Thank you for being part of our journey and allowing us to be part of yours in 2025.

In my closing vlog, I reflect on the year, share why persistence is the superpower that will get us through 2026, along with a few thoughts on navigating the new world we find ourselves in.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a peaceful, prosperous New Year.

We often talk about success as if it’s a solo journey. The “self‑made” entrepreneur, the lone visionary, the person who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. But the truth is simpler and far more powerful: nobody does it alone.

Every career is shaped by the people we surround ourselves with mentors, partners, colleagues, even clients and friends.

They all form what I call your ‘inner circle’ and the quality of that circle has a direct impact on the quality of your success.  What’s more, you can have several circles:

• Your career circle (mentors, peers, clients).
• Your personal circle (family, friends).
• Your growth circle (people who challenge your thinking).
• Your giving circle (those you mentor or support).

Circles aren’t static; they evolve. Sometimes we need to prune them, sometimes expand them, and sometimes step into someone else’s circle to lift them up.

Each one shapes you differently, and together they form the mosaic of your success.

I’d say the more interesting ...

If you’re looking for a smarter, more human way to connect with prospects or clients, this one’s for you.

A simple way to make your BD outreach more personal is to use Zoom Clips, a free feature built into Zoom, to record short, personalised videos that are quick to create, easy to share, and surprisingly effective.

Whether you’re in business development, client care, or just want to stand out in someone’s inbox, this tool is a quiet powerhouse.

•  It’s fast: Record and send a video in minutes.
• It’s personal: Add a human touch to your outreach.
• It’s trackable: know when your video is watched and how engaged the viewers was.
• It’s versatile: Use it for BD campaigns, client check-ins, event invites, or social media.

It’s a brilliant way to spark conversations, build trust, and show people you’ve taken the time (without actually taking much time at all).

So here’s the question:

What if your next outreach message wasn’t just another email… but a short, personalised video that act...

Let’s be honest, podcasts are often misunderstood.

Some people jump in expecting instant fame. Others avoid them altogether, thinking they’re too technical or time-consuming.

But here’s the truth: podcasts are easy to produce and distribute and can be incredibly powerful, provided you use them the right way.

• Not as a fame machine.
• Not as a content factory.
• But as a relationship engine.

Used strategically, a podcast becomes a tool for starting meaningful conversations, building credibility, and opening doors, regardless of how many people listen.

If you’ve ever wondered whether starting a podcast is worth it, this perspective might change your mind. 

Many recruiters (and small businesses) jump into outsourced marketing hoping for magic, but without clear expectations or accountability, reality often brings disappointing results.

In this post, I break down the three rules - simple, practical, and battle-tested - that separate smart outsourcing from wasted spend. If you’re thinking about bringing in outside help, this is your checklist.

I’ll cover:

• Why hiring smart makes all the difference
• How to avoid getting locked into long contracts
• What ROI really looks like in outsourced marketing

Whether you're exploring outsourcing now or want to avoid costly mistakes in the future, this post could save you a lot of time, money, and frustration.

Some time ago, I listened to a podcast where someone said the key to self-discipline is gratitude, and they explained it in a way that stuck with me.

It has transformed my ability to stick to commitments I have made to myself (the ones that tend to slip).

It’s based on generosity and gratitude. Generosity to your future self and gratitude to a past version of yourself.

Sounds kooky I know but it works!

Thank your past self for the sacrifices they made and do something today your future self will be grateful for.

I’ve been using this idea to tackle some personal goals (hello, wetsuit moment) and it’s helped me stay focused on business too.

Turns out, when you’re doing something for someone else, even if that someone is future you - it’s easier to stick with it.

Would love to know if this resonates with you,  or if you’ve tried something similar.

Recruitment is splitting into two very different worlds:

• The Commodity End: High-volume, low-margin, AI-driven, outsourced. It’s about efficiency, not intimacy. And it’s where scale wins - or crushes.
• The Value End: Hyper-niche, personality-led, high-touch. It’s about trust, nuance, and human chemistry. It’s where being you is a differentiator, too.

That fork in the road is real. And for smaller players, trying to compete on price or process is a losing game.

But if you can stand out as a 3-D individual - maybe even a bit edgy, then you stand a chance of winning.

It’s not about being outrageous. It’s about being unmistakably you.

In every career, there are periods that were perfect: a great leader, a great team, great work and great outcomes. This is called a Golden Age, and we’ve all experienced them.

The benefits for everybody are enormous: teams stay longer, work harder and are generally happier (so easier to manage).

As leaders, our priority is to create Golden Ages for our team where: -

•             The Vision is shared, not imposed.
•             Teams are empowered, not micromanaged.
•             Work is meaningful, not just productive.
•             People feel seen, not just evaluated.

We aim to build not just a company, but a memory where people will look back and say, “That was the best time of my career.”

Because true leadership is not measured by the span of your tenure, but by the echo of your impact.

I recently attended a recruitment expo that, on the surface, didn’t quite deliver on innovation. But two conversations made the trip worthwhile - one with a former client, and another with a long-time contact who’s never officially come on board.

Both run small operations, one solo and one with a lean team. Both are thriving, like doing very well indeed.

What stood out wasn’t just their success - it was how they’re achieving it.

If you’re only looking at vacancies as jobs to be filled, you’re missing half the opportunity. The smartest recruiters are targeting roles that build relationships, not just revenue. They’re not just filling jobs - they’re building pipelines of opportunity!

One phone call could yield a placement today and a partnership tomorrow.

Let me know what you think.

Recruiters thrive on speed - fill the role, hit the target, earn the commission. But when you step into the business owner role, the game changes.

It’s no longer just about transactions; it’s about building something that lasts: systems, culture, brand, and resilience.

That takes time. And more importantly, it takes grit.

The real mantra?

“Repeat until the thing that you've got works in the environment that you put it.”

Try. Analyse. Tweak. Repeat.

Because the biggest wins - like turning a tea-loving nation into a coffee empire - don’t come from chasing. They come from planting.

Let’s build something that lasts.