# Hiring a CEO: The Decision That Changed Everything at Kivari for Kiki Keysers

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/built-to-lead-7706683/hiring-a-ceo-the-decision-that-changed-everything-at-kivari-for-kiki-keysers
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/built-to-lead-7706683/hiring-a-ceo-the-decision-that-changed-everything-at-kivari-for-kiki-keysers.md
Podcast: [Built To Lead](https://stenobird.com/podcast/built-to-lead-7706683)
Published: 2026-04-13T19:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/TBC8257893955.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/TBC8257893955.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/built-to-lead-7706683/episodes/hiring-a-ceo-the-decision-that-changed-everything-at-kivari-for-kiki-keysers
Duration seconds: 2149

## Resource

This one’s interesting because on paper, Kiki Keysers’ built the kind of business most founders say they want. 14 stores. 130 staff. A clothing brand people recognise. But the reason I wanted to get her on wasn’t to talk about growth. It was to understand what actually changed behind the scenes to make that possible… because she’s done something most founders avoid for way too long… She stepped out of running the business. In this episode, we get into what that actually looked like. The point where Kiki realised she was the bottleneck in Kivari the Label. The hires she made too late (and the ones she’d make immediately if she started again). And what really happens when you bring in a CEO and have to stop jumping in every five seconds. Key moments: 0:00 - The moment you realise your “side thing” is actually turning into a real business… and what changes after that 4:57 - Hiring your first employee when you have no idea what you’re doing (and why waiting too long will slow everything down) 6:40 - Why your business starts to feel messy as you grow across locations and what actually keeps everything aligned 09:01 - How to develop leaders who can run things without you being involved in every decision 12:06 - The 5 hard truths that keep founders stuck at the same level 15:46 - What ‘good culture’ actually looks like day to day 18:17 - What scaling to the next level really looks like when you already have stores, a team and momentum 19:18 - The one investment that changed how Kiki leads and thinks (and why most founders avoid it) 20:24 - Why putting money into yourself grows your business faster than putting it back into the business 22:08 - What it actually looks like to work with your partner, live together and build a business at the same time 27:52 -What really happens…

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