Most new recruiters think November/December is dead time. Big mistake. While everyone else is 'winding down,' you have the opportunity to be ramping up relationship building. Here's why this time of year is actually gold: Decision makers are more relaxed and open to conversations. There's way less competition because other recruiters are mentally checked out. Plus that January hiring surge? It starts with December conversations. People also do a lot of career reflecting during the holidays. What you should consider doing RIGHT NOW: Reach out to past colleagues with simple "Happy holidays, how's the new role going?" messages. Send actually useful stuff to your network like industry reports or salary guides. Start connecting with hiring managers who'll have fresh budget in Q1. Build relationships with candidates who might be ready to move come January. It works because you're acknowledging their reality while still opening the door for conversation. I've seen this pattern in successful freelancers I've spoken with. While everyone else hibernates, the smart ones are out there planting seeds. What's your holiday networking game plan? Let me know in the comments.

And honestly? If you're thinking about starting your own agency, your timing couldn't be better. Here's what I keep noticing: Most recruiters are still stuck doing the same tedious stuff. Sending endless emails back and forth just to schedule one interview. Playing phone tag with candidates. Chasing people down for updates. Meanwhile, the smart ones are figuring out how to automate all that boring admin work. They understand that real value isn't sending calendar invites or reminder texts. It's reading between the lines in conversations. Building trust with people. Making those human connections where everyone wins. My prediction: The agencies crushing it in 5 years won't be the huge established ones. They'll be the scrappy ones who realized they could spend most of their time actually talking to humans instead of managing their inbox. Starting fresh right now? You've got a huge leg up on the "we've always done it this way" crowd.

Launching a business is hard. It requires time, effort and, most importantly, resilience. Your first attempt WILL fail and this is not only important, but necessary. This is where all the learning comes from. Most people just try once, perhaps twice and give up. This is just human nature, but it is also what separates those who succeed from those who don't. You won't know what works until you've tried and tried and tried again, until finally it clicks. You get the calls, land the clients and make the placements. You might be one of the lucky few who hit the jackpot the first time, but you're more likely going to find yourself struggling to get that first win... This is normal, it is expected and it is part of the process. Strategies are meant to change and adapt. You already took that first step, do not let frustration and fear get in the way.