About this episode
Pete Watson: 22 years as a solo Rec2Rec in Australia (and why he'd never do it again)Pete Watson is the longest-serving boots-on-the-ground Rec2Rec in Australia.22 years running Mint R2R. Thousands of placements. A recognisable name across the entire Australian recruitment market.But 18 months ago, he was at the gym when he asked himself one question:"Would I do it all again?"His answer was immediate: "A fast no."Not because he failed. But because of what success actually cost him."Even though people look at 22 years as a business owner and go 'that's amazing, congratulations' - it's been brutal. It's been lonely. It's been isolating. It has not been good for mental health."So that afternoon, he knocked up a logo on Canva and launched Recruitment United.Within a week, 70 agency owners joined a WhatsApp group.Within four months, 500.Today, there are 330 subscribing members accessing weekly training, mate rates discounts, and a proper community of peers.This week on The RAG Podcast, Pete tells the full story.We cover:Why 22 years as a solo Rec2Rec nearly broke him mentallyThe gym moment that changed everythingHow he built a 500-member community in four months with zero planWhy the majority of his members have no intention of scalingThe rise of lifestyle businesses over exit strategiesNavigating divorce, becoming a stepdad, and buying back his family home13 years alcohol-free and why he finally started talking about itThis isn't about building an empire.It's about a founder who realised that isolated recruitment success was killing him—and built something to solve that for himself and others!If you've ever felt lonely as a solo founder, or wondered whether there's another way to build, this episode is for you.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That’s why there’s Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn’t only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it’s entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations,
