From Operator to Founder: How Chance Wood Built One Degree on Industry Experience and Relationships

He once spent seven-day weeks running grain elevators – now he’s running a thriving recruiting firm in that same niche by putting relationships and quality above all. Chance Wood’s journey from an industry operator in agriculture to the founder of One Degree, a high-touch recruiting agency, is a masterclass in leveraging domain expertise for recruiting success. In this longform article, we dive into how Chance transitioned from the field to founding One Degree Agriculture, why his firsthand industry experience gives him instant credibility, and the principles that guide his firm: *relationship-first recruiting, uncompromising quality and fit, saying “no” to bad business, scaling without sacrificing service, and the power of mentorship and mindset. If you’re an operator considering a move into recruiting – or a recruiter looking to niche down deeper – Chance’s story might be the blueprint (and motivation) you need.

Elite Recruiter Podcast Episode with Chance Wood

Elite Recruiter Podcast Episode on Apple Podcast

From Grain Operator to Niche Recruiter: An Unlikely Leap

Chance Wood didn’t start out in recruiting – far from it. He “spent [his] entire career in agriculture,” launching into the grain industry right after college. In those early years, Chance ran a flour mill and a grain elevator, traded grain across the country, and even became a licensed commodities broker. It was gritty, hands-on work: “I was there shoveling grain and fixing bearings… actually in the weeds of how the grain is handled,” he recalls. This front-line experience meant Chance deeply understood the day-to-day realities of the agriculture world. But when his wife’s career brought them back to Tennessee – a region where his grain merchandising skills weren’t in demand – Chance was forced to rethink his path. A casual conversation planted the idea of recruiting. “Have you ever thought about recruiting?” someone had asked. At first, Chance hadn’t – but that question opened a door. Soon he helped a local boutique firm start an agri-business recruiting branch, essentially pivoting from being the guy running operations to the guy helping companies find operations guys like him. It turned out he had a natural knack for it. In fact, Chance made a placement on retainer in just 18 days at his first agency job – a company record. After nine months of agency recruiting (and a few hundred thousand dollars in billings), one of his agribusiness clients convinced him to join them in-house. Chance moved internally to lead talent acquisition at an ag-tech company, where he applied his agency hustle to save the firm over $1.5 million in fees by sourcing talent directly. But when that company’s fortunes turned, Chance saw the writing on the wall and felt the pull of entrepreneurship. Armed with a business plan he’d been dreaming up for years, he took the leap and founded One Degree – named for the idea that in agriculture, no one is more than one degree of separation away.

The result? One Degree Agriculture quickly became a successful high-touch recruiting firm serving the farming and grain industry. Chance’s transition from hard-hat grain operator to agency owner may sound improbable, but it’s exactly his background that makes his recruiting business soar.

Walking the Walk: Credibility Through Firsthand Experience

What sets Chance apart as a recruiter is simple: he’s walked in his clients’ and candidates’ shoes. He’s managed the grain elevators, met the production quotas, navigated the same market swings – and it shows. “I’ve done all of these jobs that I’m recruiting for… I’ve had bad leaders, I’ve had bad recruiters. I know what a good leader looks like. I know what a good recruiter looks like,” Chance says. That hard-won insight gives him instant credibility. Hiring managers sense they’re talking to a peer who genuinely understands their world, not just a salesperson. Likewise, candidates (many of whom are operators and agribusiness professionals like he used to be) find an immediate comfort with Chance – he speaks their language and respects their craft.

Chance co-founded One Degree with Joe Solinger, another industry veteran. Together, they built the firm on the trust and network they’d cultivated over years in the field. “We realized the direct experience and relationships we had in the ag industry could be used to connect top talent with great ag companies. We had walked the walk and knew how to find, level with, and earn the trust of the candidates our future clients would be searching for. Out of this, One Degree… was born,” Chance explains. In short, their value proposition is their experience. Clients know One Degree isn’t just another recruiting agency tossing resumes around – it’s a partner who “gets it.”

That insider knowledge also helps Chance uphold high standards for quality and fit. Because he’s lived the roles, he can tell when a candidate is the real deal – and when someone’s not quite right for a specific company culture. As Chance notes, “I can tell by speaking with a merchandiser… you’re not going to fit in at this company, you’re going to fit in over here because of the culture… It’s not a one size fits all. Every company, every region, every elevator has its own unique aspects. Taking the time to get to know the business… and the people… you’re going to succeed”. This tailored approach means Chance won’t try to shoehorn a candidate into a role if the fit isn’t truly there – even if it’s a great resume on paper. His credibility gives him the confidence to push back on placements that don’t feel right. In the long run, that integrity builds even more trust with clients. They know Chance will deliver quality over quantity.

Relationship-First Recruiting in a Digital World

In an era obsessed with AI tools, automated outreach, and high-volume messaging, Chance Wood is proudly old-school. His philosophy can be summed up in three words: pick up the phone. “Agriculture is a relationship business. It is a relationship-driven business,” he says. “It’s old school – pick up the phone and call people. I don’t believe you’re going to get that through a LinkedIn message… especially through an email.”. Having been on the receiving end of generic recruiter spam early in his career, Chance has a bit of a chip on his shoulder – in a good way. He remembers being contacted by recruiters who never followed up or who carpet-bombed his resume around without permission, and he vowed to do the opposite. That’s why every interaction at One Degree is high-touch and personal.

Chance’s relationship-first recruiting means he invests time in conversations – real, human conversations – with both candidates and clients. Whether it’s a daily check-in call or an after-hours chat advising a young professional, he’s constantly building genuine connections. Over the years, this approach has paid dividends. “Stay on the phone, talk to people, get a feel for what’s happening in the industry. I know so many secrets… about what’s happening on the back end, but it’s because I’ve earned that trust… by taking the time to talk with people and get to know them,” Chance says of his networking style. Trust is a currency he’s accumulated by consistently being there and being real.

This human-centric approach doesn’t mean Chance ignores technology or AI – he’s quick to acknowledge that tools can save time. But he uses them behind the scenes, never as a replacement for authentic outreach. In his eyes, automation can’t replace authenticity. “The way that I can differentiate myself is to just pick up the phone… and be a real human being, not someone blasting a bunch of crap out there,” he argues, noting that relying solely on automated sequences or AI-generated messages is “not a long-term plan” for a relationship business. For Chance, fancy tech is fine for research or efficiency, but when it comes to business development and candidate conversations, he keeps it old-school and personal. That personal touch is precisely why his contacts actually return his calls and why so many turn into repeat clients. In a trust-heavy industry like agriculture, Chance’s voice on the line is far more effective than the flashiest AI email campaign.

High Standards and the Power of “No”

One of the most striking aspects of Chance Wood’s business philosophy is his willingness to say “no” – a rare trait in an industry often fixated on hitting numbers at any cost. From day one, Chance set high standards for quality and fit in his recruiting practice, and he’s stuck to them, even when turning down business in the short term. Not every client is a good client, and not every job order is worth chasing. Chance knows this firsthand. “I’ve seen recruiters who just collect resumes and throw a bunch of crap against the wall to see what sticks,” he recalls, reflecting on the wrong way to do it. He refuses to be that recruiter. If a client doesn’t value a true partnership, or a role is outside his wheelhouse (say, an unfamiliar sub-sector or too junior to justify the engagement), Chance has no problem respectfully declining. It’s a strategy that might sound counterintuitive, but it has elevated One Degree’s reputation. As the saying goes, bad clients can cost you good business, and Chance would rather invest his energy where it counts.

In fact, a key lesson from his first year was to stay in his lane and be the best in a focused niche. Initially, Chance and his partner Joe saw opportunity everywhere and tried to take on searches in related areas like agronomy and animal nutrition. That stretch spread them thin. They quickly realized that more isn’t always better. “Instead of trying to be everything to everybody, what I’ve learned is… my niche niche is grain,” Chance says. He decided to double down on being “the grain guy” – the go-to recruiter for grain trading, grain operations, and all things grain. By narrowing their focus, Chance could uphold an even higher bar for expertise and service. Today, One Degree is known as the premier agency in the grain sector, precisely because they don’t try to be a fit for every role under the sun.

This commitment to selectivity extends to the caliber of candidates Chance presents and the searches he accepts. If a position or company isn’t going to result in a win-win-win (client, candidate, and recruiter all happy), he’s fine walking away. He’s seen what happens when recruiters chase “low-level” job orders or cling to toxic clients – wasted time, frustrated outcomes, and damaged reputation. By saying “no” when necessary, Chance makes room to say “hell yes” when the right opportunity comes along. And those right opportunities do come knocking – often because One Degree has a reputation for only taking on searches they know they can knock out of the park. In short, Chance’s high standards and judicious use of “no” have become a competitive advantage. It signals to the market that One Degree is all about quality, fit, and delivering results, not just filling reqs for a quick buck.

Scaling the Business Without Compromising Service

In the growth of One Degree, Chance Wood faced a pivotal challenge familiar to many founders: how to scale up success without diluting the special sauce that made you successful in the first place. In One Degree’s case, that “special sauce” is the high-touch, high-expertise service that Chance and Joe personally deliver. During the company’s first year, Chance admits he stumbled in this regard. Buoyed by early success, he hired three full-time employees, thinking they could amplify the business. It didn’t go as planned. “I had three full time employees, none of whom are with us today. That was a complete failure on my part… I haven’t hired anyone since because I don’t know exactly what I did wrong,” Chance reflects candidly. The new hires weren’t producing as expected, and service quality began to wobble. Ultimately, Chance had to let them go, a humbling lesson that growth for growth’s sake can backfire.

Instead of rushing to scale headcount, Chance chose to scale smart and lean. He realized that growth had to come in ways that didn’t compromise their high-touch approach. Part of that meant refining the business focus (as noted, narrowing to the grain niche) so that he and his partner could manage the workload with deep efficiency and knowledge. It also meant leveraging tools and smart processes to extend their capacity without replacing the human element. For example, Chance talks about mapping the entire grain industry – knowing every major player and consolidation trend – not by buying an expensive market mapping software, but by organically accumulating intel through years of conversations and a few government and industry resources. In practice, that means One Degree can cover a wide market with a small team, because they’ve become embedded in the industry’s fabric.

Most importantly, Chance refused to compromise on service quality as business ramped up. Revenue-wise, One Degree’s performance has been impressive – they beat their ambitious first-year goal of $500K and went on to an even stronger second year. But Chance is equally proud that growth didn’t erode their personal touch. Even as he’s juggling more clients and searches, he’s kept his promise to be hands-on and accessible. Clients still get Chance on the phone, candidates still get his honest guidance. In fact, Chance finds that being selective and focused (as described earlier) naturally keeps the workload manageable. By not overextending into areas outside their niche, he and Joe can continue to over-deliver for the partners they do choose to work with. The outcome is a business that grows on reputation and referral, rather than high-volume advertising. “We absolutely destroyed our first year… had an amazing second year,” Chance tells podcast host Ben Mena, all while coaching his daughter’s T-ball team and being home for dinner every night. That balance was no accident – it was by design. Scaling a recruiting firm, for Chance Wood, isn’t about getting big fast; it’s about getting better and deeper without losing what made you great.

Year One Grit: Mindset and Mentorship for New Recruiters

Chance’s story carries powerful lessons for industry professionals who are considering a leap into recruiting, as well as for newer recruiters trying to find their footing. His first piece of advice: treat your first year like your life depends on it. Chance approached year one in recruiting with the same intensity he once applied to 24/7 grain operations. “Do not take your foot off the gas in that first year,” he says emphatically. “Just call. Call everybody that you can… stay on the phone, talk to people… you’ve got to do so much volume that you can’t fail,” he advises. This mindset – essentially commitment through sheer effort and hustle – is what carried him through the challenging early months of building his business. There were doubts, of course. (Chance admits he had fleeting moments wondering if he’d need to, say, take a loan out on his house to keep things afloat.) But, as he puts it, quitting was “never an option… it was, how am I going to make this happen?”. For anyone in their first year of recruiting, especially those coming from another industry, Chance’s example underscores the importance of grit: make the calls, learn the ropes, and outwork your own fears.

Equally important, Chance emphasizes, is mindset and learning. One thing that helped him was finding mentors and peers to learn from. Interestingly, Chance wasn’t someone who networked much with other recruiters initially – he was too busy dialing candidates and clients. But he later connected with communities (he and Ben actually met on an industry roundtable) and now sees the value in not going it completely alone. He’s a believer in mentorship and paying it forward, which speaks to his character. “Be real and help people when you can,” Chance says. “Take calls with people that you wouldn’t expect to get anything out of… Every single college kid that has ever reached out to me on LinkedIn, I have given them time… whatever you can do to help others, it’s going to pay out in the long run”. In other words, recruiting is a long game built on relationships – and that applies to peers and newcomers, not just billings. Chance’s willingness to mentor young professionals and share advice comes from his belief that today’s rookie might be tomorrow’s client (or star hire). It’s a reminder that this business is a community, and reputation matters. For recruiters looking to niche deeper or operators making the switch, seeking out mentors, communities, or even just friendly advice can dramatically shorten your learning curve. As Chance often underscores, belief in yourself and a growth mindset are key. “Believe in yourself… focus on your family… and know Jesus loves you,” he said in closing his podcast interview – a heartfelt bit of wisdom that success means nothing if you lose who and what matters along the way.

Whether you’re an oilfield engineer thinking of becoming a recruiter in energy, a software salesperson eyeing a move to tech recruiting, or a staffing pro considering niching down into a specialty, Chance Wood’s journey offers a playbook: Leverage your domain expertise, go all-in on relationships, keep your standards high, and approach the job with relentless commitment (and a bit of faith). Year one might be a grind, but as Chance’s story shows, if you do it right, year two and beyond can exceed even your boldest goals.

Call to Action: Learn More and Level Up

Chance Wood’s story is far from over – and there’s a lot more wisdom where this came from. If you found inspiration or ideas in this article, here are your next steps to continue learning and growing as an Elite Recruiter:

• 🎧 Listen to Chance’s Full Episode on The Elite Recruiter Podcast: Dive deeper into Chance Wood’s journey and strategies by listening to the complete interview on The Elite Recruiter Podcast. Hear stories and insights that didn’t make it into this article, straight from Chance himself. (Search “Elite Recruiter Podcast Chance Wood” on your favorite podcast platform to find the episode.)

• 📅 Join the Recruiter Sales & Business Development Summit: Level up your skills at the upcoming Recruiter Sales & BD Summit, kicking off on January 26, 2026. It’s a free, virtual conference packed with sessions to help you crush business development in the new year. (Live sessions are free – and if you want on-demand replays, keep reading about the community below!). Don’t miss the chance to learn proven sales strategies from top billers and industry leaders. Mark your calendar and get ready to make 2026 your best year yet.

  https://bd-sales-recruiter-2026.heysummit.com/

• 🤝 Become Part of the Elite Recruiter Community: Recruiting can be lonely — long days juggling clients, candidates, and job orders. That’s why we built the Elite Recruiter Community — a private hub where recruiters connect, learn from top billers, access proven training, and get live accountability.

  What You Get:

  • Unlimited summit replays

  • Live roundtables by billing level and topic

  • Billers’ Club leaderboard

  • Splits & opportunity board

  • Private chats, tools discussions, peer support and more

  $49/month. Cancel anytime.

• https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/checkout/elite-recruiter-community

Don’t go it alone. Follow Chance Wood’s lead and invest in relationships and learning. Join the community, engage with mentors and peers, and keep pushing yourself. As Chance proved, an operator with the right mindset and support can become a superstar recruiter. Now it’s your turn to make it happen.

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