4 Key Hires from LATAM for E-commerce Email Agency (Saved $220k/Year)

Snapshot:

Business: E-commerce Email Marketing (Ryo Agency)
Roles Hired: 2x Account Managers, 2x Email Designers — sourced from LATAM
Objective: Scale client capacity and email production without hiring bottlenecks or platform markups
Outcome: 4x direct hires placed in under 30 days; agency positioned for growth

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The Problem:

Ryo Agency was scaling fast in the e-commerce email marketing space, but hiring became the bottleneck. Their previous staffing partner charged 40% markups on every hire. It took 2+ rounds just to find one candidate. Contract lock-ins prevented flexibility.

Drew Pfundstein, Co-Founder at Ryo Agency, was stuck: either pay inflated fees for mediocre talent, or spend weeks sourcing and vetting alone. Local U.S. hires at $60K–$80K per role would compress margins fast.

The goal: find 4x permanent, Klaviyo-fluent, timezone-aligned specialists: two Account Managers and two Email Designers, without platform markups or contract handcuffs.

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The Strategy:

Zabota ran the Direct-Hire Sprint:

1. Role & Team Pod Definition – We mapped the agency's needs: 2x Account Managers to own client communication, strategy calls, and retention; 2x Email Designers to increase campaign output, design quality, and execution speed across Klaviyo workflows.
2. Geo Targeting (LATAM) – We sourced for strong English fluency, proven e-commerce and email marketing experience, Klaviyo proficiency, and U.S. time-zone overlap.
3. Signal-Based Vetting – Beyond resumes: portfolio reviews for designers, client communication simulations for account managers, Klaviyo technical assessments, async work samples, and ownership signal testing through scenario responses.
4. Direct Hire, Zero Markup – Ryo Agency hired all 4x specialists directly onto their payroll (no recurring platform fees, no buyout clauses, no percentage of wages), backed by our 90-day free replacement guarantee per hire.

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The Hires:

Region: LATAM
Roles: 2x Account Managers, 2x Email Designers
Time-to-Hire: Less than 4 weeks (all 4 roles filled)
Model: Full-time, direct hires; no ongoing percentage of wages or platform fees

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Results:

Payroll Efficiency: $220,000/year saved vs. equivalent U.S. hires or previous staffing partner's markup model, while maintaining professional-grade communication and e-commerce execution standards.

Client Capacity Expanded: Account Managers took ownership of client relationships and retention. Designers increased email output and campaign velocity. The agency could take on more clients.

Founder Leverage: Josh stepped out of day-to-day client communication and design review. Time reinvested into business development, strategic partnerships, and scaling agency operations.

Why It Works:

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

By sourcing in LATAM and hiring direct, e-commerce agencies get senior, Klaviyo-fluent account managers and designers at sustainable compensation, with no platform fees eating into margins.