EP122: Every Four or Five Years Something Will Try to Break You

Gene Holtzman didn't start out in staffing. He started in the South Bronx, working with drug addicts and unemployed people in the late 1970s, building nonprofits and figuring out how to help people find work. When Reagan-era budget cuts pulled the rug out in 1982, he had a decision to make. He was 31 years old with two kids, and he chose to bet on himself.

That bet became Mitchell Martin, a technology and healthcare staffing firm Gene co-founded on Wall Street in 1984. Today the company runs close to $180 million in revenue and employs staffing professionals, contractors, and a team of 75 in India. They've survived the 1987 crash, 9/11 (they were three blocks away and couldn't get to their office for six months), COVID, and the current market contraction.

In this conversation, Gene talks with Deborah Fell about what it actually looks like to run a company for over 40 years with the heart of a social worker. He gets into the decision to become an ESOP, why he walked away from what would have been a much larger exit, how he's handling fraud detection with AI tools like Ropes AI, and where he sees the staffing industry heading as AI reshapes the job market.

Gene also talks candidly about succession. His son Josh has been with the company for 15 years and is being built up to run it. The goal isn't to leave next Thursday. It's to build something that outlasts him and rewards the people who helped get it there.

If you're a CEO wrestling with what loyalty to employees actually looks like in practice, or you're wondering how to stay energized when the market turns against you, this is a conversation worth hearing.

Gene Holtzman Bio:

Eugene Holtzman founded Mitchell Martin in 1984 with the idea that technology was the future of business.  Today, that notion still stands and has helped propel MMI in to one of the largest IT staffing firms in the US.  Gene is distinguished by his energy and creativity, guiding teams with a culture that encourages and supports continuous learning and innovation. With a passion for talent acquisition technology, Gene started Talent Tech Labs, a one-of-a-kind venture to research, validate and accelerate new TA technologies by connecting early-stage companies with forward thinkers in the industry.  Guided by his inspirational leadership, MMI continues to grow with a focus on technology and collaboration, harnessing the benefits of niche IT specializations to better serve both clients and candidates. 

Gene Holtzman on LinkedIn