MPOWERD CEO Seungah Jeong on Hiring Purpose-Driven Teams

How I Hire

Roy sits down with Seungah Jeong, President and CEO of MPOWERD, a Certified B Corporation specializing in sustainable, affordable, and thoughtfully designed renewable energy products. Not only does MPOWERD offer a host of highly functional, energy efficient tools for lighting, charging, utility, recreation, and power storage, they are also dedicated to distributing clean energy to people worldwide via their partnerships with hundreds of NGOs and non-profit organizations. Prior to her tenure at MPOWERD, Seungah built her experience in CPG at companies like Procter & Gamble and Nest Fragrances. She came to MPOWERD in 2016 to help develop the brand, expand their range of products, and amplify the company’s social and environmental impacts in the process. Seungah and Roy discuss her team building experience at Nest, how MPOWERD’s mission and values influence their recruitment practices, as well as the key characteristics she looks for in bringing talent along on a purpose-driven brand journey.

Highlights from our conversation include:

• Building a successful team from the ground up at Nest (4:36)
• One crucial trait she looks for in potential candidates (7:56)
• Similarities between the outdoor and beauty industries (12:19)
• Why an innovation mindset is essential in business (15:10)
• How MPOWERD’s values factor into their recruitment process (17:53)
• How she assesses a candidate’s connection to mission and purpose (20:38)
• When to hire internally vs. externally (26:20)
• Developing an effective hiring strategy and roadmap (28:40)
• How to maximize a team’s potential during periods of growth (29:38)
• Key qualities Seungah looks for in evaluating leaders (32:23)
• Factors that have contributed to hiring mistakes (36:27)
• Seungah’s perspective on in-office vs. remote vs. hybrid work (40:22)
• Her advice to entrepreneurs just starting out in their career (44:24)

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