What if your job board wasn’t just a posting platform but the top of your sales funnel? In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, Jordan Whilden shares how he built Ministry Hub, a faith-based executive search firm, by turning a niche job board into a lead generation engine. Combined with a high-converting cold email strategy, Jordan’s approach allows him to win new clients consistently without relying on traditional cold calls or heavy outbound tactics.
If you’re a recruitment agency owner looking for a more innovative, more scalable way to attract clients, this episode offers a practical blueprint for building trust, delivering value up front, and generating recurring revenue through tech-enabled services.
Episode Outline and Highlights
- [2:48] From full-time ministry to launching a job board side hustle
- [4:44] The evolution from job board to full-service recruiting and tech platform
- [6:47] Making the leap from pastor to business owner
- [8:01] First-year lessons: underpricing, overwhelm, and early wins
- [10:49] Why building a custom ATS was the next step—and how it works
- [12:07] A flexible service model to match client needs and budgets
- [13:39] How “serve first” creates trust and long-term client wins
- [16:31] Using the job board as a lead magnet and sales funnel
- [20:44] Cold outreach strategy: 89% open rate, 17% replies, 9-email sequence
- [25:24] Tech stack breakdown: Loxo, Instantly, Dripify, Hireflix, Asana, Scribe
- [28:22] Building a 3-person offshore team and delegation strategies
- [30:42] One-way video interviews: benefits, candidate reactions, and client feedback
- [33:37] Creating standout candidate presentations and client experience
- [35:43] Why does not having a recruitment experience turn out to be an advantage
- [40:05] Hiring early: how Jordan scaled faster by taking the leap
- [44:13] How Jordan fosters team culture across time zones
- [50:13] SOPs and documentation: building for scale from the ground up
- [54:44] Building proprietary tech: the strategy behind MinistryHire ATS
- [56:22] Recurring revenue, client stickiness, and creating a real competitive moat
- [1:01:01] Balancing entrepreneurship and family life with intention
How a Job Board Became the Ultimate Client Magnet
Jordan didn’t enter recruiting with a traditional model or even traditional experience. What began as a side-hustle job board to support churches in their hiring eventually became the foundation of Ministry Hub, a full-service faith-based recruitment firm supported by multiple revenue streams.
Rather than rely solely on retained search, Jordan created a tiered service model that gives clients choice, affordability, and flexibility without compromising quality. Organizations can access support at any stage of their hiring journey, from self-serve job postings to full-cycle search and onboarding.
The job board not only serves as a low-barrier entry point—it’s also the top of the sales funnel. Jordan’s team uses scraped job postings to offer free or discounted listings, along with value-packed resources and advice. That connection often evolves into deeper consulting relationships, nurtured by follow-up outreach and authentic support.
Key elements of the Ministry Hub model:
- Multi-tiered services: From DIY job board access to retained search, with pricing that fits nonprofit budgets
- Job board as lead gen: Delivers immediate value and builds trust with future clients.
- Proprietary ATS (MinistryHire): Built specifically for faith-based organizations, with one-click multi-posting to 100+ ministry job boards, built-in one-way video interviews, and niche workflows designed for churches and nonprofits
- Recurring revenue: Subscription-based software now complements traditional search fees
A Values-First Growth Strategy
From the beginning, Jordan built Ministry Hub on the belief that serving first—not selling—builds a stronger, more sustainable business. Whether he’s pointing prospects to a competitor or offering free job posting advice, that posture of generosity has led to long-term relationships, trust, and consistent inbound opportunities.
“We want to help organizations move their mission forward—whether we earn a fee or not.”
By hiring an offshore team and documenting every process using tools like Asana, Loom, and Scribe, Jordan stepped out of the day-to-day delivery and into a leadership role focused on growth and innovation.
A Cold Email Funnel That Converts at 17%
Jordan’s client acquisition strategy isn’t built on cold calls, it’s driven by a thoughtful cold email campaign tied directly to job board activity. His team scrapes job ads in their niche and sends targeted outreach offering value-first resources like coupon codes, ebooks, and job ad optimization tips.
This 9-touch email sequence has delivered open rates near 90% and reply rates around 17%, which is exceptionally high compared to industry averages. A relationship-led approach positions Ministry Hub as a helpful partner from the first touch.
Cold email strategy highlights:
- 9-email sequence over several weeks
- Value-first content: job ad tips, candidate guides, ebooks
- Casual, relational tone: warm and non-salesy
- Conversion-focused follow-up as job postings age or fail to deliver
