backpacking Africa & living in Ethiopia 07:20 – Founding CRDLE and the origin of "Choose Africa" 11:40 – The untapped potential of African remote talent 15:55 – Challenges and biases in global hiring 21:00 – Sales optimization tips from CRDLE's strategy 27:30 – Why remote teams thrive with intentional hiring 32:10 – Advice for entrepreneurs ready to scale 36:45 – Building a purpose-led business and family life 40:20 – How to work with Valerie & CRDLE 43:00 – Final thoughts + rapid-fire values round Valerie Bowden: Valerie Bowden helps businesses find top-tier remote talent and optimize their sales operations by tapping into talent in Africa. Valerie has spent years working with businesses across all industries to level up their sales and rise above the competition with one simple action: Choose Africa. Before she launched CRDLE, she backpacked across Africa solo and lived in Ethiopia for 8 years.  She now resides in Pittsburgh with her husband and two kids https://www.instagram.com/crdleafrica Follow Valerie on LinkedIn: Valerie Bowden   IG: @TurmericTequila Facebook: @TurmericAndTequila Website: www.TurmericAndTequila.com Host: Kristen Olson IG: @Madonnashero Tik Tok: @Madonnashero Website: www.KOAlliance.com WATCH HERE   MORE LIKE THIS: https://youtu.be/ZCFQSpFoAgI?si=Erg8_2eH8uyEgYZF   https://youtu.be/piCU9JboWuY?si=qLdhFKCGdBzuAeuI https://youtu.be/9Vs2JDzJJXk?si=dpjV31GDqTroUKWH