"Personal Branding” might be the most overused and misunderstood buzzword in modern marketing. Here's the truth... Posting more doesn’t make you memorable, and being visible doesn’t mean you’re valuable. There's a science to owning the room in 2026...In this episode of Take the Stage, Brad Bialy sits down with Sharon Bondurant to break down what it really takes to own the room in 2026 through clarity, consistency, courage, and human connection in an AI-driven world.

Sharon Bondurant is the founder of The Finders, an Arizona-based recruiting firm she launched in 1998 that has grown into a twice-named Inc. 5000 company with over 6,000 placements across Tech, HR, and Finance. She’s known for her human-first approach to recruiting, emphasizing long-term relationships, trust, and sustainable growth.

• Clarity beats chasing everything.
• You grow when you get uncomfortable on purpose.
• Relationships compound faster than cold outreach.
• Consistency builds trust long before opportunity appears.
• Courage creates access where skill alone cannot.

• [00:00] – Is standing out harder in 2026?
• [02:10] – Why strategy determines visibility
• [03:30] – Defining your true ICP
• [05:15] – The danger of saying yes to everything
• [07:40] – Letting go of good to become great
• [09:00] – Starting with your existing network
• [10:40] – Unlocking revenue in your database
• [14:00] – Listening as a competitive advantage
• [19:30] – Rebuilding in-person relationships
• [22:00] – Becoming the authority in the room
• [25:30] – The “third door” to new opportunities
• [36:45] – Why consistency and follow-up win

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 200,000 downloads.

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

Benefits in a Card helps staffing firms offer meaningful benefits to their entire workforce through flexible, unbundled plans designed for high-turnover environments—making it easier to control costs, improve retention, and stay competitive. https://www.BenefitsInACard.com

TRICOM partners with staffing firms as an asset-based lender and full-service back-office provider, helping owners scale confidently by reducing risk and easing the operational strain of payroll, cash flow, and administration. https://www.tricom.com

In this episode of InSights, Brad Bialy sits down with David Searns to explore why selling staffing services has become harder and how firms must rethink their product, pricing, and messaging to compete in a changing market.

David Searns is the Co-CEO of Haley Marketing and one of the staffing industry’s most respected marketing strategists. With more than 25 years of experience helping staffing firms differentiate, position their services, and drive demand, David brings a deep understanding of how marketing, sales, and product strategy intersect to fuel growth.

• Selling staffing hasn’t just gotten harder...the product itself may be outdated.

• Differentiation starts with defining a unique product, not louder promotion.

• The firms that control performance data will control the future of staffing.

• Value must be defined from the buyer’s perspective—not the recruiter’s.

• Specialization creates pricing power where commoditization destroys it.

[00:00] – Is staffing actually harder to sell today?

[02:41] – Why staffing penetration dropped dramatically

[05:24] – Rethinking staffing as project-based work

[07:36] – The consulting model staffing can learn from

[10:55] – Escaping the dangerous “markup conversation”

[12:57] – Using AI as a strategic thought partner

[15:21] – Why HR buyers are risk-averse

[18:01] – The call center story that changed pricing

[20:52] – Why A-players should cost dramatically more

[24:29] – The power of owning performance data

[30:41] – Stop selling to everyone: define the bullseye

[32:08] – The four P’s of marketing staffing firms ignore

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 200,000 downloads.

InSights 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.

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

This episode is brought to you by FoxHire. If you’re looking for an Employer of Record partner that helps recruiters confidently grow contract placements and build recurring revenue without taking on extra risk, FoxHire is perfect for you. Learn more at FoxHire.com/Haley.

In this episode of Take the Stage, Brad Bialy sits down with Brett Cavanagh to explore why staffing firms must abandon the old transactional playbook, embrace a consultative mindset, and leverage technology like AI while doubling down on the human relationships that truly drive success.

Brett Cavanagh is the President of TempWorks Software and Lone Oak Payroll. With more than a decade of experience working directly inside staffing firms before moving into technology leadership, Brett now helps agencies scale through smarter systems, operational discipline, and deeper alignment between technology and the real-world demands of recruiting and staffing.

• The old staffing playbook is breaking in a changing market.

• Talent inventory determines who wins in staffing.

• Commoditized staffing always becomes a race to the bottom.

• AI won’t replace recruiters—it will expose weak ones.

• The future belongs to consultative staffing firms.

[00:00] – Is selling staffing harder than ever?

[01:40] – Why cold calling candidates is fading

[04:05] – What winning staffing firms do differently

[05:49] – The shift from transactional to consultative selling

[08:24] – Why fear drives bad staffing decisions

[10:58] – The danger of competing on price

[16:03] – Building a true candidate-first experience

[21:43] – The “sports agent” mindset for recruiters

[24:45] – How AI will reshape staffing

[32:23] – AI will expose average recruiters

[37:14] – Where growth still exists in staffing

[46:03] – Brett’s advice for the next generation

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 200,000 downloads.

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

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

Benefits in a Card helps staffing firms offer meaningful benefits to their entire workforce through flexible, unbundled plans designed for high-turnover environments—making it easier to control costs, improve retention, and stay competitive. https://www.BenefitsInACard.com

TRICOM partners with staffing firms as an asset-based lender and full-service back-office provider, helping owners scale confidently by reducing risk and easing the operational strain of payroll, cash flow, and administration. https://www.tricom.com