Welcome to the Carrot and Stick Podcast, a podcast series where we try to get under the skin of all things sales, management and motivation. Speaking to sales leaders, down to individual salespeople, and everything in between to really understand what makes the wonderful world of sales tick.
AI Is About to Wipe Out Recruitment Agencies (Unless You Do This)
AI is moving faster than most recruitment and staffing businesses can keep up with and the leaders who don't act now risk being left behind for good.
In this episode of the Carrot & Stick Podcast, host Derry sits down with Rob; a 25-year recruitment industry veteran who spent 17 years building his own agency before pivoting hard into AI, now running his own AI consultancy, Lyra Labs. Rob has spent the last two years coaching C-suite leaders, board members, and VPs across some of the biggest firms in the world, and he's blunt about what he's seeing: a huge knowledge gap, a lot of hype fatigue, and businesses that are 12-24 months behind without realising it.
28 Aug 2026
Building a Recruitment Empire with Franklin Fitch's Founder & CEO, David Annable
David Annable bootstrapped Franklin Fitch from a one-man office in Windsor to 65 people across London, Cardiff, Frankfurt and Austin - but only after his first business failed.
In this episode, David joins Derry to unpack the lessons from 15 years of building an international recruitment firm: why he launched in Germany first, how you keep one culture alive across three countries, the "commitment culture" non-negotiables he hires for, and why Franklin Fitch invites failure - as long as it's the micro kind.
They also get into AI adoption without the hype, the pivot to predictable revenue that drove the firm's best-ever quarter, and the pre-mortem exercise David swears by for anyone thinking of starting their own agency.
Hosted by Derry Holt, CEO & Co-Founder of OneUp Sales.
10 Jul 2026
Hands-On, Not Hands-Off: A Michael Page MD's Approach to Managing 120 Recruiters
What if the corporate leadership playbook has it all wrong?
In this episode, we sit down with Charlie Ginzburg, Managing Director at Michael Page overseeing Chicago and LA, to break down the hard truths of scaling a recruitment operation. From his early days as a cigarette salesman to managing a team of 120 people, Charlie shares a masterclass on what it actually takes to build a sustainable, long-term career in the industry.
We dive deep into why he openly champions "micromanagement" (hint: it’s not what you think) and why he believes corporate professionals secretly crave structure over unguided freedom.
Whether you're an individual contributor wondering if management is the right path, or an agency founder struggling to scale past the 30 employee mark, Charlie’s contrarian perspectives will challenge how you look at corporate growth
Key Topics Covered:
The Big vs. Small Recruitment Debate: The fallacies of startup agility vs. the massive long-term resource advantages of a PLC.
Eating the "Boring Salad": Why true discipline within your niche requires turning down short-term wins for long-term equity.
The Case for Micromanagement: How providing intense framework and structure actually empowers teams and accelerates trust.
Are Big Billers "Terrorists"? Navigating the delicate balance between catering to high individual contributors and maintaining company standards.
The Three Distinct Jobs: Transitioning from the "selfish" mindset of a biller, to the "selfless" role of a manager, to the long-term vision of a director.
🔔 Subscribe for more deep-dive interviews with recruitment leaders.
💬 Drop a comment below: Do you agree with Charlie’s take on structure, or do you prefer total autonomy?
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🔔 Subscribe for more deep-dive interviews with recruitment leaders like Charlie.
💬 Drop a comment below: Do you agree with Charlie’s take on structure, or do you prefer total autonomy? Your voice matters, and we'd love to hear it!
Who has been a guest on Carrot and Stick
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Saeed Bhor
Laura Clark
Greg Savage
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YouTube views
34,556
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 46 / 100
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Quality
38
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
60
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