The UpFlip Podcast · 2026-06-22 · 24 min
Brian Samson knows a harsh truth about the current American economy: if you run a service business right now, the math is brutal. Labor is incredibly expensive, turnover is high, and finding reliable operators can feel like a full-time job. But Brian has a cheat code. After years of running talent acquisition for hyper-growth, VC-funded tech startups in Silicon Valley, Brian took his high-level recruiting playbook and applied it to a local locksmith and cleaning company in Hawaii. The result? He completely revolutionized his hiring process by tapping into the nearshore talent pool in Latin America. Today, Brian runs Plug Tech - a nearshore staffing agency pushing $8M in ARR - and he is pulling back the curtain on how small business owners can leverage global talent to generate massive ROI. If you are struggling to scale because you are drowning in admin work, scheduling, or operations, this episode will completely rewrite how you think about building your team. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The VA vs. EA Paradigm Shift: Why you should stop hiring Virtual Assistants to do simple "tasks" and start hiring nearshore Executive Assistants who anticipate problems and drive strategy.
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