What if the best path to growth is doing more with less?

We sit down with James Ward, founder of Clarity R2R, to unpack how a leadership-focused, values-driven R2R firm can scale in the United States without chasing headcount. From Manchester beginnings to a Miami base, James explains why a less saturated US market - with around 25,000 staffing firms serving 350 million people - creates space for specialist search across technology, life sciences, and financial services.

We get candid about hiring mistakes, the cost of premature ops hires, and the moment a management coach forced a hard reset on vision and values. James breaks down his operating spine - outbound searches for billing manager to board level, principals placed by referral, not volume. He shares how he qualifies clients for retained work, when exclusive beats contingent, and how to decide when a full search process is truly needed.

Expect practical insights on:

• Building a lean A-team that outbills larger firms
• Using deposits to protect focus and forecast revenue
• What top recruiters want from employers today
• Why being on the ground still matters in US expansion

If you’re exploring retained search or considering a US move, this is your playbook on client selection, capacity management, and building a high-performance culture.

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Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-archer-48612844/

Connect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retainedsearchcoach/

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