The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast Season 8 | Ep23 Marc Cohen on scaling in the US and securing an 8-figure exit!
Marc Cohen scaled his recruitment agency in the US and secured an 8 figure exit.
On this week's RAG Podcast, I am joined by Marc, founder of ConSol Partners, who achieved something that 99.9% of recruitment founders will never do.
Marc and his co-founder Graeme built their agency with an exit strategy in mind from day 1, navigating economic downturns, and predicting the success of future markets.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Marc's unique story from Recruiter to Founder
- The reason why he scaled the business stateside
- The strategy behind selling 65% of the business before maximising the final sale
- His thoughts on whether the US really is the golden dream for recruitment entrepreneurs
- The emotional and financial complexities of exiting a business
- What life looks like post-exit and how to stay motivated
If you have ambitions of scaling and selling a business—especially in the US—this episode is essential.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction
- 03:00 Marc's journey to America
- 06:09 Building a career in recruitment
- 08:57 The entrepreneurial spirit
- 11:56 Setting up ConSol Partners
- 15:02 Vision and philosophy in business
- 18:02 The startup journey
- 20:58 Navigating challenges in a new economy
- 22:58 Identifying future trends
- 25:10 Evolving business strategies
- 27:54 Expansion into AI and robotics
- 30:15 The move to the US
- 35:41 Maintaining relationships across borders
- 37:50 Preparing for an exit
- 44:54 The exit process and negotiations
- 50:02 Post-exit reflections and challenges
- 52:40 Investment strategies after the exit
- 56:49 Emotional connections in business
- 01:01:20 Identity and purpose after exiting
- 01:03:12 Daily life and new routines
- 01:06:09 Future aspirations and community engagement
- 01:10:18 Looking ahead: scaling in the US
- 01:12:26 Closing thoughts and final reflections
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