Episodes
Why the Best Recruiters Don’t Chase Deals Anymore
Welcome back to The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In this episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down with powerhouse recruiter Michael Silverstein to uncover why the top recruiters have stopped chasing deals—and how they’ve built businesses that attract consistent, inbound opportunities. Michael Silverste…
5 Overlooked Ways Recruiters Get More Clients Fast
1. Episode Hook Recruiters don’t have a talent problem right now. They have a client acquisition problem—and most are fixing it the wrong way. 2. Why This Episode Matters The last 18–24 months forced recruiters back into real...
How She Built a $1M Recruiting Firm in 23 Months (Sales + CEO Mindset)
Welcome back to The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In this special episode, host Benjamin Mena is joined by returning guest Julia Arpag, CEO and Founder of Aligned Recruitment, for an inspiring and tactical summit talk pulled straight from the Elite community library. Julia Arpag shares her remarkable jo…
From Zero to a $500K Year in 3 Years: A New Recruiter’s Playbook
Welcome to another episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In this episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Isaac James, a rising star in the recruiting industry who’s gone from knowing nothing about recruiting straight out of college to closing in on a $500k billing year—just three years into hi…
How Candidate-First Recruiting Built a $1.5M Firm
Welcome to another enriching episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast! Host Benjamin Mena sits down with powerhouse recruiter Sarah Englade, founder of Monarch Talent Solutions, to unpack how she built a thriving $1.5M firm by prioritizing candidates above all else. In this candid and motivational co…
How Elite Recruiters Win Clients in 2026 (AI + BD)
1. Episode Hook The old recruiting playbook is breaking. If your business development looks the same as it did 2–3 years ago, you’re already falling behind. 🎯 2026 Sales and BD Recruiter Summit https://bd-sales-recruiter-2026...
Why Top Recruiters Win Clients Without Selling
Welcome to another episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In this episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down with top recruiter and Pinnacle Society member Katharine Wilcox to reveal the secrets behind why the most successful recruiters win clients—without ever needing to “sell.” From her beginnings in…
LinkedIn Recruiting Secrets That Actually Drive Placements
Welcome to another episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast! Today, we're unlocking the secrets of LinkedIn recruiting with Stephanie Holman, a powerhouse recruiter in the highly cleared national security, intel, and defense space. Hosted by Benjamin Mena, this episode explores how Stephanie Holman b…
How Recruiters Win Inbound Clients with AI Marketing
Welcome back to The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In this episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Zack Gallinger, owner of TalentHero Media and a true expert in digital marketing for recruiters. With over a decade in the industry, Zack Gallinger unpacks what’s changing in AI-driven recruitment market…
How an Industry Insider Built a Recruiting Agency From Scratch (No Fa…
Welcome to this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, where host Benjamin Mena sits down with industry insider Chance Wood—a seasoned agricultural professional turned successful recruiting agency founder. Chance shares his journey from running grain elevators and trading commodities to stumbling …
How a One-Man Recruiter Closed 22 Executive Searches by Doing What Ot…
On this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena sits down with aviation and aerospace executive search specialist Craig Picken. What makes this conversation especially compelling? Craig Picken has built a powerhouse recruiting business as a true one-man show—recently closing an i…
The Outbound & Discovery Playbook: How Elite Recruiters Close More De…
Welcome back to The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In this episode, host Benjamin Mena is joined by Conor Kline, Head of Revenue at Pin, for a no-nonsense playbook on outbound recruiting, discovery, and closing more deals. Most recruiters never receive formal sales training—they pick up bits and pieces f…
Advanced Closing Mastery: Steve Finkel’s Framework to Triple Your Pla…
Welcome back to The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In this episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down for part two of an insightful interview with legendary recruitment trainer and author Steve Finkel. If you haven’t checked out part one yet, make sure to listen to it first to catch all the groundwork for tod…
The Art of Closing: Steve Finkel Reveals Why Most Recruiters Lose Off…
Welcome to another episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In this episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down with industry legend Steve Finkel—often called the godfather of recruiting training—to dig deep into the art and science of closing as a recruiter. As the landscape of talent acquisition rapi…
The Pro Athlete Mindset That Creates World-Class Recruiters
Get ready for another game-changing episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast! This time, Benjamin Mena sits down with Jared Watts, a former MLS pro athlete who seamlessly transitioned his competitive mindset from the soccer field to the recruiting world—and absolutely crushed it. In this episode, you…
From 6 Months With No Placements to Million-Dollar Biller: The Femini…
Welcome to another episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In today’s episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down with powerhouse recruiter Emily Audibert to discuss her incredible journey from six months with no placements to becoming a million-dollar biller. Emily pulls back the curtain on what truly m…
The Hidden Operating System Behind Every High-Performing Recruiting F…
Welcome back to The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In this episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Kelsey Boyd to dive into the hidden “operating systems” that power high-performing recruiting firms. Kelsey Boyd, whose career journey took her from orchestrating playground games to leading digital and …
Scaling Your Recruiting & Staffing Firm: How Jon Davis Grew to $300M …
Welcome to this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast! Today, we dive into the incredible journey of growing a recruiting and staffing firm from zero to an astounding $300 million in revenue—and ultimately, a successful exit. Host Benjamin Mena sits down with guest Jon Davis, a true “staffing geek…
How to Build a 7-Figure Recruiting Firm That Runs Without You — Insid…
Welcome back to The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In this episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Derek Pittak for an in-depth, step-by-step exploration of building a 7-figure recruiting firm that operates smoothly—even without you at the helm. This is Part 2 of their EOS (Entrepreneurial Operatin…
How to Build a 7-Figure Recruiting Firm That Runs Without You — Insid…
Welcome to The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In today's episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Derek Pittak, a seasoned entrepreneur and certified EOS implementer who’s helped over 40 staffing companies transform their chaos into scalable clarity. We dive into Derek Pittak’s unconventional journey f…
From $900K Recruiter to AI Founder: How Jessica Oliver Built Her Own …
What happens when a $900K-a-year recruiter decides to stop building for others—and builds her own AI product instead? Jessica Oliver didn’t have a tech background. No coding degree. No startup team. But that didn’t stop her f...
From Chaos to Clarity: How EOS Helps Recruiting Firms Triple Revenue …
Recruiting can feel like total chaos—constant fires, endless admin, and a million moving parts. But what if there were a simple system that top firms use to triple revenue , double profitability , and finally calm the madness...
The Wall Street Talent Agent Redefining Recruiting: John Pierson on R…
Welcome back to The Elite Recruiter Podcast! In this episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down with John Pierson, the former Marine and CEO of P2 Investments, who’s redefining what it means to be a recruiter on Wall Street. John shares his unconventional journey from presidential air traffic controller…
How I Built a $4M Recruitment Agency and Walked Away: Lessons, Offsho…
On this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Gregory Fischer, a recruitment agency founder who built his company from the ground up to an impressive $4 million in gross margin and $1.4 million EBITDA—only to make the bold move to walk away from it all. Greg shar…