A personal letter from our
Founder
Deana Cotrone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to GritLink!

 

I’ve spent 12+ years helping hundreds of companies, from SEED-stage startups to global brands like Apple, Meta, AT&T, and Live Nation, build hiring systems, structure teams, close top talent and scale with intention. I’ve launched new markets, led strategic talent initiatives, and stepped in when things were messy, urgent, and critical. What I’ve seen over and over again—across industries, org charts, business models, and market conditions—is that success doesn’t come from headcount. It comes from alignment, strategy, and putting the right people in the right roles at the right time.

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GritLink was built after seeing the same problems play out again and again: teams hiring without structure, interview loops that lacked consistency, recruiters stuck delivering volume instead of value, and leaders making hiring decisions based on urgency—not strategy. The result? Mis-hires, candidate drop-off, internal burnout, and a reputation in the market that quietly starts to slip. Companies get stuck in the same hiring cycle, over and over—and no one’s stopping to ask why. I knew they didn’t need another recruiter. They needed a strategic partner who could see the full picture and build something better.

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Whether you're a founder making your first key hires, an investor looking for a strategic talent partner to plug into your portfolio companies, or a growth-stage team needing structure to scale—GritLink steps in with strategy, execution, and the experience to move things forward fast. We design hiring plans, evaluate org structures, align teams, and drive the decisions that turn talent into traction. We do the hard work with precision, speed, and high standards so your team can grow without the guesswork.

 

We make hiring a lever—not a liability.

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Thank you for considering GritLink, I can't wait to see what we'll build together! 

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Deana

Founder, GritLink