The Road to Recwired+ Part 1

RSP EP Guest Hosted by Gareth McGlynn (BEng)

Ever felt like life was just one long experiment where you’re constantly trying not to blow yourself up? Yeah, that’s been my recruitment journey—and then some.?

I didn’t exactly roll into recruitment fresh out of school, all bright-eyed and ready to take on the world. No, I was the guy who stumbled in at 27, thinking I was a bit too old to still be figuring things out. I was, in all honesty, just another lad with a vague plan and a deep-rooted dislike for being told what to do. The world didn’t need another barman, so recruitment it was.?

From Bean Picking in Queensland to Recruitment in Perth?

Let me take you back to the start. Charlotte and I met in a gym in Melbourne while we were both backpacking around Australia. She was definitely more suited to city life, and while I was up for any adventure, she wasn’t exactly thrilled about spending three months picking beans on a farm in Queensland to secure our second-year visa. But there we were, slogging it out in the fields, with Charlotte reminding me daily that this was not the Australia she had in mind.?

One day, a lady working in the field next to us casually mentioned a mining boom in Perth. It felt like the golden ticket we needed to turn things around. We packed up and headed west, and once we got there, we quickly learned that agency recruitment was booming and one of the quickest ways to get sponsored if you had a degree.?

From the Highs of Perth to the Lows of Calgary?

Perth was a goldmine, but when we made the move to Calgary, things didn’t quite work out. The weather, after the sun-drenched beaches of Australia, was brutally cold, and we struggled to settle into jobs as the recruitment market had been hit hard by the crash in oil prices in 2015—a major blow for a city that runs on oil. It was a stark reminder that sometimes, no matter how good you think you are, the market can humble you.?

From Calgary to Antigua, Guatemala: A New Start?

After Calgary, we decided to make a drastic change. With enough money saved up, we moved to Antigua, Guatemala, which is like Disneyland for backpackers. Because Guatemala was so cheap, we were able to live comfortably while setting up our business in an environment that was vibrant, laid-back, and full of creativity. Surrounded by travelers, entrepreneurs, and adventurers, we found the perfect space to regroup and refocus, away from the pressures of traditional work settings. It was the fresh start we desperately needed.?

Returning to Europe and the Digital Nomad Life?

Once we had established enough clients and had what felt like a somewhat consistent revenue stream, we decided it was time to move back to Europe. We initially used Brussels as our base since I had spent my early 20s there, but it didn’t take long before we missed the thrill of the digital nomad lifestyle. So, we hit the road again, this time with our 4x4 and our beagle puppy, Claude.?

We spent the next year house-sitting for people with pets that needed taking care of, enjoying the freedom of life on the move. We traveled down the Atlantic coast through France and Portugal, eventually making our way to Tarifa. It was an incredible journey that balanced work and adventure perfectly.?

However, our digital nomad dream was joyously interrupted when we found out Charlotte Flatley was expecting our first son. It was the nudge we needed to settle down, so we moved back to the UK, where I really focused on taking the business to the next stage.?

Pandemic Challenges: Personal and Professional?

When the pandemic hit, Charlotte and I were living in England with two kids under two, busy renovating a house in Arundel, West Sussex. Our Rec2Rec business was severely impacted because we mostly moved recruiters internationally to the US, Dubai, and Australia. Financially, this was a challenge. Our revenue was primarily perm-only, and it quickly became clear that we needed to pivot and offer more services than just Rec2Rec to build a proper, resilient business. It was a wake-up call that we couldn’t rely on just one stream of income, especially one that was so vulnerable to global travel restrictions.?

The Podcast That Changed Everything?

I launched my podcast with the goal of telling the stories of founders in the recruitment space. I thought it would help me make more placements as a Rec2Rec, but it turned out most of the listeners were other recruitment founders and recruiters looking to set up their own companies. I found myself spending more and more time giving out advice to the listeners and connecting them with the best tools, services, and experts in the industry. The next logical step was to build a community out of the guests, which led to co-founding RecWired with Andy Hallett, and begin our journey in the advisory world.?

Coaching Over 100 Recruitment Start-Ups: The RecWired Mastermind?

Off the back of setting up RecWired, I launched a mastermind program where I coached over 100 recruitment start-ups, diving into the nitty-gritty of tech, automation, AI, operations, marketing, business strategy, performance management, hiring, and scaling a business. I didn’t do it alone—I brought in some of the best guest experts in the industry, including Rich Rosen, Andy Hallett , Poonam Mawani , Barry Cullen , Rich Gibbard , Dan Alexander , and Darragh Everard , to name just a few. These were the folks who helped shape the mastermind into something truly impactful.?

As the mastermind progressed, one thing became crystal clear: my wife Charlotte had a real talent for advisory. She quickly became a key player, working with some of the best companies in the UK, Australia, and the US, helping them achieve operational excellence and maximize technology. Watching her grow into a sought-after advisor has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.?

Looking Ahead: The Vision for RecWired

Now, I’m channeling all that I’ve learned—the wins, the losses, the near-misses—into RecWired, a platform designed to train the next generation of recruiters. It’s a one-stop shop that takes the guesswork out of developing your staff, whether they’re fresh out of school or seasoned pros. It’s the product I wish I had when I was starting out.?

Over the past year, we’ve been dedicated to building RecWired+, which has led us to partner with renowned trainer Dan Alexander and AI & eCommerce guru Dominic McGlynn . Their expertise has been instrumental in shaping our offering and pushing us further into the advisory and training space.?

Part two will focus on our journey moving from West Sussex to Gibraltar, launching Recwired+ & a Brazilian jiu-jitsu on the same day —stay tuned.