The Recruiter Partnership
I don't compete with
your search.
I protect your placement.
The recruiter introduces. The client pays directly. Your placement fee is untouched. Your candidate starts into a working operation, not a rebuild.
Paul Lukert.
Three landscape companies built. Thirty years in the field. Most of the mistakes already made.
When to call me
The risk isn't yours. But it determines whether you get paid.
Searches don't fail on the candidate pool. They fail on the client. Scope drifts. Decisions stall. Candidates hesitate late. Offers go to the wrong people, get declined by the right ones. Every one of those is an operations problem with a recruiting price tag.
"We lost our GM."
"We're 60 days into this search."
"Things are starting to slip."
Two Engagement Types
Different problems. Different products.
Sprint and Full Seat are not different sizes of the same thing. They solve different problems. Choose based on where the client is in the search and how much the operation is leaking.
01 · Stabilization Sprint
Diagnostic. Before it breaks.
Something feels off. The operation hasn't broken yet. The client wants a read before the search closes.
- Full operational read in under three weeks.
- Decision clarity installed in the highest-risk areas, week one.
- Time and margin leak map. Written. Prioritized.
- The operation gets stable while your search runs.
Use when:
the client says "something feels off" but hasn't fully broken, and you need the search to keep moving.
Investment
$24,000 all-in
02 · Full Seat Engagement
In the seat. Until yours arrives.
The seat is empty. Decisions are stalling. Your candidate is still ninety days from a start date and the operation can't wait.
- Interim GM / COO in the seat. Full P&L authority.
- Decision Rights Framework handed to your placement at the end.
- Exit aligned with your candidate's start date.
- 30-day overlap. Your placement ramps into stability, not chaos.
Use when:
the search is sixty days in, the operation is starting to slip, and your candidate's first ninety days will determine whether they stay.
Investment
$26,000 / mo all-in
If the client says
"What's actually going on?"
Sprint.
Sprint.
If the client says
"We need someone running this now."
Full Seat.
Full Seat.
Why this protects your fee
Two ways the search fails. The deal stops closing, or the placement quits inside ninety days. I work on the first so the second doesn't show up.
Pricing & Terms
Fixed terms. Fixed pricing. So the introduction stays clean.
Fixed fee per engagement. Travel built in. Your placement fee untouched. Every term agreed before day one.
Stabilization Sprint
2 to 3 weeks · all-in · travel built in · diagnostic and stabilization while your search runs
$24,000 all-in
Full Seat Engagement
60 to 180 days · 3.5 days onsite weekly + Friday remote · 30-day overlap with your placement
$26,000 / mo all-in
Travel Tiers
Standard rate covers Tier 1 markets: Southeast, Texas, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic. Tier 2 markets(West Coast, Mountain West, Northeast metros) carry a $2,500/month premium built into the rate. Tier confirmed in the engagement letter before signing.
Recruiter Fee
Untouched.
Your name does not appear on my invoice. No referral fee, no kickback structure.
30-Day Overlap
Optional handoff month with your placement at engagement end. Transition Memo provided.
Authority
Full operational authority defined in the Statement of Work
before day one.
Deposit
33%
on signed engagement letter. Balance in equal monthly installments.
Payment
ACH or wire. Net 15
from invoice date.
Cancellation
Either party with 30-day written notice.
Pre-engagement schedule applies.
Founding Engagement Rate
A limited number of founding engagements
are available in exchange for case study development and reference access. Inquire for current availability.
Limited Slots
Sunset Dec 31, 2026
Common Questions
The questions recruiters ask first.
Sprint or Full Seat. How do I know which to recommend?
Different products, different problems. Sprint
is for early. When the client says "something feels off" but hasn't fully broken. Two to three weeks, written diagnostic, immediate stabilization. Full Seat
is for when the seat is empty. The search is 60+ days in, the operation is starting to slip, and your candidate's first ninety days will determine whether they stay. 60 to 180 days, in the seat. Sprint is not a smaller version of Full Seat. They solve different problems. If you're unsure, recommend a 20-minute call and I'll tell the client which one fits.
Why should I refer to you instead of just letting the client tough it out?
Because the longer your client goes without a leader, the more likely the search itself starts to fail. Scope drifts. Decisions stall. Candidates hesitate in late rounds. Offers get accepted by the wrong people and declined by the right ones. And if your placement does start, they're more likely to quit inside 90 days.
Your guarantee triggers. You do the search again for free. Your reputation with that client takes a hit. I keep the operation stable enough that the search closes cleanly and the placement holds. The math favors the referral.
Will my client think I'm farming them out for a kickback?
No. There is no kickback. I bill the client directly at my standard rate. My invoice does not include a referral line. You can introduce me as someone you trust who fills the gap, full stop. You stay clean.
What if your interim work makes them realize they don't need my permanent hire?
It will not, because I am explicit with every client from day one. My role is interim. I have a defined exit. My deliverables are designed to make your placement succeed. If anything, I make them more confident in the permanent hire
because they see what good leadership looks like in their seat. I have not converted a single interim into a permanent role at the client.
I already have someone I refer to. Why add another name?
Good. You should have a bench. Different interims work for different situations. Some are better at PE-backed turnarounds, some are better at family-owned companies. I would rather be the second name on your list and earn the call when the first person is unavailable
than not be on your list at all.
How is the partnership structured? What's expected of the recruiter?
The default is goodwill.
You benefit because your placement sticks. There is no formal referral fee structure. Some recruiters prefer reciprocal referrals (my clients who need permanent placement go to your firm), and we can structure that informally. The cleanest version is the simplest one
: you make the introduction when it fits, I do the work, your placement sticks, and we both look good.
What does the first call look like?
20 minutes. First five minutes: I ask about your book. Verticals, client size, typical search timeline. I take notes.
Next ten minutes: I tell you a story of a recent engagement, told as a recruiter-introduces-and-protects-the-placement story. Last five minutes: walk through the mechanics. End by asking if you have a search right now where this would help.
The Next Step
A 20-minute call.
And a name added to your bench.
Tell me about your book and your current searches. I'll tell you whether there's a fit on any of them. If not, I'll be a useful name when the next vacancy comes through.
Book the CallNo pitch. No deck. A peer conversation about your searches.