The Marketing Rules Podcast

This episode flips one of the biggest assumptions in recruitment on its head.We spend so much time defining people by job titles, CVs and neat career paths. But what if that is exactly what is limiting performance, creativity and growth?In this conversation, I sit down with Daen Fox to unpack why labels in recruitment are becoming less relevant, and what actually drives high performance in today’s market.We get into the reality of modern recruitment. Why generic processes are creating average results. How curiosity is becoming a real competitive advantage. And why the people who step outside their defined role are often the ones who win.We also talk about identity beyond work. From building a career in recruitment to performing as a DJ, Daen shares what happens when you stop trying to fit into one lane and start leaning into what makes you different.This is not a conversation about theory. It is about how people actually operate, perform and grow in a market that is changing fast.If you are building a team, growing a recruitment business, or just feel like you are being boxed in by your role, this episode will challenge how you think about work.What you will take away:Why job titles are becoming less useful in modern recruitmentHow to unlock better performance without rigid role definitionsThe link between curiosity and commercial successWhy most recruitment businesses suppress innovation without realising itHow to operate beyond your job title without causing frictionWhat it really takes to stand out in an AI-driven marketThis one is about thinking differently, operating differently, and ultimately winning differently.The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by Smart Sifty⁠⁠smartsifty.com⁠⁠#MarketingRules#TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing⁠To connect with Daen:⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/daenjafox/Learn more about James and ThinkinCircles:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkincircles.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.themarketingrules.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Marketing Rules Live, the ThinkinCircles team explores how AI is reshaping recruitment marketing from a marketer’s perspective. We discuss the rise of AI-generated written content, the risks of overusing automated imagery, and the growing challenge of protecting brand consistency as consultants publish more frequently than ever.This session covers:How AI has increased content volume but not necessarily qualityThe risk of brand dilution when consultants rely too heavily on automationWhy tone of voice, positioning and human judgement still matterThe importance of AI guardrails, policies and internal guidelinesHow agencies can balance efficiency with credibility in 2026Why recruiters must read, refine and sense-check AI output before publishingWe also examine the wider implications of AI use, from sustainability concerns to misinformation risks, and why due diligence is now a business-critical responsibility.AI can accelerate your marketing. It cannot replace your thinking.If recruitment is a people business, then recruitment marketing must remain human at its core.Featuring Chris, Kat, Fiona, Richard and Tayla from ThinkinCircles.The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by Smart Sifty⁠⁠smartsifty.com⁠⁠#MarketingRules#TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketingLearn more about James and ThinkinCircles:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkincircles.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.themarketingrules.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Most recruitment founders say they want to sell their agency one day.But the reality is very different.In this episode of The Marketing Rules Podcast, James Whitelock sits down with Matt Fox, founder of Exodus Advisory, to talk about what actually happens when recruitment businesses try to exit and why so few ever make it to a successful sale.After more than 25 years in recruitment, building and eventually exiting his own agency, Matt now works with recruitment founders to grow, optimise and prepare their businesses for sale. Unlike traditional brokers who only appear when someone decides to sell, Matt often works with owners years in advance, helping them fix the structural issues that destroy valuation.In this conversation, we unpack the biggest risks inside recruitment agencies that buyers look for, why owner dependency can kill a deal, and how factors like marketing, brand positioning and candidate experience can significantly increase the appeal and value of a business. If you run a recruitment agency and think you might exit one day, this episode will change how you think about building your business.In this episode we discuss:Why fewer than 10% of businesses that want to sell actually doThe hidden risks buyers look for when evaluating recruitment agenciesWhy owner dependency is one of the biggest valuation killersThe real role of brand and marketing in making a business more attractive to buyersHow candidate experience can actually be monetisedWhy most recruitment agencies still struggle to differentiate themselvesWhat founders should be doing years before they ever think about sellingWhether you're building to exit, scaling for growth, or simply want to run a stronger recruitment business, this episode is packed with insights from someone who sits on both sides of the table.The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by Smart Sifty⁠smartsifty.com⁠#MarketingRules#TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing⁠To connect with Matt:⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/Learn more about James and ThinkinCircles:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkincircles.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.themarketingrules.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What happens when a recruiter stops relying purely on cold calls and starts building an audience instead?In this episode of the Marketing Rules Podcast, James Whitelock sits down with Joel Lalgee, widely known as The Realest Recruiter. Joel has built one of the most recognisable personal brands in recruitment, growing a global following across TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube while continuing to operate as an executive recruiter.Joel shares the story behind how he went from agency recruiter to content creator, why he committed to posting consistently, and what happened when that visibility started turning into real business opportunities.The conversation digs into the changing reality of recruitment. Outreach is easier than ever thanks to automation and AI, but getting someone’s attention is harder than ever. Joel explains why personal branding, authenticity and trust are becoming the most valuable assets recruiters can build.James and Joel also discuss the evolving role of content in recruitment, the mistakes people make when trying to copy influencer-style formats, and why the recruiters who succeed in the next decade will look more like media creators than traditional salespeople.In this episode they discuss:How Joel accidentally fell into recruitment and built a decade-long career in agencyWhy personal branding started as an experiment on LinkedInWhat happened when Joel committed to posting content every single dayWhy attention and trust are now the hardest things for recruiters to earnThe real impact AI and automation are having on outreach and salesWhy the traditional “50 cold calls a day” model is becoming less effectiveHow recruiters can combine marketing, content and relationship buildingThe story behind The Realest Recruiter brand and how it became a businessHow Joel monetises content through speaking, partnerships and executive searchWhy authenticity and originality beat copying influencer-style contentWhat listeners will take away:A clear understanding of why personal branding is becoming essential in recruitmentPractical ideas for creating content that actually builds trust and visibilityA new perspective on how recruiters can stand out in a crowded, AI-driven marketInspiration to think differently about business development and relationship buildingWhy the future recruiter may look more like a creator than a salesperson.The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by Smart Siftysmartsifty.com#MarketingRules#TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing⁠To connect with Joel:⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/joellalgee/Learn more about James and ThinkinCircles:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkincircles.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.themarketingrules.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

James is joined by Dave Jenkins, CEO and Founder of Wave, who has spent 25 years building recruitment websites and watching them evolve from simple brochure sites to powerful marketing and tech platforms.We get into the future of the recruitment website, the impact of AI, candidate experience, and why your site should be your hardest-working asset, not just something that sits online looking pretty.#MarketingRules#TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing⁠To connect with Dave:⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/davefromwave/Learn more about James and ThinkinCircles:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkincircles.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.themarketingrules.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠