In this episode, Jon Bartos and Rebecca Thornton talk about the grit necessary to start a business from scratch – and the joy of getting to choose your pain points along the journey. From the thrill of betting on yourself to the freedom of working from anywhere – even international family trips – the level of choice in entrepreneurship changes everything.

Stop taking a commission check. Start signing the paychecks.

Memorable Quotes:

“I was at a crossroads… do I continue to work for somebody else and really grind it out for them to do really well or do I go out and do this on my own? I’ve built up a set of skills over the years, through start ups and through my experiences that I felt like I could bet on myself. And so that’s what I did.” – Rebecca Thornton

About

Rebecca Thornton is the founder of Expanded Talent Solutions, a boutique recruiting firm specializing in the medical device industry with a focus on vascular, cardiovascular, and interventional roles. Before launching her own business, Rebecca spent years in the field herself as a medical device rep, which gave her a firsthand understanding of what it actually takes to succeed in this space.

A little over two years ago, she made the leap to build something of her own, bootstrapping Expanded Talent from the ground up with no outside funding and no safety net. What started as a one-woman operation has grown into a respected boutique firm placing clinical specialists, territory managers, and executive-level talent at some of the most innovative companies in medical device.

Rebecca is passionate about the idea that a niche done well beats broad every time, and that deep relationships and genuine industry knowledge will always outperform volume-based recruiting. She is also a wife and mom who will tell you that leaving the corporate grind was one of the best decisions she ever made for her family. Building something of her own has come with its challenges, but it has also given her a presence and flexibility that a traditional career never could.

Visit the Expanded Talent Solutions website

Connect with Becca on LinkedIn

About Jon Bartos

"Starting my own search firm in 1999 was both the most challenging and rewarding decision of my career. It gave me the freedom to build a business on my own terms, while still being present for my family, a balance that changed my life.

Today, as CEO of Dimensional Search, I’m proud to lead a platform that empowers entrepreneurs to experience that same freedom and success. With global resources, proven systems, and a network of like-minded owners, we provide the support you need to build, grow, and scale a thriving search firm."

— Jon Bartos, Chief Executive Officer, Dimensional Search
Chief Investment Officer, Starfish Partners
Senior Partner, Sanford Rose Associates
Senior Partner, Next Level Exchange

Connect with Jon on LinkedIn

Follow $ales to CEO on LinkedIn