Holly Dary launched her own recruiting firm three months before COVID. She doubled down and came out twice as strong.
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After nearly 20 years running eight markets at a large global staffing firm, Holly Dary hit her 20 year mark and made a choice most people talk themselves out of. She left to build her own firm. At the end of 2019 she launched Tarbos Talent in Austin, and three months later COVID shut the entire industry down. Every job order died. Instead of retreating, she hired her competitors' best producers, rebuilt her database from nothing, and came out of the shutdown ready to grow. From zero she has built a team of 26 across offices in Austin and Houston, in a business where most firms take 12 to 18 months just to turn a profit. Hers was profitable in two.

Fifteen years ago, with a one year old at home, Holly survived AML leukemia, and the mindset that carried her through treatment is the same one that built her firm. In this conversation she breaks down how to build a recruiting firm from zero, why the human touch separates elite recruiters from replaceable ones, how she runs business development in 2026, why she recruits like a sniper, and why after 26 years the reps are still the whole game.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
03:43 Meet Holly Dary
04:26 From accountant to recruiter
08:52 Climbing to eight markets
15:08 The second act: what was missing
16:28 Starting her own firm
18:49 Launching 3 months before COVID
20:35 Doubling the team while others cut
22:15 Back in the office fast
26:15 From zero to 26 people
31:46 Business development in 2026
36:24 Why candidate experience wins
39:49 Running her book plus a team of 26
50:25 How she stays positive
52:17 Surviving leukemia
55:30 Quickfire: do the reps
57:08 Average to elite
01:02:07 The biggest challenge
01:03:36 Advice for your second act
01:07:02 Connect with Holly

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The figures and milestones in this episode were shared by the guest and reflect her account of her own career and business.