Season 9 | Ep27 Andy Strong: Why He Waited 17 Years to Start His Own Recruitment Business

Andy Strong spent 10 years in retail selling mobile phones. Then 17 years building the biggest delivery team at a SaaS recruitment firm in Dorset. He became one of four divisional directors. His team placed 82% of the company's US hires from Poole. He drove 400% growth in North American placements.And then he went to therapy.Eight sessions later, he ended an eight-year relationship, resigned from the only recruitment business he had ever known, and started a company from a shed at the bottom of his garden.Strong Search launched with no brand, no pipeline, and no office. Four retained roles landed in month one. By the end of year one: $1 million in revenue, 39 placements, 100% placement retention, and a team of seven. He turned down work with one of the largest software companies in the world because it did not fit what he stands for. He hired an operations and marketing manager before he hired another recruiter. And he recently appointed a Managing Director for North America who previously held senior roles at Coupa, Icertis, Yahoo, and Clari."I spoke to a venture capitalist in May. She said, what you're gonna learn is what's more important is what you say no to than what you say yes to. She was right."This week on The RAG Podcast, Andy Strong breaks down how he built a seven-figure recruitment business in 12 months and why trust, not volume, is the only model that survives.We cover:Why Andy waited 17 years before going out on his own and what finally changedHow therapy became the catalyst for quitting his job, ending a relationship, and starting a businessThe four retained roles that landed in month one and how they happenedWhy he hired an operations and marketing manager before another recruiterHow his team in Dorset placed 82% of a firm's US hires and beat American-based competitorsWhy he turned down a massive revenue opportunity with SAPThe 100% placement retention stat and what it actually takes to maintain itHis views on AI in recruitment and where the human element cannot be replacedAndy built something from nothing in 12 months. Not through cold calls and volume. Through precision, trust, and the courage to finally back himself.If you have ever sat in someone else's business wondering whether it is your time to go... 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 Recruitment has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, they're helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford.Clients have seen:Up to 60% productivity boosts300% ROI on BD roles30% faster completion of operational tasksNo 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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn. Spending thousands on Recruiter licences. Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here's the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That's the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll