Recruitment founder builds thriving consultancy after turning down dream role

A Midlands-based recruitment consultancy is seeing rapid early growth after its founder turned down a “dream role” to support her son’s education - and instead built a business from the ground up.

Danielle Barrett (pictured), founder of Rowles Recruitment, launched the business less than six months ago - and has since secured ongoing partnerships with multiple clients across sectors including engineering, infrastructure, healthcare and professional services.

The business – a member of the Lichfield and Tamworth Chamber of Commerce - signed its first contract within just four weeks of launching and has continued to build momentum through a focus on long-term, relationship-led recruitment rather than high-volume hiring.

The decision to start the business came at a pivotal moment. Danielle had been set to begin a new role with a local firm but chose to step away after her youngest son was offered a place at a school better suited to his needs following years of navigating the education system.

The change meant she needed to be more flexible and present - a decision she describes as difficult, but ultimately defining.

Drawing on over 15 years’ combined experience in business development and recruitment, she instead built Rowles Recruitment from scratch, putting in place full operational infrastructure, client delivery processes, and candidate engagement frameworks from the outset.

Today, the business is working closely with a number of clients, consistently delivering hires into senior and technical roles including BDM, SHEQ, commercial operations and client success positions.

Alongside its commercial work, the company has also introduced a community-focused recruitment initiative, with its first ‘Care Careers Coffee Morning’ set to take place in Tamworth, aimed at supporting local employment and introducing more people to opportunities within the care sector.

This sits alongside an exclusive partnership with Nexus Care Services, to which Danielle was particularly drawn to the organisation’s clear focus on staff wellbeing, safety and long-term development.

Danielle said: “Starting Rowles Recruitment wasn’t something I had planned, but like so many female founders, it came from a situation where I needed to make a decision for the needs of my family and build something that worked around that.

"It was a big step, and at times a daunting one. I hadn’t run a business before, so there was a lot to learn very quickly.

"What made a real difference was the support I found in my network - speaking to friends who had already built their own businesses, working closely with Bob Armour, founder of Armour Business Coaching, connecting with local organisations such as the Chamber of Commerce, and the kindness shown to me by the firm whose role I ultimately had to turn down.

"What I’ve focused on since day one is doing recruitment properly. Taking the time to understand the businesses we work with, being selective about who we represent, and making introductions that genuinely make sense for both sides.

"The growth we’ve seen so far has come from that approach - working closely with a small number of clients and delivering consistently. That’s what we’ll continue to build on.”