As a recruiter of personal assistants for celebrities and ultra-high net worth individuals – or to use his preferred term, “headhunter to the stars” – Brian Daniel is used to picking up his phone and finding a needy voice at the end of the line.

Traditionally, it’s been the household staff of an A-lister calling to ask if he knows somebody to be at the beck and call of their boss; or perhaps a billionaire CEO looking for a discreet and efficient young buck who’s particularly good at superyacht chartering, mistress management and administering threatening NDAs.

Daniel can handle all those, no problem. But lately, he says, the calls have taken on a different tone. “Did you know that in Japan you get such a thing as coaches to help you quit your job?” he asks, when we speak on a Zoom call.

“Well, a version of that has been going on in private service ever since the MeToo movement started. Because you’ve heard the stories about what was going on behind the scenes with