How ONE Niche Focus Doubled This Recruitment Agency’s Revenue in Just 6 Months (On Track to Quadruple before Year-End!)

Scaling a business often feels like a constant juggling act, where you’re just about keeping your head above water and responding to problems as they arise. If you’re a founder in the recruitment sector, the pressures of attracting clients, managing your team, handling endless admin, and always worrying about tomorrow’s pipeline may sound all too familiar. On her podcast, Katy chats with Ivan Gasparetto, CEO of Techified, who shares his journey from feeling scattered to building a thriving, focused business. Through his story, you’ll find practical insights, real obstacles, and the clear shifts that saw him multiply his revenue in mere months.

Recognising When Something Needs to Change

Before Ivan shifted gears, business at Techified revolved around waiting and wishing for the right clients to appear. If you’re accustomed to an unreliable pipeline and a patchwork of day-to-day tasks, Ivan’s starting position will resonate. He tells Katy, “We were always on the hope that someone would knock on our door and say, ‘Hey, I need someone, do you have someone for us?’ And that made the business very unreliable and unsure.”

Living at the mercy of chance is a dangerous game for any business. Ivan eventually saw the need for a reliable, active method to attract clients; a “client attraction machine” rather than wishful thinking. 

Looking for a way forward, he attended several sessions on the Rockit programme. When he tried out a few tips from these sessions, he saw results immediately. With these quick wins, and at the recommendation of another recruiter, Ivan decided to join the programme fully. His thinking was simple: “If we actually jump into this programme and learn more in depth, we’ll probably achieve what we want.”

Creating Your Own Client Attraction Machine

One of Ivan’s fundamental discoveries was that he had become the company bottleneck. For many founders, this scenario is all too common; trying to handle everything from delivery to sales, marketing to invoicing, and team management to recruitment, with little room to breathe.

Ivan shares that his strengths are in creative problem solving, building systems, and engaging in technical discussions with clients. However, the other parts of running a recruitment business, client outreach, early sales conversations, marketing, and even handling payments, were not just outside his zone of genius, but also not enjoyable.

“The things that I don’t like doing, I started delegating more and more to the point now that I almost don’t do them,” Ivan explains. By shifting focus to his “flow zone,” he allowed himself to do what he’s best at, while others or automated processes managed everything else.

For Ivan, putting delegation and clear systems in place transformed the way Techified operated. He took himself out of the daily grind and instead focused on working on the business as a whole. Team members picked up the outreach, the marketing, and the initial sales calls, leaving Ivan to focus on technical closes and finding the perfect candidate matches.

The Results: Clarity, Growth, and Time

Katy presses Ivan to share what changed when he handed over the things that drained his time and energy. Before revamping his systems, Ivan admits he had no clear idea how long it took to convert a lead or land a new client. Once processes were documented and his involvement streamlined, everything clicked into place. “We know how many steps, how many conversations, how much time we need,” he says. Every day you don’t take action means potential deals are put off or lost entirely.

Ivan notes that now, “people knocking on the door” isn’t random luck but a result of purposeful action. With his time freed, he spends more energy on the technical side and on building solid relationships with quality candidates, ensuring better matches and outcomes.

The numbers reflect the transformation. Ivan expected to double revenue by mid-year and quadruple it by year’s end. He very nearly hit that quadruple mark within six months. Yet, for Ivan, growth isn’t just about money. He’s seen his stress fall, his team’s energy rise, and his confidence grow. “It’s a massive positive impact on the business and on the personal side as well.”

Sales: Turning a Chore into a Skill

Many business owners feel like sales isn’t for them; maybe you do too. Ivan was no exception, once considering himself “a bad salesman”, a worry Katy says is widespread among founders. Being part of the Rockit programme, though, changed Ivan’s perspective on sales entirely. He doesn’t claim to love the process, but he’s gained techniques that fit his direct and technical personality.

“I just don’t like the process, that process of selling and, you know, coming back again and again. I know that I can sell now. I just learned techniques and things that are useful and that fit my character as well,” Ivan says.

Sometimes all that’s holding you back is your own mindset. Ivan is clear about the importance of coaching as a way to overcome your mental barriers: “If you don’t have a coach around you that can help you bring them down, you just don’t progress.” With the right tools and guidance, Ivan discovered that he, and anyone, can find a sales strategy that works for them.

Focus Beats Trying to Do It All

One of the strongest lessons Ivan highlights is the value of focus. Many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of thinking broadening your offering or stretching your attention will bring more clients and faster growth. Ivan learned the opposite. Success came from narrowing down and giving his full attention to a well-defined niche.

He tells Katy, “If you find your niche and you just focus on that niche, you are going to thrive.” In practice, this helped his clients see him as a genuine expert and trusted partner. One even said, “There is a massive bonus here, which is you are very niche in the industry. You understand the industry. You know what we need.”

Pouring your efforts into one focus lets you make a bigger difference and deliver higher quality. Katy points out, “You only do things, you know, give something 10 of your energy and your attention because there’s too many of them. Whereas when you hone in on less, you’re giving all of that attention to one thing.” By identifying what matters most and letting go of distractions, you’ll be able to move the needle further, faster.

The Unexpected Value in Group Support

Ivan also found real value in the group sessions that were part of the Rockit programme. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at the idea of group coaching, Ivan’s confession may surprise you: “I wasn’t expecting much from the group sessions, to be honest.” What he found was that other founders were facing similar or even identical challenges.

By offering a safe place for people to be honest and vulnerable, the group enabled everyone to share their struggles, and learn from one another’s solutions and mistakes. Ivan says, “Just hearing them talking about the problems, I was like, okay, that’s very similar, if not the same problem that I’m going through, you know, or I went through, or I’m gonna go through.” These conversations brought a sense of solidarity and practical advice, you’re not alone, and there’s always something to learn from those around you.

Katy adds that group sessions thrive on “vulnerability about it, the lessons are always in those challenges.” Sometimes just listening to others or sharing your own journey can give you new understanding and practical ways forward.

Lessons to Take Into Your Own Business

Ivan’s journey is a powerful reminder that trying to handle everything yourself is not the path to growth. By investing in systems, accepting support, delegating tasks that drain your energy, and narrowing your focus, you can unlock not only revenue growth but also your own peace of mind.

If you’re nodding along, swamped by admin, waiting for the next client to show up by chance, or hearing that familiar voice telling you that sales just isn’t for you, Ivan’s story may prompt you to rethink what’s possible. In his own words: “If you’re the one doing things, you’re not the one earning money. So delegate, create systems…just trust the system.”

Katy sums it up: with clear systems, the right support, and a laser focus on what you do best, you can shape the business and the life you want. When asked what he’d say to someone on the fence about getting support, Ivan doesn’t mince words: “What the hell are you waiting for? Just fucking do it.”

Inspired by Ivan’s experience, you now have a roadmap; one based not on chance, but on real, actionable changes that you can start exploring in your own business journey.