Founder at Bright Link Talent | Connecting Top Talent with High-Growth Startups

Scaling a team shouldn’t feel like a guessing game, but for many founders and hiring managers, it does.

Here’s what I see all the time:

➔ Companies scrambling to fill GTM roles but losing time (and revenue) to endless hiring cycles.
➔ Founders frustrated by the lack of alignment between their mission and the candidates they meet.
➔ Hiring managers overwhelmed by sourcing, screening, and trying to find talent that truly fits.

Without the right support, building a high-performing team can feel like an impossible task.

Recently, a founder reached out:

“We need to hire a Sales Director and a Head of Customer Success, but I don’t have the bandwidth to manage it. Every delay means we’re leaving money on the table, and I just need someone who can make it happen.”

It’s a common story. Leaders want to scale fast but get stuck in the bottleneck of finding the right people.

With over 10 years of experience in the industry, my approach cuts through the noise, prioritizing long-term relationships and a collaborative effort to match the right candidates with the right opportunities.

We specialize in:

➔ Delivering top GTM talent fast—often within days.
➔ Managing the hiring process end-to-end so you can stay focused on growth.
➔ Building revenue-generating teams that align with your mission and drive results.

I’ve helped founders and hiring managers at high-growth tech startups hire for roles like:

➔ Sales Leadership
➔ Marketing Strategy
➔ Customer Success Management
➔ Operations and Revenue Enablement

At Bright Link Talent, we don’t just fill roles; we build the teams that scale companies.

If you’re ready to stop searching and start growing, let’s talk.

👉 Message me “HIRE” or email me at stephanie@brightlinktalent.com

Stephanie Loewenstern

I’ve been on LinkedIn for over a decade.
 
With 20,000+ of you here now, a birthday, a new year, and seven years in business, it felt like the right time to reintroduce myself.
 
I’m Stephanie.
 
I run a recruiting firm focused on go-to-market hiring for scaling tech companies and support job seekers with strategy.
 
Here’s a short version of how I got here:
 
2012: Graduated from Florida State University.
 
2013: Moved to New York City. Entered a competitive publishing program. Worked at Time Inc. Quit, moved back to Florida, and found my way into recruiting.
 
2016–2017: Got sober. Moved back to NYC. Focused on rebuilding my life and career.
 
2019: Launched my recruiting business at 29. Had no idea what I was doing.
 
2020: Moved back to Miami. Turned down a life-changing job offer from a well-known Wall Street player to stay on my own path. His ex-wife became my therapist three years later.
 
2021–2022: The business grew 4x. I made the most money I’d ever made. Got engaged, married, and pregnant.
 
2023: Single mom. Newly postpartum. Sustained the business through one of the darkest years of my life.
 
2024: Rebuilt my health, my nervous system, my sleep, and my standards. Went quiet and did the work.
 
2025: Lost 80+ pounds since birth. Finally saw the results of deep healing work. Got clear on who I want to work with and who I want to support.
 
Here are a few takeaways I’m carrying into 2026:
 
- Not everyone is going to like you, so stop people-pleasing and go after what you want anyway.
 
- Integrity is what you do when no one’s watching.
 
- Everything you see online is a highlight reel.
 
- A peaceful nervous system is success.
 
 - And the best revenge is living well.
 
PS: Thank you for all the birthday wishes!

We Build Revenue Teams So You Don’t Lose Pipeline, Time, or Talent | GTM Hiring Partner for B2B SaaS

Last month, we placed a candidate in under 10 days.

That same week, another company lost that exact profile.

The difference had nothing to do with comp.

Here’s the real story...

The candidate was a senior GTM hire.

Employed, in demand, a clear fit, and a strong interview.

Company A:

- First interview on Monday 
- Second interview two days later 
- Clear timeline from the start 
- Weekly check-ins, even when nothing changed 
- Offer out in 9 days

 Company B:

- Loved the candidate “in theory” 
-  Took 6 days to schedule interview two 
- Needed “one more internal alignment call” 
- Went silent after the panel 
-  Circled back after the candidate accepted elsewhere

Same candidate. Same market. Same expectations.

Here’s what leaders miss:

When a candidate disengages, it’s rarely emotional.
It’s data.

They’re reading your process as a preview of:
 
-  How decisions actually get made 
- How aligned leadership really is
- Whether urgency exists once they’re inside

By the time a team says, “Are they still interested?”
The answer is usually NO.

And I don’t blame them.

The fastest way to lose a great candidate isn’t comp.
It’s indecision and thinking you’re special.

I heard this interview question from Dan Martell  recently, and it blew my mind.

It’s a five-plus-year question.
And it’s not what you think.

He asks candidates:

“Five years from now, you wake up, wave a magic wand, and you’re living your dream life.
We’re not working together, so take that off the table.”

Then he asks them to describe it.

Where are you living?

Who are you working with?

How much are you making?

What does your day actually look like?

Tell me everything.

Most of the time in business, people are focused on SOPs and execution…
and yes, that matters.

But what we often miss
is the heart of what drives someone
to do their best work once they’re inside the organization.

When you understand a person’s personal vision…
and how it connects to your mission…

You don’t have to force performance.
You unlock it.

Not because they checked every box.

But because the direction of their life matched where the company was going.

When you understand what someone wants out of their life, you don’t have to squeeze performance out of them.

You get their best work.

What’s the best interview question you’ve ever asked or been asked?

The most common interview question is also the most misunderstood.

“Tell me about yourself” isn’t your life story.
It’s how you position yourself in the first 60 seconds.

A simple framework:
Past. Present. Future.

Comment “script” if you want an example.

Your income is capped.
Your opportunities are limited.

You have the skills, knowledge, and experience.
The issue isn’t your value.

It’s whether that value is being translated into sustainable income.

This webinar is for professionals, creators, and entrepreneurs who feel stuck despite having real expertise and want a clear path forward.

In this session, we’ll cover:

• Why talent and experience alone no longer guarantee growth
• The most common reasons people stay financially stuck
• How to identify what your audience will actually pay for
• Simple ways to package and monetize your expertise
• The mindset shifts required to move from potential to profit
• Practical paths to create income without burning out
• How to move from confusion to consistent action

Whether you’re just starting to explore monetization or ready to break through your current ceiling, this session will help you decide your next move with intention.

Join Gabby Rosely, Morgan Davis, PMP, PROSCI, MBA, Bryan McDonald, and myself, hosted by Graphy Inc., for an honest, practical conversation focused on moving forward and not staying stuck.

Stephanie Loewenstern and 10 other attendees

Founder at Coterie | Hampton | Ex: Chief, ClassPass, Goldman Sachs

Before joining Rosedale AI, I founded Coterie, an executive and engineering talent agency rooted in the belief that the foundation of every successful company is its people. Prior to that, I led talent functions at high-growth organizations: I was Head of Global Talent Acquisition at Trust Machines (a $150M Series A company) and Head of Talent Acquisition at Chief (🦄). Over more than a decade, I’ve built engineering teams for multi-billion-dollar companies including Goldman Sachs, ClassPass, and others.

Olga Etkina

I genuinely believe that connecting good people with good people is what life is all about. Very happy this worked out. 🤍

Founder | Ex: Chief, ClassPass, Goldman Sachs

Co-Founder & CEO at Goodword | ex-Bain, Chief, LOLA

How do you find a job in 2026?

How do you find great people?

Through your network. Even the parts of it you haven't touched in 17 years.

Lindsey Lane and I went to high school together. We were two years apart, so we didn't really know each other. 

Almost 2 decades later, Lindsey sent a cold email to roles@goodword.com for a customer success role that was way below her experience level. 

She heard me speak at the Women of Customer Success summit. She wanted to be part of a mission that spoke to her.

But in a sea of resumes, I never saw it.

Then I got a text from Olga Etkina, someone I worked with at Chief in the earliest days. She said:

"Lindsey is a gem. 10/10 human and so funny. Also very, very smart."

I immediately dug up Lindsey's resume. 

Within days, we were on the phone. The next week, she was in our office.

Now Lindsey is our fractional CX advisor, helping us serve Goodword's customers and bring our vision to life.

The person I barely knew in high school. Connected through someone I worked with years ago. Now building something meaningful together.

Lindsey, almost 20 years later, I'm glad to call you a partner in this mission. Thanks for finding your warm intro.

And to everyone else: the people you knew long ago are worth reconnecting with. 

Your network is deeper than you think.

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The Battle

Stephanie Loewenstern

Olga Etkina

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Stephanie Loewenstern's LinkedIn Performance

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