From Startup to Exit: Matt Fox on Building, Scaling & Selling Recruitment Businesses

In this episode of RecTalk, Nitin Sharma sits down with Matt Fox, founder of Exitus Advisory and Polaris Growth, to unpack the highs, lows, and ultimate exit of his recruitment business.Matt shares his raw and honest journey — from launching a recruitment firm in 2011 with limited resources, scaling to award-winning success, battling toxic hires and burnout, navigating COVID, and eventually selling to the right buyer (not just the highest bidder).Now, through Exitus Advisory, Matt helps recruitment business owners discreetly plan and execute their exits, while Polaris Growth supports ambitious firms looking to scale sustainably. Whether it’s preparing for a sale, improving financial strategy, or redefining what success really means, Matt’s insights hit home for founders at every stage.What we cover in this episode:The reality of growing and selling a recruitment business (and the personal cost).Why choosing the right buyer matters more than the highest offer.How recruitment leaders can avoid burnout and toxic culture.Polaris Growth’s approach to scaling SMEs — from startup to 30+ headcount.Why traditional KPIs are outdated and how to measure what really matters.The loneliness of recruitment leadership — and why talking to peers changes everything.Redefining success: personal happiness vs. relentless growth.Who this episode is for:Recruitment founders considering their exit strategy.Owners of startups to mid-sized recruitment firms looking to scale sustainably.Leaders who feel isolated or overwhelmed by the demands of running a recruitment business.Anyone who wants an honest perspective on what it takes to build, grow, and sell in the recruitment industry.🔗 Connect with Matt FoxLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fox-50b10311/Exitus Advisory & Polaris Growth: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exitus-advisory/Rectools listing: https://www.rectools.io/product/exitus-advisory/🔗 Connect with Nitin SharmaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-rectools/Discover recruitment tools and services at Rectools.io: https://www.rectools.io/Find out about the Recruitment Curry Club:https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-recruitment-curry-club/New episodes drop every Wednesday and Friday. Stay tuned as we launch Founder Diaries, where real entrepreneurs share raw stories of building businesses in recruitment and tech.Listen to RecTalk on another platform: https://rectalk.co.uk/#RecruitmentPodcast #RecruitmentBusiness #ExitStrategy #RecruitmentGrowth #RecruitmentLeadership #RecruitmentScaling #RecruitmentFounder