In this episode of Founder Diaries, Nitin Sharma sits down with the dynamic James Whitelock — Managing Director of ThinkinCircles, investor, advisor, and community-builder in the recruitment and HR tech space.

James shares his candid founder journey, from nearly giving up in the early days of ThinkinCircles to celebrating 13 years of growth and evolution. He discusses how the business transitioned from being known for social media delivery to becoming a trusted strategic marketing partner at board and C-suite level.

We dive into:

• The realities of starting ThinkinCircles and surviving those tough early years.
• How recruitment marketing has evolved — from the rise of social media to today’s AI-driven era.
• The power of angel investing in recruitment and HR tech, and why James only backs businesses in spaces he truly understands.
• Building communities that matter, including the Recruitment Curry Club and the Association of Recruitment Marketing Agencies (AoRMA).
• Lessons in resilience, the importance of financial discipline, and why comparison really is the thief of joy for founders.

James also shares his biggest wins, regrets, and advice for anyone considering entrepreneurship in the recruitment industry.

Who this episode is for:

• Recruitment founders looking to scale and stand out in an AI-driven world.
• Marketers and agencies wanting to understand the future of recruitment marketing.
• Entrepreneurs curious about building resilience and longevity in business.
• Anyone keen to learn from a founder who’s lived through the ups and downs of running a recruitment-focused marketing agency.

🔗 Connect with James Whitelock

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswhitelock/

Check out ThinkinCircles on Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/product/thinkincircles/

🔗 Connect with Nitin Sharma

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-rectools/

Discover recruitment tools and services at Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/

Find out about the Recruitment Curry Club:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-recruitment-curry-club/

New episodes of RecTalk and Founder Diaries drop every Wednesday and Friday.

Listen on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/

#RecruitmentMarketing #FounderDiaries #RecTalk #RecruitmentTech #Entrepreneurship #HRTech #ThinkinCircles #Resilience #StartupLife #RecruitmentCommunity