How Dahaus Digital Saved $1.1M/Year Building a 26-Person Global Email Team

Snapshot:

Business: E-com Email Marketing Agency (Dahaus Digital, Chicago)

Roles Hired: 11 Account Managers, 8 Email Designers, 6 Copywriters, 1 SDR — sourced from Europe & LATAM

‍Objective: Build a complete global delivery infrastructure (AM + Design + Copy) to scale enterprise eCom client capacity without U.S. payroll bloat

Outcome: 26 direct hires placed in under 3 weeks each; enabled Dahaus Digital to scale multi-brand account management and creative production

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The Problem:

Dahaus Digital had already established itself as a leading eCom email retention agency, driving 7-figure revenue for DTC brands.

But scaling to serve 20+ brands simultaneously required delivery infrastructure, not just systems. Chicago hires at $60K–$80K per role would compress margins. Freelancers couldn't deliver enterprise-grade consistency.

The goal: build a 26-person global delivery team (11 AMs + 8 Designers + 6 Copywriters + 1 SDR) that could manage multi-brand portfolios and work US-aligned hours.

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The Strategy:

Zabota ran the Direct-Hire Sprint:

1. Role & Pod Definition – We mapped the delivery conveyor: 11x AM coverage for client comms and pacing; 8x Designers for brand-consistent Klaviyo creative; 6x Copywriters to own briefs and iterations; 1x SDR to support outbound and pipeline generation.
   
   
2. Geo Targeting (EU + LATAM) – We sourced in time-zone–aligned markets with strong English and operator-level experience, optimizing for $2-4k/mo proven talent.
   
   
3. Signal-Based Vetting – Beyond resumes: async clarity, ownership markers, proof-of-work and scenario tests; only A-player finalists hit the founder’s calendar.
   
   
4. Direct Hire, Zero Markup – Dahaus hired directly (no payroll middleman), backed by our 90-day free replacement guarantee.

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The Hires:

Regions: Europe & LATAM
Roles:

• 11x Account Managers ($3,500–$4,500/month)
• 8x Email Designers ($2,500/month)
• 6x Copywriters ($2,500/month)
• 1x SDR

Time-to-Hire: Less than 3 weeks each

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

Results:

Payroll Efficiency: $1,100,000/year saved vs. equivalent US team, while maintaining US-grade communication and output (that's the mid-market value: capability at operator rates).

Founder Leverage: 11x Account Managers enable simultaneous management of 40+ enterprise eCom brands.

Creative Throughput: 8x Email Designers + 6x Copywriters increased campaign capacity significantly without adding management overhead.

Quality & Speed: Same-day client responses, cleaner weekly reporting, and faster brief-to-send 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 pods as the pipeline grows.

Why It Works:

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

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