How an Industry Insider Built a Recruiting Agency From Scratch (No Fancy Tools)

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Episode Hook

He wasn’t a lifelong recruiter.

He didn’t have a tech stack, automation, or AI hacks.

Yet he built a profitable recruiting agency anyway — by doing what most recruiters avoid.

🚀 Atlas – AI-first ATS & CRM

Automates admin, syncs resumes and emails, and uses AI to build polished candidate profiles and reports — so recruiters can focus on revenue.

👉 https://recruitwithatlas.com/

Why This Episode Matters

Most recruiters think they need better tools, better scripts, or better tech to win.

This episode proves that belief is holding you back.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your industry background, relationships, and phone skills are enough to build a real recruiting business — this conversation will change how you see your potential.

What You’ll Learn

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The exact mindset shift that allowed an industry professional to outperform career recruiters
• Why old-school phone calls still beat automation for business development
• How to use NPCs (Named Potential Candidates) to win clients before roles ever open
• The hidden mistake new agency owners make when trying to scale too fast
• How saving $1.5M in agency fees made him dangerous as a founder
• Why recruiters fail when leaving industry — and how to avoid it
• How to build a niche so strong clients trust you before the first call

About the Guest

Chance Wood is the founder of One Degree Agriculture, a recruiting firm built entirely on industry expertise, relationships, and execution. After transitioning from agency recruiting to in-house TA — where he saved his company over $1.5M — Chance launched his own firm and quickly surpassed six figures without relying on “fancy tools.”

Extended Value Tease

Imagine building a recruiting business where clients trust you because you’ve lived their world.

Where business development feels natural instead of forced.

Where your background becomes your unfair advantage.

This episode is a blueprint for recruiters who want freedom, simplicity, and leverage — without chasing every new tool or trend.

Listen Now

If you want to grow your desk or agency using relationships, clarity, and execution — hit play.

This is one of those episodes that changes how you approach recruiting.

Timestamp Highlights

• 00:01 – Why industry professionals underestimate their recruiting power
• 05:30 – What a “grain elevator” is and why lived experience matters
• 09:45 – The recruiter experience that shaped his philosophy
• 12:20 – Landing revenue in 18 days as a brand-new recruiter
• 19:30 – Why going in-house made him a better founder
• 22:00 – Saving $1.5M by running TA like an agency
• 27:00 – The moment he knew it was time to go solo
• 29:45 – What he did in his first week as a founder
• 34:00 – Why NPCs beat job orders for BD
• 36:30 – His exact “one-two punch” outreach approach
• 40:00 – Why AI won’t save weak business development
• 44:00 – The biggest scaling mistake he made
• 49:00 – Advice for industry professionals considering recruiting
• 52:00 – The family conversation every founder must get right

Summit + Community

🎯 2026 Sales & BD Recruiter Summit

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

💼 Elite Recruiter Community

All summits, replays, Billers Club + split opportunities

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

Tools & Links

🔹 Pin → https://www.pin.com/

🔹 Email List → https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe

▶️ YouTube:

👤 Chance Wood → https://www.linkedin.com/in/chancetywood/

🌐 Benjamin Mena → http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/

🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena/