Season 9 | Ep26 Jon Woolley: How a Solo Recruiter Billed $1M in Two Years from Home

Jon Woolley spent nearly a decade at Vantage Consulting. He opened their US arm, built a team of eight, and scaled it to $1.6 million. Then, three weeks before his third child was born, he walked away.No team. No clients. No pipeline. Just £30,000 in savings and a niche most recruiters have never heard of: industrial automation. The people who programme the machines that make the stuff, from pharmaceuticals to Amazon warehouses. Average fees of $20,000 to $22,000 a placement.Year one at Candid Talent he billed £112,000. Year two, $500,000. And then Q1 of year three: over $350,000 in a single quarter. Solo. From a farmhouse in Staffordshire. Three kids under seven. 25 hours a week. Almost all inbound from LinkedIn."Honestly, it's wild. Compared to the stress of year one... coming into year three with that kind of quarter. It's awesome."This week on The RAG Podcast, Jon breaks down how he went from employed recruiter to solo founder billing over $1 million in just two years, whilst being more present for his family than he ever was in agency life.We Cover:How Jon built a $1.6M US desk for someone else before going soloWhy he left a senior role three weeks before his third child arrivedThe reality of year one: £112K billed, three months to land the first deal, and constant self-doubtHow industrial automation recruitment works and why the fees are three times higher than UK averagesWhy almost all of his business now comes inbound through LinkedInThe lifestyle model: 25 hours a week, from home, present for school runs and gymnasticsHow he plans to grow from solo to six to ten people without an officeWhy he invested £30K in The Boardroom two years into building his agencyJon Woolley is not running a massive agency. He's not chasing headcount or office space or awards.He's building a business that lets him be present for his family whilst billing more than most teams.If you've ever wondered whether you could leave an established desk, start solo, and build something that works around your life rather than the other way around... this episode has the blueprint.__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: Remote RecruitmentHiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses. They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team. Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote. And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford. Clients have seen: * Up to **60% productivity boosts** * **300% ROI** on BD roles * **30% faster completion** of operational tasks No overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense. Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era. **RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag