Beyond the Hire

Send us Fan MailIn executive hiring today, what looks strong on paper doesn’t always translate to the right hire.Instead of focusing primarily on tenure or credentials, hiring managers are looking for leaders whose experience aligns with a company’s stage of growth, team dynamics, and revenue goals. What makes someone the right fit often depends on the specific challenges a company is trying to solve.In this episode of Beyond the Hire, Cassie Zaffanella, Executive Recruiter at Betts Recruiting, breaks down how executive candidates are evaluated and what separates “A” and “B” profiles. She shares how leaders can clearly communicate the ownership and growth impact they have driven in previous roles, along with the interview pitfalls that can derail even highly qualified candidates.About Cassie Zaffanella: Cassie Zaffanella is an Executive Recruiter at Betts with over a decade of experience in the tech industry. She began her career in enterprise sales at Oracle before transitioning into recruiting, and joined Betts in 2018. Since then, she has helped build the firm’s executive recruiting practice and has consistently ranked as one of the company’s top recruiters.Follow Cassie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassie-zaffanella-a4a65b66/

Send us Fan MailAsk any experienced recruiter and they’ll tell you that preparation and authenticity consistently set candidates apart.In this episode of Before the Hire, Juliet Goswell, Director of Recruiting at Betts Recruiting, shares an insider’s perspective on sourcing and interviewing go-to-market candidates. She breaks down which sourcing platforms Betts recruiters use to find talent and why the most effective candidate profiles are often simple rather than overproduced. She also discusses how candidates can make a strong first impression in interviews, the importance of clearly articulating what motivates their career decisions, common candidate red flags, and why being grounded, prepared, and authentic often matters more than an impressive resume.About Juliet Goswell: Juliet Goswell is the Director of Recruiting at Betts, where she leads the New York office and oversees teams ranging from recruiting coordinators to GTM recruiters and account managers. She’s been in recruiting for about five years and took a nontraditional path into the field, starting with a background in modern dance before moving into ad tech and influencer partnerships. That people-driven work led her into recruiting at StudioID, where she managed a large freelance network and began building leadership experience, followed by agency recruiting at Creative People. Juliet joined Betts a few years ago as an individual contributor and has since stepped into leadership, now leading the New York office.Follow Juliet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliet-goswell/

Send us Fan MailSome founders start with a clear idea. Others start with a question.In this episode of Beyond the Hire, Justin Liu, CEO and co founder of Charta Health, walks us through the unconventional path that led to building Charta, including spending over a year interviewing hundreds of operators across industries and validating what could truly become a venture scale business.He also shares how those early decisions shape how he hires today, why Charta prioritizes an in person culture, and what surprised him most after stepping into the CEO role for the first time.About Justin Liu: Justin Liu is the CEO and co-founder of Charta Health, an AI Chart Review Platform transforming how healthcare organizations audit patient charts and documentation at scale. Charta streamlines critical workflows across revenue cycle, clinical operations, and compliance functions, helping providers and payers operate more efficiently and deliver better patient care. Backed by Bain Capital Ventures, Charta is on a mission to make every healthcare dollar accountable and every chart accurate, simplifying the complexities of non-clinical operations from the ground up.Before founding Charta, Justin led Growth at Rockset (acquired by OpenAI) and worked on Google’s Cloud Security team. His background in scaling cutting-edge AI technology is central to Charta’s success in transforming healthcare infrastructure.Follow Justin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jusliu/

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to build real community in venture capital, and how can it shape your entire career? In this episode of Beyond the Hire, Niamh O’Donnell shares how she went from running her own company at sixteen to working inside Ireland’s most influential innovation ecosystem and ultimately landing in the Bay Area. She breaks down how thoughtful networking opens doors, why intention matters more than transaction, and why founders and future investors should embed themselves in the right circles early on. Niamh also offers a candid look at her work at Unusual Ventures, what makes standout founders and teams, and the traits that help people thrive in zero to one environments.About Niamh O’Donnell: Niamh O’Donnell is the Director of Programs at Unusual, where she runs Unusual Academy and other initiatives to help early-stage founders access the right insights and connections at the right time. Her expertise stems from prior roles at 500 Global, where she led co-investor relations, Enterprise Ireland, where she helped Irish startups expand into the US, and Notre Dame’s IDEA Center, where she supported the commercialization of emerging startups. Before that, Niamh worked at the forefront of XR and generative AI at Ascend Learning and was an award-winning entrepreneur herself, lending her rare empathy to the pace and ambiguity of the zero-to-one stage. Niamh holds degrees from The University of Notre Dame, KEDGE Business School, and Dublin City University, and lives in San Francisco.Follow Niamh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niamh-o-donnell/

Send us Fan MailWhat exactly is High Slope Talent and why are the best leaders focused on finding it?In this episode of Beyond the Hire, Dr. Heather Doshay breaks down the concept she’s become known for: identifying and developing people with high growth potential. Drawing from her experience as a venture-backed startup operator and leadership coach, Heather shares how to recognize people who not only rise quickly but elevate those around them.She also explores what organizations can do to nurture these individuals, why traditional hiring frameworks often overlook them, and how using ‘slope’ as a lens helps build stronger, more scalable teams.About Heather Doshay: Dr. Heather Doshay is the Founder of Waypoint Works, a coaching and embedded advisory partner helping startups scale intelligently. Previously a Partner & Head of Talent at SignalFire and the founding executive and VP of People at Webflow, she brings hard-earned operator insights to founders and their teams. She holds a doctorate in leadership, and her insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Forbes.Follow Heather on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doshay/

Send us Fan MailEvery great company starts with the people who build it. Few people know this better than Wendy Papakostandini, who has spent nearly a decade helping founders hire and scale at Anzu Partners. In this episode of Beyond the Hire, Wendy shares practical insights for both founders and candidates, including how to assess a company’s stability and growth potential, what thoughtful questions can reveal during interviews, why low-ego operators thrive in early environments, and when it makes sense to bring in recruiting support.She also takes us inside her work with the Volta Foundation and the Battery Talent Census, where she’s helping one of the fastest-growing sectors in tech prepare for a massive workforce expansion.About Wendy Papakostandini: Wendy is Head of Talent and Principal at Anzu Partners, where she leads efforts to build high-performing teams for innovative hard-tech companies. In addition, she serves as Program Director of the Battery Talent Census at Volta Foundation and co-authors the Talent section of the Annual Battery Report, the industry’s most widely read workforce analysis. Follow Wendy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendypapakostandini/

Send us Fan MailEighteen years at one company feels almost unheard of today, but that’s exactly Allison Lopour’s story at CollegeWise. She joined when it was just a five-person startup and has helped scale the team to 100+ employees, while keeping a people-first culture at the center through every stage.In this episode of Beyond the Hire, Allison reflects on what has kept her growing alongside her company for nearly two decades, how she approaches employee loyalty without making empty promises, and why unconventional career paths often create the most authentic leaders.About Allison Lopour:Allison Lopour is Chief People Officer at Collegewise, where she's built people-first cultures in education technology. A first-generation college graduate, she started as  a college counselor and grew into strategic HR leadership, guiding distributed teams through unprecedented growth while transitioning to fully remote operations. Allison is passionate about creating environments where people can bring their authentic selves to work and thrive during periods of change.Follow Allison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonlopour/ 

Send us Fan MailHow do you scale when you are ahead of the market, stepping into sales for the first time, and the only non-technical hire in the room? That was the opportunity Spencer Reich embraced when he left hedge funds to join an early AI startup before the whole world caught on.In this conversation, he shares the lessons those experiences taught him about conviction, hiring, resilience, and how they now fuel his work with high-growth founders at The SER Group.About Spencer Reich:Spencer Reich is the Founder and CEO of The SER Group, a boutique advisory firm that helps high-growth companies scale smarter, from building go-to-market engines and hiring high-performing teams to leveraging AI for sharper decision-making. With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of finance, technology, and innovation, Spencer blends strategic insight with hands-on execution to help his clients grow faster and more efficiently.Follow Spencer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-e-reich/

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when a sixth-grade teacher trades lesson plans for hiring plans? For Jim Conti, it launched a career that took him from Sprout Social to dScout and now to Hyde Park Venture Partners, where he supports more than 60 portfolio companies on talent strategy.In this episode of Beyond the Hire, Jim shares his journey from the classroom to venture capital and the lessons he’s learned along the way. We dig into why teachers often make incredible hires, how authenticity can set candidates apart, and why networking is more powerful than any job description. Whether you’re a job seeker navigating your next move, a founder building an early-stage team, or a talent leader scaling culture, Jim’s story is a masterclass in following your passions, staying true to yourself, and creating opportunities where none exist.About Jim Conti:Jim Conti is the Talent Partner at Hyde Park Venture Partners and has been with the firm since 2021. In this role, Jim provides strategic talent support and consulting to the firm's portfolio of companies. Prior to Hyde Park Venture Partners, Jim served as head of people at dscout and Sprout Social — both Chicago-based software startups. In these roles, Jim built, grew, and oversaw teams across recruitment, talent management, DEI, culture, HR, and benefits strategy. The impact of this work is seen in awards from Glassdoor, Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago, and Built in Chicago.Follow Jim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/contijc/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Beyond the Hire, we sit down with Matt Green, co-founder and CRO of Sales Assembly, to unpack his journey from wealth management to tech sales to building one of the most trusted enablement and training communities for go-to-market teams.Matt shares how a layoff, a little luck, and a lot of listening led him to co-create Sales Assembly. We dig into the difference between community and curation, what gifting mishaps can teach you about stakeholder relationships, and why showing up (physically and virtually) is the secret to building a powerful network.If you’ve ever wondered how to turn a career curveball into a launchpad, or how Sales Assembly became a must-have for growing GTM teams, this one’s for you. About Matt Green:Matt is the Co-Founder and CRO of Sales Assembly, a skills training platform that supports the go-to-market teams of hundreds of the ecosystem's most prominent tech companies.Matt began his career in wealth management and investment banking, before moving into the world of tech sales leadership.He is married with a 13 year old son, and spends his spare time planning random international trips for he and his family.Follow Matt on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthewcorneliusgreen

Send us Fan MailIn this special Before the Hire edition of Beyond the Hire, we flip the script. Instead of talking to CROs and sales leaders, we go straight to the source: the recruiters who help get them there.Betts veterans Melissa Hirsch and Cassie Zaffanella join us to break down what really matters when you’re job hunting—from CV and LinkedIn tips to red flags (like over-designing your resume… or farting on a screening call). They share how to stand out in a crowded market, how to work with a recruiter the right way, and the one question you should always be ready to answer.Whether you’ve been laid off, are ready to make a move, or just want a peek behind the recruiting curtain—this is the episode for you.About Melissa Hirsch:Melissa Hirsch is a seasoned recruiter with a track record of helping early-stage SaaS companies scale at the enterprise level. As a Principal Recruiter who's been with Betts for 10 years, she’s worn many hats—from recruiting coordinator to senior strategic partner. Follow Melissa on LinkedInAbout Cassie Zaffanella:Cassie Zaffanela brings over a decade of experience in the tech industry and was one of the founding Executive Recruiters at Betts, where she played a key role in building out the department.Follow Cassie on LinkedIn

Send us Fan MailLily Gibbens joins Beyond the Hire to share how she built a decade-long career at Cerner (later acquired by Oracle) and why she eventually made the leap to a much smaller startup environment. She breaks down the differences between big-company bureaucracy and startup speed, what she looks for in candidates, and the advice she gives to job seekers unsure of their next move.You’ll hear:How she grew her career internally at Cerner and navigated an Oracle acquisitionWhat hiring red flags (and green flags) she pays attention toThe resume mistakes she sees too often—and how to avoid themHow to decide whether to stay in a role or move onWhat changed most when she left a 20k+ org for a 30-person companyThis episode is packed with honest, tactical advice on standing out in the hiring process and building a people-first career.About Lily Gibbens:Lily Gibbens began her career at a 10-person agency, where she quickly learned the value of structure, communication, and wearing many hats. She then spent nearly a decade at Cerner, eventually leading large-scale HR programs following the company’s acquisition by Oracle. Her roles spanned HR business partnership, learning design, and engineering culture, supporting teams of up to 10,000 employees. Today, Lily leads HR and recruiting for two early-stage edtech companies backed by a private equity firm—owning everything from hiring and onboarding to performance, benefits, and culture. She’s passionate about bringing clarity to chaos and building people programs that make work better.

Send us Fan MailNo BS. All real talk.This week on Beyond the Hire, we’re joined by Carol Malakasis, founder of MarketPull, a GTM consulting agency helping seed and Series A startups hit their first $1M in revenue.Carol’s path from selling goat cheese to scaling SaaS teams is anything but ordinary—and her no-nonsense approach to startup sales is exactly what early-stage founders need to hear.Tune in to hear:– The #1 mistake founders make when hiring their first AE– When to shift from founder-led sales to building a sales team– Why repeatable process > “hustle”– What candidates get wrong in early-stage interviews (and how to stand out)– How to know if a startup job is legit—or a red flag waiting to happenIf you're a founder building out your first GTM motion, or a candidate looking to thrive in an early-stage startup, this one’s a masterclass.About Carol Malakasis:Carol Malakasis is the founder of MarketPull, a go-to-market consulting agency that helps seed and Series A startups build scalable sales processes and close their first million in revenue. With a career that began in CPG and evolved into tech sales, Carol has led high-volume sales teams, hired hundreds of reps, and now partners directly with founders to turn early traction into repeatable growth.Follow Carol on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolmalakasis/

Send us Fan MailThis week on Beyond the Hire, we sit down with Michelle Vitus, CEO and founder of Slate, a B2B coaching platform built to help people navigate what’s next. Before founding Slate, Michelle was a VP at Wells Fargo, held business development roles at two startups, and earned her MBA from Stanford. But it was getting laid off that sparked her next big move—and led her to build a company that now supports thousands through career transitions.Tune in to hear:– The unexpected value of a layoff – Why “telling your story” can sometimes be more important than job titles – What hiring looks like when you bootstrap a company from the ground up – The mindset and metrics Michelle used to stay (or walk) at each phase of growth – The power of thoughtfully timed career pivots (and how to plan for them)Michelle’s story is packed with honest advice, real-world lessons, and a roadmap for anyone considering their next chapter. Don’t miss it.About Michelle Vitus:Michelle is the Founder and CEO of Slate, a B2B coaching platform that helps organizations invest in their people—whether they’re growing into bigger roles or navigating what’s next. Before starting Slate, Michelle built her career in business development at two startups and spent several years as a VP in commercial banking at Wells Fargo. She holds an MBA from Stanford and a finance degree from the University of Minnesota. These days, she’s passionate about increasing the access, scale and impact of coaching.Follow Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellevitus/

Send us Fan MailWhat does it really take to pivot your career—more than once—and land in a role that feels like a perfect fit?In this episode of Beyond the Hire, we sit down with Dr. Heather Doshay, Partner and Head of Talent at SignalFire. Heather takes us through her incredible journey from university administration to tech startups to venture capital, sharing the lessons she’s learned through three major career reinventions.We dive into:How to break into tech when you’re coming from a non-traditional backgroundWhat most people get wrong about changing careers (and how to do it right) How to build an authentic network that opens doors Why “culture” has officially overtaken “bad managers” as the top reason people leave jobsThe power of knowing when a role has outgrown you—and how to find your next one with intentionWhether you're hiring, job searching, or just trying to figure out your next step, this episode is packed with real talk and tactical advice. About Dr. Heather Doshay:Dr. Heather Doshay is a Partner and the Head of Talent at SignalFire, an early-stage venture capital fund with approximately 3B in assets under management, where she uses her nearly 20 years experience as a people and talent executive, leadership professor, and university administrator to expertly guide startups to success.  Prior to SignalFire, Heather held key People and Talent leadership roles at Webflow, RainforestQA, Hired, and taught Organizational Leadership at the University of San Francisco. She was honored as a top Talent Operator on the 2020 Anchor List and Top Women Leader in SaaS in the 2018 SaaS Report. You can find her work published in Entrepreneur, Forbes, Thrive Global, and VentureBeat.Follow Heather on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doshay/

Send us Fan MailHow do you turn a family emergency into a foundation for career resilience, find the perfect role fit at a global firm, break barriers as the lone woman on senior sales teams, and still leap into hypergrowth at startup? We weren't sure which is why we asked our latest guest.In this episode of Beyond the Hire, we sit down with Jennifer Penn, VP of North American Sales at Talent Neuron, to unpack how she navigated her son’s life‑threatening stroke, chose an individual contributor role at Gartner for flexibility, stood out (and stood strong) as the only woman on Workday’s senior sales team, embraced the startup whirlwind at Eightfold, and ultimately found her career sweet spot at TalentNeuron.In this episode, we cover: How Jen supported her son through a massive brain hemorrhage and stroke, then built a blow‑out year at Gartner while managing 10 weekly therapy appointments.Why she declined her first leadership offer at Gartner to balance family priorities—and how that patience paid off.Lessons learned as the only woman on senior sales teams at Gartner and Workday, and why culture carriers matter.The risks, rewards, and rapid learning curve of joining high‑growth Eightfold after a decade in enterprise services.What made TalentNeuron the ideal next step, and how to recognize the culture and values that align with your career.Join hosts Sandra Polak & Ayse Yasas from Betts Recruiting as they explore the strategies, sacrifices, and serendipity that fuel a modern sales leader’s rise.About Jennifer Penn: Jennifer Penn is the Vice President of North American Sales for Talent Neuron based in Atlanta, Georgia. With over 25 years of experience driving innovative and complex sales strategies—and seeing them through execution—she has developed an expertise in building high‑performing senior sales teams. Her passion for talent emerged in her early days of leadership and continued to blossom as an Executive Recruiter for Russell Reynolds. She spent the last six years of her career at Workday, Eightfold, and now Talent Neuron.Follow Jen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-penn-4310183/

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to build a high-performing GTM team in today’s competitive tech landscape?In this episode of Beyond the Hire, we sit down with Megan Conlon, Head of Talent Acquisition at Miter and former talent leader at Miro, to explore the art of intentional hiring in hyper-growth environments. Megan shares her firsthand experience navigating the complexities of scaling teams globally, balancing speed with quality, and identifying the traits that make candidates stand out in a competitive tech landscape. With insights drawn from 15 years of recruiting across industries—and her own career pivot to a smaller company that better aligned with her lifestyle—she offers a fresh perspective on hiring teams and why mentorship is key for career growth and the importance of building a strong network.In this episode, we cover:How Miter prioritizes intentional hiring to balance speed and quality while scaling teams effectively.The key factors to consider when deciding between joining a startup or an established company for your next career move.Why mentorship is a game-changer for career growth and how leaders can foster meaningful mentor relationships.The emerging trends reshaping hiring in tech and how companies can stay ahead in attracting top talent.Join hosts Sandra Polak & Ayse Yasas from Betts Recruiting as they explore the future of hiring, leadership, and building teams that succeed.About Megan Conlon:Megan is a seasoned talent acquisition leader with 15 years of experience across hospitality, financial services, and SaaS technology. She has led global teams across AMER, LATAM, EMEA, and JAPAC, building high-performing teams at companies like Miro and Miter. Megan’s leadership philosophy centers on radical candor and situational leadership, empowering teams to grow while aligning personal and professional goals.Follow Megan Conlon on LinkedIn here!

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to break into the world of tech recruiting? In this episode of Beyond the Hire, we sit down with Sophie Giacoman, a seasoned Recruitment Manager who transitioned from being unhappy with her first job out of college to becoming a recruiter at LinkedIn during the Disneyland days of tech. Sophie shares insights on how hiring trends are evolving and why non-traditional candidates often make the best recruiters.In this episode, we cover:The inside story of LinkedIn’s RAMP program & how it helped overlooked candidates break into recruitingWhat hiring managers really look for (and the biggest red flags in the interview process)How to figure out whether a startup or big tech company is the right fit for your careerWhy industry connections and strategic networking can make or break your job searchJoin hosts Sandra Polak & Ayse Yasas from Betts Recruiting as they explore the future of hiring, career pivots, and the skills that truly matter in today’s job market.Sophie Giacoman has been in the recruitment space for over a decade. She got her start at an educational nonprofit, and from there worked as a recruiter at Linkedin. Since then, she's mainly been in the HR tech space at scaling startups. Currently, she leads the North America and EMEA recruitment team for Culture Amp.Follow Sophie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiegiacoman/

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to land a sales job at a fast-growing startup—without industry connections? In this episode of Beyond the Hire, we sit down with Drew Sechrist, former top sales leader at Salesforce and CEO & Co-Founder of Connect The Dots. Drew shares how a cold email to Marc Benioff launched his career, the power of warm introductions in sales, and why building authentic relationships is the future of business development.How Drew went from cold emailing Marc Benioff to becoming Salesforce’s top global producerThe evolution of sales from cold calling to strategic networkingWhy leveraging real connections is the key to breaking into tech & landing top-tier sales rolesThe flaws of LinkedIn networking and how to build a stronger sales pipelineJoin hosts Sandra Polak & Ayse Yasas from Betts Recruiting as they explore startup sales, leadership, and the art of making meaningful connections.Drew Sechrist is the CEO & Co-Founder of Connect The Dots, a platform revolutionizing warm introductions in sales. As an early Salesforce employee, Drew played a pivotal role in scaling the company from a 36-person startup to a global SaaS leader. With decades of experience in sales leadership and entrepreneurship, he’s passionate about helping teams close deals by leveraging real relationships.Follow Drew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewsechrist

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to build a high-growth sales team from scratch? In this episode of Beyond the Hire, we sit down with Aron Vuijsje, VP of Sales at Rep.ai and the first salesperson at monday.com. Aron walks us through his journey from Customer Success to Sales Leader, how he convinced leadership to start a sales team, and the strategies that helped scale monday.com to IPO.Landing a startup sales job (even without experience)How Aron scaled sales teams without traditional commissionsWhy company culture & fast hiring matter in high-growth startupsJoin hosts Sandra Polak & Ayse Yasas from Betts Recruiting as they dive into startup sales, leadership, and what it takes to build winning teams.Aron Vuijsje is the VP of Sales at Rep AI and a seasoned sales leader with deep expertise in scaling SaaS organizations. As monday.com’s first salesperson, he played a pivotal role in the company’s hypergrowth—expanding revenue from $6M to $511M, helping grow the team from 16 to over 1,600 employees, and leading sales operations across multiple global offices. With a Master’s in Organizational Behavior & Development from IDC Herzliya and a BA in Business Administration, Aron brings a strategic and hands-on approach to leadership, sales, and team building.Follow Aron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aron-vuijsje-81587244/