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Published on:

26th Aug 2024

Summer Re-release #4 - Turning the Tables and Interviewing Dr. David Sweet, with guest host Simon Jelfs

During the month of August we will be enjoying some summer weather and taking a break from recording new episodes. To satiate your thirst we will be re-releasing the hottest episodes of the year, every week, for you to enjoy with a Mai Tai by the pool like David will be.

In this episode of the podcast from March this year, we switched things up and had guest host Simon Jelfs, Managing Director of FocusCore Japan, interview Dr. David Sweet to find out what makes him tick, in business and in life. David is originally from Denver, Colorado with 25 years recruitment experience in Japan, all of it in leadership roles. He established FocusCore Japan in 2011. He's a father of two, a keen runner, a writer, and an ukulele player. Listen to the episode to learn more about how David manages to be so proactive and motivated in business and in life, and gain some invaluable insight into the Japanese labor market and recruitment landscape. 

In this episode you will hear:

  • About David’s love of running marathons and his plans to run the Barcelona marathon
  • How David manages to stay so proactive and motivated in business and life in general
  • How international business leaders view the Japanese market
  • David’s advice to APAC leaders looking to improve recruitment performance in Japan
  • About the ageless leadership skills that stand the test of time

About Simon Jelfs:

​Simon is from the UK and has over 20 years accounting and finance recruitment experience in Tokyo.  He is the Managing Director of Focus Core which focuses on providing executive search in Japan.

About David Sweet:

David Sweet is the founder and CEO of FocusCore Group.  For the past 25 years, he has helped companies hire the best executive talent in Tokyo.  He is also a certified executive coach and  author of Sweet Success, Sweet Sales, Recruit! Becoming the Top-Biller, as well as having been interviewed for the book, “Facebook & LinkedIn 対応履歴書いらずのソーシャルメディア転職術” for his expertise in using Social Networking for recruitment in Japan. He also is a published poet, including Gus (illustrated by Jennifer Shinkai),  Split Infinity Forward, and Pop Rocks. He holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Development and a M.A. in Communications from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. 


Connect with Simon Jelfs:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonjelfs


Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

Show artwork for The FocusCore Podcast

About the Podcast

The FocusCore Podcast
Meet interesting and inspiring and entertaining people who show why Japan is a unique, fulfilling and sometimes frustrating place to do business.
We will discuss how to hire, train and retain talent. How to create values that motivate, and review best practices that have worked and attempts that have failed. David will be speaking to company presidents, CEOs, CFOs, HR professionals, coaches, consultants as well as sharing with you some of my own experiences and opinions discovered over the years in this great country.
The focus is simple: To explore how to succeed in business in Japan.

About your host

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David Sweet