Benjamin Mena

Need to hire? We can help! - Headhunter - Managing Partner

🎯 Having a tough time hiring for your Government Contracting Executive Team or GovCon AI teams?  There are way more openings than there are people to fill.  The top level talent your team needs are not even looking at your jobs ads. ** CLICK BELOW TO SEE MORE **

We understand how competitive the market is for top talent and how your career as a leader is impacted by the ability to attract and retain top talent.  

My name is Benjamin Mena, and for 15 years, I've built Data Science and Cyber Security teams for global Top Secret National Security programs.

Finding and attracting top-level people for our commercial sector is mission-critical. I know how right hire at the right time is vital for your team's growth and success.

SERVICES FOR CLIENTS AND CANIDATES 
💥 Executive Retained Search (C-Level, VP, Director)
💥 Direct Hire Search
💥 Employer/Candidate Value Proposition Development

Myself and my team are ready to help you 

🎯 To book a no-obligation, 15-minute Client Strategy or Candidate Career Call: https://calendly.com/benjaminmena
🎯 Email: Benjamin@selectsourcesolutions.com 
🎯 Phone: 703-297-8574

The Elite Recruiter Podcast Host

The Elite Recruiter Podcast is the number one podcast for recruiting professionals.

This is where the top recruiters share: How they got there. What kind of work did it take. Tips, Tools, and Tricks. The Mindset needed to get them to where they are. What they are doing with their success. Goals and visions for the future. So please join me on this journey as I interview some of the best in our industry

https://pod.co/the-elite-recruiter-podcast

I'm going to be honest with you.

I really believe that 2026 is your year.

This is the year that you can hit your dreams.

And to help you do that,

We are kicking off a summit called This Is Your Year.  

We’ve pulled together some of the biggest names in recruiting for this summit. 

Joining us is Mark Whitby, along with other industry leaders who have built high-performing teams, scaled successful agencies, and transformed the way recruiting is done.

Kicks off April 26th

Registration is FREE for the live sessions all week.

This week is set up for you to hit your goals and make your dreams come true.
Link in the comments!

No alternative text description for this image

Gabe says Happy Friday guys!!  
Keep crushing it!

undefined undefined

The LinkedIn Algorithm is really rewarding good comments at the moment. 

This is a comment that I made on someone else’s post. 

So if you are a recruiter.    

Spend some time this week in your world and make some good comments.  

For the moment the LinkedIn algorithm is working this way. 

Side note: Don’t F#^*% use one of the AI comment tools.

Sorry, this is a late post for International Women's Day! 
But I need to highlight some AMAZING Women in our space! 

Mindi Romero - Freaking crushing it at her desk!!! 

Cathy Stewart - An inspiration on how to go from Rock Bottom to Big Biller

Aida C. Rodriguez, CEDS - Is amazing at building an empire empowering other women

Ashley Woods - Living the Dream and inspiring others! 

Kaylee Estes - Really showing the way how to launch your own firm and inspiring others to do the same

Katherine Jerald 🎙 - Someone I look up to constantly in my world of recruiting.

Sharon Hulce - is constantly sharing a masterclass of how to do executive search 

Belinda Kerr - Is an inspiration to scaling and exiting 

Amy Simpson - Really knows how to keep it simple and yet bill big! 

Julia Arpag - FREAKING ROCKSTAR!

Emily Audibert - Really shows the way to dream big and go for it! 

Stephanie Holman, M.Ed 🦄 - Has done something I said that coulndt be done in the cleared space! 

Katharine Wilcox - Is a beacon for building strong relationships 

Sarah Englade - Another Absolute Rockstar 

Sharon Bondurant 🔎 The Finders - Is a sniper with a smile.  She has done sooo much business its awesome.

Jamie Lupo - She is a hidden Gem

Brianna Rooney - Who is a rockstar that has gotten so many people into recruiting and doing better! 

I had to give all these amazing women a shoutout.  

And there ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

MANY MORE I can go on for days!!! 

If you have not heard some of these amazing ladies' stories! 

Go down and listen to them!  I have them in the comments. 

Also a few of them are going to be speaking at the next Summit so dont miss This Is Your Year Summit.  (link below)

If you are looking at taking your years of ChatGPT history over to Claude Here is an easy way to do that.  

1st way of doing that is to use copy this prompt below into ChatGPT 

Export all of my stored memories and any context you've learned about me from past conversations. Preserve my words verbatim where possible, especially for instructions and preferences.

## Categories (output in this order):

1. **Instructions**: Rules I've explicitly asked you to follow going forward — tone, format, style, "always do X", "never do Y", and corrections to your behavior. Only include rules from stored memories, not from conversations.

2. **Identity**: Name, age, location, education, family, relationships, languages, and personal interests.

3. **Career**: Current and past roles, companies, and general skill areas.

4. **Projects**: Projects I meaningfully built or committed to. Ideally ONE entry per project. Include what it does, current status, and any key decisions. Use the project name or a short descriptor as the first words of the entry.

5. **Preferences**: Opinions, tastes, and working-style preferences that apply broadly.

## Format:

Use section headers for each category. Within each category, list one entry per line, sorted by oldest date first. Format each line as:

[YYYY-MM-DD] - Entry content here.

If no date is known, use [unknown] instead.

## Output:
- Wrap the entire export in a single code block for easy copying.
- After the code block, state whether this is the complete set or if more remain.

You then want to go into Settings -->  Capabilities ---> Import Memory and copy that into the box.

The 2nd way to do it (well before Claude made this update)

Was to follow these instructions: 
1.   Go to ChatGPT on your computer.
2.   Click on “settings” (it’s like the gears or tools button).
3.   Find “data controls” and click it.
4.   Click “export data” This is like packing up all your pictures and drawings to take them somewhere new.
5.   Check your email. ChatGPT will send you a box (called a zip file) with your stuff.
6.   Open the box (zip file) and look for the file called “conversations.”
7.   Go to Claude (the new program you want to use).
8.   Start a new project—give it any name you like.
9.  Put your “conversations” file from before into Claude, kind of like putting all your drawings in a new folder.
10.  Now Claude can see and use all your chat history from ChatGPT!

Who is a recruiter that you respect and why?
Give them a shoutout!
So others can follow them for that reason.


I’ll spend some time this week sharing mine and why.  So stay tuned.

Jamie Lupo explains how the pandemic pushed the industry toward transactional recruiting, and why rebuilding relationship-driven hiring is critical for long-term success.

Tune in to the latest episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, sponsored by Atlas - the Recruitment Platform!
Now streaming on all podcast platforms! Links are in the comments!

This recruiter became a top biller…
Without ZoomInfo.
Without Salesforce.
Without fancy tech stacks.

And she says most recruiters don’t have a sales problem.

They have a control problem.

Jamie Lupo spent 18 years at LHH.

Rebuilt struggling offices.

Trained thousands of recruiters.

Won during a recession when she was the only person left in her office.
And here’s the part that hit me:

“If you’re waiting to hear back… you’ve already lost.”

Most recruiters:
• Submit resumes and hope
• Follow up and chase
• Blame the market
• Hide behind tools

Top billers?
They:
• Schedule debriefs before interviews happen
• Review resumes live on the phone
• Turn reference calls into new client orders
• Slow down interviews to speed up placements
• Control the process instead of reacting to it

At one point she said maybe 30% of recruiters actually control their desk.
30%.

That means most recruiters aren’t failing because they lack tools.

They’re leaking revenue through process.

Tech can help.

But it won’t fix a broken approach.

We combined both parts of this episode on YouTube because the full arc matters.

If you want to grow your desk in 2026, this one is worth your time.

Curious…
Are you building your desk with tools?
Or with control?

Make sure to see her at the upcoming This is Your Year Summit!! 
Thank you Atlas - the Recruitment Platform for helping this episode come together.

Elite Recruiter Big Events For the Year!
This is Your Year Recruiter Summit - April 27th - May 4th (Are you registered?)
AI Recruiting Summit - TBD
Firm Owners Summit - TBD
Rock The Year - TBD
Lady Recruiters Summit - TBD 

Community Roundtables
Scott Love BD Roundtable in the Elite Recruiter Community 
Claude for Recruiters with Reyhan Khan

He stopped me before we even hit record.    "Hold off."
"I have a goal I want to hit first… let’s talk after I hit it."

So we waited.

A few months later, I got the message.

"I did it. I'm ready."

He had just crossed $1M in billings.

But the part that stuck with me most from this conversation wasn't the number.

It was the turning point that almost took him in the opposite direction.

Will Wegert had two of his best years ever in recruiting.

Then he chased the shiny object.

San Francisco.
New York.
Big coastal fees.

And his billings nearly got cut in half.

So instead of grinding harder…

He did something most recruiters never do.

He went back and pulled every deal he'd ever closed.

Every placement.
Every client.
Every source.

And the data told him something he didn’t want to hear.

His money was never on the coasts.

It was always Denver.

So he made a decision most recruiters struggle to make.

He said no.
No to a $70K fee in San Francisco.
No to chasing the next shiny opportunity.

And instead he focused on owning his market.

That decision changed everything.

Some of my favorite moments from this conversation sponsored by Atlas - the Recruitment Platform

The 7-Year Overnight Success: 
His breakout year didn’t come from a single change. It came from seven years of small, consistent things finally compounding.

Referrals Are Not a System: 
You can’t scale referrals. But you can build a system that creates the same warm inbound consistently.

The Data Already Knows: 
Most recruiters trust their gut over their numbers. Will trusted the numbers over his ego.

Saying No Is a BD Strategy:
The tighter his focus became, the more his market started calling him.
This episode was worth the wait.

🎧 Link to listen is in the comments.

What was your biggest takeaway?

The fastest way to expose whether a CEO actually uses their own product: make them do the most basic task on camera.  

This would fix sooo many software programs. Especially the Fortune 500.

Thank you McDonald’s CEO for bringing this to everyone’s attention.

That’s one video that should have never been posted.

There are recruiter trainers.
And then there’s the Godfather.

Before LinkedIn.
Before AI sourcing tools.
Before “growth hacks.”

There was Steve Finkel

The man who trained the trainers.
The frameworks behind thousands of top billers.
The closing psychology most recruiters think they know… but don’t.

For decades, his systems have quietly powered search firms doing millions in revenue.

And now…

Both full YouTube episodes are live.

Part 1: Why most recruiters lose offers (and don’t even realize it).
Part 2: The advanced closing frameworks from his latest book Closing For Recruiters.

If you’ve ever:
• Lost a deal at the finish line
• Stalled at a 70–75% acceptance rate
• Felt like you’re “doing everything right” but something is missing

This is the missing piece.

AI can source.
Internal teams can screen.

But closing?

That’s still the moat.

And Steve breaks down:
 – The College Professor Close
 – Fear-of-Change psychology
 – How elite recruiters add 30–50% more billing
 – Why most recruiters train on the wrong parts of the job

I’ve interviewed a lot of heavy hitters on The Elite Recruiter Podcast.
This one is foundational.

If you’re serious about becoming a rainmaker instead of a resume pusher…

The episodes are finally live on YouTube.

Drop “CLOSE” below and I’ll send you the link.
(Or you can find the links below)

Let’s make this your biggest billing year yet.

Thank you Atlas - the Recruitment Platform and Recruiters Websites for helping make this episode possible.

Will Wegert explains why the goal of outreach isn’t to make an immediate sale, but to stay memorable so clients think of you when they actually need help.

Tune in to the latest episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, sponsored by Atlas - the Recruitment Platform!
Now streaming on all podcast platforms! Links are in the comments!

Most recruiters think AI is coming for their job.
Jeff Hyman thinks that’s the wrong question.

The real question is:

What kind of recruiter are you?

Jeff has been recruiting for 30 years.

He’s seen the dot-com boom.
The mobile revolution.
The LinkedIn gold rush.

And now… AI.

But what he told me during this episode stopped me in my tracks.
He said:
“If your value is sourcing… you’ve got a problem.”

Because AI will do that.
Better.
Faster.
Cheaper.

But the recruiters who survive?

They do something completely different.

They become the advisor clients can’t replace.

In this episode brought to you by Atlas - the Recruitment Platform we go deep on what that actually means.

Some of my favorite takeaways:

Experience Isn’t the Predictor Everyone Thinks It Is:
Jeff believes most companies are hiring backwards. They focus on pedigree, companies, and years of experience… when the real predictor of success is how someone is wired.

Recruiters Must Become Trusted Advisors:
The future recruiter doesn’t just send resumes. They help clients rethink how they hire, what they look for, and how they evaluate talent.

AI Will Replace Transactional Recruiting:
Sourcing and surface-level recruiting are being automated fast. The recruiters who thrive will be the ones who can assess, influence, and guide hiring decisions.

Jeff has recruited 4,000+ people in his career, and this conversation felt like a glimpse into where the industry is heading next.

If you're a recruiter wondering what the next decade looks like…

This episode is worth the listen.

🎧 Episode: The Recruiters AI Will Replace (And the Ones It Won’t)

Ohh! and have you signed up for This is Your Year Summit yet?

Pressure is on as I am writing up my talk.   

But excited that I am getting to share next to other industry legends such as
Clark Willcox
Brad Bialy
Shad Tidler
Rob Reznick
Denise Chaffin
Anna Frazzetto


Dont miss it!  - https://lnkd.in/eGfECpcK

When I started the podcast I had a list of people I wanted to sit down with.  

5 years into this journey.  

I got to sit down with one of them!

Episode with Jeff Hyman is dropping this week!

Brandon McGill explains why saying “no” to roles outside your niche protects your credibility, results, and long-term success.

Tune in to the latest episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, sponsored by Atlas - the Recruitment Platform!
Now streaming on all podcast platforms! Links are in the comments!

Jamie Lupo shares the story of a heated interview negotiation where she nearly walked out,

Tune in to the latest episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, sponsored by Atlas - the Recruitment Platform!
Now streaming on all podcast platforms! Links are in the comments!

Describe your ideal profile or simply paste the job description into Atlas.

Magic Search finds your exact matches in seconds. 

Excited that they have partnered with The Elite Recruiter Podcast!

If you want to check out Atlas - the Recruitment Platform's new Magic Search.  

Watch this!

Pressure is on!
I know I need to make an impact with the short amount of time I have sharing at Crelate  FDE virtual event.

The firms that win in 2026 will be the ones who activate their relationships.💡

Day 1 of FDE+ is stacked ⤵️

Denise Chaffin
Brad Bialy
Rob Reznick
Shad Tidler
Benjamin Mena
Anna Frazzetto
Clark Willcox

📅 March 18 + 19 | Virtual

🔗 Register Now - Link in comments ⬇️

My why: Because doing right by clients and candidates should never be compromised.

Too often revenue goals come at the expense of thoughtful work and doing the right thing. I started my
own search firm to prioritize quality over being transactional, because that’s how lasting partnerships are built.

I'm known for doing hands-on executive recruiting that is targeted and thorough, where relationships and reputation matters. I mainly focus on technology leadership positions. I launched Distinguished Search to create a firm aligned with my core values of transparency, empathy, doing great work, long term thinking, and building great companies we believe in. I'm all about combining process with grit and perseverance, and matching journeys versus titles. I have a bestselling book about demystifying executive search on Amazon, a podcast, and a video series. I stay in touch with people for years. My network is extensive and the multiplier effect to find and attract great candidates is powerful. You can read client testimonials here at the bottom of my profile page. 


Speaking engagements: 
- McCombs School of Business - University of Texas at Austin
- Harvard AMP
- Kellogg Northwestern
- Stanford LEAD
- various executive job seeker communities 

Author, "Search in Plain Sight: Demystifying Executive Search" May 2022. Check it out on Amazon or Audible.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZS2P7J2

somer@distinguishedsearch.com

Somer Hackley

Networking isn’t one conversation. It’s all about multiple touchpoints with genuine intention. 

Let’s take recruiting for example, since that’s the world I live in. Whenever I kick off a search I first reach out to 10-20 people who I already know. This can be a quick text or email, “Hi! I thought you may know someone for a search I’m kicking off. How are things at Company XYZ? Would love to catch up. Is there a good time to reach you tomorrow?”

This serves multiple purposes. 
- They may know someone for this search. 
- It’s a good excuse to reach out and stay top of mind with the right people, because that's where the magic happens. 
- They may think of me for future hiring, seeing me in action and the type of searches I fill.
- I stay plugged into the market.
- I genuinely want to hear how they’re doing because they’re an awesome person. 

It’s been so much fun to have candidates become clients and the other way around. Conversations are energizing when we naturally gravitate from talking about work and the weather to talking about family. Sometimes we have followed each other’s careers for 10, 15 years, catching up quarterly or every year or two. It’s all about picking up where we left off every time. 
----------
For anyone in recruiting who wants to chat more about topics like this, join me at our live panel discussion I’m doing in partnership with Recruit CRM. If you’re looking to create more consistent, strategic partnerships, I’d love for you to join us.
🗓 February 25
 ⏰ 9 am PST | 12 pm EST | 5 pm GMT
I’ll be joined by experts in this space: Diane Prince, Debi Easterday, Mel Kelly, and Louise Archer
 🎟️ Register now: https://lnkd.in/gwmuh96y

Executive Recruiter | Technology, Data, Product, Security | C-level, SVP, VP | Author: Search in Plain Sight

taplio

The Battle

Benjamin Mena

Somer Hackley

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreBenjamin Mena's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreSomer Hackley's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Benjamin Mena

Somer Hackley

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Benjamin Mena's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreSomer Hackley's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreBenjamin Mena's LinkedIn Performance