VCM ON BUILDING A TEAM

One of the biggest lessons I've learned about building a team is that culture is everything.

At VCREATIVE Miami, we're a creative agency specializing in brand design, content production, and social media marketing. We're a small but mighty team, and we're incredibly intentional about the culture we're building. We value creativity, reliability, initiative, communication, and intentionality. We take pride in our work, support one another, and believe the best results come from working with the right people.

But of course, it took time to get here.

A few years ago, I went through the ringer trying to build a team. There was a constant cycle of people coming in and out, and it was frustrating because, on paper, many of them looked like the perfect hire. They had the experience, the portfolio, and the technical skills.

The mistake I was making was hiring primarily based on skill set. Over time, I realized that while these individuals could do the work, many didn't share the same approach to communication, accountability, ownership, and growth that our team values. We weren't aligned in how we worked, what we prioritized, or where we wanted to go long term.

That experience taught me that hiring isn't just about finding someone who can do the job. It's about finding someone who can do the job in a way that strengthens the culture you're trying to build. Since then, my hiring process has completely changed. I still evaluate skills and experience, but I spend much more time understanding how someone thinks, solves problems, communicates under pressure, collaborates with others, and whether I can genuinely see them thriving alongside our existing team.

The result has been a stronger team, less friction, better collaboration, and an environment where people genuinely enjoy working together. We actually just wrapped up our quarterly 1:1s with the entire team, and the most common piece of feedback we received was: "I feel so good being part of this team."

As a founder, that meant a lot to hear because culture isn't something you can force. It's something you build through hundreds of small decisions over time… who you hire, what you tolerate, what you celebrate, and how you show up for one another.

hope this helps! xo,

vania portilla