The Elite Recruiter Podcast

Ready to close your strongest quarter ever and build a seven-figure recruitment business—even if you’re facing setbacks? In this episode, host Benjamin Mena welcomes Julia Arpag, CEO & Founder of Aligned Recruitment , who shares how she went from being laid off postpartum to building a $900K recruiting agency in just 18 months. 🎯 Finish The Year Strong 2025 Summit – Register here: https://fin...

Are you ready to discover what truly drives top recruiting teams and firm owners in 2024? This episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast goes deep with Justin Bellante, a healthcare recruiting firm owner, on the real tactics and mindsets that turn average recruiters into extraordinary leaders. Whether you’re a recruiter hungry for your next breakthrough or a firm owner on the edge of scaling up, this...

Is AI about to make sourcing obsolete? The recruiting landscape is shifting FAST—and if you’re not evolving, you’re about to get run over. Host Benjamin Mena sits down with renowned recruiter Brian Fink in a high-voltage episode packed with strategies and mindset shifts to help you outpace the AI revolution. Whether you’re in-house, agency, or leading TA strategy, this is your roadmap to stay rele...

Are you ready to break free from the “average recruiter” grind and join the ranks of million-dollar billers? If you’re a recruiter, search firm owner, or ambitious TA pro, this episode is your backstage pass to the playbook that’s built one of Texas’ highest-billing recruiting teams. Host Benjamin Mena welcomes back Jeremy Jenson (Encore Search Partners) to uncover the exact strategies that have m...

Do you feel overwhelmed by endless recruiting tech, tools, and “hacks”—but still wonder why top-billing recruiters win? This episode pulls back the curtain! Join Benjamin Mena as he sits down with powerhouse insurance recruiter Amy Simpson to unlock her 20 years of consistent, high-performance results. Amy proves that big wins come not from chasing shiny objects but from nailing the basics and bui...

Are you ready to double your recruiting billings and build unstoppable teams—all while feeling good about the sales side of recruiting? In this episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Mindi Romero , the recruiter who shattered records with $650K in accepted offers in just 24 hours. If you’re a recruiter, TA leader, or agency owner tired of cold calls and pushy pitches, this episode will electri...

Looking for the secret sauce behind building a top-tier recruiting agency in a hyper-competitive market? Want to combine heart-driven recruiting with razor-sharp business strategy? In this must-listen episode, Benjamin Mena sits down with Cari Kraft —legendary leader and top biller at Jacobs Management Group—to reveal how niching down and leading with integrity can skyrocket your recruiting busine...

Recruiters—ever wonder what separates the good from the legendary? In this special episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast , host Benjamin Mena sits down with Michael Goldman—45-year industry veteran, Pinnacle Society founding member, and recruiting “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Together they unpack the real value recruiters bring, how to survive market downturns, and how to build a legacy career that’s bigger...

Ready to punch through your recruiting plateaus and bounce back from every setback? In this inspiring episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast , host Benjamin Mena sits down with 12-time national boxing champion and Olympic team captain Cam F. Awesome . Discover what recruiters can learn from elite athletes about resilience, self-talk, and thriving under pressure—no matter how hard you get knocked d...

Struggling to hit numbers in today’s recruiting market? Craving a practical playbook for resilience and record-breaking billings? In this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast , host Benjamin Mena sits down with 7-figure producer Dan Falzarano . Discover how Dan turned a near-firing into a 15-year streak of top billing—even as markets shifted. This is the blueprint for recruiters ready to dominat...

Ready to future-proof your recruiting career in 2025? This episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast is a no-fluff masterclass on winning with AI recruiting systems. Benjamin Mena sits down with Martin Gutierrez, business development lead at SourceWhale, to reveal how top recruiters build bulletproof systems to scale placements, automate busywork, and keep the human touch that wins clients and candid...

From Survival to Seven Figures: Pree Sarkar’s Blueprint for Building a Million-Dollar Recruitment Desk 🚀 Sponsor Spotlight – Get Both AI Tools FREE For a limited time, you can try both of Sourcewhale’s game-changing AI tools— Inbox Agent and Notetaker —absolutely free. Inbox Agent : Writes replies in your tone of voice, automates personalized follow-ups, and gives you real-time outreach feedback....

Are you a recruiter struggling to stand out in an oversaturated market? Ready to discover the hidden secret that consistently produces top billers and high-value placements? In this episode, Benjamin Mena dives deep with luxury recruiting icon, Rob Bowerman, uncovering the enormous advantage of niching down, and exactly how you can use it to elevate your recruiting game in any market. AI Recruitin...

Ever wondered how to build, scale, and sell a recruiting agency for $28 million? Host Benjamin Mena welcomes back Diane Prince, who shares the inside story of her multi-million dollar staffing agency exit. Discover why niches lead to riches, what buyers seek in acquisitions, and how to scale your recruiting business—no matter your starting point. Diane openly shares the playbook for successful age...

Are you struggling with setbacks in your recruiting career and searching for the ultimate bounce-back strategy? In this can’t-miss episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, discover how Cathy Stewart—who once faced the brink of burnout and failure—rebuilt her confidence, pipeline, and reputation to soar as one of America’s top-billing executive recruiters. Tune in and learn how you, too, can turn pr...

Are you a recruiter wondering how to bounce back after a layoff and build a thriving solo business in today’s competitive market? In this episode of the Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Liam Haghighat, a recruiter who transformed career adversity into entrepreneurial success by launching a profitable solo and fractional recruiting business. If you’re facing uncertainty du...

Are you a recruiter worried that AI will replace your desk, or excited about what the future holds for staffing sales—and want to know how top producers are already leveraging technology to win? This episode is brought to you by ASCEN , the modern, all-in-one Employer of Record (EOR) and payroll solution built specifically for staffing firms. In this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Be...

Are you ready to learn what it really takes to make a million-dollar comeback—even when life throws its toughest challenges at you? In this powerful episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena sits down with renowned recruiter Rich Bradley, who opens up about his journey through 43 years in the business, his battle with cancer, and what it took to rebuild after a life-changing diagn...

Are you ready to defy the downturn and grow your recruiting business while the rest of the industry struggles? With the staffing and recruiting world facing its toughest challenges in years, many agencies are treading water or worse—shrinking. But what if you could unlock tactics and mindset shifts to not just survive, but thrive when everyone else is falling behind? This episode of The Elite Recr...

Are you still relying on cold calls and traditional sales to grow your recruiting business while others are closing million-dollar deals through inbound leads on LinkedIn? With the rapid evolution of recruiting, it’s become clear that personal branding and thought leadership on LinkedIn drive real results—filling desks with inbound business, enhancing credibility, and helping recruiters stand out...

Are you ready to discover how one bold leap of faith can launch your recruiting career to six figures—even if you’re a military spouse or starting from scratch? Many recruiters—and especially military spouses—struggle to build a stable, thriving career that can move with them, offer financial independence, and allow personal fulfillment. In today’s competitive landscape, the ability to start and b...

Are you ready to discover the secrets behind going from zero to $100 million in eight years—while future-proofing your recruiting business with AI? If you’re in recruiting or staffing, you already know how fierce the competition is, the struggle to build high-performing teams, and the pressure to adapt as AI transforms the industry. But what if you could learn directly from someone who’s led the c...

Are you ready to discover how a group of determined women transformed a living room startup into a $6 million legal recruiting powerhouse — all during a global crisis?  In this episode of the Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Aida C. Rodriguez, the founder of Ascension Global Staffing and Executive Search. Together, they unpack how building a winning team, especially in th...

Are you struggling to bounce back from setbacks in your recruiting career, wondering how top recruiters cultivate the resilience to thrive no matter what challenges come their way? In today’s recruiting landscape, high-pressure environments, economic fluctuations, and constant rejection can lead to burnout or even make you second-guess your place in the industry. If you're looking to build a long-...

Are you a recruiter dreaming of building a wildly profitable desk while traveling the world as a digital nomad—but not sure where to start?  The latest episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast uncovers the real strategies behind remote recruiting success, featuring Ashley Woods, who built a $10M+ desk while exploring 45 countries. If you've ever felt chained to your desk, burned out by endless tasks...