Are you putting up with companies who aren’t your ideal clients? Does the thought of asking for a retainer or increasing your rates scare the hell out of you? Do you have a mind block to being more specialized or refocusing on a niche that’s truly aligned with the direction you want to take your recruitment business?
In this interview, my special guest Jackie Rothschild shares how after years of struggle, a change in approach and mindset enabled her to attract the right clients – clients who were willing to work with her as a true partner. You’ll also hear Jackie’s inspiring story of resilience, and how a health crisis was the catalyst for renewed determination to succeed and no longer being willing to settle.
Jackie is a Human capital advisor and retained search executive for PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) and Physician practice owners who want to grow their business and hire the most qualified PBM, healthcare executives and clinicians.
Episode Outline and Highlights
- [1:46] Jackie’s journey from being a licensed pharmacist to becoming a recruiter.
- [10:09] Jackie reveals her struggles and lessons when starting her recruitment firm from the ground up.
- [16:26] How you should define your niche if working in a broad industry.
- [21:30] How to identify the best client you should be working with.
- [26:23] Training a Virtual Assistant from administrative tasks to making placement – how Jackie developed her VA
- [32:46] Jackie’s recent biggest challenge and how it defines resilience.
- [49:58] Getting off the hamster wheel through retained business.
From a Successful Pharmaceutical Career to a Starting a Recruitment Business
Jackie shared her successful career as a licensed pharmacist when she worked in the Pharmacy Benefit Industry (PBM) for 15 years. Being a friendly person, she built an extensive network of connections. Her friends made her a point of contact if ever they needed to hire a specialist in the industry. This made Jackie realise that recruitment is something she should try. Even with no prior background, she took a massive salary cut, took a risk, and started her recruitment career.
She was then assigned to build a branch for her staffing firm which became a huge success. This is when her husband encouraged her to start her recruitment firm. It was a strange idea in the beginning since she had no business background. She took a risk and started Acclaimed Staffing. At the onset, things were okay but were not clicking. This is where her story becomes interesting. She shared her struggles and learnings. You will hear instances of failures and adversities, but what will resonate is her journey of resilience.
COVID Setbacks and Surviving Cancer
An astonishing revelation that Jackie shared in our interview is how she was able to overcome a series of devastating events. In 2020, Jackie’s business was affected by the pandemic. At that time, she was also diagnosed with a very rare type of cancer with which very few medical professionals in the country can deal with it. As she was recovering from surgery, her husband had a heart attack.
Those were trying times for Jackie and her husband. What type of treatment did Jackie have to endure? How was she able to manage her business? How is Jackie doing now? I am confident that you will be inspired by her story of grit, resilience, and courage. Her husband calls Jackie a badass, and once you hear her story I think you’ll agree!
Getting off the Hamster Wheel Through Retained Business
Jackie shared how she learned to filter the best client when she shifted to the retained business model. For her, it was a change in mindset. This enabled her to walk away from new clients that are not really a good fit and made her focus on her partners or clients that stood by her. If you are contemplating whether you should consider shifting from a contingent to a retained search model, I highly recommend hearing out how it became a game-changer for Jackie.
