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"

Physical Therapist turned Healthcare Recruiter | Partnering with Healthcare Teams to Find Top Talent | Recruiting Therapists, Nurses & Leadership

I help healthcare organizations thrive by finding top talent for their clinical and leadership teams. 

Over 10 years as a Physical Therapist has provided me the experience and understanding to relate to candidates throughout the recruiting process. Matching the right candidate with the right organization is a critical aspect to providing excellent patient care. Having been "in the trenches" allows me to possess a deep knowledge of the healthcare landscape, so candidates know they are talking to a peer, not "another recruiter." 

I am intentional in my approach. I take recruitment off your plate, saving you time, so you can continue to focus on delivering quality patient care, retaining employees and monitoring your internal processes. 

RESULTS:

➡️ Placed 3 Regional Directors, 2 Multi-Site Directors, 4 Clinic Directors and 11 Staff PTs, PTAs & OTs with a California based Outpatient PT group within a 7-month period.   

➡️ Successfully placed Outpatient, Home Health and Skilled Nursing Physical Therapists across multiple locations on the West Coast.

➡️ Spearheaded a nationwide search and successfully placed a CEO candidate for a Home Health, Hospice, Infusion & DME organization. 

➡️ Successfully placed a Vice President of Operations and HR Manager (who has since been promoted to HR Director), allowing the organization to grow and open an additional location. 

➡️ Filled and onboarded a Physical Therapist role within 10 days of client signing the agreement. 

➡️ Placed a Home Health Clinical Supervisor & Director of Patient Care Services RNs with a nationwide home health organization. 

If you’re looking for top candidates for your healthcare teams and a partner that delivers - let’s chat!

Feel free to send me a message here on LinkedIn!

Rachel Brown, PT, DPT

A PT recently told me, “I don’t need a sign-on bonus — I just want to know my time will be respected.”

That’s what we miss when we think recruiting and hiring is about marketing tactics.

The offer you extend says everything about what you value.

If it reflects:
-Time for documentation 
-Growth opportunities 
-Mentorship and collaboration 
-Realistic patient load 
-Flexibility when life happens

…it speaks volumes — without needing to oversell.

PTs are smart. They know when something is transactional.  They also know when something’s built with care.

If your offer is heavy on incentives but light on sustainability, they notice. 

If your compensation is competitive but your patient volume screams burnout, they notice that too.

Your offer isn’t just a package, it’s a preview of the culture they’re stepping into.

The clinics that understand that, they don’t have to chase candidates. 

They attract them.

Physical Therapist turned Healthcare Recruiter | Founder @ Golden Recruiting | Partnering with PT Teams to Find Therapist & Leadership Talent

“We’ve been trying Indeed & LinkedIn ads and haven’t gotten any applicants. It’s never been like this in the past.”

If I had $1 for every time I heard this during a meeting… 

I’d have a lot of $. 

But unfortunately, Indeed & LinkedIn now have all that $ — with little results on your end. 

The PT job market is crowded. PTs have a plethora of options regardless of location, experience level, setting etc. 

Plus, that paid ad posted on Indeed or LinkedIn, is simply one of many. Of hundreds even. 

And unless you’re willing to dump your cash into the Pacific Ocean, your ad is likely buried towards the bottom. 

The good news? 

Over the last year plus, the clinics I’ve partnered with have been able to successfully land clinicians — NOT from a single ad. 

Not from Indeed ads, LinkedIn ads, or LinkedIn posts. 

Your clinic livelihood doesn’t have to live and die on posting. 

You just need to fish where the fish are.

HOW a candidate declines an offer gives you a direct window into if it was competitive or not.

“I’ve accepted another offer that I couldn’t refuse.” 

👉🏼 No back and forth? A good indication that the other offer was much higher. They either couldn’t pass it up or there was a large discrepancy between offers and the candidate didn’t feel the gap could be bridged. 

“I’ve accepted another offer.” 

👉🏼 Could be location, setting, patient population (factors you can't control or change). Or the candidate didn’t get the feeling that pay could be negotiated. 

But worse… it’s also an indication that rapport hasn’t been built enough for them to feel comfortable to share their reasoning. Especially if this is the last you hear from them. 

What about candidates who try and negotiate offers?

“I have another offer on the table, but would consider X.” 

👉🏼 Usually, the other offer is higher. But the candidate prefers your company’s clinic/location/culture etc. You are likely their first choice. If a candidate comes back and counters (at a fair price), this a good sign that a deal can be made.

One of the most common assumptions: taking a counter offer personally and seeing it as a negative. Instead of viewing it as an opportunity / step closer to landing a candidate. 

Offers are going to get declined.

But one of the most crucial areas to pay attention to… is there a trend or theme in HOW they are getting declined.

If you own or operate a physical therapy clinic and hiring feels harder than it should… this is for you.

Most clinics assume the struggle comes down to a PT shortage, culture, or “new grads not wanting to work.”

In reality, the clinics that consistently attract strong therapists aren’t lucky. They’re intentional.

They understand the real hiring problem:
-Your clinic looks identical to the one down the road.
-Same outpatient ortho.
-Same patient mix.
-Same schedule.
-Same generic job post about being “collaborative and patient-centered.”

After hiring 100+ clinicians in the last 3 years, I’ve compiled all the do’s and don'ts into one place.

This guide breaks down what actually moves the needle:
-The real reason roles sit open
-4 things strong clinics do differently
-The compensation signals PTs really respond to
-Why location and commute matter more than you think
-3 questions to ask before you start your next search

If you want to stop guessing and start hiring with clarity, this guide is for you.

Link in comments below👇🏼

Your hiring process is your brand. 

It communicates with a candidate before you ever do. 

Every touchpoint — ie: job description, application, email response time, interview, etc. — tells prospective PTs something about your company. 

Here’s what it says right now:
-Slow response time? This signals indecision or disorganization. 
-Excessive or pointless interviews? Implies bureaucracy over valuing candidate experience. 

The hiring process isn’t just functional, it signals what your organization cares about. 

PTs are forming opinions about your culture and priorities before they ever accept an offer. 

Even the small moments matter. 

When candidates hear back promptly — they feel valued and respected. 

When the role is discussed with clarity and intention — that builds trust. 

And these moments stick. 

Clinics who excel in attracting the right talent, treat the hiring process as a mini marketing campaign. 

They understand it isn’t just about logistics, it’s a mirror of your company’s culture, values, and priorities.

They ask themselves:
-If I were a candidate, would I be excited or confused by our process?
-Are our timelines realistic and transparent?
-Do our conversations show respect for the candidate’s time and priorities?
-Does our process demonstrate intentionality, or is it generic?

Every interview, email, and step reinforces, or undermines, your overall brand.

In the inaugural edition of the Golden Recruiting newsletter I’ll be sharing one of the biggest obstacles clinics have in hiring PT’s…

The "competitive pay” trap.

What you list as compensation on your job posting tells candidates exactly how you value the opportunity — and them. 

This can be the difference between getting replies from the PT’s you want versus hearing crickets.

I’ll break down specific examples to help you audit your own approach and give perspective into what PT’s are looking for. 

Email goes out tonight (Thursday) at 5pm PST. 

Link below in comments 👇🏼

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Clark Willcox

Rachel Brown, PT, DPT

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The Battle

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Rachel Brown, PT, DPT

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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