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The Fire Time Podcast episodes
- Mastering the Sales Process in Your Company
"Sales is communicating wisdom to bring someone to the point of a decision."
In this episode, Tim shares a class he taught at the HPB Expo in New Orleans called Mastering the Sales Process in Your Company. It's a solo deep dive into the seven-step framework he wishes someone had handed him 15 years ago—back when his sales training amounted to four double-sided pages of questions and a seat next to whoever happened to be on the floor.
In this episode, Tim covers:
- Why "my team are naturals" should terrify you—pilots and doctors follow checklists, and salespeople without a process are running on dumb luck that can't be taught, trained, or coached
- The magic question that gets every customer to sit down with you—plus why you should never ask for a customer's name during the greeting, and what it means when they offer it anyway
- How explaining your process in three simple steps makes the call to action take care of itself—and why a close rate that's too high is actually a red flag that your team is sandbagging estimates
Don't miss this one if your showroom is full of order takers instead of salespeople—Tim lays out a complete, repeatable roadmap from greeting to gratitude that he says will boost your sales 30 to 50% in the next year, and he makes a convincing case that he's right.
——
Links from this episode:
WhyFire Website: http://whyfire.com
——
Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XgEQsfU0E8o
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2
Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
Want to get more fireplace leads for your company? Check out: https://findmyfireplace.com
1 hr 12 min - Gideon Honeycutt - Specialty Installation is Your #1 Asset (Part 2)
"The most expensive labor your customer pays for is the labor they have to do twice."
This week, Tim sits down with Gideon Honeycutt (Sales Rep for Valor and Blaze King) for part two of our mini-series on specialty installation. Products are sold through more channels every year, and labor has become the one thing big box stores, e-commerce, and AI can't take from a hearth dealer. Tim and Gideon explain why installation deserves the same care as the rest of your business.
In this episode, Tim and Gideon discuss:
- Why a dealer can survive losing its top manufacturer, but losing its installers could end the business.
- How treating labor as a commodity or a "line on the invoice" leads to price objections, and why you can price match on product without price matching on labor.
- How average installed price ranges, bundled quotes, and detailed scopes of work help you sell labor with confidence, and why salespeople should earn commission on the whole project.
Don't miss this conversation about turning your installation department from an afterthought into your biggest competitive advantage and profit center.
Links from this episode:
Part One: https://itsfiretime.com/2026/09/22/episode-360-specialty-installation-is-your-number-one-asset-part-1/
——
Links from this episode:
WhyFire Pro: http://whyfire.com——
Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zfnLXuWOrVI
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2
Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/joinWant to get more fireplace leads for your company? Check out: https://findmyfireplace.co
57 min - Specialty Installation is Your Number One Asset (Part 1)
"Service and installation is your moat—and I can't cross it."
That's a direct quote from an AI agent when Tim asked how specialty retailers stack up against big box and e-commerce. In this episode—the first of a two-part series on the value of specialty installation—Tim shares a class he taught for the North Central HPBA in Wisconsin, making the case that installation isn't a necessary evil or a line item to tack onto a quote. It's the single most important asset any retailer in this industry has.
In this episode, Tim covers:
- Why retailers lose jobs four-to-one to indecision over competition—and how a seamless baton pass from showroom to estimator to install crew closes that gap
- The 20% rule—most customers will pay up to 20% more for a service that's less of a hassle, which means you don't need the best price, just a competitive one
- How to build a value wedge—something important to your customer, unique to your company, and objectively defendable—that makes your business impossible to shop against
Don't miss this one if you've ever treated installation labor like a commodity—Tim lays out exactly why your install team, not your product line, is the thing big box and e-commerce can't replicate, and how to price, schedule, and sell like you believe it.
——
Links from this episode:
WhyFire Pro: http://whyfire.com
——
Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/824ip58vNag
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2
Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
Want to get more fireplace leads for your company? Check out: https://findmyfireplace.com
1 hr 29 min - Shelby Kardas - Build a Business Bigger than Yourself
"It kills more people every year than HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria combined."
In this episode, Tim sits down with Shelby Kardas (Executive Director, StoveTeam International) to talk about the smoky-kitchen crisis affecting half the world's population—and why supporting a cause bigger than your bottom line might be the smartest business move a hearth retailer can make. Shelby joins from Cuenca, Ecuador, where StoveTeam has helped install over 80,000 clean-burning cookstoves across Central America since 2008.
In this episode, Tim and Shelby cover:
- Why a $250 stove changes everything for a family in rural Guatemala—and how the hearth industry has already funded more than 2,000 of them through the 1,000 Stove Challenge
- How supporting a cause wins the "coffee table battle"—when customers compare brochures at home, over ninety percent will choose the business that stands for something beyond profit
- Why taking your team to stand in a smoky kitchen—or offering an extra week of vacation for volunteer work—builds the kind of committed employees no training seminar ever will
Don't miss this conversation if you've ever wondered whether generosity actually moves the needle for your business—Shelby and Tim make the case that doing the right thing and doing good business aren't just compatible, they're the same thing.
——
Links from this episode:
StoveTeam International: https://www.stoveteam.org/
WhyFire Fireplace AI Visualizer: http://whyfire.com
——
Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hFIFLkQfiso
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2
Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
Want to get more fireplace leads for your company? Check out: https://findmyfireplace.com
54 min - Jonny Holsten - Learn to Sell Across the Bridge
"Do you want them asking those questions to ChatGPT or their buddy who's a contractor—or do you want them asking you?"
In this episode, Tim kicks off Season 17 with Jonny Holsten (Owner and Sales Trainer, bridgeselling.com), author of Fix Your Broken Sales Calls. Jonny built a six-step framework that helped one company grow from $3 million a month to $30 million a month in a single year—and he breaks down exactly how it applies to selling fireplaces, complete with a live role play that shows the difference between asking two questions and asking seven.
In this episode, Tim and Jonny cover:
- Why "shadow the top rep" isn't training—80% of companies have no sales playbook, and it's costing them deals they never even see slip away
- How addressing sticker shock early with a simple price range turns the rest of the conversation into the buyer justifying the value—instead of choking on the number at the end
- The "three next steps" formula that makes your follow-up plan impossible to ghost—my step, your step, our step together
Don't miss this one—if you've ever asked "how many square feet?" and walked straight to the showroom floor, Jonny's framework will show you exactly what that shortcut is costing you and how to fix it before winter buying season hits.
——
Links from this episode:
Get the FREE Book "Fix Your Broken Sales Calls": https://www.bridgeselling.com/book
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnyholsten/
WhyFire Website: https://whyfire.com
——
Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/my89ONkB6Nw
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2
Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
Want to get more fireplace leads for your company? Check out: https://findmyfireplace.com
1 hr 5 min - What's Your Return on Luck? (FTM Rapid Reaction Series)
While we prepare Season 17 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. This week, Tim closes out the series reacting to an article he wrote titled, "What's Your Return on Luck?" (released in the September 2023 issue of The Fire Time Magazine).
------
Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zHWgsvOqgP4
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2
Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
Want to get more fireplace leads for your company? Check out: https://findmyfireplace.com
26 min - Tomorrow's Customer (FTM Rapid Reaction Series)
While we prepare Season 17 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week's episode, Tim reacts to an article by Peter Parsons titled, "Tomorrow's Customer" (released in the March 2026 issue of The Fire Time Magazine).
------
Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0k9by8widxE
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2
Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
Want to get more fireplace leads for your company? Check out: https://findmyfireplace.com
20 min - "3 Tips for Increasing Throughput" (FTM Rapid Reaction Series)
While we prepare Season 17 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week's episode, Tim reacts to an article by Zack Estes titled, "3 Tips for Increasing Throughput" (released in the January 2025 issue of The Fire Time Magazine).
------
Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Qww9sUsJwnU
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2
Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
Want to get more fireplace leads for your company? Check out: https://findmyfireplace.com
25 min - "Enjoy Being Wrong" (FTM Rapid Reaction Series)
While we prepare Season 17 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week's episode, Tim reacts to an article by Gideon Honeycutt titled, "Enjoy Being Wrong" (released in the May 2026 issue of The Fire Time Magazine).
------
Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eH5UjHyObGU
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2
Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
Want to get more fireplace leads for your company? Check out: https://findmyfireplace.com
19 min - "Build Careers, Not Just Crews" (FTM Rapid Reaction Series)
While we prepare Season 17 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week's episode, Tim reacts to an article by Dave Anderson titled, "Build Careers, Not Just Crews" (released in the February 2026 issue of The Fire Time Magazine).
------
Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/20FLyJLvKC8
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2
Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
Want to get more fireplace leads for your company? Check out: https://findmyfireplace.com
26 min
About The Fire Time Podcast
From the publisher's feed
Are you tired of presentations that are only half relevant to your business? Many speakers are not practitioners of their material, simply teachers—not so with The Fire Time Podcast. This podcast is…
for the hearth industry and by the hearth industry. Host Tim Reed has over a decade of experience in the hearth industry, making conversations with guests relevant and extremely practical. In Season One, Tim speaks with twelve hearth industry leaders and provides content relevant to any position, whether on the retail or manufacturing side. Hearth companies everywhere are lost because the landscape of business has changed dramatically in the last ten years. They are trying hard, but they just don’t know what to do. The Fire Time Podcast equips hearth companies to win by sharing ideas and innovation from the best minds in our industry. This podcast will give you the tools to move the needle in your company and win in the changing landscape. This podcast is the first of its kind—specific to the business that you work in every day and simple enough to teach you what’s needed to succeed. Do not miss out on The Fire Time Podcast, available for Apple and Droid devices or at www.itsfiretime.com/podcast. The simple and repeatable steps provided will empower you to grow the bottom line of your company and inspire the team that you lead. ABOUT: Tim Reed is the Retail Sales Leader at Fireside Home Solutions in the Pacific Northwest where he helps his team members make it so stupidly easy to buy from them that there is no excuse not to. Starting as individual salesperson in an empty warehouse, he has grown Fireside’s Retail division by millions (after cutting his marketing budget by 90%). Tim has been invited all over the country to teach companies how to market effectively to their customers and sell more than ever before. His YouTube videos, sales blog, and “Fire Time Podcast” have become a resource for the industry and are actively helping thousands of people rethink their paradigms so that they can grow their businesses in the changing landscape. Tim learned “just enough to be dangerous” about sales, marketing, web development, and leadership from years of playing guitar in a failing punk band—which he swears has uniquely qualified him for his job today. Now considered one of the most innovative minds and compelling communicators in the industry, Tim uses his platform to serve others, helping them create clear messages that are wildly compelling to their audiences. Tim lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Jessica, two children, Olivia and Luke, and his 90 pound Golden Retriever, Walter. He still plays guitar in a failing punk band. CONTACT: [email protected] | www.itsfiretime.com
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