EP 62 - Habits of a Top Biller: How To Master Business Development w/Jay Gurney
In this episode of The 1% Better Recruitment Podcast, I’m joined by Jay Gurney, Director of Radiology at Projectus, who went from warehouse shifts during COVID to becoming one of the company’s top global billers and leading its US expansion. We dig into Jay’s incredible journey from rejection to resilience — how he lost his job offer the week before lockdown, worked 12-hour shifts in a warehouse, and still found a way into recruitment. From grinding through cold calls to generating 28 new client logos and building a thriving US desk, Jay shares the mindset, habits, and BD techniques that turned him into one of Projectus’ top performers. This is a raw, practical, and inspiring conversation about business development, consistency, and how the best recruiters think long-term, act commercially, and build credibility one call at a time. We cover: ✅ How losing a job offer became Jay’s turning point ✅ Starting from scratch during lockdown ✅ The difference between recruiters & consultants ✅ How to build a niche and dominate your market ✅ The mindset shift from imposter to trusted advisor ✅ What makes BD consistent (and sustainable) ✅ Cold calling, curiosity & credibility ✅ How to win clients when no one knows you ✅ The lessons from building a US recruitment desk Whether you’re a trainee learning BD or a senior consultant looking to reignite your client game, this episode is packed with practical advice and real-world lessons every recruiter needs to hear. Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome & Jay’s backstory 02:00 – The job offer that fell through before COVID 05:40 – Warehouse shifts & delivering food to survive 08:40 – Starting from scratch at Projectus 11:00 – Early BD strategies that actually worked 14:00 – Turning candidate calls into BD calls 18:20 – From recruiter to consultant 24:00 – Cold calls, tone & confidence 30:00 – Taking clients off a pedestal 37:00 – Building consistency & niche focus 41:00 – Team builds vs transactional placements 45:00 – The move to the US 52:00 – Cultural differences in US recruitment 59:00 – Lessons learned & confidence abroad 01:04:00 – Jay’s 1% Better tip Connect with Jay Gurney 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-gurney- 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 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46LjJfwiwqD8xY0FjQW5Wy 📰 LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712 👇 Enjoyed this? Like, comment & subscribe — and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
