I Quit My Job!
And I'm launching a company called Building the Talent Machine
If there’s anything I’ve learned in a decade of recruiting, it’s this:
Life is too short not to work on cool problems with interesting people.
That’s what recruiting has always been about for me.
When I got into recruiting as a recruiting generalist in a post-IPO company I didn’t know much about living the corporate life. I learned how to be a recruiter through doing. And that’s what’s always driven me. Getting things done. Two years ago I was a nobody in recruiting. Now I’ve been invited to speak on stages, advised companies on their Product and GTM strategy, and I’ve given away my neworking playbook. Spoiler alert: there are no shortcuts. The first question people ask me when I meet them in real life, usually in a hushed tone, is “What do you do?”
I recruit.
Public companies, private equity backed turnarounds, early-stage startups. I’ve been in the rooms, in the reqs, the dashboards, and the inboxes. Building. Including on the vendor side of the HR tech industry. I know what it’s like to build from the ground up, and the problems that product and GTM teams face when building great recruiting software. Everything I’ve done up until now has led me to this point. And now, it’s time to build something of my own.
I quit my job to launch a company.
Why?
Because the recruiting industry is changing faster than ever.
And it deserves better storytelling and more honest analysis. From someone whose opinions are forged from doing the work.
It’s become clear to me, recruiting is no longer just about filling roles. It’s about making sense of the chaos we’re thrown into, and reclaiming talent strategy. And I’m ready to share the truth about what’s happening inside talent orgs at some of the best companies in tech, make sense of the vendor landscape, and break down complex topics that are all about one thing, building great companies.
Most people are too afraid to say the quiet part out loud. Or they’ve never actually done the work, or worked on the vendor side to know the problems the industry faces.
I have. And I’m going to keep doing it. Louder. With and for you as a recruiting community.
That’s why I’m launching Building the Talent Machine.
A new content company focused on storytelling, commentary, and community for the recruiting world.
Sharp analysis. Real stories. Coverage of real-life events. Because at this moment in time, I simply can’t NOT do it. I think about recruiting 24/7.
So I’m embarking on a new mission: to be a conduit for the transfer of knowledge within the recruiting industry as we upskill and uplift one another.
I’m not here to chase hot takes or bandwagon viral headlines or r/anti-work tropes. There’s plenty of that out there already. I hope this is something new. I hope it’s about reprieve. Refuge. This corner of your recruiting internet is about positivity and storytelling. Equal parts hope and hype. Because when this is all said and done, I want to pass whatever I’ve learned along the way to the next generation of recruiters, while honoring the ones who paved the way and who have taken me under their wing. And to celebrate the unsung heroes that keep the talent machine moving. I’m a big believer that recruiting is simple, not easy.
And for me, this is personal.
A recruiter once took a shot on me when they saw something in me before I did. That decision gave me a career, a purpose, a community. Recruiting has provided me with a life beyond my wildest dreams. But here’s the thing. In the grand scheme of things, my dream isn’t that big. And I’ve spent every year since trying to pay that forward.
Recruiting makes me feel alive. And I hope it does the same for you.
Where we’re at
The first BTTM Episode is about to drop. I’m grateful to be a co-founder with my amazing business partner and mentor, Eric Friedman. Eric’s built a career in tech, as an investor, operator, and now my partner. He has been investing in startups in a few different VC funds, build accelerators, and co-founded companies. Every startup needs people who can be the connective tissue between everything that is going on and that is Eric. He’s that guy that builds everything from operations, finance, negotiations and the foundation of our business. I first cold emailed him a few years back and we started working together on another project. That relationship grew, we kept talking about wanting to build a media company, and here we are. So my goal is to get him on camera more too because so much of what I’ve learned and how I think about going from operator to entrepreneur comes from his pointed guidance as a business partner, friend and fellow dad. (Thanks Eric!)
What to Expect
A show about recruiting! You can expect long and short form video content across LinkedIn and YouTube. I’m going to be talking with some of the best leaders in Talent Acquisition giving them platform to tell stories that matter. Building a space where we can talk talent honestly, with pride for the industry, with heart for the field, and with humor. Because sometimes in recruiting you just need to laugh it off and keep moving.
Everything I’ve done in life has led to this moment. Marketing. Storytelling. Analysis. Operator energy. And an industry I love, flaws and all.
So drop in your email and subscribe to BTTM, think of this substack as the central hub for everything you need to know, and come along for the ride. It would mean the world if you shared it with a recruiter friend or two. It’ll be fun. That’s a People Ops promise.
It’ll be real people, real partnerships, and real stories.
It might just be the reminder you needed that you’re not the only one who gives a damn right now.
Because when I think back on the past 10 years, one thing’s clear:
The world is smaller than we think.
Recruiting is just storytelling.
The next great candidate is one call away.
And community doesn’t just end with unity— it starts with it.
See you in the reqs,
Brando ✌️