RecTalk Podcast - Explore Recruitment Insights

In this special edition of RecTalk, host Nitin Sharma sits down with two returning favourites and Rectools Recommended suppliers — Poonam Mawani of Azuki Accounts and Christian Mather of One Day Wealth — for a deep and brutally honest conversation about what it actually takes to get both your business and yourself truly exit ready.

Most recruitment founders don’t think about selling until they’re burned out, facing partner issues, or dealing with a life-changing event. By then, it’s usually too late — and buyers know it. Poonam and Christian break down exactly why so many recruitment businesses end up as distressed sales, how to avoid the skeletons that kill deals during due diligence, and why your accounts, tax habits, personal finances, and “freedom number” matter far more than you think.

They also cover:

• Why planning your exit 2–5 years earlier can add huge value.
• The biggest red flags buyers spot instantly.
• Hidden liabilities, dodgy payroll setups, and messy accounts that slash valuations.
• The four types of recruitment business exits — Trade Sale, MBO, Private Equity & EOT — and which one fits different founders.
• Why most founders completely underestimate the emotional crash after selling.
• How to separate your personal life from your business to protect future value.
• Why paying a bit more tax now might save your business later.
• How to calculate your freedom number (and why it’s usually lower than you think).
• The truth about what founders REALLY do after selling (hint: almost nobody retires).

This is hands-down one of the most practical exit-planning conversations ever recorded for the recruitment industry — packed with real-world examples, financial traps to avoid, and honest advice from two people who help recruitment founders exit every single week.

If you’re running a 1–20 person recruitment business and wondering “Would anyone ever buy us?” — this is your episode.

Who This Episode Is For:

• Recruitment founders planning a future exit
• Owners of lifestyle recruitment businesses wanting to tidy up operations
• Solo recruiters aiming to scale sustainably
• Anyone stressed about valuations, due diligence, or long-term wealth
• Founders who want to protect their income, their families, and their sanity
• Those curious about selling via EOT, MBO, Trade Sale, or Private Equity

🔗 Connect with the guests

Poonam Mawani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/poonammawaniazuki/

Azuki Accounts: https://www.rectools.io/product/azuki-accounts/

Christian Mather: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmather/

One Day Wealth: https://www.rectools.io/product/one-day-wealth/

🔗 Connect with the host

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

Discover recruitment tools and services: https://www.rectools.io/

New episodes of RecTalk, plus Founder Diaries and Talking Talent, drop every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

New episodes of The Mixed Grill — the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club — dropping every Thursday.

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

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

🔗 Get in touch with these recommended suppliers

Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/

Matt Fox — Exitus Advisory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/

SourceFlow: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sourceflow/

Robert Woodford — The Marketing Junction: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketing4recs/

Carl Jones — Konquest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-jones-66093722/

#RecTalk #RecruitmentPodcast #RecruitmentFounders #ExitPlanning #RecruitmentExit #RecruitmentBusiness #RecruitmentGrowth #MBO #EOT #PrivateEquity #TradeSale #AzukiAccounts #OneDayWealth #Rectools

Welcome back to Founder Diaries, a RecTalk podcast hosted by Nitin Sharma — founder of Rectools.io, the whole-of-market directory for recruitment tools.

In today’s powerful and deeply human episode, Nitin sits down with Joe O’Mahoney — a people-focused Change Management Leader and Coach whose career spans E.ON, Hastings Direct, and Three Mobile, where he oversaw a £1.6bn portfolio ahead of the Vodafone merger.

This conversation goes far beyond change frameworks and leadership theory. Joe opens up about:

• The difference between managing tasks and leading people — and why most organisations still get this wrong
• How culture, psychological safety, and empathy shape organisational performance
• Why employee engagement surveys often fail and how AI-driven analysis is changing the game
• Helping scale-ups bring their people along for the ride during high-velocity growth
• The hidden emotional cost of change and how leaders can support teams through uncertainty
• Joe’s personal 20-year struggle with mental health, misdiagnosis, manic episodes triggered by medication, and finally receiving a life-changing bipolar diagnosis
• Losing everything and rebuilding from scratch — the moment he sat alone in an empty house and chose to stand back up
• Fatherhood as his greatest achievement and how being present shapes his purpose
• The lesson he learned too late: the power of truly listening

This is one of the rawest, most honest conversations on Founder Diaries — a must-listen for anyone leading people, going through change, or navigating their own internal battles.

✨ Who This Episode Is For

• Founders and leaders building and scaling teams
• HR, change, and transformation professionals
• Anyone interested in mental health, neurodiversity, and human behaviour
• New managers learning the difference between leadership and management
• Individuals navigating personal or professional change
• Anyone who needs reminding that failure, struggle, and rebuilding are part of the journey

🔗 Connect with the guest

Joe O’Mahoney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-omahoney/

Videre Coaching & Consulting: https://www.videreconsults.co.uk/

🔗 Connect with the host

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

Discover recruitment tools and services: https://www.rectools.io/

New episodes of RecTalk, plus Founder Diaries and Talking Talent, drop every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

New episodes of The Mixed Grill — the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club — dropping every Thursday.

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

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

🔗 Get in touch with these recommended suppliers

Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/

Matt Fox — Exitus Advisory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/

SourceFlow: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sourceflow/

Robert Woodford — The Marketing Junction: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketing4recs/

Carl Jones — Konquest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-jones-66093722/

#FounderDiaries #RecTalk #Leadership #ChangeManagement #PeopleFirst #MentalHealthAwareness #BipolarAwareness #ScaleUp #OrganisationalCulture #EmployeeExperience #Coaching #Mentorship #HumanBehaviour

Welcome back to The Mixed Grill, the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club—where your hosts Nitin Sharma and Bobby Banerjee simmer, roast and occasionally deep-fry the wildest parts of the recruitment industry.

In this episode, we dive straight into the absolute carnage of modern recruiting—from rogue speculative CVs to dodgy “send me my fee” emails, using the now-infamous LinkedIn post as a launchpad for a brutally honest chat about what service actually means in a service-based industry.

(Yes, recruiters: sending a random CV isn’t a service… shocking, we know. )

From there, it descends beautifully into chaos:

• A candidate who turned up to an interview on a unicycle
• Someone sending a Jehovah’s Witness pamphlet instead of a CV—intentionally
• A workplace plagued by a serial toilet-floor-sh*tter
• The recruiter-candidate who went full “professional stalker” during interview prep
• Homemade porn sent as “proof of address”
• And the teacher-turned-candidate with one of the darkest interview confessions ever recorded
  (Every single one... unbelievably real. )

Sprinkled in between the madness, you’ll hear Nitin and Bobby break down the real problem with legacy recruitment habits—why so many agencies copy outdated big-brand processes, why “transaction over relationship” still plagues the industry, and what modern recruiters should be doing instead.

A fun, wild, slightly unhinged episode… exactly why The Mixed Grill exists.

👂 Who This Episode Is For

• Recruiters who love a laugh at the absurdity of our industry
• Agency owners & billing managers wanting real talk about service vs. sales
• In-house talent teams who have definitely been sent unsolicited CVs
• Anyone who enjoys unbelievable-but-true workplace stories
• RCC members and curry-lovers who just want to hang with the community

🔗 Connect with the hosts

Bobby Banerjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbybanerjee/

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

Get your fill of curry, banter, and brilliant recruitment minds at The Recruitment Curry Club:

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

New episodes of The Mixed Grill drop every Thursday.

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

#RecruitmentPodcast #RecTalk #TheMixedGrill #RecruitmentCurryClub #RecruiterLife #HRPodcast #TalentAcquisition #StaffingStories #RecruitmentFails #Rectools

This week on RecTalk, Nitin sits down with the brilliant and endlessly entertaining Christian Mather, founder of One Day Wealth, to unpack one of recruitment’s biggest blind spots: financial planning, resilience, and learning to build wealth that actually sticks.

You’ll hear Christian’s wild journey from stockbroker culture in London to becoming the recruitment industry’s go-to financial planner — and why he believes recruiters are some of the most vulnerable high earners when it comes to money management.

Expect open, honest, and at times emotional conversations about:

• Why recruiters earn big but often end up with nothing to show for it
• Christian’s own early-career money disasters and how he clawed his way out
• How Nitin went from £40k debt to finally gaining financial control (and why a £200 casino run nearly changed everything)
• The truth about lifestyle creep, buying “shiny shit,” and performing success
• Why paying yourself first is the #1 habit recruiters need
• Building financial resilience so your business (and family) can survive the bad years
• Why insurance, wills, and LPAs actually matter — and why people avoid them
• The difference between retirement and financial freedom
• How to design your life so work becomes a choice, not a necessity
• Why business owners must extract wealth while times are good
• Christian’s “Life by Design” method & how it helps founders plan their next chapter

This episode is loaded with real stories, hard-earned lessons, and practical frameworks that every recruitment founder, billing manager, or ambitious consultant needs to hear. If you’ve ever felt one bad month away from chaos, this one’s for you.

Who this episode is for:

• Recruitment founders wanting long-term stability
• Consultants who earn well but never seem to keep hold of cash
• Anyone who’s ever said “I’ll start saving when things calm down”
• Business owners worried about the next downturn
• People who want true financial freedom, not just higher monthly billings

🔗 Connect with the guest

Christian Mather: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmather/

Check out One Day Wealth:

https://www.rectools.io/product/one-day-wealth/

🔗 Connect with the host

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

Discover recruitment tools and services: https://www.rectools.io/

New episodes of RecTalk, plus Founder Diaries and Talking Talent, drop every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

New episodes of The Mixed Grill — the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club — dropping every Thursday.

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

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

🔗 Get in touch with these recommended suppliers

Carl Jones — Konquest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-jones-66093722/

Ben Fielding — Quinset: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfielding/

Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/

Matt Fox — Exitus Advisory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/

#RecTalk #RecruitmentPodcast #FinancialResilience #OneDayWealth #ChristianMather #RecruitmentFounders #RecruiterLife #FinancialFreedom #MoneyMindset #RecruitmentBusiness #LifeByDesign #Rectools

In this live special of RecTalk, filmed at the TEAM Network South Midlands Regional Meet Up, Nitin Sharma brings together a powerhouse panel of recruitment leaders to unpack the biggest lessons from 2025 and the strategies recruiters need to thrive in 2026.

Joining Nitin on the panel:

• Michelle Theuma – MD at Concept Onyx Recruitment & TEAM Regional Director
• Luke Pitkin – Co-Founder of Giig, a next-gen ATS/CRM
• Stewart Roberts – Managing Director at Mayachi
• Bethany Foley – Associate Director at Liquid Friday

This unfiltered panel digs deep into what the market really looked like in 2025 and what high-performing agencies did differently — with big insights you can roll straight into your 2026 strategy.

🔥 Key Talking Points

• Why “January optimism” is a trap and what actually drives performance
• Offshore resourcing (South Africa, Philippines) as a growth engine for agencies
• The truth about AI in recruitment: useful, but not the magic fix recruiters hoped for
• Old-school BD techniques making a comeback: door knocking, voice notes, video outreach
• Networking as the #1 differentiator — the power of genuine human connection
• How to rebuild trust with clients through transparency, testimonials, and data
• Umbrella market issues: compliance risks, dodgy models, and what agencies must look out for
• The rise of retainers, subscriptions, and engagement fees as scalable revenue models
• How clients are buying differently — and why recruiters must adapt how they sell
• Avoiding “rotten fruit” clients and valuing your time, expertise, and process
• Selling on process, not price — using visibility, structure, and transparency to win
• Why recruitment will never be replaced by tech
• How to use reviews, social proof, and authenticity to drive inbound business in 2026

Packed with practical advice, lived experience, and straight-talking honesty — this is one of the most insight-heavy RecTalk panels yet.

👥 Who This Episode Is For

• Solo recruiters wanting stability and predictable revenue
• Agency owners planning for growth in 2026
• Recruiters exploring retainers or subscription models
• Anyone thinking about offshore support or restructuring their BD
• Leaders wanting to improve processes, compliance, and client trust
• RecTech and umbrella providers seeking to understand market sentiment

Check out TEAM Network: https://www.theteamnetwork.co.uk/

🔗 Connect with the panel

Michelle Theuma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelletheuma/

Luke Pitkin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-pitkin-79060094/

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

Stewart Roberts: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewartroberts78/

Bethany Foley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethanyfoley/

Discover recruitment tools and services: https://www.rectools.io/

New episodes of RecTalk, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Look out for The Mixed Grill — the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club — dropping every Thursday.

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

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

🔗 Get in touch with these recommended suppliers

Carl Jones — Konquest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-jones-66093722/

Ben Fielding — Quinset: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfielding/

Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/

Matt Fox — Exitus Advisory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/

#RecTalk #RecruitmentPodcast #TEAMNetwork #RecruitmentStrategy #RetainedRecruitment #Recruitment2026 #Rectools #RecruiterCommunity #RecTech #UmbrellaCompliance #RecruitmentBD #OffshoreResourcing #RecruiterLife

In this episode of RecTalk, Nitin sits down with Gary Williamson and Gary Brotherton of Gazelle Risk Solutions, recorded right inside the Gazelle podcast studio. Gazelle are newly recommended suppliers on Rectools.io — and after this chat, you’ll fully understand why.

They break down the real risks recruitment businesses face today and why most agency owners unknowingly carry outdated, incomplete or flat-out wrong insurance policies. They explain why the typical “cheapest quote wins” mindset is dangerous, how global expansion (US, EU, Middle East) completely changes your risk profile, and why insurance should be seen as strategic protection — not a yearly admin bill.

We cover:

• Why Gazelle position themselves as the anti-corporate insurance broker
• The importance of trust, accountability & old-school service in a modern industry
• How recruitment businesses unknowingly expose themselves to risk when expanding overseas
• Why most existing off-the-shelf policies aren’t built for global placements
• How Gazelle design their own specialist insurance products for recruiters
• The reality of cybercrime — including ransomware, data breaches, and SME-targeted attacks
• The growing risks around umbrellas, HMRC liability and legislative changes
• Why “education over selling” is the future for both recruitment and professional services
• How insurance brokers can become part of a recruitment agency’s value chain (introducers, added services)
• The parallels between great recruiters and great insurance partners
• Why business owners need better advice, not cheaper premiums

This is by far one of the most educational and genuinely entertaining insurance conversations you’ll ever hear — because these two actually make the topic fun, human and insanely relevant.

Who This Episode Is For

• Recruitment founders & agency owners
• Ops leaders scaling teams into the US, EU, Middle East or offshore markets
• Anyone confused about PI, EL/PL, cyber, D&O or umbrella liability
• Agencies wanting a partner-led, accountable insurance relationship
• Recruiters who want to add value beyond recruitment and educate clients
• Business owners who’ve renewed the same policy for 5–10 years without reviewing it

🔗 Connect with the guests

Gary Williamson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-williamson-7107082b/

Gary Brotherton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garybrotherton/

Find out more about Gazelle Risk Solutions: https://www.rectools.io/product/gazelle-risk-solutions/

🔗 Connect with the host

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

Discover recruitment tools and services at Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/

New episodes of RecTalk, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Wednesday and Friday. Starting next week, episodes will also drop on Monday.

New episodes of The Mixed Grill — the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club — drop every Thursday.

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

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

🔗 Get in touch with these recommended suppliers

Carl Jones — Konquest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-jones-66093722/

Ben Fielding — Quinset: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfielding/

Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/

Matt Fox — Exitus Advisory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/

#RecTalk #RecruitmentPodcast #RecruitmentRisk #GazelleRiskSolutions #RecruitmentInsurance #CyberInsurance #GlobalRecruitment #BusinessRisk #RecruitmentAgencyOwners #HMRCCompliance #UmbrellaRisk #Entrepreneurship #ScalingRecruitment #USExpansion #RecruitmentLeadership

In this off-the-cuff episode of The Mixed Grill (the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club), hosts Nitin Sharma and Bobby Banerjee dive into one of recruitment’s most persistent and divisive questions:

Is recruitment actually a sales job — or have we been labelling it wrong all along?

With no agenda beyond honest conversation, the two go deep into the realities of modern recruiting:

– Why recruitment feels like sales, but might not be

– Business development vs. sales (and why they’re not the same)

– The role of marketing and personal brand in today’s market

– Why KPIs aren’t the enemy, but outdated phone-based tactics might be

– Candidate behaviour, trust, and credibility in a talent-short world

– Why some recruitment leaders still operate like it's 2005

– The maturity of the recruitment industry and how agencies must evolve

– Data as the true engine of recruitment firms

– Consultative selling vs. “pitching a vacancy”

– The gap between recruiter reality and leadership expectations

– Why recruiters need conversations, not “chats,” to win

– And why the industry needs more empathy, communication, and understanding across the board

All delivered in typical Mixed Grill style: casual, slightly chaotic, full of analogies, and peppered with spicy opinions.

Who This Episode Is For

– Recruiters at any level questioning what “sales” really means in 2025

– Recruitment leaders looking to modernise their approach

– Talent acquisition pros who want to understand agency mechanics

– BD-averse consultants who still want to win

– Marketers working in or with recruitment teams

– Anyone who enjoys intelligent but relaxed debate about the industry

🔗 Connect with the hosts

Bobby Banerjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbybanerjee/

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

Get your fill of curry, banter, and brilliant recruitment minds at The Recruitment Curry Club:

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

New episodes of The Mixed Grill drop every Thursday.

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

#RecTalk #TheMixedGrill #RecruitmentCurryClub #RecruitmentPodcast #RecruitmentDebate #Recruiting2025 #SalesVsConsulting #BusinessDevelopment #RecruitmentMarketing #ConsultativeSelling #Rectools #NitinSharma #BobbyBanerjee

In this episode of RecTalk, Nitin Sharma sits down with Ketan Gajjar, Co-Founder of RPO Arena and host of The Recruitment Curry podcast. If you're in the recruitment industry, you've likely seen Ketan across LinkedIn, the Recruitment Agency Expo, or Elite Leaders — and now he's officially part of the Rectools Recommended Supplier community.

This conversation goes way beyond the usual outsourcing chat. Ketan breaks down the real difference between VAs, outsourcing, and Business Process Management (BPM) using one of the best analogies ever: a curry-house restaurant. 🍛

What we cover in this episode:

• Ketan’s 20-year journey in recruitment & outsourcing, building 500-seat RPO units before launching RPO Arena in 2020.
• Why outsourcing ≠ cheap admin — and why many recruitment leaders misunderstand the model entirely.
• The difference between:
• VAs (task-based)
• Outsourcing (instruction-based)
• BPM (outcome-based, fully mapped processes)
• How RPO Arena grew to 140+ staff, supports UK & US agencies, and embeds offshore experts as real extensions of internal teams.
• Why BPM is the hidden lever for scaling sustainably, improving conversion rates, and removing operational chaos.
• Real personas of clients they help — from 10-person agencies scaling to 30+, to sector-specific businesses in tech, A&F, healthcare, and temp-heavy environments.
• A detailed case study:
• A Manchester tech agency invested ~£5k into an offshore 180 delivery resource and generated £80k+ GM in 4 months — a 12× ROI.
• The truth about India’s outsourcing reputation — communication, training, and why past call-centre experiences create unfair bias.
• How AI is reshaping (not replacing) offshore recruitment support — and why humans + AI is the winning combo.
• Why recruiters fail with outsourcing: distance bias, lack of induction, and unrealistic expectations.
• How RPO Arena handles management, QA, training, and replacement — so recruitment founders don't have to.
• Deep-dive research services (including M&A intelligence), not just CV sourcing.
• What recruiters must stop expecting their consultants to do everything — and how dividing the workflow boosts results, retention, and process clarity.

Who This Episode Is For:

• Recruitment business owners wanting to scale profitably.
• Agencies struggling with talent shortages, inconsistent delivery, or recruiter burnout.
• Founders considering offshore support, VAs, or outsourcing but unsure which model they actually need.
• Leaders who want consistent, process-driven output — not chaos.
• Anyone exploring how AI + human synergy can transform recruitment ops.
• Recruiters curious about offshore delivery but wary of communication or quality concerns.

🔗 Connect with the guest

Ketan Gajjar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ketangajjar/

Find out more about RPO Arena:

https://www.rectools.io/product/rpo-arena/

🔗 Connect with the host

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

Discover recruitment tools and services at Rectools.io:

https://www.rectools.io/

New episodes of RecTalk, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Wednesday and Friday. Starting next week, episodes will also drop on Monday.

New episodes of The Mixed Grill — the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club — drop every Thursday.

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

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

🔗 Get in touch with these recommended suppliers

Carl Jones — Konquest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-jones-66093722/

Ben Fielding — Quinset: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfielding/

Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/

Matt Fox — Exitus Advisory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/

#Rectalk #RecruitmentPodcast #RecruitmentLeaders #RPO #BPM #Outsourcing #RecruitmentAgencyOwners #ScalingAgencies #TalentAcquisition #OffshoreRecruitment #ProcessManagement #RPOArena #NitinSharma #RecruitmentCurry

In this incredible Founder Diaries episode of RecTalk, Nitin sits down with John Shipley — former General Manager of Leicester Championship Wrestling (LCW). John shares the fascinating journey of how he turned his lifelong passion for professional wrestling into one of the UK’s fastest-growing independent wrestling promotions.

From battling mental health struggles to building a legacy brand from scratch, John’s story is one of grit, creativity, and relentless drive. He opens up about:

• How a childhood dream reignited during a tough mental health period.
• The birth of LCW and how he scaled it from a 50-person village show to arena-level sellouts.
• The uncanny parallels between wrestling promotion and recruitment — from hiring, team motivation, and storytelling to branding and business growth.
• Working with global stars like X-Pac (WWE’s D-Generation X) and building a wrestling product that rivalled national promotions.
• The importance of knowing when to step back as a founder — transitioning from performer to promoter, and eventually to mentor.
• Leadership lessons drawn straight from the ring: how to manage talent, balance egos, and build lasting culture.

This episode isn’t just about wrestling — it’s about founder mindset, vision, and self-awareness. John’s reflections on legacy, personal growth, and learning when to move on will resonate deeply with any entrepreneur.

💡 Who this episode is for:

• Founders and startup leaders navigating passion projects and scaling challenges.
• Recruitment professionals seeking lessons in leadership and culture-building.
• Wrestling fans and creatives curious about the business side of the industry.
• Anyone looking for motivation to turn a hobby into a thriving enterprise.

🔗 Connect with the guest

John Shipley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-shipley-9b058b58/

🔗 Connect with the host

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, Founder Diaries and Talking Talent drop every Wednesday and Friday.

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

🔗 Get in touch with these recommended suppliers

Carl Jones — Konquest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-jones-66093722/

Ben Fielding — Quinset: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfielding/

Ross Thompson — Infinity Staff Global: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossnthompson/

Matt Fox — Exitus Advisory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/

#FounderDiaries #RecTalk #RecruitmentPodcast #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #WrestlingBusiness #LCW #NitinSharma #JohnShipley #Rectools #StartupJourney #FoundersMindset #LegacyBuilding #Motivation #UKWrestling

Welcome to another episode of The Mixed Grill, the official podcast of the Recruitment Curry Club — hosted by Nitin Sharma and Bobby Banerjee.

This casual, car-ride chat from Manchester peels back the layers behind the why of the Recruitment Curry Club — the community bringing recruiters, founders, and suppliers together over one thing everyone can agree on: a good curry and better conversation.

Nitin and Bobby talk about:

🍺 The origins of the Recruitment Curry Club — why Bobby got frustrated with “mental health washing” and wanted to create something real.

🧠 How vulnerability, not sales pitches, has built genuine connections in recruitment.

💬 Why “people buy from people” still matters — and how authenticity beats any sales deck.

💸 The truth behind the £20 ticket — it goes straight to charity!

🤝 How the Club supports causes like Radical Recruit and CALM while breaking down barriers between recruiters, clients, and providers.

🚗 Their honest reflections on six months of events — what’s worked, what hasn’t, and why sometimes it’s best to just let the universe do its thing.

It’s funny, raw, and real — think “Recruiters in Cars Getting Curries.” No guests, no filters, just two mates getting deep about the business, the industry, and life itself.

🔗 Connect with the hosts

Bobby Banerjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbybanerjee/

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

Get your fill of curry, banter, and brilliant recruitment minds at The Recruitment Curry Club:

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

New episodes of The Mixed Grill drop every Thursday.

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

#RecruitmentPodcast #RecTalk #TheMixedGrill #RecruitmentCurryClub #RecruitmentCommunity #MentalHealthInRecruitment #AuthenticNetworking #RecruitmentLife #RecTalkPodcast #Rectools