From Breakdown to Breakthrough: Mike Mello’s $100M Journey and AI Playbook for Recruiters

Picture this: You’re nine months into your recruiting career with only one placement to show for it – frustration mounting, confidence dwindling. Mike Mello lived that reality early on. In fact, after getting physically kicked out of a client’s office, Mike sat in a Starbucks and cried, thinking he had failed. Fast forward a few years and Mike had rocketed to the top of the staffing world: a military veteran-turned-recruiter billing $75,000 in weekly spread and over $100 million in revenue for his firm. Then, at the peak of his success, he shocked the industry by walking away from it all to launch a new venture. Why would a $100M producer with 20 million in profit quit his high-paying desk? In Mike’s words, “I love our industry... And crazy to say I’m walking away from it all to start my own revenue operations agency” focused on the future of recruiting. This longform deep-dive explores Mike Mello’s incredible journey – from early struggles to record-breaking success – and the key lessons he shared on The Elite Recruiter Podcast about mindset, AI, automation, and what it really takes to crush sales and future-proof your desk.

From Military Beginnings to $100M Billing: Mike’s Unconventional Rise

Mike’s path into recruiting was anything but typical. A U.S. Navy veteran, he spent four years and three deployments overseas right out of high school. After returning to civilian life, a cousin introduced him to the staffing industry. Mike fell in love with the grind of recruiting – the hard work, problem-solving, and hustle it demanded. Yet success didn’t come overnight. In his first year, Mike managed only one placement, far below expectations. Many would have quit, but Mike didn’t. He doubled down on learning the craft and improving himself. “I was very hard on myself the first couple years… that little voice saying we’re not enough can take a toll,” Mike admits. Still, he persevered – “Believe in yourself. Believe in the process… You’re gonna do it,” he would tell his past self. By year two he inched up to a modest 5k spread, and then things truly took off.

With relentless consistency and grit, Mike went from near-failure to building a massive book of business. He ultimately scaled to 75k in weekly spread (the weekly gross profit from contractor placements) and personally brought in over $100,000,000 in revenue for his firm. He accomplished a stunning feat – going from 0 to 100 contractors on billing in one year – a growth story that made waves in the recruiting community. How did he do it? Mike credits a mix of old-fashioned hard work, a supportive team, and an obsessive focus on improvement. He also began sharing his journey on LinkedIn, building a personal brand that would later accelerate his success (more on that soon). By 2023-2024, Mike Mello was crushing it as one of the top producers in staffing. Yet even as he hit career highs, he sensed change on the horizon.

Quitting at the Top: Why Mike Walked Away to Launch SimpleSide AI

Why would someone at the summit of success voluntarily step down? For Mike, the decision to leave his lucrative desk was driven by vision and purpose rather than dollars. “I just quit my staffing and recruiting career of 10 years to support the staffing and recruiting industry,” Mike explains. After achieving his personal goals, he saw an opportunity to make a broader impact. Mike noticed the recruiting game was changing fast – new technologies like AI and automation were emerging, and many firms struggled to keep up. Rather than fear these changes, Mike felt called to embrace them and help others do the same.

He founded SimpleSide AI, a revenue operations (RevOps) agency built specifically for staffing and recruiting firms. The mission: to help small and mid-sized agencies boost sales through content, lead generation, and internal automations. In essence, Mike shifted from being a superstar producer to an enabler for other recruiters and business owners. It wasn’t an easy choice – giving up a stable $75k/week desk for a risky new venture – but Mike’s mindset made it possible. He believed so strongly in the future of the industry that he was willing to go all-in on a new path. As podcast host Benjamin Mena noted, “He sees the future. He’s going all in.” Mike’s bet is that by combining his sales expertise with next-gen tech, he can help recruiters future-proof their desks and amplify their success. This bold move exemplifies a core theme of Mike’s story: embracing change when you see an opportunity to serve a bigger purpose.

“I love staffing and recruiting so much that my agency is specifically designed for small and midsize staffing firms.” – Mike Mello, on launching his own RevOps firm to help the industry

Mindset Over Everything: The Power of Goals, Grit, and Consistency

Talking with Mike, one theme comes up again and again: mindset. In an era obsessed with quick hacks and shiny tools, Mike argues that success in recruiting still starts in your head. He doesn’t shy away from the fact that his journey was fueled by an intense inner drive. Coming from humble beginnings, Mike developed a “no entitlement” attitude – “I have no illusions about who I am... I am only entitled to what I earn,” he says. This humility kept him hungry and open to learning even when he became a top biller.

Crucially, Mike set a clear mission and goals for himself. “Every day I want to be the best I can be for myself. It’s not for a boss or recognition, it’s for myself and my family,” he shares. That personal mission fueled his consistency – posting on LinkedIn daily, making call after call, and never getting complacent. Even at the height of his success, Mike was laser-focused on his goals. (Fun fact: he even postponed doing the podcast for a year because he didn’t want to lose focus while chasing a major sales target! Talk about discipline!)

Key mindset takeaways from Mike Mello’s playbook:

• Resilience in the face of failure: Mike’s early flop (1 placement in 9 months) could have broken his spirit, but he used it as fuel. Instead of quitting, he doubled down on improving. “Keep moving forward… you’re gonna do it. Don’t be so hard on yourself,” he would tell his rookie self. Every setback was a lesson, not a verdict.

• 100% accountability: Mike wakes up with a mission to outdo his previous self, holding himself accountable to his own standards. He doesn’t blame the market or make excuses – he finds a way to get better. This ownership mentality helped him sustain high performance year after year.

• Consistency is king: There’s nothing flashy about making 50+ calls every day or posting content every morning, but that consistency compounded into big results. Mike emphasizes that showing up daily – even when you’re discouraged – is often the separator between average and elite recruiters. He cultivated habits and routines that kept him on track toward his goals.

At the end of the day, “the people who are the most successful have a strong mindset… They are mentally tough. That’s the first place you should start,” Mike says. All the best tools and techniques mean little if you lack the mental game to weather the ups and downs of recruiting. Mike’s story is living proof that mindset > skillset, and that mastering your own attitude and discipline is the ultimate sales hack.

Cutting Through the Hype: What AI Can and Can’t Do in Recruiting

It seems like artificial intelligence is all anyone talks about these days. Are the machines coming for our jobs? Mike admittedly felt panicked at first – “About three months ago I went down a rabbit hole… I looked in the mirror and said, ‘AI is going to take my job!’”. He proceeded to spend 100+ hours studying every AI tool and automation platform he could find (N8N, Make, Clay, Apollo – you name it). But on the other side of that deep dive, Mike emerged with a much more grounded perspective on AI’s role in recruiting:

• No, AI won’t replace great recruiters – at least not any time soon. “I don’t think AI is coming for sales reps… especially at the enterprise level,” Mike says. In his view, the human element – understanding clients, building relationships, negotiating deals – remains crucial. In fact, if you’re a good salesperson with a strong process, AI will only enhance your productivity, not make you obsolete. On the other hand…

• Yes, AI will eliminate certain tasks (and people who only do those tasks). Mike does believe some roles like pure sourcing or basic customer support will be streamlined or replaced by AI. The back-office of staffing firms, for example, can get “extremely lean” with automation. But for full-cycle recruiters and salespeople, AI is more about working smarter – automating drudge work so you can focus on high-value activities.

• “Agentic AI” is mostly fluff (for now). Mike calls out the hype around so-called autonomous AI agents. “I think agentic AI so far is fluff… most of that is nonsense. Folks are really talking about automated workflows,” he says bluntly. In other words, those flashy demos claiming an AI can magically “run your desk for you” are over-promising. What’s actually happening under the hood is usually just a series of scripted if/then workflows – powerful, yes, but not some sci-fi magic brain that replaces a recruiter. Mike’s advice: be skeptical of anyone peddling an “AI agent” that will do all your business development or candidate outreach for you. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Perhaps Mike’s biggest warning on AI is this: tools are only as good as the person using them. If you bolt AI onto a flawed strategy, it will backfire spectacularly. “If you use AI and you have a bad sales strategy or a bad process, it will destroy your organization. It will hurt you,” Mike cautions. Automating garbage still yields garbage – only faster. In contrast, if you first nail your process and understand your market, then AI can “10x what you’re doing” in a positive way. The technology is a force multiplier, for better or worse. Mike’s stance resonates with a common theme: context matters. As recruiters, we must cut through the AI hype and zero in on practical use cases that actually solve problems in our workflow.

Amplify, Don’t Replace: Using Automation to 10x a Strong Foundation

So how exactly should recruiters approach automation and AI? Mike’s philosophy is clear: automation should amplify what already works – it’s “not a shortcut” or replacement for the fundamentals. Before you even think about fancy tools, get your house in order. “I would make sure you have a sales foundation first… I feel very strongly about that,” Mike says. This means having a repeatable process for business development, candidate delivery, and account management that you know produces results. Once that foundation is laid, then you pour fuel (automation) on the fire.

Mike uses a great metaphor: AI/automation is like gasoline. On a well-built fire (a strong process), gasoline will make it blaze brighter. But on a pile of wet leaves (a poor process), gasoline just creates a disaster. “If you don’t understand your niche or the pain points of your customer and you use AI and automation, you’re pouring gas on [a bad process]… it’ll hurt you 10x more,” Mike says emphatically. The takeaway: fix your fundamentals first. Understand your market’s problems, refine your pitch, and get some wins the old-fashioned way. Only then should you scale up with tech.

When used at the right time, automation can indeed deliver huge leverage. Mike experienced this firsthand – once he knew how to craft excellent outreach and proposals himself, he could automate research and personalization to reach far more prospects in the same amount of time. “What used to take me 3-4 hours to compile research on my ICP and craft messaging, I can do now in 30 minutes… because I already know how to get that information,” Mike explains. In his previous role, he built workflows that scoured LinkedIn and the web for target clients, enriched data, and even drafted initial outreach emails using AI – tasks that would have required a team of assistants in the past. By outsourcing the busywork to bots, Mike could focus on high-level selling and relationships. The result: he dramatically multiplied his output without sacrificing quality.

Still, Mike is quick to remind us that recruiting “is still hard” work at its core. “You’re still going to face rejection and have days you want to bang your head against the wall. That’s not going away through AI,” he says. Automation might make certain tasks easier, but it won’t make the job easy – a critical distinction. The grind – calling clients, closing deals, solving human problems – remains. Approach automation as a power assist, not an autopilot.

“These tools will make your job easier, but it’s not going to make your job easy. It’s not a shortcut – it’s in addition to.” – Mike Mello on the role of AI in recruiting

In fact, Mike finds it frustrating when AI vendors market their tools as magic bullets that eliminate all the pain. That narrative can lure recruiters into complacency or “shiny object syndrome,” chasing the latest gadget instead of sharpening their fundamentals. Mike’s advice is the opposite: obsess over your fundamentals first, then layer in automation strategically. Master the “old-school” activities – prompt follow-ups, persistent outreach, relationship-building – and then use tech to do more of it at scale. As he puts it, “GPT is not coming to save you if you don’t know these things… The fundamentals… are more important than the automation… that is 10 times more important than learning Clay or Make.” Even coming from someone who just founded an automation agency, that’s saying something! The bottom line: get great at recruiting, then get great at automating parts of it – in that order.

Enter the “Salesperson-Operator”: The Future of the Recruiting Role

One of the most fascinating insights Mike shared is his vision of the future recruiter – what he calls the “salesperson-operator.” In the next few years, Mike believes the lines between a pure salesperson (who lands clients) and an operator (who builds systems) will blur. The top performers will be those who blend sales excellence with automation savvy. “We are in the beginning stages of seeing the salesperson-operator,” Mike says. “They bring in business – they’re a salesperson – and then they create automated workflows to support those accounts.”

Imagine one person who can land the client, fill the jobs, and automate much of the process in between. Sounds like a tall order, but Mike argues this hybrid role is on the rise. He gives an example from enterprise staffing: today, serving a huge account might require a team of 25 recruiters, sourcers, and coordinators to meet all the SLAs and reporting requirements. In the near future, a lot of those support tasks can be handled by software. “Instead of having 25 people support an enterprise account, you might have five,” Mike predicts. These five salesperson-operators would each manage a piece of the business, using automations they’ve built to handle things like pulling status reports, sending survey follow-ups, compiling data – work that used to demand extra bodies. They’ll essentially be self-sufficient mini-CROs for their accounts: selling, servicing, and systematizing.

This doesn’t mean every recruiter needs to become a coding wizard. Mike acknowledges that not all high-billing recruiters have the time (or inclination) to learn tools like Zapier, Make, or Python in depth. In many cases, agencies will partner with specialists – hiring a “recruiting automation engineer” or leveraging a RevOps service (like Mike’s) – to implement complex workflows. In Mike’s own venture, he paired up with an automation engineer from day one, knowing that combining his sales know-how with an expert builder would accelerate their capabilities. “There’s no way someone could take in all the new tools coming out,” he notes, which is why SimpleSide exists to help bridge that gap for recruiting teams.

However, Mike also thinks tech literacy will become a baseline skill for recruiters over time. Just as using a CRM or LinkedIn Recruiter is expected now, learning basic no-code automation might be standard in a few years. “I think the next generation of salespeople… this is just going to be part of our process and what we learn,” he says. The tools will keep evolving (and hopefully becoming easier), but the recruiters who embrace an operator mindset – continuously learning new tech and integrating it into their workflow – will massively outperform those who don’t. Mike sees it already: “5% of the workforce is going to produce 95% of the results” in recruiting, because that top 5% will be leveraging automation to do the work of ten average recruiters.

So if you’re a recruiter today, it’s worth asking: how can you develop into a “salesperson-operator”? Start by mastering your craft (sales) and then upskilling in the craft of automation. Even basic familiarity with tools that can save you time will give you an edge. In the next section, we’ll cover some of Mike’s personal recommendations on where to begin.

Telling Your Story: How Content & Personal Branding Fueled Mike’s Career

A big part of Mike Mello’s rise can be attributed not just to what he did in the office, but what he did online. Mike is a huge believer in content creation and personal branding as a force multiplier for recruiters. Throughout his journey, he consistently shared his story on LinkedIn – the wins, the struggles, the lessons learned. This openness not only built Mike a loyal following, but also directly benefited his sales results.

Mike recalls receiving messages from recruiters all over who found inspiration in his posts. “Someone sent me a message… ‘I saw your LinkedIn post, it really touched me. I printed it out and posted it on my desk,’” Mike says, still amazed at the impact. By authentically documenting the grind and offering advice, Mike became a thought leader in the staffing community. Clients and candidates alike could see that he was passionate, knowledgeable, and real about the recruiting life (not just posting “another deal signed!” humblebrags). This credibility translated into inbound business – people wanted to work with the guy who was actually sharing how the sausage gets made. It also brought him a network of top performers; he mentions he gets DMs every day from other recruiters asking for tips or just thanking him for motivating them.

Why should you as a recruiter care about personal branding? Mike puts it simply: attention is opportunity. When you put out content, you attract like-minded people and potential clients. Mike’s own content likely accelerated his ability to bill $100M – he was effectively marketing himself and creating trust at scale through his posts. Moreover, telling your story forces you to reflect and articulate your value proposition. Mike often wrote about his niche (IT staffing) and the problems he could solve, which only sharpened his expertise over time.

Most importantly, content has a humanizing effect in a tech-driven world. Recruiters who share their journey – the good, bad, and ugly – differentiate themselves from the pack. Mike emphasizes that in the age of AI, being human and relatable is an asset: “I want people to know what it’s really like. It’s not all rainbows… it is difficult. And no amount of automation or AI is going to make it easy”. By speaking truth and offering value through content, Mike built trust before he ever jumped on a sales call.

His advice to recruiters is unequivocal: start posting and tell your story. “If you’re in the industry, give 100% every day, post on LinkedIn, tell your story, start to learn some AI, start to learn some automation,” Mike urges. You don’t need to be a “LinkedIn influencer” or have years of success to begin. Share what you’re learning as you learn it. Talk about a challenge you overcame this week, a placement that taught you something, a trend you’re noticing in your market. Over time, you’ll build a repository of content that reinforces who you are and what you stand for as a professional. That personal brand becomes an engine that can drive referrals, inbound leads, and career opportunities you never expected. Mike’s rise from unknown rookie to 20K+ LinkedIn followers and industry podcast guest is proof of the doors that can open when you consistently put yourself out there.

“Anybody in staffing… keep going forward. I believe in where our industry is going. If you’re in the industry, give 100% every day, post on LinkedIn, tell your story, start to learn some AI, start to learn some automation.” – Mike Mello’s rallying call to recruiters

Bottom line: every recruiter has a story to tell, and in today’s market, your story is your differentiator. Don’t hide your journey – share it, and you’ll attract the people and opportunities that are meant for you.

Practical Automation 101: Where Recruiters Should Start (Clay, Make, etc.)

By now you might be thinking, “Okay, I’m sold on getting my fundamentals down and adding some automation… but how do I actually start with AI tools?” Mike tackled this question head-on in the podcast, providing a mini game plan for recruiters new to automation. His recommendations are refreshingly practical:

1. Start with Clay – “The first tool, if you’re on the sales side, I would learn is Clay,” Mike says. Clay (clayrun.com) is a no-code automation platform that lets you build lead generation workflows. Mike loves it because it can “scrape LinkedIn, give you emails and phone numbers” for prospects, and even trigger personalized outreach sequences. Essentially, Clay helps you automate the top of your funnel: gathering contacts and sending initial messages. It’s a great way to save hours on list-building and cold outreach research, especially if you target a specific ICP (Ideal Client Profile). Mike warns that Clay isn’t cheap, but if you’re willing to invest in a tool, this one can pay off by filling your pipeline faster.

2. Learn a No-Code Workflow Tool (e.g. Make) – You don’t need to be a software engineer to automate tasks. Platforms like Make (formerly Integromat) allow you to connect apps and create “if this, then that” workflows with a visual interface. “Make is what I started with… the templates are there, you can learn Make fairly quick,” Mike notes. For example, you could use Make to auto-send a follow-up email whenever a candidate fills out a form, or to sync data between your CRM and ATS. Mike mentions another tool, N8N, which is more powerful but “tougher” (it involves some JSON/JavaScript). His advice: begin with Make, get comfortable building simple automations, then explore more advanced tools if needed. The key is to get a feel for automation logic and what’s possible – after that, you can tackle more complex projects or coordinate with an expert.

3. Automate Your Busywork, Not Your Relationships – As you implement tools like Clay and Make, remember Mike’s golden rule: don’t automate what requires a human touch. Use tech to eliminate mundane manual work (data entry, initial research, basic outreaches), but stay personal where it counts. For instance, you might automate pulling 100 new contacts and sending a first-touch email draft, but you should still customize your messaging and pick up the phone for important conversations. Mike stresses that core sales skills – effective communication, listening to clients, negotiating – cannot be handed off to a bot. Use automation to buy back time so you can spend more of your day on these high-value activities.

One more piece of wisdom from Mike: commit to continuous learning. The world of recruiting tech is exploding; there will always be new tools (today it’s Clay and GPT, tomorrow something else). Don’t get overwhelmed – instead, make a habit of regularly exploring one new capability at a time. Mike described how he set aside time each week (early mornings, weekends) to tinker with automations. He’d say, “Today I’m going to learn how to pull 100 emails and automate that into drafts… next week I’ll learn how to create a webhook into GPT and prompt it for outreach,” and so on. Little by little, the pieces clicked. You don’t need to master everything at once. Focus on one use-case that could save you significant time or improve quality – learn that, implement it, and reap the benefits. Then move to the next. Over a few months, you’ll be amazed at how much your efficiency and expertise have grown.

Lastly, if you’re a leader of a recruiting firm, consider the balance between DIY and outsourcing. If you have a star team of producers, you might not want them all burning hours learning to code zaps – their time is extremely valuable on the phone. In such cases, bring in help. Hire or contract someone with automation skills (or engage a service like Mike’s) to build out systems for your team. The investment will likely pay off quickly in productivity gains. As Mike says, “You can expedite your learning curve by bringing people in” who know what they’re doing. The end goal is the same: upskill your organization’s capabilities so that you’re not left behind.

Whether you’re a solo desk recruiter or an agency owner, the message is clear: start integrating AI and automation into your toolbox. Even simple steps (like learning one tool) can give you a competitive edge. But do it on top of a rock-solid foundation of recruiting fundamentals – that’s when the magic truly happens.

Back to Basics: Why Fundamentals Still Matter More Than Tech

After all this talk of AI and automation, Mike Mello brings us full circle to a comforting truth: the fundamentals of recruiting still matter – arguably more than ever. In the rush to adopt new tech, many lose sight of the core skills and activities that drive placement success. Mike’s stance: never neglect the basics, because they are the bedrock upon which any fancy tool must rest.

What do “fundamentals” entail for a recruiter? Mike gives a masterclass definition:

• Speed and diligence in candidate delivery: “Sending a resume within 24 hours” of getting a requirement is fundamental. Responsiveness counts.

• Persistent multi-touch outreach in business development: It often takes “seven reach-outs” before a prospect responds – knowing this, do you plan a cadence of follow-ups? Mike even suggests a classic one-two punch: send an email, then a day later ping them on LinkedIn with a friendly nudge (put a face to the name). These old-school touches still work, especially when done consistently.

• Leveraging your network and referrals: Talk to people, ask for references, create referral incentive programs – human connections that algorithms can’t replicate.

• Understanding your customer’s problems deeply: A recruiter who truly understands the pain points of a hiring manager (e.g. the nuance between contingent vs full-time hiring challenges) will always outperform one who just pushes resumes. As Mike bluntly puts it, “GPT is not coming to save you if you don’t know these type of things.” You must be a student of your niche and your clients.

In Mike’s eyes, these fundamentals “are more important than the automation” every time. Yes, that’s coming from someone who founded an automation agency! He freely admits it might sound odd, but as he says, “the fundamentals and… becoming obsessed with your customers and their problems… that is the most important part. That is 10 times more important than learning Clay or Make.” The fancy tools can always be added; what’s harder to instill is work ethic, empathy, and technique. Those who have the latter will crush those who only rely on tech.

Think of it like this: in a world where many recruiters are getting lazy or overly reliant on automation, those who double-down on relationships and expertise will stand out like never before. It’s the paradox of progress – as more people lean on AI for everything, the human touch becomes a differentiator. Mike believes some recruiters will flame out in the coming years because they chase shortcuts or fail to adapt their skills. Meanwhile, those who master the basics and enhance with tech will thrive.

So ask yourself: Am I honing the timeless skills – or hiding behind tools? Mike suggests doing a gut-check. If you find yourself avoiding calls or neglecting follow-ups because a tool is “supposed to” handle it, recalibrate. Tools are there to assist you, not replace you. The hard yards of recruiting – conversations, rejections, negotiating, coaching candidates – still have to be done, and done well, to close deals.

The encouraging news is that if you build great habits and processes now, technology will only make you more powerful. Mike’s own career proves this. He spent years refining his approach to sales and recruiting, obsessing over clients and candidates, and becoming a true expert in his market. When the AI tools finally showed up, he was ready to use them effectively because he knew exactly what outcomes he wanted to achieve and what good looked like. In his words, “once you have that foundation, then you can say, ‘Hey, this works – let’s pour some gas on it.’” That’s the perfect synthesis of fundamentals + tech.

No matter how advanced recruiting tech becomes, Mike Mello’s story is a reminder to never skip the fundamentals. Be great at recruiting first – the rest will follow.