The Lone Recruiter

Can recruiters still build a million-dollar desk without the endless grind, cold calls and hustle culture?
In this ep I sat down with Christine Foggiato from Riverside Recruitment, who is challenging many of the traditional recruitment beliefs we've all grown up with.
Christine is closing in on a seven-figure billing desk while generating almost all of her business through inbound marketing. No LinkedIn Recruiter licence. No cold calling. No endless BD sessions. Instead, she's built a powerful personal brand, content strategy and marketing engine that keeps both clients and candidates coming to her.
We explore how AI, automation and modern marketing are changing what's possible for recruiters, why industry expertise matters more than ever, and whether recruiters can genuinely create better work-life balance without sacrificing performance.
Tune in for:
👉 How Christine generates inbound candidates and clients👉 Why she stopped cold calling years ago👉 Building authority through LinkedIn content and video👉 Marketing strategies recruiters can apply immediately👉 The role AI is playing in modern recruitment👉 Why recruiters should become industry educators👉 The realities of running a recruitment business👉 Whether work-life balance and high performance can coexist
If you've ever wondered whether there's a smarter way to build a successful recruitment desk, this conversation will challenge some long-held assumptions.
Follow The Lone Recruiter for more conversations with recruiters, founders and industry leaders sharing what really works in today's market.

How do I actually scale a recruitment desk or business without becoming the bottleneck?
In this ep, I break down a simple but powerful operating philosophy: I do, we do, you do - a progression that shows how to move from doing everything yourself, to building with others, to ultimately stepping back so the business can run without you.
When I started out, I was doing everything: clients, candidates, deals, management, all of it. Then I moved into the “we do” phase, building a team around me and delivering together. But the real shift (and the hardest one) is getting to “you do”, where others fully own the work.
Most people get stuck in “we do”. They stay too involved, hold onto control, and unintentionally cap their own growth. In this episode, I talk through why that happens and what it takes to move past it.
I also share a real example from a client situation where applying this framework helped reframe a hiring decision, unlock value, and shift the way they saw a role entirely.
If you’re building a desk, leading a team, or trying to scale anything, this is a mindset I’d encourage you to apply immediately.

The best recruiters I have ever worked with, interviewed or talked to - the real multi-million dollar billers - all share one habit. It's something I do compulsively as well. 
 
They know what worked today, what didn't, and what they're doing differently tomorrow.
 
In this episode I break down the simple but honestly powerful practice of diarising your recruitment desk.
No complicated system needed and we're not talking "dear diary" okay - just 15 minutes at the end of your day to review:
What you got done,
What moved the needle
and what needs to happen tomorrow.
I also share how I've applied the same principle to managing a tricky health challenge and why the lesson applies directly to your desk and your KPIs.
If you're tired of being a passenger to your day, going through the motions and wondering why your desk isn't growing?
This episode will change how you finish every single day and how you show up to the next. 
Let's go.
 

Why do we always seem to get sick the moment we finally slow down?
Today I dive into the science behind stress, burnout, cortisol, and why so many high performers crash physically after big work pushes.
My grandfather worked as a GP with only one day off every fortnight, and he would consistently get migraines the moment he finally stopped working. I unpack what’s actually happening inside the body during prolonged periods of stress and why the “post-stress crash” is so common.
I also break down:
How cortisol affects your immune system
Why your body stays in “fight or flight” during stressful periods
What happens when the pressure finally lifts
Why high performers often ignore the warning signs
Simple daily habits that help flush stress out of the body before it builds up
This ep is all about managing stress proactively so you can perform at a high level without completely falling into a heap afterwards.
Follow The Lone Recruiter for more episodes on mindset, performance, business growth, and sustainable success.

What state are you showing up in every day?
In this ep, I dive into the idea of “showing up in state",  a concept popularised by Tony Robbins that’s all about deliberately shifting your mindset, energy, and focus before stepping into important moments.
I actually recorded this episode after having a pretty rough day myself. I got plenty done, but mentally it felt like I was pushing uphill all day. Reflecting on it later, I realised I’d preloaded negativity before the day even started.
So here are 3 practical steps to change your state quickly:
Change your physiology
Prime your focus intentionally
Use rituals and triggers to access peak performance
If you’ve been feeling flat, overwhelmed, negative, or mentally stuck before work or important conversations, this episode is packed with practical tools you can apply immediately.