In this episode of GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset, Brian Charlesworth hosts Ken Hirschmann and Brandon Verlinden from Best Life & Co., a rapidly growing real estate team in Michigan. Ken and Brandon share their unconventional journey from managing grocery stores to leading one of the most productive teams in the state, highlighting how their background in high-accountability roles shaped their leadership style.

(3:40) What happens when you step into leadership at 23?

(7:46) How did the grocery store experience help scale a real estate team?

(9:34) Can hiring a business expert beat hiring a top realtor?

(12:46) Why is making a million dollars now just the starting point?

(13:28) Is manual data entry holding real estate teams back?

(15:12) The chaos of manual data collection

(17:05) How did adopting Sisu solve major visibility issues in deal tracking?

(21:39) The power of daily training meetings

(22:30) The benefits of automated insights in coaching

(29:41) Combining Sisu and Follow Up Boss for results

(31:13) What’s the formula for a $10 million goal?

(34:02) Why are Thanksgiving pies part of the client experience?

(36:36) Why focus on quality over quantity in team growth?

(37:58) How does feedback shape team growth?

(39:05) Why is growth always messy?

Best Life & Co.

Ken Hirschmann

Brandon Verlinden

In this celebratory 150th episode of GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset, host Brian Charlesworth welcomes Jon Cheplak for a powerful conversation on mental resilience, personal accountability, and building a business that lasts. In this special episode, Jon dives into the highs and lows of his career and shares how his journey from addiction to success shaped his approach to life and work.

(1:39) The role of mental toughness play in personal growth

(4:12) Can losing teach more than winning?

(8:46) How can hitting rock bottom ignite unstoppable growth?

(14:06) How do easy wins make agents unprepared for real challenges?

(17:08) How does owning your past lead to personal transformation?

(18:56) Why is "forced suffering" essential for true progress

(20:58) The role of personal values in breaking free from stagnation

(23:20) Why does "Who am I becoming?" matter more than achievements?

(26:21) How vulnerability makes you a stronger leader

(30:12) How does focusing on daily victories fuel personal growth?

(33:56) The true power of an abundance mindset

(36:02) How does teaching others make you an expert

(40:54) How visualizing others' happiness impacts work relationships

(43:46) The purpose behind creating real community in business

(45:49) How do events open doors for emerging leaders?

(47:35) Why do small style choices matter in building confidence

LinkedIn 

YouTube

The Real Recruiter

Cheplak Live

Join Brian Charlesworth on this episode of GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset as he talks with Matt Smith, a real estate leader whose journey from managing a small team to becoming one of the top performers in the Missouri market offers invaluable lessons in leadership, strategy, and accountability. Starting with just 8-10 agents in 2018, Matt now oversees a team of 27, but his success hasn’t come without challenges.

(2:31) The chaos that nearly cost $3 million

(4:55) Is better pipeline management the key to team success?

(7:45) Are agents getting out-scripted by their leads?

(10:24) How does willpower affect business outcomes? 

(15:01) How do messy business breakups lead to owning your success?

(16:20) The power behind automating transactions with Sisu

(20:26) Why are spreadsheets holding back business growth

(26:07) What happens when agents don’t track their business numbers

(30:20) What’s the real focus of successful team leaders?

(33:42) What makes onboarding multiple people at once more effective?

(35:48) Why does building a five-agent team lead to a rollercoaster

(40:11) The must-have steps for onboarding new agents 

(43:12) One activity that can win your day in real estate

LinkedIn 

Matt Smith Real Estate Group

All or Nothing in Real Estate

Join Brian Charlesworth, founder of Sisu, as he interviews Steven Myers, the visionary owner of Urban Cool Brokerage. Steven shares his journey from corporate aerospace engineer to leading real estate investor and team owner in Wichita, Kansas. From selling his first property to growing a team of over 60 agents, Steven’s story is a testament to the power of grit and resilience.

(3:39) From aerospace projects to real estate success

(6:05) What happened when the corporate job said "no more real estate"?

(9:02) The shift from flipping houses to going all-in on sales.

(12:53) Why ditch spreadsheets to build a real business system?

(15:52) Building the right systems before scaling a team.

(18:49) How did this team grow from 0 to 60 agents in just 4 years? 

(20:59) Why do systems only work if you have the right people?

(24:09) A $1.7 trillion opportunity that sparked a change

(29:52) How does Sisu’s data lead to a million-dollar difference?

(31:33) What do your metrics reveal about your business gaps? 

(35:01) Spotting changes early to keep growth on track

(39:20) Why 2025 is about conversations and service. 

(40:22) How does Sisu help deliver that "white glove" customer service?

(42:44) Why is spending on tech crucial for agent success?

Urban Cool Homes

LinkedIn

This week on GRIT, host Brian Charlesworth welcomes Shahar Plinner, founder and CEO of Formations, to discuss an often-overlooked aspect of running a real estate business: taxes. Shahar brings decades of expertise in tax planning for the self-employed, particularly real estate agents and team leaders. From his roots in Israel to building one of Seattle’s top accounting firms, Shahar has always been driven by one goal—helping entrepreneurs keep more of their hard-earned money.

(4:27) Why real-time financial planning beats last-minute tax fixes. 

(9:47) Making sense of real estate taxes—Depreciation, aggregation, and more.

(11:19) How does having a dream team simplify real estate investing?

(12:27) The untapped tax benefits for 1099 real estate agents. 

(18:10) Automating 90% of real estate tasks

(23:01) Why live financial data is the key to business confidence. 

(24:21) Sisu and Formations—The integration every real estate agent needs. 

(28:08) How to eliminate data friction with Sisu’s seamless integration.

(33:27) What are the benefits of S Corps for real estate agents? 

Shahar Plinner is a tax and accounting expert with over 20 years of experience. After moving from Israel to Seattle, he built and sold one of the top tax firms in the area. Now, as the founder and CEO of Formations, he focuses on helping self-employed professionals manage their taxes and maximize financial efficiency.

Connect with Shahar Plinner

Formations

In this episode of GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset, Brian Charlesworth sits down with JD Reese, founder of The Genuine Group, one of Southern Utah’s rising stars in real estate. JD shares his evolution from selling over 1,000 homes as a builder agent to creating and leading a team that’s now ranked in the top five in just three years. How did he do it? JD credits much of his success to the systems and processes he built from the ground up.

(2:29) The secrets behind selling over 150 homes a year.

(7:34) Can you hit your income goals by prospecting every day?

(13:29) Why the right CRM is your new best friend in real estate. 

(17:20) Is data the key to a team that never drops the ball? 

(18:00) What’s the real edge of 24/7 reporting for agents? 

(25:26) What’s the real cost of wearing too many hats in real estate?

(29:43) How did training turn market challenges into opportunities? 

(31:31) AI, PPC, and Facebook—How to use all to win. 

(34:28) How do open house registrations boost conversions? 

(36:07) How do proper SOPs transform lead management?

(38:41) Why Every Real Estate Deal Needs a "Pizza Tracker" System. 

LinkedIn 

JD Reese - Instagram

The Genuine Group - Instagram

In this episode of the "GRIT" podcast, Brian Charlesworth sits down with Zach Geisendorfer, Director of Client Relations at FAM Realty Group, which started with five agents and is now at nearly 40 in Orange County, California. Zach shares the ups and downs of growing quickly, including the hard lessons learned about the need for solid systems and a strong team culture. “We thought we were on top of the world when we added 25 agents in two weeks,” Zach says, “but without a solid system, things fell apart fast.” This experience taught them that growth without structure isn’t sustainable.

(4:44) Why do team leaders with five agents often struggle?

(5:49) Can rapid growth really destroy your team?

(7:50) What’s the cost of being a ‘cowboy’ in business?

(9:28) How was a hot lead list created from cold contacts?

(13:03) The crash-and-burn after adding 30 agents.

(17:54) What’s the secret sauce in a 30-60-90 day plan?

(20:32) What happens when a whole team goes paperless?

(23:30) Turning leads into wins with the Sisu pipeline

(27:46) Roleplay, coaching, and conversions: a winning combo

(31:33) How did aggressive prospecting dominate the $5m market?

(36:42) What daily habits are driving massive success in sales?

(41:51) Turning accountability into a growth catalyst

If you’re looking to scale your real estate business or just want to hear how a team can grow and thrive, this episode is full of practical tips and insights you won’t want to miss.

LinkedIn 

Instagram

In this episode of "GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset," Brian Charlesworth welcomes Glen Baker, founder of the MorrisAgent Team, for a conversation about growing a business when the odds seem stacked against you. Glen shares his fascinating journey from selling a tech company for $91 million to diving into real estate after a personal tragedy, driven by a passion for improving customer experience.

(2:15) What life event triggered a drastic career shift?

(6:28) Why are clients more than just transactions?

(9:18) How did a simple portal transform client trust?

(11:09) What’s driving expansion when others shrink?

(15:14) How are videos transforming agent relations?

(16:12) How new agents are closing $700k deals instantly

(17:19) Three components that run an entire real estate business

(18:43) How to see market shifts before they happen

(20:30) 15 minutes that keep the team on track

(22:21) The must-have report for every agent one-on-one

(27:11) From Doordash to deals: the power of client portals

Glen Baker is a leading real estate agent in North Jersey and the founder of the MorrisAgent Team. He specializes in helping individuals, investors, and developers find properties in Morris, Sussex, and Bergen counties. With a reputation built on trust and consistent results, Glen has earned a place among the top .05% of agents nationwide and has been recognized with the Circle of Excellence every year.

LinkedIn 

MorrisAgent Team

This week on the "GRIT" podcast, Brian Charlesworth is joined by Ryan Young, a third-generation real estate expert and the innovative mind behind Fello. Ryan's journey is anything but typical—from a burnt-out chef to leading a team selling hundreds of homes yearly. He looks back at how starting in a down market gave him the grit and know-how to tackle today's challenges.

(4:42) Was 2010 really the hardest market, or is it now?

(7:11) Will the market shake out the weak agents?

(9:03) Could rising rates be a blessing in disguise?

(10:24) Is the market cutting agent numbers in half?

(11:54) Is the NAR’s influence fading fast?

(13:07) Are new agents facing a 2010-level challenge?

(14:21) Have agents forgotten how to hustle for leads?

(15:31) The high cost of cherry-picking leads

(16:22) Sisu: the power behind smart lead assignments

(19:08) Do you fear discussing compensation?

(20:36) Can 15 questions win more listings?

(23:32) The hidden dangers in your client database

(24:58) Are buyer leads hiding goldmines?

(26:45) Could missing data be costing you listings?

LinkedIn 

The Young Team

Fello

In this week's episode of "GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset," host Brian Charlesworth sits down with Quintavius Burdette, a top-performing real estate agent who’s breaking records and defying the odds, and who recently made waves on Survivor. From humble beginnings in Mississippi, Q, as he is known, has made a name for himself in the real estate industry by selling over 900 homes in his first five years.

(3:05) How did growing up as one of 17 kids shape Q’s grit?

(9:01) The $500K Dream in a small market

(10:30) What happens when $100K is all you aim for?

(13:36) How does public accountability change the game?

(18:41) What’s the secret to selling 300 homes a year?

(21:47) How breaking down 168 hours changed everything

(29:03) What does it take to sell 300 properties in just three years?

(32:10) The sacrifices behind building a real estate empire

(35:44) What’s the real impact of waking up at 5 am?

REMAX Experts - Quintavius Burdette