“Where do you see yourself in five years?” If you were to have asked us this question when we started R2R Strategic Recruiting five years ago, we may not have envisioned all the challenges that lay ahead. But if you showed us where R2R is today and how we got here, we would be so proud of what we’ve accomplished and excited for what’s next!
In this month’s blog, I (Raine) wanted to share some of the R2R story, including my journey as a first-time entrepreneur, plus the milestones we’ve achieved and the lessons we’ve learned along the way.
Founding R2R
In 2018, at the age of 41, I found myself unemployed and burnt out from the "agency grind” and daily commuting from Vancouver to Portland. I was still passionate about recruiting, but I wanted to do things differently than the traditional, high-cost model. Recruitment and hiring is the most expensive and important investment a company makes. I wanted to be a dedicated recruiting partner for companies, using my experience, passion, and drive to connect them with talent they couldn’t find on their own. In short, I wanted to offer quality results at a scalable investment.
I didn’t know how I was going to do it. Heck, I didn’t even have a solid plan. I had BIG ideas scribbled on a piece of paper and a desire to offer unique recruiting services that would save organizations time, money, and resources. I took those ideas, and a big leap of faith, and convinced my best friend and colleague of ten years to join me in the journey. Taking that leap was thrilling. Pure joy. Together, Richeal (aka Royal) and I built R2R from scratch, and within our first year, we gained seven clients organically through my network and referrals.
Overcoming Challenges and Finding Success
I’d be lying if I said the journey has been easy. In our first year, we experienced highs and lows — everything from navigating difficult relationships with poor-fit clients to being undervalued and undermined because we are women in business. Doubts and criticism from well-known leaders in the community with whom we’d shared our business plan amplified the struggle we faced as women to be seen, heard, and respected as professionals.
But even in the face of these challenges, we were supported by our biggest fans: our family, friends, clients, and community connections. And so with a launch party to celebrate our new website, R2R was up and running!
In 2019, we secured our dream office, with floor-to-ceiling windows in downtown Vancouver, but had to close the office just three months later when I received a surprising cancer diagnosis. I was immediately admitted to surgery and began the LONGEST post-surgery recovery process, while my business partner and best friend took the lead.
Richeal really put the “R” in R2R that year, and continues to do so today. She is resilient, remarkable, and relentless. Without her, I know we wouldn’t have grown revenue by 90% in our second year.
2020 was the year of resilience and reflection. We walked away from a client that wasn’t aligned with our values, sacrificing 22% revenue growth. That taught us the hard lesson of the cost associated with pursuing the dollar, rather than listening to our inner voice. And still, we prevailed. We had eight billable clients, with 50% of our clients engaging with us as retained consultants.
In 2021, we continued to push ourselves and stay relevant during COVID lockdowns and mask mandates. Never did I imagine, in the midst of a pandemic, that I would find my person through the Facebook dating app!
Not only did I start dating the man from Facebook, but I also hired him as my first, full-time, W2 employee — four months after we began dating! Yes, I know that sounds crazy.. But I made sure to do a thorough background check and check his references. The good news is, turns out he’s a great guy. So, of course, I accepted his proposal a year later, and am now married to the love of my life. I am blessed to work alongside Jimmy Tuominen every day.
2021 also saw some key strategic decisions pay off. I chose to cut overhead from contractor engagements (folks that helped keep the wheels on the bus when I was overloaded) and I hired an additional FTE to the R2R team, resulting in 118% revenue growth.
In 2022, our unique and signature recruiting service, Accelerate, was 75% of our business. This service is a super flexible and cost-effective engagement for clients who have multiple ongoing hiring needs.
Companies often do not have the budget to invest in recruiting and sourcing tools, let alone have a person who has the time or training to actually recruit talent. Many still rely on the “post and pray” approach to build their candidate pipelines. Accelerate allows a company to partner with R2R as their dedicated, on-demand recruiting partner and leverage our sourcing capabilities, tools, and technology.
Accelerate became a significant differentiator for us. It is the foundation of our business and why I started it in the first place. 95% of our clients have been referred, the rest reach out because I am personally connected with them. We have done zero business development (I mean ZERO) to date, we have partnered with 35 clients over our five-year journey, and we have exceeded revenue targets year-over-year.
Client Testimonial
“We are a growing company with a variety of positions to fill. We love having R2R act as our internal but outsourced recruiter. R2R’s “Recruiting as a Service” allows us to start and stop recruiting efforts in a very fast, controlled, and affordable way. R2R has really improved our candidate engagement, talent pipeline, employment brand, time-to-fill, and quality of hires.” – HR Manager
Reflecting On Where We Are Today
When I started this journey, I laid a foundation for myself to let go of people, environments, and roles that no longer served my higher purpose. I woke up every day with joy in my soul and was determined to continue doing what I love: recruiting — and golfing! I made time for myself and created balance. I beat cancer. I took a big leap of faith. Actually, make that leaps, plural. I trusted the process, found my way through the hard stuff, and everything I put down on paper came to fruition.
Along the way, we have listened to what we need as a business, to our clients, and to ourselves when it comes to making decisions for R2R. Every hiccup along the way has made us stronger and more nimble.
Five years is a big deal. It’s a big deal for any company or anyone in business for that matter. I never imagined this is where I’d be at 46 years young, and I certainly didn’t forecast in our business plan all of the best things that have graced our team, myself, and this business.
As we celebrate our fifth birthday, we are well into executing our goals for 2023. We are working diligently on a variety of initiatives, investing heavily in our employees and the business to better serve more clients. We’re enhancing our benefit offerings to include retirement + company match, and health insurance. We’re working towards our Women-Owned Business Certification. We’re also launching a webinar series and a newsletter, plus adding 1-2 new employees to serve more clients through our Accelerate program.
You Can Do It Too
I’ll close with a word of encouragement. For anyone who may be doubting their ability to start a business, I say to you, just start! I left a six-figure career with solid benefits and was a single woman with a mortgage, car payment, credit card debt, and no real savings. My tank was completely empty from burn-out and exhaustion, but I had faith in my goal to find joy in my soul, sun in my face, and a whole lot of golf and fun along the way.
R2R's journey of growth and self-discovery highlights the importance of asking the question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" It emphasizes the need for personal and business growth and the importance of surrounding oneself with those closest to their heart, doing purposeful work that they love, and being resilient in the face of adversity.
So whatever you’re dreaming of, wherever you see yourself in five years, you can do it. I believe in you!