Founder Stories: Ana Colak-Fustin On Building ByRecruiters
In today’s Founder Story, we feature Ana Colak-Fustin, Founder of ByRecruiters!
Read on for lessons she has learned from launching and marketing her business.
1. Please introduce your business and share your role.
ByRecruiters is a career blog and resume shop for corporate job seekers, HR professionals, and career service providers. My core products are resume templates and job search toolkits for personal and commercial use.
Back in 2018, I used my corporate HR experience and 9-5 skills to create my first template. Since then, I’ve supported nearly 9,000 job seekers and career experts in over 80 countries worldwide through my products.
As the founder and solopreneur behind ByRecruiters, I wear all the hats – from strategy and marketing to product creation. So, every tip, resource, and product on my site carries my personal touch. My mission is to help job seekers and career service providers make strategic career and business moves with actionable, plug-and-play digital tools.
2. What’s your backstory, what kind of challenges did you face, and how did you come up with your business idea?
In 8 years of my corporate career, I honed my skills in HR, specifically recruitment and career coaching. As a recruiter, I learned what hiring managers expect from candidates. As a career coach, I became familiar with the struggles job seekers face while trying to meet these expectations.
With this blend of experiences, I noticed that even the most successful professionals struggled with creating effective resumes that communicate their unique selling points and experiences. That’s when I had my first “aha” moment realizing that everyone could use some help with this topic.
Initially, I thought of starting a job search coaching business. After some market research and a lucky encounter with Etsy, I discovered digital products like resume templates.
At the time, the Internet was full of over-designed resumes made by graphic designers without hiring experience. But with my background in corporate recruitment, I knew they wouldn’t cut it in the corporate world. And that’s when it hit me that I could create an online shop with professional, functional, and corporate-proof resume templates. That’s how my business idea was born.
3. How did you prepare for, and go about your launch?
I first launched my business on Etsy, which was extremely simple and fast. From there, I went on to build and grow my website. My main promotional designs for the launch were product photos and product-promo designs for Pinterest.
4. Since launching, what types of marketing campaigns and designs have worked best to attract and retain customers?
To attract customers, my marketing strategy isn’t so much about running campaigns, but more about honing in on SEO and evergreen marketing channels.
I’m talking about things like long-form blog posts and Pinterest pins that keep driving traffic to my shop and website for years. In this context, it’s probably safe to say that pin designs are the primary design type that attracts new customers to my business.
As for retaining customers, I developed products that support customers at different stages of their journey. So, once customers find my site and products, they discover a variety of resources tailored to their specific goals. Whether they’re aiming to revamp their resume, transform their 9-5 skills into online income, or add digital products to their business, they’ll find something that fits their needs on my site.
5. What have been the most influential brands for your business? Whose branding and marketing do you aspire to and why?
I don’t necessarily have any specific brands or branding that I aspire to. However, when it comes to marketing, I’m a big fan of copywriters and their marketing strategies.
My absolute favorite is Maha Copy Co. They share practical, easy-to-apply copywriting tips on Instagram that I find super useful. What I love about their marketing is that it’s all about high-quality, practical, and actionable content. They don’t rely on paid ads, just top-notch content that drives traffic and sales of their digital products.
This is the exact type of marketing strategy I aspire to. It’s all about providing value and letting that speak for itself, which I think is a powerful approach.
6. What are your favorite marketing platforms/tools?
Pinterest has been a game-changer for my business and I can’t recommend it enough to any business owner looking to boost traffic to their site.
When you combine it with Tailwind, a social media management tool, you can plan all your pins months ahead. So, what I do is, I take a few days every quarter to create pins and content, then schedule them via Tailwind. My pins go out automatically, and this strategy has seriously increased my traffic and sales, all while saving me a ton of time.
Also, I really love Featured and Qwoted. They’re fantastic for linking up with global media reporters who are looking for experts for their next stories, giving you a chance to get media features at zero cost.
7. Who or what inspires and motivates you?
I draw a lot of inspiration and business tips from Pat Walls from Starter Story, Tim Ferris, and Alex and Leila Hormozi.
Beyond them, there are three things that really drive me – learning, impact, and freedom. I’m motivated by learning new things every day, making a difference by helping others on their career and business journey, and doing all that with the total freedom to work when and where I want.
8. What are some lessons you’ve learned along the way that you would share with entrepreneurs hoping to launch or who have just launched?
If you’re playing around with a business idea and thinking about launching soon, my main advice is to pick something you know or believe you could enjoy for the long term, at least a year from now. It might seem obvious to start a business based on what you like, but I’ve seen so many people asking others for business ideas, and then jumping into trending or easy side hustles they think will make them money fast.
Like, some people start blogging even though they hate writing; some start managing social media accounts, even though they can’t stand spending time on social media. Then, they quickly give up if things don’t go as planned.
This also goes for entrepreneurs who have just launched. After launching, most of your focus should be on marketing and promotion, and your main channels should be the ones you can stick to long term.
So, don’t chase after the next big thing. Instead, make sure that by starting a business you’re also creating a job you love. Figuring out what that is for you will help you stick it out and succeed when times get tough.
9. What do you believe are the qualities of a good entrepreneur? And what makes a team successful?
Perseverance and adaptability — these, in my opinion, are the key qualities of a good entrepreneur. The most successful ones are those with the grit to push through the hard times and the flexibility to pivot when things aren’t working.
As for a successful team, it’s important to have a group of individuals who are equally driven, each bringing their unique skills to the table. Teams that blend drive, distinct talents, and effective communication bring the best results.
10. Let us know where we can go to learn more!
To learn more about my business and products, please visit: