Time Tested Mastery

The Sales Mindset Shift That Builds Trust W/ Darren Smith

In this episode of Time Tested Mastery: Life Lessons Sell, Mark Dolan sits down with Darren Smith, a high-ticket home improvement sales professional with more than 25 years of commission-based sales experience. Darren’s story is not a theory. Earlier in his career, he was working hard, burning out, struggling with negativity, and still not getting the results he wanted. Everything began to change after a life-shaping trip to the mountains of Nepal and a blunt wake-up call from a coworker who told him, “Darren, you’re the most negative person I know.” That moment forced Darren to look at his mindset, identity, self-talk, habits, and the way he was showing up in both life and sales. In this conversation, Darren shares how he went from being a below-average salesperson to becoming a top producer with multiple years selling over $8–10 million in a highly competitive home-improvement industry. In 2025, he had his best sales year ever. Mark and Darren discuss: * Why the sale often starts before the conversation begins * How your mindset affects trust immediately * Why trying to “get the signature” too soon creates pressure * How to uncover what really matters to the client * The importance of identifying the client’s dominant buying motive * Why self-talk shapes how you treat other people * How daily habits build real confidence and consistency * Darren’s BEST LIFE Framework for growth in sales and life One of Darren’s strongest reminders is simple: before he walks into a meeting or picks up the phone, he asks himself, “What’s the purpose of this meeting?” That question changes the conversation from pressure to understanding — and that is where trust begins. This episode is valuable for real estate agents, sales professionals, team leaders, and anyone who wants to build confidence without becoming pushy, scripted, or manipulative. CONNECT WITH DARREN SMITH Website: bestlifegrowth.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-smith-8363258b/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-smith-8363258b/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenthurmansmith/ [https://www.instagram.com/darrenthurmansmith/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darren.t.smith.7 [https://www.facebook.com/darren.t.smith.7] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dtsmithbc [https://www.youtube.com/@dtsmithbc] Email: dtsmithbc@gmail.com ABOUT TIME TESTED MASTERY Time Tested Mastery: Life Lessons Sell is hosted by Mark Dolan, founder of Time Tested Mastery. The show focuses on trust-based selling, leadership, discipline, personal development, and real-world lessons that hold up under pressure.

The Polite Pain in the Ass: Persistence, Pressure, and Selling What You Believe In

In this episode of Time Tested Mastery: Life Lessons Sell, Mark Dolan sits down with Dr. Rob Yonover, a Ph.D. geochemist, volcanologist, inventor, author, big-wave surfer, rough-water fisherman, and creator of life-saving survival technologies used around the world. Dr. Yonover’s story is not theory. It is lived experience. His Ph.D. work included multiple ALVIN submersible dives two miles deep off the Galapagos Islands to retrieve submarine lava samples, with laboratory work performed at NASA Johnson Space Center and MIT. He later went on to invent survival technologies that earned U.S. Military/DARPA funding and multiple U.S. patents, including the SeeRescueStreamer, a life-saving visual signaling device designed to help people be seen and rescued in extreme conditions. His media credits include Shark Tank, CNN, PBS, Discovery Channel, CBS Innovation Nation, and more. He is also the author of Hardcore Inventing, Caregiver’s Survival Guide, Hardcore Health, and the children’s book Brainstorm Islands. But this conversation goes far beyond science and invention. Mark and Dr. Yonover talk about what it really means to stay calm under pressure, why persistence matters in sales and life, how rejection becomes practice, and why belief in what you are selling makes all the difference. Dr. Yonover shares lessons from selling as a young kid, pitching the military, navigating Shark Tank, caring for his paralyzed wife for 19 years while raising two children, and learning from the ocean as his laboratory. This episode is for salespeople, entrepreneurs, leaders, inventors, and anyone carrying real pressure while trying to keep moving forward with clarity, discipline, and character. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR: * Why the brain is the number one survival tool * How pressure can sharpen focus instead of creating panic * Why persistence matters more than polish * How rejection becomes part of the training process * Why belief in your product, service, or mission changes the way you sell * How Dr. Yonover took an invention from idea to patent to global use * Why young people need to put the phone down and rebuild real-world communication skills * How calm, preparation, and resourcefulness help you survive difficult seasons Dr. Yonover reminds us that pressure does not have to destroy us. Properly handled, pressure can reveal what we are made of and train us to think, adapt, and move. Learn more about Dr. Rob Yonover and the SeeRescueStreamer at: www.SeeRescueStreamer.com [http://www.SeeRescueStreamer.com] Connect with Dr. Rob Yonover: Instagram: @RobYonover Facebook: RobYonover YouTube: RobYonover LinkedIn: Dr. Robert Yonover Time Tested Mastery: Life Lessons Sell is hosted by Mark Dolan, founder of Time Tested Mastery, where trust-based selling, leadership, discipline, and timeless principles come together for real-world growth in business and life. More from Mark Dolan: www.TimeTestedMastery.com [http://www.TimeTestedMastery.com]

Why Real Estate Agents Fail: Monte Reyment on Standards, Strategy, and Staying Consistent

Most real estate agents do not fail because they lack potential. They fail because their habits, expectations, and daily behaviors do not match the reality of the business. In this episode of Time Tested Mastery, Mark Dolan sits down with Monte Reyment, broker/owner of Take Action Realty Group in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and host of Why Do I Suck As A Real Estate Agent? Monte brings a direct, honest challenge to the real estate industry: stop hiding behind the traditional playbook if it is not truly serving people. This conversation is about raising the bar through better standards, better strategy, better communication, and stronger relationships. Mark and Monte discuss why so many new real estate agents struggle in the first few years, why consistency and patience matter more than hype, and why real estate is still a human business built on math and relationships. Monte also shares how his background in investing, flipping, and renovation helps him price homes more transparently with sellers. They also talk about the role of AI in real estate and why technology should make agents sharper, faster, and more prepared — not less human. In this episode, you’ll hear: • Why many agents give up too early • The importance of consistency, patience, and curiosity • Why showing up at closing still matters • How agents create unnecessary friction in transactions • Why pricing should be transparent and collaborative • How investor knowledge helps agents serve clients better • Why AI will not replace real relationships • What struggling agents need to hear right now Monte’s message is clear: you may not “suck” as an agent — but your behaviors may need to change. If you want to build a lasting real estate career, you need better habits, better standards, and a stronger commitment to the people you serve. Connect with Monte Reyment: Take Action Realty Group: https://www.tarealtygroup.com/ Monte on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/montereyment/ Monte on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/montereygb/ Monte on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/montereyment/ Monte’s podcast — Why Do I Suck As A Real Estate Agent: https://open.spotify.com/show/6XCxpBgZsZ8wtA0Hvm0PNE Email Monte: monte@tarealtygroup.com Call Monte: 920-680-8532 Connect with Mark Dolan and Time Tested Mastery: Website: https://www.TimeTestedMastery.com If this episode challenged the way you lead, sell, serve, or show up for your clients, share it with someone in real estate or sales who needs to hear it.

Better Behavior, Better Sales

In this episode of Time Tested Mastery: Life Lessons Sell, Mark Dolan brings together lessons from three powerful conversations with Alan Langer, Neil Rogers, and Tom Holland. Though they come from different backgrounds and industries, the message is the same: better sales results do not come from more pressure, more polish, or more clever lines. They come from better behavior. Mark breaks down what these three guests revealed about trust, service, first impressions, active listening, habit correction, and the human side of selling. From Alan’s warning about “commission breath,” to Neil’s reminder that hospitality is a business advantage, to Tom’s hard truth that information does not change people—behavior does—this episode is packed with real-world insight for agents, sales professionals, business owners, and leaders who want stronger results without sounding scripted or pushy. This is a practical episode about showing up better: asking stronger questions, listening with more discipline, lowering defensiveness, and improving one habit at a time. If you want to grow your sales without manipulation, this one is worth your time. And if you want to go deeper with each guest, be sure to listen to Mark’s full interviews with Alan Langer, Neil Rogers, and Tom Holland, available anywhere you get your podcasts.

Trust, Tone, and Timing: Richard Blank on Sales Conversations

In this episode of Time Tested Mastery: Life Lessons Sell, Mark Dolan sits down with Richard Blank, CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center and a telemarketing trainer who has coached more than 10,000 telemarketers. This conversation gets into the real mechanics of performance on the phone: how to onboard people fast, reduce fear, build confidence, ask better questions, and create consistency without turning people into robots. Richard shares what makes someone effective in live conversations, how to lower resistance early, why listening is still a competitive advantage, and what most salespeople get wrong when they pick up the phone. They also talk about soft skills, conflict management, body language, practice routines, environment, and the role AI will play in sales and support moving forward. If you are in real estate, sales, leadership, or any business where conversations matter, this episode is packed with practical insight you can use right away. In this episode, Mark and Richard discuss: * Why cold calling still works when it is done well * How to reduce fear and build confidence in new salespeople * The difference between sounding scripted and sounding human * Why open-ended questions matter so much in sales * How to use curiosity and observation to lower resistance * The biggest mistakes people make on the phone * How practice should actually look for sales professionals * Why body language still matters, even for phone training * The importance of environment, routine, and mindset before making calls * The pros and cons of AI in sales and customer support * Why human empathy and emotional intelligence are becoming more valuable, not less KEY TAKEAWAY Calling people on the phone still works—if you build the skill. The phone is not dead. Poor communication is the problem. Richard makes the case that trust, timing, tone, listening, and real human connection are what separate effective salespeople from the crowd. Richard Blank is the CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center, where he has led and trained teams since 2008. Originally from Philadelphia, Richard moved to Costa Rica at age 27 and built his company from scratch. He is known for his work in telemarketing strategy, onboarding, conflict management, interpersonal communication, soft skills, customer support, and sales training. Over the years, he has trained more than 10,000 telemarketers and built a reputation for combining structure, performance, and human connection in live conversations. CONNECT WITH RICHARD BLANK I would not publish his mobile number unless he specifically asked you to make it public. Website: www.costaricascallcenter.com [http://www.costaricascallcenter.com] Email: ceo@costaricascallcenter.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/costaricascallcenter/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/costaricascallcenter/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardblank44/ [https://www.instagram.com/richardblank44/] X: https://x.com/Richard15050746 [https://x.com/Richard15050746] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ST99AEp7COEWS4q4VUw4Q [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ST99AEp7COEWS4q4VUw4Q] ABOUT THE SHOW Time Tested Mastery: Life Lessons Sell is hosted by Mark Dolan and focuses on trust-based selling, leadership, discipline, and real-world lessons that hold up under pressure—especially in real estate and sales.