101: "What Happens When You Start Hiring for Alignment, Not Just Experience?" ft. Jeremy Brady
In this bold and honest conversation, Erik sits down with Jeremy Brady, National Sales Manager at G Adventures, to explore what it really takes to lead high-performing teams in 2025. They unpack why the old sales playbook doesn’t work anymore, how to build a values-driven hiring process, and why “culture fit” isn't just a buzzword—it’s a strategic advantage. Jeremy shares hard-earned insights from leading through COVID, reinventing hiring practices, and learning how to create psychological safety during interviews. It’s a masterclass in modern leadership, hiring with intention, and building cultures that last.
👤 About the Guest
Jeremy Brady is the National Sales Manager at G Adventures
, a global adventure travel company known for its commitment to community tourism and values-driven leadership. With a background in hustle culture sales and over a decade of experience, Jeremy now helps shape a future of leadership that prioritizes authenticity, alignment, and long-term impact.
🧭 Conversation Highlights
- From “boss to friend” tension: Jeremy’s journey becoming a leader among former peers
- The radical shift from hustle culture to intentionality in hiring
- How G Adventures uses a "G Factor" (now “Backstage Pass”) to detect culture alignment
- Designing interview processes that prioritize core values over credentials
- Leveraging “Working Genius” and hedgehog concepts to build balanced sales teams
- How COVID forced a rethink on team engagement, fulfillment, and purpose
- The power of letting top performers fail (and why you shouldn't rescue them too early)
- Turning travel sales into meaningful social impact work
💡 Key Takeaways
- Hire for alignment, not just performance: Core values are a better predictor of success than previous results.
- Disruption reveals truth: Swearing, surprises, or even a ball pit interview can surface real insights about a candidate.
- Let them fail forward: Growth comes from patterns of reflection, not perfection.
- Sales isn’t about closers: Balanced teams with varied strengths perform better long-term.
- Create psychological safety: The best interviews feel like conversations, not interrogations.
❓ Questions That Mattered
- How do you build trust with candidates while still vetting them honestly?
- What’s your process for uncovering a candidate’s core values?
- How can companies avoid hiring “brilliant jerks”?
- What signs reveal that someone is thriving—or just coasting on past wins?
- How do you push a top performer to grow without deflating them?
🗣️ Notable Quotes
“You're gonna f*** up—just don't do the same f*** up twice.”
—Jeremy Brady
“If we look the same five years from now, something's wrong.”
—Jeremy on constant reinvention at G Adventures
“The candidate isn’t applying to prove they’re good enough. We’re seeing if we’re a fit for them.”
—Jeremy Brady
“When you’re in charge, take charge. When you’re not, stop trying to be.”
—Erik Berglund
“Empathy is a superpower—but without the sword of accountability, it can become a crutch.”
—Erik Berglund
🔗 Links & Resources
