In this episode of the Evolve to Succeed podcast, Warren speaks to Martin Smith, the founder of Talent Drive, about his journey as an entrepreneur and running a recruitment group of businesses.

Martin shares his early experiences in recruitment, the challenges he faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growth of his company, Talent Drive. He discusses his aspirations to be a market disruptor and his passion for the procurement community.

Martin also talks about the expansion of Talent Drive into the accountancy and finance sector with the launch of Talent Finance and reflects on the growth and success of Talent Drive over the past four years. He emphasises the importance of focusing on the quality of people and building a trusted and valued team.

Martin discusses the future of the recruitment industry and the rise of ESG and sustainability. He also shares insights on workplace culture and transparent communication within a remote business. He envisions the future of Talent Drive as a growing international presence with a focus on diversification and a one-stop-shop service offering.

This episode of Evolve to Succeed covers…

● The challenges of starting a recruitment business.

● Overcoming obstacles such as COVID-19.

● What it takes to be a market disruptor in the recruitment sector.

● The effects of branching out into various business sectors.

● The importance of people and building a trusted team.

● The importance of trust, transparency and open communication.

Chapters

00:00 Becoming an Entrepreneur

10:02 Starting on Your Own

19:15 Early Days of Talent Drive

23:24 Market Disruption

25:49 Ventures into Accountancy and Finance

26:18 Building a Team

27:47 Opportunities in Finance

29:41 Quality of People

30:05 Creating a Great Business

33:26 Personal Life

35:24 Being Grounded

37:17 Thriving

41:37 Technology in Procurement

42:59 Emotional Intelligence

43:56 Remote Businesses

48:42 The Future of Talent Drive

50:58 Defining Success