Agency vs. Internal vs. Fractional: Kaylee Estes on Revenue, Relationships, and Reinventing Recruiting for 2025 artwork
The Elite Recruiter Podcast

Agency vs. Internal vs. Fractional: Kaylee Estes on Revenue, Relationships, and Reinventing Recruiting for 2025

  • S1E234
  • 51:33
  • April 28th 2025

Ever wondered why some recruiting partnerships skyrocket while others hit a wall? Are you missing a golden opportunity by not understanding the real needs of internal talent teams?

 

This episode is sponsored by The Agency Blueprint – the go-to coaching program for recruiters who want to scale without the chaos.


In this value-packed episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Kaylee Estes (she/her), who’s lived every facet of the recruiting world: agency, internal, and launching her own firm. As recruiting continuously evolves toward 2025—with market instability, tech layoffs, and the demand for new hiring models—many recruiters and agency owners struggle with unpredictable revenue, stalled client relationships, and confusion about how to truly partner with internal talent teams. Tuning in, you’ll learn timely strategies for building trust, leveraging fractional and embedded solutions, and adapting your approach to align with both client needs and today’s fast-moving hiring landscape.


Listen and discover:

  • Insider secrets from both sides of the recruiting table: what internal TA leaders really want, and how embedded or fractional recruiting can unlock new, stable revenue streams while deepening client partnerships.
  • Practical, actionable frameworks for shifting your sales process from transactional pitches to relationship-driven conversations that differentiate you from the crowd—and land you repeat business.
  • Proven tools, time management tricks, and tips for balancing business growth with life outside of work—especially valuable for solopreneurs, parents, and those ready to launch their own agency.


Ready to transform your recruiting business, close bigger deals, and build lasting client trust? Hit play now and get Kaylee's winning strategies that you can implement right away!

 

This episode is sponsored by The Agency Blueprint – the go-to coaching program for recruiters who want to scale without the chaos.

If you’re making placements but your revenue is inconsistent, your client pipeline is unpredictable, or you’re still in the delivery trenches every day – this is how you fix that.

You’ll get the exact blueprint used by top recruitment agencies to consistently land clients, improve delivery, and scale with automation, AI and a remote team. 

James Blackwell, the founder of The Agency Blueprint, built a 7-figure recruitment agency in the UK and now mentors recruiters and agency owners around the world. His team works closely with a select group of driven individuals ready to scale.

👉 Head to www.theagencyblueprint.com to book your free Recruiter Strategy Call and find out if it’s the right fit for you.

Again – that’s theagencyblueprint.com.


AI Recruiting Summit 2025 – Registration: https://ai-recruiting-summit-2025.heysummit.com/

Finish The Year Strong 2025 – Registration: https://rock-the-year-2025.heysummit.com/

Free Trial of PeopleGPT and its AI Agents: https://juicebox.ai/?via=b6912d

Free Trial of Talin AI: https://app.talin.ai/signup?via=recruiter


Signup for future emails from The Elite Recruiter Podcast: https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe

 YouTube: https://youtu.be/gsBlVST5MOo

 

Follow Kaylee Estes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylee-estes/


With your Host Benjamin Mena with Select Source Solutions: http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/

 Benjamin Mena LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena/

 Benjamin Mena Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benlmena/

The Elite Recruiter Podcast

The Elite Recruiter Podcast is the number one podcast for recruiting professionals.

This is where the top recruiters share:  How they got there. What kind of work did it take. Tips, Tools, and Tricks. The Mindset needed to get them to where they are. What they are doing with their success. Goals and visions for the future. So please join me on this journey as I interview some of the best in our industry.

Benjamin Mena

The Elite Recruiter Podcast Host

http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/

Meet the Hosts

Benjamin Mena avatar
Benjamin Mena
Host

Benjamin Mena is a Managing Partner of Select Source Solutions a boutique staffing agency based in the Washington DC Metro.

He specializes in GovCon, Cyber, Blockchain, Web3, Talent Acquisition recruiting along with many other things.

http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/