Tonya Leadman went nine months without a single placement.Seven searches were put on hold. Two offers fell through. Cash flow tightened. And her accountant called to check if she was okay.Tonya is the owner of Leadman & Associates, a national executive search firm serving the food, beverage, and CPG manufacturing industries. After building her career as a top performer in the MRI Network and later moving in-house as a Fortune 500 talent acquisition leader, she launched her own firm in 2022.Then the market turned — and placements stopped.In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, Tonya shares what actually keeps a recruitment business alive during a prolonged downturn — without dropping fees, spamming clients with resumes, or compromising standards.She also breaks down the candidate presentation system behind her 92% interview rate, why she only submits the top two or three candidates, and the activity that kept her visible when most recruiters disappeared.This is a real conversation about resilience, discipline, and leadership when placements stop.You’ll learn:What to do when your recruitment business goes months without a placementHow Tonya maintained standards during a nine-month droughtWhy submitting fewer candidates builds more trust with clientsThe candidate presentation process behind a 92% interview rateHow staying visible during a downturn pays off when the market turnsWhy Tonya fired a client when cash flow was tightHow career services helped stabilise revenue without losing focusHow fast recruiting can turn around when momentum returnsEpisode timestamps:00:00 Nine months without a placement01:40 Returning from maternity leave to a layoff03:10 The habits that shaped Tonya’s early success14:35 The candidate presentation system behind a 92% interview rate18:19 Why Tonya submits only the top 2–3 candidates30:33 Launching a firm during a tough market39:00 Seven searches on hold and the drought begins43:02 The activity that kept her business alive44:30 Firing a client during a downturn49:17 Career services as a stabiliser51:05 How recruiting can turn around fastGuest: Tonya LeadmanOwner, Leadman & AssociatesIf you run a recruitment agency and want to survive market downturns without lowering your standards, this episode is essential listening.