Six years of eSquared: what I’ve learned, what I got wrong, and what I’m proud of

eSquared turned 6 today.

I'll be honest, part of me still finds that pretty amazing. I started eSquared during COVID, after being made redundant. It wasn't a carefully planned launch with a five-year strategy. It was a decision made at a time when nothing about the world felt certain, and a lot of people would have called it a terrible time to start a business.

So a birthday felt like a good moment to stop and reflect.

What six years actually looks like

I've worked on roles that challenged me, the ones where the brief was hard, the market was tight and I had to dig deep to find the right person.

I've worked with clients both new and old. Some have been with me since day one. Others I met this year. I've built relationships from nothing: a cold call, a LinkedIn message, a referral from someone who trusted me enough to pass my name on.

I've also stopped working with people who didn't place value on what I do. That was one of the harder lessons, and one of the most important. Not every client is the right client, and saying no is part of running a business you can stand behind.

I've had hard, honest conversations with clients about briefs that weren't realistic, and with candidates about feedback they didn't want to hear. Those conversations are never comfortable, but I've never regretted having one.

And I've made mistakes. Plenty of them.

The part people don't talk about

Some days I've loved it. Other days I've found it hard and doubted myself.

The number of times I've thought "it would be easier to just work for someone else" would surprise you. Running your own business means every decision is yours, every win is yours, and every miss is yours too. There's no one to hand it to at the end of the day.

But I keep coming back to the same answer: I didn't start eSquared because it was easy. I started it because I wanted to do recruitment differently.

What I've built

At the end of the day, I've built something I'm proud of.

An ethical recruitment company that works on transparency and honesty, and values clients and candidates equally. A flat fee, never a percentage, because my advice should never be tied to how much someone earns.

A career coaching business where I get to contribute to people's success, whether they're changing direction, returning to work, or trying to work out why they're getting interviews but not offers.

Job Market Mastery, a program built to equip job seekers at every level to navigate the job market with confidence and succeed in their chosen field.

And workshops, for students about to step into the workforce, and for people who have been made redundant and are facing a job market that has changed since they last looked. That last group is personal for me. I know exactly what it feels like.

Six years in

So in six years I've done a lot. I've made mistakes, I've had successes, and through all of it I've tried to be the best version of myself, for my clients, my candidates and me.

I've never wanted to be the biggest. I do want to be the best.

To everyone who has trusted me with a brief, a career, a referral or just a kind word along the way: thank you. eSquared exists because of you.

Here's to the next six.

Erika