The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast

Sean Anderson
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The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast

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.

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  1. EPISODE 1

    Season 8 | Ep1 - Life After a Major Exit with Tom Glanfield: A Story of Success, Sacrifice, and What's Next

    Season 8 premiere!  In this episode, I’m bringing back one of the most talked-about guests we've ever had: Tom Glanfield, the founder of LHi Group (originally Lawrence Harvey).  Last time Tom was on, he shared his hilarious and inspiring growth journey and plans for exiting the business. Now, he’s back after successfully securing a massive exit!  We dive into  what life looks like after selling his companyhow he’s spending his timemanaging his wealthand balancing his personal life.  Tom opens up about the highs and lows, from enjoying newfound freedom to reflecting on what he missed while building the business, especially as a father. We also explore his health-focused lifestyle, his commitment to being more present for his family, and the wisdom he has for current and future recruitment founders. Tom’s story is more than just about the numbers—it’s about creating a life that aligns with your values.  If you’re a recruitment leader, aspiring entrepreneur, or just curious about life post-exit, tune in for an episode full of inspiration, lessons on leadership, and a look behind the curtain of one of recruitment’s most successful founders. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome back! 01:00 Reflections on growth and success  05:03 Navigating challenges during COVID 09:48 Employee Ownership Trust 14:59 Finding balance after exiting the business  19:58 Health, longevity, and personal growth 25:12 Parenting and life lessons 30:12 Aspirations for the future and legacy  34:58 Business development lessons 39:47 Final thoughts: Success beyond money ________________________________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Hoxo Ready to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn? As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn. This method is super time-consuming, and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you. But it can be different... If you follow the process in this document, you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes per day and drive warm leads whenever you want them. A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours. Over 7000 recruiters around the globe are following this process daily and the results have been amazing! You can have this too! Access the Hoxo 20:10:5 guide here: https://bit.ly/3PLjaJY If you’d prefer to consume this information directly from our Co-Founder & CEO Sean Anderson (the creator of 20:10:5), you can join our free training course now! Get access to: 4 bite-sized training videos that can immediately help you boost business on LinkedInExclusive access to Hoxo 20:10:5 warm leads tracking templateFree support from the Hoxo team to help you implement the process and get the results This course is part of the hugely successful Personal Brand Bootcamp which has seen over 7000 recruiters graduate and drive millions of warm leads and £££ in revenue as a result! Get free access to the course once you’ve downloaded our guide. ________________________________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Untapped Untapped is THE market leader and go-to agency for finding and hiring tried-and-tested offshore talent into UK, US and Australian-based recruitment companies. They’re providing top-class TEAMMATES, NOT OUTSOURCES!  We use Untapped for Hoxo’s own offshore hires, and it’s been a total game-changer for our team. No one else can compete with the quality of their network,...

    1h 14m

  2. EPISODE 2

    Season 8 | Ep2 Jordan Shlosberg on building The ONLY AI-first CRM for recruiters

    AI is set to transform recruitment, and this episode will blow your mind! On this week's episode, I am joined by Jordan Shlosberg, founder of Atlas, to discuss how his AI-powered CRM is set to transform the recruitment industry! Now, Jordan knows a thing or two about building successful businesses. He took his previous company, ProSapient, to a massive $40 million in revenue before exiting.  He launched Atlas with one goal: to eliminate the tedious admin work recruiters face. Now, with over 1,000 users on their waiting list, Atlas acts as a virtual assistant, handling all the admin and delivering insights at the push of a button. In this episode, we'll be talking about: ●Jordan's incredible journey to success.  ●How he scaled ProSapient to $40 million and successfully exited the business. ●What he learned along the way, and how those lessons inspired him to create Atlas.  ●We'll also dive deep into how Atlas is using AI to revolutionise recruitment.  ●You'll discover how this powerful CRM can help you streamline your workflow, make better placements, and ultimately, boost your revenue. I love what Jordan's doing with Atlas. It's like having a virtual assistant who takes care of all those tedious admin tasks that we recruiters have to deal with day in and day out.  This is why we have partnered together this year, and Atlas is now one of two headline sponsors for the show!  Tune in to learn how AI is reshaping recruitment, and see if Atlas is the game-changer your agency needs! Don’t miss this conversation with one of the industry's top innovators! __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Hoxo Ready to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn? As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn. This method is super time-consuming, and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you. But it can be different... If you follow the process in this document, you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes per day and drive warm leads whenever you want them. A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours. Over 7000 recruiters around the globe are following this process daily and the results have been amazing! You can have this too! Access the Hoxo 20:10:5 guide here: https://bit.ly/3PLjaJY If you’d prefer to consume this information directly from our Co-Founder & CEO Sean Anderson (the creator of 20:10:5), you can join our free training course now! Get access to: 4 bite-sized training videos that can immediately help you boost business on LinkedInExclusive access to Hoxo 20:10:5 warm leads tracking templateFree support from the Hoxo team to help you implement the process and get the results This course is part of the hugely successful Personal Brand Bootcamp which has seen over 7000 recruiters graduate and drive millions of warm leads and £££ in revenue as a result! Get free access to the course once you’ve downloaded our guide. __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Atlas Your 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

    1h 29m

  3. EPISODE 3

    Season 8 | Ep3 Paul de Rozarieux on going from no recruitment experience to solo founder billing £1m a year!

    From no recruitment experience to solo founder billing £1m a year– @Paul de Rozarieux’s Journey in Recruitment This week on The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by an incredible guest, Paul de Rozarieux, founder of Fusion Search.  Paul’s story is truly one of a kind.  With zero recruitment experience, Paul built his business from scratch, growing it into a seven-figure success without formal training or support. But there’s more to Paul’s story than just numbers.  After 20 years of running a generalist recruitment firm focusing on change and transformation in FinTech, Paul has decided to take a bold new direction.  He’s launching Beyond the Founder, a new venture aimed at helping ambitious recruitment companies avoid the mistakes he made and scale successfully. In this episode, we dive deep into: How Paul built a seven-figure business from nothing.His decision to pivot after feeling unfulfilled despite his financial success.Why checking in with yourself and finding your passion is crucial as an entrepreneur. If you’re looking for inspiration, advice on scaling, or insights into finding joy in your work again, this is an episode you don’t want to miss! Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Paul de Rozarieux 03:04 Paul's Unique Entry into Recruitment 05:56 The Early Days of Fusion Search 09:01 Navigating Challenges and Finding Success 11:49 The Evolution of Business Strategy 14:55 Financial Growth and Personal Reflections 18:06 Balancing Work and Family Life 20:54 The Pressure of Success and Self-Worth 24:13 Future Aspirations and Lessons Learned 31:18 Navigating the Challenges of Solo Entrepreneurship 32:42 The Importance of Strategic Hiring 33:12 The Journey of Niche Recruitment 35:30 Adapting to Market Changes During COVID 39:31 Recognising Burnout and the Need for Change 42:43 Exploring Personal Branding and Networking 46:52 Finding Passion in Recruitment 50:12 Building a Strong Business Infrastructure 54:17 Identifying Key Challenges for Founders 57:41 Establishing Effective Leadership Routines _______________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Untapped Untapped is THE market leader and go-to agency for finding and hiring tried-and-tested offshore talent into UK, US and Australian-based recruitment companies. They’re providing top-class TEAMMATES, NOT OUTSOURCES!  We use Untapped for Hoxo’s own offshore hires, and it’s been a total game-changer for our team. No one else can compete with the quality of their network, their in-depth candidate assessment process or their time to hire.  If hiring elite-level overseas talent into your business to boost sales and increase productivity whilst saving yourself a huge amount in employment costs isn’t on your radar for 2024, it should be! Untapped are hiring recruitment, sales, marketing and support staff into recruitment agencies of all shapes, sizes and specialisms globally and they are growing rapidly! Join the waiting list today so you don’t miss out on the next cohort of business-launching hiring projects. https://bit.ly/47GGdvZ _______________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Hoxo Ready to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn? As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn. This method is super time-consuming, and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you. But it can be different... If you follow the process in this document, you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes daily and drive warm leads whenever you want them. A warm lead is a person who...

    1h 3m

  4. EPISODE 4

    Season 8 | Ep4 Kate Cross on running an agency with her husband and maintaining £500,000 in contract revenue annually for the past 17 years!

    Ever wondered what it takes to build a thriving recruitment business with your partner?  On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, Kate Cross joins me to reveal the highs, lows, and secrets to creating sustainable contract revenue while maintaining a successful personal relationship. Kate is co-founder of Harvey Jacob, a construction recruitment agency that’s generated over £500,000 in contract revenue annually for the past 17 years.  Kate worked alongside her husband Simon as a recruiter before they made the bold decision to start Harvey Jacob together.  Now, through her new venture, Coral Coached, she’s on a mission to help other recruitment businesses find sustainable success for themselves. 💡 Why you should listen: Unique challenges: Kate offers a behind-the-scenes look at the dynamics of running a family business and shares valuable insights into balancing work and personal life.Sustainable success: Learn how she’s built consistent contract revenue and created a solid business model that stands the test of time.Coaching for growth: Explore the value of coaching in fostering personal and professional development.Lessons in leadership: Kate’s approach to emotional intelligence and resilience is something every leader can learn from. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to The RAG Podcast and Kate Cross 01:44 Kate's journey into recruitment 03:39 Transitioning from banking to recruitment 05:32 The move to Sydney and business setup 11:02 Challenges of running a business with a partner 15:20 Navigating personal and professional life 19:18 Rebranding and business growth 22:51 Managing a family business 27:49 Overcoming relationship challenges 30:39 Reflections on business and personal growth 32:36 Navigating stress and expectations in recruitment 35:24 Personal struggles and professional growth 38:40 The journey of motherhood and coaching 43:22 Life changes and returning to business 46:36 Evolving business strategies and realisations 51:25 The transition to coaching and supporting others 57:14 Building a sustainable business model 01:00:29 Lessons learned and future aspirations __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Atlas Your 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 a href="https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/" rel="noopener

    1h 5m

  5. EPISODE 5

    Season 8 | Ep5 Craig Whiting - On 6 years billing £1.5m per year before learning to “step off the tools”

    On this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Craig Whiting, founder of RLS Search, who shares his incredible journey from solo billing to building a 15-member team specialising in tech talent for investment management. In this episode, Craig opens up about his transition from running a small operation with his partner—billing £1.5 million annually over 6 years—to managing a growing team, expanding internationally, and learning to "step off the tools."  Here are just a few reasons to tune in: 🧑‍💻 Understanding why he and his partner focused on remote, solo billing for the first 6 years of their business📈 Learn how Craig scaled RLS Search organically, only adding team members when ready—and how remote work reshaped his business model.🤝 Hear Craig’s tips for building meaningful client relationships that boost both credibility and profitability.🥊 Discover how Craig's background in boxing instilled the discipline and integrity that fuel his recruitment success.⚖️ How Craig ensures he constantly balances family life with business growth🌍 Explore his plans for international expansion, including new offices in South Africa and Pakistan. If you're looking to build a global recruitment team, you won’t want to miss this! _______________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Untapped Untapped is THE market leader and go-to agency for finding and hiring tried-and-tested offshore talent into UK, US and Australian-based recruitment companies. They’re providing top-class TEAMMATES, NOT OUTSOURCES!  We use Untapped for Hoxo’s own offshore hires, and it’s been a total game-changer for our team. No one else can compete with the quality of their network, their in-depth candidate assessment process or their time to hire.  If hiring elite-level overseas talent into your business to boost sales and increase productivity whilst saving yourself a huge amount in employment costs isn’t on your radar for 2024, it should be! Untapped are hiring recruitment, sales, marketing and support staff into recruitment agencies of all shapes, sizes and specialisms globally and they are growing rapidly! Join the waiting list today so you don’t miss out on the next cohort of business-launching hiring projects. https://bit.ly/47GGdvZ _______________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Hoxo Ready to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn? As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn. This method is super time-consuming, and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you. But it can be different... If you follow the process in this document, you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes daily and drive warm leads whenever you want them. A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours. Over 7,000 recruiters around the globe follow this process daily, and the results have been amazing! You can have this too! Access the Hoxo 20:10:5 guide here: https://bit.ly/3PLjaJY If you’d prefer to consume this information directly from our Co-Founder & CEO Sean Anderson (the creator of 20:10:5), you can join our free training course now! Get access to: 4 bite-sized training videos that can immediately help you boost your business on LinkedInExclusive access to Hoxo 20:10:5 warm leads tracking templateFree support from the Hoxo team to help you implement the process and get the results This course is part of the hugely successful Personal Brand Bootcamp, which has seen over 7000 recruiters graduate and drive millions of warm leads and £££ in...

    1h 25m

  6. EPISODE 6

    Season 8 | Ep6 Jim Sloan on how to build a scalable and profitable agency that doesn’t depend on you!

    This week on The RAG Podcast, I’m sitting down with Jim Sloan, CEO and founder of Navartis a specialist recruitment agency in the infrastructure sector.  Jim’s journey is an incredible story of growth to a team of 110+ across multiple countries and significant profits of £2M EBITDA Here’s what we discuss: 🔑 How Jim started the business as a new brand within a larger group 💼 The pivotal MBO process that happened shortly after and set the stage for exponential growth. 📊 Why understanding net margin could save your business. 🚀 How to build a scalable model that doesn’t depend on you. 🏆 The secret to balancing massive growth with your personal life. Whether you’re in the trenches scaling up, bouncing back from setbacks, or planning your future exit when the time is right, this episode is full of actionable advice. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Jim Sloan and Navartis 02:25 Jim's Journey into Recruitment 06:42 The Entrepreneurial Spirit and Early Challenges 10:48 Navigating the Recession and Business Growth 13:59 The Management Buyout Experience 20:05 Post-MBO Growth and Expansion 26:34 Strategic Growth and Profitability 32:39 Investing in Future Growth 35:29 Identifying Market Opportunities 39:02 Building a Business for Better Returns 43:27 The Importance of Management in Growth 48:13 Effective Communication in Recruitment Management 55:31 Balancing Business Growth and Personal Life 01:04:33 Learning from Mistakes in Leadership __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Atlas Your 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: Hoxo Ready to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn? As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn. This method is super time-consuming, and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you. But it can be different... If you follow the process in this document, you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes per day and drive warm leads whenever you want them. A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours. Over 7000 recruiters...

    1h 9m

  7. EPISODE 7

    Season 8 | Ep7 Don’t make this mistake on LinkedIn in 2025

    If you are a recruitment founder planning on spending time and money on LinkedIn next year, then chances are, you’re likely to make this one critical mistake – and it will cost you big time.   On this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m sharing insights from my live talk at the Recruitment Agency Expo in Birmingham. I’m revealing how recruiters can use traditional methods to unlock LinkedIn’s full potential in 2025. Here’s what you’ll learn:   🔑 The #1 mistake recruiters make on LinkedIn (guaranteed).   📊 Why traditional recruitment methods are losing their edge.   💡 How to fix the mistake and drive inbound leads in 2025 This is my secret to building trust and recognition in a crowded market. It has delivered incredible results to the over 7000 recruiters around the world I’ve taught it to since 2020. Now it’s your turn! I’m sharing simple, actionable steps using the tools you already have. This episode is a must-watch for anyone serious about leveraging LinkedIn to grow their business in 2025!  Chapters 00:00 Introduction to The RAG Podcast and growth in recruitment02:52 The importance of LinkedIn in recruitment05:46 Overcoming burnout and finding new strategies09:06 The shift from traditional methods to digital engagement12:14 Building trust and recognition on LinkedIn15:14 Maximising your LinkedIn network for success17:53 The 3X System: Grow, Broadcast, Sell21:06 Exclusive offer! _______________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Untapped Untapped is THE market leader and go-to agency for finding and hiring tried-and-tested offshore talent into UK, US and Australian-based recruitment companies. They’re providing top-class TEAMMATES, NOT OUTSOURCES!  We use Untapped for Hoxo’s own offshore hires, and it’s been a total game-changer for our team. No one else can compete with the quality of their network, their in-depth candidate assessment process or their time to hire.  If hiring elite-level overseas talent into your business to boost sales and increase productivity whilst saving yourself a huge amount in employment costs isn’t on your radar for 2024, it should be! Untapped are hiring recruitment, sales, marketing and support staff into recruitment agencies of all shapes, sizes and specialisms globally and they are growing rapidly! Join the waiting list today so you don’t miss out on the next cohort of business-launching hiring projects. https://bit.ly/47GGdvZ _______________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Hoxo Ready to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn? As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn. This method is super time-consuming, and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you. But it can be different... If you follow the process in this document, you will hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in just 15 minutes daily and drive warm leads whenever you want them. A warm lead is a person who you can 100% guarantee knows who you are, and what you do and has shown interest in you and/or your services in the past 48 hours. Over 7,000 recruiters around the globe follow this process daily, and the results have been amazing! You can have this too! Access the Hoxo 20:10:5 guide here: https://bit.ly/3PLjaJY If you’d prefer to consume this information directly from our Co-Founder & CEO Sean Anderson (the creator of 20:10:5), you can join our free training course now! Get access to: 4 bite-sized training videos that can immediately help you boost your business on LinkedIn Exclusive access to Hoxo 20:10:5 warm leads tracking...

    25 min

  8. EPISODE 8

    Season 8 | Ep8 Joe Jani on building towards a £100M valuation (at just 31!)

    What does it take to grow a global recruitment company, secure private equity investment, and aim for a £100M valuation – all by the age of 31? On this week’s The RAG Podcast, I’m sitting down with Joe Jani, founder and CEO of Metric Search, one of the world’s fastest-growing recruitment firms. Here’s what we uncover: 🔥 How Joe scaled Metric Search from zero to 90 staff across the US and UK since 2019. 💰 The story behind his seven-figure private equity buyout, de-risking his future while fueling growth. 📈 His strategy to hit a £100M valuation in just three years. 🤝 The importance of building a high-performance culture to attract investors. 🌍 How Joe turned the pandemic's challenges into massive growth opportunities. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Joe Jani and Metric Search 02:22 Joe's early career and move to New York 06:08 Transition from Charlton Morris to Metric 08:23 Ambition and entrepreneurial spirit 11:45 Navigating the pandemic and business growth 14:54 Vision and strategy for growth 22:03 Completing the MBO and future plans 25:26 Scaling the business and leadership dynamics 30:43 From billing to business leadership 33:01 Innovative features of Atlas  34:01 Navigating private equity opportunities 35:57 Balancing family life and business growth 39:47 The private equity process explained 42:41 Building a high-performance culture 46:23 Hiring and developing talent effectively 48:08 Securing growth capital and its implications 51:57 Future plans and strategic goals 55:19 Understanding valuation multipliers 58:11 Personal life and work-life balance 01:01:34 Debunking myths in recruitment __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Atlas Your 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/

    1h 5m

  9. EPISODE 9

    Season 8 | Ep9 Catherine Roughan on balancing a thriving solo business and parenthood

    How to build a thriving solo business while still being the best possible parent: This is Catherine Roughan’s inspiring journey What if success in recruitment wasn’t about scale or exit – but about happiness, balance, and doing it your way? This week on The RAG Podcast, I sit down with Catherine Roughan, founder of Kidmore Recruitment, a specialist Rec to Rec in the legal recruitment sector. Catherine has built an incredibly successful solo business while raising two boys, proving that you don’t need a massive team or a big exit plan to thrive. Here’s what you’ll hear about in this episode: 👩‍💻 How Catherine runs a profitable, solo recruitment business in a competitive niche. 🤝 The power of building genuine client relationships over chasing scale. 💡 Insights on balancing family life and career without compromising either. 🎙️ Catherine’s deeply personal journey through pregnancy, miscarriages, and finding her path in recruitment. 📊 Why metrics like happiness and flexibility are just as important as profit. In an industry obsessed with growth and exits, Catherine’s story is a refreshing reminder that there’s no one-size-fits-all path to success. If you’re a recruiter looking for inspiration to craft a career that aligns with your life values, this episode is for you. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Catherine Rowan and Kidmore Recruitment 03:12 Catherine's journey into legal recruitment 06:07 The challenges of managing a recruitment team 08:51 The decision to start a business 12:11 Personal struggles and family life 15:07 Navigating pregnancy and miscarriages 17:56 The impact of family on career choices 21:06 Building a business while raising children 23:55 Work-life balance and parenting challenges 33:45 Sponsorship and recruitment insights 35:06 The importance of family in business 36:35 Leveraging LinkedIn for growth 39:46 Revenue growth and work-life balance 42:08 Metrics for success in recruitment 46:58 Managing time and client expectations 49:11 Building relationships in recruitment 51:34 Future plans and personal growth 01:01:04 Consistency and the art of headhunting __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Untapped Untapped is THE market leader and go-to agency for finding and hiring tried-and-tested offshore talent into UK, US and Australian-based recruitment companies. They’re providing top-class TEAMMATES, NOT OUTSOURCES!  We use Untapped for Hoxo’s own offshore hires, and it’s been a total game-changer for our team. No one else can compete with the quality of their network, their in-depth candidate assessment process or their time to hire.  If hiring elite-level overseas talent into your business to boost sales and increase productivity whilst saving yourself a huge amount in employment costs isn’t on your radar for 2024, it should be! Untapped are hiring recruitment, sales, marketing and support staff into recruitment agencies of all shapes, sizes and specialisms globally and they are growing rapidly! Join the waiting list today so you don’t miss out on the next cohort of business-launching hiring projects. https://bit.ly/47GGdvZ __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Hoxo Ready to find 25+ warm leads within 7 days on LinkedIn? As a recruiter, most of the working day is spent chasing people via cold outreach on LinkedIn. This method is super time-consuming, and most people don’t reply because they simply don’t know or trust you. But it can be different... If you follow the process in this document, you will hack the...

    1h 8m

  10. EPISODE 10

    Season 8 | Ep10 From a £17M exit to life beyond business: Gary Redman’s journey

    What happens when a recruitment entrepreneur turns 30 years of hard work into a £17 million exit? And what comes next?This week on The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Gary Redman, former CEO of Now Education and now its Chairman.  Just 18 months ago, Gary shared his vision to grow the business and exit. Now, with the dust settled on his incredible MBO success, we revisit his journey. Here’s what you’ll learn: 💼 How Gary structured the MBO and secured his £17M payday. 🤝 The emotional challenges of stepping away from a business after decades of leadership. 📈 The strategies that made Now Education a high-value asset. 🧠 Why mental health, identity, and community become even more critical post-exit. 🌟 How Gary rediscovered passions and built a new chapter beyond the boardroom. If you’re dreaming of scaling and exiting your business or just curious about the human side of such a life-changing moment, this episode is packed with real, honest insights. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Gary Redman's journey 04:45 The decision to exit: a personal reflection 12:31 Navigating the exit process: MBO and valuation 22:26 The emotional rollercoaster of selling a business 29:10 The aftermath: Life after the exit 31:50 Financial milestones and personal achievements 34:12 Transitioning from business to personal life 36:15 Rediscovering passions and hobbies 37:28 Navigating identity and mental health post-exit 39:17 Re-engaging with community and education 40:44 Managing relationships in business 44:07 Reflections on loneliness and transition 45:34 Key strategies for business exit 51:14 Maintaining business value and growth 54:31 Future aspirations and new ventures 56:27 The importance of human connection in business __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Atlas Your 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/

    1h 2m

  11. EPISODE 11

    Season 8 | Ep11 The road to a successful MBO: Lessons from Chris Peace’s £Million exit

    What does life look like on the first day after selling your business? In this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Chris Peace, founder of Peace Recruitment, a specialist construction and engineering recruitment agency based in Scotland. Chris recently exited his business through a vendor-initiated management buyout (VIMBO) – a unique process that allows founders to sell their companies to their teams without the need for external financing or debt. In this candid conversation, Chris shares: 💡 How he structured the VIMBO process to ensure a smooth transition for the business. ⚙️ The key considerations founders need to plan for when preparing to sell. 📈 The benefits of this approach for boutique agencies looking to empower their teams. 💪 The impact of coaching on leadership, team happiness, and business growth. 🔑 Insights into his leadership journey, the challenges of letting go, and his plans for life beyond Peace Recruitment. Whether you’re dreaming of your next chapter or seeking a stress-free exit strategy, this episode offers actionable advice and real-life inspiration for boutique recruitment owners. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Chris Peace and his journey 02:51 The vendor-initiated management buyout process 06:05 Early career and entry into recruitment 12:13 Launching Peace Recruitment 21:02 Growth and challenges in business 29:03 Coaching and personal development 33:52 Translating personal skills online 34:21 The journey of building a brand 35:19 Evolving leadership styles 36:15 Authenticity in leadership 37:38 Coaching and empowering teams 39:02 Vision and business growth 40:58 Navigating business offers 42:51 Leadership structure for exit 45:18 Impact of COVID on business 48:40 Personal struggles during crisis 49:36 Management buyout process 52:29 Structuring the buyout 55:15 Tax implications of selling a business 57:40 Future plans and new ventures __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Atlas Your 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: Hoxo Ready to find 25+ warm leads within

    1h 8m
See All Season 9 (11)

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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.

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