TEN Years, 10 Lessons: What We Wish We Knew When We Started. Lesson 1: Passion Is Enough.

In October 2025, Eleven Eleven Talent will turn 10. To celebrate, we’re sharing 10 lessons—one each month—about what we’ve learned in a decade of building a business. From community-building to resilience, from hiring to firing, these are the insights we wish we knew when we started.  

 Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a recruiter, or navigating your own career path, we hope these lessons support you in building something meaningful and lasting. 

 
Lesson 1 – Passion Is Enough to Start 

If you’re building something—a business, a career, or even just an idea—you don’t have to have all the answers right away. Start building the community around you first.

When we launched our business Talent Lab (now known as Eleven Eleven Talent) on October 15, 2015, we didn’t start with a grand plan. We started with a belief: Recruitment could be better. Hiring could be more human, more connected, more about people than process.

At the time, we were both working full-time, leading recruitment at lululemon’s global headquarters. On a work trip to Boston, we had an idea: What if instead of competing recruiters had a space to collaborate, to elevate each other? What if we could get recruitment leaders to open their black books and talk about what was actually working?

That’s how Talent Lab was born—not as a business, but as a community.

Give First, Trust the Rest

We organized our first underground recruitment conference and brought in leaders from Facebook, Hootsuite, Aritzia. They showed up and shared generously. Recruiters were craving connection and development and we found the gap.  We sold tickets, but instead of focusing on profit, we put everything back into creating a space that felt inspiring, and valuable. Charcuterie boards, prosecco, a room filled with conversation, candles and connection. The focus was always on giving. 10 years down the road, we have become more intentional around our giving. You can learn more about our Contribution Philosophy here on our website.

The point being, with Talent Lab we didn’t know where it would lead. We only knew it mattered, and the rest would reveal itself.

Go Slow, Let It Reveal Itself

For the first three years of being in business, we kept our corporate jobs. We built the community, gave - without asking for anything in return, developed meaningful relationships, and added value, patiently, one event at a time, never forcing it into something it wasn’t ready to be. By the time we fully stepped into running our own business, we had the momentum, trust, and support behind us through the HR and Talent community.

That patience made all the difference.

Passion Is Enough to Start

Talent Lab wasn’t a clear business in the beginning, we weren’t sure where it was going to go—it was just something we loved doing. In fact, at that time, we were convinced we wanted to do anything other than open ‘another recruitment agency’.

We hosted six conferences in three years, growing from small gatherings to our final event with 300+ attendees in Vancouver, with speakers on diversity, leadership, mindfulness, and recruitment.

We didn’t start with a business model. We started with a belief that people needed this space. The business followed.

What This Means for You:

If you’re starting something—a business, a project, a career pivot—you don’t need to have it all figured out. Start by giving. Start by creating value. Start by networking aka - bringing people together.

1. Give first. Focus on connection before transactions. The right doors will open.

2. Go slow. Don’t rush into quitting your job or scaling too fast. Build a strong foundation before you build big.

3. Follow your passion. Take the first small step, even if the full picture isn’t clear. Passion creates momentum. Momentum creates opportunity.

While we don’t have all the answers, what we know for sure is that the best businesses aren’t built alone. They’re built in community.

Here’s to whatever you're building. Alisha and Tess

Up next Lesson 2: The Cease and Desist That Changed Everything 

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Eleven Eleven Talent is a global recruitment agency headquartered in the beautiful coastal city of Vancouver, B.C. 

If you are looking for recruitment support on a critical hire or confidential search - connect with us.