Jared Tang is a former recruiter and the founder of Gaggle Social, a skills-based tech professional network. With a background in recruitment, he has dedicated his career to transforming the hiring landscape by focusing on skills-based solutions that streamline recruitment processes for HR and IT leaders.
If your business could have a mascot, what would it be and why?
At the heart of our brand is Goosetavo, our official mascot—a cartoon goose with feathers in our custom signature color. More than just a fun character, Goosetavo personifies our logo, a goose with a cloud-shaped body, symbolizing our connection to cloud technology.
Our name and mascot are inspired by the way geese fly in formation: some lead while others rest, but throughout the journey, each takes a turn at the front. This mirrors our mission—to build a platform where members, thought leaders, and key opinion leaders can take the lead, collaborate, and support one another, just as geese do in flight.
What strategies do you employ to maintain a healthy work-life balance while running your own business?
To maintain a healthy work-life balance, I focus on achieving “work-life harmony” rather than strict “balance,” as personal and professional tasks rarely hold equal weight. Instead of striving for an impossible equilibrium, I ensure that I leave room for myself, my family, my hobbies, and relaxation. Every Sunday, I follow a structured approach to set myself up for success:
- Reference my annual roadmap to establish goals that will move the needle forward in key areas.
- Prioritize personal responsibilities by scheduling them on my calendar first, then use the remaining strategic spaces to plan tasks that align with my weekly goals.
- Consolidate related tasks to work smarter, not harder, minimizing inefficiencies and maximizing productivity.
- Follow a structured schedule—I start my day at 5:00 AM and make a strong effort not to work past 8:00 PM. Since family and friends are more available in the evening, this allows me to complete my responsibilities during quieter hours and free up my evenings for phone calls, dinners, events, cooking, TV, reading, art projects, and more.
By structuring my time in this way, I ensure that both my professional and personal life thrive in harmony.
When faced with unexpected detours on your business path, how do you pivot with grace and resilience, showing fellow women entrepreneurs the way forward?
At Gaggle Social, we’ve faced our fair share of reworks and pivots—from refining our hiring model to adapting to industry shifts. As an entrepreneur, unexpected detours are inevitable, but the key is embracing adaptability while staying grounded in your core mission. When challenges arise, I focus on data-driven decision-making, strategic mentorship, and maintaining a problem-solving mindset.
For fellow entrepreneurs, especially women forging their own paths, I believe resilience comes from building strong networks, seeking mentorship, and staying flexible without losing sight of long-term goals. The journey isn’t always linear, but by approaching setbacks as learning opportunities, we not only adapt but lead by example, showing that success is about persistence, not perfection.
How do you measure the success of your business beyond financial metrics, such as customer satisfaction or community engagement?
We place a huge emphasis on establishing and maintaining open communication with our users and work to collect user experience, user satisfaction, and user acceptance feedback at every touchpoint that we can. This ensures that we are prioritizing human-centric design theory, and by keeping that loop open, we’ve been able to improve our product functionality and suite of solutions significantly while also ensuring our membership feels their opinions are valued and heard.
Can you share a memorable moment where you witnessed significant growth or transformation in your business, illustrating the impact of your services/products?
One of the most defining moments for Gaggle Social was when we helped place our first hire at PC Consulting—a Salesforce Admin role that had been open for months. The company had been struggling with traditional hiring methods, taking an average of 60 days to fill critical positions. The delays were costing them both time and money, with an estimated $2,400 lost per extended hiring cycle.
When PC Consulting turned to Gaggle Social, they were skeptical but willing to try something new. By leveraging our platform’s talent marketplace, they were able to connect with highly qualified candidates faster than ever before. Within just 22 days, we helped them find and hire a Salesforce Admin—cutting their hiring timeline by 63% and saving them significant costs.
That moment was more than just a successful placement—it was proof that Gaggle Social could redefine how companies hire tech talent. It validated our mission: to create a hiring process that mirrors the way geese fly in formation—where leaders take turns at the front, supporting each other along the way. Seeing the tangible impact of our platform in real time was a game-changer, showing us that we weren’t just another hiring solution—we were building a movement toward smarter, faster, and more efficient hiring.
What role do you believe mentorship plays in the success of small businesses, and how have mentors influenced your own entrepreneurial journey?
Mentorship is crucial for small business success, offering unbiased guidance that helps founders see beyond their own blind spots. At Gaggle Social, we’re fortunate to have two advisory boards with experts from National Debt Relief, Deloitte, PwC, and more, providing strategic insights that shape our growth.
Like great coaching, effective mentorship offers a second opinion free from bias, helping us refine our vision, optimize decision-making, and scale strategically. Having advisors who aren’t deeply entrenched in our day-to-day operations ensures we’re making objective, high-impact choices—something every entrepreneur needs to succeed.
What’s your work all about, and how does it make a difference in the world?
Gaggle Social is the tech-dedicated professional network at the forefront of skills-based hiring. Designed for the vast majority of HR and IT leaders struggling to scale their tech teams, our suite of carefully curated solutions cuts tech hiring by 63% by eliminating the major challenges in tech hiring.
Through tools like our Skills Matrix, we ensure only qualified candidates can apply while simultaneously providing transparent hiring insights, leading to 73% faster skills evaluation and 85% more manageable shortlists. Additionally, our anti-bias talent management solutions ensure that hiring is based on skills, experience, and authorization—not identity.
Through our social media solutions, we help professionals connect and engage with content that truly aligns with their professional interests.
Social Links
- LinkedIn: Jared Tang
- Gaggle Social: Talent Profile
- Bluesky: Jared Tang
