In this episode, Troy interviews Declan Kluver and Blake Thompson, based in Brisbane, Australia. They co-founded XRecruiter. Blake and Declan go all the way back, but they finally converged when COVID hit; their pipelines and clients fell and evaporated overnight. So they started chatting again, brainstorming ideas, and in August 2022 they launched XRecruiter, a company that revolutionizes the future of recruitment by taking an industry-first approach. XRecruiter assists high-performing recruiters who would not have considered starting their recruiting firm and provides them with all of the same support and tools they are accustomed to from their job. Enabling them to create their brand while taking home 90% of their billings. Since their start, they are now earning at least $581,000 per annum with four full-time equivalents. All the while taking away the need to manage admin, marketing, accounts, and all the mundane operational aspects from the hands of the recruiter. In the context of adding or recruiting people, it’s important to highlight the significance of the boss and employee dynamic before proceeding with hiring them. This is especially true when hiring your friends, you need to draw a line between friendship and business, maintaining a formal tone and the professional nature of the relationship. This Cast Covers:  Helping people launch and market their recruitment agency. A robust business model that revolutionizes the recruitment industry. Prioritizing the business’ overall growth, regarding scale and its network. Doubling down on one niche, own it, and beat the other businesses in it. Finding and developing your personal brand especially in small businesses to raise reliability. Utilizing grants available to your access as a means of funding your business. Abstaining from being overly anxious, and controlling your imagination. Taking more accountability and responsibility for the people around you. Having intimate relationships with colleagues at the same time maintaining a formal undertone. Business owners commonly fall into the trap of hiring egoistically. Links: Declan’s Linkedin Blake’s Linkedin Declan and Blake’s Company Website Additional Resources: Confessions of a Recruiter Podcast Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins, Jerry I Porras Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson M.D. Living With A SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet by Jesse Itzler Diary Of A CEO Podcast     Quotes: “We just want to grow as fast as we can with the right people.” — Declan Kluver and Blake Thompson. “The really big businesses that do one thing well will always beat the other businesses.” — Declan Kluver and Blake Thompson.   “Your personal brand matters the most.” — Declan Kluver and Blake Thompson. “Draw a line between friendship and business.” — Declan Kluver and Blake Thompson. “A lot of new business owners fall into the trap of, is ego, ego hiring.” — Declan Kluver and Blake Thompson.