Jonna Smith isn’t just a recruiter—she’s a force. She’s the founder and CEO of PeopleZest, an executive search firm that specializes in multifamily real estate. For over 22 years, Jonna has helped COOs, VPs, and owners build high-performing teams.Her story isn’t just about business success. It’s about knowing when to walk away, when to bet on yourself, and when to say “Hell Yes!” to the right opportunities.Oh, and she lives on a farm with horses, dogs, cats, goats, donkeys, pigs, and cows. Yes, she has all of them.Jonna’s journey offers a powerful example for business leaders, recruiters, and anyone who wants to create a life and career that align with their values.
The “Almost Perfect” Career That Didn’t Fit
Jonna started her career in leasing at JPI, a luxury apartment developer. She climbed the ladder quickly, eventually becoming Vice President. From the outside, it looked like success.But inside, she felt misaligned.“I was doing the work, but it wasn’t me anymore,” she said. “It was like I had outgrown the role, but I didn’t know how to say it.”She wasn’t playing to her strengths.“You move up because you did the last job well,” she said. “But then you get to the next level, and suddenly you’re not great at what you’re doing.”Jonna thrived when building things, solving problems, and connecting with people. But in her VP role, she found herself managing tasks that drained her energy. It felt like being a dolphin asked to climb a tree—frustrating, unnatural, and exhausting.One snowy night in a Pennsylvania hotel room, after a tough day, Jonna cracked open a beer and called her husband.“I think I’m leaving,” she told him.His response? “Do we have to sell the house?”Her answer: “That’s not going to be in the business plan.”That night, Jonna decided to bet on herself. “I didn’t know what it would look like, but I knew I couldn’t stay.”The Leap into the Unknown
Jonna didn’t have a grand plan. No MBA. No business model. What she had was grit—and a whole lot of conviction.“I had no fancy startup strategy,” she said. “I had a laptop, a dining room table, and a phone. That was it.”She called a friend to help with her kids because she couldn’t afford daycare.“I didn’t know a living thing about starting a business,” she admitted. “But failure wasn’t an option.”What drove her wasn’t just paying the bills. It was the realization that the hiring process in multifamily was broken.“I saw companies hiring resumes, not people,” she said. “They were checking boxes, not solving problems.”Jonna didn’t just want to fill roles. She wanted to help people grow, create a safe space for honest conversations, and build real, lasting relationships.Her first clients were people she had worked with before—people who trusted her. They remembered how she had championed them, and they wanted to help her succeed.“They called me because they knew I wouldn’t sugarcoat things,” she said. “I’d tell them the truth, even when it was hard.”Building PeopleZest wasn’t easy. Jonna carried sensitive, confidential information. She ran the business solo for years. Letting others into her process felt risky.“It was scary. I kept thinking, ‘I’m the breadwinner. I can’t screw this up.’ But I also knew: If I don’t take a chance on me, who will?”The “Getting to Hell Yes!” Mindset
Jonna’s philosophy became clear:Don’t just fill roles—solve problems.For her, “Getting to Hell Yes!” means saying yes when everything aligns: the right person, the right role, the right mission. And it means saying no when things don’t.“I tell my clients: If you’re not a ‘Hell Yes,’ then it’s a ‘No,’” she said. “There’s no in-between.”Here’s how she approaches it:Understand the Problem
Jonna doesn’t rely on generic job descriptions—because they’re usually wrong.“90% of the time, job descriptions miss the mark,” she said. “They list skills, but they don’t tell you what success looks like.”She digs deeper:- What’s the real pain point?
- Where are the gaps in the team?
- What does success really look like in this role?
Coach the Client
Jonna pushes her clients to get clear on what they need.“Are you just trying to fill a seat, or do you actually need someone who can solve a problem?” she asks.When clients send her vague job descriptions, she sends them back with questions:- Is this really what you want?
- What outcome are you looking for?
- Who do you need in this seat for your business to thrive?
Tell Candidates the Hard Truths
Jonna doesn’t sugarcoat.“If you’re not the right fit, I’ll tell you why,” she said. “And I’ll tell you what you did well, too, so you can get better.”She shared a story about a younger candidate who wasn’t quite ready for a role. She gave him feedback: tighten your answers, get to the point, show more confidence.“I told him, ‘You’ve got potential, but you’re not there yet. Let’s work on that.’”That candidate didn’t get the job right away. But when the scope shifted, Jonna brought him back. He aced the interview, landed the role, and became the top candidate.“That’s what ‘Getting to Hell Yes!’ looks like,” she said. “It’s about honesty, alignment, and helping people succeed—even when it’s not easy.”Building a Life That Aligns with Your Values
Today, Jonna runs PeopleZest from her farm on the Texas-Oklahoma border.She has 40 acres, 27 animals, and a business that thrives.“I work just as hard as ever,” she said, “but now I do it on my terms.”For Jonna, her identity isn’t tied to her business.“My identity isn’t PeopleZest. My identity is Jonna Smith,” she said. “I’m a mom, a wife, a farmer—and yeah, I run a company. But I’m not just one thing.”Her advice for others:“Know who you are. Stay true to that. Don’t let someone else’s version of success pull you off course.”“Success isn’t about the title. It’s about the impact you make—and the peace you feel when your work matches who you are.”That’s the heart of her “Hell Yes!” mindset. Build a life and business that align with your values, your strengths, and the way you want to live.The “Getting to Hell Yes!” Playbook for Leaders and Sellers
Here are three takeaways for building high-performing teams and making high-impact decisions:Hire for Alignment, Not Just Skills
Don’t settle for “good enough.” The best hires make you say “Hell Yes!” because they fit your culture, your goals, and your vision.“If you wouldn’t enthusiastically hire this person again tomorrow, why are you saying yes today?” Jonna asks.Be Courageously Honest
Tell candidates and clients the truth, even when it’s hard. Give feedback that helps them grow. That’s how you build trust and drive real change.“People remember who tells them the truth. They don’t always like it in the moment, but they respect it later.”Stay True to Yourself
Your identity is bigger than your job. Know who you are, and let that guide every decision. If something isn’t a “Hell Yes!”—it’s a no.“I’m not for everyone, and that’s okay,” Jonna said. “The right people will get it. The wrong ones won’t. And that’s how it should be.”The Courage to Say “Hell Yes!” (and “No”)
Jonna’s story shows that success doesn’t come from following the playbook—it comes from writing your own.“Getting to Hell Yes!” is a mindset. It means aligning what you do with who you are. It means getting clear on what matters, saying yes to the right things, and having the courage to walk away when it’s not the right fit.“Sometimes you have to say no to something good to make space for something great,” she said.Sometimes, it starts with a beer in a snowy hotel room, a phone call to your biggest supporter, and the decision to bet on yourself.That’s how you get to “Hell Yes!”Our mission is to simplify the homeowners & home builders customer experience. Let Iris do the work.
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