Work Whisper

I run ERIA, a hospitality and events business, and remote hiring has played a meaningful role in how we’ve scaled, especially on the marketing and operations side.

My first remote hire was actually one of the easiest decisions I made. It came through an investor connection, which removed a lot of the typical risk around trust and vetting. Starting with someone who was already in the extended network made the transition into remote work much smoother.

From there, it became significantly easier to expand:

The first remote hire is the hardest, after that it becomes a growth engine.

Once you have one strong remote hire, they often become a node for others

Referrals compound quickly and improve quality

You spend less time filtering and more time building

What worked

Starting with trust-based hiring through existing relationships

Clear role definition and outputs from the beginning

Using tools like Monday.com to keep everything structured and visible

What didn’t Work

Trying to manage remote work informally
Without systems, things fall through quickly. Remote teams require more structure, not less.

What changed for the business

We were able to access talent outside of our immediate geography

Hiring became faster once we built a small trusted network

Once you have one strong, trusted person, referrals compound, hiring gets faster, and remote shifts from feeling risky to being one of the most efficient ways to scale.

We kept the core of the business in-person (especially for events), but moved supporting functions remote

For us, remote hiring works best in areas like marketing, design, and certain operational roles. The key is separating what truly needs to be in-person from what can be systematized and managed remotely.

The biggest takeaway is that remote hiring becomes much easier after the first successful hire. It shifts from a risk to a repeatable channel.

About the Author

A founder, operator, and deal‑maker with a global lens, Nikita sits at the intersection of hospitality,
events, and entrepreneurship. Known for turning under‑optimized assets into profitable, culturally
relevant businesses, her work spans hospitality ventures, consumer brands, civic leadership, and
international women’s health initiatives. Nikita brings analytical rigor (math and economics), creative
instinct, and a rare bias toward execution—building, buying, scaling, and exiting with precision.

Declaration
This story is based primarily on information shared directly by founder Nikita Khandheria and has been edited by WorkWhisper for clarity, structure, and readability while preserving the substance of the original submission.