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.

How we can help:
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

A little more 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

Who was cutting onions here? 

Watching this with my almost 1 and 3 year old boys, getting the oldest to do his first U-S-A chant when they won in OT… super fun.

Then team USA showed what brotherhood and being proud of where you’re from and not forgetting your missing brethren other families….

Waterwork city. 

Good one them for keeping Johnny Gaudreau’s legacy going and making sure his children know the positive impact he had. 

Having lost parents at a young age, pictures are a thousand words but the greatest gift is hearing stories from family and friends about who they were. 

God bless those kids 🙏🏼

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

No alternative text description for this image

My man, Greg Fischer, CPP 👊 

This is all him btw. I gave him pointers and bumpers, but he is consistent with posting and engaging with his market. 

It's been incredible to witness and raises my own bar for staying consistent.

Your best performing post this month might have 6 likes.

Your worst might have 200.

Stop letting that confuse you.

Likes come from peers. Leads come from hiring managers.

And hiring managers are lurkers.

They read. 
They remember. 
They reach out when the timing is right.

The post that gets 8 likes and lands you a $40k search?

That's the goal.

Not the chase of a dopamine hit of a viral moment that attracts zero buyers.

Post for the right people, not the most people.

Founder @ The Digital Recruiter || Fractional Sales + Marketing || Your personal brand should bring you revenue, not likes.

LinkedIn > cold email if you're an established recruiter.

Here's why

Because you're competing with the kid who started his recruiting agency yesterday.

And is a killer at cold email. 

So whether he converts or not, he's in your prospects inbox (and the question is, are you? because deliverability is a whole other subject).

Meanwhile, the time investment and ROI on potential on LinkedIn is insane.

$200/month in tools

Organic content (ads are not necessary)

The right approach

More importantly - YOU are bringing a history of placements, wins and experience to the table. 

That's how you beat the cold email wizards. 

Ideally you have calls, emails, LinkedIn all dialed in.

But if you're picking one to optimize this year, leverage and have a predictable compounding effect.

You can't beat LinkedIn. 

System + Approach + Follow up + Consistency

"The market's been tough for all recruiters, right?"

No, not necessarily.

Is money falling out of the sky like 2021-2022? No. And if you thought that could last...

Come on now. Let's live on Earth together. 

What you're experiencing.

Companies being much pickier.

But they are still hiring.

This is a game of musical chairs. 

And you can level up, figure out the competition you're up against.

Don't rely on "what you've always done"

Learn how to evolve. 

AI is rampant? Get better at building rapport and relationships WITHOUT needing a referral. 

Always used to MPC but email slowed down? Figure out a new channel and approach.

Tried something and it didn't work? Try it for longer.

Or find someone that you resonate with more and try that approach.

Staying stagant and b*tching will get you exactly what you want.

Which is zero improvement.

Producers don't have time for a lengthy pity party. 

You get one night to sleep off a bad day. 


h/t Daniel Miller

LinkedIn has doubled their membership count this decade to over 1 billion. Guess how many people post per week?

3 million. 

They get 9 billion impressions weekly.

The opportunity is insane on here.

90% + people on here are lurking.

But it's a business platform.

Unlike other platforms where other topics blend in.

This is about solving business problems. 

What else could you ask for in a marketing opportunity? 

Target your specific ICP for $119/month with Sales Nav.

Post consistently.

No need for paid ads. All organic. 

The goldmine is sitting there for you.

If you're stuck on figuring it out, or other attempts have fizzled out.

We should chat. 

If you have doubts. Check out my recommendations.

"The best money I've ever spent in 29 years of recruiting." 

Now, that only happens when you show up, implement, work through the struggle/pain and keep going.

That's what Dan Regovich did. 

Used to referrals and the "old way of doing things" but that wasn't enough anymore.

The system and approach was good but not enough. Anyone can sign up for automation or make some posts.

We focused on the follow up. 

What are hiring managers reacting to right now in 2026.

There's way more competition than 20 years ago. 

Understanding the landscape and reacting accordingly is critical. 

That's what leads to conversions. 

And the text that Dan sent me today.

"Top of funnel is full."

Music to my ears

My friend + hiring expert Greg Fischer, CPP is kind enough to host a free webinar in the Digital Recruiter Academy....

March 11th at 12:30pm EST. 

It's free.

You just have to be in the group to get access.

Niche or don't niche? Really what you want to know is, what do people who don't know me need to see? Here's the shift you need to make....

Own your lane...don't defend it. 

The Digital Recruiter clients come in, own a lane, and go for it, get the results they want.

The people we don't work with. They waffle on a lane, are worried about having prospects tune out.

I've seen this paralyze recruiters that have relied on referrals for years. They turn to cold outreach and get frazzled. 

Worry about people that aren't relevant. 

Those prospects are almost always the ones not worth chasing. 

Stop trying to convince about prospects that will never buy.

Understand your strengths. 

Get clear on the type of business you want more of. 

And unapologetically go after it.

"We closed a $35k fee and have a $40k offer out thanks to your candidate messaging and sequence for LinkedIn." - nice voice memo to start the day with. the catch? 

"But the sales side is still TBD"

And that's fairly normal. When you're use to the cold email/call game, it can be an adjustment navigating LinkedIn and doing more rapport building.

Candidate outreach almost always clicks first. The service is free on their side, so fixing messaging to resonate more with their incentives changes their behavior quickly into what you were always looking for.

Client side? They need a bit more time to earn that trust. And that's where consistency comes into play.

Trying different wants to open up conversations. Finding ways to add value without just needing an open role.

Having "feel" is a critical part of becoming better at biz dev. When the immediate opportunity doesn't present itself, how do you approach it? 

Improving your systems and approach on the candidate side = more opportunity to get the time and reps on mastering biz dev.

What's you get all that in place, you become dynamic, and you always know how to "catch your own fish."

That's when $35k and $40k doesn't just happen on a good week, but it happens over and over again.

Month 2 to Month 3 of content for a client.

Most recruiters quit at month two.

The feed feels quiet. The replies are slow. The likes aren't coming.

So they stop.

And they never find out what month 3 or 4 looks like. Let alone month 9 which is when I finally started getting double digit likes (yet I got leads in month 1)

Here's what I've seen over and over...

the breakthrough almost never comes when you expect it.

It comes from the post you almost didn't write.

The follow-up you almost skipped.

The campaign you almost turned off.

Stay with it longer than feels comfortable.

That's where the pipeline is.

Texas is in the house today. Got some gold to share with y'all TSRSA in about 90 minutes. Even if...

...there's a missing L in Willcox 😂 I hold no grudges

Join us on February 26th for an insightful session with Clark Willcox:
“Building a Consistent Recruiting Ecosystem”

Clark brings over 12 years of sales and recruiting experience, starting his career at Aerotek, the largest privately held staffing company in the U.S. Today, he owns and operates Digital Recruiter and Digital Recruiter Talent Group, helping firms build scalable, repeatable recruiting systems that actually work.

If you’re looking to:
✅ Create consistency in your recruiting efforts
✅ Build systems that support sustainable growth
✅ Align sales, recruiting, and digital strategy. You won’t want to miss this session.

🔗 Connect with Clark Willcox

Register now: https://lnkd.in/gWAbCuZ4 

#TSRSA #RecruitingLeadership #StaffingIndustry #RecruitingEcosystem #TalentAcquisition #ProfessionalDevelopment
Jessica Wheeler Judy Collins Nancy Martinez Beth Hammond, CTS Gayle Tapps Mike Lejeune Tiffany Wallace Ui Culbertson Chris Myers Dana Laramore, CPC

"How do I come up with content?"

Here ya go....

Does your ideal client read it and think,

“Yep. That’s exactly what I’m dealing with."

That's it. The best part...

You already have this content.

It’s inside your all your discovery and client calls.

For example...you ask a hiring manager,

 “Have you worked with agencies before?”

They say yes. You ask, “What went wrong?”

They say, “They just sent resumes.” or “They didn’t understand our product.”

That’s a post.

Or when HR says, “We don’t use agencies.” Instead of pushing back, you think,

“That makes sense, until a role sits open 4 months and delays your roadmap.”

That’s a post.

Or when they push back on fees and you ask, “How much revenue is delayed because this role isn’t filled?”

That’s a post.

Content that sells is translating real conversations into teaching moments.

It's explaining what you see.

That’s what builds authority, inbound leads and increased replies in your outreach.

Keep It Human in the AI Era

AI is everywhere in recruiting right now.

But here’s the real question we got into on our latest episode:

How much of the human aspect are we pulling out when we lean too hard on automation?

Michael Malinowsky, Director of Recruiting at Lean Synergy Solutions, started his recruiting career in the U.S. Army. 

In the military, recruiting meant hunting.
-Finding people where they actually are
-Thinking outside the box
-Building real relationships
-Earning trust with candidates and families

That mindset carried over to the agency world.

We talked about the difference between the art and the science of recruiting. The science is KPIs and numbers. The art is reading people, building relationships, negotiating based on what someone actually values, and caring enough to personalize every touchpoint.

One line that stuck with me:
“Keep it human. Don’t forget there’s a living, breathing person behind every resume.”

In a world where filters auto-reject candidates in seconds and messaging can be written by a robot, the recruiters who win are the ones who personalize their outreach, take time to actually review resumes, focus on fit, not just keywords, and build relationships that help with retention and negotiation

We also got into his “humanity audit” idea, reviewing auto-rejections and asking whether filters are set for compliance instead of potential.

If you’re a recruiter trying to balance AI with authenticity, or a hiring manager wondering why great people slip through the cracks, this conversation is worth your time.

You can listen to the full episode here:
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gFKD_w9M
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gvm7n9jM
Apple: https://lnkd.in/gW9PvRE7

Open article: Digital Recruiter Podcast by tinyurl.com

Client just starting posting. Got a 70 likes, 20kimpressions. She couldn't believe it. Hiring managers engaging with her and her profile. The previous posts?


1 like
2 likes
1 like 

Not surprising, she focuses more on HVAC side of things. But this is why we scheduled out her first 3 weeks.

So she didn't have time to overthink and stay on the sidelines.

You can't get the wins if you don't play.

Enjoy the weekend 🥂

The moment your outreach starts generating conversations is the moment you stop doing this...

You HAVE to stop making it about you.

Every cold message that talks about your agency, your process, your passion for recruiting?

Ignored.

Every message that shows you understand their hiring pain, their timeline, their frustration with the last three agencies they tried?

That one gets a reply.

Hiring managers aren't waking up on a Monday looking for another agency recruiter that gives the same promises as the one that's currently not delivering for them.

They're looking for someone who actually gets it.

Be that person first. 

Sell second.

8 months. Target Market = AEC. 

Dozens of candidates for MPC.

Multiple MPC placements from inbound.

People in all industries are lurking on LinkedIn. 

Some will reach out right away, more will reach out later as you earn their trust and respect. 

Coolest part is the text I got earlier this year from this client paraphrased as...

"I'm ready to scale this up, not just have a lifestyle business"

That's what happens when you have confidence in your system and approach and have us to help you stay accountable.

The fun work is just beginning.

Guaranteee way to have BD fall off? 

I see it all the time.  

Stop doing BD. 

Wow. Game changing truth right? 

Question is, how can you stay coincident will working on roles.

1) content
2) connections

3/5 posts per week

Send 100-200 connection requests per week to your target market.

Can’t get results if you don’t have anything running. 

Then have to make sure it’s good. 

If you get stuck here, that’s when you need help.

And when we should talk.

Here are my favorite post metrics.


A static text post (no graphics, no hashtags, etc)

15 likes

3-5k impressions. 

Why?

If you're connecting with your ideal market every day, this is the sweet spot.

It means they are reading your content

It means the hook was solid. 

And you likely tapped into a real pain point they are feeling. 

That's how you resonate and become top of mind.

Now, if you scale those numbers with the same quality of content...great.

But it is not a must have to have a success organic content strategy that drives leads and revenue.

"The outreach worked so well I couldn't even use the content."

That's what I call a "good problem."

Ok but let's dig in as to why.

Offer is strong. Consultant for a specific niche. The need for her solution is scorching hot right now. 

Knows her industry in and out. 

Natural at building rapport. Not afraid to network.

Understands how to demonstrate value in setting up and running meetings, without always focused on closing a sale.

Everyone is getting pitched to daily right now.

Building a strong pipeline is about knowing where your valuable to your ideal market.

And demonstrating that consistently, while always adding new potential leads to your eco system.

Then you get maybe get to the place where it's too much.

That's how you create "good problems"

Benjamin Mena

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

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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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🎯 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!

Gabe says Happy Friday guys!!  
Keep crushing it!

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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 ⬇️

taplio

The Battle

Clark Willcox

Benjamin Mena

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreClark Willcox's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreBenjamin Mena's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Clark Willcox

Benjamin Mena

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);}Clark Willcox's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreBenjamin Mena's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreClark Willcox's LinkedIn Performance