#77 How to Hire Right (Most Founders Get This WRONG) | Maddie Thompson

At 13, Maddie Thompson cold-messaged 150 fashion brands, got one reply, flew to Calgary with her mom, and spent three years having her designs manufactured and sold in stores before she could drive. That same willingness to do the obvious thing everyone else overthinks is exactly how she scaled Mad Social Agency to 30 people and 120 clients in six years with no degree, no investors, and no roadmap. Learn what Wharton Business School will never teach you!  Sign up for the ANTI-MBA today: https://bit.ly/46vct60 Click here to order your personalized poster!: https://bit.ly/46J08MS Connect with Maddie Thompson Website: https://bit.ly/3RZzzOB YouTube: https://bit.ly/4dWgNiC Instagram: https://bit.ly/4uQ4HyO Facebook: https://bit.ly/4uF6G8V TikTok: https://bit.ly/4ua4Zz8 LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4u7U60I Timestamps 00:00 ​Intro of Show 01:30 - Always an entrepreneur 03:07 - Getting a fashion internship at 13 04:25 - From architecture school to social media 05:03 - Hiring friends: The biggest mistake 07:33 - Work-life balance vs. integration 09:14 - Co-authoring a book with an 18-year-old 10:01 - What she looks for when hiring 11:41 - Curiosity and humility on the team 13:41 - 30 people, 120 clients in 6 years 13:57 - How they get new clients 15:16 - Firing the bottom 10% of customers 16:24 - Long-term vision for the agency 18:28 - How she thinks about equity 19:52 - Employees first, company second 21:57 - Deflect credit, absorb blame 23:42 - Fire fast: No exceptions 24:22 - How she handles underperformers 25:30 - The biggest limiting factor to growth 26:52 - Mad Academy: How they train new hires 28:05 - No business background: Self-taught 28:40 - Working with her boyfriend 31:39 - Kids vs. business: Honest take 33:16 - Where the drive came from 34:08 - Soccer, rugby, and being competitive 34:51 - Hobbies outside of work 35:51 - How AI runs their entire operation 37:54 - Was she a good student? 38:55 - Next 12-18 months: Laser focus 40:16 - Where to find Maddie Thompson Watch the “David Guttman Podcast” every Tuesday at 8 AM EST on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ZGK2yv Connect with David Guttman Website: https://bit.ly/4jclYvK Instagram: https://bit.ly/4iARMe9 TikTok: https://bit.ly/3P19NVm Facebook: https://bit.ly/49CQjQx X: https://bit.ly/4gH28aR LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Bx7Tc2 SUBSCRIBE TO: https://www.youtube.com/@RealDaveGuttman Download the “David Guttman Podcast” on all your favorite podcast platforms: Spotify: ​​https://spoti.fi/3VE3fzV Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3VLzm0v