Nicola Morse & Emma Storey
Co-Founders, Hera

UK, Technology

We caught up with Nicola Morse and Emma Storey to discuss Hera, a business they co-founded to help tech companies achieve greater results by building diverse teams.

Watch the short clips below covering; why running a ‘lifestyle’ business doesn’t mean reducing your earning potential, why Hera supports diversity and women in tech and how RecruitHub’s community adds value to Nicola and Emma.

MAINTAINING FULL-TIME EARNINGS AS "LIFESTYLE" BUSINESS CO-FOUNDERS

HOW RECRUITHUB'S GLOBAL FOUNDER COMMUNITY ADDS VALUE

KEY INSIGHTS:

Why did you want to co-found a business?

  • Emma: I’ve been in recruitment for eight years and love it, but as my life has changed, I’ve found the demanding nature of the job no longer fits with my priorities as a parent. Instead of leaving recruitment, I wanted to continue doing what I love on a more flexible schedule. This desire for work-life balance was a primary motivation for starting my own business, driven by factors like workplace culture, day-to-day responsibilities, and my preferences compared to larger agencies.
  • Nicola: Until about a year ago, my answer to starting my own business was always a definite no. I felt overwhelmed by the idea and unsure where to begin. However, after meeting Emma 18 months ago at our children’s swimming lessons, we began exploring ideas together. When we discovered RecruitHub, we saw its potential and decided to dive right in after conducting thorough research.

What inspired you to co-found a recruitment business with a focus on supporting founders and leaders to build diverse teams?

  • Our experiences in larger agencies often prioritised meeting KPIs over promoting diversity and inclusion. Reflecting on this, we realised the need to make a genuine difference for women in tech and other underrepresented groups like black and ethnic minorities, neurodiverse individuals, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Our goal is to raise awareness and create a safe space where individuals can comfortably express their needs, such as flexible working for childcare or reasonable adjustments for neurodiversity, contributing positively to diversity and inclusion in the technology sector.

What aspects of RecruitHub have been most beneficial to your business?

  • RecruitHub’s tech stack has been transformative. We now access numerous new tools daily, enhancing our operations significantly. RecruitHub offers free trials for additional platforms, allowing us to discover and invest in valuable tools. The platform also introduces us to valuable partnerships and discounts that we wouldn’t have found otherwise.
  • Additionally, we love the community collaboration. Being part of a collective with access to other founders via Slack has been invaluable. Previously, using Teams meant losing that network when changing jobs. Now, we have instant support from a network of peers, sharing knowledge and getting quick responses within RecruitHub’s specialist areas.

TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM GOING ON THIS JOURNEY FROM EMPLOYEE TO CO-FOUNDER?

  • Having a clear vision and mission makes everything easier. It’s crucial to be passionate about what you’re doing and to live and breathe that vision every day.
  • Also, maintaining structure in your day is important. Even though we run our own business now, we stick to a structured workday. We enjoy the flexibility of being able to handle pickups, drop-offs, or go to the gym at lunch, but we still approach our work with a professional mindset, setting achievable goals throughout the day.
  • Lastly, it’s about relaxing into it and truly enjoying the journey. When you love what you do, everything feels easier. Even tasks you may not like so much become enjoyable when they contribute to something you believe in and are passionate about.

Thinking about launching your own agency?

 

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