Bearhug Recruiting: "Hallway of Hugs" (2024)

The“Hallway of Hugs”

(Direct Authentic Feedback From Bearhug’s VC Partners, Clients & Candidates!)

The following is a collection of statements extracted from the satisfaction surveys sent to Bearhug’s VC partners, clients, and candidates upon successfully completing a search.

If you pay close attention, you’ll see there’s a very consistent theme throughout the feedback we receive. It gets repeated, over and over again, which speaks to the essence of what “Bearhug” is really all about.

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“We’d just received a new round of funding and we needed to make several key executives hires. Kraig had helped us find our Head of Marketing, so he was the obvious choice. I was skeptical of recruiting agencies and recruiters, never having met anyone who could do valuable work except for sourcing. But through the process Kraig proved he could really dig to the roots of the company, function, and culture, and really hunt for the best candidates out there being a great representative of our team. Since the team had gone through Kraig’s search process prior, I trusted in it and was ready. I felt a lot of constructive and tangible help from Kraig, including learning psychological "reading" techniques of the candidate to know what's important and I felt prepared for each interview + got great coaching for the negotiations. After comparing the experience of doing this all by myself vs. doing it with Kraig, I'm sure there’s no chance I would have had the skills to get as much info about the candidate to mitigate the risk. It was a 10/10 experience!”

Maria Khokhlova

*Listen to Maria on The Bearhug Experience podcast [here]

“Kraig, working with you was absolutely worth every penny and every minute. You did great work for us and through your hyper-focused and thorough approach, you truly delivered a unique recruiting experience that I haven't seen before. We got an A-level hire that exceeded my expectations, even to the point where I am nervous if I can fulfill my role as a worthy manager! I now have a new standard for how I’ll recruit in order to match this experience for future hires.”

Robert Romano

“Hi Kraig, I’ve recommended you to my board and will promote you to the other startup founders in my network. You’ve done an amazing job with the search and with how you’ve managed expectations. Now our new hire just has to come in and get the ball rolling and deliver!”

Somya Kapoor

“Kraig, I've been watching Bearhug’s process and looking at your work product and it's really blowing me away. I'm sitting here thinking: I've dealt with some really really crappy people in this industry. You've been really incredible to work with. You're in a whole category of your own. I'm looking at Ryan thinking: You have no idea how great this guy really is! It’s not even fair to compare you to other recruiters. You’re not even in the same playing field. Bearhug has set a very high bar.”

Kourosh Zamanizadeh

“Right from the start I knew that Kraig and his process wasn’t going to be like the others. There was real chemistry and care. I felt like I was always in the know and updated constantly which helped me prepare. Everything went accordingly, and when we got to the offer stage, it was smooth sailing. I feel that through this process both myself and my new employer knew exactly what we are getting. Which sets us up for a great start! I just really appreciated the fluidity of the process. I always knew where I stood and if I EVER had a question Kraig was a text or call away. Kraig really cares and it was fun to go through this with him by my side.”

Lindsey Lonergan

“Kraig, I was very drawn to you and Bearhug by the extremely high touch & personalized approach to understanding the team, the founders, the personal stories and the DNA of the company. I especially liked how you communicated what you were coming across in the market as your momentum increased. You finding a relevant candidate within 7 days was very impressive. Towards the end, it felt like you were our own Chief People Officer. I learned a ton about how we can align our recruiting process for finding and closing rockstar candidates. I can't think of anyone else I’d rather work with on our future senior level hiring.”

Himanshu Gupta

“Kraig was completely open and transparent about his process. It made me feel so at ease. I was comfortable communicating honestly and candidly, which resulted in a more authentic experience. Posting a job requisition is unlikely to get you the type of candidate you want because the best candidates are working hard at what they do best. A trusted headhunter and advisor like Kraig will help you find the best possible person for your company. The game changer for me was Kraig's thorough intake process where he wanted to understand my goals, drivers, dealbreakers, dreams, etc. before even mentioning an opportunity. So often recruiters ask a few brief questions and then immediately try to sell the candidate on the company and role. It was clear to me from the beginning that Kraig was personally invested in making sure the role was right for his clients and for me, the candidate. Compensation negotiations were uncomplicated because my expectations were outlined from the beginning. It was by far the least complicated negotiation I've had. I recommend Bearhug to any startup or established firm looking for senior-level candidates. "

Samantha Burns

*Listen to Samantha on The Bearhug Experience podcast [here]

“Kraig is one of the top executive recruiters in the nation. He has a unique perspective on building and scaling companies and I highly recommend his podcast and work.”

Spencer Dusebout

*Listen to Spencer on The Bearhug Experience podcast [here]

“I can't imagine there are many people out there who’ve had as much hand to hand combat as I've had. I've dealt with quite literally dozens and dozens of headhunters. And I will say with the utmost conviction Kraig, you are special. You put more thought into what you do than most people I've met. You inspire me to think outside of the box.”

Jay Potter

*Listen to Jay on The Bearhug Experience podcast [here]

“Kraig’s unwavering drive and persistence gave me the confidence that he would get the job done. We found an amazing candidate, at the right place in their career. The potential "diamond in the rough". Given the incredible amount of time and devotion Kraig and his team bring to the table, clients that will benefit most are those looking to do multiple or very senior placements and that get and value Bearhug’s thorough style.”

Aaron Elder

“I've spent my professional life taking risks and reading people. I tend to know which Headhunters are good and seasoned in the first 30 seconds of a call. I don't entertain the rookies. They don't have the life experience to understand what people with my career history are looking for. Kraig was an honest read. He does something very different at the start where he interviews for personality, looking for the fit, then filters the BS artist out. Kraig works in an experienced and highly talented arena. I was shocked and surprised by the depth of contact Kraig had.”

Doug Brown

“Kraig, you’ll recall that you found my phone # and called me right in the middle of a workout with my personal trainer! I could tell right away you had done your homework. As a huge proponent of unique prospecting, I was impressed so we kept talking. I was intrigued by your unique approach. You were also very organized and thorough. Talking to you felt as though you knew me really well and did the work ahead of time to ensure I’d be a good fit you were being retained to fill. I was always comfortable knowing I was in good hands. Your level of organization and thoroughness was exuded at every step. Your process is very structured, efficient, and effective. Your interview prep was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. It was extremely thorough and detailed and left me without many questions (which is rare for me). What's more, the step by step process was carefully explained and orchestrated. You offered more valuable assistance that other recruiters skip. You provided actual write ups for all the critical steps including resigning. It was carefully crafted to help me through this tough step with best practices of what to do and not do to make every step as painless as possible. Your positivity, energy, and guidance along the way was clearly on another level not seen in the recruiting world. VC backed startups hiring very high quality and experienced leaders for their rapid & sustained growth is your fortier.”

Jason Murante

“Kraig is the most incredible marketing and sales professional turned recruiter I have ever met in my life. His intensity, thoroughness, and high regard for professionalism and accountability make him as charming as he is demanding :) Talk about a 24/7 type of guy!”

Trevor Shain

“I appreciated Kraig’s unique approach. He presented the company in a way that really piqued my curiosity but at the same time, made the whole thing feel very low commitment. He was genuinely enthusiastic about the client and extremely thoughtful. He seemed to understand my skill set and the type of value I could bring. He ran a smooth process and really did his homework which allowed us to explore fit without pressure. My time was respected and my interactions were high value. Companies would benefit from Bearhug that have a fairly unique need that may be difficult to match with backgrounds in the marketplace. Kraig is good at identifying what really matters to companies and creating a candidate profile from that - even when it differs a little from their initial thinking. The headhunting process can be awkward. Kraig made it as comfortable and smooth as possible. It’s easy to get a little lost in the back and forth or to skip steps but Kraig was an excellent facilitator.”

Anthony Atlas

“Man, now I really know what it means to be a "great recruiter. I'm afraid there is an impossible gap between Kraig and the rest. One of our investors asked me recently which recruiters we work with and I told him Bearhug is the best recruiting firm we've ever known. Kudos! It's so great that we work together!"

Dmitry Korolev

"The team and I were overworked, stressed and everyone was wearing too many hats prior to our being introduced to Kraig and Bearhug. We were introduced to Bearhug by one of our investors in exchange for them paying the fee plus giving equity. I had no idea how Kraig would work, what a relationship would look like, etc. This was our most important decision as a company, and I tried to go in with a clean slate. The experience was like a breath of fresh air. Kraig took the time to understand WHAT we did, and WHO we were looking for. I felt incredibly well supported. The most surprising part of the experience was how strategic the process was. I felt that Kraig really worked to try to help us execute on our plan, not his. This was our show, and he was here to help us. In the end, we hired a great CEO. Kraig is the guy to go to when you need someone to level-up your company. The service is amazing. It was a 10/10 experience.”

Josh Hailpern

“I have a list of over 55 recruiters and executive search firms that I have worked with in the past. None of them had the follow-up, professionalism, thoroughness, and enthusiasm to support a candidate like Kraig. He is the consummate professional.”

Richard DeFrancisco

“Kraig is one of the best startup recruiters I have met.”

Gaurav Manglik

“Kraig, after you reached out to me directly, it was your positive demeanor, you being very knowledgeable about the role, the company, and my skills and your confidence and self-assuredness that attracted me. You outlined your process and gave me best practices for evaluating recruiters right out of the gate. You offered value in the form of advice instead of asking for something right off the bat. Your approach was refreshing. I unexpectedly began to envision myself in the role. I could tell I was being probed not just for my skills, but my willingness & endurance to do the job. I knew exactly where I was in the process at all times. There was a great deal of transparency in all our communications. I’d made up my mind that I wanted this. I got concerned I might be in 2nd place, so I worked hard to push myself up in ranking by offering things of value. I accepted the offer with very little stress or hardball negotiating. I felt confident that I could bring a great deal of value and that this will be a lasting partnership. Kraig, your services should be used for hard to find and hard to place roles. The project we worked on together warranted calling in the professionals. Kind of like Harvey Keitel as Mr. Wolf in Pulp Fiction”

Nick Ezzo

*Listen to Nick on The Bearhug Experience podcast [here]

“Kraig came across as structured & methodical. It was clear that his process would ferret out candidates that we simply would not find through other means. And I knew that we had to cast a wide net. I was surprised by how structured and efficient his process was. The communication was good and we had transparency into what was happening through the Bearhug software portal. The backchannel communication with the candidate was extremely helpful. I felt like Kraig had built a particularly strong relationship with the candidate. Kraig found us a non obvious candidate, given that the conventional well was dry. I will endorse Kraig and Bearhug strongly and will act as a reference for your future prospects.”

Sriram Ramachandran

“Startups can create a great product, but when they’re ready to really start selling and need people who know how to take something to market, Kraig and Bearhug Recruiting are the right solution to find and evaluate that type of talent and help companies bridge that gap to successfully go to market. Kraig being willing to invest the time that he did to find and understand me and see I have something unique to offer his client was special. If it had been a more traditional search process, I’d not have been found."

James Duffy

“I was referred to Bearhug by our Lead Investor. I also blind referenced Kraig with people I trust and learnt that his approach suggested success is possible in a compressed time frame. I also liked Bearhug’s structured approach. It was important Kraig required heavy involvement from me; this showed there was a likelihood of success. The outcome and hiring window was solid. The process was solid, and I felt our needs were met effectively, through a tight window!”

Rohit Gupta

*Listen to Rohit on The Bearhug Experience podcast [here]

“Our monthly sales have grown ~3x since last year. We now have more than 50 customers with 50% target logo penetration (10 of the top 20 homebuilders in the US are our customers) and operations in more than 20 states. It wouldn't be possible without these key people Kraig helped us find in a very short time. Worth adding, our team freaking loved working with Kraig, and we will definitely seek his help again in the future. ”

Ivan Lvov

“Kraig showed the utmost urgency in putting me in front of a great opportunity, letting me evaluate the fit on my own, and highlighting gently where and why he saw a strong possibility. His ability to read me was impressive. He shared both positive and constructive observations which gave me the impression he was truly listening. His interview prep calls were thorough and very helpful. I'd recommend Bearhug to any high growth businesses that needs a seasoned recruiting professional to show them what is *and* is not realistic or possible to get from a candidate, especially when they're hiring unique roles for the first time, e.g. directors and above.”

Colin Parker

“When Kraig reached out, he was very professional and forthright. We had multiple calls about the role, prior to him sharing specifics about the actual company and finally being introduced to the CEO, which was a unique strategy. I felt like he always had mine as well as the company I was interviewing with best interests. Attention to details goes above and beyond any recruiter I have dealt with in the past. I have never worked with anyone that was so professional and as friendly at the same time. The opportunity was very professional and exciting as well. It just felt right. The process was consistent and professional from beginning to end. I was never left questioning any part of the process. My expectations and salary ask were exceeded, and I was provided with the equity to make me want to grow this company into something amazing, and that I can be proud of what we’ll accomplish together. I would definitely do it again with Kraig and team. It was a tremendous experience. Would definitely recommend Bearhug as a top tier recruiting firm. Kraig is a great asset.”

Terry Gren

“The fact that you wanted to sit down for a two-hour conversation about me and my career spoke volumes about your approach and commitment to your process. It was excellent and particularly satisfying because of the radical transparency, something you instituted throughout. Your ability to distill and polish a complex story is your superpower. Your process is phenomenal. I would be delighted to go through it all again in a heartbeat!”

Jon Kerry-Tyerman

“It's incredibly useful every time Kraig and I talk. He helps me reorient our approach to recruiting. The process he’s taught our team has worked really well. All the members of our Techstars Cohort who've seen what we've done have been super impressed. The process also got rave reviews from applicants, and we had over 50 people apply! Lots of them said the job description was the best they'd ever seen, and many of them said they enjoyed the application process as well. Thank you thank you for all your help!”

Paul Gambill

"Kraig reached out to me directly. I was skeptical because there is so much spam and scams out there these days. I checked out the website and was impressed. The messaging and content was several steps above what I normally see from "headhunters." As I dug into the website, it made sense and resonated. I decided to take the call based on what I saw there. Kraig was down-to-earth, empathetic and very thorough. That definitely caught my interest. I felt like Kraig was in my court, advocating for a good offer based on the terms we discussed at the onset while also communicating what he would recommend to get to a closed, negotiated deal and good outcome for all parties. Bearhug exceeded expectations and delivered on their promise. I recommend Bearhug to any VCs and PEs firms looking to take the talent in their portfolio companies to the next level. Investing in Bearhug to identify and hire great talent can significantly impact the outcomes of their companies and investments. Kraig goes above and beyond with both clients and candidates."

Matt Fox

“Kraig came across right away as a real leader, and I was very impressed by his transparency in communication. I’ve never had an experience quite like working with Kraig before. It was truly awesome. His process really does allow for the right fit candidate to get lined up with the best possible fit opportunity. Finding a recruiter like Kraig is going to be a very big challenge for a startup with all they have going on. He really stretched himself both during and after work hours (even doing a call at 1am) in order to make sure everything and everyone stayed aligned. Working with him was a true blessing!”

Pranay Dalal

"Kraig’s methods allowed me to immediately identify that there was something unique about the position/search that held clues on how to appropriately be recognized by NOT following the typical submission process."

Chris Callen

“We had to hire a unicorn person combining startup and industry experience as well as unique personal traits within a limited timeframe and a limited budget. I thought this will take a lot of time, if being possible at all. My colleague introduced us, as Kraig was already working to fill other roles for us. He was to provide us with the leads and help us market the job and negotiate with the candidates. Kraig was to more or less hired to be our hiring diplomat. It was great that Kraig’s process forced us to set expectations upfront, however, I knew it would change. I'm a big proponent of testing hypothesis, and luckily, the amount of time and effort Kraig put into this was unprecedented. Besides he is an external person, so I felt he's part of the team knowing the people and the situation in-depth. Startups at the growth stage, who are short-handed on time/resources, and who don't have the process and people in place, but more or less understand who they are seeking to hire and why, will be very successful with Kraig & Bearhug.”

Maria Khokhlova

*Listen to Maria on The Bearhug Experience podcast [here]

“I was in the unique position of having been recruited by Bearhug prior, so I knew exactly how effective Kraig could be at drawing someone away from a comfortable role to something entirely new and unproven. Having had firsthand experience with his uniquely personal, holistic, and empathetic approach to recruiting gave me total confidence to partner on this search. I was delighted to get to see the process from the other side, having access to all of the detailed profiles Kraig built for each candidate. We definitely were spoiled for candidates and the level of enthusiasm for each one was so high, it was sometimes hard to really triage/order them in any way. In the end we got our dream candidate! A long and circuitous journey, but kind of a miracle outcome under the circ*mstances. I would recommend Bearhug to anyone looking for exceptional talent that can form the founding team and backbone of a world-class organization. Bearhug is not for teams looking to go from 10-100 reps, but for organizations looking to go from 0-1, and then 1-5. Those first hires are too critical to leave to a run-of-the-mill recruiter.”

Jon Kerry-Tyerman

“Kraig, I've thought about our conversation and the honest, open collateral you have on your site a number of times since our conversations. I admire the way you're performing your craft. I'm always grateful to be connected with great people doing the hard things the right way.”

Joseph Gerlach

“I appreciated Kraig’s straightforward communication right off the bat. I also noticed that he was doing a lot more in depth screening before presenting me. He wasn’t just doing a 10-minute chat and then sending off my resume for the company to look at and decide if they wanted to talk to me. I respected that. It's not like the lazy manner in which most recruiters seem to work. I felt that Kraig was a valuable advisor and I appreciated the open, honest dialogue. He set me up for success through our open communication. Even when there was a temporary curve ball in the process and change in the opportunity, I felt that he was always working in the best interest of both his client and myself. He truly believed that our success would lead to his. This was easily the best recruitment experience I've ever had, as a candidate or hiring authority, and I was a recruiter for a couple of years. I'm very impressed with the thoughtfulness and vision in Bearhug’s processes. Kraig really "gets it". The overall experience was fantastic.”

Will Johnson

“Kraig, we are thrilled to formally finish the process. Congratulations on your helping us get an amazing new team member to our company!”

Vangelis Mihalopoulos

“The TLDR is Kraig is a N of 1 at what he does and any portco would be very lucky to work with him. From your lens, providing access to the Kraigs of the world to help with go-to-market hiring is value-add in its purest form.”

Ryan Alshak

“Kraig was very open and endearing. Seemed like a friend. Didn't rush into a pitch. It was a welcome change. This made me feel better out of the gate. Also found it surprising he was slow to disclose information on the opportunity. Made me want it more! It was a lot to juggle, but Kraig made me feel good every step of the way. I especially appreciated I could share salary expectations and work through those items with him to make sure I got a great offer that we wouldn't have to negotiate on. I loved that he kept me updated. Kraig delivered, far exceeding my expectations. In fact, the amount of time, attention and care Kraig put in... if this is how he treats every candidate, then everyone should work with him. I was truly blown away by this and how he made me feel like all of his time and attention were going into me. Trust Kraig with all of your money and positions!”

Chase Lawson

“Kraig's approach felt very different from a typical recruiter. He took a more targeted approach vs. the spray and pray style of most recruiters. That was a big factor in my entertaining the opportunity he brought me. Kraig was extremely well prepared and non intrusive with his questions. The transparency he provided for each step along the way was top tier. I knew exactly what to expect, exactly what was needed, and it made the entire process flow smoothly. And because we both knew what needed to happen to get me to make a move, it was an easy process. I would work with Kraig again any time and have told my other colleagues that are high value about him. I really appreciated someone working in recruiting the same way I approach selling day to day. It’s about finding solutions, not pushing a product or service.”

Alex Harrington

“Kraig, I want to commend you for being an excellent partner to our entrepreneurs and to PeakSpan. We really appreciate and value our relationship with you!”

Phil Dur

*Listen to Phil on The Bearhug Experience podcast [here]

“Kraig reached out via every available channel (email, social, text, and by calling me cold). Turns out he’d somehow gotten my name at the end of a call where he’d been doing a reference check on a previous hire for one of his projects. Quite the strategy! Life was very chaotic at the time not only because I was getting married at the time, but I had a lot going on at work as I was having my best quarter ever. I was really interested to learn how startups operate vs. my previous corporate positions. In the end my expectations were exceeded and it was well worth my time. I would do it again down the road in a heartbeat if/when appropriate. Kraig was very professional and his network is impressive. He really does take care of his placements and his model helped support me to eliminate my fear that this might be a waste of time or might not truly be a good fit for me. Luckily that wasn’t the case!”

Austin Lahr

“Kraig, I was only interested investing in this process with you because it's a really unique hiring process. I'm getting absolutely peppered daily by low level recruiters right now. These high transactional recruiters don't have a good process and don't give me confidence. However, the level of thouroughness that you're going through in the way you're working as a matchmaker is really impressive. I've hired hundreds of people and you know, from the hiring side, just countless numbers of these conversations. I really like the way you do it and I really liked the amount of thought you're putting into it. Even if I don't make it all the way through and get the offer, it'll be worth my investment because at another company I'll hire you to recruit for me.”

David Volat

“Kraig, you had great prep, attention to detail, supporting documentation, and delivered on all commitments. You absolutely exceeded my expectations. It was a totally different and superior recruiting experience relative to what I was used to. Kraig, you are changing the rules of the game. Getting to know you as a person - and learning together about the opportunity - was a surprise and a delight. You are super smart and will be a lifetime friend and colleague. Any high growth startup that is looking for key hires that meet very specific criteria need your services. They will be energized and surprised by the whole recruiting process which creates a very positive impression of the firms you are representing. The caliber of your process makes candidates want the companies you are representing.”

Walter Rowland

“Kraig, you happened to reach out to me at just the right time via phone, text, and by email. I was super impressed after our first conversation and was eager to learn more about the type of clients you worked with and the specific opportunity you had in mind. The way you presented the opportunity was really awesome. I knew you understood your client and their needs and really wanted me to know that this should work for both sides. I was surprised by how fast and smooth everything went. I really enjoyed the level of transparency and amount of detail that was discussed throughout. The end was the best part for me. There were some last minute changes to the way the team would ultimately be structured, and you made sure that this was going to work out well for everyone involved. My expectations were ultimately exceeded. While I really enjoyed the entire process, what stands out is that I now not only have a great opportunity, but I’ve also built a true relationship with a great recruiter. I recommend that any well funded startup looking for a Headhunter they can trust to work hard as a true extension of the exec team in the market should work with you and the team at Bearhug.”

Khurram Massey

“Kraig, when you reached out, you presented such a great opportunity. It was exciting to see that such a perfect fit job that I wanted was out there. I was impressed with how responsive you were. You really gained my trust by being so transparent. I was so impressed by the level of organization and the amount of thought that went into each stage of assessing me as a potential candidate. I felt like I was being taken care of and you were more often waiting on me rather than me waiting on you. In one word, the process was intense! I was juggling my current full time work and performing a full time job researching and preparing for the interviews, but you helped make it a smooth process. You helped me reflect on what the objectives were for this role and prepare for how to effectively discuss those topics. You really delivered. You were on top of ensuring that both parties were prepared for the final stages and would have aligned expectations going into the offer stage. I was satisfied with the assessment, interview, offer, and initial onboarding process. I feel that the time I gave to this process massively paid off. For clients who want an array of quality candidates that could fill a position with unique qualification sets, this system clearly works!.”

Joel Sherman

“Kraig, you put a real personal investment into our conversations. I wasn’t actively exploring other options, but felt it was a good opportunity to explore based on our initial conversations and your approach. I felt there was time and effort put into the outreach, and I could tell the message was different from the automated messages I get from all the other recruiters. I felt very supported and always got all of my questions answered. I appreciated the communication and coaching I received throughout each stage. I had a great experience, especially given that it was in the middle of much uncertainty with COVID-19 still having a major impact on business. I felt supported and encouraged and received the advice I needed to land the new role. I appreciate the time, effort, and attention I’ve received over the last few months and envision a successful, long-term relationship!”

Andrew Smith

“Kraig, I want to acknowledge that it’s extremely rare for a recruiter to pick up the phone and call me as a candidate! The whole process and messaging was spot on. I get 4-7 Inmails/emails from recruiters a week, and never bother responding. You had a unique approach. It felt more bespoke from the very first call. You took extra time to qualify me as well as qualify the type of opportunity I’d be interested in. The 'exercise' you assigned at the end of the first call intrigued me and made me want to commit to actually spending the time. You were authentic & honest. I started joking with my wife that your fee must be insane (intended as a compliment) because no recruiter is this thorough and this thoughtful. The extent of prodding, qualifying, & coaching was certainly something I was unaccustomed to and went way above what I expected. You operated less like a recruiter and more like an executive hiring coach for both myself and your client. I really can't over emphasize how unique this experience has been!”

Justin Hunt

“Kraig, as you know, we had to hire a unicorn person for the role you came in to help us with by combining both startup and industry experience as well as unique personal traits within a limited timeframe and a limited budget. I thought this would take a much longer period of time, and might prove to be impossible. When I entered into the process, you were already working to fill other roles for us and had proven you could provide us with the leads and help us market the job and negotiate with the candidates. Seeing as you were hired to be our hiring diplomat under some challenging conditions, it was great that your process forced us to set expectations upfront. I'm a big proponent of testing hypotheses, and luckily, the amount of time and effort you put into this was unprecedented. Besides being an external person, I felt you were truly part of the team knowing the people and the situation in-depth. I’ll advocate that startups at the early and growth stage use you when they are short-handed on time/resources, and who don't have the process and people in place, but understand who they are seeking to hire and why.”

Dmitry Krotkov

“Kraig, after you reached out via multiple channels – I realized that your messaging was completely outside the norm. I was actually somewhat caught off guard, because it was so targeted. I checked you out online which put my mind at ease realizing you were the real deal. I was extremely surprised by the amount of depth and detail you provided. It helped me go in feeling incredibly well prepared. You delivered and met expectations, despite some complications that were out of your control. My favorite part was just how different the whole thing was from anything I’ve ever experienced before. It was very supportive, and very informative. High level executives, and top tier managers need you!”

Josh Cummins