How To Build A $750K Solo Desk Instead Of Buying In
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Audible Key Takeaways
- Alex deGolia chose to bet on himself by taking a line of credit on his house to go solo rather than paying a $700,000 partner buy-in at an MRI Network franchise.
- A $90,000 buyout allowed Alex to secure his database, book of business, and phone number, paving the way to bill over $750,000 in his very first year at Al Ki Consultants.
- After managing people for four and a half years, Alex realized that staying a solo desk aligned better with his passion because the recruiting work itself is what truly drives him.
- Alex highlights the 'relief syndrome' where recruiters experience a slump immediately following their best year, emphasizing the importance of sticking to foundational habits like the 10 before 10 rule.
- During a live role-play, Alex demonstrates how to navigate tough objections from commercial lenders on cold calls by focusing on value and building immediate rapport.
The Firm Leaders Summit is next week, November 16 to 18. Three days built for recruiting firm owners and leaders: hiring and training recruiters, BD, growth, and being the rainmaker for your firm. Live sessions are free. Register now: https://firm-leaders-and-owners-recruiting-summit-2026.heysummit.com/
This episode is brought to you by Atlas, the CRMx that captures every call, email, and message automatically and tells you the next move. https://recruitwithatlas.com/
Also brought to you by Well Oiled Machine. Greg Fischer helps recruiting firms hire proven offshore recruiters and sourcers you pay directly, no middleman. https://www.welloiledmachine.co/
Alex deGolia stood at a fork in the road. On one side, a roughly $700,000 buy-in to become a partner at the MRI Network franchise where he had spent six and a half years. On the other, a line of credit on his house to buy his way out and go solo. He picked the second door, and as he tells it, his first year on his own at Al Ki Consultants billed just over $750,000.
Benjamin and Alex unpack how that call got made: a partnership offer that took six months to draft, the accountants and lawyers who told him the company looked overvalued, and a $90,000 buyout that bought back his database, his book of business, and his phone number. Alex is honest about why he never wanted to scale. He managed people for four and a half years and realized the recruiting itself is what lights him up.
Then they go back to the start. Alex left higher education at 28, took a $24,000 base, and went seven months without a placement. His first check was about $3,000. By 2020 he was named MRI Network’s CSAM of the Year, earned by staying on the phone while others pulled back.
The back half is a cold calling deep dive. Alex runs a live role-play, calling a commercial lender about a deposits producer, and breaks down the objections bankers throw and how he answers them. He explains the “relief syndrome” that took him from his best year to near rookie numbers, why he is shifting from quantity to quality, and the 10 before 10 rule he picked up from Gary Miller of Miller Resource Group.
If you are figuring out what success looks like for you, not the version you borrowed from someone else, this one is for you.
What You’ll Learn:
- How Alex weighed a $700K partner buy-in against buying his way out
- What a non-solicitation buyout actually covers
- Why he chose to stay solo instead of building a team
- How to recover when your best year is followed by a slump
- A live cold call to a banking client, objections included
- The 10 before 10 rule for recruiters whose phone feels heavy
- Why doing the right things beats doing all the things
Links:
📅 Firm Leaders Summit (Nov 16 to 18): https://firm-leaders-and-owners-recruiting-summit-2026.heysummit.com/
⚡ Atlas: https://recruitwithatlas.com/
🌎 Well Oiled Machine (Greg Fischer): https://www.welloiledmachine.co/
👤 Alex deGolia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-degolia-bankingrecruiter/
🏦 Al Ki Consultants: https://alkiconsultants.com
🤝 Elite Recruiter Community: https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/checkout/elite-recruiter-community
📬 Newsletter: https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Alex deGolia on The Elite Recruiter Podcast?
Alex deGolia is a high-performing solo banking recruiter and the founder of Al Ki Consultants who built a $750,000 solo desk after leaving an MRI Network franchise.
Why did Alex deGolia choose to stay a solo recruiter?
After managing a team for four and a half years, Alex realized he enjoyed the actual recruiting process much more than managing people, leading him to choose a profitable solo desk over building a large agency.
What is the '10 before 10' rule in recruiting?
Popularized by Gary Miller of Miller Resource Group, the 10 before 10 rule requires recruiters to complete 10 outreach calls before 10:00 AM to build consistent momentum and overcome phone reluctance.
How did Alex deGolia transition from his franchise to his own firm?
Instead of paying a $700,000 partner buy-in, Alex used a line of credit on his house to fund a $90,000 buyout that secured his database, book of business, and phone number to launch Al Ki Consultants.