From Rock Bottom to Top Biller: Cathy Stewart’s Playbook for Elite Recruiting Success artwork
The Elite Recruiter Podcast

From Rock Bottom to Top Biller: Cathy Stewart’s Playbook for Elite Recruiting Success

  • S1E252
  • 44:55
  • July 28th 2025

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 professional droughts into record-breaking recruiting success.

 


Host Benjamin Menna sits down with Cathy Stewart, a celebrated member of the Pinnacle Society and an expert in executive recruiting for the senior living space. Cathy’s journey is raw, relatable, and incredibly motivating—she shares in detail how she lost her two biggest clients almost overnight and was left with no job orders on the calendar. Instead of giving in, Cathy doubled down, refined her process, and developed a bulletproof playbook for resilience and growth.

In this episode, you’ll uncover:

  • The critical turning points that reshaped Cathy’s mindset and recruiting methodology
  • Daily “non-negotiables” and habits that fueled her recovery and consistent performance
  • How DISC personality profiling helped her instantly build rapport with tough clients and candidates
  • Practical ways to navigate hiring slowdowns, fall-offs, and challenging markets with positivity and accountability

 


Envision transforming your toughest setbacks into launchpads for your best years in agency or executive recruiting. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned recruiter aiming for the next level, Cathy’s actionable playbook delivers everything you need:

  • How rebuilding her desk “two candidates a day” ignited a full pipeline from scratch
  • Mastering metrics, habits, and self-accountability that drive elite-level billings
  • Leveraging gratitude and mindset shifts to stay motivated, consistent, and connected
  • Building a reputation for placements that last, and client partnerships that endure

 


Ready to shift from survival mode to thriving in any recruiting market? 👉 Listen now to “From Rock Bottom to Top Biller: Cathy Stewart’s Playbook for Elite Recruiting Success.” Draw inspiration from Cathy’s true story and practical tactics—then put her strategies to work in your own recruiting desk.

Remember, top billers aren’t just made in good times—they’re forged in adversity. Subscribe to The Elite Recruiter Podcast for more recruiting best practices, or connect with Cathy Stewart on LinkedIn to continue learning from a true industry leader.


Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction to Cathy Stewart’s story

[05:00] Building resilience: Learning from setbacks

[09:30] The “two candidate a day” system

[15:00] Developing client relationships in a recruitment niche

[22:00] Mindset, accountability, and staying positive

[30:00] Habits of consistent top billers

[40:00] Favorite resources & closing advice


Listen and transform your recruiting results—no matter where you’re starting from!

This episode was sponsored by Pin - Pin, your 24/7Recruiting Assistant https://www.pin.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

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

 YouTube: https://youtu.be/NPYqWeab9AI

 Follow Cathy Stewart on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-stewart-338b871a/

 

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 the founder of Select Source Solutions and the host of The Elite Recruiter Podcast — one of the top global podcasts for agency and executive recruiters. With over a decade of experience placing top talent in the government contracting (GovCon) and cleared space, Ben brings a no-BS approach to the business of recruiting.

Each week, he interviews high-performing recruiters, agency owners, and industry innovators to uncover the real stories behind their success. From six-figure solo producers to million-dollar billers and AI-powered solopreneurs, Ben’s mission is simple: help recruiters level up their careers and businesses through actionable insights, raw conversations, and a community of like-minded professionals.

Based between the U.S. and Bordeaux, France, Ben is also a dad, summit host, and advocate for the future of AI-powered recruiting.