Six Direct Hires in Under 3 Weeks: EU & LATAM Team Built for Chicago eCom Email Agency

Snapshot:

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

‍Roles Hired: 3 Account Managers, 2 Email Designers, Copywriter — sourced from Europe & LATAM

‍Objective: Build a full delivery pod (AM + Design + Copy) to remove founder from day-to-day comms and production, without US payroll bloat.

‍Outcome: Six direct hires placed in under 3 weeks each; founder exits the daily delivery loop; margin protected with mid-market comp.

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The Problem:

Dahaus Digital was scaling fast, but client updates, Klaviyo briefs, and design QA still flowed through the founder. Local Chicago hires threatened the margin; freelancers added inconsistency and churn.

The mandate: assemble a permanent, full-time pod (AMs + Designers + Copy) that could own outcomes, communicate cleanly, and work US-aligned hours.

The Strategy:

Zabota ran the Direct-Hire Sprint:

1. Role & Pod Definition – We mapped the delivery conveyor: 3x AM coverage for client comms and pacing; 2x Designers for brand-consistent Klaviyo creative; 1x Copywriter to own briefs, and iterations..
   
   
2. Geo Targeting (EU + LATAM) – We sourced in time-zone–aligned markets with strong English and operator-level experience, optimizing for $2–3.5k/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 Hire:

Regions: Europe & LATAM
Roles:

• Account Manager 
• Email Designer 
• Account Manager 
• Email Designer
• Copywriter
• Account Manager 

Time-to-Hire: Less than 3 weeks each

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

Results:

Payroll Efficiency: $270,000/year saved vs. equivalent US pod, while maintaining US-grade communication and output (that’s the mid-market value: capability at operator rates).

Founder Leverage: Founder steps out of daily comms, brief orchestration, and QA; time reinvested into sales and partnerships.

Creative Throughput: Two Email Designers + one Copywriter increased campaign capacity 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.