🎧 The Elite Recruiter Podcast

Finish The Year Strong Starts TOMORROW - Oct 13th - Registration is open 

YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS EVENT!!!! All the summits this year have been preparing for this one!

30+ SPEAKERS!! CRUSH Q4!

In today’s newsletter:

Latest Episodes:

• How Kent Depwe Became a Million-Dollar Recruiter by 25: Mindset, Tactics & Tools for Next-Level Success

• What Most Leaders Get Wrong—And How Justin Bellante Gets It Right

Elite Recruiter Community has launched

Over the last few years, thousands of recruiters have joined our summits — from the AI Recruiting Summit to Finish The Year Strong and beyond.

Now, every one of those trainings, expert sessions, and replays is coming together in one place: The Elite Recruiter Community.

Inside, you’ll get:

• 🎥 Summit replays from every event, organized into courses

• 🗓 Biweekly recruiter roundtables to go deeper in real time

• 📈 Billers’ Club to share wins & keep score (Find your running buddies)

• 🤝 A Split & Opportunities Board to turn reqs & candidates into deals

I’ve had people tell me this should easily be $249/month or more. But that was never the goal. I wanted to make this one of the best bangs for your buck in recruiting — a place where ambitious recruiters can grow, learn, and win together.

👉 Pricing is $49/month.

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

LATEST EPISODES:

How Kent Depwe Became a Million-Dollar Recruiter by 25: Mindset, Tactics & Tools for Next-Level Success

Hey Elite Recruiters!

We’re back with another powerhouse episode of the Elite Recruiter Podcast! This week, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Kent Depwe (make sure to follow him) who went from knowing nothing about recruiting to billing over a million dollars in his second full year (at just 25 years old!). If you need proof that recruiting success isn’t just for industry veterans, or you’re searching for that spark to chase bigger goals, this conversation is for you.

Highlights from This Episode:

🚀 How it Started vs. How it’s Going
Kent shares how he “fell” into recruiting straight out of college, starting with a $35k base and no clue what the job really entailed. Fast forward a couple of years: he’s now a 3x, million-dollar biller and aiming for his fourth year at that level!

💡 The Mental Framework of a Top Producer
Recruiting is a rollercoaster. Kent’s biggest career advice? Don’t let tough breaks discourage you—double down when things go wrong. It’s all about mindset, grit, and not spiraling when things don’t go your way.

🔗 Why Your Manager Matters
Kent attributes a huge part of his success to learning directly from a mentor who was one of the company's top billers. His advice: If you’re early in your career, pick your manager—not just your company or comp plan!

📈 Business Development Secrets
From heavy outreach to leveraging referrals (which now make up about half his business), Kent walks through how he ramped up from zero clients, churned through 40 MSAs, and strategically focused on quality over quantity to build a world-class desk.

🧠 How Tech and AI Stack Up Today
From LinkedIn Recruiter to Apollo and the power of ChatGPT, Kent is using the game’s latest tech to become more efficient—and he shares exactly how AI has changed the way he maps the market and delivers for clients.

🔥 Real Talk: The Cost of Success
Yes, the million-dollar lifestyle is achievable—but Kent keeps it real. It comes with long hours, discipline, and tough choices. But if you’re hungry, it’s worth every late night.

🌟 The One Client Principle
"All it takes is one really good client to change your life." Read that again.

Quick Tips from Kent:

• Always write down your goals and post them where you can see them daily.

• Be relentless—when you hit a rough patch, don’t ease up, double down.

• Surround yourself with the best (even if it’s virtual), and be a sponge for learning.

• If you want top biller earnings, treat recruiting like the sales game it is.

Episode Sponsors!

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Check out the full interview!

Spotify: Link

Apple Podcast: Link

YouTube: Link

What Most Leaders Get Wrong—And How Justin Bellante Gets It Right

🎙️ Episode Highlights:

_{Get ready for an inspiring edition of The Elite Recruiter Podcast newsletter! This week, host Benjamin Mena sits down with returning guest Justin Bellante (make sure to follow him), who shares his powerful journey from humble beginnings to running a thriving, mission-driven recruiting agency. If you need a boost of motivation and actionable business tips, this is the episode for you}.

What’s Inside This Episode:

🔸 Turning Struggles into Purpose
Justin opens up about growing up in a challenging household and how it inspired his passion for serving community-based nonprofits, especially Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). He talks about why giving opportunities to others isn’t just business—it’s a mission.

🔸 Business Development That Works in 2024 Tired of spammy outreach? Justin is doubling down on the power of genuine phone calls and one-to-one personalized emails. He shares proven techniques for breaking through the noise—plus, actual BD voicemail and call scripts that get real results.

🔸 Team Building & Opportunity Creation Learn how Justin’s firm went from a three-person startup to a 20-strong team in under three years. He dives into making great hires (even if they come from Target or the world of acting!), scaling the right way, and fostering a culture where everyone’s dreams matter.

🔸 Consistency, Mindset, and the Real Work Behind Success Discover Justin’s approach to maintaining motivation (hint: marathon training helps!), consistently hitting numbers, and building self-esteem by keeping promises—to others and yourself.

🔸 The Power of Community Benjamin kicks off the upcoming Elite Recruiter Community—a space where recruiters can connect, access exclusive content, and finish the year strong. Get details on founder pricing and upcoming summits.

Top Takeaways:

• Old-school tactics—like direct calls—are working better than ever.

• Market mapping and granular research can give your agency a massive edge.

• Building self-esteem (and fighting imposter syndrome) means keeping the promises you make to yourself.

• If you’re thinking about launching your own agency or a niche podcast, start simple and iterate—real progress beats perfection every time.

• Partnerships in business are a lot like marriages—choose wisely and communicate clearly!

Don’t Miss:

• Justin’s advice for new and seasoned recruiters: focus on attitude, work ethic, and having a little faith.

• Lessons for agency owners and recruiters on what it really takes to win in this industry.

• Tech and tools—from ATS systems to the surprising continued value of Indeed.

🎧 Ready to get inspired and take actionable notes?
Catch the full conversation now [link to episode].

Here’s to crushing your recruiting goals—and helping your team hit theirs.

This episode is sponsored by Hoxo, Their Bootcamp helps recruitment founders turn a few hours a week on LinkedIn into inbound leads, candidate demand, and real business growth—powered by their proven 3X System. —visit Hoxo.

Listener Bonus: Mention The Elite Recruiter Podcast and get £500 off.

Check out the full interview!

Spotify: Link

Apple Podcast: Link

YouTube: Link

📈TRENDING TOPICS and THINGS I AM CURIOUS ABOUT

📲Recruiting Tool - Juicebox! Generative AI Powered Sourcing!

❓Thought of the week - Looking for a coach? I have a list of recruiting coaches here. If you have had a good experience with one of them, share in the comments so other people know: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-recruiting-coaches-2025-benjamin-mena-fmzge/?trackingId

Ready to Level Up?

Finish The Year Strong 2025 Oct 13th-17th - Registration is open (The actual correct link)

Join The Elite Recruiter Community: https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/checkout/elite-recruiter-community