What does growth really look like in 2025's recruitment market? For Dan Moussa, it means combining consulting skills, AI adoption and personal branding to move the industry forward.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I'm joined by Dan Moussa, founder of Talesca, a specialist recruitment business in Australia. Dan’s story is one of consistent adaptation, leaning into the tools and strategies that add genuine value in a fast-changing space.

In this episode, we discuss

• How personal branding has shaped Talesca’s growth
• Why consistency and consulting skills are more vital than ever
• How AI is transforming recruitment models and client expectations
• What it takes to build a business that stays relevant and delivers value

If you’re a recruitment founder looking to evolve your business, sharpen your commercial edge or understand how to futureproof your brand and delivery, this episode is well worth your time.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Rag Podcast

01:50 Overview of Talesca and Its Growth

03:36 Reflections on Recruitment Career Beginnings

09:14 The Importance of Consistency in Recruitment

20:28 Current State of Recruitment and AI Impact

28:53 The Value of Time in Recruitment

31:12 Consulting Skills in Recruitment

34:29 The Future of Recruitment: Data and AI

39:16 Changing Recruitment Models

44:01 Defining Success in Recruitment

49:05 Building a High-Performing Team

55:35 Community Building and AI in Recruitment

__________________________________________

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

Recruitment 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 fast
• How 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 week

78% 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!

What does it take to go from running a cleaning business to founding a global recruitment firm? Leon Mitton shares how he launched Agnes Cole Consulting during COVID and is now using AI to drive scale and efficiency in a way few are even attempting.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Leon Mitton, founder of Agnes Cole Consulting, a specialist SAP and S4 HANA recruitment firm based in the UK and operating globally.

Leon started with no background in business and built everything from the ground up. In this episode, he opens up about his journey, the role of personal fulfilment in entrepreneurship, and how he’s using AI to build a lean, high-performing business for the future.

In this episode, we discuss

• How Leon went from cleaning homes to closing global recruitment deals
• What it was like launching a company at the peak of COVID
• Why AI is the future of outbound and client engagement in recruitment
• His vision for creating a long-term legacy for his family

If you're thinking about what recruitment could look like in five years or want to hear a story rooted in grit, innovation, and purpose, this episode is not to be missed.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Leon Mitton and Agnes Cole Consulting

02:14 Leon’s Journey: From Cleaning Business to Recruitment

10:01 Navigating Recruitment During COVID-19

12:29 The Transition to Entrepreneurship

15:05 Establishing Agnes Cole Consulting

17:12 Growth and Challenges in Year Two

19:11 The Messy Middle: Managing a Growing Team

24:28 Reflections on Business and Personal Fulfillment

27:08 Creating a Legacy for Future Generations

30:46 The Role of AI in Recruitment

32:19 Intentional Parenting and Education Choices

34:36 The Evolution of School Systems

37:04 Communication Skills as a Superpower

39:10 The Impact of Technology on Recruitment

41:44 AI's Influence on Client Relationships

46:18 Adapting to Change in Recruitment

51:00 The Future of Recruitment and Business Structure

55:23 Finding Joy in the Recruitment Journey

01:01:20 Inspiring Others Through Personal Stories

__________________________________________

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

Recruitment 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 fast
• How 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 week

78% 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!

What happens when scaling your recruitment business doesn’t bring success, but stress? Tom Warner opens up about the highs and lows of building GroTech and why going solo was the best decision he ever made.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Tom Warner, founder of GroTech, a specialist go-to-market recruitment agency for SaaS businesses in the Nordics.

Tom launched GrowTech during the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced two strong years of growth, built a team of seven and then decided to scale it all the way back to just himself. Now he's billing over £500K annually and loving the freedom and focus of a lean model.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why Tom chose to step back from managing a team and go solo
• The lessons learned from hiring mistakes and scaling too quickly
• The emotional and financial pressures that come with business ownership
• How clarity, efficiency, and focus are driving his next chapter of growth

If you’re a recruiter who’s scaled, stumbled, or simply wondering if bigger is always better, this episode offers a refreshing and honest take on what success can really look like.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to The Rag Podcast and Guest Background

02:52 Tom Warner's Journey to Founding GrowTech

05:46 The Early Days of GroTech and Initial Success

08:52 Challenges of Scaling a Recruitment Business

11:59 Navigating the Recruitment Landscape During COVID

15:06 Reflections on Growth and Future Plans

20:50 Navigating Recruitment Challenges

23:01 The Impact of Hiring Decisions

26:08 Crisis Management in Recruitment

29:57 Building a Personal Brand

34:03 Future Growth and Scaling Strategies

__________________________________________

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

Recruitment 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 fast
• How 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 week

78% 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!

James Waissel set a modest goal of £125K in year 1 of launching his own agency. Instead,  he ended up billing over £300K in revenue in just seven months.

On this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by James Waissel, founder and CEO of Huntsman Consult, a construction and real estate recruitment business based in London.

James started the business in June 2024, backed by a couple of key clients, and has built a small but growing team of three. In this conversation, he shares what it’s really like in the first nine months of running a recruitment agency: the wins, the lessons, and the pressure of getting it right.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What helped him smash his first-year revenue goal in just seven months
• The financial, emotional, and operational challenges of early-stage growth
• How he’s building the foundation for long-term success

If you're in the early stages of launching a recruitment business (or thinking about it), this is a must-listen.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to The RAG Podcast and James Waissel

02:31 James Waissel's journey into recruitment

10:02 The decision to start a business

16:54 Building a recruitment business from scratch

25:29 First steps and early successes

33:23 Achieving growth in a challenging market

34:27 Transitioning to a 360 role in recruitment

37:30 Leveraging LinkedIn for business growth

41:34 Exploring new business verticals

44:16 Building a partner network for growth

46:47 The role of AI in recruitment

49:44 The importance of quality over quantity

52:45 Understanding client needs for business success

56:35 Lessons learned from past experiences

01:00:06 The importance of financial management

01:03:36 Combining sales, AI, and brand for success

__________________________________________

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

Recruiters: are you sitting on a goldmine of LinkedIn connections without knowing how to turn them into real opportunities?

Most recruiters spend hours every day on cold outreach and endless scrolling, hoping for replies that never come. But what if LinkedIn could work for you instead?

The Hoxo 7-Day LinkedIn Challenge is a simple, step-by-step framework designed to help you:

• Identify warm leads already in your network
• Start meaningful conversations with potential clients and candidates—without feeling pushy
• Share content that gets noticed and builds trust – without spending hours online

Transform LinkedIn into an inbound lead generator in just 7 days!

This challenge isn’t about writing viral posts or spamming DMs.

It’s about small, proven actions that take just 20 minutes a day – and start generating results from day one!

Ready to unlock your LinkedIn potential?

Over 7,000 recruiters worldwide have already used this framework to generate inbound leads, grow their pipeline, and win more business. Now it’s your turn.

Join the FREE 7-day LinkedIn Challenge today and start unlocking the opportunities already in your network.

Head over to https://hubs.ly/Q031DT2s0 to get started. See you there!

What happens when you go all-in on a niche? Graham Cosgrave shares how MatchMedics transformed from a traditional agency into one of Ireland’s leading medical recruitment brands by focusing solely on doctors.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I'm joined by Graham Cosgrave, Director at MatchMedics, a recruitment business specialising in placing doctors from across the globe into roles in Ireland.

Graham began as a recruiter and is now helping lead an international brand that’s relocating entire families, not just individuals. From six-figure results driven by content to high-stakes international events, MatchMedics is proof that a focused strategy and great storytelling can fuel serious growth.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why they went from a multi-discipline agency to 100% doctor-focused
• How their brand strategy attracts doctors from South Africa, Europe, and beyond
• The power of podcasting, storytelling, and recruitment events to build trust and credibility
• What it takes to build a recruitment business that changes lives and not just careers

If you're looking to grow your brand, go niche, or build an international talent pipeline, this episode is packed with practical insight and inspiration.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Graham

03:13 Graham's journey in recruitment

05:53 The impact of relocation on lives

08:56 Transitioning to a niche market

11:56 Building a brand and marketing strategy

15:14 The evolution of roles and responsibilities

18:05 The power of content and online presence

20:49 Nurturing relationships and ambassador networks

23:49 The decision to focus on doctors only

26:57 Global recruitment strategies

29:56 Conclusion and future outlook

31:17 The impact of international medical professionals

34:06 Challenges in South African healthcare

37:40 The power of storytelling in recruitment

40:34 Building credibility through real experiences

43:00 The role of podcasts in recruitment

46:02 Navigating the Irish job market

49:19 Engaging with South African doctors

52:05 Investment in recruitment events

54:04 Long-term vision for recruitment success

01:01:51 The future of medical recruitment

__________________________________________

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

Recruiters: are you sitting on a goldmine of LinkedIn connections without knowing how to turn them into real opportunities?

Most recruiters spend hours every day on cold outreach and endless scrolling, hoping for replies that never come. But what if LinkedIn could work for you instead?

The Hoxo 7-Day LinkedIn Challenge is a simple, step-by-step framework designed to help you:

• Identify warm leads already in your network
• Start meaningful conversations with potential clients and candidates—without feeling pushy
• Share content that gets noticed and builds trust – without spending hours online

Transform LinkedIn into an inbound lead generator in just 7 days!

This challenge isn’t about writing viral posts or spamming DMs.

It’s about small, proven actions that take just 20 minutes a day – and start generating results from day one!

Ready to unlock your LinkedIn potential?

Over 7,000 recruiters worldwide have already used this framework to generate inbound leads, grow their pipeline, and win more business. Now it’s your turn.

Join the FREE 7-day LinkedIn Challenge today and start unlocking the opportunities already in your network.

Head over to https://hubs.ly/Q031DT2s0 to get started. See you there!

Starting a recruitment business at 25 with just three years of experience takes serious courage. 

Haseena Mooncey did exactly that – and she’s built something special.

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I'm joined by Haseena Mooncey, co-founder of CHR Life Sciences, a modern boutique recruitment firm focused on niche roles across the UK, Ireland, and Europe.

Haseena launched the business with a former boss as her co-founder, stepping into entrepreneurship with limited experience but a clear mindset and strong values. Her story is rare, especially as a young woman in recruitment. And it’s incredibly inspiring.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What pushed her to take the leap from employee to business owner
• The early challenges of launching with limited experience
• The mindset needed to grow a global contract recruitment business
• Balancing a modern outlook with traditional values in how she builds her team
• 
  

If you’re in your 20s and thinking about starting your own business - or you're just looking for a story that proves age and experience don't define success, this episode is one to tune into.

Watch the full conversation live on my LinkedIn this Wednesday at 12 pm or search The RAG wherever you get your podcasts!

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Haseena Mooncey and CHR Life Sciences

03:00 The journey of starting a business at 25

06:03 Navigating early challenges and building a network

09:05 The decision to transition from employee to entrepreneur

12:05 Establishing CHR Life Sciences and initial struggles

14:56 First deals and market expansion

18:11 Building a business from the ground up

20:54 Reflections on growth and future aspirations

22:00 Building relationships in recruitment

24:32 Navigating market changes and opportunities

26:06 The challenges of remote work and team dynamics

28:06 The importance of hiring and team growth

30:20 Learning from experience: hiring strategies

32:32 The impact of market fluctuations on business

36:52 Managing stress and maintaining team morale

44:54 Building a values-driven recruitment company

48:13 The role of AI in recruitment

50:22 Pharmaceutical industry insights

52:31 Navigating the future of work

55:23 Life goals and work-life balance

01:00:13 The importance of relationships 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/ 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Episode Sponsor: Hoxo

Ready to find 25+ warm leads within seven 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 5000 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 and 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 template

Free 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 5000 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.

From Albanian refugee to running a seven-figure recruitment firm by age 27.  

On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I'm joined by Klajdi Bega, founder and CEO of Luminary Group, a life sciences headhunting firm operating across the UK, Europe, and the US.  

Born in Albania and raised in North London, Klajdi’s story is one of grit, vision, and relentless drive. After starting in sales at 16 and entering recruitment six years ago, he launched Luminary just two years back—and hit £1 million in revenue in his second full year!  

In this episode, we discuss:  

- Klajdi’s journey from refugee to successful founder  

- How he’s building a high-performance, values-driven team  

- The lessons learned from year one versus year two of trading  

- Balancing marriage, family life, and business ownership  

- The power of mentorship, goal-setting, and staying focused on a clear vision  

If you're in your 20s and thinking of launching a business—or if you just want to hear an incredibly inspiring story—this episode is not to be missed. 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Klajdi Bega and Luminary Group

02:59 Klajdi's journey from refugee to CEO

06:01 Early life and challenges in North London

08:55 Career beginnings and entry into recruitment

12:13 The transition to entrepreneurship

15:08 Building Luminary Group: vision and strategy

17:52 Navigating the recruitment landscape

21:01 Growth and future plans for Luminary Group

24:03 Navigating marriage and business

27:10 Year one: achievements and expectations

29:29 Training the next generation

32:10 Building client relationships

34:48 Year two: growth and recognition

39:02 Balancing work and family life

45:03 Navigating recruitment challenges

47:56 The impact of AI on recruitment

50:08 Global expansion and client relationships

52:02 Scaling for success

55:06 Building a strong company culture

56:56 Vision for the future

59:53 Personal growth and work-life balance

__________________________________________

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

Recruiters: are you sitting on a goldmine of LinkedIn connections without knowing how to turn them into real opportunities?

Most recruiters spend hours every day on cold outreach and endless scrolling, hoping for replies that never come. But what if LinkedIn could work for you instead?

The Hoxo 7-Day LinkedIn Challenge is a simple, step-by-step framework designed to help you:

• Identify warm leads already in your network
• Start meaningful conversations with potential clients and candidates—without feeling pushy
• Share content that gets noticed and builds trust – without spending hours online

Transform LinkedIn into an inbound lead generator in just 7 days!

This challenge isn’t about writing viral posts or spamming DMs.

It’s about small, proven actions that take just 20 minutes a day – and start generating results from day one!

Ready to unlock your LinkedIn potential?

Over 7,000 recruiters worldwide have already used this framework to generate inbound leads, grow their pipeline, and win more business. Now it’s your turn.

What happens when you cold email Lord Sugar asking for investment? Tom Johnson did exactly that…and it worked!

On this week's show, I am joined by Tom Johnson, founder of Hernshead Group, a recruitment business he launched six years ago with backing from Lord Alan Sugar after watching The Apprentice.

In this episode, Tom shares the full story – from that bold email to building and scaling Hernshead Group, launching (and closing) multiple brands, and recently completing a management buyout to take full ownership of the company.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Tom secured investment from Lord Sugar and built the business from scratch
• The reality of launching new brands and learning from failure
• The highs and lows of building a team, navigating COVID-19, and scaling with clarity
• How and why he bought back 100 percent of the shares
• 
  

If you're looking for investment, currently working with a business partner, or planning for long-term ownership and growth, this is an episode you need to hear.

Chapters

00:00 The journey begins: Tom Johnson's entrepreneurial path

03:08 Investment and growth: Partnering with Sir Alan Sugar

06:14 Navigating challenges: The impact of COVID-19

08:56 Expanding horizons: The launch of multiple brands

11:56 Learning from failure: The downfall of new ventures

15:03 Refocusing on core strengths: The future of Hearnshead Group

30:06 Scaling the team and business growth

31:03 Implementing effective processes and training

33:14 Leveraging AI and technology in recruitment

34:21 Balancing AI assistance with human touch

36:33 Data-driven management and performance tracking

39:05 Overcoming fear and building confidence in sales

44:04 Strategic business decisions and future planning

49:09 Equity and incentives for team growth

52:50 Vision for the future and sustainable growth

__________________________________________

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 seven 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 5000 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 and 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 template

Free 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 5000 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.

What if recruitment agency growth didn’t mean adding headcount?

Helen Yarrow has spent over 30 years in recruitment—and for most of it, she felt like she was falling short of the industry’s definition of success.

Why? Because she never scaled a big team.

Despite launching her business 14 years ago and building a strong reputation in the B2B events space, she carried a sense that staying solo meant she hadn’t really “made it”.

That belief stayed with her until her 50s.

This week on The RAG Podcast, Helen shares how she finally let go of the pressure to scale, and found clarity in building a business that fits her life—not someone else’s idea of success.

In this episode, we cover:

- Her journey from Rec2Rec into B2B events recruitment

- The realities of raising a family while running a business

- The turning point that helped her stop chasing a model that didn’t feel right

- Why staying solo might actually be the most powerful decision you can make

If you’ve ever questioned whether bigger really means better, this one will resonate.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Helen Yarrow and Jackson Barnes

02:58 Helen's Journey into Recruitment

06:02 Career Progression and Challenges in Recruitment

09:11 Transitioning to Motherhood and Work-Life Balance

11:51 Establishing Jackson Barnes and Finding Clarity

15:07 The Shift to Conference and B2B Events Recruitment

17:52 The Role of Conference Producers

20:55 Building a Business Around Family Life

24:00 Reflections on Success and Team Building

34:51 Redefining Success in Business

37:12 The Journey of Solo Entrepreneurship

39:34 Reflections on Parenting and Work-Life Balance

42:57 The Importance of Self-Awareness

45:00 Navigating Parenting Challenges

50:20 The Impact of COVID-19 on Business

54:58 Finding Fulfillment in Work

01:01:12 Marketing as a Game Changer

01:03:43 Advice for Women in Recruitment

01:07:52 The Importance of Open Communication in the Workplace

__________________________________________

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

Recruiters: are you sitting on a goldmine of LinkedIn connections without knowing how to turn them into real opportunities?

Most recruiters spend hours every day on cold outreach and endless scrolling, hoping for replies that never come. But what if LinkedIn could work for you instead?

The Hoxo 7-Day LinkedIn Challenge is a simple, step-by-step framework designed to help you:

• Identify warm leads already in your network
• Start meaningful conversations with potential clients and candidates—without feeling pushy
• Share content that gets noticed and builds trust – without spending hours online

Transform LinkedIn into an inbound lead generator in just 7 days!

This challenge isn’t about writing viral posts or spamming DMs.

It’s about small, proven actions that take just 20 minutes a day – and start generating results from day one!

Ready to unlock your LinkedIn potential?

Over 7,000 recruiters worldwide have already used this framework to generate inbound leads, grow their pipeline, and win more business. Now it’s your turn.

Join the FREE 7-day LinkedIn Challenge today and start unlocking the opportunities already in your network.

Head over to https://hubs.ly/Q031DT2s0 to get started. See you there!

Founders fall out. Niches get blurred. This is what no one tells you about before you launch your own recruitment agency

On this week's show, I am joined by Tom Essex, co-founder of Kigyo Solutions, a recruitment business based in Amsterdam focused on logistics and renewable energy.

Tom launched the business in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a niche SAP agency quickly became a generalist business that lost its direction. In this episode, we break down how he and his co-founder navigated a tough few years, rebuilt their relationship, and refocused the business to find traction again.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The reality of launching a recruitment business during a global crisis
• What happens when you lose your niche and drift into unfamiliar markets
• How to manage the dynamics of a co-founder relationship through difficult periods
• Why doing less, better, can be the key to long-term success

If you're thinking of starting a business with a partner, or you’re in the early stages and feeling the pressure, this is a conversation you need to hear.

__________________________________________

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 seven 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 5000 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 and 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 template

Free 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 5000 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.