What happens when you build a fast-growing recruitment business, raise millions in investment… and realise you’ve completely lost yourself in the process?
In this episode, I’m joined by Elaine Tyler — founder of Venatrix, a specialist SaaS sales recruitment firm, and a fearless voice for female founders navigating growth, pressure, and leadership burnout.
Elaine opens up about the real cost of scaling too quickly, chasing the wrong kind of investment, and trying to lead while constantly people-pleasing. But this isn’t just a founder story — it’s packed with hard-hitting lessons for recruiters, leaders, and anyone building a business that’s outgrown them.
We explore:
✅ What most founders get wrong about raising investment
✅ People-pleasing, over-functioning & perfectionism in leadership
✅ Why qualifying investors is just as vital as pitching them
✅ How burnout shows up in both founders and recruitment teams
✅ Training recruiters to push back and manage expectations
✅ The myth of “activity = results” and shifting to outcomes that matter
✅ How to build long-term client trust (not just chase roles)
✅ Delegating relationships and letting recruiters lead BD
✅ Aligning your recruitment process with values — not just speed
✅ What Elaine would never do again (and what she’d do sooner)
Whether you're placing SDRs, building your first team, or trying to reclaim control of a business that’s running you — this episode delivers real, relatable perspective on how to reset.
🔗 Connect with Elaine Tyler
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainetyler/
🔗 Connect with Charles Kyriakou
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskyriakou1/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charles.kyriakou
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-better-recruitment-podcast/id1775201502
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1PercentBetterRecPod
LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712/