The Lone Recruiter

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 will make you stop and rethink how you’re judging what a “great candidate” actually looks like in today’s market. Tune in for: 👉 Why years of experience don’t always equal demand 👉 The mistake new recruiters make when they rely on “great candidates” instead of real roles 👉 How the market really decides who is valuable right now 👉 Why the 8–10 year bracket is often the sweet spot 👉 The simple mindset shift that can help you make your first placement faster

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 retained search properly, this one will really help. Tune in for: 👉 Why making the retainer pitch about you instantly kills your chances 👉 How to position a retainer as advice, not a request 👉 What to say when a client asks “How much does it cost?” 👉 The one line that completely removes the money objection 👉 How to handle the “what if you’re not successful?” question with confidence 👉 Why most recruiters are too timid at the key moments in the conversation If you want to win more retainers this year, this ep will give you a much clearer and more confident way to approach the pitch.

Ever wondered how top recruiters scale their desk without burning out? In today’s ep, I sit down with Chris Gath, founder of Specify and ProSource, to talk about the real power of outsourcing in recruitment. We go behind the curtain on using offshore contractors, how to delegate properly, and how recruiters can use remote teams and AI to create leverage and grow their desk. Chris shares how he built his own recruitment business using remote support and why outsourcing the right tasks can help recruiters focus on what actually drives revenue: speaking to candidates, influencing clients, and closing deals. Tune in for: ⚡ Why leverage is the key to growing beyond a $400K desk ⚡ The biggest mistake recruiters make when outsourcing ⚡ What tasks you should (and shouldn’t) delegate ⚡ How offshore teams, AI, and automation are changing recruitment ⚡ Practical advice for building and managing a remote team If you’ve ever thought about outsourcing parts of your recruitment desk, tune in as we break down what works, what doesn’t, and how to get started the right way. If you missed out on attending our recent LAUNCH events. The good news is we're doing one last event online on Wednesday March 25th, you can register here: https://www.rcsa.com.au/SITE/EventDetail?EventKey=BCWEB26

Ever noticed how some people walk into a room and lift the entire office… while others drain the energy out of it? In today’s ep, I break down the three types of people you’ll find in every workplace: energy pumpers, energy reflectors, and energy suckers. Understanding which one you are, and how your energy impacts the people around you, can completely change how you show up with clients, candidates, and your team. Energy is contagious. The way you show up on calls, in meetings, and on the desk matters more than you think. Tune in for: ⚡ The three energy types you’ll find in every office ⚡ Why energy pumpers and reflectors create winning environments ⚡ How negative energy quietly drains teams ⚡ A simple challenge to bring better energy into every call today My challenge for you today is simple: put out great energy for the next eight hours and see what comes back. If you missed out on attending our recent LAUNCH events. The good news is we're doing one last event online on Wednesday March 25th, you can register here: https://www.rcsa.com.au/SITE/EventDetail?EventKey=BCWEB26

Ever felt like you’re working hard but still not getting the results you want? In this ep, I share a simple but powerful concept inspired by legendary mindset coach Jim Rohn and the well-known “Start With Why” philosophy from Simon Sinek. The idea is this: when your why is powerful, the how becomes easy. When you have crystal clear clarity on what you’re chasing and why it matters to you, something shifts. You find more energy. You push through obstacles. You stop overthinking the process and simply do what needs to be done. But if your why is weak, vague, or someone else’s goal rather than your own, the journey becomes a grind. In this ep, I challenge you to step back from the tactics and skills for a moment and really ask yourself: What am I chasing? Why does it matter to me? And how will my life change when I get there? Because when your why is strong enough, you will always find a way. If you missed out on attending our recent LAUNCH events. The good news is we're doing one last event online on Wednesday March 25th, you can register here: https://www.rcsa.com.au/SITE/EventDetail?EventKey=BCWEB26

What do the best recruiters in the country actually have in common? After travelling around Australia for the LAUNCH 2026 Tour, I had the chance to sit down with some incredible recruiters. We spoke with top billers in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, many billing well over $1M a year, and some even pushing $5M. Despite very different personalities, markets and styles, I kept noticing the same patterns showing up again and again. So in this episode, I break down the four big traits that kept coming up across every conversation. If you’re looking to grow your desk and think like a top performer, these insights are worth paying attention to. Tune in for: 👉 Why self-awareness is a powerful advantage for top billers 👉 How elite recruiters switch straight into problem-solving mode when deals go sideways 👉 Why most top desks are built on retained and exclusive work 👉 The reason relationships still sit at the centre of every great recruitment desk Thanks again to everyone who came along to the LAUNCH tour around the country. It was incredible to meet so many listeners of the podcast. If you missed out on attending LAUNCH in person. The good news is we're doing one last event online on Wednesday March 25th register here: https://www.rcsa.com.au/SITE/EventDetail?EventKey=BCWEB26

How do I actually feel right now? That is the question I ask myself before I start anything important. Today I want to share a simple reset that I use to prepare for whatever is coming next. Before I hit the desk. Before I smash the phones. Before I wind down. I pause and listen. Am I energised or flat? Sharp or foggy? Calm or wired? Because I have learned this the hard way. If my body is not working for me, it is working against me. This ep is not about tactics. It is not about scripts. It is about self awareness. When I know what state I am in, I can shift it. I can fire myself up. I can regulate. I can wind down properly. And when I do that, my performance changes. High performance does not start with action. It starts with awareness. Listen in, pause with me, and then ask yourself what you need before your next move. Please like, share and subscribe as it really helps us grow.

Ever prepared for your desk like a world-touring rock star? Today’s ep is a homage to the late, great Rob Hirst, the legendary drummer of Midnight Oil and a lesson he shared with me years ago that I’ve never forgotten. When Midnight Oil announced a global tour after years off the road, Rob didn’t just “wing it.” He trained for six months straight. Gym every day. Built strength. Built stamina. Built resilience. Because he knew what the stage demanded. And it got me thinking… Are you preparing like that for your desk? Recruitment might not involve stadium lights and drum solos but it does impact your income, your family, your clients, and the candidates whose lives you help change. So the real question is: Are you doing the reps outside of work to perform at your best inside it? Tune in for: 👉 How I came to know Rob Hirst 👉 Rob's six-month preparation mindset before a world tour 👉 Why “not deciding” is actually a decision 👉 The non-technical prep most recruiters ignore 👉 A challenge to raise your performance standard This one’s short, sharp, and powerful.

This year on The Lone Recruiter podcast, we’ve interviewed multiple $1M+ billers across the country. What are the common traits of million-dollar billers? In this ep I break them down into 7 key traits: Action first, mood second They trust their process, even when results are thin They get on the phone with purpose They use the ceiling & floor rule on bad days They focus on high-value task completion They generate even when they’re busy placing roles Their self-belief and self-image are strong If you want to bill more, grow faster, and build consistency in your desk this ep distils the habits that actually separate top performers. Million-dollar billing isn’t random. It’s patterned behaviour. If you’re serious about pushing toward high-bill performance, I’ll see you on the road at the RCSA Launch events! https://www.rcsa.com.au/Site/Shared_Content/Events/Upcoming_Events.aspx?Keyword=launch

Are you a peak-and-trough recruiter? Big month. Quiet month. Panic generation. Repeat. In this ep, we break down why the recruiter who bills steady every month will always outperform the boom-and-bust high flyer. Instead of chasing huge billing months, what if you just committed to $33K every month? Instead of aiming for a million in a few heroic pushes, what if you focused on the monthly number that builds it? We cover: 👉 Why consistent billers are more valuable than “hero months” 👉 How chaos kills performance 👉 The danger of ego targets 👉 How to choose a number you can actually sustain 👉 Why foundations matter more than fireworks 👉 How adding one more deal per month changes everything If your desk feels reactive, unpredictable, or stressful, this ep is for you. Consistency isn’t boring. It’s profitable.

What actually separates a million-dollar biller from everyone else? In today's ep, I chat to Laura Biggs from Empowered Decision as part of our Million Dollar Mindset series. Laura has trained countless top performers and while their styles differ wildly, the thread that connects them is clear: 👉 A problem-solving mindset 👉 Emotional intelligence 👉 Comfort with discomfort 👉 The ability to keep learning and growing We unpack: ✔️ Whether high performance traits can be trained ✔️ The mindset patterns that hold recruiters back ✔️ Why growth always feels uncomfortable ✔️ The trap of “comfort land” ✔️ The one shift recruiters can make to increase their billings If you’ve hit a ceiling (or want to avoid one) this ep is essential listening.

What does sustainable high performance actually look like when you are running a global desk, scaling an agency, and raising three kids? In this episode of the Million Dollar Mindset Series, I sit down with Matt Hart, a quiet achiever who has billed over $1 million consistently, launched his own agency Recrevi Group, and now runs a nine-person team across Australia, the US, UK, and beyond. We get into the real stuff. Long hours. Burnout warnings. How investing in his health became one of the biggest drivers of business performance and leadership clarity. This is a grounded conversation about drive, discipline, standards, and doing the work properly without blowing yourself up in the process. Tune in for: 👉 What running a truly global recruitment desk actually looks like day to day 👉 How Matt identified burnout early and made a deliberate change 👉 Why working with a holistic health coach changed his performance at work 👉 The link between sleep, nutrition, stress management, and better decisions 👉 Why reputation and standards matter more than chasing numbers 👉 The one metric Matt loosely tracks to know if a desk is healthy If you are serious about longevity in recruitment, this one is worth your time. See link to tickets below for the RCSA's Sydney LAUNCH on Tuesday, Feb 24th https://www.rcsa.com.au/SITE/EventDetail?EventKey=LNCHSYD26

What does it really take to build a million-dollar recruitment business from scratch, during COVID, with a six-month-old baby and zero certainty? In our latest ep in the Million Dollar Mindset series, I chat with Laura Frazer, founder of Frazer Tremble and the Victorian and Tasmanian Councillor for the RCSA. Laura shares her raw journey of launching her agency in April 2020, navigating lockdowns, financial pressure, and motherhood, while building a consistently $1M+ business. This is a grounded conversation about discipline, mindset, resilience, and why investing in relationships still beats chasing quick wins. 👇 In this ep, we cover: Starting a recruitment business in lockdown Mindset and resilience under pressure Discipline, habits, and controlling the controllables Productivity as a working parent Resetting without burning out If you’re serious about long-term success in recruitment, this one’s for you. LAUNCH 2026 Tickets are almost sold out. Grab yours before they’re gone.

What does it really take to build a million dollar, and then $2M+, recruitment business without burning out or selling your soul? In today's Million Dollar Mindset Series, I sit down with Eva Grabner, Founder and Managing Director of Elite Executive, who has quietly built one of the most impressive executive search businesses in the country. From her unexpected start as a Chief Purser on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, to running a lean, relationship led recruitment firm delivering $2M+ in annual billings, Eva shares the unfiltered truth about resilience, exclusivity, downturns, confidence, and why relationships always beat quick wins. This conversation is also a taste of what’s coming live on the 2026 Launch Tour, where Eva will be joining us on stage in Brisbane. Tune in to hear about: How a cruise ship career shaped her leadership and people skills What it actually took to hit $1M, then $2M+ Why exclusivity beats contingency every time Surviving the GFC, COVID, and market winters The resilience habits that keep top recruiters standing What she would tell herself if she could rewind 15 years If you are serious about long term success in recruitment, not just this year but the next decade, this one is essential listening. Follow The Lone Recruiter for more episodes in the Million Dollar Mindset Series and details on the 2026 National Launch Tour.

Today I chat with Eliott Iustini, Managing Consultant at Technical Resources and a consistent $1M+ biller, as part of the Million Dollar Mindset Series. Eliott breaks down what actually sits behind long-term success in recruitment. Not hacks, not hype, but relationships, persistence, and doing the right things year after year. From building deep client trust, to surviving the first 18 months, to learning through “a thousand small cuts,” this is a grounded, honest look at what sustainable high performance really looks like. In this ep, we cover: 👉 Why genuine relationships beat constant new business chasing 👉 How long-term thinking creates repeat clients and referrals 👉 The mindset difference between short-term wins and career longevity 👉 Resilience, stubbornness, and learning through small mistakes 👉 Energy management in a high-demand recruitment desk Eliott will also be joining the Launch Tour as a Q&A panellist with events hitting Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne. 🎟️ Tickets are selling fast - https://www.rcsa.com.au/Site/Site/News/Latest_Insight/2026/01-Jan/Launch_2026_The_Mindset_Reset_Every_Recruiter_Needs.aspx

Ever wonder what separates good recruiters from the ones hitting $1M+ years? I sat down with Matt Cossens – Chief Growth Officer at X Recruiter, founder of MC Squared, and a Wim Hof-certified high performer – and this conversation is packed with insights that will challenge the way you think about recruitment, performance, and your daily habits. We dive into: 👉 Identity-driven growth: The mindset shift most recruiters never make. 👉 Outcomes that matter vs KPIs: Why what you’ve been measuring could be holding you back. 👉 High-performance rituals: Breathwork, ice baths, and the small habits that create massive results. 👉 Doorframe triggers & affirmations: Simple tweaks that can change the way you show up every day. 👉 Science meets art: How to reverse-engineer placement ratios to hit your revenue goals. 👉 The habits of elite billers: What the top 1% do differently, and why most recruiters don’t even try. If you want to think bigger, act smarter, and finally take control of your results, this episode is a must-listen. Trust me, this isn’t theory – these are the exact tools and mindset shifts that create million-dollar desks.

If you’re back at your desk, feeling clearer, and the fog of the break has finally lifted this ep is for you. Week 2 is the sweet spot. You haven’t been burnt by the year yet, you’re not firefighting, and you’ve still got the space to think properly. That’s exactly why this is the time to get strategic. In this ep, I walk through how I use my second week back at work to set the year up, before recruitment gets chaotic. Tune in for: 👉 Knowing when to widen your patch instead of working harder 👉 Having better, more honest client conversations 👉 Re-mapping A, B, C (and H) grade clients 👉 Turning warm clients into consistent revenue 👉 Planning energy, sprint periods, and recovery 👉 Why now is the best time to run a salary survey 👉 Defining what growth really looks like for you this year   This isn’t hype. It’s practical, deliberate planning that pays off later when everyone else is reacting. As always, have an amazing day! Here’s to a strong, intentional 2026!

What does it really take to perform at a high level without burning out? In today's ep, I sit down with Natasha Olsson-Seeto, CEO of OnTalent, incoming President of the RCSA, board member at Foodbank Queensland, and still a million-dollar biller. Natasha has done it all. Executive head-hunting, leadership advisory, board roles, building teams, raising a family, and giving back to the industry in a meaningful way. What struck me most in this conversation was not just what she’s achieved, but how intentionally she protects her energy, focus, and purpose. We talk about managing energy instead of time, the power of the reverse bucket list, why over-engineering is killing productivity in recruitment, and what recruiters must do to stay relevant as technology and AI accelerate faster than ever. This is a deep, thoughtful conversation about leadership, longevity, and doing work that genuinely matters. Tune in for: 👉 How Natasha balances being a CEO, board member, mum, and million-dollar biller 👉 The reverse bucket list and why removing things can be more powerful than adding them 👉 Managing energy instead of time 👉 Why simple processes outperform over-engineered ones 👉 How to stay human and commercially relevant in an AI-driven future 👉 What 2026 will demand from recruiters mentally and professionally This ep is part of our Million Dollar Mindset Series, built to challenge how you think, work, and lead as we head into 2026. Every guest in this series is someone I’ll be interviewing live on stage at the RCSA Launch events in February. Real operators, real numbers, real lessons from the top end of recruitment. If you want to experience these conversations live, grab your RCSA Launch tickets and I'll see you on the road.

The holidays are over, you’re back at your desk, and everything feels a little slower than it should! Welcome to the first episode of The Lone Recruiter for 2026. I today's ep, I walk you through exactly how to return to your desk after the break without burning yourself out or wasting January. Here is a practical, five-day game plan to reset your energy, refocus your mindset, and get your recruitment pipeline firing again. I share how I personally structure my first week back so that by mid-week I’m back in the market, and by Friday I’m getting results. Tune in to learn: 👉 What to do on Day 1 and Day 2 when your brain and body aren’t ready to sprint 👉 How to cleanse your inbox, desk, and mindset for a strong reset 👉 How to plan your 2026 targets, outcomes that matter, and weekly metrics 👉 Why the reverse bucket list could be one of your biggest unlocks this year 👉 When to hit the phones and when not to 👉 The minimum outcomes you should aim for by Friday to start the year strong It's time to set the foundation for a powerful start to 2026, with plenty more to come over the weeks ahead. As always, like, share, and subscribe. It genuinely helps the show grow. And if you’re serious about pushing toward high-bill performance, I’ll see you on the road very soon. LAUNCH Event: https://www.rcsa.com.au/Site/Shared_Content/Events/Upcoming_Events.aspx?Keyword=launch 

A relaxed Christmas Special to close out the year. In this ep, I answer listener questions and reflect on the lessons that shaped this year. From leadership and discipline to habits, mindset, energy and clarity. We talk about what I’m taking into 2026, what I’m leaving behind, how top billers really separate themselves, using AI sensibly, handling disappointment with grace, structuring your days, protecting your energy and why discipline always wins. There’s also plenty of real talk on burnout, cold calling versus email, habits that compound results, switching off properly over Christmas and what the recruitment market is shaping up to look like next year. Thank you for listening this year. We’re back in January with big plans, including the Million Dollar Mindset series and a national live tour. Earlybird tickets are available until Dec 21st, with limited venue capacity. Join our mailing list and you’ll receive the TLR-only discount that will save you a pretty significant amount of $$. Subscribe: https://thelonerecruiter.com/subscribe Event: https://www.rcsa.com.au/Site/Shared_Content/Events/Upcoming_Events.aspx?Keyword=launch 2026 As always, have an amazing day and may all your Christmas miracles come true.