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.
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…
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
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Collaborating with Amy and the whole Evolve team has been an incredibly seamless experience. Amy’s professionalism is evident in every interaction and her dedication to helping businesses thrive is inspiring. Amy’s commitment to going the extra mile ensures that each programme is tailored to meet the unique needs of Dorset businesses. I highly recommend working with Amy and the Evolve team.
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I first met David in November 2022. Since then he has been a significant positive influence on my growth as a founder, providing invaluable advice and new opportunities for both my personal development and my business. Thank you, David, for your encouragement and help. I truly appreciate it and would gladly recommend you to any founder or organisation seeking advisory services.
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The Evolve peer group sessions are a great place to get away from the day to day, refocus and ultimately bounce ideas off other business people. The structure of the session permits open conversation with your peers and always provides useful insights that you would not be able to get anywhere else. The specific work books challenge you and really get you thinking on what is important in your business.
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The Evolve Business Accelerator is a fantastic programme for founders in the early stages of developing a business idea. The programme was instrumental in helping me develop HR Diagnostics to MVP stage and I would have struggled to get where I am without this help and support. The mentors have a pragmatic and approachable style, and they are good at connecting people through their extensive network. Thank you to the Evolve team 🙂
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Partnering with Evolve for the Ignite Start-Up programme has been brilliant for our local entrepreneurship support efforts. The comprehensive training and personalised mentoring provided to participants have led to the successful launch of numerous new businesses. The value of this programme is clear, and we are thrilled with the results. A big thank you to the Evolve team for their expertise and commitment!
Attending Evolve’s Growth Group Programme was incredibly valuable. The workshops on business strategy, planning, and leadership helped me broaden my horizons and gain new insights. Meeting other leaders facing similar challenges was both supportive and motivating. Joining a business peer group has allowed me to continue benefiting from this broader perspective. Thank you to Evolve for this transformative experience.
It’s been fantastic because we’ve had the opportunity to step out of the office and the questions have been steered. It’s got everybody opening up and they’ve been a lot more open and honest about what the gaps are, where the holes are and what we need to fill. We’ve taken that away and implemented that in the higher management meetings. We’ve implemented so much from the Evolve sessions that will go towards the company yearly objectives and I hope will continuously improve what we’re trying to do within the business.
The training provided by Evolve has been invaluable for our leadership team. The sessions have equipped us with essential skills and fostered a culture of continuous improvement. We are now better equipped to handle complex challenges, engage our teams effectively, and drive the firm forward. We greatly appreciate Evolve’s expertise and commitment to our development.
Evolve offers a fantastic peer group which adds huge value to myself and my business!
