5 Direct Hires in Under 3 Weeks: LATAM & UK Team Built for Bolt Ads & 203 Media

Snapshot:

Business: Viral Street Interview & Performance Ad Creative Agency (Bolt Ads & 203 Media)

‍Roles Hired: 2x Creative Strategists, UGC Video Editor, Talent Manager, Ad Creative Designer – sourced from LATAM & UK

‍Objective: Build a full creative production pod (Creative Strategy + Design + Talent + Editing)

‍Outcome: 5 direct hires placed in under 3 weeks each; enabled Bolt Ads & 203 Media to scale production capacity for enterprise-level clients

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The Problem:

Bolt Ads and 203 Media had already established themselves as industry leaders – featured in the Wall Street Journal and executing high-profile campaigns like the Whop On the Street series for Whop (a $1.5 billion payment processor).

But scaling to meet enterprise client demand required more than great work. It required production infrastructure that could handle the volume & highest quality of work.

The mandate: assemble a permanent, full-time pod (Creative Strats + Designer + Editor + Talent Manager) that could own outcomes, execute at viral-content speed, and work US-aligned hours.

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The Strategy:

Zabota ran the Direct-Hire Sprint:

1. Role & Pod Definition – We mapped the creative production conveyor: 2x Creative Strategists for concept development and performance hooks; Designer for scroll-stopping ad creative; Video Editor for rapid UGC turnaround; Talent Manager to coordinate street interview talent and logistics.
   
   
2. Geo Targeting (UK + LATAM) – We sourced for strong English, proven viral content experience, and operator-level ownership.
   
   
3. Signal-Based Vetting – Beyond resumes: async clarity tests, ownership markers, portfolio proof-of-work. Only A-player finalists hit the founder's calendar.
   
   
4. Direct Hire, Zero Markup – Bolt Ads & 203 Media hired directly (no payroll middleman), backed by our 90-day free replacement guarantee.

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The Hires:

Regions: UK & LATAM
Roles:

• Creative Strategist – LATAM
• Creative Strategist – LATAM
• Ad Creative Designer  – UK
• Talent Manager – LATAM
• UGC Video Editor – LATAM

Time-to-Hire: Less than 3 weeks each

‍Model: Full-time, direct hire; no ongoing % of wages.

Results:

Payroll Efficiency: $250,000/year saved vs. equivalent US pod, while maintaining US-grade creative output and viral content velocity (that's the mid-market value: capability at operator rates).

Quality & Speed: Same-day creative iterations, cleaner talent workflows, and faster concept-to-publish cycles driven by clearer ownership.

System Installed: A repeatable direct-hire track (targeted sourcing → structured vetting → shortlist → plug-in onboarding) now used to scale additional roles as both agencies grow.

Why It Works

At Zabota, we place mid-market operators, not VAs, not overpriced local hires.

By sourcing in LATAM & UK and hiring direct, founders get senior, production-ready talent at sustainable comp. The result: capability, culture, and profit.