$500K For Years. 1 Hire Put Him On Pace For $1M
Spotify 
Apple Podcasts 
YouTube 
Castro 
RSS Feed 
Amazon Music 
TuneIn 
Audible Key Takeaways
- David Dickey transitioned from a consistent $500K biller to being on pace for $1 million after making a single strategic hire.
- As the founder of The Patriot Group, David focuses exclusively on high-level aerospace, defense, and unmanned drone headquarters roles rather than low-margin, contract-funded GovCon positions.
- Overcoming the fear of narrowing his niche allowed David to successfully break into high-end executive search after twelve years of general recruiting.
- Bringing his stepson into the business to manage processes, forms, and AI tools like Claude freed David up to focus on high-value client acquisition.
- Transitioning away from a pure contingency model to an engagement fee structure significantly improved revenue and client commitment.
David Dickey was a consistent $500K biller for years. This year he is on pace to break $1 million. When asked what changed, his answer was not a new sales script or a bigger client list. It was one hire.
The Firm Leaders Summit is November 16, 17, and 18. Three days built for recruiting firm owners and leaders: hiring and training recruiters, growth, BD, and becoming the rainmaker for your firm. Register here: 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 LinkedIn message automatically and tells you the next action to take. Learn more at https://recruitwithatlas.com/
David is the founder of The Patriot Group, an executive and technical search firm focused on aerospace and defense, with deep work in the unmanned and drone space. Before recruiting, he was a Marine officer who went on to build government contracting companies. When the VP offers started coming in, it was his then girlfriend, now wife, who asked why he did not just go out on his own again. That question started The Patriot Group, which turns 15 this January.
In this conversation, David walks through every pivot. From government consulting to running veteran career fairs, 25 events in four years, to going all in on recruiting. He explains why contract-funded GovCon roles are a race to the bottom on margins, and why he only works headquarters roles that are not tied to a single contract.
Then the big one. David recruited for about 12 years before making his first CEO placement. The fear that held him back is the same one most recruiters carry: if I call myself an executive recruiter, I lose everything else. He shares the referral that opened the door, what he would tell himself five years ago, and why owning your positioning on LinkedIn matters more than waiting for credibility to catch up.
We also get into the hire that changed the year. In the summer of 2024, David brought his youngest stepson into the business from a sales background. He took over the processes, the forms, and training the firm's AI on Claude, which freed David to focus on better clients and sharpen the firm's message.
David also breaks down why he moved away from contingency to an engagement fee model, why the first move for a recruiter stuck at a low average fee is to raise it, and how years of building his LinkedIn network turned simple connection messages into searches.
What You'll Learn:
- Why David only works headquarters roles in GovCon, not contract-funded seats
- The fear that kept him from executive search for 12 years, and what finally tipped it
- How one hire freed up his time and put him on pace for $1M
- How his stepson uses Claude and Loxo to automate submissions and curated resumes
- Why he dropped contingency for an engagement fee model
- How his LinkedIn DM game turns connections into executive searches
- The Marine Corps principle he still applies when a placement does not work out
🔗 Links:
🎖️ Connect with David Dickey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dickeydavid/
🏢 The Patriot Group: https://thepatriotsgrp.com/
🚀 Firm Leaders Summit: https://firm-leaders-and-owners-recruiting-summit-2026.heysummit.com
⚡ Atlas: https://recruitwithatlas.com/
🤝 Join the Elite Recruiter Community: https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/checkout/elite-recruiter-community
📬 Subscribe to the newsletter: https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is David Dickey on The Elite Recruiter Podcast?
David Dickey is the founder of The Patriot Group, an executive and technical search firm specializing in aerospace, defense, and drone technology, and a former Marine officer.
How did David Dickey double his recruiting revenue?
David doubled his billing pace from $500K to $1M by making a strategic hire who took over internal processes, forms, and AI training, allowing David to focus entirely on high-level clients and messaging.
What type of roles does The Patriot Group focus on?
The Patriot Group focuses exclusively on headquarters roles within government contracting and aerospace, avoiding low-margin, contract-funded seats that result in a race to the bottom.
Why did David Dickey move away from contingency recruiting?
David shifted away from contingency recruiting to an engagement fee model to ensure better client commitment and higher average fees per placement.