In this episode of The Talent Track Podcast, Oliver Feakins sits down with Jordan Tallman of Wayward Staffing for a raw, unfiltered conversation about building a modern staffing agency from the ground up.

Jordan shares his journey from working out of a garage in IT staffing to launching Wayward during COVID and now scaling with a bold goal of hitting $100M by 2030. But this isn’t a highlight reel—it’s a deep dive into the real challenges of entrepreneurship in travel healthcare staffing.

Together, Oliver and Jordan unpack what most agencies are still getting wrong: transactional recruiting, broken communication between recruiters and nurses, and the growing gap between automation and true relationship-driven staffing. Jordan breaks down his “radical candor” approach with both travelers and facilities, and why honesty—not hacks—is what actually builds long-term success.

They also dig into the messy reality of growth: hiring missteps, losing a major MSP relationship overnight, rebuilding from near-zero cash flow, and the brutal lesson of scaling too fast without the recruiting engine to support it.

On the flip side, they explore what’s working—agile small agencies, high-touch recruiter relationships, smart use of job boards like TNS, and why smaller teams can outmaneuver the giants when they lean into speed, grit, and authenticity.

If you’re in healthcare staffing, recruiting, or building anything in a competitive marketplace, this episode is a candid look at what it really takes to survive—and win.

Most recruiters don’t have a talent problem.
They have a training problem.

In this episode, Nora Frumento and Mo Fregia (aka “The HIPPIE Recruiter”) talk about something this industry doesn’t talk about enough:

👉 We’ve replaced real training with vibes, shadowing, and “figure it out as you go.”

And it shows.

Mo came into staffing by accident—but stayed because he realized something most agencies miss:

Great recruiters aren’t born. They’re trained. Reps, feedback, repetition.

Not:

• “Sit next to top biller and listen”
• “Here’s a script, go call”
• “Why aren’t your numbers up?”

Actual training.

The kind where:

• You practice conversations before they matter
• You break down calls right after they happen
• You run scrimmages, not just meetings
• You learn how to think, not just what to say

And maybe the biggest one…

If you sound like every other recruiter, you’ll get treated like every other recruiter.

In a world of automation, texts, and “quick touches” — the recruiters who can actually connect, ask better questions, and slow down… are the ones who are going to win when the market turns.

AI isn’t replacing recruiters.

It’s exposing the gap between average and great.

This episode is a must-listen if you care about:

• Improving close rates
• Building real relationships (not just transactions)
• Actually leveling up your team

Because the market will come back.

The question is—who’s ready when it does?

Check out our TalentTrack 2025 titled: What's Now and What's Next.

The boom is over. The dust hasn’t fully settled. And the rules of travel healthcare? They’ve changed—fast.

In this episode, Holly Bass and Kenny Kadar break down what’s actually happening in the travel healthcare staffing market right now—and where it’s headed next. From MSP dominance swallowing 70–80% of revenue, to margin compression, recruiter productivity struggles, and the quiet rise of offshoring and AI… this is the real state of the industry.

You’ll hear why “flat is the new up,” why jobs are still there but harder to close, and how the best agencies are adapting to survive (and even grow) in a down cycle. Plus: consolidation trends, shifting care delivery models, declining nurse quit rates, and the long-term supply/demand imbalance that still makes this space worth betting on.

If you're an agency leader, recruiter, or operator trying to figure out how to win in a tougher market—this is your playbook.

No fluff. Just what’s now… and what’s next.