Stories With Traction
The Stories With Traction Podcast was created to empower leaders to elevate their businesses through the art of strategic storytelling. By engaging clients and inspiring team members, leaders can significantly impact the world around them. Each episode offers insights into storytelling, marketing, sales, company culture, and leadership, providing practical tools to drive growth and influence positive change. Tune in to transform your approach and lead with purpose.
Stories With Traction
#179: Authentic Scarcity and Simple Systems: The New Recruiting Playbook
SHOW NOTES:
In this episode, Matt Zaun sits down with Ryan Hogan, Founder & CEO of Talent Harbor, to unpack what actually works in recruiting top sales talent today. They dig into why “keep it simple” beats complex hiring funnels, how to design a value ladder that moves buyers forward, and where AI helps (and hurts) in the hiring process. Ryan also shares the gritty lessons that shaped him (from bankruptcies to billion-dollar beliefs) and the leadership habits he brought home from the Navy.
In this episode, they cover:
✅ Value ladder & micro-commitments — the psychology of getting small “yeses,” including Ryan’s Hunt A Killer application flow that primed buyers before any purchase.
✅ Authentic scarcity — how to use real capacity limits (e.g., only onboarding 3–4 clients/week) to increase conversion without breaking trust.
✅ AI in recruiting (the truth) — great for assessments and repurposing insights; poor at relationship-building with A-players who won’t talk to a bot first.
✅ Hiring veterans — look for resilience + self-awareness; ask how they learned, trained, failed, and translated that into civilian impact.
...and much more!
BIOS:
Ryan Hogan is the Founder & CEO of Talent Harbor, specializing in flat-rate, expert sales recruiting. A U.S. Navy veteran (now Reserve), Ryan previously co-founded Hunt A Killer, the immersive mystery brand, and has led multiple ventures spanning consumer products and B2B services. He’s obsessed with systems and building teams that produce results.
Matt Zaun is a strategic storytelling expert, keynote speaker, and author of The StoryBank. He helps leaders use story to build culture, strengthen sales, and speak with impact.