Season 8 | Ep37 Why Martin Smith spends 90% of his time on what he's best at - BD and brand growth

Season 8 | Ep37 Why Martin Smith spends 90% of his time on what he's best at - BD and brand growth

1:12:31 Jun 25, 2025
About this episode
Most recruitment founders try to do it all and burn out in the process.On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Martin Smith, founder of Talent Group, who shares how he's structured his business to double down on what he's best at and handed over the rest.Martin runs TalentDrive and Talent Finance, with a 12-person team across the UK. In this episode, we talk about:His journey from agency to founderThe lessons he learned from early mistakesBringing in an MD to run one brand while he focuses on growthSpending 90% of his time on BD, brand, and communityWhy self-awareness and strategic delegation can lead to long-term successMartin’s also brutally honest about the personal side of business, living on the South Coast, navigating the loneliness of leadership, and staying motivated through tough times like COVID.If you’re a founder who’s still figuring out where you add the most value or how to step back without slowing down, this one’s a must-listen.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Growth in Recruitment02:15 Martin's Journey: From Recruiter to Founder11:11 Transitioning from Agency to In-House Recruitment18:35 The Decision to Start Talent Group21:56 Navigating the Early Days of Entrepreneurship24:21 Navigating Challenges During the Pandemic27:32 Building Resilience and Community in Business31:46 Leadership Lessons and Team Dynamics35:30 Scaling the Business: Growth Strategies and Challenges39:57 Adapting to Market Changes and New Ventures46:51 Defining the Role of a CEO and Business Strategy47:57 Navigating Life on the South Coast50:07 Balancing Remote Work and Team Dynamics52:05 Future Growth and Business Strategy55:26 The Role of AI in Recruitment01:01:16 The Human Element in Recruitment01:04:30 Motivation and Personal Values in Business01:10:11 Finding Balance in Work and Life__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: UntappedUntapped 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 rapi
Select an episode
0:00 0:00