In this episode of The Recruiter’s Recruitment Podcast, host Lysha Holmes sits down with James Rowe, Founder & MD of The Recruitment Experts, to explore his unconventional journey from professional rugby at Harlequins to launching one of the recruitment industry’s most unique self-employed recruitment models.
James shares the highs, lows, and lessons from his career — including burnout, losing jobs, navigating COVID, and why backing yourself can completely change your future. Together, Lysha and James dive into the realities of self-employed recruitment, the mindset needed to succeed, and why flexibility and integrity are becoming non-negotiables in the future of work.
They also discuss:
- Why recruitment is moving toward more flexible working models
- The importance of mindset, resilience, and adaptability
- Building a collaborative self-employed recruitment business
- Why industry knowledge can matter more than recruitment experience
- Supporting return-to-work parents and creating genuine flexibility
- The role of integrity and transparency in scaling a business
A refreshingly honest conversation packed with practical insights for recruiters, founders, and anyone considering launching their own business.
🔗 Connect with the guest
James Rowe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-rowe-recruitment/
The Recruitment Experts: https://therecruitmentexperts.co.uk/
🔗 Connect with the host
Lysha Holmes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyshaholmesr2r/
Qui Recruitment: https://www.quirecruitment.co.uk/
Follow the podcast on another platform:
https://www.youtube.com/@therecruitersrecruitmentpod
https://the-recruiters-recruitment-podcast.captivate.fm/
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The Recruiter's Recruitment Podcast is proudly sponsored by Paiger, and partnered with Needi, Keybridge IT Solutions, Bristow & Hardy and Diversity in Recruitment.
Our sponsor:
Paiger - Making Recruiters Smarter and Faster. Paiger helps recruiters build personal brands, identify new business opportunities, attract candidates, and have better conversations.
Find out more about Paiger: https://paiger.co/
Our partners:
Needi is a concierge gift-matching service using psychology and AI, to pinpoint the perfect gifts and experiences for your recipient, from the best local independent businesses. Their team of expert gift finders save companies time and money with their complimentary corporate gifting service.
https://needi.co.uk/
Bristow & Hardy partners with SME recruitment agencies to accelerate growth through sales enablement and recruitment marketing. With over 7 years’ experience, we specialise exclusively in the recruitment sector, delivering strategy, branding, websites, marketing campaigns, and sales support. Our proven growth suite of products helps agencies attract more clients, win more business, and scale efficiently.
https://www.bristowandhardy.co.uk/
Diversity in Recruitment helps recruitment businesses understand diversity, equity, and inclusion in a way that makes sense. Our training and advisory work is designed to attract diverse talent, recruit inclusively, improve your candidate journey and confidently partner with their clients. DE&I doesn’t have to be complicated and scary - it’s simply about fair, ethical and high-quality recruitment.
https://diversityinrecruitment.com/
Keybridge IT Solutions is a London-based Fully Managed IT Support and solutions Provider - Providing 24×7 Support to all Customers. Specialities include Microsoft Cloud, including Office 365, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, Security, Internet Connectivity, VoIP, and much more.
https://www.keybridgeit.com/
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