Built for More

From 143 transactions in 2024 to 334 in 2025 and 700 on pace for 2026, David Wenger of Lafayette, Louisiana has more than doubled his team’s production back to back, in a market where most teams are shrinking. In this episode, Dustin and Matthew Smith sit down with David to unpack how he did it. He shares the story of the flood that cost his family their home, the bankruptcy that followed, and the mindset shift that changed everything: chase contribution, not success.

What if the success of your business is a direct reflection of how much stress you can comfortably handle? In this episode we sit down with Shannon, a health and fitness coach, competitive athlete and national speaker with 10+ years in fitness and 15+ years in corporate leadership. She breaks down the five pillars she uses with athletes and business owners: mindset, nutrition, strength training, sleep and recovery, and cardio, followed by supplements and medical intervention.

What separates people who keep winning from people who struggle? Matt Smith, who has built a top real estate team, a coaching business, a property management company, and a fast-growing mortgage branch, shares 12 habits he has seen in high performers who also build organizations full of high performers. He adds a bonus 13th habit that explains why leaders sometimes act "out of character."

If one of these made you uncomfortable, that's the one to work on.

The market is changing. Interest rates are unpredictable. Inventory is down. Sales are down.

But none of that changes the fundamental question: Are you doing what it takes to win?

In Episode 42 of the Built For More Podcast, Dustin Runyon and Matthew Smith go deep on what leadership actually looks like when the market gets difficult.

They break down why great leaders refuse to participate in the noise, how personal responsibility creates stronger cultures, and why leaders need to stop making excuses for their teams—and for themselves.

They also unpack the difference between creating followers and creating leaders, why you can't lead from frustration, the invisible work required to build a high-performing team, and why assumptions can quietly destroy leadership.

The conversation gets even deeper around discipline, mental clarity, procrastination, and the power of doing simple things consistently. Sometimes the answer isn't another strategy, coach, or system. Sometimes you just need to do the thing.

If you're a team leader, entrepreneur, real estate professional, or someone committed to becoming better, this episode is a reminder:

Stop blaming the market. Stop blaming your team. Stop avoiding the work.

Take responsibility. Toughen up. Lead yourself first. Then become the leader others want to follow.

People need leadership now more than ever. Step up and be the leader you wish you would have had.

You don't outgrow people by becoming better than them. You outgrow them by becoming different.

In Episode 41 of the Built For More Podcast, Dustin and Matt go deep on what happens when personal growth creates friction with your friends, family, environment, and team.

They talk about outgrowing your circle without becoming judgmental, setting boundaries without abandoning people, and leading with love instead of fear.

The conversation then takes a hard turn into leadership: performative people, accountability, personal responsibility, holding the line, and knowing when someone needs a hand up versus a handout.

They also unpack a critical idea for high performers: don't let your outcomes become your identity.

Your results can change. Your circumstances can change. Your business can change.

But who you become through the process is what matters.

If you're a leader, entrepreneur, real estate professional, or simply someone committed to becoming more, this episode is a serious gut check.

Lead with love. Drop the judgment. Hold the line. Become the person capable of creating the life you say you want.

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.