{"podcast":{"title":"The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast","slug":"the-rag-podcast-recruitment-agency-growth-podcast-1158173","podcast_index_feed_id":1158173,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-rag-podcast/","website_url":"https://hoxomedia.com","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/f99d75a6-88d1-4e6b-95e0-ba9ddc8246b8/Platform-Image.png","author":"Sean Anderson","episode_count":200,"summary":"We’re having real and raw conversations with successful recruitment entrepreneurs about what is happening in their businesses right now and their plans to navigate market changes.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-15T10:19:58.289663+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rag-podcast-recruitment-agency-growth-podcast-1158173"},"episode":{"title":"Season 9 | Ep13 Pete Watson: 22 years as a solo Rec2Rec in Australia (and why he'd never do it again)","slug":"season-9-ep13-pete-watson-22-years-as-a-solo-rec2rec-in-australia-and-why-he-d-never-do-it-again","published_at":"2026-01-14T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rag-podcast-recruitment-agency-growth-podcast-1158173/season-9-ep13-pete-watson-22-years-as-a-solo-rec2rec-in-australia-and-why-he-d-never-do-it-again","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rag-podcast-recruitment-agency-growth-podcast-1158173","url":"https://hoxomedia.com","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/eb826abf-88db-410e-b4c6-751f8f6e636e.mp3","summary":"Pete Watson: 22 years as a solo Rec2Rec in Australia (and why he'd never do it again) Pete Watson is the longest-serving boots-on-the-ground Rec2Rec in Australia. 22 years running Mint R2R. Thousands of placements. A recognisable name across the entire Australian recruitment market. But 18 months ago, he was at the gym when he asked himself one question: \"Would I do it all again?\" His answer was immediate: \"A fast no.\" Not because he failed. But because of what success actually cost him. \"Even though people look at 22 years as a business owner and go 'that's amazing, congratulations' - it's been brutal. It's been lonely. It's been isolating. It has not been good for mental health.\" So that afternoon, he knocked up a logo on Canva and launched Recruitment United. Within a week, 70 agency owners joined a WhatsApp group. Within four months, 500. Today, there are 330 subscribing members accessing weekly training, mate rates discounts, and a proper community of peers. This week on The RAG Podcast, Pete tells the full story. We cover: Why 22 years as a solo Rec2Rec nearly broke him mentally The gym moment that changed everything How he built a 500-member community in four months with zero plan Why the majority of his members have no intention of scaling The rise of lifestyle businesses over exit strategies Navigating divorce, becoming a stepdad, and buying back his family home 13 years alcohol-free and why he finally started talking about it This isn't about building an empire. It's about a founder who realised that isolated recruitment success was killing him—and built something to solve that for himself and others! If you've ever felt lonely as a solo founder, or wondered whether there's another way to build, this episode is for you. _______________________________________…","meta_description":"Pete Watson: 22 years as a solo Rec2Rec in Australia (and why he'd never do it again) Pete Watson is the longest-serving boots-on-the-ground Rec2Rec in Au…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4203,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-rag-podcast-recruitment-agency-growth-podcast-1158173/episodes/season-9-ep13-pete-watson-22-years-as-a-solo-rec2rec-in-australia-and-why-he-d-never-do-it-again/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rag-podcast-recruitment-agency-growth-podcast-1158173/season-9-ep13-pete-watson-22-years-as-a-solo-rec2rec-in-australia-and-why-he-d-never-do-it-again.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}