Julia Arpag on Building a LinkedIn Brand That Converts (Without Selling Your Soul)

In this episode of the EVOLVE Talent and HR Show, Rhona Pierce takes over live from EVOLVE 2026 in Atlanta for a conversation with Julia Arpag, founder and CEO of Aligned Recruitment. After being laid off just five weeks postpartum, Julia built a seven-figure recruiting firm in under two years—largely fueled by founder-led marketing and storytelling on LinkedIn. In this episode, she shares how authenticity, consistency, and a clear sense of purpose helped her turn content into real revenue. Julia and Rhona dive into how recruiters and leaders can build visibility without feeling performative, why vanity metrics don’t matter, and how authentic storytelling can convert into meaningful business relationships. If you’ve ever struggled with showing up online, selling your services, or balancing authenticity with growth, this episode offers practical insights and encouragement. In this episode, you’ll learn: - Why revenue—not engagement—is the metric that actually matters - How Julia built a seven-figure recruiting firm in under two years - The difference between marketing on LinkedIn and selling on LinkedIn - Why storytelling is the most powerful sales tool recruiters have - How to build visibility online without feeling inauthentic - What to post about when you're just starting and don’t have many success stories yet - How founder-led marketing can drive real revenue - Why learning sales skills can transform your career or business Key Moments / Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to the EVOLVE Talent & HR Show 02:48 – Julia’s journey: laid off postpartum to building a firm 05:52 – Why vanity metrics don’t matter 07:41 – Storytelling as a recruiting sales strategy 10:08 – Learning to sell as a first-time founder 12:19 – The mindset behind building a seven-figure business 15:01 – How to build an authentic LinkedIn brand 16:31 – Where to connect with Julia ArpagGuest Bio Julia Arpag is the founder and CEO of Aligned Recruitment, a values-driven recruiting firm specializing in tech talent. After being laid off five weeks postpartum in 2023, she launched the company and grew it to seven figures in under two years through founder-led marketing and authentic storytelling on LinkedIn. Julia is passionate about helping companies hire exceptional talent while empowering recruiters and founders to build businesses rooted in authenticity, values, and service. | Follow Us | Follow Julia Arpag Website | https://alignedrecruitment.com LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-arpag/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/foster_your_tribe/ Follow Rhona Pierce Website | https://www.rhonapierce.com/ LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonapierce Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/rhonabpierce/ Follow Anna Morgan Website | https://yourcareerbff.com/ LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/evolve-conference-careerbff/posts/?feedView=all Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/annamorgancareerbff/ Facebook | https://web.facebook.com/anna.morgan.351104 Join the EVOLVE Shine 2027 waitlist: https://yourcareerbff.com/evolve-2027 Interested in collaborating or sponsoring EVOLVE experiences? Book an EVOLVE partnership call: https://calendly.com/annamorgan/evolve-partnership If this episode resonated, subscribe, share it with a fellow HR or Talent leader, and leave a review to help more people-first leaders discover the show.