What if the problems you're trying to escape are actually the reason you're successful?

In this episode of Built For More, Dustin Runyon and Matt Smith go all in on adversity, gratitude, emotional mastery, leadership, and the mindset that separates high performers from everyone else.

The truth is simple: adversity isn't going away. You are either facing it, coming out of it, or heading toward it. The question isn't whether you'll experience hard times—it's whether you'll allow them to make you bitter or make you better.

Dustin and Matt challenge the victim mentality that exists in business and leadership and explain why leaders need to stop blaming their agents, the market, their competition, or external circumstances.

They break down the powerful framework:

Event → Meaning → Emotion → Behavior → Outcome

Because the meaning you assign to an event ultimately influences how you respond to it.

You'll also hear why:

• Problems are the reason you're needed.
• Leaders must take responsibility for the environments they create.
• You should surround yourself with people who embody who you want to become.
• Most lessons are caught, not taught.
• You can't outsource your emotional state to other people.
• Retention is a recruiting activity.
• Winners play to their standards—not their circumstances.
• Action often creates the feelings you're waiting for.
• Elite performers attach empowering emotions to negative experiences.
• Gratitude isn't just for the good times—it has to exist in the hard times too.

This is a conversation about choosing your response, raising your standards, and becoming the kind of leader who gets better when things get harder.

Are you going to use adversity to become bitter—or become better?

What happens when your agents start focusing more on what they’re paying the team than what they’re gaining from being part of it?

In Episode 39 of Built For More, Dustin Runyon and Matt Smith go completely off-script and get real about one of the biggest challenges facing team leaders: entitlement, profitability, contribution, and leadership.

They break down why running a team is far more expensive than most agents realize, what team leaders actually provide beyond leads, and why being profitable isn’t something leaders should apologize for.

But the conversation goes deeper.

A great team isn’t built around money alone. It’s built around people, contribution, growth, accountability, and an environment that pushes everyone toward their potential.

They also unpack:

• Why agents need to understand the true cost of running a business

• Why leadership requires an entirely different skill set than being a great producer

• The difference between influence and authority

• Why leaders must continue growing their own “bubble”

• How to identify givers versus takers

• Why contribution creates community

• How fear and scarcity can poison a team culture

• Why you can’t separate who you are personally from who you are professionally

• Why leaders must take responsibility instead of blaming their agents

• And the uncomfortable truth: when the leader changes, the behavior of the team often changes with them.

This episode is raw, unscripted, and straight from the trenches.

If you're building a team, leading people, or trying to become the person capable of leading at a higher level, this one is for you.

You’re built for more.

What separates struggling team leaders from elite ones?

In Episode 38 of the Built For More Podcast, Dustin Runyon and Matt Smith break down 8 behaviors that struggling team leaders fail to consistently do—and what happens when you flip each one around.

They talk about taking full responsibility, having difficult conversations, embracing sacrifice, bringing your family into the mission, making recruiting a priority, delaying financial gratification, seeking uncomfortable feedback through coaching, and continuously developing yourself.

This isn't a conversation about shortcuts. It's about accepting that the life and business you want require a level of discipline, sacrifice, consistency, and personal growth that most people aren't willing to embrace.

If you're serious about becoming a better leader, building a stronger team, and creating a life you're proud of, this episode is for you.

You can't skip the work.

What happens when someone leaves your team? Do you let it derail you—or do you look for the lesson and keep moving forward?

In this episode of the Built For More Podcast, Dustin Runyon and Matt Smith dive deep into one of the hardest parts of leadership: people. They discuss why personnel problems can consume leaders, how to stop taking team members' decisions personally, and why operating from abundance changes the way you lead.

They also break down the connection between financial security and leadership, the importance of living below your means, how personal development can create tension in relationships, and why leaders must learn to separate their controllables from everything else.

You'll hear why some people leaving your organization can actually be a good thing, why toxic team members may need to be let go, and why the best leaders are constantly growing themselves so the people around them have room to grow too.

If you're a team leader, entrepreneur, or high achiever struggling with people, growth, or leadership pressure, this episode is a reminder to stop complaining about what you can't control—and step up to become the leader your team needs.

The world needs more strong leaders. It's time to step up.

In this episode of Built For More, Dustin Runyon and Matt Smith dive into one of the biggest mindset shifts every leader must make: leading from abundance instead of scarcity.

What starts as a conversation about baseball, golf, and custom golf balls quickly turns into a powerful discussion about marketing, generosity, leadership, and why the best leaders invest in people—even knowing some of them may eventually leave. They explore how leaving value behind creates opportunities, why fear limits growth, and how building others ultimately builds your legacy.

If you've ever struggled with trusting your team, worrying about employees leaving, or wondering how to create a culture people want to be part of, this episode is for you.

Leadership isn't about getting people to follow your vision—it's about helping them discover their own.

In Episode 35 of the Built For More Podcast, Dustin Runyon and Matt Smith break down what it truly means to lead at a high level. They discuss why the best leaders don't create dependence, but instead develop people who can think, grow, and lead on their own.

Throughout the episode, they dive into building high-performance teams, creating ownership, empowering others through self-discovery, maintaining accountability without control, and cultivating a culture where people become the best version of themselves.

If you're a business owner, team leader, entrepreneur, sales professional, or someone committed to becoming a better leader, this conversation will challenge the way you think about influence and leadership.

What separates great teams from average ones?

It's not talent.

It's not strategy.

It's culture.

In this powerful episode of the Built For More Podcast, we dive deep into what it truly takes to create a winning culture that inspires people to perform at their highest level. Learn how leaders build environments where accountability, trust, ownership, and excellence become the standard—not the exception. Whether you're leading a business, a team, a family, or your own personal growth journey, this conversation will challenge the way you think about leadership and success.

Most people settle for comfort. The few who choose growth build lives of purpose, impact, and significance. In this episode of Built For More, we dive into the mindset shifts, hard truths, and practical principles that separate those who simply exist from those who intentionally build a life they can be proud of. From overcoming limiting beliefs and embracing discipline to pursuing purpose with conviction, this conversation is packed with insights that challenge you to think bigger and act with greater intention.

If you've ever felt like you're capable of more—but haven't fully stepped into it—this episode is for you.

Expect honest conversations, actionable wisdom, and the kind of perspective that pushes you to level up in your faith, leadership, relationships, business, and personal growth.

Your team watches what you do far more than they listen to what you say. In this episode, we explore why mastering and modelling the fundamentals is the foundation of every high-performing organization. We get into how leaders can build trust, shape culture, and drive results—not through grand gestures, but through consistent daily action.

What separates successful women from everyone else? It’s not talent, luck, or perfect timing—it’s the willingness to step into discomfort when others choose comfort.

In this episode of Built For More, we explore the mindset, habits, and courageous decisions that empower women to break through fear, overcome self-doubt, and pursue the life they truly want. Success often requires taking the scary step—speaking up, setting boundaries, taking risks, and embracing growth before feeling fully ready.

Join us as we discuss why the most successful women refuse to stay in their comfort zones, how they harness confidence through action, and what it takes to create a life and career on their own terms.

If you've been waiting for the "right time" to make a move, this conversation may be the push you need.