April Edition: Glow Up or Fade Out
Let's break it down.
Creative Leaders & Hiring Managers
Job Seekers & Career Dreamers
Get Branded. Get the Job.
New Happenings!
You Can't Do My Job and Yours
Let's be clear: you want to make a do-or-die hire. But if you're trying to run your business and source, vet, prep, and land top creative talent? Then tell me—who's doing your job while you're doing mine?
“If you want your recruiter available on a Friday night when your CEO finally greenlights the offer, they need skin in the game.
That means retained. That means exclusive. Creatively structured? Sure. But committed? Absolutely.” - Keva
Here's what we're seeing:
Skeleton teams are trying to cover full pipelines
Founders are stalling hiring decisions
Markets are shifting rapidly
Ghosted candidates are damaging your brand
Misaligned hiring panels are causing chaos
The Recruiter Advantage
We do this all day, every day:
Audit portfolios (we know the difference between a pretty picture and a hot take.)
Decode the business impact of a creative hire.
Prep talent to clearly address your company's needs.
Monitor candidates at every stage to ensure alignment.
And when clients say, “I don't know what I'm looking at,” we walk them through a process:
What did this candidate actually touch?
Who else was involved?
What was the problem?
What was the solution?
How many projects did they ship in a quarter?
But, we don't stop there—we seek the true answers to these questions.
“Ask better questions. Understand the answers. Hire better talent.” - Keva
Action Step:
If you want your recruiter to act like a partner, treat them like one. Don't just send over a request and hope for the best. Let them in early. Engage them properly. Retain them. Then step back and let the magic happen.
SAVE YOUR BRAND HIRE GREAT TALENT
Don't Wing It. Don't Go Rogue.
Let's talk about the email that cost a candidate the job.
Prepped. Coached. Supported by my team. But when it came time to follow through? He skipped the strategy and emailed our client directly. No alignment. No feedback loop. Just - blast.
The result?
Clients were offended
My team was sidelined
The email missed the mark
He lost the offer
“We're your BFF Recruiters. But if you wing the process, we can't help you win.” - Keva
The DM Disaster (And How To Fix It)
I get over 200 DMs a day and 500+ emails.
The sad truth: Most are vague, unclear, and honestly? A waste of time. Here's how to do it better (and it doesn't take much time):
Bad DM:
"Hey Keva, I'm on the market."
Better:
“Saw your post [link it] about the CD role at [Company]. [Name] (former Director, LinkedIn: [insert link]) shared your name.
I'm an LA-based design lead with fintech experience. I just wrapped a campaign that boosted conversions by 38%. I am looking for a freelance contract or full-time in the $___ range. Open to hybrid, remote, or travel. Portfolio: [link] (pw: keva) Resume & PDF attached.” – Full name, Title, email, cell
Winning formula:
Context: Show you're paying attention
Clarity: Under 400 characters
Relevance: Link me directly to your wins
Respect: Make it skimmable
Style: Add personality. Stop me from clicking away
“If your DM shows you can communicate, I already know you would be an asset to my clients.” - Keva
Action Step:
Pitch like a pro. Respect the playbook. And for the love of jobs, stop winging your follow-up.
Your LinkedIn Is Your First Impression. Make It Count.
Let's talk presence. If you're sending connection requests with zero mutuals and an empty profile? That's a hard no.
“One recruiter I know won't even look at a request unless you have 100+ mutuals. LinkedIn caps us at 30K. We're prioritizing people who are active, intentional, and relevant today.” – Keva Dine
I'm literally running a disconnection campaign so I can make room for people doing the work now. Your digital presence matters. Your network matters. And if your LinkedIn still looks like a résumé from 2014? It's working against you.
The Branding Gap
Great jobs are competitive. And tech, AI, hiring priorities - they're all evolving fast.
Candidates who:
Update their social and portfolio sites
Refine their LinkedIn profiles
Get leadership coaching
Embrace new platforms
…are getting hired.
Those who don't? Getting ghosted.
“Remember when we moved from print to digital? Same shift. Different decade.” - Keva Dine
Action Step:
Brand yourself like the opportunity you want is watching - because it is.
Book a LinkedIn Tune-Up. Subscribe to the Leadership Incubator list. Get visible, and get serious.