EP 45 – The Harsh Truth About Scaling and Selling a Recruitment Business w/ Rob Saltrese
What if selling your recruitment business isn’t the dream you’ve been sold?
In this episode, I’m joined by Rob Saltrese — serial founder, fractional C-suite advisor, and the brutally honest voice every recruitment entrepreneur needs to hear.
We unpack the real story behind scaling a business, navigating ego, loneliness, ADHD, and why most exits are anything but sexy. Rob shares raw lessons from growing multiple companies, walking away from a multi-million pound deal, and rebuilding after it all fell apart — mentally, financially, and personally.
We cover:
✅ Why most recruitment exits aren’t as glamorous as they seem
✅ The harsh realities of being a solo founder
✅ Loneliness, ego, mindset and bouncing back from burnout
✅ What buyers actually care about (hint: it’s not your logo)
✅ Why helping others with no agenda is Rob’s biggest mantra
Whether you’re a one-person startup or dreaming of a future sale, this episode is full of perspective-shifting insights.
⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 – Rob’s intro and early career in recruitment
04:15 – The reality of starting your own business
08:30 – Ego, finances, and the mental toll of entrepreneurship
14:05 – Rob’s personal rock bottom and bounce-back strategy
19:45 – ADHD, focus, and founder mindset hacks
25:10 – Why most people aren’t ready to start a business
30:00 – What a real (and painful) exit looks like
38:40 – The myth of the £100M recruitment sale
43:15 – Why buyers care about EBIT, not your branding
48:00 – Helping female execs through Artemis and Gen.E.I.
52:00 – Advice for solo founders & recruiters thinking of launching
🔗 Connect with Rob Saltrese
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-saltrese-17263a2/
🔗 Connect with Charles Kyriakou
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskyriakou1/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charles.kyriakou?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-better-recruitment-podcast/id1775201502
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46LjJfw0Y4IVJwnigCdxJX
LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712/?displayConfirmation=true