From Rookie to $1M Recruiter by 25: Kent Depwe’s Playbook for 7-Figure Success
The Elite Recruiter Podcast
Biggest Early Career Challenge: COVID-19 Market Grind
Kent recalls 2020’s hiring freeze as a formative grind that built durable skills leading to later breakout years.
Want to break into the million-dollar biller club—no matter your age or experience? In this episode, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Kent Depwe, who billed seven figures in his second full year as a recruiter—at just 25. If you’re ready for real talk on sales, mindset, business development, and using AI tools to smash your targets, this is the episode to accelerate your growth.
🎯 Finish The Year Strong 2025 Summit – Register here: https://finish-strong-2025.heysummit.com/
🚀 Sponsorship: Atlas – AI-first ATS & CRM
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🚀 Sponsorship: Pin – AI Recruiting Assistant
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🚀 The Elite Recruiter Community
Weekly roundtables, summit replays, The Billers’ Club, and a Split Board.
Join for $49/month → https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/checkout/elite-recruiter-community
Inside the Episode
Kent reveals what it really takes to thrive in modern recruiting. Whether you’re agency-side or internal TA, you’ll learn how to scale billings fast, win top clients, handle setbacks, and use AI platforms like ChatGPT and Apollo for a competitive edge.
He shares frameworks, habits, and mental toughness that define top 1% recruiters—plus actionable advice to double or triple revenue through focus, mentorship, and client quality.
You’ll discover how to:
- Pick the right environment and mentorship to fast-track learning.
- Turn tough markets into career-defining growth.
- Deliver white-glove service that creates referral clients.
- Harness AI tools for sourcing, BD, and market mapping.
- Structure your day for consistent peak performance.
Top 5 Key Takeaways
- Mindset Wins: Great recruiters turn setbacks into fuel and never settle (00:09:56).
- Mentorship Fast-Tracks Success: Who you work for early on defines your career (00:11:06).
- AI = Force Multiplier: ChatGPT, Apollo, and LinkedIn Recruiter give you leverage old-school sourcing can’t (00:33:44).
- Quality Over Quantity: Stick with A-tier clients—one strong client can change everything (00:24:23).
- One Client, One Breakthrough: In recruiting, proximity to the right client equals life-changing success (00:55:10).
Listen, Learn & Level Up
Hungry for recruiter success stories and actionable growth advice? Hit play, subscribe, and share with your team. Connect with Benjamin and Kent to join their network of driven recruiting professionals.
Resources & Links
- Pin – AI Recruiting Assistant: https://www.pin.com/
- Atlas – AI-first ATS & CRM: https://recruitwithatlas.com
- The Elite Recruiter Community: https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/checkout/elite-recruiter-community
- Finish The Year Strong 2025 Summit: https://finish-strong-2025.heysummit.com/
- Subscribe to The Elite Recruiter Podcast: https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
- YouTube: https://youtu.be/85KAShS4-Yo
- Follow Kent Depwe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentdepwe/
- Host – Benjamin Mena, Select Source Solutions: http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/
- Benjamin Mena LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena/
- Benjamin Mena Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benlmena/
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