The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast
Sean Anderson
We’re having real and raw conversations with successful recruitment entrepreneurs about what is happening in their businesses right now and their plans to navigate market changes.
Episodes
Season 10 | Ep2 Mike Williams: My Team Can Bill $250K Off My Accounts. That's the Problem.
Mike Williams was handed a cold desk in a rural US town and told to place accountants. There weren't any. So he placed an engineer instead, and kept going, until his boss's boss rang to tell him the whole thing was going to fail and he'd be fired when it did.He became Rookie of the Year and made President's Club all 5 years. Then he quit, moved from Massachusetts to Charlotte, North Carolina, and billed over $900,000 in his first year on his own, from a spare room in his house.4 years on, Carnegie Search is a team of 14 and he's at $3.5m going into the final quarter against a $4m target.And he says it isn't good enough.The reason is sitting in his own office, and it's the same problem in most agencies this size.On this episode of The RAG Podcast, Mike breaks down why a team that bills well on his accounts still isn't the business he's building.He isn't chasing an exit. Two years ago he wanted to be the biggest firm in town. He's dropped that, and what replaced it is a harder target than any revenue figure.If you've ever looked at a team billing well on your accounts and felt uneasy about it, this episode is for you.----------Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/----------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn, but AI has turned templated posts and outreach into a commodity. When everyone sounds the same, the market stops listening. The recruiters winning now are the ones the market trusts.At Hoxo we help recruitment founders become the most influential name in their niche, using AI to multiply output while trust stays the product. Our clients turn their existing networks into £100K to £300K in new billings within months. Watch the free RAG listener training to see how: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 10 | Ep1 Jordan Shlosberg: Why Your Old Conversations Are Now Your Best Asset
Three years ago Jordan Shlosberg walked up to me at an expo and asked to sponsor this show. I said no. I'd had enough of CRM companies.Two years on from our first conversation in a Sheffield hotel, Atlas is in the multiple thousands of users, with 60 staff spread across Greece, Bosnia, Italy, India, Colombia and Liverpool. He still won't disclose revenue. He's aiming at Vincere and Loxo first, then Bullhorn.Last November on this podcast he predicted a renaissance for agency recruiters and told internal talent teams they had a lot to worry about. Ten months on, I made him mark his own homework.His answer: it's happening. Atlas customers are growing headcount while the job market stays sluggish, which means recruiters are taking share.On this episode of The RAG Podcast, Jordan breaks down what to actually buy in 2026 and what's about to be automated.Jordan is not selling the idea that AI turns bad recruiters into good ones. He's blunt about it. Atlas is only as good as the conversations feeding it, and crap calls with no network behind them give you very little to work with.What he is arguing is that the gap is widening. The average recruiter gets marginally better. The strong ones get considerably better, because twenty years of relationships suddenly became searchable.If you've ever wondered what you should actually be doing with AI right now, not in theory but this month, this episode has the blueprint.----------Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/----------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn, but AI has turned templated posts and outreach into a commodity. When everyone sounds the same, the market stops listening. The recruiters winning now are the ones the market trusts.At Hoxo we help recruitment founders become the most influential name in their niche, using AI to multiply output while trust stays the product. Our clients turn their existing networks into £100K to £300K in new billings within months. Watch the free RAG listener training to see how: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep40 Max Learmonth: From Kitchen Table to £2.4m in Three Years
Max Learmonth was a professional rugby player who fell into recruitment by accident. He answered one trainee ad at Robert Half, started two weeks later, and never looked back.He climbed fast. £180,000 in his first year, £300,000 in his second, then off the tools rebuilding offices for a global giant. But somewhere in the grind, he lost himself. 'I'd become an arsehole,' he says. 'A typical Wolf of Wall Street recruitment dickhead. All I cared about was what my P&L looked like.'In May 2023, with a young daughter at home, he finally made the move and started again from his kitchen table. He turned down over £500,000 of investment to keep it 100% his. The plan was narrow on purpose: finance and accounting recruitment in the North West, and nothing else.Three years on, Forge Talent is a team of 16 that did £2.4 million in net fee income last year, entirely bootstrapped, built on a single stubborn belief: relationships, not transactions.On this episode of The RAG Podcast, Max breaks down exactly how he did it, the one KPI his whole business runs on each week, and why he thinks the average recruiter is finished while the specialist is only getting started.Max is not building the biggest recruitment business in the country. He is building the most dominant finance and accounting firm the North West has ever seen, and he already has a date on the exit.The difference is that he is doing it in the open, on his own terms, with a team of 16 who all know exactly what the 10-year goal is.If you have ever wondered whether going smaller and more specific is actually the smartest way to grow in the age of AI, this episode is evidence of that idea working right now.The Season 9 finale with Max Learmonth of Forge Talent is available now.----------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, a CRM that actually understands context.Atlas captures everything you say, hear, read and write. Every interview, every client call, every LinkedIn message, email and WhatsApp, automatically. Not because you typed it up, but because Atlas was listening. Then it goes one step further and tells you the next action to take.So when you need to fill a role, People Search ranks your best candidates and tells you why, no digging required. That same memory turns your BD into a shortlist of exactly who to chase and why, so you win more clients. And when you want to see your pipeline, you just speak to your dashboards and Atlas builds the view for you in real time, tracking only what you care about.Whether you place permanent or contract, Atlas covers both. Its Contract Suite means you never chase a timesheet again, with live margin visibility across every placement. And with its new MCP and API, Atlas plugs straight into your LLMs and the rest of your stack, so the low-value admin that keeps you from billing gets done for you.This is not theory. Atlas customers are seeing 50% higher candidate response rates, a 35% increase in new clients won, 15+ hours saved every week, and monthly billings jumping by 85%. Some agencies are hitting 130% of their annual revenue target after building their business around Atlas.So if you're thinking you need to bolt AI onto your CRM, don't bother. Take a look at Atlas instead.Head to https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ to find out more.----------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn, but AI has turned templated posts and outreach into a commodity. When everyone sounds the same, the market stops listening. The recruiters winning now are the ones the market trusts.At Hoxo we help recruitment founders become the most influential name in their niche, using AI to multiply output while trust stays the product. Our clients turn their existing networks into £100K to £300K in new billings within months. Watch the free RAG listener training to see how: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep39 Scott Lechley: How a Solo Founder Went 100% Retained and Had His Best Year Yet
Scott Lechley started Lechley Associates with £10,000, a new baby at home, and six months of recruitment experience. Twenty four years later he is still the only person in the business, and he is on track for the best year he has ever had.Lechley Associates places the people who run the UK's biggest construction and infrastructure programmes. Framework directors, board level hires, the leaders behind HS2 scale rail and new hospital builds. Clients like Laing O'Rourke, Balfour Beatty and Hochtief. One retained search at a time.Six months into this year Scott had already cleared £300,000, with another £150,000 confirmed. He did it by doing something most recruiters never attempt: going fully retained, staying completely solo, and building an AI stack that means he now wakes up to a BD intelligence report, an automated outreach system, and a dashboard of ranked opportunities before most people have made their first coffee.He also did something almost no recruiter would admit to. This year he deliberately lost £40,000 in fees by talking a client out of a hire he did not believe in, and it does not cost him a minute of sleep.On this episode of The RAG Podcast, Scott breaks down exactly how the stack works, why 24 years of saying no to the wrong things is the real engine behind the numbers, and what a solo business actually makes possible when you stop trying to grow headcount.Scott is 54, having the best year of his career, and building a community for the next generation of construction professionals on the side. He is not slowing down.If you have ever wondered whether the pressure to build a team, hire more people and grow headcount is actually the only way, this episode is your answer.-------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, a CRM that actually understands context.Atlas captures everything you say, hear, read and write. Every interview, every client call, every LinkedIn message, email and WhatsApp, automatically. Not because you typed it up, but because Atlas was listening. Then it goes one step further and tells you the next action to take.So when you need to fill a role, People Search ranks your best candidates and tells you why, no digging required. That same memory turns your BD into a shortlist of exactly who to chase and why, so you win more clients. And when you want to see your pipeline, you just speak to your dashboards and Atlas builds the view for you in real time, tracking only what you care about.Whether you place permanent or contract, Atlas covers both. Its Contract Suite means you never chase a timesheet again, with live margin visibility across every placement. And with its new MCP and API, Atlas plugs straight into your LLMs and the rest of your stack, so the low-value admin that keeps you from billing gets done for you.This is not theory. Atlas customers are seeing 50% higher candidate response rates, a 35% increase in new clients won, 15+ hours saved every week, and monthly billings jumping by 85%. Some agencies are hitting 130% of their annual revenue target after building their business around Atlas.So if you're thinking you need to bolt AI onto your CRM, don't bother. Take a look at Atlas instead.Head to https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ to find out more.-------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn, but AI has turned templated posts and outreach into a commodity. When everyone sounds the same, the market stops listening. The recruiters winning now are the ones the market trusts.At Hoxo we help recruitment founders become the most influential name in their niche, using AI to multiply output while trust stays the product. Our clients turn their existing networks into £100K to £300K in new billings within months. Watch the free RAG listener training to see how: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep38 Louise Archer: From Zero Retained Revenue to £12M and 1,500 Recruiters Trained
Louise Archer spent more than twenty years as a contingent recruiter. She believed retained was probably smoke and mirrors, something dressed up to justify a bigger fee, and definitely not a pool she was ever going to swim in.Then her employer handed her a project called Most Money Soonest, with a brief to make the permanent division's revenue predictable enough to survive a major acquisition. She and one colleague started visiting clients, asking better questions, and converting them to retained one conversation at a time.The division went from five million pounds in annual revenue to twelve million, all of it retained, from a standing start of zero retained revenue. Then Louise walked away and set out to teach the rest of the industry how to do the same.Since founding Retrained Search in 2018, she has trained more than fifteen hundred recruiters across thirty-one countries. In December 2024 she completed a management buyout with her three directors, and the target now is three point four million pounds in revenue by the close of 2027.On this episode of The RAG Podcast, Louise breaks down how the retained conversation actually works, why exclusivity is the worst model of all, and why the industry is now splitting in two.Louise Archer did not just theorise about retained search. She built the proof of concept inside someone else's business, walked away, and has spent the last eight years showing thousands of recruiters around the world how to do the same.The numbers do not lie. The contingent model is under pressure, the industry is splitting into trusted advisors and commodity suppliers, and the window to move is still open.If you have ever looked at your fill rate and thought something feels wrong, this episode has the blueprint.-----------------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, a CRM that actually understands context.Atlas captures everything you say, hear, read and write. Every interview, every client call, every LinkedIn message, email and WhatsApp, automatically. Not because you typed it up, but because Atlas was listening. Then it goes one step further and tells you the next action to take.So when you need to fill a role, People Search ranks your best candidates and tells you why, no digging required. That same memory turns your BD into a shortlist of exactly who to chase and why, so you win more clients. And when you want to see your pipeline, you just speak to your dashboards and Atlas builds the view for you in real time, tracking only what you care about.Whether you place permanent or contract, Atlas covers both. Its Contract Suite means you never chase a timesheet again, with live margin visibility across every placement. And with its new MCP and API, Atlas plugs straight into your LLMs and the rest of your stack, so the low-value admin that keeps you from billing gets done for you.This is not theory. Atlas customers are seeing 50% higher candidate response rates, a 35% increase in new clients won, 15+ hours saved every week, and monthly billings jumping by 85%. Some agencies are hitting 130% of their annual revenue target after building their business around Atlas.So if you're thinking you need to bolt AI onto your CRM, don't bother. Take a look at Atlas instead.Head to https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ to find out more.-----------------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn, but AI has turned templated posts and outreach into a commodity. When everyone sounds the same, the market stops listening. The recruiters winning now are the ones the market trusts.At Hoxo we help recruitment founders become the most influential name in their niche, using AI to multiply output while trust stays the product. Our clients turn their existing networks into £100K to £300K in new billings within months. Watch the free RAG listener training to see how: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep37 Tom Kelly: £10M NFI in Space Recruitment With 35 People
In 2022, EVONA had eighty staff, a Manchester office, a six-hundred-thousand-pound monthly cost base, and had just spent three hundred thousand pounds flying the whole company to Monaco. Tom Kelly calls it the moment four first-time founders lost perspective.What followed was one of the more honest rebuilds you will hear in recruitment. Contract team gone. Marketing team gone. Management team restructured. Tom moved to the US, took the wheel as sole decision-maker, and rebuilt around two metrics: twenty-five interviews per person per rolling four weeks, and a thirty-day close on every job.Three years on, EVONA is projecting ten million pounds net fee income this year. Three and a half million EBITDA. Thirty-five people. Two inbound client enquiries arrive every single day.Tom Kelly has been in the space sector since 2018. He has never taken outside investment. And last month was the largest in the company's history.On this episode of The RAG Podcast, Tom breaks down exactly how they got there.EVONA is now the dominant name in space sector recruitment. Ninety-five percent US clients. No cold outreach. No single client above nine percent of revenue. A thirty-two day average time to fill on roles that take competitors sixty.Tom Kelly is thirty-nine. He does not have a rigid three-year exit plan, but he does think there is a short window, and he does believe AGI changes the calculus for anyone thinking about an acquisition in this space. What he is building now is the version of the business that is worth something, the lean, high-output, brand-trusted version that took cutting fifty people to find.If you have ever wondered what it actually looks like to rebuild a recruitment business properly after it nearly breaks, this episode has the blueprint.Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn, but AI has turned templated posts and outreach into a commodity. When everyone sounds the same, the market stops listening. The recruiters winning now are the ones the market trusts.At Hoxo we help recruitment founders become the most influential name in their niche, using AI to multiply output while trust stays the product. Our clients turn their existing networks into £100K to £300K in new billings within months. Watch the free RAG listener training to see how: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep36 Mike Ames: £39M in Exits. The Life He Almost Missed Building It.
Mike Ames built his first recruitment business from scratch in 1989 with six months of industry experience and two partners. One of them died in a car accident after 18 months. He became MD. He had a breakdown. He rebuilt the business entirely around scalability, removed himself from the centre of it, and sold to a NYSE-listed company for £24 million at the age of 38.He thought that would feel like the finish line. It didn't. Within six months he was so low he could only manage one task a day. His therapist's parting advice: "Well, Michael, just get a job and you'll be fine." So he started again at 38, built a second business, sold that to Harvey Nash in 2017, and spent the next fifteen years working out why most recruitment founders never build something that truly works for them."I'm having to live a lot of my life through my grandchildren because I miss my children. Don't be that guy, right?"This week on The RAG Podcast, Mike Ames breaks down the PLW model: what a Profit, Lifestyle, Wealth recruitment business actually looks like, why the 360 model is structurally flawed, and what the "magic number" is that every founder should know before they spend another year grinding for a goal they have never properly calculated.Mike Ames is not selling a formula for a nine-figure exit. He is arguing for something harder and rarer: a business that runs well, pays you properly, and leaves room for the life you are actually trying to live.If you have ever wondered whether the business you are building is working for you or the other way around, this episode is the one.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn. Most can't answer this: how much revenue is it actually bringing in? At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn. Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K-£300K in new billings within months. Fill in the form today at https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep35 Oliver Paull: £800K in 3 Years, Solo, From a London Flat
At 28, Oliver Paull runs Rec Gen completely alone from his flat in London. £209K in year one at an 81% profit margin. £298K in year two. Past £270K already this year. Close to £800K in under three years, with no staff, no office and no cold client outreach.It did not start that way. In his first recruitment role he was on target to bill £650K and leaving the office to have panic attacks three times a week. He quit to join his best mate Jez Heard's startup, Scale Genesis.Two years later, in a phone call just before Christmas, Jez closed the company down and told him to start his own.His dad, a jeweller, refused to lend him the £3,000 he asked for. "Do you believe enough in yourself to invest your own money to allow you to be successful?" He did. First deal: £27,000 in month one, closed standing at his breakfast bar.On this episode of The RAG Podcast, Ollie breaks down exactly how one recruiter, a podcast and an AI stack replaced an entire agency.Olly is not building headcount. He is building a brand, a system and a lifestyle, and the numbers say it is working.If you have ever wondered whether you could build a serious recruitment business completely alone, this episode has the blueprint.--------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/--------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn, but AI has turned templated posts and outreach into a commodity. When everyone sounds the same, the market stops listening. The recruiters winning now are the ones the market trusts.At Hoxo we help recruitment founders become the most influential name in their niche, using AI to multiply output while trust stays the product. Our clients turn their existing networks into £100K to £300K in new billings within months. Watch the free RAG listener training to see how: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep34 Mathew Gollop: 7 to 85 People, a Near Collapse, and the Free Idea That Paid Him Back
Mathew Gollop found Hong Kong in the back of Recruiter magazine. A glossy advert, a Chinese temple, a palm tree. He flew out, signed the contract, and landed in February 2001.The dot-com bubble had just burst. Then 9/11. Then SARS.Within a year the founder wanted out, and Mathew took the business over. It was the only way to keep his job.When the market finally turned, it turned hard. Connected Group went from 7 people to 85, across 5 offices inside 5 years.Then the financial crisis hit. £800k gone in little over a year. Six months of runway. An investor brought in, his shares diluted, offices closed one by one.“I had dumb confidence, I think, at that time.”On this episode of The RAG Podcast, Mathew Gollop breaks down the full arc. The scale, the near collapse, and the decision that rebuilt the business: giving recruitment away for free.Mathew is the first to admit he loved running 85 people across five offices, and wasn't actually good at it.If you have ever wondered whether purpose can survive a brutal market, this episode has the blueprint.------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn, but AI has turned templated posts and outreach into a commodity. When everyone sounds the same, the market stops listening. The recruiters winning now are the ones the market trusts.At Hoxo we help recruitment founders become the most influential name in their niche, using AI to multiply output while trust stays the product. Our clients turn their existing networks into £100K to £300K in new billings within months. Watch the free RAG listener training to see how: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep33 Greg Fischer: $4.2M Revenue, $1.4M Net - Then He Left With Nothing but a Handshake
Greg Fischer did not plan to spend ten years in recruitment. He joined a solo healthcare practice in LA as employee number one, figured it would pay the bills, and planned to open a gym someday. He never left.Instead he built one of the most profitable staffing businesses in the US. $4.2 million in NFI, $1.4 million net profit. 38 people and a seven-figure equity stake with a $50 million exit on the horizon.But he walked away with nothing!The push toward the exit had quietly changed how the business ran. “I think we started looking at people as much more like resources and just a means to an end than actually people.” Greg had spent a decade building his career on the opposite belief. But the drift was so gradual he hadn’t noticed it.“I couldn’t be the person I wanted to be and be in a good, healthy working dynamic. It was going to be one or the other.”On this episode of The RAG Podcast, Greg Fischer, founder of Well Oiled Machine, tells the full story. The gym that cost him $150,000. The 10 years building someone else’s company. The walk away. And how he built a lean, profitable rec-to-rec from a mountain town in Colorado with no cold outbound and twenty clients in year one.Greg Fischer is not chasing the big exit this time. He is building something small, profitable, and built entirely around the person he decided he wanted to be.If you have ever wondered what it actually costs to chase a number, and whether the person collecting it is still someone you recognise, this episode has the blueprint.----------Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn, but AI has turned templated posts and outreach into a commodity. When everyone sounds the same, the market stops listening. The recruiters winning now are the ones the market trusts.At Hoxo we help recruitment founders become the most influential name in their niche, using AI to multiply output while trust stays the product. Our clients turn their existing networks into £100K to £300K in new billings within months. Watch the free RAG listener training to see how: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep32 Paul Strouts: When Growing Headcount Is a Strategy and When It Is Just a Cost
Paul Strouts has run a business of four people.His first business, James Harvard, quickly grew beyond 100 people and sold to Hays for approximately £20 million at 32.He then spent a decade running Hays Life Sciences globally. Got headhunted to PE Backed Acacium and quickly made two strategic acquisitions.He now runs:3 brands.250 people.12 countries.Contingent, SOW, RPO and Solutions revenuePredicted £45 million GM in 2026.£12 million EBITDA target.He has seen every stage of headcount growth. The good version and the expensive version.This week on The RAG Podcast, Paul Strouts gives the most direct answer we have had on this show about when headcount creates value and when it just creates cost.We cover:- The first question Paul asks any founder who wants to grow from 5 to 20 people- Why you need a minimum of £500K to grow headcount properly, and what happens if you don't have it- When headcount genuinely creates value in a recruitment business, and when it becomes a cost- The ceiling Paul believes exists in life sciences, and why going beyond it risks diluting everything you built- How Acacium Life Sciences grew from 160 people to a £45 million GM operation through two targeted acquisitions- Why Paul sold James Harvard to Hays three years ahead of plan, and whether it was the right call- What working inside a global corporate taught Paul that founding a business never could- Why AI will not kill specialist boutique recruitment, but will change the lower end of the market permanentlyGrowing headcount is not the right move for every recruitment business. Paul is the first to say that. But if you are building a people-based business and you want to know exactly what it takes to do it properly, what it costs, when to bring in outside funding, and where the ceiling actually is, this is the episode.If you've ever wondered when headcount creates value and when it becomes a cost... this episode has the answer.-------------------------------------------------------------__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses. They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team. Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote. And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford. Clients have seen: * Up to **60% productivity boosts** * **300% ROI** on BD roles * **30% faster completion** of operational tasks No overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense. Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era. **RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag -------------------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences. Building connections. Posting content. Sending outreach.But here's the problem. AI has turned all of that into a commodity. The same templated messages. The same AI-written posts. The same automated outreach landing in the same inboxes.When everyone sounds the same, the market stops listening.The recruiters winning right now are not the ones shouting the loudest. They are the ones the market actually trusts.That's what we build at Hoxo. We help recruitment founders become the most influential name in their niche. A niche audience that knows you, respects you, and comes to you when they need someone in your market.We use AI to multiply your output. Faster content, smarter research, better engagement. But trust is the product, and trust cannot be automated.Our clients are turning their existing networks into £100K to £300K in new billings within months. Not through volume. By becoming the recruiter their market comes to first.To show you how it works, we've made a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn, how small, niche teams build the kind of trust that generates consistent inbound, and how to turn LinkedIn from a commodity channel into your most profitable one.Fill in the form today to see how this could become your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep31 Nathan O'Connell: Building a £1M R2R business on 4 x Retained Clients
Nathan O'Connell spent nine years as a British military officer. Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan. He finished on the withdrawal with 16 Air Assault Brigade and left the forces two weeks before his 30th birthday with no sales background, no LinkedIn profile, and no recruitment experience of any kind.He got into rec-to-rec by accident. Spotted an advert on his wife’s Instagram, joined R2R Global, and was given a cold desk focused on energy and renewable energy recruitment companies in London. Within 12 months he was their top biller in London. By year two, he was number one globally.Then he left. And instead of replicating what he’d done, he built the opposite. O’Connell Search Partners runs retained mandates with a maximum of four clients per geographic region. A team of four billing from Liverpool, covering London, New York, and Texas. In four months they invoiced £427,000.“I had nothing to sell at the time. So it was truly just a genuine interest.”This week on The RAG Podcast, Nathan breaks down how a military background shaped the most deliberate rec-to-rec model you will hear about this year.We cover:How a British military officer with zero sales experience became a global top biller in rec-to-rec within two yearsWhy Nathan limits his client base to four per region and how he selects between startups, scale-ups, and executive search boutiquesThe retained model in a space where most rec-to-recs work contingently, and what happens when mandates stay open for monthsHow he reconciles being anti-headcount whilst running a business that depends on agencies wanting to grow headcountWhy he gives clients 12 to 18 months grace before considering headhunting from businesses he has placed intoThe Atlas CRM and Device integration that he says saves a week of work per retained searchWhat he sees across dozens of agencies about which ones attract top talent and which ones struggleHis plan to personally bill £1m across three international locations with one researcherWhy he wants to be financially free by 45 and has no intention of building a big teamNathan O’Connell is not building a rec-to-rec empire. He is building a business designed around financial freedom, genuine relationships, and a small team where everyone bills.If you run a recruitment agency and you have ever wondered what a rec-to-rec headhunter actually thinks about your business, your culture, and your ability to attract talent, this episode will tell you.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses.They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team.Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote.And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford.Clients have seen:* Up to **60% productivity boosts*** **300% ROI** on BD roles* **30% faster completion** of operational tasksNo overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense.Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era.**RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep30 Emily Angeloni: Why She Nearly Walked Away From WOW After 9 Years of growth
Emily Angeloni co-founded WOW Recruitment in Sydney at 22. No salary for six months. Just her laptop, working from a building set for demolition. Nine years later: a team of 18 across every major Australian state, New Zealand, and the United States. One of the most respected boutique sales and marketing agencies in the country.The year she became a mother, her co-founder told her he was leaving. She came back from maternity leave to a business that had saved every problem for her return, hit a serious road block, and stood in a strategy offsite thinking she could not do it anymore. She needed to rediscover her why.She did. WOW has since had its strongest period in nine years. But then she had a valuation done. And as she says herself: valuations can be a pretty uncomfortable truth.This week on The RAG Podcast, Emily breaks down what it actually looks like to lose a business partner, build something you are not sure you even want to continue, find the clarity, and watch everything change.We cover:- How a co-founder exit right before maternity leave forced Emily into the driver's seat for the first time- Why she seriously considered walking away from nine years of work, and what made her stay- The rookie hiring model that cost WOW its billing average, its culture, and its margins- How she redesigned her role entirely around what she loves: external focus, 18 people, zero internal ops- The five-year plan to build an asset with freedom of choice, not a job she cannot leave- Why a recent valuation was an uncomfortable truth and what it sharpened her focus on- What AI is actually changing for WOW's delivery model right now-Why personal brand has been her competitive advantage since 2017 and how it converts to real revenueLosing a co-founder. Building something you are not sure you even want any more. Then getting clear on the why and watching everything change.More founders have been down this road than would ever admit it. Emily is just prepared to say it out loud. Nine years in, she is building something worth having on her own terms, and working out exactly what that is worth.If you've ever wondered what it looks like to rebuild a business around a life you actually want to live, this episode has the blueprint.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Admin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply looking for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Every recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences. Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here's the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That's the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K-£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn:Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedInHow small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demandThe 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep29 Charlie Saffro: What Nobody Tells You About Selling Your Recruitment Business
Charlie Saffro started CS Recruiting by accident. Pregnant with her third child, out of a job overnight, doing free matchmaking from the school carpool line in Chicago. Her first placement fee was $1,200 with a year-long guarantee. Sixteen years later, she had built a $5 million logistics and supply chain recruitment firm with 48 employees at its peak. Inc. Best Workplaces honouree. TEDx speaker. A brand built entirely on the idea that business is personal. Then the market turned. Three brutal years, 2022 to 2024, forced her to halve the team. On Thanksgiving 2024, she took a walk with her husband and said the words out loud for the first time: "I'm done." She sold CS Recruiting on December 1st 2025. The same year her oldest son left for college. Within weeks, the woman who had been needed by everyone suddenly wasn't needed by anyone. "Who am I without these titles? Who am I if I'm not in charge of my kids, if I'm not in charge of my team?" This week on The RAG Podcast, Charlie opens up about the reality of selling a recruitment business and what comes after. We cover: How an advertising career in downtown Chicago accidentally led to a logistics recruitment firm Why her first big client needed 200 hires and she had zero recruiters How personal branding on LinkedIn generated more business than any marketing budget The moment on Thanksgiving that triggered the decision to sell after 16 years What it actually takes to sell a recruitment business that carries your name Why she describes life after the exit as "grieving" The parallel between sending your kid to college and handing over your company How she navigates being an employee inside someone else's business after being a founder What she wishes someone had told her before she signed the deal So many recruitment founders think about selling one day. Very few actually do it. And almost nobody talks about what happens after the champagne stops flowing. If you have ever wondered what it really feels like to sell the business you built from nothing, to hand over the team you hired and the brand you created, this episode is the most honest answer you will hear. __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Atlas Let’s be honest. Admin is one of the biggest drains on growth in a recruitment business. That’s where Atlas comes in. Atlas is the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies that want to scale without adding more manual work. It doesn’t just track CVs and calls. It captures every conversation - emails, interviews, client calls - and makes it fully searchable. With Magic Search, you can literally ask: Who mentioned they’re open to relocating next year? Who talked about wanting a four-day week? Who’s worried about their commute? Atlas searches across real conversations, not just keywords on a CV, and gives you answers instantly. Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier. With Opportunities, you can track and grow client relationships using generative AI, all inside your existing workflow. And this isn’t hypothetical. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform. No admin. No silos. No lost information. Just faster shortlists, better hires, and more time spent on the work that actually drives revenue. If you want to see what the future of recruitment looks like, unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at: https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Hoxo Every recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn. Spending thousands on Recruiter licences. Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks. But here's the question almost no one can answer: How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business? Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash. That's the problem we solve. At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics. Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process. To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners. In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn: Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channel So fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep28 Blaine Daws: £1.5M Year One to £15M Today. Working 7 Days a Week to Get There.
Blaine Daws started in data centres in 2008 with a stack of papers and a wired phone. By 25, he was billing £475k a year as a solo 360 recruiter. At a family Christmas party in December 2019, he met Karl Chatterjee, a man who had already sold two recruitment businesses for multi-millions. Karl said: "Why are you going to line someone else's pockets?" Four weeks later, WNTD was incorporated. Two weeks after that, the world went into lockdown.Like so many other founders back then, he dropped his niche, went after every market he could find, and started to make money. They grew to 20 people and had a huge office in the post-Covid boom. But lost a foothold in their niche and over a quarter of a million pounds doing it.Then he stripped everything back. Let everyone go. Rebuilt from scratch around the one market he knew inside out: the Nvidia ecosystem and the global data centre buildout powering the AI revolution.WNTD is now 75 people, generating £15 to 20 million in revenue, and running a £100 billion GPU infrastructure deployment across Europe. Blaine is 35, working 7 days a week, with two young children at home."I want to make as much money as possible. So then in five years time, when I'm 40, I don't have to do it anymore."This week on The RAG Podcast, Blaine Daws tells the real story behind one of the most unusual businesses in recruitment.We cover:How a family Christmas party sparked WNTD, launched two weeks before lockdownGoing mass market, losing £250K, and why he told Karl most weeks he wanted to quitWhy stripping back to one niche was the actual growth strategyWhat statement of work really means in AI infrastructure recruitmentRunning a £100 billion GPU build and what that looks like day to dayGetting equity stakes in the partner companies they work withWorking 7 days a week at 35 with two young kids, and what it's actually costingThe question Sean asked that changed the tone of the whole episodeBlaine went from nearly shutting the business down to running one of the most specialised agencies in the world's fastest growing market.If you've ever wondered what it actually costs to build something extraordinary... this episode has the answer.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses.They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team.Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote.And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford.Clients have seen:* Up to **60% productivity boosts*** **300% ROI** on BD roles* **30% faster completion** of operational tasksNo overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense.Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era.**RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep27 Andy Strong: Why He Waited 17 Years to Start His Own Recruitment Business
Andy Strong spent 10 years in retail selling mobile phones. Then 17 years building the biggest delivery team at a SaaS recruitment firm in Dorset. He became one of four divisional directors. His team placed 82% of the company's US hires from Poole. He drove 400% growth in North American placements.And then he went to therapy.Eight sessions later, he ended an eight-year relationship, resigned from the only recruitment business he had ever known, and started a company from a shed at the bottom of his garden.Strong Search launched with no brand, no pipeline, and no office. Four retained roles landed in month one. By the end of year one: $1 million in revenue, 39 placements, 100% placement retention, and a team of seven. He turned down work with one of the largest software companies in the world because it did not fit what he stands for. He hired an operations and marketing manager before he hired another recruiter. And he recently appointed a Managing Director for North America who previously held senior roles at Coupa, Icertis, Yahoo, and Clari."I spoke to a venture capitalist in May. She said, what you're gonna learn is what's more important is what you say no to than what you say yes to. She was right."This week on The RAG Podcast, Andy Strong breaks down how he built a seven-figure recruitment business in 12 months and why trust, not volume, is the only model that survives.We cover:Why Andy waited 17 years before going out on his own and what finally changedHow therapy became the catalyst for quitting his job, ending a relationship, and starting a businessThe four retained roles that landed in month one and how they happenedWhy he hired an operations and marketing manager before another recruiterHow his team in Dorset placed 82% of a firm's US hires and beat American-based competitorsWhy he turned down a massive revenue opportunity with SAPThe 100% placement retention stat and what it actually takes to maintain itHis views on AI in recruitment and where the human element cannot be replacedAndy built something from nothing in 12 months. Not through cold calls and volume. Through precision, trust, and the courage to finally back himself.If you have ever sat in someone else's business wondering whether it is your time to go... this episode has the blueprint.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn't be slow, stressful, or expensive. That's why there's Remote Recruitment - the smart hiring partner for modern businesses.They don't just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that's ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team.Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote.And now, Remote Recruitment has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, they're helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford.Clients have seen:Up to 60% productivity boosts300% ROI on BD roles30% faster completion of operational tasksNo overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense.Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era.RAG Listeners: Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn. Spending thousands on Recruiter licences. Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here's the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That's the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn:Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedInHow small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demandThe 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep26 Jon Woolley: How a Solo Recruiter Billed $1M in Two Years from Home
Jon Woolley spent nearly a decade at Vantage Consulting. He opened their US arm, built a team of eight, and scaled it to $1.6 million. Then, three weeks before his third child was born, he walked away.No team. No clients. No pipeline. Just £30,000 in savings and a niche most recruiters have never heard of: industrial automation. The people who programme the machines that make the stuff, from pharmaceuticals to Amazon warehouses. Average fees of $20,000 to $22,000 a placement.Year one at Candid Talent he billed £112,000. Year two, $500,000. And then Q1 of year three: over $350,000 in a single quarter. Solo. From a farmhouse in Staffordshire. Three kids under seven. 25 hours a week. Almost all inbound from LinkedIn."Honestly, it's wild. Compared to the stress of year one... coming into year three with that kind of quarter. It's awesome."This week on The RAG Podcast, Jon breaks down how he went from employed recruiter to solo founder billing over $1 million in just two years, whilst being more present for his family than he ever was in agency life.We Cover:How Jon built a $1.6M US desk for someone else before going soloWhy he left a senior role three weeks before his third child arrivedThe reality of year one: £112K billed, three months to land the first deal, and constant self-doubtHow industrial automation recruitment works and why the fees are three times higher than UK averagesWhy almost all of his business now comes inbound through LinkedInThe lifestyle model: 25 hours a week, from home, present for school runs and gymnasticsHow he plans to grow from solo to six to ten people without an officeWhy he invested £30K in The Boardroom two years into building his agencyJon Woolley is not running a massive agency. He's not chasing headcount or office space or awards.He's building a business that lets him be present for his family whilst billing more than most teams.If you've ever wondered whether you could leave an established desk, start solo, and build something that works around your life rather than the other way around... this episode has the blueprint.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses. They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team. Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote. And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford. Clients have seen: * Up to **60% productivity boosts** * **300% ROI** on BD roles * **30% faster completion** of operational tasks No overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense. Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era. **RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag
Season 9 | Ep25 Christian Mather: The Wealth Planner Recruitment Founders Are Calling First
This is not a typical RAG episode.Christian Mather is not a recruiter. He has never filled a role, run a desk, or managed a team. He is a wealth planner. And since niching into recruitment founders about two and a half years ago, he has become one of the most in-demand advisors in the industry.Since January alone, he has had over 100 enquiries and spoken to 60 founders about the same thing: how to turn business success into personal financial freedom. Not through selling the business. Not through scaling to 50 heads. Through understanding one number.He calls it your freedom number. The amount you need in assets to cover your lifestyle for the rest of your life. And most founders massively overestimate what that number is.His simple formula gives you your starting point. In this episode Christian walked through real examples of his clients goals and challenges. A founder who thought he needed £5 million but actually needed £1.2 million. A 29-year-old woman billing half a million on her own, working 20 hours a week, about to hire staff she didn't need. A business doing 1.6 million net fee income with 16 staff but only £150K EBITDA because the founders were doing 80% of the work.Only 0.3% of recruitment agencies ever successfully sell. That number comes from the REC, and Christian has built his entire practice around the other 99.7%. His argument is simple: your business should fund your wealth, not be your wealth.We cover:Why 0.3% of recruitment agencies sell and what that means for your retirement planHow to calculate your freedom number using the monthly spend x 300 ruleThe real cost of treating your business as your pensionWhy founders between 40 and 45 are the ones making the callThe financial mistakes costing recruitment founders the most moneyHow co-founders can align on what they actually want from the businessWhy property is not the passive investment most founders think it isThe post-exit identity crisis that nobody prepares forChristian and I also get into our own stories and share our personal strategies for wealth creation.If you have ever wondered what your number actually is, or whether you are closer to freedom than you think, this episode has the blueprint.-----------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn't be slow, stressful, or expensive. That's why there's Remote Recruitment, the smart hiring partner for modern businesses.They don't just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that's ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team.Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote.And now, Remote Recruitment has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we're helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford.Clients have seen:- Up to 60% productivity boosts- 300% ROI on BD roles- 30% faster completion of operational tasksNo overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense.Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era.RAG Listeners: Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag-------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn. Spending thousands on Recruiter licences. Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here's the question almost no one can answer:- How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?- Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.- That's the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K to £300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep24 How David Bloxham Flipped a 130-Person Agency to 95% Contract Revenue
David Bloxham first appeared on The RAG Podcast in March 2020. That episode was recorded the week before the world went into lockdown. He had 130 staff, a fresh MBO behind him, and a business that was growing.Six years later, he is back. Same seat. Very different business.In the years since, David has navigated a pandemic, a post-COVID hiring boom, a brutal tech slump, and the rise of AI. Each time, his response was the same: strip the model apart and rebuild it stronger.GCS is now 100 people across 10 global offices, generating over 12 million in revenue with 95% coming from contract. 50% of the team now operates from offshore delivery centres in Cape Town, Mumbai, and Delhi. The permanent division that drove record numbers in 2022 has been deliberately wound down."Year on year, since 2019, our contract number has grown year on year. The perm has gone up and down, but the contracts kept rising."But perhaps the most striking part of this conversation is what comes next. David is building an AI-enabled recruitment tool designed to sit alongside his traditional business, one that could eventually generate the same revenue as his human team. He is not waiting for disruption. He is building it himself.WE COVER:How GCS went from 60/40 perm-contract split to 95% contract in under three yearsThe board-level conversation with nGAGE CEO Tim Cook that changed everythingWhy David cut his highest-performing permanent teams at their peakHow 50% of the workforce moved offshore and what the 120-120-120 delivery model looks like in practiceThe pivot from software development (47% of vacancies) to AI, cyber, and cloud (after coding roles dropped to 13%)Why fill rate matters more than job volume and the metrics David tracks at CEO levelThe GCS Leaders Series podcast and how 100+ episodes became a business development machineDavid's plan to build an AI recruitment tool that could cannibalise his own businessIf you have ever wondered whether resilience is a strategy or just a word people put on their LinkedIn profile, this episode has the answer. David Bloxham has been at the same company for nearly 30 years. He has rebuilt it three times. And he is about to do it again.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses. They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team. Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote. And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford. Clients have seen: * Up to **60% productivity boosts** * **300% ROI** on BD roles * **30% faster completion** of operational tasks No overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense. Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era. **RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep23 Ben Richardson & Mike Bott: Why LHi Group appointed two CEOs
Ben Richardson & Mike Bott: Why LHi Group appointed two CEOsFor 25 years, LHi Group had one CEO.Founder Tom Glanfield built the business from scratch with Jim Denning taking over in 2020 and leading it it through COVID.A global recruitment group, LHi has5 brands.300 people.9Offices across the US and EuropeBen Richardson and Mike Bott had both spent their careers inside LHi.Both joined as entry level recruitersBoth built desks, teams and international offices from the ground up.Both eventually became global recruitment directors.And both had their eyes on the same job."I wanted to be CEO about a week after I joined LHI in 2007."When Jim Denning stepped down, the expectation was simple.One of them would get the role.Instead, the board made a call neither of them had anticipated.They would run the business together.Co-CEOs.This week on The RAG Podcast, Ben and Mike break down how the decision happened and what it actually takes to make a leadership structure like this work.We cover:How two recruiters who joined the business years apart both ended up competing for the CEO jobThe moment they were told they would be sharing the role instead of one of them taking itWhy the board believed the co-CEO model would work for LHiHow they divide responsibility running a global recruitment businessThe leadership principles that allow two CEOs to operate without conflictWhy ego is the biggest risk in a structure like thisThe level of trust required to make joint leadership work long-termWhat founders should think about when planning succession inside their own businessesWhy promoting from within can be a competitive advantage in recruitmentWhat the next phase of growth looks like for LHi GroupThis episode isn’t really about recruitment.It’s about succession.It’s about trust.And it’s about whether the traditional idea of a single CEO is always the right answer.Because if you’re building a recruitment business and thinking about who should lead it next…This conversation might challenge the way you think about it!__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses. They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team. Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote. And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford. Clients have seen: * Up to **60% productivity boosts** * **300% ROI** on BD roles * **30% faster completion** of operational tasks No overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense. Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era. **RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep22 Lucy Robinson: Fired from her job, now running a £650k global search firm
Lucy Robinson: Fired from her job, now running a £650k global search firmLucy Robinson runs LCR International, a global executive search firm specialising in fresh produce across six continents.Today, the business is doing around £650k in revenue, but the story really started in December 2019 when Lucy was fired from her job for not hitting targets.At the time, she had no savings, a three-year-old at home, and had just spent months trying to build a new desk for an agency she’d previously worked for.Two weeks before she got fired, her husband had said something half-jokingly:"The only way you’ll ever start your own agency is if you get sacked."Two weeks later, that’s exactly what happened.Starting a business at that point didn’t exactly look like the sensible move.Lucy had a young family, no financial buffer, and was launching into a market she already knew was competitive.But she did it anyway.She launched LCR International, working three days a week, just as the world walked into COVID.The first year, she billed £100k and was mostly filling contingent work.She wanted to move into retained search, but it wasn’t really working.In 2023, she decided to change the model completely and invested in proper search training and it changed everything.The business moved to around 90% retained search, margins improved, and growth accelerated.Revenue went from £250k to £500k to £650k across three years.Now the focus isn’t on scaling faster.It’s about building a profitable, sustainable business that works for her family as well as her career.The business currently runs at around 20% net profit, with a small team and clients across the world.And Lucy has no interest in building a huge agency just for the sake of it.Instead, she’s focused on growing the business in a smarter way - using better positioning, retained search, automation and AI rather than simply adding more headcount.Her goal now is £800k this year and £1m next year, whilst keeping the business lean and flexible.This week on The RAG Podcast, Lucy shares the full story.We talk about:• Getting fired with no savings and a young child at home• Starting a business just before COVID hit• Building £100k in the first year working three days a week• Taking maternity leave twice whilst growing the business• Why contingent search stopped working for her• The training that helped shift the business to retained search• Growing from £250k → £500k → £650k• Running a global niche search firm across six continents• Raising two young kids whilst building the business• Why she prioritises flexibility over building a massive team• Her focus on profitability and a 20% net margin• Using automation and AI instead of headcount• Her plan to reach £1m revenue without sacrificing family lifeWhat I really liked about Lucy’s story is that she’s building the kind of business more founders are starting to want.A niche firm.A strong reputation in a specific market.Good margins.A small team.And a business designed around life, not the other way round.It’s a great example of what a modern recruitment business can actually look like.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasLet’s be honest. Admin is one of the biggest drains on growth in a recruitment business.That’s where Atlas comes in.Atlas is the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies that want to scale without adding more manual work.It doesn’t just track CVs and calls. It captures every conversation - emails, interviews, client calls - and makes it fully searchable.With Magic Search, you can literally ask:- Who mentioned they’re open to relocating next year?- Who talked about wanting a four-day week?- Who’s worried about their commute?Atlas searches across real conversations, not just keywords on a CV, and gives you answers instantly.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier. With Opportunities, you can track and grow client relationships using generative AI, all inside your existing workflow.And this isn’t hypothetical.Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost information.Just faster shortlists, better hires, and more time spent on the work that actually drives revenue.If you want to see what the future of recruitment looks like, unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at:https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/
Season 9 | Ep21 Jory Humphreys & Sam Hope: How they built $25M in 25 months using offshore leverage
In June 2023, Jory Humphreys and Sam Hope launched H People with limited capital but an insane energy to work hard.Within 25 months, they'd built a $25 million business. $8.2 million in year one, $15.5 million revenue and $1 million in EBITDA in their second full year. They're now Australia's number two fastest-growing company.But what makes their story different isn't the revenue. It's the model they built to get there.Most founders choose between growth and sanity. Jory and Sam chose leverage.From day one, they integrated an offshore team from the Philippines. Not as a cost-cutting exercise. As a strategic partner. One offshore resource supporting one onshore consultant.This involved structured daily huddles, clear shared targets and the growth of a real partnership culture.The offshore team handled high-volume screening, candidate qualification, compliance and administration. The onshore consultants handled what only they could do: client relationships, business development, negotiation, and revenue generation.This operating model has been the foundation of their success.As Jory explains: "If it was just me and Sam battling it out without offshore support, we would have only made half the amount of placements. They enabled us to deliver a better service."Today, H People is 21 people strong, expanding nationally across Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, and they're running one of the most profitable recruitment operations in Australia. They've also launched Wingman Recruitment, helping other agencies replicate the offshore model with the same rigour.Inside this unique story, we cover:- How two bootstrapped founders went from zero to $25M in 25 months- Why the offshore model isn't about cost-cutting - it's about leverage- The exact structure: one consultant, one resource, shared targets- How they grew 16 net new contractors every single month- The culture piece: why their offshore team outperforms typical VAs- How they built $1M EBITDA in year two (without venture capital)- Why they split focus between H People and Wingman Recruitment?- The real numbers: revenue, GP, EBITDA, and what's actually possible- How they managed family life while scaling a $25M business in 25 months- The future of recruitment: onshore consultants + offshore leverage + AI automationThis is a story of two recruiters who understood their market, built the right operating model, and scaled with intention. It’s super inspiring and I can’t wait for you to listen!__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses.They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team.Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote.And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford.Clients have seen:* Up to **60% productivity boosts*** **300% ROI** on BD roles* **30% faster completion** of operational tasksNo overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense.Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era.**RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep20 Emma Storey: How 2 part-time working mums billed £500K in their first 2 years!
Emma Storey: How 2 part-time working mums billed £500K in their first 2 years!Emma Storey never thought she'd still be in recruitment after having kids.She'd never worked with a mum in the industry. Never had a role model who'd done it. The assumption was always the same: have a baby, and your recruitment career is over.But after successfully juggling recruitment and becoming a mum inside the pandemic, in 2023 she launched her own agency with colleague Nicola Morse, a fellow working mum.They launched Hera with the plan to both work part-time, and within months, Emma soon fell pregnant with baby number 2.Inside the first 2 years, working part-time around school runs, nursery pickups and a maternity leave, they have billed £500K.That's £150K in year one during one of the worst recruitment markets in a generation, and £350K in year two with Emma off for three months and working three days a week for the rest.But what makes Emma different isn't the revenue. It's the reason she built the business in the first place.Female candidates regularly tell Hera they're nervous about wearing their wedding ring to interviews because they know it signals they might want children. Hiring managers have told them directly: we don't want people from that age range.Emma lived it herself. In one agency, a mum who left at three o'clock was met with the same comment every single day: "Thanks for coming."So Emma and Nicola built Hera around a guarantee most agencies won't make: a diverse shortlist on every single role. They positioned diversity and inclusion not as a side project but as the commercial engine. And it worked. Every client they've won has bought into it.Their target is £500K this year. They have no plans to hire a team. No plans to scale beyond two. No plans to stop billing.Inside this unique story we cover:Why Emma assumed motherhood would end her recruitment careerThe "thanks for coming" culture that still exists in agenciesWhy female candidates hide their wedding rings in interviewsHow two part-time working mums billed £500K in their first two yearsThe diverse shortlist guarantee that wins every clientWhy they target £500K a year and have zero interest in scaling beyond thatHow shared parental leave changed everything for their familyThe co-founder relationship that started at kids' swimming lessonsThis isn't about scaling fast or building an empire.It's about two women who were told, directly and indirectly, that motherhood and recruitment don't mix. They billed half a million pounds in two years working part-time and proved it wrong. Without sacrificing bedtimes, school runs, or being present for their kids.If you're a female recruiter wondering whether you can have children, build a business, and still love what you do, this episode is your blueprint.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasLet’s be honest. Admin is one of the biggest drains on growth in a recruitment business.That’s where Atlas comes in.Atlas is the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies that want to scale without adding more manual work.It doesn’t just track CVs and calls. It captures every conversation - emails, interviews, client calls - and makes it fully searchable.With Magic Search, you can literally ask:Who mentioned they’re open to relocating next year?Who talked about wanting a four-day week?Who’s worried about their commute?Atlas searches across real conversations, not just keywords on a CV, and gives you answers instantly.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier. With Opportunities, you can track and grow client relationships using generative AI, all inside your existing workflow.And this isn’t hypothetical.Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost information.Just faster shortlists, better hires, and more time spent on the work that actually drives revenue.If you want to see what the future of recruitment looks like, unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at:https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here's the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That's the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn:Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedInHow small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demandThe 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep19 Avetis Antaplyan on how he spent millions protecting his team (they still left anyway)
In 2022, Avetis Antaplyan was absolutely flying...HIRECLOUT, his global recruiting firm with 30 employees across the US, Colombia, Armenia, and India was breaking record after record.Two-time Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company, his best year ever and he felt everything was working.Then when the market hit hard in 2023-2024 and every other founder was doing layoffs, Avetis refused to cut people.Instead, he took most of his profits out of the business to keep his team employed through the downturn.He genuinely believed loyalty would be returned. That when things turned around, they'd kill it together.It didn't work that way."Those were the first people who resigned when we put some pressure on," he admits. "All it did was burn my profit."For two and a half years, he broke even. The money was gone. The people left anyway. But that failure taught him something most founders never learn: protecting average people doesn't build loyalty. It destroys capital.Now he's building the opposite.His new obsession: take exceptional people (circa $500-600k billers) and use AI, systems, and tools to turn them into $1m producers.He's recently hired a principal on executive search, a director of business development, and is planning a head of consulting…. Serious hires for a new phase of growth.In this episode, we cover:- Why he chose loyalty over layoffs (and what it cost)- Two and a half years of breaking even- The moment he realised protecting people was destroying capital - How he rebuilt with "bar raisers or nothing"- Building AI to turn $600k billers into million-dollar producers- Why he's never burnt out (and why most founders do)This story highlights a founder who made a decision based on loyalty, watched it blow up in his face, and chose to learn instead of blame the market.If you've ever wondered what happens when you prioritise people over profit, this episode may change how you think about loyalty. __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses.They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team.Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote.And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford.Clients have seen:* Up to **60% productivity boosts*** **300% ROI** on BD roles* **30% faster completion** of operational tasksNo overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense.Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era.**RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep18 Peter Kornberg: How a Non-Recruiter Built $1M+ Revenue 15 years in a row (with Just 6 People)
Peter Kornberg: How a Non-Recruiter Built $1M+ Revenue 15 years in a row (with Just 6 People)Peter Kornberg never worked a day as an agency recruiter.He worked in Advertising and Marketing and became a Chief Digital Officer.He ran a product design agency in New York City. Clients started asking for talent they couldn't afford to engage the agency for. So Peter said: "We can provide you some people."That was 15 years ago.What started as an ad hoc favour became UX Hires -a staffing and recruitment firm that's done $1M+ in revenue every single year since (with a team of six).But it wasn't always lean and profitable.In 2021, they had 60 open roles. A full team of employees. An expensive New York City office. Peter hired a leader to run the recruitment business."He didn't bring in any business. He wasn't particularly effective at managing," Peter admits."Didn't really fulfil that potential."They were grinding. Burning out. Taking on everything that came through the door."We didn't effectively weigh the roles that came in as we saw everything as money. Everything was opportunities. So we just went for everything."The team wasn't profitable, this model wasn't working.So Peter stripped it back.He kept only his best recruiters and sourcers. People who could deliver exceptional outcomes regardless of market conditions. No 360 recruiters, only delivery consultants with him focusing on winning all new business."Really focus on people that can deliver great outcomes," he says. "I can handle the rest around that, which is client relationships."But here's what makes Peter different.He split his team between sourcing and recruiting. Sourcers find people; that's all they do. Recruiters manage clients and placements. It's all relationship-based building.60% of his revenue now comes from contract and he's rebuilt his entire approach to work: "I could probably get more done in five hours of really productive work than 15 hours of grinding away and burning out."He doesn’t believe in “hustle culture” and he’s not trying to build an empire. He’s quietly built a sustainable, profitable role business that gives him his life back.We cover:- Why never being a recruiter became his biggest advantage- The 60-role mistake that nearly broke the business- How he rebuilt around just 6 people and hit $1M+ consistently- The split desk model (and why he refuses 360 recruiters)- Why 60% contract revenue changed everything- The failed leader hire (and why BD roles are so hard to delegate)- Time blocking and the 5-hour productivity principle- How AI is reshaping UX and product design recruitmentThis isn't about scaling fast or an exit strategy.It's about a non-recruiter who stumbled into being a recruiter, nearly burned out chasing growth, and rebuilt a million-dollar business around what actually works: small team, high margins, client relationships.No investment decks and growth-at-all-costs. Just profitability and freedom.If you've ever wondered whether you can build a 7-figure recruitment business without the complexity, the burn-out, or the endless headcount - this episode will help!__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses.They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team.Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote.And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford.Clients have seen:* Up to **60% productivity boosts*** **300% ROI** on BD roles* **30% faster completion** of operational tasksNo overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense.Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era.**RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep17 Alex Hashash: A Decade of Building Offshore Teams Across Three Continents
At 21 years old, Alex Hashash was managing 15 people and 18,000 hours of temporary nurses every single week.By his early thirties, he had 120 staff. Most of them offshore.But it didn't start with a playbook. It started with 3 am phone calls, traumatic Blackberry ringtones, and weekend rotas that never seemed to end.When his company decided to build an offshore capability, Alex didn't manage it from a distance.He moved to India for eight months to build the team from scratch.Night shifts. Culture clashes. Teaching people who'd never worked in recruitment how to fill nursing shifts at 2 am UK time.He's spent over a decade learning what separates the founders who make offshore work from those who give up after six months.Most treat it like a cost-cutting exercise. They hire one remote person, hope for the best, and blame the model when it fails.Alex took the opposite approach."If someone makes a mistake, it's really easy to blame them because they're so far away. But if that was a colleague on your desk, would you be as harsh?"The problem isn't the talent. It's the leadership.This week on The RAG Podcast, Alex tells the full story.We cover:Why most recruitment founders fail at offshore within six months How to build culture when your team is thousands of miles away The biggest mistake UK consultants make when managing offshore staff Why hiring people without recruitment experience often delivers the best ROI How to structure probation and promotional targets for offshore hires The leadership buy-in you need before going offshore How he scaled to 120 staff with the majority based offshoreThis isn't theory. It's a decade of hard-won experience across three continents.If you've ever wondered whether offshore could work for your agency - or why your previous attempt failed - this episode has the blueprint.--------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/--------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here's the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That's the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K - £300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn:Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedInHow small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demandThe 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep16 Logan Naidu: How he made 100 cuts after a £30M deal (and survived the downturn)
Logan Naidu runs Kernel Global-a multi-brand recruitment group with 200 people across London, Hong Kong, Charlotte and New York.We first spoke in April 2021. He had 180 people. The market was about to explode.2021: £7 million EBITDA. 2022: £10 million EBITDA. Headcount doubled to 300.Then March 2023 hit. Logan closed a second PE deal. Paid out over £30 million to staff. The biggest individual payout? Multiple millions.One month later, he started making cuts."I remember talking to my father-in-law saying I'm really embarrassed by this. I've just taken on a load of money from new investors and we're already talking about making cuts and the business shrinking."By the end of 2023, Logan had cut 100 heads—a third of the business.But here's what makes this story different: he saw it coming.December 2022. Their Christmas party. Logan stood up and said: "I think we've forgotten how hard this industry can be. We've had a record year, but we're cutting corners. We're taking clients for granted. That's going to bite us if we don't get back to it really quickly."It was poorly received. Then 2023 happened.This week on The RAG Podcast, Logan breaks down the full story.We cover:Scaling from £4.9M to £10M EBITDA in three years during the boomWhy he warned his team in December 2022 that they'd "forgotten the basics"Closing a PE deal on a Saturday morning hours before Silicon Valley Bank collapsedMaking 100 cuts across two waves (and why the second wave was harder)The criteria he used to decide who stayed: character, work ethic, client treatmentWhy his sleepless nights dropped from 2–3 per week to 2–3 per yearRebuilding to 2022 levels by 2025 with a completely different foundationHis approach to AI, offshoring, and why he won't chase every new toolWhy he still hires graduates despite the cost and cultural shiftsThe plan to double the business again by 2029This isn't about avoiding pain.It's about a founder who moved fast, made hard decisions early, and came out the other side with a business built to last through cycles.If you've ever wondered how the best operators stay level when everyone else is drinking their own Kool-Aid, this episode is the blueprint.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses.They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team.Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote.And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford.Clients have seen:* Up to **60% productivity boosts*** **300% ROI** on BD roles* **30% faster completion** of operational tasksNo overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense.Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era.**RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep15 Ryan Gorman: How He Built £250k in Fees Without Making a Single Cold Call
Ryan Gorman: How He Built £250k in Fees Without Making a Single Cold CallRyan Gorman launched Lofthouse Group in January 2021 with a newborn daughter at home.His wife asked him one question: "What sort of person do you want Isla seeing? Do you want her growing up seeing work as something you love, or just something you do to earn money?"Year one, solo, working part-time around his newborn: £93k invoiced. £60k profit. Home for every bath time."Everything has been warm. I've never had to sit down and just cold-call tons of people."While other recruiters smashed the phones, Ryan built a podcast as a BD tool. Used LinkedIn to warm every approach. And went to Instagram to find architects who weren't even on LinkedIn.Four years later? £250k in fees. Average placement of £12k (market average is £7.5k). 85% repeat business. 70% net profit.This week on The RAG Podcast, Ryan tells the full story.We cover:Why he left tech recruitment to go back to architectureThe question his wife asked that gave him the push to startHow he used Instagram to find candidates not on LinkedInWhy he's never made a cold call and still bills £250kHiring his first employee after four years soloHow his first hire billed £50k in two and a half monthsHis plan to become number one in architecture recruitmentIf you've ever wondered whether you can build a profitable recruitment business without grinding the phones, this episode is for you.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses. They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team. Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote. And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford. Clients have seen: * Up to **60% productivity boosts** * **300% ROI** on BD roles * **30% faster completion** of operational tasks No overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense. Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era. **RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep14 Stuart Mitchell: How he built $3M in 3 years (then realised he hated his own job)
Stuart Mitchell: How he built $3M in 3 years (then realised he hated his own job)Stuart Mitchell launched Hampton North in September 2022.$1.6 million year one. $2.5 million year two. On track for $3 million plus in year three.Now 10 staff and projects $1m profit for next year.I interviewed him on the show in the middle of 2023, and things were flying.But over the following 18 months, he nearly broke.His dad died. His wife fell pregnant. And the VP he'd promised her-the guy who was supposed to take the pressure off-pulled out in January."I had to go home to my newly pregnant wife and have a really hard conversation."For 6 months, Stuart ground it out alone. High expectations, low empathy. The worst version of himself.Then at a wedding, his old running mate Greg Anderson said: "I think we should do this again."Greg joined in June and immediately told Stuart the truth: "There is nothing here. No process. Nothing written down. You're making it impossible for anyone who joins to actually do well."This week on The RAG Podcast, Stuart tells the full story.We cover:Launching just before the 2023 downturn and hitting $1.6M in the first yearLosing his dad and how it derailed him for two monthsThe VP hire that fell through one week after his wife fell pregnantWhy he admits "I had my own company and I didn't like my job"How one hire professionalised a business built entirely on talentBuilding a $3M agency with 10 people (and why he'll never scale past 25)Why he takes profit first and doesn't care about a big exitThe role this LinkedIn profile and brand played in attracting top-tier talentThis isn't about sacrifice for success.It's about a founder who built a multi-7-figure business, then redesigned it so he could pick his kids up from school.If you've ever wondered whether you can have both profit and peace, this episode is the proof you need!__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here's the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That's the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn:Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedInHow small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demandThe 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep13 Pete Watson: 22 years as a solo Rec2Rec in Australia (and why he'd never do it again)
Pete Watson: 22 years as a solo Rec2Rec in Australia (and why he'd never do it again)Pete Watson is the longest-serving boots-on-the-ground Rec2Rec in Australia.22 years running Mint R2R. Thousands of placements. A recognisable name across the entire Australian recruitment market.But 18 months ago, he was at the gym when he asked himself one question:"Would I do it all again?"His answer was immediate: "A fast no."Not because he failed. But because of what success actually cost him."Even though people look at 22 years as a business owner and go 'that's amazing, congratulations' - it's been brutal. It's been lonely. It's been isolating. It has not been good for mental health."So that afternoon, he knocked up a logo on Canva and launched Recruitment United.Within a week, 70 agency owners joined a WhatsApp group.Within four months, 500.Today, there are 330 subscribing members accessing weekly training, mate rates discounts, and a proper community of peers.This week on The RAG Podcast, Pete tells the full story.We cover:Why 22 years as a solo Rec2Rec nearly broke him mentallyThe gym moment that changed everythingHow he built a 500-member community in four months with zero planWhy the majority of his members have no intention of scalingThe rise of lifestyle businesses over exit strategiesNavigating divorce, becoming a stepdad, and buying back his family home13 years alcohol-free and why he finally started talking about itThis isn't about building an empire.It's about a founder who realised that isolated recruitment success was killing him—and built something to solve that for himself and others!If you've ever felt lonely as a solo founder, or wondered whether there's another way to build, this episode is for you.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That’s why there’s Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn’t only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it’s entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that’s not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don’t miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep12 Michael Green: How he made $700K in year one (after not billing for 6 years)
Michael Green: How he made $700K in year one (after not billing for 6 years)Michael Green spent six years running teams of 100+ recruiters.Building offices. Managing people. Zero placements.When he launched Unico in April 2024, he had to go back to basics."I had to do role plays to myself. I hadn't qualified a candidate in six years."Day one was brutal. Just him, his house and a dog.But Michael had something most recruiters don't: a genuine answer to "what makes you different?"While everyone else competed on job boards chasing $30K fees, Michael went the opposite direction.Senior positions only. Architect level and above.New York Location onlyHis average fee jumped from $30K to $60K overnight.His biggest placement? $170,000.12 months later: $700K gross profit. Solo.Year two: $1.5M with just four people.But here's what makes Michael different.He's not scaling headcount - he's scaling quality.Ultra-niche: ServiceNow and bleeding-edge SaaS. One technology. Total focus.Last week, a major partner messaged him: "I've seen your posts. I've heard your reputation. We want to use you exclusively."He'd never spoken to them before..He's now targeting growth15 profitable recruiters and $3M in 2026.This week on The RAG Podcast, Michael tells the full story.We cover:- Why he walked away from running 200 people to start from scratch- How he made $700K in year one after six years out of recruitment- The "top 3%" model that clients can't say no to- Why he pivoted from $30K to $100K+ fees overnight- The AI screening tool that's changing his close rate- His LinkedIn strategy that generates 70% conversion ratesThis isn't about scaling fast.It's about a man who had to relearn his own trade, doubted himself daily, and built a $1.5M business in 20 months that doesn't require 100 heads to hit seven figures.No venture capital. No growth-at-all-costs.Just profitable headcount over vanity metrics.If you've ever wondered whether you can start your own agency after years of management - or if there's a smarter way to scale than just adding bodies – this episode has the blueprint.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That’s why there’s Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn’t only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it’s entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that’s not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don’t miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep 11 Jen Gaster: How she sold her business to her team (and kept the tax bill at zero)
Jen Gaster: How she sold her business to her team (and kept the tax bill at zero)Jen Gaster launched HR Heads in 2008 at the height of the financial crisis with a six-month-old baby and zero income security.17 years later, she runs three brands, 22 people, and just completed an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) transaction.Tax-free exit, 5-year payout. The employees own the business when the mortgage is paid off.One week after they completed the deal, Rachel Reeves changed the rules.EOT payments are now taxable for anyone doing it after the budget.Jen got in just in time.But here's what makes this story different.She built the business with her husband Rupert. Same office but separate brands and working processes (They've literally only attended one client meeting together in their entire lives!)This week on The RAG Podcast, Jen tells the full story.We cover:Starting a business during the 2008 financial crash with a babyWorking with your spouse without destroying your marriageWhy she admits "I don't think I'm a brilliant man manager"The EOT transaction and how they structured a tax-free exitHow Rachel Reeves' budget changed the rules one week after they completedWhy legacy mattered more than a trade saleThis isn't about building an empire.It's about a founder who wanted to reward the people who built the business with her and managed to do it without a tax bill.If you've ever wondered whether there's another way to exit, this episode has the blueprint.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here's the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That's the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn:Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedInHow small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demandThe 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep10 Helen Buchan-Connor on why she's building offshore teams and hitting $600K revenue
Helen Buchan-Connor on why she's building offshore teams and hitting $600K revenue"All I wanted to do was make £100,000. That's it"Helen Buchan Connor started her recruitment business in September 2020.Her husband had just been diagnosed with lymphoma.COVID had locked down Singapore a week earlier.She was working from her lift lobby because there was no space for an office.Most people would've waited for a "better time."Helen didn't have that luxury.First year: $350K revenue, $50K profit.But then 2023 hit. The market turned. She lost $200K.She'd taken investment. Signed a JV with a well-known player in the industry.The advice she got?"Work harder. Do more calls."But you can't bring UK-style metrics into Southeast Asia and expect them to land."In Southeast Asia, trust is built off relationships. In the West, it's built off performance."So Helen stripped it back. Looked at what the big tech companies were actually doing.Amazon. Google. The major media agencies.They were all offshoring. Quietly.She decided to do it loudly.Today:- Three-person team- $600K revenue- Phone off at 7 pm- Present mother and wife- Building offshore hubs for ad tech clients across Southeast AsiaThis week on The RAG Podcast, Helen breaks down exactly how she built it.We cover:- Why she started in the middle of a pandemic with a seriously ill husband- How she turned $350K Year 1 into a $200K loss in Year 3- Why the JV investment model failed her (and what she learned)- The Southeast Asia + Philippines combination that changed everything- How she's consulting clients OUT of hiring decisions (and still growing revenue)- Why "surviving is thriving" when you're a working parent building a businessThis isn't about grinding harder or scaling to 50 headcount.This is about building a recruitment business that fits your life.Not the other way around."Surviving is thriving. If you've got it together at the end of the week, you're good. If your kids like you, you're good. If you've got a couple of clients and you can invoice them, you're good."If you want to understand how to build profitably without sacrificing everything else, this episode is essential.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That’s why there’s Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn’t only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it’s entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that’s not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don’t miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep9 Emily Van Eyssen on why she's firing staff and replacing them with AI
Emily Van Eyssen on why she's firing staff and replacing them with AI"I automated someone's entire job out of my business.""They're gone. That role doesn't exist anymore."Emily Van Eyssen isn't talking about the future.She's talking about last month.She had no recruitment experience when she started.Zero training. Never worked for an agency. Stumbled into it during the pandemic through a government contract she still doesn't understand why she won.Most people would have crashed and burned.Emily placed 200 young people into employment, made a lot of money, and accidentally built a completely virtual recruitment business.When the pandemic ended and the scheme shut down, she had a choice.Go back to managing Airbnbs (which she hated), or figure out how to make recruitment work.Three years later:30-35 placements per monthTeam of just 8 people300+ people placed globallyJobs being automated out of existence in real-timeBut here's what makes Emily's story urgent.She's not planning for an AI future. She's living it right now.South African talent + AI super users = roles disappearing overnight.She fired someone last week for refusing to use AI. That job is now gone forever.One of her team automated their own role out. They're still there. The role isn't.She's training 5,000 people per month in South Africa on AI (and employing none of them).She's targeting 100 placements per month by Easter. Same 8-person team.This week on The RAG Podcast, Emily tells you exactly what's coming.We cover:Why she fired someone for refusing to adopt AI (and automated their job immediately)How one team member automated an entire salary out of the businessThe South Africa + AI combination making UK roles obsoleteWhy she's training thousands in AI but employing none of themWhat happens to recruitment when one person can do the work of fiveHer plan to 3x placements without hiring a single personThis isn't a prediction about 2030.This is happening right now. In Emily's business. Today.And if you're not preparing for it, you're already behind.If you want to understand what the next 12 months actually look like for recruitment, this episode is essential.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That’s why there’s Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn’t only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it’s entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that’s not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don’t miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep8 Mark Thomas walked away from a six-figure salary without a concrete plan.
Mark Thomas walked away from a six-figure salary without a concrete plan.Three co-founders. One investment. Strict 9-month covenants.Then came March: dozens of pitches, everyone loved the vision, but almost no one was buying. The retained leadership search model wasn't landing. They started questioning everything.One week later, four retained searches landed. Revenue hasn't stopped climbing since.12 months in: £1M+ revenue, 75% retained work, and a business model nobody else in insurance recruitment is executing at this level.In this episode:Why he nearly pivoted to golf (and why recruitment pays better)The £150k-£350k leadership gap nobody was serving properlyTurning down every role under £120k to protect the brandBuilding the "Real Madrid of recruiters" with 10-15 elite billersHow retained search gives you three-month revenue visibilityThe profit share model that creates a partnership without equityThis isn't a scale-to-50-people story. This is about building a boutique firm where being the worst recruiter in the room means you've hired brilliantly.For recruitment founders who want quality over quantity and believe 10 great people beats 50 average ones.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That’s why there’s Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn’t only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it’s entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that’s not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don’t miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep7 Chris & Gemma built a 7-figure agency by saying NO to 90% of clients
Chris & Gemma built a 7-figure agency by saying NO to 90% of clientsChris walked into a client meeting. Got the job brief. Then said "No way."The client looked at him like he was insane."You haven't shown me the office. I don't know your team. I can't work on this job."She'd just told him they were more expensive than every other agency.He didn't care.This is how Chris and Gemma built Mixos - a husband-and-wife recruitment agency that operates completely backwards.They REFUSE to take briefs over email. They WON'T work with clients who rush them. They'd literally rather go bankrupt than cut their fees.And somehow? Rookies from retail are billing £50k+ quarters. They've grown to 15 people in 18 months. Their LinkedIn DMs are full of warm leads.In this episode:Why they lost one job last month and Chris "felt like someone stuck a knife in him"The cocktails-in-Mallorca conversation that merged two agencies during a pandemicHow they got a psychology graduate with zero experience to £53k in 90 daysBuilding a 400-person local community that makes cold calling irrelevantWhy they walked away from their biggest client (and replaced it with 5 better ones)The "blueprint everything first" strategy that stops quality diluting as you scaleWhat happens when you tell a client, "I can't help you" in the first meetingThis isn't about growth hacks or AI tools or scaling fast.This is about two people who set impossible standards, refuse to compromise, and somehow built an agency where saying NO is their superpower.For every recruiter who's tired of competing on price and wondering if there's another way.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That’s why there’s Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn’t only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it’s entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that’s not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don’t miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep6 Mick Donaghy: How he built $1.4M from $7K (after his partnership collapsed)
Mick Donaghy: How he built $1.4M from $7K (after his partnership collapsed) Mick Donaghy's mother died when he was in his twenties.Life's too short became his operating system.He left Ireland. Moved to New Zealand. Became a top-billing recruiter! A few years later, he got his shot at ownership. A partnership to launch an Australian business for the agency he worked. For many reasons, this partnership didn’t work, so Mick paid back his business partner and walked away with $7,000 in his bank account.No business. No plan B.This time, he was doing it alone.GEDON was born - named after his Mum.Ultra-niche: quantity surveying and cost management. One discipline. Total focus.12 months later: $1.4M AUD in billings.65 placements. One person every three days.But here's what makes Mick different.He's not building an empire.- he’s building freedom!Currently has 9 people, 5 offshore making 40%+ profit margins.Last week, he won 3 new clients from his personal brand. Zero cold calls.He just bought a 100-year-old house in Belfast. Cash.He drives an old Toyota Corolla, does 30 minutes in the sauna daily and is two and a half years into rebuilding his relationship with alcohol.He’s now set a new and incredible target: 20-hour work week. $300-400K profit annually.This week on The RAG Podcast, Mick tells the full story.We cover:The partnership in Australia that COVID nearly destroyedHow he started Gedon with $7K and built it to $1.4M in year oneWhy ultra-niche made his business borderlessThe personal brand strategy that replaced cold callingWhy he refuses to scale headcountHis sobriety journey and the 20-hour work week planThis isn't about scaling fast.It's about a man who lost his mom young, tried a partnership that collapsed, and rebuilt everything from $7,000 into a million-dollar business that gives him his life back.No investor decks. No growth-at-all-costs.Just freedom over headcount.If you've ever wondered whether there's another way to build a business—one that doesn't trap you -this episode has the blueprint.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here's the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That's the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep5 Jordan Shlosberg: Why agency recruiters will win (and internal TA won't)
Jordan Shlosberg: Why agency recruiters will win (and internal TA won't)Jordan Shlosberg runs Atlas CRM—the fastest-growing, AI-native recruitment platform in the world.Thousands of recruiters use his technology every day. Real-time data. Real billings. Real problems being solved.If anyone knows what's actually working with AI in recruitment, it's him."Internal talent teams have a lot to worry about. Agency recruiters? There's a renaissance coming."Here's why:Agency recruiters have years of candidate conversations. Reference calls. Market knowledge built through relationships. The ability to cut through 1,500 AI-generated applications with actual insight.Internal TA has a resume. Sometimes a screening call. That's it.But here's the problem: agency recruitment only represents 7-8% of all hires in Europe.We could grow our share massively. Or we could shrink into irrelevance.The difference? How quickly we become AI-literate.This week on The RAG Podcast, Jordan and I go deep on what's actually happening in recruitment AI.We cover:Why Atlas crossed $1M ARR in 10 months while the market contractedHow clients are growing from 4 to 15 seats in under a yearThe fatal flaw in "agentic job boards" like Jack & JillWhy sourcing platforms only show you 50% of LinkedIn's dataThe partnership we're launching to make recruiters top 5% AI usersThis isn't another "AI is coming for your job" panic post.This is strategic intelligence from someone watching what actually works across thousands of recruiters every day.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here's the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That's the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency's most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep4 Ricky Burns: How to build £1.1M profit in year one (after losing it all at 32)
Ricky Burns: How to build £1.1M profit in year one (after losing it all at 32)Ricky Burns made incredible money at 28Then he drank it all away.Partied it into oblivion and got hit with a massive VAT bill he couldn't pay.Most people never recover from that kind of failure, but at 32, he decided to shut the business down and start again.He went back into employment for 11 years.Ran European divisions. Watched. Learned. Took notes on what actually works.Then in September 2024 he launched Pulse Group with his co-founder Tony.12 months later:£1.4M in fees£1.1M in EBITDA (profit)I don't know anyone who's achieved these numbers in year one.This week on The RAG Podcast, Ricky breaks it all down.We cover:How they hit £1.1M profit in 12 months (it's simpler than you think)What killed his first business (beyond the partying)The 10 years of lessons that made the comeback inevitableWhy he paired recruitment with SOW consultancyThe systems and client focus driving 83% marginsHow AI is making them more efficient without adding headcountWhy work-life balance is now non-negotiableThis isn't your typical "I scaled fast" story.This is brutal honesty about failure, sobriety, and building something sustainable the second time around.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That’s why there’s Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn’t only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it’s entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that’s not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don’t miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep3 Matt Fox achieved a life-changing exit and walked away in 90 days!
Matt Fox achieved a life-changing exit and walked away in 90 days!Matt Fox was 72 hours from a multi-seven-figure exit when COVID killed the deal.What followed: a complete breakdown, 2 years of therapy, and a total rebuild.But he did it differently the second time.Cut from 30 stressed employees to 10 people he loved. Stripped costs. Turned it into a cash machine. By 40, he'd cleared his mortgage and bought Spanish properties with cash.Then, in November 2024, he sold the business and walked away in 3 months.In this episode:Why scaling to 30 people nearly destroyed himThe "cash cow" strategy that made him wealthy before the exitHow to build a team that doesn't need youWhat selling a business actually feels like (the bit nobody warns you about)Why 80% of recruitment founders get exits wrongThis isn't your typical scale-and-sell story. This is what it really takes to lose everything, rebuild on your terms, and exit with your sanity intact.For recruitment founders running 5-30 person agencies, wondering what happens next.Chapters00:03:00 Building Dynamite Recruitment00:09:00 Challenges and Resilience00:15:00 Restructuring for Profitability00:21:00 The Sale Process00:27:00 Lessons Learned and Future Plans__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That’s why there’s Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn’t only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it’s entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that’s not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don’t miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep2 Nick Hoadley on scaling Insurance Search to 7-figures at 50% plus profit
This week on The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Nick Hoadley, founder of Insurance Search, a specialist executive search practice in the global insurance market.Nick quit a successful broking career nine years ago and launched a recruitment business with zero agency experience. Since then, he has shifted from 100% contingent to 100% retained, built a lean team, and maxed out a seven-figure practice while holding 50 to 60% profit margins. He is now expanding in the US with a partner model designed to scale without fixed overheads.We talk about:- How he went from insurance broker to founder with no prior agency experience- The playbook for moving from 100% contingent to 100% retained- Why a podcast and thought leadership now drive executive mandates worldwide- Building a lean delivery engine, research and board search that sustains 50% plus margins- The US partner model that scales without headcount or fixed overhead- What to productise next, from human capital research to peer forums- Practical advice on letting go of delivery to win bigger workIf you are aiming to grow an executive search practice while protecting profit, this is the episode to watch.Chapters00:00:30 Nick Hoadley's Journey00:01:00 From Contingent to Retained00:01:28 Impact of Podcasting00:01:57 Aligning Personal and Professional Goals00:02:27 AI and the Future of Recruitment00:02:57 Building Client Trust00:03:27 Scaling with a Partner Model00:03:59 The US Market Expansion00:04:28 Conclusion and Future Outlook__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That’s why there’s Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn’t only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it’s entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that’s not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don’t miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Season 9 | Ep1 Samm Green on rebuilding Few & Far towards £1m EBITDA in 2025, despite serious burnout and two years of losses
This week, on episode 1 of season 9 of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Samm Green, co-founder of Few & Far, a UK-based product management recruitment business with 22 people and a powerful story of resilience.Samm was the very first guest I ever recorded on The RAG back in 2019, and at that time, he had big plans to scale to 40 staff and eventually exit. While some of that came true, the road since has been far from smooth.In this episode, Samm opens up about: - The financial and emotional toll of losing over £350,000 during the market downturn. - How burnout and stress led to physical illness and a trip to A&E. - The decision to rebuild and focus on profit, not just growth. - Why transparency and community have been key to recovery. - How he’s turned the business around to be on track for £1m EBITDA in 2025.This is one of the most honest conversations I’ve ever had on The RAG. It’s a story about resilience, leadership and learning what success really means when the pressure hits hardest.Chapters00:00 Sam Green's Journey02:53 The Growth and Challenges of Few&Far05:55 Navigating the Post-COVID Landscape09:00 The Impact of Financial Loss on Mental Health11:27 Lessons Learned from Redundancies and Business Cuts14:36 Rebuilding and Regaining Profitability17:20 The Importance of Mental Health in Business20:17 Strategies for Business Development and Community Building23:16 The Future of Recruitment in a Changing Market26:00 Personal Reflections and Future Aspirations28:48 Conclusion and Final Thoughts__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That’s why there’s Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn’t only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it’s entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that’s not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don’t miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here’s the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That’s the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channelSo fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0
Anthony Webster on authenticity, inclusion and leading DVF Recruitment to success
This week on The RAG Podcast, I am revisiting my episode with Anthony Webster, Managing Director of DVF Recruitment and board member at Career Legal.Anthony and I go way back - we worked together for five years and even planned to launch Hoxo together before his journey took a different turn. At that point, Anthony made a life-changing decision: he came out as gay after years of hiding his true self.We talk about:The challenges of coming out in a male-dominated industryWhy authenticity and inclusion are vital for culture and growthHis journey from recruiter to MD and board memberThe impact of living openly on his career and leadership styleHow DVF has grown under his leadership as part of the Career Legal groupAnthony’s story is powerful, personal, and incredibly inspiring. It’s about resilience, honesty, and the importance of creating safe and inclusive spaces in recruitment.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the RAG Podcast and Guest Introduction01:28 Anthony's Journey: Coming Out and Career Choices03:36 Career Path: From Recruitment to Managing Director08:25 The Drive for Success: Personal Background and Motivation11:19 Building Relationships in Recruitment: The Importance of Consistency15:28 The Decision to Come Out: Personal Struggles and Growth19:03 Navigating Life After Coming Out: Personal and Professional Changes22:51 Integrating into the LGBTQ Community: New Experiences and Friendships33:00 The Future of DVF Recruitment: Growth and Inclusion48:58 Creating an Inclusive Environment in Recruitment01:00:01 Looking Ahead: Future Plans for DVF and Personal Life__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasYour memory isn’t perfect. So Atlas remembers everything for you. Atlas is an end-to-end recruitment platform built for the AI generation. It automates your admin so you can focus on the business tasks that matter. How many conversations do you have every day? With clients. Candidates. Your team. Service providers.Now how many of those conversations can you recall with 100% accuracy? How many hours a week do you spend making notes to try and retain as much as possible? And how much is still getting lost along the way? Traditional CRM systems weren’t built for the type of recruitment business you’re running right now. They were built to rely on the structured, tagged, categorised, and formal data you could feed it. Manual processes that needed you to input specific information, based on specific questions and answers. But what about all the other conversations you’re having every single day? Atlas isn’t an ATS or a CRM. It’s an Intelligent Business Platform that helps you perform 10X better than you could on your own. How? By removing all your low value tasks, acting as your perfect memory, and providing highly relevant recommendations to impact your performance. Learn more about the power of Atlas – and take advantage of the exclusive offer for The RAG listeners – by visiting https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoRecruitment agency founders - this one’s for you.What’s your plan for the rest of 2025?If it’s based on more cold outreach, referrals, or hiring more recruiters… we’ve got news for you. That’s not where the smart money is going.The market has changed. AI is everywhere. Noise is louder than ever.So if you want to scale profitably this year, you need to do things differently!It starts with what you already have.Your experience. Your network. Your voice.And we are showing you exactly how to use it in a brand-new, FREE Masterclass - built specifically for recruitment leaders like you.You’re going to learn:Why your LinkedIn content isn’t working - and how to fix it fastHow to generate inbound leads without being “LinkedIn famous”And the exact Hoxo 3X System agencies are using to book more calls - in just a few hours a week78% of our clients made over 100K in the first 6 months using this. No fluff. No guesswork. Just stuff that works.The Masterclass is free - but it’s only available for a limited time.So if you’re serious about growing this year, don’t wait.Head to https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0 to get started. See you there!
Laura Clark on taking over OA Group from her mum and leading it into the future
This week on The RAG Podcast, we are revisiting my episode with Laura Clark, CEO of OA Group.Laura’s journey is one of the most unique I’ve ever shared on the show. She grew up watching her mum build Osborne Appointments (now OA Group), joined the business at 19, and earlier this year bought it from her mother to take over as CEO.We talk about:What it was like growing up with an entrepreneurial mother as inspirationJoining the business at 19 and proving herself in recruitmentNavigating four children while building her own career and leadership styleThe emotional and strategic process of negotiating the buyout with her mumHer vision for OA Group, balancing legacy with innovationThis was the first time I’ve had a guest who has bought their business from a parent, and it raises so many relatable themes for any founder, from negotiating long-term relationships to building a business that truly reflects your values.Chapters00:00 Introduction to The Rag Podcast and Laura Clark02:21 Laura's Journey in Recruitment and Family Dynamics12:03 Early Career Challenges and Growth in Recruitment18:19 Transitioning to Management and Leadership28:38 Taking Over the Family Business32:44 Navigating Business Challenges34:37 The Emotional Dynamics of Family Business38:35 Reflections on Business Exits41:30 Post-Acquisition Vision and Growth49:54 Balancing Remote Work and Team Dynamics55:03 Gender Equality in Leadership59:43 Juggling Work and Family Life__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasYour memory isn’t perfect. So Atlas remembers everything for you. Atlas is an end-to-end recruitment platform built for the AI generation. It automates your admin so you can focus on the business tasks that matter. How many conversations do you have every day? With clients. Candidates. Your team. Service providers.Now how many of those conversations can you recall with 100% accuracy? How many hours a week do you spend making notes to try and retain as much as possible? And how much is still getting lost along the way? Traditional CRM systems weren’t built for the type of recruitment business you’re running right now. They were built to rely on the structured, tagged, categorised, and formal data you could feed it. Manual processes that needed you to input specific information, based on specific questions and answers. But what about all the other conversations you’re having every single day? Atlas isn’t an ATS or a CRM. It’s an Intelligent Business Platform that helps you perform 10X better than you could on your own. How? By removing all your low value tasks, acting as your perfect memory, and providing highly relevant recommendations to impact your performance. Learn more about the power of Atlas – and take advantage of the exclusive offer for The RAG listeners – by visiting https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoRecruitment agency founders - this one’s for you.What’s your plan for the rest of 2025?If it’s based on more cold outreach, referrals, or hiring more recruiters… we’ve got news for you. That’s not where the smart money is going.The market has changed. AI is everywhere. Noise is louder than ever.So if you want to scale profitably this year, you need to do things differently!It starts with what you already have.Your experience. Your network. Your voice.And we are showing you exactly how to use it in a brand-new, FREE Masterclass - built specifically for recruitment leaders like you.You’re going to learn:Why your LinkedIn content isn’t working - and how to fix it fastHow to generate inbound leads without being “LinkedIn famous”And the exact Hoxo 3X System agencies are using to book more calls - in just a few hours a week78% of our clients made over 100K in the first 6 months using this. No fluff. No guesswork. Just stuff that works.The Masterclass is free - but it’s only available for a limited time.So if you’re serious about growing this year, don’t wait.Head to https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0 to get started. See you there!
How Ben Wallin and Dan Cox scaled Edison Smart to 31 staff and expanded globally
This week on The RAG Podcast, I’m revisiting my episode with Ben Wallin and Dan Cox, founders of Edison Smart.When I spoke to them in August 2022, they’d already hit £1.7m revenue and built a team of nearly 20 in just over a year. One year later, they scaled to 31 employees, expanded into the US, put boots on the ground in Dubai, and built a structure that no longer relies on their own billing.We talk about:How they built an operational and leadership team that runs the agencyWhy they hired experienced recruiters while others were letting people goThe rebrand to Edison Smart and its focus on smart technologyHow they achieved 40 percent growth in 2023What it takes to truly work on the business, not in itFor any founder asking how to become more operational and scale sustainably, this episode is a clear roadmap.Chapters02:58 Edison Smart's Growth Journey06:01 Operational Structure and Leadership Dynamics09:11 Market Challenges and Strategic Responses11:57 Hiring Strategies and Team Expansion15:09 Navigating Market Changes and Client Relationships17:58 Headcount Growth and Recruitment Strategies22:03 Geographical Expansion: US and Dubai25:10 Branding and Rebranding: Edison Smart27:47 Operational Working Arrangements and Company Culture30:57 Key Takeaways and Future Vision__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasYour memory isn’t perfect. So Atlas remembers everything for you. Atlas is an end-to-end recruitment platform built for the AI generation. It automates your admin so you can focus on the business tasks that matter. How many conversations do you have every day? With clients. Candidates. Your team. Service providers.Now how many of those conversations can you recall with 100% accuracy? How many hours a week do you spend making notes to try and retain as much as possible? And how much is still getting lost along the way? Traditional CRM systems weren’t built for the type of recruitment business you’re running right now. They were built to rely on the structured, tagged, categorised, and formal data you could feed it. Manual processes that needed you to input specific information, based on specific questions and answers. But what about all the other conversations you’re having every single day? Atlas isn’t an ATS or a CRM. It’s an Intelligent Business Platform that helps you perform 10X better than you could on your own. How? By removing all your low value tasks, acting as your perfect memory, and providing highly relevant recommendations to impact your performance. Learn more about the power of Atlas – and take advantage of the exclusive offer for The RAG listeners – by visiting https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoRecruitment agency founders - this one’s for you.What’s your plan for the rest of 2025?If it’s based on more cold outreach, referrals, or hiring more recruiters… we’ve got news for you. That’s not where the smart money is going.The market has changed. AI is everywhere. Noise is louder than ever.So if you want to scale profitably this year, you need to do things differently!It starts with what you already have.Your experience. Your network. Your voice.And we are showing you exactly how to use it in a brand-new, FREE Masterclass - built specifically for recruitment leaders like you.You’re going to learn:Why your LinkedIn content isn’t working - and how to fix it fastHow to generate inbound leads without being “LinkedIn famous”And the exact Hoxo 3X System agencies are using to book more calls - in just a few hours a week78% of our clients made over 100K in the first 6 months using this. No fluff. No guesswork. Just stuff that works.The Masterclass is free - but it’s only available for a limited time.So if you’re serious about growing this year, don’t wait.Head to https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0 to get started. See you there!
Kevin Frater on leading global recruitment growth from 12 to 180 at Frank Group
This week on The RAG Podcast, we are revisiting Episode 1 from Season 7 with Kevin Frater, Director at Stable10 and a recruitment leader with over 18 years of experience across Allegis and Frank Group.Kevin built his reputation as a fixer, turning underperforming offices into high-performing teams. Most notably, he grew a team in Germany from 12 to 180 recruiters over six years, creating one of the most successful divisions within Frank Group globally.We talk about:The playbook for turning around underperforming recruitment teamsScaling internationally across London, Singapore and GermanyWhat it really takes to grow and manage high-performing sales culturesHow to balance leadership, travel and personal life at scaleWhy Kevin chose to take a break before his next chapterWhether you’re a manager looking to build and lead bigger teams or a recruitment business searching for a leader to drive growth, this episode is packed with insight.Chapters03:02 Kevin Frater's Journey in Recruitment08:25 Transition from Allegious Group to Frank Group14:32 Leadership and Team Growth Strategies20:10 Turning Around Underperforming Teams31:50 International Experience: Asia and Germany40:37 Challenges and Successes in the German Market48:32 Scaling the Team from 12 to 18055:35 Reflections on Career and Future Opportunities__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasYour memory isn’t perfect. So Atlas remembers everything for you. Atlas is an end-to-end recruitment platform built for the AI generation. It automates your admin so you can focus on the business tasks that matter. How many conversations do you have every day? With clients. Candidates. Your team. Service providers.Now how many of those conversations can you recall with 100% accuracy? How many hours a week do you spend making notes to try and retain as much as possible? And how much is still getting lost along the way? Traditional CRM systems weren’t built for the type of recruitment business you’re running right now. They were built to rely on the structured, tagged, categorised, and formal data you could feed it. Manual processes that needed you to input specific information, based on specific questions and answers. But what about all the other conversations you’re having every single day? Atlas isn’t an ATS or a CRM. It’s an Intelligent Business Platform that helps you perform 10X better than you could on your own. How? By removing all your low value tasks, acting as your perfect memory, and providing highly relevant recommendations to impact your performance. Learn more about the power of Atlas – and take advantage of the exclusive offer for The RAG listeners – by visiting https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoRecruitment agency founders - this one’s for you.What’s your plan for the rest of 2025?If it’s based on more cold outreach, referrals, or hiring more recruiters… we’ve got news for you. That’s not where the smart money is going.The market has changed. AI is everywhere. Noise is louder than ever.So if you want to scale profitably this year, you need to do things differently!It starts with what you already have.Your experience. Your network. Your voice.And we are showing you exactly how to use it in a brand-new, FREE Masterclass - built specifically for recruitment leaders like you.You’re going to learn:Why your LinkedIn content isn’t working - and how to fix it fastHow to generate inbound leads without being “LinkedIn famous”And the exact Hoxo 3X System agencies are using to book more calls - in just a few hours a week78% of our clients made over 100K in the first 6 months using this. No fluff. No guesswork. Just stuff that works.The Masterclass is free - but it’s only available for a limited time.So if you’re serious about growing this year, don’t wait.Head to https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0 to get started. See you there!
Joe Jani on growing Metric Search to 90 heads and a private equity deal in six years
This week on The RAG Podcast, I’m revisiting my episode with Joe Jani, founder and CEO of Metric Search, one of the fastest growing recruitment firms in the world.Joe launched Metric in 2019 and in just six years has scaled to 90 heads across the US and UK. At only 31 years old, he’s already closed a private equity deal, taking seven figures off the table while setting the business on course for a $100m valuation.We talk about:The strategic decisions behind launching and scaling MetricNavigating the COVID pandemic without slowing momentumHow leadership and culture have fuelled rapid growthThe truth about managing and billing at the same timeWhat private equity means for the next stage of growthJoe’s story is proof that with the right vision, culture and commercial focus, you can scale globally at pace while still building a business that lasts.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Joe Jarny and Metric Search02:09 Joe's Journey in Recruitment11:52 Launching Metric Search and Navigating COVID22:03 The MBO Process and Growth Strategy35:14 Private Equity Deal and Future Plans49:21 Personal Life and Work-Life Balance01:00:38 Myths in Recruitment and Leadership__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasYour memory isn’t perfect. So Atlas remembers everything for you. Atlas is an end-to-end recruitment platform built for the AI generation. It automates your admin so you can focus on the business tasks that matter. How many conversations do you have every day? With clients. Candidates. Your team. Service providers.Now how many of those conversations can you recall with 100% accuracy? How many hours a week do you spend making notes to try and retain as much as possible? And how much is still getting lost along the way? Traditional CRM systems weren’t built for the type of recruitment business you’re running right now. They were built to rely on the structured, tagged, categorised, and formal data you could feed it. Manual processes that needed you to input specific information, based on specific questions and answers. But what about all the other conversations you’re having every single day? Atlas isn’t an ATS or a CRM. It’s an Intelligent Business Platform that helps you perform 10X better than you could on your own. How? By removing all your low value tasks, acting as your perfect memory, and providing highly relevant recommendations to impact your performance. Learn more about the power of Atlas – and take advantage of the exclusive offer for The RAG listeners – by visiting https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoRecruitment agency founders - this one’s for you.What’s your plan for the rest of 2025?If it’s based on more cold outreach, referrals, or hiring more recruiters… we’ve got news for you. That’s not where the smart money is going.The market has changed. AI is everywhere. Noise is louder than ever.So if you want to scale profitably this year, you need to do things differently!It starts with what you already have.Your experience. Your network. Your voice.And we are showing you exactly how to use it in a brand-new, FREE Masterclass - built specifically for recruitment leaders like you.You’re going to learn:Why your LinkedIn content isn’t working - and how to fix it fastHow to generate inbound leads without being “LinkedIn famous”And the exact Hoxo 3X System agencies are using to book more calls - in just a few hours a week78% of our clients made over 100K in the first 6 months using this. No fluff. No guesswork. Just stuff that works.The Masterclass is free - but it’s only available for a limited time.So if you’re serious about growing this year, don’t wait.Head to https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0 to get started. See you there!
Jordan Shlosberg on how AI can help you remove admin forever!
This week on The RAG Podcast, I’m revisiting my chat with Jordan Shlosberg, founder of Atlas, the first AI-first CRM built for the recruitment market.Jordan’s no stranger to scale. Before Atlas, he founded Prosapien, growing it to $40 million in revenue in just five years before exiting. He’s now bringing the same disruptive approach to recruitment technology.We talk about:How Atlas uses AI to eliminate low-value admin work for recruitersWhy the recruitment industry is ripe for disruptionLessons from scaling and exiting ProsapienHis vision for building a CRM that recruiters actually want to useHow he’s creating a culture where employees share in the company’s successJordan’s mission is to give recruiters more time to do what they do best, building relationships and making placements, while Atlas handles the admin.If you’re questioning whether your CRM is keeping up with AI’s potential, this is one to watch.--------------------------------------Chapters00:00 Introduction to The Rag Podcast and Guest Jordan Shlosberg02:51 Jordan's Entrepreneurial Journey and Background05:57 The Birth of Atlas and AI in Recruitment08:51 The Role of Family Background in Entrepreneurial Drive12:03 Transition from Finance to Entrepreneurship15:03 Building ProSapient: The First Company18:06 Growth Strategies and Challenges in ProSapient20:55 Technology's Impact on Business Operations23:52 Navigating Funding and Investment Rounds26:41 The Evolution of Leadership and Management29:47 The Future of Atlas and AI in Recruitment43:54 Navigating a Competitive Recruitment Landscape45:31 Building Software for Recruitment Success48:48 Innovating in Recruitment Technology50:31 The Future of Spec CVs and AI Integration58:30 Streamlining Administrative Tasks with AI01:00:27 Enhancing Data Management and Reporting01:08:37 Customer Support and User Experience01:17:42 Vision for the Future of Atlas__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasYour memory isn’t perfect. So Atlas remembers everything for you. Atlas is an end-to-end recruitment platform built for the AI generation. It automates your admin so you can focus on the business tasks that matter. How many conversations do you have every day? With clients. Candidates. Your team. Service providers.Now how many of those conversations can you recall with 100% accuracy? How many hours a week do you spend making notes to try and retain as much as possible? And how much is still getting lost along the way? Traditional CRM systems weren’t built for the type of recruitment business you’re running right now. They were built to rely on the structured, tagged, categorised, and formal data you could feed it. Manual processes that needed you to input specific information, based on specific questions and answers. But what about all the other conversations you’re having every single day? Atlas isn’t an ATS or a CRM. It’s an Intelligent Business Platform that helps you perform 10X better than you could on your own. How? By removing all your low value tasks, acting as your perfect memory, and providing highly relevant recommendations to impact your performance. Learn more about the power of Atlas – and take advantage of the exclusive offer for The RAG listeners – by visiting https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoRecruitment agency founders - this one’s for you.What’s your plan for the rest of 2025?If it’s based on more cold outreach, referrals, or hiring more recruiters… we’ve got news for you. That’s not where the smart money is going.The market has changed. AI is everywhere. Noise is louder than ever.So if you want to scale profitably this year, you need to do things differently!It starts with what you already have.Your experience. Your network. Your voice.And we are showing you exactly how to use it in a brand-new, FREE Masterclass - built specifically for recruitment leaders like you.You’re going to learn:Why your LinkedIn content isn’t working - and how to fix it fastHow to generate inbound leads without being “LinkedIn famous”And the exact Hoxo 3X System agencies are using to book more calls - in just a few hours a week78% of our clients made over 100K in the first 6 months using this. No fluff. No guesswork. Just stuff that works.The Masterclass is free - but it’s only available for a limited time.So if you’re serious about growing this year, don’t wait.Head to https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0 to get started. See you there!
Stuart Mitchell on using personal brand to build a seven-figure agency in nine months
This week on The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Stuart Mitchell, the founder of Hampton North, a specialist cybersecurity search firm based in the US.Stuart launched his business, and in just nine months, he had already surpassed the seven-figure mark. There were no cold calls, no marketing spend, just LinkedIn and a consistent commitment to personal branding.We talk about:How he’s built a brand that attracts top talent and clientsWhat it was like launching through RecruitHubHis remote first mindset and how that’s shaped the teamThe “Magic Inbox” that helped him scale at record speedAnd why authenticity is his biggest competitive edgeEvery one of Stuart’s hires so far has approached him directly after following his content. He’s building an Avengers-level team of high performers who believe in his approach and are now reaping the rewards of it.If you’re running a recruitment business or thinking about starting one, this is the episode to watch.Catch it live on my LinkedIn at 12 pm on Wednesday or listen back afterwards wherever you get your podcasts.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Stuart Mitchell and Hampton North02:53 Stuart's Journey into Recruitment06:08 Building a Personal Brand08:59 Transitioning to Cybersecurity Recruitment11:57 The Launch of Hampton North14:34 The Role of Recruit Hub17:36 The Impact of Personal Branding on Business20:40 Navigating the Recruitment Landscape23:28 Hiring and Building a Team26:46 Work-Life Balance as a New Parent29:40 Advice for Aspiring Recruitment Entrepreneurs__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasYour memory isn’t perfect. So Atlas remembers everything for you. Atlas is an end-to-end recruitment platform built for the AI generation. It automates your admin so you can focus on the business tasks that matter. How many conversations do you have every day? With clients. Candidates. Your team. Service providers.Now how many of those conversations can you recall with 100% accuracy? How many hours a week do you spend making notes to try and retain as much as possible? And how much is still getting lost along the way? Traditional CRM systems weren’t built for the type of recruitment business you’re running right now. They were built to rely on the structured, tagged, categorised, and formal data you could feed it. Manual processes that needed you to input specific information, based on specific questions and answers. But what about all the other conversations you’re having every single day? Atlas isn’t an ATS or a CRM. It’s an Intelligent Business Platform that helps you perform 10X better than you could on your own. How? By removing all your low value tasks, acting as your perfect memory, and providing highly relevant recommendations to impact your performance. Learn more about the power of Atlas – and take advantage of the exclusive offer for The RAG listeners – by visiting https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoRecruitment agency founders - this one’s for you.What’s your plan for the rest of 2025?If it’s based on more cold outreach, referrals, or hiring more recruiters… we’ve got news for you. That’s not where the smart money is going.The market has changed. AI is everywhere. Noise is louder than ever.So if you want to scale profitably this year, you need to do things differently!It starts with what you already have.Your experience. Your network. Your voice.And we are showing you exactly how to use it in a brand-new, FREE Masterclass - built specifically for recruitment leaders like you.You’re going to learn:Why your LinkedIn content isn’t working - and how to fix it fastHow to generate inbound leads without being “LinkedIn famous”And the exact Hoxo 3X System agencies are using to book more calls - in just a few hours a week78% of our clients made over 100K in the first 6 months using this. No fluff. No guesswork. Just stuff that works.The Masterclass is free - but it’s only available for a limited time.So if you’re serious about growing this year, don’t wait.Head to https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0 to get started. See you there!
Digital nomad to 60% profit: Chris Redmond on remote success and exit plans
Chris Redmond is back on The RAG for the third time and his story keeps getting better.When I first interviewed Chris in 2019, he’d just gone fully remote and was chasing a digital nomad lifestyle with no fixed office. At the time, I thought he was mad.Then COVID hit, and while the rest of the industry scrambled, Chris and his team were already built for the new world.Fast forward to now, Redholt is a retained headhunting firm running at 60 percent profit with just 8 people. Chris lives in Dubai, has transformed his health (losing 35kg in six months), and is building towards something much bigger: a business that runs without him and can one day be sold.In this episode, we cover:His unique forensic recruitment modelWhat it takes to move from lifestyle business to scalable businessThe pressure of being the only BD engine in your companyWhy personal reinvention is key to professional growthAnd how social media is helping drive both brand and client retentionWatch the episode live on my LinkedIn this Wednesday at 12 pm or catch up afterwards wherever you get your podcasts.If you're a founder thinking about long-term value and lifestyle alignment, this one’s not to be missed.Watch our ten-minute video on “The most profitable way to grow your recruitment agency in 2025” here: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0Apply to be on the next RAG season here: https://hubs.ly/Q03yjlLd0 Chapters00:00 Introduction to The Rag Podcast03:23 Chris Redmond's Journey and Business Evolution10:13 Red Hole's Unique Recruitment Methodology17:56 Scalability and Future Plans for Red Hole22:02 The Impact of Moving to Dubai29:06 Personal Transformation and Health Journey50:36 The Power of Social Media in Business01:04:30 Future Vision and Exit Strategy for Red Hole__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasYour memory isn’t perfect. So Atlas remembers everything for you. Atlas is an end-to-end recruitment platform built for the AI generation. It automates your admin so you can focus on the business tasks that matter. How many conversations do you have every day? With clients. Candidates. Your team. Service providers.Now how many of those conversations can you recall with 100% accuracy? How many hours a week do you spend making notes to try and retain as much as possible? And how much is still getting lost along the way? Traditional CRM systems weren’t built for the type of recruitment business you’re running right now. They were built to rely on the structured, tagged, categorised, and formal data you could feed it. Manual processes that needed you to input specific information, based on specific questions and answers. But what about all the other conversations you’re having every single day? Atlas isn’t an ATS or a CRM. It’s an Intelligent Business Platform that helps you perform 10X better than you could on your own. How? By removing all your low value tasks, acting as your perfect memory, and providing highly relevant recommendations to impact your performance. Learn more about the power of Atlas – and take advantage of the exclusive offer for The RAG listeners – by visiting https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoRecruitment agency founders - this one’s for you.What’s your plan for the rest of 2025?If it’s based on more cold outreach, referrals, or hiring more recruiters… we’ve got news for you. That’s not where the smart money is going.The market has changed. AI is everywhere. Noise is louder than ever.So if you want to scale profitably this year, you need to do things differently!It starts with what you already have.Your experience. Your network. Your voice.And we are showing you exactly how to use it in a brand-new, FREE Masterclass - built specifically for recruitment leaders like you.You’re going to learn:Why your LinkedIn content isn’t working - and how to fix it fastHow to generate inbound leads without being “LinkedIn famous”And the exact Hoxo 3X System agencies are using to book more calls - in just a few hours a week78% of our clients made over 100K in the first 6 months using this. No fluff. No guesswork. Just stuff that works.The Masterclass is free - but it’s only available for a limited time.So if you’re serious about growing this year, don’t wait.Head to https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0 to get started. See you there!