E332. Stop Settling: Hiring and Keeping A-Players in Your Small Business

Let me tell you the most expensive hire you’ll ever make—it’s not the one with the highest salary. It’s the wrong person you keep around too long. And if you think you can turn a C-player into an A-player with your already maxed-out schedule—you’re living in a Disney movie, not running a business.

Welcome, Pivoter! Today we’re talking about A-players—why your small business can’t afford not to hire them, how to attract them without corporate budgets, and why tolerating C-players is the fastest way to tank your team and your sanity.

April shares a story about a client whose new hire made a $100,000 mistake—and the hard truth that followed: leadership is not optional. If you want to scale, grow, and protect your bottom line, you must learn how to identify, nurture, and protect your A-players.

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🔑 Key Takeaways

• The Real Cost of C-Players: The wrong hire doesn’t just cost salary—it costs mistakes, morale, and momentum.

• Coach Up, Not Down: You’ll never turn a C-player into an A-player. Focus your time on developing high B-players into rockstars.

• The Peter Lesson: If you don’t have time to manage, hire someone who will—or you’ll pay tuition to the “School of Bad Hires.”

• Use Your Small-Biz Advantage: You can attract top talent by selling vision, growth, and impact—not just perks or paychecks.

• Culture Over Comfort: Protect your A-players by cutting the dead weight early. A slow “maybe” on a poor performer kills culture faster than a firing ever will.

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📌 Actionable Items

1. Audit Your Team: Identify who’s an A, a high B, and a C. Coach the Bs. Release the Cs.

2. Sell the Vision: In every job post and interview, clearly articulate your mission and how their work makes an impact.

3. Train Like They’re A-Players: Once you hire strong people, invest in them. They’re multipliers for your business.

4. Be Ruthlessly Selective: Don’t settle just to fill a seat. The wrong fit costs far more than the right hire’s paycheck.

5. Reward Results: Use flexible pay, autonomy, and recognition to keep A-players challenged and loyal.

You don’t need a Fortune 500 budget to hire A-players—you need clarity, courage, and standards. Small businesses that win big are the ones that protect their culture and refuse to tolerate mediocrity.

“You don’t need average players. You need A-players. Invest in your Bs, protect your As, and stop letting C-players sink your ship.”

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🔥 Step Into the Room with April Garcia This is your chance to secure a complimentary 20-minute strategy call with one of the most sought-after performance and business coaches. Bring your biggest challenge, and walk away with clarity, strategy, and next steps. Opportunities like this don’t come often. Claim your spot now before they disappear.

👉👉 Connect with April here:

Website: https://www.theaprilgarcia.com 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AprilGarciaPivotMe 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theAprilGarcia/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theaprilgarcia