Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashani DeSilva.
Ashani, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story started six years ago when I first moved to LA. I can still remember the tears running down my parents face, as I packed my car to leave home for the first time. I didn’t really have a plan, but I wanted to trust my instincts. This idea to listen to my own voice and to not allow anyone (including my loving family) to influence my decisions, ultimately led me to start my own business. Also, I was obsessed with Oprah. Oprah always talked about finding your calling and I was determined to find mine.
Living on my own was not easy, I almost got kicked out of my apartment. I had to eat dollar meals so I could afford rent. I received an offer from Direct TV, which seemed like a great opportunity because it was a well-known company, but I decided to turn it down (again I was determined to follow my instincts). Then, I got a job at a very small recruiting firm. I absolutely fell in love with the work. I really enjoyed listening to my candidates, and understanding their story. I also loved the hunt for trying to match a candidate with the perfect opportunity. It didn’t take long to understand my instincts for this industry was not only unique but very strong. I became determined to find a job with the BEST recruiting agency because I knew I had found my calling. Now, I just needed to find a mentor who could guide my career.
Honestly, months went by and I wasn’t able to find an agency that met what I needed to learn. Financially things were getting worse and I was ready to call it quits. Then, I received a message on Linkedin from a small award-winning recruiting agency called the Calvin Group. After one conversation with the Founder, Matt Alling, I knew this team was going to change my life. The company staffed every major startup in LA like Tinder, Oculus, Hautelook, HYFN, TBWA, Beats by Dre, Honest Company and even Snap. Also, the impact this team made for so many people was incredible and for the first time, I felt truly inspired.
Matt Alling is probably one of the best Headhunters in the nation. His ability to understand a candidate’s story, keep candidates accountable during their search, his INSANE work ethic (this guy is truly a beast) and ability to make clients trust his process is intoxicating. He has developed a system that can be replicated, which is why I am proud to be a part of his parent company called Marius Group. We have 7 partners right now, who all run their own agency independently, and we are excited to find like-minded entrepreneurs who want to start their own business. Many people ask, why is starting your own company important to you? My answer, WE ALL LIVE ONE LIFE!
If I died tomorrow, I am 100% proud of every decision I’ve made that led me to start Binary Search. Today people want to have complete control over their lives because people are realizing productivity isn’t unilaterally going up with wages and this gap is getting wider and wider. Dean Graziosi describes this phenomenon really well in his book Millionaire Success Habits, which is one of my favorite books for any entrepreneur. Dean also talks about how “money earned ethically, allows you to do incredible things.” There’s a reason for why so many people are driving Uber and following entrepreneurs like Tony Robbins and Gary Vaynerchuk. I truly believe people want to make an impact in this world. It’s tough to find a billionaire who doesn’t have an anonymous charity or isn’t adding value to not only their loved ones but also to society in general. I have many charities I will support. Running your own company gives you the financial freedom & time to be able to do more good, which is my ultimate goal.
I think the toughest part about starting your own business is finding a roadmap to success, and here at Marius Group, we’ve worked out the kinks to help anyone be a successful business owner in recruiting.
A huge part of my success is due to my loving family. If I fail, I know I can always return home. Most Indian/Sri Lankan parents are arranged, but my parents are together because they truly love each other. I had the most amazing childhood. I traveled all over the world. My parents were extremely athletic, so most of my weekends were spent outdoors playing tennis, ice skating, skiing, going to the pool, rollerblading (because yes I still can’t ride a bike) and many many hours of watching Steve Young and Barry Bonds (we are huge Bay Area Fans!).
When my parents immigrated from Sri Lanka to the US, they had one dream. They wanted to own a house with a dog, provide home cooked meals for their kids, and travel around the world. Let’s just say, I never knew what a frozen dinner was until I went to college 🙂 Watching my parents overcome tons of adversity, really gives me the strength to want more for myself. I admire their courage, and strength every day.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Unfortunately, my life has never been on a straight path. My career took off quickly after I joined the Calvin Group. I brought in around $230,000 for my agency and helped to retain some of the biggest clients my company had seen. Along the way, I made a ton of mistakes.
At the end of 2014, I made a huge error in judgment and ruined my reputation with one of the most innovative startups at the time. Also, many people at my firm had decided to consider new opportunities, so I decided to move back home. I started working for Riviera Partners, which is one of the best agencies in the US. This team was badass. They worked for every major startup in SF, the people were awesome and they had an amazing office in the heart of Downtown SF. I learned a ton, but the environment wasn’t quite right for me.
At that time, I realized how much I loved my job. I needed to find a company that would give me the freedom to use my instincts, and training I had picked up over the years. My parents have always told me to never burn a bridge, so I stayed in contact with my mentor Matt Alling, who ended up bringing me back as a partner.
Binary Search – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
After working with some of the best recruiters in San Francisco and Los Angeles, I decided to pursue a goal I’ve secretly had for a very long time; to start my own agency.
Here at Binary Search, we dedicate ourselves to helping candidates find work that will give them a sense of purpose. Our network is growing every day. If I am not directly working with a company that meets your needs, I guarantee one of my partners from my parent company Marius Group will have the right contact. I have placed over 60 candidates in my career and I am proud to have maintained a great relationship with all of them.
For my clients, I am known as the sharp-shooter recruiter because I specialize in a highly focused process. When my clients see an email from me, they know the candidate has been properly vetted and will at least meet their technical bar. I am also known for helping teams find that perfect purple squirrel within 3 months. We specialize in marketing your message to the right folks and in a way that maintains your client’s reputation.
Another great aspect of my business is being a part of Marius Group, which helps like-minded people start their own agency. The toughest part about starting a recruiting company is consistent workflow and the ability to pick up/maintain a new client. With our business model, we never run into this issue.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
It was time. Every recruiter on the team had to pick up their own client. My boss would randomly write on a huge whiteboard a name of a hot startup like the Honest Company, Eharmony, Shoedazzle, Tinder and everyone would frantically do whatever it took to bring them onboard.
One company that caught my eye was Maker Studios. This company was THE hottest startup at the time. Every engineer wanted a shot with this team. The company not only became the #1 producer of digital content on Youtube. It was also later acquired by Disney for $500 million.
As everyone tried the usual approach of finding a phone number or email, I decided to do something a bit different. I found the name of an Executive member of the team and decided to check out his Facebook profile. He was an animated person for sure, who happened to not only be an actor, but he guest starred in Hanna Montana (who didn’t love Miley Cirus at the time). So, when I reached out to him, I mentioned this information, and he decided to work with me! I was so excited! I had gotten the client that everyone else had been trying to pick up for weeks!
My proudest moment doesn’t stop there, I had kept in touch with a very talented Executive Product Manager for two years. He was looking to join an innovative startup that would make an impact for millions of users. Even though Maker Studios didn’t have an open role, and my colleagues weren’t confident about his background, I knew this candidate was the perfect fit.
I called every hiring manager on the team trying to get someone to take a look at my candidate’s background, but no one had the time. After weeks of persisting, I finally got a hold of a hiring manager, who decided to take a look. Not only did my candidate get the job, he also became a key Executive Member of the team!
Mike, if you’re out there reading this, thank you for starting my career! 🙂
Contact Info:
- Address: 5757 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036
- Website: www.binarysearchagency.com
- Phone: 510.367.8428
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Duy Nguyen – Cinematographer/Editor, www.3LFILMS.com
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
