Becker Business Podcast: Advisors of the Month—Dylan and Brett Werner of Elevate Talent Advisors

Air Date: January 7, 2026
Host: Scott Becker
Guests: Dylan Werner & Brett Werner (Founders, Elevate Talent Advisors)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Scott Becker welcomes brothers Dylan and Brett Werner—co-founders of Elevate Talent Advisors—for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, the realities of launching a search and staffing firm, and practical advice for both employers and job seekers. The Werners share their story, the philosophies guiding their business, and personal insights into building relationships and sustaining growth in a competitive industry.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins & Mission of Elevate Talent Advisors

• Startup Story:

  • Dylan began Elevate Talent Advisors alone before Brett joined two weeks later, recognizing the synergy in their complementary skills.
  • [00:51] Dylan Werner: “I was grinding through things and I talked to my brother six, seven times a day and after about two weeks he’s like, all right, enough, I’m joining you.”

• Passion-Driven Approach:

  • Both brothers describe recruiting as a “people business,” emphasizing the joy and impact in helping others find the right opportunity.
  • [01:55] Brett Werner: “It was a no brainer for us to put this thing together, but really comes from a passion first place of helping people get to where they want to be.”

2. Early Challenges & Turning Points

• Difficult Early Months:

  • Launched just before a tough economic stretch for recruiting.
  • Struggled with brand recognition in a crowded market with over 20,000 recruiting firms.
  • Found success by leveraging personal networks, but learned that early wins could be misleading about ongoing difficulty.
  • [02:55] Brett Werner: “There’s 20,000 recruiting companies across the US alone. What’s going to make us special?... our separator is only as good as us two.”

• First Client & Building Pipeline:

  • First placement came at about the three-month mark by leveraging their own networks and industry backgrounds.
  • [04:25] Dylan Werner: "It took us three months to land our first placement... our first placement came fast, which was a blessing and a curse."

• Mindset & Grit:

  • The brothers stress grit, persistence, and honest self-reflection as critical to surviving the early, lean period.
  • [06:33] Brett Werner: “Those first three months are... there’s some sleepless nights, there’s some self doubt. But when you dive into what our goal statement and our mission was…it was going to be to never give up and do whatever it took to grind.”

3. Core Business Philosophy

• Alignment over Volume:

  • As they matured, the Werners learned the importance of working only with aligned, quality clients.
  • [08:33] Dylan Werner: “Doing business with people that don’t align with us…that made our placements bad... we really, really try to do business with people that we align with.”

• Personalized, Consultative Approach:

  • Deep dives with both candidates and clients—emphasis on fit beyond just technical skills.
  • Quality and longevity over quantity for placements.
  • [10:35] Brett Werner: “It really is a rewarding business when you place people…that call you and tell you, you just changed my life... It’s important to find out about the technical skills and environmental skills, but we operate wanting to understand the soft skills and what’s going to make somebody stick.”

4. The Power of Networking and “Straddling” Side Gigs

• Constant Outreach:

  • Success comes from tireless outreach—"grinding" in both their core business and by leveraging connections made in coaching basketball and boxing outside office hours.
  • [12:30] Dylan Werner: “The job is never close the laptop... you’re done at 5... we take it with us no matter what we’re doing in the world. And constantly grinding.”

• Side Careers as Synergy:

  • Coaching and athletics aren’t just side hustles; they’re key to network expansion and lead generation.
  • [13:48] Dylan Werner: “Everybody follows up with, ‘Oh my God, I have a friend that needs a job, or my dad’s hiring.’”
  • [14:28] Brett Werner: “It’s the old cliche of your one handshake away from changing your life… Our secondary things enhance our day business.”

• Debate: “Burn the Boats” vs. Balanced Hustle:

  • Both value diversifying and building cross-disciplinary networks over putting all eggs in one basket.
  • [14:28] Brett Werner: “For us to be able to get out, get into a new environment, meet new people, really enhances our day business, too.”

5. Vision for the Future (3–5 Years)

• Scaling with Industry Specialists:
  • Plan to build a team with recruiters from diverse industries—leveraging 1099 model initially—who deeply understand their respective sectors.
  • [15:59] Dylan Werner: “We want to start building an actual team... hire... from different industries so our clients are talking to someone that’s been in their shoes.”

6. Practical Advice for Employers & Job Seekers

For Employers:

• Rely on referrals and partnerships with recruiters who understand both soft and technical skills to streamline hiring beyond the volume of generic applications.
• [17:59] Brett Werner: “People that are looking to hire... are overwhelmed... Our job is not just to find something one time, but we want to work with you for decades to come.”

For Job Seekers:

• Identify your real passions—don’t just take a job to pay the bills if possible; aim for a fulfilling and sustainable path.
• Recognize opportunities in less obvious sectors (such as trades) that may offer more openings and growth.
• [19:33] Dylan Werner: “What do you really want to do? If I can help you find a job in your true passion, then you’re going to want to grow through the ranks there.”
• Don’t sell yourself short, even if lacking perfect qualifications or confidence.
• [23:19] Brett Werner: “Never sell yourself short... You never know what opportunity is going to present itself and where it’s going to take you.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Early-Stage Entrepreneurship:
  [06:33] Brett Werner: “Those days are challenging, but we found ways to continue to push through... pushing each other when the other one was down, when the other guy had optimism... two years later, we’re still here and kicking.”

• On the Reward of Recruiting:
  [10:35] Brett Werner: “Somebody calling you and telling you that you just changed their lives or their family’s lives is so rewarding in this business.”

• On the Synergy of Side Gigs:
  [13:48] Dylan Werner: “After we are done, quote, unquote, recruiting for the day... the people that we’re training, the parents, whoever it may be, kids that are out of college, we’re constantly having conversations.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Background: 00:00–02:37
• Early Challenges and First Client: 02:37–05:51
• Mindset & Operating Principles: 05:51–10:35
• Networking, Multiple Hustles, and Growth: 10:35–15:33
• Vision for the Future: 15:33–17:47
• Advice for Employers & Job Seekers: 17:47–23:19
• Closing Reflections: 23:19–24:51

Summary

Dylan and Brett Werner, through a blend of relentless networking, a relationship-first philosophy, and leveraging their extracurricular passions, have built Elevate Talent Advisors as a mission-driven recruiting firm. Their experience offers hard-won wisdom for new entrepreneurs, practical strategies for employers and job seekers alike, and a testament to the value of authenticity, persistence, and purpose in business.