The Mind Of George Show Hiring Offshore Contractors with Integrity & Intention with Valerie Bowden
You don’t need more time to grow your business.
You need more support.
In this episode, George Bryant sits down with Valerie Bowden, founder of CRDLE, to explore the truth about outsourcing, leadership, and building a business rooted in both performance and purpose.
After spending nearly a decade living in Africa and witnessing firsthand the gap between talent and opportunity, Valerie built a company that connects U.S. businesses with highly skilled professionals across Africa, creating a true win-win model.
Together, they unpack the biggest myths around outsourcing, why most people fail when hiring offshore, and how the right approach can actually create more jobs locally while accelerating business growth.
This episode blends powerful life lessons with tactical strategies, giving you a new perspective on leadership, hiring, and what it really takes to scale sustainably.
Because when done right, outsourcing doesn’t just scale your business…
It creates opportunities that change lives.
What You’ll Learn In This Episode:
- Why trying to do everything yourself is slowing your business growth
- The biggest myths and misconceptions about outsourcing
- How outsourcing (done right) actually creates more local jobs
- The real reason most outsourcing experiences fail
- How to properly train, onboard, and support remote team members
- Why relationships, not transactions, are the key to business success
- How trusting your intuition leads to better decisions in business and life
Key Takeaways:
✔️Outsourcing isn’t about saving money, it’s about creating capacity to grow.
✔️Most outsourcing failures come from poor setup, not poor talent.
✔️Training and onboarding are the difference between failure and $100K+ results.
✔️People perform better when they feel seen, valued, and part of the team.
✔️You’re not hiring robots, you’re hiring thinkers with experience and perspective.
✔️Growth happens when you stop doing everything and start building systems.
✔️The fastest way to scale is to let other people carry the weight with you.
Timestamps & Highlights:
[00:00] – Why entrepreneurs feel like they have to carry everything alone
[01:15] – Meet Valerie Bowden and her journey through Africa
[03:00] – Lessons from backpacking Africa and trusting your intuition
[06:20] – Why you don’t need the full plan to move forward
[10:30] – Cultural lessons from Africa: relationships over transactions
[15:30] – The moment Valerie decided to build CRDLE
[18:30] – Why job creation matters more than donations
[21:30] – Common myths about outsourcing (and why they’re wrong)
[24:00] – The biggest mistakes business owners make when hiring offshore
[25:30] – The importance of training, onboarding, and leadership
[28:30] – How to properly structure offshore teams for success
[31:00] – Why outsourcing exposes gaps in your systems
[33:00] – How to build better processes and empower your team
[36:00] – Why timing is never perfect (and why you should start anyway)
[39:00] – The hidden problem with outsourcing middlemen
[41:00] – Following intuition and making decisions quickly
[44:30] – “Choose Africa” and building business with impact
[48:00] – How CRDLE works and how to get started
Connect with Valerie Bowden
Founder of CRDLE, an award-winning outsourcing agency connecting U.S. companies with top talent across Africa.
Website: crdle.com
LinkedIn: Valerie Bowden
Instagram: @crdleafrica
YouTube: @crdleafrica
Valerie is recognized as one of NBC’s Top 30 Rising Women and leads a team of 120+ professionals, with over 70% being women, proving that purpose and performance can scale together.
Your Challenge This Week:
If this episode shifted how you think about growth, leadership, or outsourcing…
- Share it with one entrepreneur who’s trying to do everything alone
- Comment or DM @itsgeorgebryant with your biggest takeaway
- Ask yourself: Where in my business do I need support right now?
Join The Alliance
The Relationship Beats Algorithms™ community for entrepreneurs who scale through trust, connection, and real relationships.
Apply for 1:1 Coaching
Ready to grow your business with more clarity, support, and sustainability? Apply to work directly with George.
Retreats
This is your invitation to step into the room where everything changes. Our next retreat is happening April 23–25, with a VIP Day on April 26.
Secure your spot now at mindofgeorge.com/retreat