Your most profitable clients didn't come from a cold call. Go check your sales ledger, Mike Ames says the proof is already there.

Mike Ames has built and sold two recruitment firms for a combined $50 million. In this episode, he makes the case that strategic, relationship-first business development isn't a luxury for good times it's the only sustainable model in a flat market. From no-agenda calls to the 70% of candidates nobody is actually recruiting, this is a masterclass on business development for the staffing and recruiting industry.

• Why your most profitable clients almost always came from relationships and how to run the Pareto analysis that proves it

• Why client care and account management are not the same thing and which one actually builds a partnership
• How to systematize no-agenda relationship calls using colored time blocking

• Why 77% of candidates care as much about the company as the role and why most recruiters never lead with it

• How to land a first conversation in a modern sales landscape where 61% of buyers want a rep-free experience

About the Host

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 250,000 downloads.

Sponsors and Offers Heard

Take the Stage is presented by Haley Marketing. For a limited time, we're offer 50% off of a brand new staffing website. Just message Brad Bialy on LinkedIn and mention the Crazy Website Promo.

For 30 years, Benefits in a Card has delivered benefit plans designed specifically for the staffing industry—over 140 unique options with immediate coverage, unique perks like FreeRx, and solutions that reduce turnover while improving ACA compliance. Give your workforce benefits they’ll actually use and give your staffing firm a competitive edge. Learn more at: ⁠https://www.BenefitsInACard.com⁠.

Anyone can generate a blog post in seconds. The best staffing firms aren't publishing more content, they're creating better answers for the candidates and clients they serve.

Brad Smith joins Brad Bialy to explore how AI is reshaping SEO, buyer behavior, and content marketing. They discuss why generic content is disappearing into the noise, why specificity is becoming the biggest competitive advantage, and how staffing firms can use AI to create thought leadership that actually earns trust.

Expect to learn why AI content no longer has to sound robotic, how Google AI Overviews are changing search, why ideal client profiles should drive every marketing decision, how multiple AI models can improve the editorial process, why owning the answer matters more than earning the click, how RogIQ helps staffing firms create better content at scale, and much more.

InSights is presented by Haley Marketing. For a limited time, we're giving away 30 days of RogIQ completely FREE. Experience AI-assisted content marketing built specifically for staffing firms and see how personalized, SEO-driven content can help you generate more conversations and build authority. Just message Brad Bialy "RogIQ" on LinkedIn to get started.

30-minute business and marketing consultation with host Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

Key Moments:

(0:00) Why AI Is Raising the Standard
(3:12) The Future of Content Marketing
(7:21) Building Better Ideal Client Profiles
(10:09) Why Long-Tail Search Wins
(12:27) Using AI to Scale Great Content
(15:39) Why AI Content Isn't Slop
(17:18) The Editorial Process That Changes Everything
(20:27) AI as Your Peer Reviewer
(21:48) Understanding Your Target Audience
(26:02) Does Content Still Matter?
(29:04) Why Relationships Beat Clicks
(30:17) How RogIQ Changes Marketing

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. He's the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry's leading podcasts with more than 225,000 downloads.

Brad Smith is Chief Strategy Officer at Haley Marketing, where he helps staffing firms grow through AI, SEO, digital marketing, and sales strategy.

Tori Begg joins Brad Bialy to separate fact from fiction and share a practical roadmap for staffing leaders looking to implement AI without getting lost in the noise. Despite the constant hype surrounding AI agents and automation, most organizations are still in the early stages of adoption.

From generative AI and AI agents to workflow mapping and digital labor, Tori explains what staffing firms should actually be paying attention to right now—and what can safely be ignored. She shares why most organizations aren't ready for full-scale agentic AI, how recruiters can identify the highest-value opportunities for automation, and why understanding your workflows is the first step toward successful AI adoption.

Brad and Tori also dive into AI hallucinations, prompt engineering, custom GPTs, small language models, clean data, and the growing importance of keeping humans at the center of every AI strategy.

Whether you're experimenting with ChatGPT for the first time or actively exploring AI-powered recruiting, sourcing, sales, and operations workflows, this conversation offers a practical framework for using AI to increase productivity, improve decision-making, and create a competitive advantage without sacrificing the relationships that make staffing successful.

Expect to Learn:

• The difference between generative AI and agentic AI
• Why workflow mapping should happen before AI adoption
• How to identify non-revenue-generating tasks for automation
• Ways to reduce AI hallucinations and improve output quality
• Why using multiple LLMs can improve results
• The role of small language models in the future of staffing technology
• How AI agents can support sourcing, screening, engagement, and ATS updates
• Why a "human first, AI forward" mindset will separate successful firms from the rest

About the Host

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 225,000 downloads.

About the Guest

Tori Begg is a senior AI leader specializing in adoption, enablement, strategy, and the human side of artificial intelligence. As Senior Manager of AI Programs, she leads AI strategy and implementation across sales, marketing, and operations, helping organizations translate emerging AI capabilities into measurable business impact.

Tori focuses on how leaders redesign workflows, roadmaps, decision-making, and expectations as AI reshapes how work gets done. She is the co-founder of Mind & Machine DFW and a frequent speaker on AI leadership, organizational transformation, digital labor, and the practical application of AI in business.

Sponsors and Offers Heard

Take the Stage is presented by Haley Marketing. For a limited time, we're offer 50% off of a brand new staffing website. Just message Brad Bialy on LinkedIn and mention the Crazy Website Promo.

For 30 years, Benefits in a Card has delivered benefit plans designed specifically for the staffing industry—over 140 unique options with immediate coverage, unique perks like FreeRx, and solutions that reduce turnover while improving ACA compliance. Give your workforce benefits they’ll actually use and give your staffing firm a competitive edge. Learn more at:

https://www.BenefitsInACard.com.