Ever wonder what separates good recruiters from the ones hitting $1M+ years?

I sat down with Matt Cossens – Chief Growth Officer at X Recruiter, founder of MC Squared, and a Wim Hof-certified high performer – and this conversation is packed with insights that will challenge the way you think about recruitment, performance, and your daily habits.

We dive into:

👉 Identity-driven growth: The mindset shift most recruiters never make.

👉 Outcomes that matter vs KPIs: Why what you’ve been measuring could be holding you back. 👉 High-performance rituals: Breathwork, ice baths, and the small habits that create massive results. 👉 Doorframe triggers & affirmations: Simple tweaks that can change the way you show up every day. 👉 Science meets art: How to reverse-engineer placement ratios to hit your revenue goals. 👉 The habits of elite billers: What the top 1% do differently, and why most recruiters don’t even try.

If you want to think bigger, act smarter, and finally take control of your results, this episode is a must-listen.

Trust me, this isn’t theory – these are the exact tools and mindset shifts that create million-dollar desks.

If you’re back at your desk, feeling clearer, and the fog of the break has finally lifted this ep is for you.

Week 2 is the sweet spot. You haven’t been burnt by the year yet, you’re not firefighting, and you’ve still got the space to think properly. That’s exactly why this is the time to get strategic.

In this ep, I walk through how I use my second week back at work to set the year up, before recruitment gets chaotic.

Tune in for: 👉 Knowing when to widen your patch instead of working harder 👉 Having better, more honest client conversations 👉 Re-mapping A, B, C (and H) grade clients 👉 Turning warm clients into consistent revenue 👉 Planning energy, sprint periods, and recovery 👉 Why now is the best time to run a salary survey 👉 Defining what growth really looks like for you this year

This isn’t hype. It’s practical, deliberate planning that pays off later when everyone else is reacting.

As always, have an amazing day! Here’s to a strong, intentional 2026!

What does it really take to perform at a high level without burning out?

In today's ep, I sit down with Natasha Olsson-Seeto, CEO of OnTalent, incoming President of the RCSA, board member at Foodbank Queensland, and still a million-dollar biller.

Natasha has done it all. Executive head-hunting, leadership advisory, board roles, building teams, raising a family, and giving back to the industry in a meaningful way. What struck me most in this conversation was not just what she’s achieved, but how intentionally she protects her energy, focus, and purpose.

We talk about managing energy instead of time, the power of the reverse bucket list, why over-engineering is killing productivity in recruitment, and what recruiters must do to stay relevant as technology and AI accelerate faster than ever.

This is a deep, thoughtful conversation about leadership, longevity, and doing work that genuinely matters.

👉 How Natasha balances being a CEO, board member, mum, and million-dollar biller 👉 The reverse bucket list and why removing things can be more powerful than adding them 👉 Managing energy instead of time 👉 Why simple processes outperform over-engineered ones 👉 How to stay human and commercially relevant in an AI-driven future 👉 What 2026 will demand from recruiters mentally and professionally

This ep is part of our Million Dollar Mindset Series, built to challenge how you think, work, and lead as we head into 2026. Every guest in this series is someone I’ll be interviewing live on stage at the RCSA Launch events in February. Real operators, real numbers, real lessons from the top end of recruitment. If you want to experience these conversations live, grab your RCSA Launch tickets and I'll see you on the road.

The holidays are over, you’re back at your desk, and everything feels a little slower than it should!

Welcome to the first episode of The Lone Recruiter for 2026.

I today's ep, I walk you through exactly how to return to your desk after the break without burning yourself out or wasting January. Here is a practical, five-day game plan to reset your energy, refocus your mindset, and get your recruitment pipeline firing again.

I share how I personally structure my first week back so that by mid-week I’m back in the market, and by Friday I’m getting results. Tune in to learn:

👉 What to do on Day 1 and Day 2 when your brain and body aren’t ready to sprint 👉 How to cleanse your inbox, desk, and mindset for a strong reset 👉 How to plan your 2026 targets, outcomes that matter, and weekly metrics 👉 Why the reverse bucket list could be one of your biggest unlocks this year 👉 When to hit the phones and when not to 👉 The minimum outcomes you should aim for by Friday to start the year strong

It's time to set the foundation for a powerful start to 2026, with plenty more to come over the weeks ahead.

As always, like, share, and subscribe. It genuinely helps the show grow. And if you’re serious about pushing toward high-bill performance, I’ll see you on the road very soon. LAUNCH Event: https://www.rcsa.com.au/Site/Shared_Content/Events/Upcoming_Events.aspx?Keyword=launch

A relaxed Christmas Special to close out the year.

In this ep, I answer listener questions and reflect on the lessons that shaped this year. From leadership and discipline to habits, mindset, energy and clarity.

We talk about what I’m taking into 2026, what I’m leaving behind, how top billers really separate themselves, using AI sensibly, handling disappointment with grace, structuring your days, protecting your energy and why discipline always wins.

There’s also plenty of real talk on burnout, cold calling versus email, habits that compound results, switching off properly over Christmas and what the recruitment market is shaping up to look like next year.

Thank you for listening this year. We’re back in January with big plans, including the Million Dollar Mindset series and a national live tour.

Earlybird tickets are available until Dec 21st, with limited venue capacity.

Join our mailing list and you’ll receive the TLR-only discount that will save you a pretty significant amount of $$.

Subscribe: https://thelonerecruiter.com/subscribe Event: https://www.rcsa.com.au/Site/Shared_Content/Events/Upcoming_Events.aspx?Keyword=launch 2026

As always, have an amazing day and may all your Christmas miracles come true.

December has a way of messing with focus. The moment Christmas is in sight, momentum starts to drop and too many recruiters unconsciously slow down with the rest of corporate Australia.

That is a mistake! I’ve covered this theme before, but it’s so critical this time of year that it’s worth repeating.

This ep is a reminder that December is still packed with opportunity if you use it properly. Instead of coasting, stay intentional, productive, and strategic right up until you stop work, so January is set up for success before it even begins.

Tune in for:

👉 Why slowing down in December costs you momentum and money

👉 What to focus on if deals, ads, or projects are already in motion

👉 Why being fully on or fully off beats dragging things out

👉 How smart December activity sets you up for a stronger January

This is about discipline, clarity, and finishing the year properly so you can actually switch off when the time comes and come back ready to go.

Are you still writing job ads that try to appeal to everyone? Because if you are… you’re throwing out a giant net and hoping something decent swims in. And that’s exactly why you keep attracting the wrong candidates.

In today’s ep, I break down the Black Marlin Strategy - the simple shift that helps recruiters stop chasing “everyone” and start baiting the exact talent they want. One angle. One message. One irresistible hook.

Tune in for: 🎣 The difference between broad-stroke ads and precision “black marlin bait” 🎣 Why bland job descriptions kill engagement (and how to fix them fast) 🎣 How to find the one spectacular angle that will magnetise your ideal candidate 🎣 A killer real-life example of an angle that transformed candidate response overnight 🎣 What to ask clients when you “can’t find an angle” 🎣 Why quality applicants beat 50 bland ones every day of the week

Someone told Greg Savage that ‘nothing happens between now and Australia Day’… and honestly, it annoyed both of us.

In today’s ep, I unpack why this belief is total nonsense and what YOU should be doing if your market genuinely goes quiet over December and January. I’m recording this fresh off a huge November and strong December pipeline, so the idea that corporate Australia just stops doesn’t sit right with me.

But let’s say your market does slow to a crawl. What then? I share the three things I’d be doing immediately so you don’t waste the next two months — and so you walk into 2026 absolutely flying.

👉 The December–January myth recruiters need to stop believing 👉 Why this time of year can be the most profitable 👉 What to do if your market actually does go quiet 👉 The 3 activities that set you up to dominate in 2026 👉 How to curate your LinkedIn projects and database like a pro 👉 Why your “off-season” matters more than your “season”

If you want to see me speak LIVE - I'm going on tour in Feb with LAUNCH: The Mindset of a Million Dollar Biller - https://loom.ly/nsERcUg for details! and if you subscribe to my emails, I'll send you a cheeky discount code.

If you want your best year yet, don’t sleep through these next two months.