The Resilient Recruiter How to Build a Solo Recruitment Practice Without Office Rent or Salaries
What if getting fired 20 times wasn’t failure, but the perfect preparation to build something meaningful?
In this episode, recorded in London, I talk with James Rowe about what it really takes to build a six-figure solo recruitment practice without office rent, payroll, or management headaches.
James shares how experienced recruiters can keep more of what they bill using smart systems, automation tools, and a resilient mindset. If you’ve ever thought about going solo or simplifying your business, you’ll get practical ideas you can apply right away.
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
5:14 Getting fired 20+ times and discovering recruitment
13:15 From “terrible employee” to entrepreneur
14:01 The economics of solo recruiting
18:37 Why general recruiters struggle
24:33 Finding balance as a solo recruiter
29:02 Email and automation that work
40:54 Two email tweaks that boosted replies 20%
46:03 Lead magnets that convert at 50%
56:06 Why resilience and community matter most
You’ll learn:
How to structure your solo desk to scale without overhead
The automation tools (Clay, ChatGPT, Phantom Buster) that win clients
Why niche specialists thrive while generalists get squeezed
The “Sent from my iPhone” follow-up trick that increases replies
Why resilience and community matter more than talent
The Resilient Recruiter brings you weekly conversations with top agency leaders, solo recruiters, and search-firm owners, hosted by Mark Whitby, coach and founder of RecruitmentCoach.com.