Adapting Corporate Hiring Practices To Your Small Business With Cayla Gray Founder, Kelly Kussman

Going from a corporate background in hiring experts and building teams to launching your own small business has its advantages, but there’s always more to learn when you’re starting from the ground floor. Nobody knows this better than today’s guest, Kelly Kussman, the founder of Cayla Gray, a luxury perfume and candle company. Kelly went from having endless HR support at PetSmart to now navigating the world of contractors, freelancers, and virtual assistants on her own. Luckily, she has solid interviewing skills and has been able to adapt her hiring practices to find the perfect candidates. 

We discuss how her priorities have changed now that she’s a small business owner, what her go-to interview questions are, and the number one trait that she looks for in a candidate, regardless of what the role is. Kelly shares her top team building tips for other solopreneurs and explains why it’s important to start with generalists at the beginning of your hiring journey. 

IN THIS EPISODE, I TALK ABOUT:

• What inspired Kelly to take the leap and go all-in on Cayla Gray 
• The lack of interview training across industries 
• Who Kelly’s first hires were and who she’s brought on as the business has grown 
• The importance of weaving in projects or activities during the interview process
• Kelly’s favorite question to ask during an interview 
• Where Kelly goes to find candidates 

CONNECT WITH KELLY

• Follow Kelly: @kelly_ward_kussman 
• Follow Cayla Gray:@caylagrayco 
• Shop Cayla Gray: caylagray.com 

CONNECT WITH JACKIE

Follow People Principles: @peopleprinciples

Let’s TikTok: @peopleprinciples

Learn more: peopleprinciples.co