232. Building a Mission-Driven Team with Rachel Lauren, COO of Debbie

What does it really take to build a team that believes in your mission…. and sticks around?

In this episode of World’s Greatest Boss, I sit down with Rachel Lauren, the co-founder and COO of Debbie, a platform that flips the script on financial rewards by helping users earn points for good money habits. Rachel and her team have grown Debbie from zero to 70,000+ users and just as impressively, from 2 scrappy co-founders to a 12-person, mission-driven team.

We talk through the real decisions startup leaders face when hiring: when to buy vs. build talent, how to manage performance without overcomplicating things, and why frequent feedback actually improves employee output.

You’ll walk away with ideas to put in place right now whether you’re managing one person or a small but mighty team.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

[1:00] The backstory behind Debbie and how rewards for good financial habits work

[3:30] Why mission alignment matters—and how it helps attract great talent

[5:05] Build vs. Buy: How they developed interns into leaders

[10:20] A refreshingly simple performance review cadence (and why it works)

[18:45] When and how compensation conversations happen—and why they keep them separate from reviews

[22:00] Setting promotion expectations, especially with Gen Z team members

[25:45] Rachel’s surprising inspiration for leadership: the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders documentary

Resources & Mentions:

• Try Debbie: joindebbie.com
• Performance management software: Effy.ai
• Bonusly (for peer recognition): bonusly.com
• Podcast mentioned: Honestly by Bari Weiss, featuring the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders doc
• Connect with Rachel: LinkedIn - Rachel Lauren

Connect with Jackie:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jackiemkoch
• Want my best hiring resources? Download here