EP 67 - How To Build Your Name, Build Your Market & Build a Desk From Scratch w/ Roxanne

What if the fastest way to grow in recruitment wasn’t by trying to do everything… but by building a name so strong that your market starts coming to you?

In this episode, I’m joined by Roxanne Kirkhope-Winnan, Head of Bolt Technical, who built her reputation the hard way — through consistency, honesty, personality, and showing up online even on the days life felt chaotic. From cabin crew to recruitment, from starting again in engineering to launching Bolt Technical, Roxanne has built both a name and a market by being unapologetically herself.

We dive into the realities of building a desk from scratch, managing ADHD, parenting a child with autism, leading a team, posting daily, and growing a new division inside a recruitment business. This conversation is raw, real, funny and brutally honest — exactly what the industry needs more of.

If you’re a recruiter looking to build a brand, build a market, or build the confidence to show up as you, this episode is your blueprint.

We explore:

✅ How Roxanne built a market AND a name from scratch
✅ The confidence and mindset needed to launch a new desk
✅ ADHD, energy cycles & how to turn them into a superpower
✅ Autism parenting, vulnerability & community on LinkedIn
✅ Simple BD habits most recruiters overcomplicate
✅ How scheduled posting & hooks attract inbound opportunities
✅ Why authenticity beats polished branding
✅ Culture, leadership & building a team people want to follow
✅ Burnout, balance & managing the chaos of real life
✅ Why conversations and consistency still win in 2025

If you want the truth about what it really takes to build a desk, build a brand, and build a reputation that travels further than any job ad — this episode is a must-listen.

⏱ Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro & welcome
01:00 – Roxanne’s journey from cabin crew to recruitment
03:00 – Early lessons, confidence & starting again in engineering
06:00 – Launching Bolt Technical from scratch
09:00 – ADHD, energy management & work sprints
12:00 – Autism parenting & finding her voice on LinkedIn
18:00 – Building a name before building a market
22:00 – Hooks, consistency & scheduled posting
27:00 – Culture, leadership & leading from the front
32:00 – Why recruiters overcomplicate BD
37:00 – The fundamentals of great communication
44:00 – Burnout, boundaries & energy cycles
50:00 – Personal brand vs company brand
56:00 – Roxanne’s 1% Better tip

🔗 Connect with Roxanne

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxannekirkhopewinnan/

🔗 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/@charleskyriakou
LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712