Hiring your first employee is one of the biggest leaps you'll take as a business owner, and most people don't talk openly about what it actually involves. In this episode, Brian Thompson sits down with his operations manager Jesica Berger to share the hiring strategies that shaped their journey, from both sides of the table.

Brian and Jesica worked together for nearly seven years before Brian launched his own financial planning firm. When the time came to bring on his first hire, the foundation of trust they had built over almost two decades made all the difference. In this honest conversation, they break down which hiring strategies actually worked, what was harder than expected, and what any entrepreneur can take away before making their first hire.

• Why trust is the most important hiring strategy for a successful first employee relationship

• How to structure meetings, check-ins, and communication with a new team member

• What hiring strategies to use when you don't have a decades-long friendship to draw from

• What the transition from contractor to full-time employee actually looks like

• How to stay grounded when the future feels uncertain

Whether you're thinking about your first hire or you're already in the thick of building a team, this conversation is full of real, honest insight from both the employer and the employee perspective. If you're looking for hiring strategies that go beyond standard interview advice, this episode is for you.

• Connect with Jesica Berger: LinkedIn

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• Follow & review the podcast: on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

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Brian Thompson, JD/CFP®, is a tax attorney and Certified Financial Planner® who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit.

On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.