Episode 039. The High-Performance Hiring Method Every Agency Owner Needs with Natasha Golinksky
If you’ve ever hired someone you thought was “the one,” only to watch your team unravel behind the scenes, this episode will feel like a deep exhale. Today, we’re sitting down with Natasha Golinksky, the powerhouse founder behind On Purpose Projects, to talk about the part of agency ownership that most founders quietly struggle with: building a reliable team you can actually trust.
Natasha is known for her non-bullshit, radically practical approach to leadership — the kind that comes from a decade of running a full-stack development agency, managing a 100% contractor team across time zones, and surviving real life: divorce, single-income seasons, motherhood, and a breast cancer diagnosis that changed everything. She’s lived the founder reality that so many women-owned agencies face but rarely talk about out loud: the exhaustion, the pressure to hold everything together, and the fear of letting go of control when the business depends on you.
In this conversation, she walks us through the exact hiring and team-building method that has given her something almost unheard of in agency life: ten years with zero turnover — not one contractor has ever quit. It’s not luck. It’s not magic. It’s not “manifesting the right people.” It’s a system. A sharp one.
Hiring Like a Sniper Instead of Like a Shopper
Natasha breaks down why most agency owners hire backwards, leading with chemistry and then hoping the skillset fits. Instead, she flips the process completely:
start with the hard skills
layer in the soft skills
evaluate professionalism and communication
then and only then move into culture fit
Her process is refreshingly cut-and-dry. We’re talking secret ice-cream questions buried in job posts to test attention to detail, strict time-zone qualifications, rate evaluation to filter out both underpriced and over-inflated candidates, and a clean “sniper-style” mentality: Know exactly what you want. Don’t settle. Don’t rush. Don’t compromise.
She also shares her “three-strike accountability system,” designed to build a high-performance culture even across a fully remote, introverted team. This isn’t about being harsh, it’s about being clear, which is something so many of us skip. As she says, “You can’t hold someone accountable to an expectation you never actually set.”
Building Around Your Strengths, Not the Internet’s Idea of a Founder
One of our favorite mic-drop moments from this episode is Natasha’s permission slip to stop trying to become the founder the online world tells you to be. Your first hire doesn’t have to be a VA. You don’t have to run marketing if you hate it. You don’t have to follow the same org chart someone on Instagram swears is the only correct way.
“Build around you,” she says. “Hire for your weaknesses so you can stay in your strengths.”
It’s simple. It’s brilliant. And it’s dramatically under-discussed.
Letting Go When Life Forces You To
Natasha also shares the deeply personal story of how her breast cancer diagnosis forced her to finally hire the second-in-command she had resisted for years. She opens up about taking out a bank loan in the middle of treatment, onboarding her dream project manager while recovering from surgery, and learning to give up control; not because she wanted to, but because she had to.
And the result? She’s now completely out of client work… and more free, more empowered, and more energized than she’s ever been.
This episode is a masterclass in building a resilient agency team, but it’s also a lesson in leadership: the kind that honors your humanity, your capacity, and the season you’re in.
If you’ve been craving clarity, confidence, and a real plan for hiring people who actually make your business stronger (not heavier) you’re going to feel seen. And equipped. And maybe even a little transformed, darling.
You can get Natasha’s complete hiring system and learn how to find, interview, hire (and fire) virtual contractors like a pro at https://onpurposeprojects.gumroad.com/l/virtualcontractorsgameplan
(00:00:00) The Real Challenge of Building a High-Performance Team
Why the “people part” of agency life is often the hardest
The surprising traits that make Natasha’s system so effective
A peek into what makes On Purpose Projects uniquely positioned in the agency world
(00:05:18) Natasha’s Hiring Method: From 100 Applicants to the Perfect Fit
Why capability comes first—and chemistry never leads the process
How Natasha filters for rates, professionalism, time zones, and communication
The second-round technical review that protects her team from costly mis-hires
Why paying fairly leads to retention, stability, and high-performance teams
(00:22:42) Filtering for the Right People and Setting Expectations That Actually Work
The interview questions Natasha uses to uncover motives, goals, and long-term fit
Why clear expectations must come before accountability
Inside Natasha’s three-strike system — and why it eliminates conflict before it starts
(00:31:40) How To Set Expectations When Your Processes Aren’t Perfect (Yet)
Why clarity doesn’t require a fully built SOP (and where to lean on community)
How crowdsourcing expertise can fill gaps while you’re still refining your workflow
Why culture fit depends on your team’s personality — not a universal standard
(00:37:12) The Two Non-Negotiables Every New Agency Owner Needs in Place
Why you should build your team around your strengths—not someone else’s formula
How to identify the weaknesses you should outsource first (and stop wasting energy on)
How founders can avoid burnout by hiring for the roles that drain them most
(00:41:20) Stepping Out of the Doer Role and What It Really Takes to Let Go
Why replacing yourself requires a life event (or a brutally honest reality check)
The emotional rollercoaster of hiring your first high-level operator
Why sustainable growth demands uncomfortable delegation, clarity, and a ruthless look at how you spend your time
(00:50:56) Finding Your Number Two: Letting Them Lead and Loving the Result
The traits that matter most when hiring someone to replace your “doer” role
Why your #2 should complement you—not clone you
How to release control when they update your systems (even when it gives you hives)
Why your team can thrive under a different leadership style than your own
This episode is brought to you by:
Copper | Get 15% off any annual plan with code DARLINGS at https://copper.com/agency
