Clark Willcox

I help recruiters + consultants build and leverage their brand to attract more of their ideal clients (and candidates).

You didn't become successful by accident.

You got there by making more calls, closing tougher roles, and outlasting everyone who quit early. 

You built real skill, running great meetings, understanding the market, and delivering results that speak for themselves.

But today, being a high performer isn’t enough to get new business. Or even referrals.

The digital landscape is louder, more crowded, and full of “AI-first” recruiting agencies that look polished online but crumble once a real sales conversation starts. They don’t have your experience, your instincts, or your ability to run a consultative call.

You still win the meeting.

You’re just not getting enough of the right meetings.

That’s the real problem, not your ability, but your positioning.

Most top recruiters never learned marketing. Why would you? 

You were too busy billing. But in today’s market, authority is currency. And if your ideal clients don’t see you as different before the call, they assume you’re the same as every other recruiter DM’ing them.

That’s where I come in.

We’ve helped 100s of recruiters + consultants create consistent inbound demand, elevate their authority, and regain clarity and time.

You don’t need more tech.
You need a better strategy and likely someone to run it for you.

To get what you want which is...

Shorten sales cycles
Book more warmed-up calls
Increase client quality
Use their story, skill, and expertise as a competitive edge

In short, you stop chasing and you stop 

And we do the work for you, strategy, messaging, content, outreach, and systems.

No more pointless cold calling.
No more AI fluff.
No more tech stack collecting dust.
No more roles that were never going to close.

Your experience is your leverage.

I help the market finally see it.

𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
Fractional Sales + Marketing: I run your entire inbound + outreach engine.
LinkedIn Sprint: A fast, proven campaign and content system.
Digital Recruiter Academy: Build a full-funnel recruiting business.
1:1 Coaching: Customized growth and positioning strategy.

“Every post I make, I get an inbound lead.” - Rachel Brown, Founder + PT Recruiter

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗠𝗲
10+ years in recruiting and sales, door-to-door, agency, entrepreneurship. I’ve failed, rebuilt, and grown through every season. By the grace of God, I went from being orphaned to having a family of my own and a career I love.

Message me if you’re ready to market like a top performer, not a commodity.

Founder

Growth partner to solo recruiters and small recruiting agencies. 

Need to improve your LinkedIn presence + outbound/inbound approach?

Looking to train up your current crop of recruiters?

Looking to add candidates with potential and a training partner to help them achieve it?

Welcome to the Digital Recruiter

https://testimonial.to/recruiter-accelerator/all

“You guys are awesome and have taken a huge burden off of my shoulders.  Trying to build a business (unexpectedly) while navigating my husbands career demands, my family demands is majorly stressful. You totally delivered and I can focus on what I’m actually good at.”

Tara Rochelo, Founder, Four Corners Search

Let’s see how we can help:
https://calendly.com/thedigitalrecruiter/strategy

Most recruiters are trying to boil the ocean.

"I'll work on anything"

They work across multiple industries. 

They try to fill every role from entry-level to C-suite. 

Which alone isn't a problem. 

The real problem...

They never say no to a search.

And they wonder why they're struggling to gain traction outside of referrals. 

The most successful recruiters I know have a laser focus. 

They become experts. 
They know the talent landscape. 
They know the compensation bands. 
They know the companies that are growing and the ones that are struggling.

When they reach out to candidates, they speak their language. 

When they talk to hiring managers, they add real value.

Yes, specializing means saying no to potential business. 

But it also means becoming the only recruiter your ideal clients would consider using.

Stop trying to be everything to everyone. 

Start being the definitive expert for someone.

Watch your cold prospects turn warm and start responding to you instead of ignoring.

Founder @ The Digital Recruiter || Fractional Sales + Marketing || We fix and create your business development engine so your prospects actually start responding to you

Your success as an agency recruiter isn't determined by how good you are at finding candidates. 

It's determined by how good you are at choosing clients.

What causes the desperation in taking on bad business?

Not having a system and approach that can reliably get you quality at bats.

Now, I see plenty of people selling systems.

It’s the approach that isn’t getting talked about. 

Until Digital Recruiter came along.

Recruiters, of all billing numbers, learned in 2025 that the tech stack and systems won’t save you. 

Only you can save you.

Fix your approach by knowing your market.

Once you know your market, you leverage your wins….

Then, you can weed out the good eggs from the bad.

When you have enough in the pipeline… you have the courage to walk away when necessary.

If the first 7 days are any indication...

Wow. 

It's going to be an amazing year. 

If you have doubt, let me potentially provide you  a spec of inspiration. 

The famous Rudyard Kipling poem, "IF." My uncle gave me a framed picture of it back in 6th grade, and it's always stuck with me. 

We had to a recite a poem from memory every year in school from 4th-8th grade. This was one I picked the year I was gifted this.

I won't paste the whole thing here, nor do a I have a recording of my non-finalist performance, but here's the first two lines, which is a good reminder as we forge ahead with all the chaotic energy of the world.

𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶
𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶;

The right people always want reliable, engaging, smart people to have in their network.

Be steady, calm, consistent. 

Be trategic, get stuff done, & have a positive outlook.

Those traits win. 

ID the right and wrong people for you. 

Don't worry about the latter.

Focus on the former. 

Results will happen.

Great clients and partnerships are out there for you, waiting to be forged.

undefined undefined

Founder @ The Digital Recruiter || We help you create more opportunities to get quality clients & candidates that want to work with you || Be Coachable

We help coachable recruiters get more clients & candidates that can't wait to work with them. 

How? The answer isn't more expensive tech. It's this 👇


A better system
A better approach 
Consistency

And your ability to admit you need all three of those things at the same time to get what you want. 

You have the ability to get prospects, clients and candidates, all at the same time, that can't wait to work with you. 

Clients & candidates can look at you as THE recruiting authority and solution they've been needing.

You can say goodbye to pointless cold calls & emails.
You can say goodbye to thoughtless AI generated content that is hurting your brand.
You can say goodbye to not leveraging that expensive tech stack. 

You just have to become a Digital Recruiter.

The number 1 way to do that in 2025? Leverage your LinkedIn first. It's a vastly misused platform and you're leaving money on the table. But don't worry we'll show you how to get much warmer calls too and not rely on InMails.

We've worked with 100s of recruiters gain millions and millions of impressions from their target market and turn that into more quality meetings and inbound/outbound leads. 

We've also transformed recruiting desks, corporate and agency, and put their candidate outreach on autopilot. 

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵:
Solo recruiters, agencies and corporate recruiting teams that care to not say they are better, but take action towards making it happen. 

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗼:
Fix your top of funnel. We start with LinkedIn and work from there. Because LinkedIn is a sitting gold mine and way easier than cold calls and emails in 2025. 

𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀:
Do it yourself (Digital Recruiter Training Platform)
Done with you (Training programs)
Hybrid Done with/for you (CRM & Content Implementations)

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀
LinkedIn recommendations below & video testimonials https://tinyurl.com/565wmsmy

"𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦, 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥." - Rachel Brown, Physical Therapist Recruiter. 

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗲:
If you're ready to invest in an approach that works, let's chat.

https://calendly.com/thedigitalrecruiter/strategy

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁:

10+ years in recruiting & sales, starting with cold calls, door to door telecom sales. I've been through the ringer in life and business, every mistake in the book, & bounced back each time. By the Grace of God, I went from orphaned to having my own wonderful family.

Digital Recruiter OS. A free email course that over 7 days will lay out exactly what you need to do to start getting better clients and candidates. 

-LinkedIn Profile
-Which LinkedIn tool to use
-Using Automation
-Manual and Drip Sequence Messaging
-Content Strategy

Free LinkedIn Course

Only if you're serious about investing in leveling up your outreach and brand game.

No "picking your brain"

Digital Diagnostic Call

Digital Recruiter Podcast | a podcast by Digital Recruiter

Digital Recruiter Newsletter

Check out video testimonials from agency recruiters and owners we’ve worked with. 

Client Testimonials  

You're looking at your 2026 goals today. Here's a 2022 goal of mine that came true that I wish for you...

Build a pipeline so full you can afford to be authentic.

Plant your flag.

Attract your tribe.

Be OK with those who don't want to be part of it.

You only need a handful of great clients. 

Speak to them. Consistently. Truthfully. 

Don't be boring.

Don't sugarcoat it.

Engage.

Give without expecting back. 

Let go when you realize someone isn't on your level.

Because you know the people you're looking for are fewer and farther.

But that doesn't stop you from searching and marketing to them.

My man Anthony Allen, CSCP 👊

If you’re a recruiter looking for inspiration from a positive person that works hard and is doing some great work on BD and content side.

Make sure to follow him. He exemplifies everything the Digital Recruiter mission is about

Supply Chain Exec turned Recruiter | CPG & Food/Beverage Executive Search | Helping companies avoid costly supply chain mistakes by hiring the right leaders first

Digital Recruiter

The 2 most impressive football teams this year both have one thing in common.

The teams (drumroll)

New England Patriots
Indiana Football

Ok, I know, not a hot take.

But to me, it's their head coaches and 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀.

Indiana needs 184 wins IN A ROW just to make it back to .500 lifetime as a program. 

The Patriots hadn't won a playoff game this decade after dominating for the previous 2. They were 4-13 the last 2 seasons. 

𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗖𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶 (𝗜𝗨 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵)
“𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦… 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩.” 

“𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬.” - On the mindset needed to break through a ceiling they've never come close to.

𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗩𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹 (𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵)
“𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥.” 

“𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨… 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸.”

A decade ago I probably would have thought this was all generic talk.

Until I spent the last 4.5 years building Digital Recruiter.

And all these quotes have applied to me.

My life has been transformed with these traits.

Consistently connecting with recruiters
Consistently posting relevant content.
Consistently working with recruiters to improve them (and getting better at doing so myself).

Nothing flashy. Nothing that has ever gone viral.

It was the mindset of "stop trying to tackle everything at once" and learning to "chip away every day" and fall in love with the process.

What I've seen is recruiters are no different. Producing every year, you only have so many placements if you're in direct hire, higher fee land.

30 placements at $30,000 avg fee is $900,000.

A pretty dang good year.

That's still only 30 days you celebrate a win.

So the recruiters that fall in love with the process and the grind.

That's who breaks through ceilings and wins year after year. 

They are constantly adding layers to their game. 

LinkedIn Content
SEO
AI
ATS

Never too much at once. But steady progress at each stage. not getting too antsy about the short term.

But preparing to win. 

And you do that by being hyper focused on process.

The type of content that generates the most leads, outbound opportunities, and inbound messages?

It's not video.

It's not selfies.

It's a plain, static text post.

Formatted at a 3-7th grade reading level (Yes, I'm serious).

Directed towards your ideal market.

Either hitting a pain point that you can solve or demonstrating how you win for clients like them. 

People read all of a text post if engaged.

They don't watch a whole video.

So that "engagement" % is lying to you. 

But marketers tell you otherwise. 

Because they don't actually understand what's effective. 

Getting 10 like and 10,000 impressions is way more valuable than 100 likes and 1000 impressions. 

Don't over think content aesthetics or worry about your ego getting likes.

Focus on what works for top of funnel.

Over and over. 

Create more valuable opportunities and spend more time closing roles.

I spoke with a recruiter last year who had built a solid presence on LinkedIn through content...here's how they were ruining sales opportunities...

They had an automation campaign with NINE messages on here.

Recommended by a coaching program.

It was killing their brand and reputation.

All that work to get impressions and eyeballs, only to burn through leads.

They turned off the campaigns and immediately felt better. 

This person paid me zero dollars for this advice.

Because it should be standard knowledge.

Farm at scale. Stop pitching at scale.

Build the engine. Invite people to your network daily.

Stay in front with content.

And then do the work to drive open the conversations that are now very warm.

But don't damage your positioning by listening to "cold outreach" experts that have no idea how to build quality business relationships. 

That's the biggest reason I see top billers complain when they invest in "cold outreach"

 3 messages max. Focus on the content more. 

Know how to recognize opportunities and open up conversations.

The pipeline will be full.

Still in recruiting after the last three years?

That means something...

Brian Samson shared a truth on the podcast that people overlook. 

The last three years filtered people out and if you’re still here, it means you didn’t rely on easy wins or try to force relationships to pay off immediately.

You stayed when deals slowed, pipelines dried up, and effort didn’t always convert right away. 

That’s proof you can operate without instant validation.

That’s why decade type decisions matter, because this business rewards people who invest early, think long term, and let relationships compound instead of chasing short term outcomes.

Full episode drops tomorrow.

10+ years connecting US companies with LATAM talent | Founder w/ 3x exits | UCLA MBA | Family man | Host of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast

Most agency recruiters think they have a lead-gen problem.

But what they really have… is a positioning problem.

If your LinkedIn messages or cold emails aren’t getting replies, ask yourself:

“Do I sound different from the last 5 recruiters who messaged this person?”

Because “We specialize in X” or “We have candidates in your space” just isn’t enough anymore.

What is enough? Some examples...

-Case stories with detail
-Quantifying the cost of open roles 
-A clear + informed take on why their roles are going stale

All things which content can help you accomplish. So you aren't nagging your prospects one by one. 

Companies don’t need another resume pusher. They tried that already. 

They want someone who knows how to think through to get the right hire.

And look at it from a perspective no one on their team, or another recruiter has come up with.

Your top of funnel should highlight that.

You don’t need 2 hours to write a great LinkedIn post.

But you also don’t want AI doing all the thinking for you.

Because if it’s generic, it just adds to the noise.

Here’s a simple template that actually works:

Find a real hiring problem your market is feeling.

(Too many interview steps? Offers getting rejected?)

Share your insight.

“I worked with a client who had a 7-step process. We cut it to 3, got clear on the must-haves, and filled the role in weeks instead of months.”

Give a takeaway.

“If roles are sitting open, your interview process might be the issue. Simplify it.”

If you’re a recruiter doing good work

You already have stories like this.

Start writing them down.

Share what you’re learning.

That’s how you build trust with hiring managers before the first message.

The number one obstacle for success in BD after working with 100s of recruiters this decade is...


How to manage conversations in the LinkedIn inbox.

People come to us to figure out how to get more opportunities. 

We build/audit their outreach.

Same with content.

They get more profile views, impressions, messages, replies, etc. 

But then they get stuck.

So I've realized most people only do cold outreach.

Because they don't understand how to have normal conversations.

Yes. We audit dozens of inboxes every month.

Here's the key.

BE YOURSELF.

Everyone turns into a robotic thinking they have to be professional.

Appeasing everyone.

Again, you will not close the majority of people you interact with.

Be yourself. Draw in the RIGHT people.

Those are the recruiters that are generating 6 and 7 figures of additional business from new BD. 

Yes, we have a 49 page playbook of all these examples, good and bad that we're finalizing. 

Excited to share with Digital Recruiter clients new and old in February.

Candidates are getting crushed in this market right now.

There's information overload, fake candidates, fake jobs, all at scale now.

On the latest episode of the Digital Recruiter Podcast, I sat down with Jacob Stripling to talk about what’s actually happening behind the scenes. He was a Digital Recruiter client that started building his brand in 2025.

That opened up way more conversations and he realized he can leverage this platform to help the market even more. Enter WholeStory.me. It came about because he was seeing...

Great people applying to hundreds of roles and hearing nothing back.

Hiring teams overwhelmed by applicants who all look identical on paper.

AI speeding everything up while making it harder to tell who someone really is.

We talked about why resumes are no longer enough, why pretending to know everything hurts more than admitting you don’t, and why the next phase of hiring has to be more human, not louder or faster.

And how Wholestory.me is giving candidates the opportunity to showcase themselves without getting lost in a stack of resumes.

If you’re in recruiting, HR, or talent leadership and feel like effort keeps increasing while outcomes don’t, this conversation will hit close to home.

New episode is live.

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gTPkMY53
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gEWzzY87
Apple: https://lnkd.in/gUHSBvxq

Open article: Digital Recruiter Podcast by tinyurl.com

Why does this number mean so much? 


Because this recruiter thought he needed to join a firm to get this type of success.

Turns out he had the ability all along. 

To be clear, HE is the reason this happened. I’m a guide in all this, but he showed up ready to work an put in the work. 

We just pointed him in the right section and created a few posts. 

So in short…

He re-launched his agency last summer. 

He has been grinding every day since.

Posting consistently. 

Learning how to have better conversations and approaches.

Becoming confident in who he wants to work with.

And who he doesn’t want to work with.

Being bold and direct.

His market has responded in a hugely positive way.

Retained searches…

Getting reqs that weren’t closing elsewhere and knocking them out in a week. 

Content impressions sky rocketing in his ICP.

Sales calls are all warmer. 

A lot of recruiters are a good marketing plan that’s well expected and a bit of messaging refinement away from solving top of funnel BD problems. 

It’s a great time of year to solve that…

We’re kicking off our first episode of the year, and I couldn’t ask for a better guest than Brian Samson

Brian is the founder of Plugg Technologies and has spent his career on both sides of the recruiting and talent equation, agency, in-house, and as a multi-time founder. 

In this episode, we dig into what actually shapes long-term success in recruiting and talent, from early career lessons to building scalable businesses and teams.

We talk about nearshore talent in Latin America, why more companies are thinking about flexible team models, and how staffing and talent leaders can expand their impact without trying to do everything themselves. 

The conversation is practical, honest, and grounded in real experience, not theory.

This episode is about relationships, compounding decisions, and making smart moves that hold up over the long term.

Big thanks to Brian for the thoughtful conversation, check it out.

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3YF7iNw
Spotify: https://bit.ly/4qWtbDU
Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/4qjsnsW

podcasts.apple.com

Digital Recruiter Podcast

Apparently EVERYONE had their cold outreach set up to launch this week. I can barely sort through my inbox 😂

Those referrals drying up? Maybe they aren't hiring. 

Here's what's also might be happening.

They found an alternative.

Referrals are great.

Until they forget you exist.

There's more noise than ever.

Content isn't just for cold outreach.

It keeps you top of mind to your existing network.

Given the uncertainty of the market right now,

You can’t afford to be passive. 

Someone in your ICP will be hiring this year. 

Make sure you find them….

And stay in front of them.

Content we created for clients recently is getting 100+ likes and 5/6 figure impressions 

I might have to rethink my ‘leads not likes’ approach 😂

The difference of course…

We aren’t aiming to go viral.

The quality of the content is doing the heavy lifting

No engagement farming

No pods.

No selfies

No lambos 

No AI action figures 

No “look how much money I’ve made”

No hashtags 

Just telling true stories + insights that are relevant to their market. 

Your experience and expertise IS valuable and your market wants to hear it. 

I still love the posts that get 7 likes and turn into business.

But it’s cool to see wider reach be expedited within each clients ICP at the same time.

Posting content as a recruiter but not seeing leads?

Here’s what might be going wrong.

-You're talking about yourself, not your clients or their problems.
Most hiring managers don’t care about your “why” or your journey. They care about results.

-You're writing for engagement, not credibility.
Influencer posts. Generic advice.
That’s not what builds trust with decision-makers.

-You’re posting… then ghosting.

No follow-up, no outreach, no interaction with the people liking or viewing your profile.

You don’t need to spend 6 hours a day on LinkedIn but 30 minutes of real engagement can change everything.

This platform 𝘤𝘢𝘯 be a lead channel. But only if you treat it like one

Another W by just optimizing the LinkedIn profile 🔥

You’re leaving opportunity on the table by not showing how you WIN. 

Great work Ross Mayfield on this one.

Getting Clients For Recruiters & Consultants on LinkedIn | Outreach & Content | Hunting New Logos | Tracking Results | Director of Customer Success @ Digital Recruiter

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)
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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

In our first full year, we reached just 2,361 total downloads, a simple start that taught me the value of every single listener. 

Fast forward to 2025, and we crossed 212,000 downloads this year alone between Apple and Spotify (not including YT)

When I launched The Elite Recruiter Podcast, I never imagined how far it would come. In our first full year, we reached just 2,361 total downloads, a 

Open article: Reflecting on The Elite Recruiter Podcast’s Humble Beginnings by Benjamin Mena • 18 min read

Reflecting on The Elite Recruiter Podcast’s Humble Beginnings

It's time to find out who won The Elite Recruiter Awards!

Congrats to the Winners and the Finalists! 

Thank you, guys, for listening to The Elite Recruiter Podcast this year! 

2026 is going to be even bigger!!!

See you guys at the Recruiter Sales and BD Summit kicking off Jan 26th!

Elite Recruiter Awards

2025 Elite Recruiter of The Year Awards.   
The Results are in! 

Before we dive in.   I can't wait to see you guys at the Sales and BD Recruiter Summit kicking off Jan 24-Feb 2nd.  Registration is FREE for all the live sessions to see 30+ Speakers. Links below.

Elite Recruiter of the Year
Winner: Mike Williams
Finalists: Brent Orsuga, Chris Relth

Most Impactful Recruiter
Winners: Chris Relth and Caitlin Burke
Finalist: Danny Cahill

Best Recruiting Leader/Founder
Winner: Dante Nino 
Finalist: Aaron Opalewski

Recruiter You’d Want on Your Team
Winner: Abby Creager 🌊 
Finalist: Danny Cahill

Recruiter Who Influenced Me the Most
Winners: Brent Orsuga, Matt Walsh, and Greg Benadiba 
Finalist: Danny Cahill

Recruiter I’d Want as a Mentor
Winners: Julia Arpag, Rich Rosen, and Randee Staats Jr. 
Finalist: Kortney Harmon, Brian Fink

Best Recruiting Team/Firm
Winners: Artemis, Carnegie Search, and Tiello 
Finalist: Coastal

Coach of the Year
Winner: Clark Willcox 
Finalists: Donnie Gupton 🦅, Keely Flood, Mark Whitby, Mike Anderson

Best Recruiting Tech Tool
Winner: LinkedIn 
Finalist: Pin.com - AI Recruiting

Elite Recruiter Podcast Episode of the Year
Winner: “The Art of Strategic Headhunting” featuring Chris Relth 
Finalist: “From Athlete to Top Recruiter: How Mindset, Grit, and Drive Helped Caitlin Burke Overcome Cancer and Paralysis”

Congrats everyone!!!

Recognition from your peers just hits different. In the recruiting world, the highest compliment isn’t a trophy on your shelf or a quota smashed – it’

Open article: Elite Recruiter Awards Winners & Finalists 2025 by Benjamin Mena • 7 min read

Elite Recruiter Awards Winners & Finalists 2025

I failed a podcast guest recently and had to cut the recording short.

The story was to good and I just wasn't pulling it out them and that is my fault.  

I knew that if I did it right.  

It not only would change someone's life.

But it could actually save it.

Yeah... I honestly believe that with a recruiting podcast.  Make fun of me, I don't care.

But that story would have.

Its been bugging me every day on how I failed that guest...

I have not been as good with returning guest as I have with a laying out the origin story with a new guest.

With a new guest.  Its the origin story...  The Arc..  The Breakthroughs.  But its hard to do the second time back...   (Maybe I am just constantly to hard on myself)

But I think I finally figured it out tonight. 

And it was alot of homework to try to make it good...

Had a returning guest today...  

Mike Anderson

I think you guys will like the episode when it comes out.

Not going to lie...

Having a returning guest is much harder than a first time guest.

But I keep on learning..

I keep trying to be better...

What a FREAKING AWESOME WEEK!!!!!!!!!   We ARE NOW ON DAY 5!!!!!
Sales and BD Recruiter Summit is under way! 

Jordan Taylor and Sarah Chester-Nelson sharing AI secrets for Executive and Retained Search.

Greg Fischer, CPP sharing how to hit $1 Million in profit for your recruiting desk.

Josh Kirkham on building your pipeline with AI.

Diane Prince is wrapping up the week with the Keynote How to create irresistible content that converts to new customers.

Don't miss today!!!

Going out of my comfort zone is attending a conference in a language I don't know. Hoping that AI will get me through the day.

And wow!!!  It did.

Apple's new AI translations through the AirPods....

I was able to understand abour 90% of what was spoken from each stage...

The only time I really couldn't hear anything.  

Was when there was energetic back and forth in the crowd and when it was loud in the lunch area.

A few months ago I saw Adrien Moulias share about a recruitment event he was hosting...

I thought.... That would be a cool group to learn from! 

You never know where you can pick up an idea that can change the game.

I told my wife... well its in Paris.  

Do you want to go to Paris for the weekend so I can go to this conference and learn?

Well, that was a simple answer....

Who would turn down a weekend in Paris, she said...

Anyways it was such a great event with about 150 other people.

Adrien Moulias and Kemra JAAFAR did an amazing job putting it together.

It was also cool to see some people that I really respect in the recruiting industry in person.   Nicolas Greppo, Gavin Johnston, Laurent Brouat, Dorothée de Calan, David Kieffer, and so many more.

Even with the language barrier...  

It's cool to sit back and see what's happening in another country and how those recruiters are crushing it!

Today is going to be LEGENDARY!!!! 

Sharon Hulce is sharing her playbook so you can level up and be a million-dollar biller just like her by learning how to sell at a higher level.

Steven Farrell, CSP is going to share how they have added TENS OF MILLIONS to their firm while many others are going backwards.

Rob Reznick is teaching you how to tap into your network.

And the OG Snoop Dog of the Industry himself.  David Stephen Patterson is going to explain to you why your pipeline is empty and how to change that.

You can still join us for any session.  All the live sessions are FREE.

20 years ago to this day.... I got my offer letter to become a recruiter... 

I really think we underestimate.

The decisions early in life have on you..

And where that career can take you.

Tons of downs...

But even more ups! 

Time has felt slow...

But looking back its gone by so fast!!!

Ready to elevate your Sales & BD Recruiting game in 2026? Join 36+ top experts live for free insights, strategies, and systems that will transform how you win clients, build pipeline, and scale your business. Register now to secure your spot! 👇 

⭐ Featured Speakers & Sessions: 
 📍 Jan 26
 • Julia Arpag — 7-Figure BD Sales Strategies
 • Jon Davis & Dawson Merry — Sell Contract Staffing to Current Clients
 • Sarah Englade — Build a 7-Figure Recruiting Biz w/ Small Tech Stack
 • Sharon Bondurant 🔎 The Finders — Own the Room & Your Feed
 • Clark Willcox — LinkedIn Inbound: Automation + Content
📍 Jan 27
 • Jordan Shlosberg CFA — AI + BD: Win More Work in 2026
 • Mike Mello — High-Intent Buyer Lists (Live Demo)
 • Conor Kline & Jacob Price — Blueprint to $1M
 • Tom Erb — 4 Mindsets for Sales Success
 • Keely Flood — 3-Phase System for Territory Growth
📍 Jan 28
 • Rob Reznick — Why Referrals Beat AI
 • Steven Farrell, CSP — Scaling Staffing Firms by Tens of Millions
 • Sharon Hulce — Selling Retained
 • David Stephen Patterson — Close the Execution Gap
📍 Jan 29
 • Sam Kuehnle — Predictable Pipeline w/ ABM Prospecting
 • Kortney Harmon — Sell Less, Win More Revenue
 • Brad Bialy — Sell When No One Responds
 • Alexis Albright Meschi — Stop Relying on Legacy Clients
📍 Jan 30
 • Jordan Taylor, Sarah Chester-Nelson & Louise Archer — AI BD for Retained Search
 • Greg Fischer, CPP — Generating 7-Figure Profits Internationally
 • Josh Kirkham — Predictable Recruiting Pipeline w/ AI
 • Diane Prince — Create Sales Content That Converts
📍 Feb 2
 • Laurie Guillodo — Predictable Client Acquisition Systems
 • Steve Gipson & Emily Blattel — Same Day. Different Outcome
 • Rebekah Brown - Scaling Your Book
 • Josh Nix, Matt Miller- Systems for Top Producers
 • Tom Rauch - Build Your AI Tools
🤝 Sponsored by:
 Atlas - the Recruitment Platform · Crelate · SourceWhale · Pin.com - AI Recruiting · Signature Back Office Solutions · Juicebox · SeekOut · Zyve 
👉 Register now and get ready to finish Q1 strong 💥
https://lnkd.in/erupSzN5

This has gotta be one of the best quotes from Isaac James!

Talk about an incredible first day of the Sales and BD Recruiter Summit! 

The speakers just crushed it!!!!

She went 6 months without a paycheck.
In two weeks, she’ll be on stage teaching recruiters how she built a 7-Figure firm.

When Sarah Englade started her recruiting business, she had:
 • No book of business
 • No real BD experience
 • A pandemic market
 • And zero guarantees

So instead of doing what most recruiters do…
She stopped chasing clients.

She focused on candidates.
Resume help.

 LinkedIn clean-ups.
 Interview prep.
Offer coaching.

No invoices.
No shortcuts.
Just showing up.

Six months in? Still nothing.

Then the flywheel kicked in.

Those candidates landed roles.
They became Controllers, HR leaders, hiring managers.

And guess who they called first?
One former candidate alone turned into nearly $200K in fees.
That pattern repeated.

Sarah went from $0 to $1.5M in 18 months, not by pitching harder, but by playing the long game.

Her line that stuck with me:
“People will never forget how you made them feel.”

If business development feels heavier than it used to…

This episode will completely change how you think about growth.

🎧 New episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast is live.
 🎤 And in two weeks, Sarah breaks this down live at the Sales & BD Recruiter Summit.

Comment SUMMIT or DM me and I’ll send you the episode + registration link.

Thank you Atlas - the Recruitment Platform for sponsoring this episode!

Honest question for agency recruiters 👇

Which excuse do you hear the most?
1️⃣ “There are no new clients”
 2️⃣ “Clients won’t pay retainers”
 3️⃣ “BD is dead”
 4️⃣ “AI doesn’t apply to recruiting”
 5️⃣ “Personal brand doesn’t matter”
 6️⃣ “I’m stuck where I am”

I smashed all six on camera today.
Because none of them are true —

 and every one of them is holding recruiters back.

That’s exactly why I built the Sales & BD Recruiter Summit.
Free. Virtual. Built for agency recruiters who want leverage, not excuses.

👇 Watch the video + grab your spot
 https://lnkd.in/erupSzN5

Don't miss Brian Fink, Sarah Englade, Clark Willcox and soooo many more today and later this week!

Days 1, 2, and 3 have been Epic!!!!  You don't want to miss the rest of this week.

Over 1100 Recruiters have signed up for this week because they know that 2026 is THEIR YEAR!!!!

We are about to start day 4! 

Sam Kuehnle has seen behind the scenes for thousands of recruiting firms and shares the playbook of building a predictable pipeline.

 Kortney Harmon is sharing how to build more intentional revenue in 2026

Brad Bialy is helping you sell when no one wants to talk to you.

Alexis Albright Meschi is helping you stop relying on just referrals and legacy clients.  

You don't want to miss this....  

2026 is your year!!!!

graphical user interface, text, application

What do Julia Arpag, Sarah Englade, Sharon Bondurant 🔎 The Finders, Clark Willcox, Dawson Merry, CPC, and Jon Davis all have in common?

They’re not teaching theory.

They’re teaching what’s working right now to win business as a recruiter.
And that’s exactly why Day 1 of the Sales & BD Recruiter Summit looks different this year.

Each of these speakers is attacking a problem recruiters are quietly struggling with:
 • Clients pushing back on fees
 • Slower deal velocity
 • Over-reliance on direct hire
 • BD tactics that worked in 2021… and don’t anymore

So instead of “motivation” or “top of funnel noise,” Day 1 is built around revenue decisions.

How to:
 • Sell contract staffing to existing clients
 • Build a 7-figure desk without a bloated tech stack
 • Turn LinkedIn into inbound conversations
 • Position yourself so clients think of you first

Here’s the part that matters:
Most recruiters don’t need more information.
They need better positioning and better conversations.

That’s what Day 1 sets up.

The summit starts in 2 weeks.

If you’re serious about how you sell and grow in 2026, Day 1 is where you should be.

What’s one BD tactic you’re questioning heading into this year?
👇👇👇

Most recruiters think business development means selling.

Katharine Wilcox never bought that.

She’ll tell you straight up:
“If I had to sell widgets, I’d be terrible at this job.”

And yet…
She’s been a top biller year after year.
Built deep client relationships.
And eventually bought the firm she helped build.

Not by pitching.
Not by scripts.
Not by grinding cold calls all day.

But by doing something most recruiters overlook 👇

She treats every conversation as a relationship, not a transaction.

Candidate calls.
Catch-up conversations.
Career check-ins that don’t turn into placements.

She shows up curious.
She listens.
She gives real advice, even when there’s no deal on the table.

And months (sometimes years) later?

Those same candidates become hiring managers.
Those casual conversations turn into retained searches.
Those relationships turn into full team builds.

On this week’s episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, I sat down with Katharine Wilcox to unpack:
• Why “selling harder” actually hurts most recruiters
 • How recruiting is business development when done right
 • The mindset shift that turns candidate calls into future clients
 • Why thinking like a talent agent changes everything

This episode is a reminder that the best BD strategy isn’t louder…
It’s more human.

🎧 Why Top Recruiters Win Clients Without Selling
 (Link in comments)

Curious — what’s been your best client relationship that didn’t start as a sales call?

Thank you Atlas - the Recruitment Platform for helping this episode come together.

Make sure to also sign up for the Sales and BD Recruiter Summit kicking off Jan 26, Registration is FREE! 

This is YOUR Year!

What does it take to build a $20M recruiting firm AND be the leader others want to follow?

First of all have you subscribed to the The Pinnacle Society Podcast?  
If not do that now! 

David Bradley could have coasted, but instead, he chose to be the “standard bearer” for his 60-person team, showing up every day and leading by example.

Some keys from this episode:
- Culture isn’t an afterthought: Incentive trips, tournaments, and real camaraderie are the glue for high performers.
- Team-first mindset: 70% of their placements are split deals—everyone wins when the whole team gets involved.
- Consistency is king: “You can’t pay someone to do your push-ups.” David’s mantra for staying at the top year after year.

Want practical strategies and a shot of inspiration from someone who’s scaled and sustained success? 

This is the episode for you.

Ready to raise the bar for yourself or your team? 

Hit play below.

I get asked a lot....  Do you every see a recruiter doing something so different from everyone else it has surprised you?     Yes.... Yes I have...  

And his episode is dropping tomorrow....  

Stay tuned.

Sarah Englade explains how consistently showing up for candidates, even when there is nothing to gain, builds trust, reputation, and long-term impact.

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!

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The Battle

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