How She Scaled Howdy From $400 Left to $50M in Recurring Revenue | Entrepreneurship | How We Profit | E11

When Jacqueline Samira started her business, she recognized a massive market inefficiency: U.S. tech companies were struggling to source and retain experienced talent, while skilled professionals across Latin America were being overlooked. She built Howdy to bridge that gap and help companies build dedicated international teams. In this episode, Jacqueline shares how she built Howdy into a $50 million recurring-revenue business, survived a near-collapse during COVID, and scaled the company through strong retention, smart funding, and a simple staffing model. **In this episode, Hala and Jacqueline will discuss:**  (01:36) Howdy’s Core Financial Model (05:20) Revenue, Payroll, and Cash Flow (10:25) Starting Howdy and Surviving COVID (21:15) Raising Capital After $3 Million ARR (31:10) Ideal Customers and High-Touch Marketing (40:08) Retention, Referrals, and Customer Expansion (43:24) Why Psychologists Recruit Howdy Talent (50:57) Expanding Howdy Across Latin America (54:33) How AI Is Reshaping Hiring (57:34) How to Copy This Business Model **Jacqueline Samira** is the founder and CEO of Howdy.com, an Austin-based company that helps U.S. tech companies hire and manage teams across Latin America. Before founding Howdy in 2018, she built her career in sales and operations, including leadership roles at Y Combinator-backed technology companies. Howdy joined Y Combinator’s Winter 2021 batch and has appeared on the Inc. 5000 in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. Jacqueline was also named to Inc.’s 2026 Female Founders 500 for leading Howdy’s expansion into Mexico and Peru and establishing a branded office in Guadalajara. **Sponsored By:** **Indeed** - Get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com/profiting **Shopify** - Start your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/profiting. **Northwest Registered Agent** - Get a complete business identity with Northwest. Visit northwestregisteredagent.com/YAPFree and start using free resources to build something amazing.  **Mindstone** - Master practical AI skills without the complexity with Mindstone’s AI Competency Programme. Head to experience.mindstone.com/yap and get 10% off.  **AT&T Business** - Stay connected with reliable, secure internet built for entrepreneurs. Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.com.  **HoneyLove** - Treat yourself to the most advanced bras and shapewear on the market. Save 20% off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/PROFITING! #honeylovepod **Freshbooks -** Manage all your business finances in one place. Right now, my listeners can get FreshBooks for less than $3 a month for your first four months — that's 90% off. Head to FreshBooks.com/podcast to get started. **Walmart Marketplace** - Reach millions of active online shoppers and get ready for holiday demand. Apply to sell today at marketplace.walmart.com/yap.   **AG1** - Get a daily health drink that helps maintain energy, support gut health, and support immune health, all in one simple scoop. And for a limited time, save 20% on your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro at DRINKAG1.com/PROFITING.     **Resources Mentioned** Jacqueline’s Company, *Howdy*: howdy.com/experts/jacqueline-samira  Jacqueline’s Website: jacquelinesamira.com Jacqueline’s Instagram: instagram.com/jac\_samira  Jacqueline’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacquelinesamira  **Active Deals** - youngandprofiting.com/deals  **Key YAP Links** Reviews - ratethispodcast.com/yap YouTube - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting Newsletter - youngandprofiting.co/newsletter  LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala Social + Podcast Services: yapmedia.com Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com/episodes-new  Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement, Self-Improvement, Personal Development, Starting a Business, Strategy, Investing, Sales, Selling, Psychology, Productivity, Entrepreneurs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Marketing, Negotiation, Money, Finance, Side Hustle, Startup, Mental Health, Career, Leadership, Mindset, Health, Growth Mindset, Passive Income, Online Business, Solopreneur, Networking