In this episode, Eric Thompson interviews John Zickert about how he has grown his real estate team while staying true to Ninja Selling principles. John shares how his team increased production from $55.6M and 120 transactions in 2024 to $66.6M and 151 transactions in 2025, not by chasing new tactics, but by becoming more consistent with the Ninja Nine, improving team alignment, and deepening their commitment to value-driven relationships.
John explains the structure of his team, the role clarity within it, and the "definitive purpose" that guides everything they do: to create value for others. He walks through their flow systems, including newsletters, postcards, local business highlights, client appreciation events, personal notes, and a thoughtful weekly team meeting rhythm. He also discusses how coaching, business planning, mindset habits, and consistency have helped him become more purposeful as a leader.
The episode is ultimately about building a team the Ninja way: with strong mindset, simple but consistent actions, community focus, and a commitment to people over shiny objects.
Key TakeawaysFlow works best when it is both personal and valuable. Their newsletters, postcards, local-love features, Z Crew events, and handwritten notes are all designed to genuinely serve clients and community, not just market to them.
Great team meetings are intentional. John's weekly team meeting includes gratitude, word-of-the-year reflection, pipeline review, marketing updates, Ninja teaching, idea sharing, and a positive close. It is designed to build both culture and clarity.
Mindset is still the foundation. John credits much of his success to a disciplined morning routine built around gratitudes, affirmations, life-list review, reading, exercise, and meditation. For him, mindset is non-negotiable.
Memorable Quotes
"If we focus on creating value, we'll have all the business we need."
"Anything we do in our business meetings—if it's not going to create value, we're not doing it."
"We'd rather do the Ninja Nine 85% of the time than try to do it 100% of the time and only hit 50%."
"We're very careful not to look for the new shiny object."
"That morning mindset is so critical. It just keeps me focused."\
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Rob Nelson and Eric Thompson break down one of the most repeated phrases in Ninja Selling: "Flow fixes everything." The discussion begins with a question from a new Ninja who wondered what Auto-Flow really is and where to start. Rob and Eric use that question to explain how flow works and why it is essential to becoming the Realtor of choice.
Flow simply means frequency of interaction. In Ninja there are two types: Live Flow and Auto-Flow. Live Flow is two-way communication, such as conversations, calls, meetings, and personal interactions. Auto-Flow is one-way communication, such as emails, newsletters, postcards, social media posts, or gifts that go out automatically. Both play different but complementary roles. Live Flow deepens relationships and builds trust, while auto flow maintains visibility and demonstrates expertise when you are busy or not actively connecting.
They also explain the concept of the decision window. People often think about buying or selling real estate for 9 to 21 months, but they typically choose their agent in just 1 to 3 days. The agent who has been most consistently in flow during that period becomes the natural choice. Because most people know multiple Realtors, consistent flow is what separates the professional who gets the call from the one who is forgotten.
The episode closes with a simple framework for implementing Auto-Flow. Three value-add touches per month, typically two digital and one print, mixing both art (heart-focused touches) and science (market expertise). When combined with Live Flow, this system keeps you top of mind and reinforces both your relationship and your professional credibility.
Key TakeawaysFlow means frequency of interaction and is the mechanism that keeps you top of mind
Live Flow builds relationships while Auto-Flow maintains visibility and expertise
The real estate decision window is extremely short even though the buying process is long
Three value-add touches per month, combining art and science, create a simple auto flow system
Auto-Flow should support relationships rather than replace live interactions
Authentic communication always works better than generic marketing
Real Estate Reviews are a powerful tool because they convert Auto-Flow into Live Flow conversations
Only 6% of agents consistently stay in flow after a transaction.
Memorable Quotes"Flow fixes everything."
"People on average know twelve realtors."
"Live Flow builds the relationship. Auto-Flow maintains the presence."
"You're either visible or invisible."
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Rob Nelson and Peter Parnegg explore the idea that fun should not be the reward for success but the fuel for it. The conversation begins with Peter sharing a 30 year life list goal he is about to achieve, a father son heli skiing trip in British Columbia. That story opens a broader discussion about how many professionals postpone joy until "someday" while building businesses that quietly consume their lives.
Rob and Peter suggest that fun requires intention and planning. If it is not scheduled, work will always take its place. They contrast bucket list thinking, which often waits until later in life, with life list thinking, which prioritizes meaningful experiences now. The episode also connects fun to productivity, arguing that energy, presence, and joy improve performance rather than distract from it. Whether through small daily moments or major life list experiences, the message is clear: success should include a life you are actively enjoying, not just building.
Key TakeawaysFun should be treated as fuel for success rather than something postponed until later
Meaningful experiences require intention and scheduling or work will consume the time
Small joyful moments can be just as powerful as big life list events
Energy and consciousness are the most important professional tools and fun helps renew both
Memorable Quotes"What if fun is actually the fuel for success?"
"Fun requires intention."
"Happiness is not the result of a sale. A sale is a result of happiness."
"When there's that moment of should we do it or not, the answer is yes."
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In this episode, Eric Thompson interviews Ryan Craig of Traverse City, Michigan, along with his Ninja Coach Mark Johnson, to explore a powerful transformation: pivoting from a cold lead centric business to a relationship based Ninja business. Ryan previously ran a high pressure lead generation operation with a large team and roughly 35,000 dollars per month in overhead, including about 10,000 dollars per month spent on cold internet leads. The model produced transactions, but it also created constant stress, fragmented attention, and a life where Ryan was physically present with his family but mentally tied to the phone.
After discovering Ninja Selling while listening to the book with his wife, Ryan realized there was a different way to build a real estate career, one centered on relationships rather than relentless lead conversion. In 2025 he fully committed to the Ninja approach with coaching support from Mark Johnson. The result was dramatic: Ryan produced 722,000 dollars in gross commission income from 47 transactions and 34 million in volume, while simultaneously reducing his monthly overhead by about 25,000 dollars.
Ryan credits the transformation to mindset, structure, and consistent implementation of the Ninja Nine habits. Instead of chasing cold leads, he began focusing on handwritten notes, proactive relationship calls, gratitude, and intentional conversations with people who already knew and trusted him. Mark helped him slow down, eliminate unnecessary commitments, and prioritize meaningful interactions over constant activity. The shift not only improved his income but restored balance in his life, allowing him to be present with his wife and five children. Ryan's story illustrates how focusing on relationships, consistency, and purpose can produce both better business results and a better life.
Key TakeawaysCold lead generation can create a false sense of productivity while increasing stress and reducing meaningful relationships
High overhead business models often hide the true cost of lead driven systems
Pivoting to a sphere based business dramatically increases income per hour and reduces overhead
Relationship calls feel very different from cold lead calls because the trust already exists
Handwritten notes and proactive conversations create compounding opportunities
Consistent Ninja Nine habits create momentum and confidence
Coaching provides clarity, accountability, and perspective during major business transitions
Slowing down can actually accelerate growth by focusing energy on the right activities
Addition through subtraction is often the fastest way to improve both life and business
Fragmentation and constant responsiveness create anxiety, while proactive systems restore control
Real estate success does not require working constantly, it requires working intentionally
Relationships that already exist are often the most overlooked source of business
Memorable Quotes"I bought the book for my wife and it turned out to be mine."
"The cold lead style of business is an illusion."
"You can only go so far before you run out of gas."
"I felt like a robot being told where to go and what to do."
"My kids would try to tell me about their day and I'd hold up one finger and say one more minute."
"I realized 87 percent of my business had always come from people I knew."
"My phone used to ring nonstop. Now it hardly rings at all."
"I used to feel fragmented. Now everything feels intentional."
"Addition through subtraction changed everything."
"The more things I cut out, the more the right things showed up."
"Doing the work consistently is what made the difference."
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In this bonus episode, we're sharing a recording from our live Ninja Sales Meeting, held the first Monday of every month, after many of you asked to hear these sessions on the podcast.
Peter Parnegg delivers an energizing and practical message focused on one core idea: if you want to quickly build your business, master the subtle skills that create real connection.
Drawing on insights from Sarah Blakely and the Ninja principles, Peter explores how entrepreneurship exposes our fears and how many of us avoid live conversations because of discomfort, guilt, or fear of "feeling salesy." In reality, marketing creates awareness, but relationships create business. And relationships are built through consistent flow.
This episode is a reminder that nothing happens until something moves and that authentic, emotionally intelligent outreach will always outperform sales pressure.
If you're ready to overcome hesitation, reconnect with your people, and create opportunities, this conversation will give you practical tools you can implement immediately.
And if you'd like to join us live for future Ninja Sales Meetings, tune in on the first Monday of each month at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Time on the Ninja Selling YouTube channel.
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Rob Nelson and Don Tennessen discuss Principle Two of Ninja Selling: Stop Selling. Start Solving. It's built on a simple truth that people love to buy, and they hate to be sold. They explore why most sales approaches push people away, triggering defensiveness and avoidance, and how Ninja flips that dynamic by creating value, asking questions, and building relationships that naturally attract clients.
Rob and Don clarify that the goal is not to avoid a process or abandon structure. The goal is to redefine what selling is, to become the trusted guide who helps people decide. They draw a sharp contrast between persuasion and clarity, emphasizing that confidence is built through communication, anticipating needs, reducing surprises, and making the transaction feel "greased" so the focus can stay on the human experience.
A major theme is that real estate is uniquely emotional and complex because it is layered on top of life events like career changes, marriage, divorce, children, and moving routines and memories. That makes "fabled service" less about technical excellence and more about how clients feel during uncertainty. Don shares personal examples from selling rental properties and from a longtime doctor relationship to show what people remember most, the moments that communicate, I care about you, and I've got you. The conversation ends with a practical reset. If you feel yourself selling, you likely stopped solving, and the fastest pivot is to ask a question and re-center on the client's next chapter.
Key Takeaways
People move away from sales pressure and move toward value, so the first goal is to stop pushing people away
Stop selling is really about attracting clients instead of chasing them
A Ninja mindset focuses on what you can give rather than what you can get
The job is not to make people buy, the job is to help them decide
Reputation replaces persuasion because what clients say about you is more powerful than what you say about yourself
Value creation has two lanes, what you do during the transaction and what you do between transactions
Clients want information, a clear process, consistent follow up, and fewer surprises
Real estate is more complex than other financial transactions because it stacks on top of life change and emotion
Fabled service is less about technical perfection and more about how you make people feel
A moment of truth is when a client touches your process, so anticipate stress points and communicate proactively
If you feel like you are selling, you probably stopped solving and started thinking about yourself
The best pivot out of sales mode is to ask a question and return focus to the client and ask questions
Strangers are only strangers as long as you let them be strangers, one meaningful conversation changes that
The transaction is not the goal, it is the consequence of consistent relationship and service
Memorable Quotes
"People love to buy and they hate to be sold."
"Our job isn't to make people buy. Our job is to help them decide."
"The mindset of a salesperson is to get something from someone. The mindset of a Ninja is what can we give."
"Reputation replaces persuasion."
"What do I have to do so they don't have to lay awake at night?"
"A moment of truth is when your client comes into contact with your process."
"You build confidence through clarity."
"If I'm solving, then I don't have to sell. If I'm selling, I've probably stopped solving."
"The transaction is not the goal, it's the consequence."
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Eric Thompson interviews Ryan Wentworth and Michael Parsiola of Reve Realtors in New Orleans, Louisiana, who experienced a dramatic turnaround after realizing they had been running their business "on accident." After dropping from 20 million in volume to 13 million in a challenging market shaped by rising interest rates and skyrocketing insurance costs, they consciously decided to rebuild their business on purpose.
The shift was not about chasing more leads. It was about returning to fundamentals, implementing consistent flow systems, and intentionally structuring their partnership. In 2025, they produced 29 million in volume, a 123% year-over-year Increase, while the market grew only 3%.
They share how they streamlined operations, eliminated inefficiencies, and recommitted to consistent client touches including just sold mailers, newsletters, market reports, and highly creative live flow events like Saints football games and architectural cycling tours. They also discuss how they divide responsibilities within their partnership to maximize clarity and efficiency, with one focusing on listings and the other on buyers, while maintaining unified communication.
At its core, their breakthrough came from moving from reactive to intentional, from accidental production to systemized flow, and from perfection paralysis to consistent action.
Key TakeawaysBeing "on accident" often means managing incoming business without proactive flow systems
Market shifts expose weak systems and force clarity
Rebuilding from the ground up creates stronger, more efficient processes
Intentional flow beats accidental momentum
Mailers and market reports work when consistent and visible
Auto flow creates visibility even when you are busy
Invitations are as powerful as attendance for generating connection
Creative, authentic flow tied to personal interests increases engagement
Partnership clarity prevents confusion and builds client trust
Clearly defined roles create efficiency and confidence
Coaching provides accountability, fresh ideas, and perspective
Perfection is the enemy of good and progress beats paralysis
Consistency compounds, even if it feels small in the moment
Memorable Quotes"We were managing the business that was coming at us, not on purpose."
"We need to go back to basics."
"We needed to know how the sausage is made."
"Just sold cards were all in my head. Clients loved them."
"We didn't want them to feel passed off."
"Perfection is the enemy of good."
"Look at where you were two years ago."
"We're not a 10, but we're a 7, and that's way better than a 2."
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This episode opens with a simple question that hits home for many agents: Do you struggle with consistency? Rob Nelson is joined by Larry Kendall and Eric Thompson to review the pattern they found while researching Ninja Coaching clients who had their best year yet in 2025. Across different personalities, markets, and business styles, the common denominator was not a specific lead source or marketing tactic. It was consistency, and the clearest measurable indicator of consistency was turning in a weekly scorecard.
They share that 87% of the "Best Year Yet" Ninha Coaching clients consistently turned in a weekly scorecard, making it the strongest correlation they found. The scorecard is positioned as the truth teller and the ultimate tool for tracking, gamifying, and sustaining the Ninja Nine habits over time. Rather than chasing results, the conversation emphasizes managing activities, because activities repeated over time create predictable outcomes.
Larry and Eric walk through what the scorecard is, why it works, and how it has evolved, including modern enhancements like daily personal text messages and tracking open house conversations. They explain the five pathways to consistency, track activities, gamify, join a group, hire a coach, and find an encouragement partner, and show how the scorecard supports all five. They also discuss realistic targets and the idea that perfection is not required. A score of 70 out of 100 is the acceleration point where business becomes consistent, while missing one week is a mistake and missing two is the start of a new habit.
The episode closes with practical guidance on how to restart after falling off, how to plan for 45 full on weeks and seven recharge weeks, and why keeping scorecards in a binder becomes a powerful way to measure progress and diagnose a slump. Larry reinforces the message with a personal example, his long running pushup log, showing how tracking drives consistency, and consistency drives results.
Key TakeawaysConsistency is the common denominator behind best year yet results, even when the specific business style varies
Turning in a weekly scorecard is the strongest measurable correlation, with 87 percent of best year yet coaching clients doing it
Scorecards shift focus from results to activities, which restores control, reduces frustration, and creates momentum
The scorecard supports five ways to stay consistent, tracking, gamifying, joining a group, hiring a coach, and using an encouragement partner
Missing one week is a mistake, missing two is the start of a new habit, so the goal is to avoid the second miss
Managing activities is more effective than managing production, and it is especially useful for managers and sales leaders
Modern enhancements include personal text messages with a FORD question and tracking open houses as a major buyer entry point
Plan for 45 full on weeks and seven recharge weeks to build consistency with grace, sustainability, and real life flexibility
Memorable QuotesDo you struggle with consistency
The number one correlation between having a best year yet is that they turn in a weekly scorecard
Most people do not fail because they do not know what to do, they fail because they do not do what they know consistently
The answer may be you are not keeping score
If you do the activities, the production takes care of itself
Stop trying to manage production and start managing activity
The scorecard is the truth
You can miss one, that is a mistake, but if you miss two, that is the start of a new habit
Two weeks at a hundred and ten weeks at zero is not the same as twelve weeks at seventy
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In this Best Year Yet episode, Eric Thompson interviews Derek Walden, a Wichita, Kansas–based agent with At Home Wichita, who more than doubled his business in 2025. Derek closed 56 transactions for approximately 15 million in volume while raising a large family of eight children, with another on the way. He shares how shifting away from a lead heavy, grind based team model and embracing the Ninja approach transformed both his results and his quality of life.
Derek describes his early years on a lead generation focused team as a hamster wheel that did not align with his values or his family priorities. Discovering Ninja Selling introduced a relationship centered model built on service, trust, and depth rather than volume and pressure. In 2025, Derek produced his best year yet by staying persistent, tracking his numbers closely, prioritizing meaningful live conversations, and building business with people who know, like, and trust him.
A key theme of the conversation is depth over small talk. Drawing from his military background, Derek explains how he naturally gravitates toward substantive conversations and emotional connection, which has become a differentiator in his real estate business. He focuses on long, intentional one on one interactions rather than high frequency surface level contacts, creating an integrated business that feels natural rather than exhausting. With the support of Ninja Coaching and Coach Mark Johnson, Derek also shares how coaching helped him live more on purpose, stay inspired, and remain accountable to the fundamentals that drive consistent growth.
Key Takeaways"If you work hard and do the right things, good things will happen."
"I hate small talk."
"When it's a friend calling, it doesn't feel like work."
"This year didn't feel like a treadmill."
"I believe an integrated life is a powerful life."
"I was created to love and serve others."
"Just relax, take a deep breath, and focus on what you can control."
"Coaching helped me move from living on accident to living on purpose."
"I've never had a conversation where I wished I hadn't had it."
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In this Best Year Yet episode, Eric Thompson interviews Belle Caplis, a Brooklyn based Compass agent on the Bateman Fields team. Belle shares how she grew from 9 million in sales volume to 23.6 million in 2025, increasing from 11 to 25 sales transactions, while also expanding rentals and referral business. Belle's story is especially compelling because her real estate career began in March of 2020, just days before New York City shut down. With the city locked down and her new career uncertain, she found structure and community through a Compass recovery meeting that led her to Ninja Selling and a powerful accountability practice called the 10 at 10. Three times a week, Belle joined a Zoom session, started with gratitude, then turned cameras off and called 10 people using FORD questions before regrouping to report back. That early rhythm gave her confidence, listening skills, and the ability to build trust fast, which later made her highly effective even with Zillow leads, where she routinely stayed on calls 30 to 40 minutes to deepen connection.
Belle explains that her 2025 growth came from two main shifts. First, she became much better at follow up after open houses, using specific, personalized follow up tied to what the person said and continuing to deliver value through listings, pricing strategy, and education rather than generic check ins. Second, she leaned fully into education and service across her sphere by giving real estate advice freely, offering to find answers when she did not know them, and becoming the person people consult for clarity. Belle's approach is rooted in what she calls rigorous honesty, transparency, and risk analysis. She promises clients she cannot control outcomes, but she can control how honest and clear she is, and she builds deep trust by pointing out both pros and potential risks so clients can make confident decisions. She closes by encouraging listeners to be imperfect, take small steps, be honest about what they are not doing, and start again tomorrow.
Key TakeawaysAccountability creates momentum and Belle's early 10 at 10 practice built confidence, consistency, and relationship skills fast
FORD questions are a business builder because they shift the focus to people, create trust, and help you listen for what matters
Attraction over promotion works because you do not need to announce you are an agent, you just lead with curiosity and care
Trust building beats pretending and the phrase "I'm not one hundred percent on that, so I'll get back to you very soon" protects credibility and creates natural follow up
Longer first conversations create faster trust and Belle's ability to stay connected for 30 to 40 minutes helped her convert leads at a higher level
Open house follow up is a growth lever when it is specific, personal, and value based rather than generic check ins
Education is a referral engine when you freely explain pricing strategy, negotiation, and why listings sell or do not sell
Service creates opportunity because you never know where the next referral will come from, so treat everyone like they matter
Define your A list as the people you are rooting for and call them to reset your mindset and get out of your own head
Humor and personality can be part of flow and Belle uses memes, "real estate gossip," and stories to stay top of mind while reinforcing expertise
Rigorous honesty builds lifetime clients and Belle's promise is transparency, not outcomes she cannot control
Risk analysis is a differentiator because clients feel protected, informed, and confident in their decisions
Progress matters more than perfection and small daily improvements compound into big years
Memorable Quotes"I onboarded at Compass on a Wednesday in March of 2020 and on Friday the entire city shut down."
"I don't know how to do real estate, but I know how to go to a meeting."
"This is attraction, not promotion."
"I'm not one hundred percent on that and I don't want to answer until I am, so I'm going to get back to you very soon."
"My goal was to gain trust before I got off that phone call."
"I'm not a gatekeeper."
"My A's are the people that I am rooting for."
"The fastest way for me to reset to factory settings is to focus on other people."
"I'm going to tell you no way more than I'm going to tell you yes."
"I give you permission to not do it well today. Just do it."
"Make one or two baby steps of progress today, then start over tomorrow."
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Eric Thompson interviews Jed Inductivo, a Ninja with Compass in Los Angeles, who achieved his best year yet in 2025 with business up 56% year over year. What makes the story remarkable is that it happened during significant adversity. LA faced devastating fires that impacted clients and the community at large. Jed's brokerage dissolved, forcing a rapid transition. Instead of contracting, Jed expanded by choosing a player mindset, leading with value, and committing to simple, repeatable Ninja fundamentals.
Jed credits a guiding belief, "This is happening for me, not to me," as the mindset shift that kept him solution-focused. During the fires, he stepped into service by supporting displaced clients, helping people find temporary housing, and sending resource packed newsletters that were widely shared and generated inbound calls for lease support. Jed breaks down the systems that drove his growth. He created two versions of a Real Estate Review, a five-minute version and a fifteen-minute version, to make Habit 7 consistent. He pairs those reviews with a steady rhythm of coffees and lunches, and he built a highly intentional agent referral engine that now contributes roughly two-thirds of his business. He also shares how his hospitality background helps him deliver a Four Seasons level experience through intake forms, milestone moments, and event style open houses.
Looking ahead to 2026, Jed's focus is on calm in the hard, protecting mornings for focus and clarity, and doubling down on his vital few activities, including Real Estate Reviews, two coffees or lunches per week, and his power hour.
Key TakeawaysAdversity can be fuel when you choose a player mindset and stay focused on solutions
This is happening for me, not to me, is a practical mental shift that prevents victim thinking and creates forward motion
Value creates opportunity, and Jed's fire resource newsletters were shared widely and led directly to new lease clients
Real Estate Reviews paired with coffee or lunch became Jed's strongest growth lever and biggest source of sales
Simplify the habit so it happens consistently, and the five-minute and fifteen-minute review options removed friction and made execution weekly
Follow up with an insight rather than asking if they have questions, which keeps the burden off the client and highlights your expertise
Agent referrals are built intentionally through consistent relationship building, two agent connection calls per week, and making it easy to remember and refer you
Make referring you easy with a simple one sheet that explains your market areas, specialties, and personal connection points
Hospitality creates bespoke service and intake sheets plus milestone touches create a Four Seasons experience
Authentic flow wins and the most sustainable systems are the ones aligned with your DNA and interests
Memorable QuotesThis is happening for me, not to me
Real estate agents are problem solvers
My biggest sales this year have come from this combination of real estate review, coffee, lunch by far
Treat your clients like they're staying at a Four Seasons
The best flow is authentic flow
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