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The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast

Sean Anderson
Recruitment
Recruitment Industry
Linkedin
Entrepreneurship
Work-Life Balance
Covid-19
Personal Branding
AI In Recruitment
Recruitment Agency
Life Sciences
Private Equity
Cybersecurity
Business Growth
Rec2rec
Remote Work
IT Staffing
HM Staffing
Remote Working
Mental Health
Business Development

We’re having real and raw conversations with successful recruitment entrepreneurs about what is happening in their businesses right now and their plans to navigate market changes.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes200Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
CareersBusinessEntrepreneurship

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Artwork for The RAG Podcast

Latest Episodes

At 28, Oliver Paull runs Rec Gen completely alone from his flat in London. £209K in year one at an 81% profit margin. £298K in year two. Past £270K already this year. Close to £800K in under three years, with no staff, no office and no cold client ou... more

Mathew Gollop found Hong Kong in the back of Recruiter magazine. A glossy advert, a Chinese temple, a palm tree. He flew out, signed the contract, and landed in February 2001.

The dot-com bubble had just burst. Then 9/11. Then SARS.

Within a year t... more

YouTube

Greg Fischer did not plan to spend ten years in recruitment. He joined a solo healthcare practice in LA as employee number one, figured it would pay the bills, and planned to open a gym someday. He never left.

Instead he built one of the most profit... more

YouTube

Paul Strouts has run a business of four people.

His first business, James Harvard, quickly grew beyond 100 people and sold to Hays for approximately £20 million at 32.

He then spent a decade running Hays Life Sciences globally. Got headhunted to PE... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Paul Strouts
CEO, Acacium Life Sciences (Proclinical, R&D Partners, DRA)
Acacium Group
Episode: Season 9 | Ep32 Paul Strouts: When Growing Headcount Is a Strategy and When It Is Just a Cost
Nathan O'Connell
REC2REC founder, founder of O'Connell Search Partners (OSP)
OSP
Episode: Season 9 | Ep31 Nathan O'Connell: Building a £1M R2R business on 4 x Retained Clients
Emily Angeloni
Founder and Director of WOW Recruitment
WOW Recruitment
Episode: Season 9 | Ep30 Emily Angeloni: Why She Nearly Walked Away From WOW After 9 Years of growth
Charlie Saffro
Founder who built CS Recruiting, later sold the business
CS Recruiting
Episode: Season 9 | Ep29 Charlie Saffro: What Nobody Tells You About Selling Your Recruitment Business
Blaine Daws
Co-founder of WNTD, focused on Nvidia AI infrastructure recruitment
WNTD
Episode: Season 9 | Ep28 Blaine Daws: £1.5M Year One to £15M Today. Working 7 Days a Week to Get There.
Andy Strong
Founder of Strong Search, go-to-market and AI-focused recruitment entrepreneur
Strong Search
Episode: Season 9 | Ep27 Andy Strong: Why He Waited 17 Years to Start His Own Recruitment Business
Jon Woolley
Founder of Candid Talent, former Vantage Automation recruitment lead in US
Candid Talent
Episode: Season 9 | Ep26 Jon Woolley: How a Solo Recruiter Billed $1M in Two Years from Home
Christian Mather
Wealth planner who exclusively works with recruitment founders
Independent wealth planning practice
Episode: Season 9 | Ep25 Christian Mather: The Wealth Planner Recruitment Founders Are Calling First
David Bloxham
CEO of GCS (Engage group) and prominent industry leader
GCS / Engage
Episode: Season 9 | Ep24 How David Bloxham Flipped a 130-Person Agency to 95% Contract Revenue

Hosts

Sean
Host of The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast
Ben Richardson
Co-CEO of LHi Group; frequent guest discussing leadership, governance, and succession

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 133 ratings
  • Episode with Brent Orsuga

    Since last March, I have listened to many of the podcasts hosted by Sean, this has to be one of my favourites.

    Lots of energy and really inspiring!

    Chirag

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ChiragTRS
    United Kingdom5 years ago
  • Ruella Crouch

    Fantastic podcast. Great learns from every episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RubyRu16
    United Kingdom6 years ago
  • Insightful and honest

    Brilliant podcast, would highly recommend it to anyone ambitious in the recruitment industry (and anyone else who wants to learn how successful business owners think)

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    night_owl4
    United Kingdom6 years ago
  • ceo

    Since listening to the RAG podcast and using a guests advice, I have had x2 meetings which resulted in business. Congratulations @Sean Anderson you have a number of fans here at Mana Search.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    lloyd wahed
    United Kingdom6 years ago
  • Relating to S1 E10

    Episode 10 of season 1 was the podcast I could relate to most. I have been in recruitment for a year now after taking over a dying agency. I jumped straight into it after having 0 days experience in recruitment and it’s been a very tough year. Still on my own now, I have some support which has made it easier, but the hardest part is being on your own and listening to this podcast is extremely helpful. I’m in the Education sector and I want to build a business rather than get rich quick so it wou... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    A.Brown24
    United Kingdom7 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many note the show's openness about challenges and failures.
The format is seen as actionable for scaling recruitment agencies.
Listeners praise the practical insights and energy of the host and guests.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#11
United Kingdom/Business/Careers
Apple Podcasts
#163
United Kingdom/Business
Apple Podcasts
#127
Australia/Business/Careers
Apple Podcasts
#166
Norway/Business/Careers
Apple Podcasts
#204
Ireland/Business/Careers

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Season 9 | Ep32 Paul Strouts: When Growing Headcount Is a Strategy and When It Is Just a Cost
Q: What would you ask a founder who wants to grow from 5 to 20 in 18 months?
How much cash do you have, what is your funding plan (self-funded or interim investment), what markets and profiles are you targeting, and what is your risk appetite? Also ensure you have a realistic runway—roughly half a million pounds for a solid start.
Season 9 | Ep32 Paul Strouts: When Growing Headcount Is a Strategy and When It Is Just a Cost
Q: When do you think headcount genuinely creates value, and when is it a cost?
It heavily depends on the sector and market. In life sciences, anything above around 275 heads starts to become a cost, and going bigger risks dilution of delivery quality; the US market represents the bigger growth opportunity, but you must maintain high standards and plan around capital and risk.
Season 9 | Ep31 Nathan O'Connell: Building a £1M R2R business on 4 x Retained Clients
Q: How do you balance the demands of travel, client meetings, and family life while aiming for seven-figure revenue?
By planning the day, using tech to automate admin, and maintaining a flexible but disciplined schedule that preserves family time. Travel is managed in focused blocks, with the team and technology enabling high-quality conversations remotely, while on-the-ground client engagement remains strong.
Season 9 | Ep31 Nathan O'Connell: Building a £1M R2R business on 4 x Retained Clients
Q: What is the core blueprint of your recruitment-to-recruitment business, and how do you sustain growth with a small team?
The core blueprint is specialization (energy/engineering, data/AI/quant, commodities) across three regions, limited number of clients per region, and full-cycle involvement from mapping to placement. Growth comes from deep relationships, a balanced mix of London, New York, and Texas desks, and leveraging AI-driven processes to map markets quickly and efficiently while the consultants focus on the human element.
Season 9 | Ep30 Emily Angeloni: Why She Nearly Walked Away From WOW After 9 Years of growth
Q: What is the vision for the next five years?
The plan is to build an asset that offers freedom and choice, expand the tech division, scale sales and marketing, and leverage AI while maintaining high-quality delivery.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The RAG Podcast

What is The RAG Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show features candid conversations with recruitment entrepreneurs who are actively navigating growth, margin, and market shifts. Episodes repeatedly surface themes like scalable business models, leadership transitions, the role of AI and data in recruitment, offshore delivery, and the tension between fast growth and sustainable profitability. A standout angle is how founders balance personal life, brand-building, and long-term value, often through differentiated service offerings, strategic acquisitions, or niche specializations. This mix offers tangible lessons for agencies aiming to scale with purpose, including how to structure leadership, partnerships, and client relationships in dynamic markets.

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Which podcasts are similar to The RAG Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The RAG Podcast:

1. Recruitment Mentors Podcast
2. The High Performance Podcast
3. Sunday Supplement
4. The Good, The Bad & The Football
5. Stick to Cricket

How many episodes of The RAG Podcast are there?

The RAG Podcast launched 7 years ago and published 200 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The RAG Podcast?

Recent guests on The RAG Podcast include:

1. Paul Strouts
2. Nathan O'Connell
3. Emily Angeloni
4. Charlie Saffro
5. Blaine Daws
6. Andy Strong
7. Jon Woolley
8. Christian Mather

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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