The Lone Recruiter

Have you ever felt like you KNOW how to do something, but it still takes a huge amount of effort to get it right?

That’s where the four stages of mastery come in.

In this episode, I break down the journey from having absolutely no idea what you’re doing to reaching the point where a skill becomes almost automatic.

For recruiters, this can apply to everything from interviewing and taking a job brief to BD, closing deals, leadership and eventually running your own agency.

👉 The four stages of mastery
👉 W...

The recruitment market is changing, but where are the real opportunities right now?

Today I’m joined by Andrea Collins from Connecting Recruiters, she has spent more than 20 years in recruitment and the last decade specialising in Rec2Rec. She recruits across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, giving her a pretty unique view of what’s happening inside agencies across the country.

We talk about what senior recruiters are looking for now, why some agencies are attracting great people while others are losing them, and what the recruitment market could look like by the time the next...

The 2026 Census has added 349 new occupations. So naturally, my recruiter brain went straight to one question: Where's the opportunity?

If you're looking for a new recruitment market, the Census could give you some very interesting clues.

Tune in for:
👉 Why 349 new occupations creates potential new recruitment markets
👉 What changing industries and technology mean for recruiters
👉 How to spot genuine demand rather than simply chasing job volume
👉 Why national skills shortages can point towards strong recruitment opportunities
👉 How to find markets where recruiter competition is relatively low
👉 Why the best market isn't neces...

This simple recruitment tactic can significantly shorten the time between getting a client interview request and actually getting the interview booked.

The key idea is simple: don’t ask “when?”

Instead, know your candidate’s availability and give the client a specific option, ideally today or tomorrow. Rather than asking, “When can you meet them?”, try, “I’ve got them available at 3pm today. Can you make that work?”

This small change creates urgency, keeps momentum, and stops interviews from being pushed into the end of the week or even the following week.

I also explai...

What if your best incentive wasn’t more money, but more time?

In today's ep, I sit down with Zakary Nash, Co-Founder and Director of HarperLloyd Recruitment, to unpack one of the most interesting incentives I’ve come across in recruitment.

Hit your quarterly target, and you earn Fridays off for the entire next quarter.

It sounds simple, but the psychology behind it is fascinating.

Zakary shares:

👉 Why HarperLloyd introduced the four-day incentive

👉 How consultants are using their Fridays differently

👉 Why time can be a more powerful...

I’ve spent 20 years measuring my success from behind a recruitment desk.

Placements. Revenue. Generation. Deals. 

But now my role is changing.

As the agency and the podcast grow, I’m moving away from full-throttle desk recruitment and into more of a leadership role. I’m not disappearing from recruitment. I still love the clients, the candidates and the deals. But I can’t keep doing everything myself.

And that’s where things get interesting...

👉 The metrics that made me successful on the desk aren’t necessarily the metrics that will make m...

What do a packet of soy sauce, a door handle, and recruitment have in common?

I know it sounds strange, but this week I found myself thinking about how the smallest details can have the biggest impact.

I grabbed my usual sushi lunch, something I do Monday to Thursday because it’s predictable and easy for my specific dietary needs. But when I got back to my desk, I realised they’d forgotten my gluten-free soy sauce. The sushi itself was good but the meal was not as tasty. That tiny five-cent component completely changed the...

Retained recruitment is something many recruiters talk about, but few fully commit to.

In this ep, I chat with Jack Creith from Yakka Solutions about the unconventional retained model that transformed his recruitment business: 10% upfront and 90% on delivery.

Rather than following the traditional retained search structure, Jack created a model that is simple, low friction for clients and still creates the commitment needed to deliver exceptional results.

We unpack how he developed the model, why the 10% upfront payment acts as a filter for serious clients, and the mindset shift recruiters need to make...

If I had to build a recruitment desk from scratch today, this is exactly how I'd do it.

One of the biggest mistakes recruiters make when starting a new market is casting the net too wide. They pick an industry, start calling people and hope the opportunities reveal themselves. That approach wastes time and confidence.

In this ep, I walk you through the exact framework I use to identify profitable recruitment markets before making a single business development call. It's a simple process that helps you find high-demand niches with lower recruiter competition, so you...

What separates top recruiters from everyone else isn't always a better process, it's confidence.

I share the one trait I try to build in every recruiter I coach. Whether you're doubting your process, overthinking your decisions, or second-guessing every call, this episode explains why confidence is often the missing ingredient between knowing what to do and consistently doing it.

You'll also learn why validating your process with a trusted mentor, manager or colleague can eliminate doubt, improve your decision-making and help you recruit with greater conviction.

If you've ever wondered whether you're doing...

What if improving your recruitment performance wasn't about working harder, but simply paying closer attention.

By simply tracking a single activity you could change your results, without complex dashboards or endless KPI meetings.

I have Type 1 diabetes and by changing one simple habit I had the best blood glucose result in years. That experience sparked an important question:

Rather than obsessing over outcomes you can't fully control, recruiters should focus on measuring the activities that lead to success. My suggestion is that you start tracking one metric: first interviews. By simply recording every...

Recruitment has traditionally revolved around three models: executive search, contingent recruitment and contract staffing.

But I believe the market is changing.

I'm seeing more and more clients asking for retained recruitment partnerships because they want greater commitment, better outcomes and a higher standard of service.

In this ep, I share why I think this shift is happening and introduce a concept I've been developing: Specialist Executive Search.

Tune in for:

👉 The three traditional recruitment models and where they fit

👉 Why I'm seeing clients move away from contingent recruitm...

Most recruiters will do everything they can to avoid refunding a client. After all, we've invested time, expertise and effort into making the placement.

But what happens when continuing to honour a replacement guarantee starts costing your business more than it's worth?

I recently had my first recruitment fee refund of my 20-year career. Giving money back wasn't a sign of failure, but a strategic business decision that freed up valuable time, strengthened the client relationship and ultimately generated more revenue.

If you've ever struggled with replacement guarantees, difficult briefs or knowing when...

Easy. Lucrative. Fun.

I'd never heard of ELF Mode until a casual conversation at the gym with a mate who has successfully built and sold multiple businesses.

The more he explained it, the more I realised it's one of the simplest and most powerful ways to think about building a successful recruitment desk.

In this ep, I unpack the idea behind ELF Mode—doing work that's Easy, Lucrative and Fun—and compare it to the opposite: HALF (Hard, Annoying, Lame and Frustrating).

As recruiters, it's easy to get caught up doing work...

Most recruiters never check one of the most valuable reports inside LinkedIn Recruiter.
Should you?
Absolutely.

In this episode, I break down LinkedIn's average InMail response rate (27.5%) and show you exactly how to improve yours. Better response rates don't just mean more conversations with candidates. They also help you retain InMail credits, improve your reach and ultimately make more placements. I'll walk you through three practical changes you can make immediately to start lifting your response rate without relying on gimmicks or spammy messaging.

Tune in for:
👉 Where to find your InMail res...

How do you know if you're actually on track... or if you're quietly falling behind without realising it?

In this ep, I share one of the simplest but most effective tools every recruiter should be using: a visible pipeline tracker. No fancy tech. No AI. No complicated dashboards. Just a straightforward way to keep your deals moving and ensure you're always focused on the right activity.

If your pipeline is hidden away inside your CRM, chances are you're not looking at it often enough. The recruiters who stay on top of their numbers are the...

Ever sit down to write a LinkedIn post and have absolutely no idea what to say?

In this episode, I share why most recruiters are making LinkedIn far harder than it needs to be. The days of posting generic insights, AI-generated content, and recycled advice are quickly disappearing. If your content sounds like everyone else's, you're going to struggle to stand out.

The good news? You're already creating valuable content every single day.

Every conversation you have with candidates and clients contains real-world advice, market intelligence, hiring trends, salary insights, and practical solutions...

Can recruiters still build a million-dollar desk without the endless grind, cold calls and hustle culture?

In this ep I sat down with Christine Foggiato from Riverside Recruitment, who is challenging many of the traditional recruitment beliefs we've all grown up with.

Christine is closing in on a seven-figure billing desk while generating almost all of her business through inbound marketing. No LinkedIn Recruiter licence. No cold calling. No endless BD sessions. Instead, she's built a powerful personal brand, content strategy and marketing engine that keeps both clients and candidates coming to her.

...

How do I actually scale a recruitment desk or business without becoming the bottleneck?

In this ep, I break down a simple but powerful operating philosophy: I do, we do, you do - a progression that shows how to move from doing everything yourself, to building with others, to ultimately stepping back so the business can run without you.

When I started out, I was doing everything: clients, candidates, deals, management, all of it. Then I moved into the “we do” phase, building a team around me and delivering together. But the real shift (and the h...

The best recruiters I have ever worked with, interviewed or talked to - the real multi-million dollar billers - all share one habit. It's something I do compulsively as well. 

They know what worked today, what didn't, and what they're doing differently tomorrow.

In this episode I break down the simple but honestly powerful practice of diarising your recruitment desk.

No complicated system needed and we're not talking "dear diary" okay - just 15 minutes at the end of your day to review:

Why do we always seem to get sick the moment we finally slow down?

Today I dive into the science behind stress, burnout, cortisol, and why so many high performers crash physically after big work pushes.

My grandfather worked as a GP with only one day off every fortnight, and he would consistently get migraines the moment he finally stopped working. I unpack what’s actually happening inside the body during prolonged periods of stress and why the “post-stress crash” is so common.

I also break down:

What state are you showing up in every day?

In this ep, I dive into the idea of “showing up in state",  a concept popularised by Tony Robbins that’s all about deliberately shifting your mindset, energy, and focus before stepping into important moments.

I actually recorded this episode after having a pretty rough day myself. I got plenty done, but mentally it felt like I was pushing uphill all day. Reflecting on it later, I realised I’d preloaded negativity before the day even started.

So here are 3 practical steps to change your st...

I’m walking you through something I use every single day on my desk… my closing playbook.

Closing isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every candidate, every deal and every situation is different, and the mistake I see recruiters make is trying to use the same close every time.

So I break it down into three distinct closing plays that I rely on depending on the scenario.

You’ll hear how I think about timing, psychology, pressure points and decision-making when it comes to getting candidates over the line.

Tune in for:

👉 My standard...

The 2026 Australian Budget has triggered a lot of emotion, uncertainty and fear across the market and recruiters are hearing it directly from clients.

Here's what I'm seeing, hearing and doing right now as businesses react to major legislative and economic changes.

This isn’t so much about politics. It’s about mindset, market psychology and how recruiters can avoid getting dragged into fear-based thinking when clients start talking hiring freezes, market contractions and uncertainty.

I share why moments like this create hesitation across the economy, why recruiters need to stay close to their clie...

The 2026 Australian Budget has triggered a lot of emotion, uncertainty and fear across the market and recruiters are hearing it directly from clients.

Here's what I'm seeing, hearing and doing right now as businesses react to major legislative and economic changes.

This isn’t so much about politics. It’s about mindset, market psychology and how recruiters can avoid getting dragged into fear-based thinking when clients start talking hiring freezes, market contractions and uncertainty.

I share why moments like this create hesitation across the economy, why recruiters need to stay close to their clie...

At some point, almost every recruiter thinks about going out on their own.

More freedom. More money. No boss.

But what I’ve seen over the years is that a lot of recruiters underestimate the financial pressure that comes with actually running a business.

In this ep, I break down the biggest pitfalls I see with solo recruiters and agency founders: cashflow, tax, and the hidden stress that catches people out after the early wins start rolling in.

I talk about:
👉 Why so many recruiters left agencies after COVID
👉 Why many...

Most people stop at level two.

They make good money…
Then coast.

But what if wealth was actually a 4-level game?

In today's ep I break down the “Game of Millions”, a framework that completely changed how I think about success, leadership and purpose.

Level 1:
Make $1M in revenue.

Level 2:
Make $1M in your pocket.

Level 3:
Help the people around you make $1M too.

Level 4:
Give $1M away.

The real trap?
Stopping once you win.

Tune i...

Most recruiters completely change their success rate with passive candidates once they understand one thing:

A headhunted candidate is psychologically very different to an applicant.

Applicants are already in the market.
Passive candidates are not.

That means the language you use throughout a process matters more than most recruiters realise.

Tune in for:

👉 Why passive candidates trigger “fight or flight”
👉 The biggest language mistakes recruiters make
👉 Why terms like “interview”, “offer” and “business case” can spook candidates
👉 How to guide headhunted talent through a process without pushing too hard, to...

When markets get tough, most business owners default to the same move:

Cut costs.
Cut staff.
Cut spending.
Cut everything.

But there’s a problem with that strategy…

It’s a finite game.

Today I unpack a simple mindset shift that completely reframed how I think about business growth, recruitment and opportunity during hard times.

Because while cost cutting has a limit… revenue growth doesn’t.

You can only cut to zero.
But there’s no ceiling on growth.

This ep is for agenc...

Do you feel like you’re performing at a high level… but running on empty underneath?

In this ep, I sit down with Luke Maslin to unpack the hidden cost of high performance  and why so many ambitious recruiters are unknowingly burning themselves out.

Luke shares his journey from semi-pro athlete to struggling with anxiety and health challenges, and how that led him into the world of functional health, blood work analysis, and performance optimisation.

We dive into what’s really going on beneath the surface when you “feel fine” but aren’t operating at...

Ever feel like every new brief means starting from scratch?

Today I break down the difference between generalist chaos and specialist control and why constantly reinventing the wheel is slowing you down more than you think. I share how I’d approach a messy, wide desk, and the simple shift that can turn repeat work into repeatable success.

If you’re tired of doing a full search every single time, this one’s for you.

Tune in for:
👉 Why repeatable talent pools are a recruiter’s biggest advantage
👉 How speed directly impacts your b...

Ever felt like you're holding back who you really are at work?

In this ep, I sit down with Eva Bantin (formerly Eva Wilson), recruiter, business owner, and self-proclaimed “people alchemist”, who’s done something most won’t: she’s completely leaned into her authentic self and built a thriving business around it.

From nearly 30 years in recruitment to rebranding her life, career, and even her name, Eva shares what happened when she stopped playing the corporate game and started showing up as herself, astrology, humour, tiny home life and all.

And here’s the kicker...

What happens when you bring hundreds of recruiters together in one place?

In this ep, I sit down with Pete Watson to unpack the growth of Recruitment United and why community, training, and real-time collaboration are becoming game changers in the industry.

From a scrappy WhatsApp group to the largest recruitment community in Australia, this is a look at what’s working, what’s evolving, and where it’s all heading next.

Tune in for:
🔥 How Recruitment United grew to 350+ members
🔥 Why most agencies still struggle with training and development
🔥 The power of re...

The people around you either drag you down or lift you up.

In this ep, I share a CrossFit analogy that shows how being surrounded by high performers naturally raises your standards, your effort, and your results without you even realising it.

Who you surround yourself with is everything.

Tune in for:
👉 How high performers raise your baseline
👉 Why success is contagious in the right environment
👉 The danger of staying in low bar teams
👉 How to intentionally level up who you are around

If you want to grow, change...

You don’t have unlimited time and energy… so where you spend it will either make you money or quietly cost you.

In today's ep, I dive into a real story. A signed candidate, a pulled offer, a scramble to recover, and then a fee dispute that could’ve gone all the way to court.

The question we had to ask was simple.
Is this worth our time and energy?

Because every day, whether you realise it or not, you’re making that call. What you focus on. What you chase. What you let...

Ever caught yourself saying… “that doesn’t work”?

Cold calls don’t work. Ads don’t work. That client will never use us. That candidate will never respond.

Or is that just learned helplessness talking?

In today’s ep, I break down one of the most dangerous (and common) patterns I see in recruitment — giving up on things that didn’t work before, instead of adjusting and going again.

Because the truth is, most of the time it’s not that it doesn’t work… it’s that you stopped too early.

Tune in for...

Are you leaving money on the table without even realising it?

In this ep, I share a simple but powerful strategy to turn one candidate on multiple interviews into multiple placements. Too many recruiters celebrate a placement and move on, missing the bigger opportunities right in front of them. But there’s a smarter way to work your desk, increase your fees, and create more opportunities for both your candidates and your clients.

Tune in for:

Ever had a candidate who looks incredible on paper… but the market just doesn’t respond?

Today I talk about a conversation I had on the launch tour that really highlights a mistake a lot of recruiters make — especially those still chasing their first placement. It’s easy to get excited about a candidate with 30+ years of experience, a great CV, and a strong track record. But the real question isn’t whether you think they’re a great candidate. The question is whether the market does.

If you’re sending CVs and hearing nothing back, this ep...

Ever feel like you’re doing everything right when pitching a retainer… but still getting knocked back?

In this ep, I break down the real reason most recruiters struggle to win retainers. It’s not your pricing. It’s not your process. It’s the way you position it in the conversation.

I'll walk you through the mindset shift that’s helped me win retainers consistently for years, plus the simple phrases that can completely change how clients respond.

If you’ve ever felt nervous asking for money upfront or unsure how to position a ret...

What matters more for recruiters right now… mindset or AI?

In this ep, Jarrod Ross from The Recruitment Academy joins the podcast and gives a really honest take on what’s actually working in the market right now and what’s just hype.

We talk about why high performers struggle more when the market turns, why process is becoming critical again, and why mindset still sits above everything else.

👉 Why AI is powerful but still being misunderstood
👉 What top performers do when results suddenly slow down
👉 The real reason some recruiters plateau in toug...