I Took 6 Weeks Off And Everything Changed

The grind that got you here might be the thing stopping you from getting to the next level. In this mini episode of Sales Life, Justin and Sean preview what might be their most important conversation yet: the Rick Rubin book "The Creative Act: A Way of Being," and why the survival muscles that make you a killer in sales are completely different from the muscles you need to widen your vision, find real creativity, and build a career that actually lasts. Justin breaks down the surfer analogy that changed his perspective: a great surfer doesn't create the wave, they read it and ride it. That's the shift from grinding to creating. And Sean makes the case that the patience you avoid as a salesperson might be exactly what opens up the next level of opportunity. This is a preview. The full Rick Rubin deep dive is coming. Consider this your warning. Chapters: 0:00 Sean is going surfing 1:03 How Sales Life started 2:17 Why Sean started surfing 3:01 The book behind the idea 4:15 The artist vs. the craftsperson 6:59 Is Sean actually a surfer? 7:52 From survival mode to freedom 9:03 The problem with waiting in sales 10:24 The artist mindset vs. survival mindset 11:14 The real premise of Sales Life 12:17 The Creative Act deep dive is coming Connect with Sales Life → Subscribe to The Letter of Intent newsletter: https://saleslife.beehiiv.com/ → Follow Sales Life on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-life-podcast/ About the hosts Sean Ward leads commercial real estate at CBRE in Southern California. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-ward-ab616a8/ Justin Ryder, CCIM, specializes in multifamily and SEC town student housing at SVN Stone Commercial Real Estate. https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-ryder-cre/ If this episode landed, hit subscribe and turn on notifications. New episodes every other week. #SalesLife #CommercialRealEstate #CRE #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #SalesPodcast #SalesCareer #SalesMindset #Entrepreneurship #Creativity #AIinSales #PersonalBrand #BusinessGrowth #RealEstate #PodcastForSalespeople

In sales, what actually builds a career: talent, likability, or something else? In this bonus episode of Sales Life, Sean Ward flips the script and puts Justin Ryder in the hot seat for a rapid-fire round on the hottest issues in commercial real estate and B2B sales. Sean ranks every sales strength head to head, empathy, consistency, accountability, likability, trustworthiness, and one trait keeps winning: work ethic, with urgency right behind it. Along the way Justin gets honest about his biggest fear in a deal, how he uses AI to qualify prospects and process 100,000x more information, where he really adds value for clients, and why using your God-given gifts beats any strategy. Fast, unfiltered, and a little unhinged. If you're building a sales career in CRE or B2B, this one's a shot of energy. Chapters: 0:00 Rapid fire 1:06 Flipping the script: Sean hosts, Justin's the guest 2:58 Justin's biggest fear in a deal 3:18 Qualifying deals faster with AI 4:05 Where Justin adds the most value 4:55 What's harder: rejection or discipline 5:39 Justin's real driving motivation 6:37 Use your gifts or shrivel up 7:03 Owning commercial real estate: go big or skip it 8:39 Winner stays on: ranking every sales strength 10:54 Does this bonus episode add enough value? Connect with Sales Life → Subscribe to The Letter of Intent newsletter: https://saleslife.beehiiv.com/ → Follow Sales Life on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-life-podcast/ About the hosts Sean Ward leads commercial real estate at CBRE in Southern California. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-ward-ab616a8/ Justin Ryder, CCIM, specializes in multifamily and SEC town student housing at SVN Stone Commercial Real Estate. https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-ryder-cre/ If this episode landed, hit subscribe and turn on notifications. New episodes every other week. #SalesLife #CommercialRealEstate #CRE #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #SalesPodcast #SalesCareer #AIinSales #SalesTraining #Prospecting #BusinessDevelopment #CREbrokerage #SalesLeadership #RealEstateInvesting #PodcastForSalespeople  

You're too soft in sales, and it might be the exact reason your pipeline is dry and your commissions have stalled. In this episode of Sales Life, Justin Ryder and Sean Ward get blunt about the quiet career-killer nobody wants to admit: being a people-pleaser, a doormat, the salesperson who can't muster the confidence to make the call or stand up for their own worth. But this isn't a pitch for being a pushy, ego-driven closer. Sean and Justin break down the "radical middle" of sales: how to stop getting walked on without becoming the hard-seller everyone tunes out. They get into what it takes to win in commercial real estate and B2B sales, the daily reps that separate top producers from everyone else (50 to 100 outbound calls a day, weekly coffee meetings, documenting your journey), and why you have to train like an Olympian if you want a real sales career. If you're early in your sales career, stuck in a slump, or tired of letting people waste your time, this one's for you. Chapters: 0:00 You're too soft in sales 0:55 Welcome back: what this episode is really about 4:18 The caveat: this isn't about being a jerk 4:55 Why being "too pushy" is just as deadly 6:14 The Quest for the Radical Middle 6:54 What young people in sales need to hear 11:01 Expanding your capacity for the work 12:42 The daily reps: 50 to 100 calls a day 13:25 Train like an Olympian 14:02 "Pour it out": going all in without burning out Connect with Sales Life → Subscribe to The Letter of Intent newsletter: https://saleslife.beehiiv.com/  → Follow Sales Life on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-life-podcast/ About the hosts Sean Ward leads commercial real estate at CBRE in Southern California. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-ward-ab616a8/ Justin Ryder, CCIM, specializes in multifamily and SEC town student housing at SVN Stone Commercial Real Estate. https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-ryder-cre/ If this episode landed, hit subscribe and turn on notifications. New episodes every other week. #SalesLife #CommercialRealEstate #CRE #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #ContentMarketing #LinkedInStrategy #SalesPodcast #CreativeSelling #AIinSales #AttentionEconomy #BrokerLife #SalesContent #PodcastForSalespeople #CREbrokerage 

Sean Ward spent 24 years chasing money in sales. He got it. Then came three years of personal hell that changed everything. This is the rebirth of Sales Life. Sean and Justin define what this show is actually about: how to get genuinely good at sales, and why the money you're chasing feels empty the moment you catch it. Sean opens up about the stretch that shook him to his core: displaced from his home, most of his money gone, a lawsuit, a fire, family health crises, and his business down 30% year over year for four straight years. All of it hitting at once. What he learned on the other side is the reason this podcast exists. If you're early in the chase, energized and hungry for the money, this episode won't shame you for it. If you've already gotten what you wanted and found it hollow, you're not a failure. You're just starting the deeper journey. What we get into: → Why Sean's "unique ability" is teaching salespeople to get rich, then telling them it's empty → The commenter who nailed it: "the empty journey kicks in right after the liquidity phase" → Richard Rohr's two halves of life, and why you have to punch your way out of the container you built → Nobody wants a million dollars. They want what's underneath what it buys. → The sales cheat code: why becoming a better person makes you literally better at closing → The pitch that got won with a 30-minute story instead of a 20-page deck → Why you can't define yourself by sales until you can name 3-5 things you're uniquely gifted at Chapters: 00:00 – The empty journey (cold open) 01:14 – Defining what Sales Life is really about 02:40 – "It was embedded in the name": 40 episodes to find the point 03:20 – Broke at 23: raiding the father-in-law's pantry 04:42 – Money isn't bad. But it's a terrible master. 06:51 – The life half: real relationships and the sales connection 08:24 – If you can't name your gifts, you don't know yourself 08:50 – The best parenting interruption in podcast history 10:00 – Richard Rohr: the two halves of life 11:20 – Why the emptiness hits after the liquidity, not during 12:14 – Sean's three years: fire, lawsuit, loss, business down 30% 13:47 – The feeling underneath the money you're chasing 15:04 – The cheat code: being comfortable in yourself closes more deals 15:40 – The pitch won by listening, not presenting 17:36 – Different muscles: letting go is harder than muscling through Connect with Sales Life → Subscribe to The Letter of Intent newsletter: https://saleslife.beehiiv.com/  → Follow Sales Life on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-life-podcast/ About the hosts Sean Ward leads commercial real estate at CBRE in Southern California. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-ward-ab616a8/ Justin Ryder, CCIM, specializes in multifamily and SEC town student housing at SVN Stone Commercial Real Estate. https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-ryder-cre/ If this episode landed, hit subscribe and turn on notifications. New episodes every other week. #SalesLife #CommercialRealEstate #CRE #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #ContentMarketing #LinkedInStrategy #SalesPodcast #CreativeSelling #AIinSales #AttentionEconomy #BrokerLife #SalesContent #PodcastForSalespeople #CREbrokerage 

Social media is dead. Interest media killed it. Sean and Justin unpack why LinkedIn feels harder than ever, why "the algorithm has changed" isn't the excuse you think it is, and why you now have permission to repeat yourself over and over again. Justin opens from what he calls "the LinkedIn grave" — his account is down 50%, video down 72%, and he's creating avatar accounts just to get likes. Sean's response? "It's harder for everybody right now." Then they dig into what's actually changed. The core thesis Sean pulls from Gary Vee: it's no longer social media, it's interest media. Your posts aren't reaching the 100 people in your network anymore. They're reaching strangers who happen to be interested in what you're saying. And that shift changes everything about how you should build a personal brand in 2026. What we cover: → Why Sean started recycling old LinkedIn posts (and why it's working) → The one rule Sean lives by for LinkedIn: post what you're feeling in the moment you're feeling it → Gary Vee's frame: social media is dead, interest media killed it → Relationship graph vs. interest graph — what changed and why it matters → Why you now have permission to answer the same problem over and over again → The two-bucket framework for figuring out what to actually post about → Sean's actual list of topics he cycles through (family, cold calling, photography, Toastmasters) → The transformative journey angle: why "top 3 tips" content is dead → Story elements: characters, conflict, resolution → The Sales Life Bangers swipe file — Sean and Justin's top 2025 posts, coming soon Chapters 00:00 – Cold open teaser 00:23 – Welcome back + Justin's LinkedIn grave confession 01:11 – Sean on recycling old posts (and why it works) 01:53 – The one rule: post what you're feeling in the moment 03:10 – Why the algorithm changed (and what to do about it) 05:48 – Relationship graph vs. interest graph 06:47 – Gary Vee's frame: social media is dead 07:59 – Why interest media is an opportunity, not a challenge 08:31 – What do you now have permission to do? 09:56 – What are you saying that's worth repeating? 10:33 – Why nobody's excited about commercial real estate right now 11:13 – The two-bucket framework for topic ideas 12:24 – Sean's actual topic list (family, cold calling, Toastmasters, photography) 13:37 – "Chase money and get as much of it as you can. Only to find out it's a mirage" 14:16 – Justin's Tesla + mini goldendoodle detour 15:19 – What makes you happy? 15:56 – The Anthony Bourdain of middle-aged sales guys 16:56 – Freedom in sales (and the irony of not having it) 17:46 – Ball on the T: branding in 2026 18:14 – The transformative journey framework 19:16 – Broad vs. niche audience strategy 19:45 – Story elements: characters, conflict, resolution 20:11 – The cliffhanger: what's embedded in the name Watch the previous episodes: → Sales Life is back: https://youtu.be/8gxKz6xiyU8→ Burnout Is an Invitation: https://youtu.be/A7ujYat_NDo→ Prospecting Clinic: https://youtu.be/RAyh0Uu_P4M Connect with Sales Life → Subscribe to The Letter of Intent newsletter: https://saleslife.beehiiv.com/  → Follow Sales Life on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-life-podcast/ About the hosts Sean Ward leads commercial real estate at CBRE in Southern California.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-ward-ab616a8/ Justin Ryder, CCIM, specializes in multifamily and SEC town student housing at SVN Stone Commercial Real Estate. https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-ryder-cre/ Coming next episode: Sean drops a cliffhanger at 20:11 about the transformative journey embedded in the show's name. Episode 5 unpacks it. Subscribe so you don't miss it. #SalesLife #LinkedIn #PersonalBranding #SocialMedia #ContentStrategy #B2BSales #CommercialRealEstate #CRE #SalesPodcast #ContentMarketing #LinkedInStrategy #GaryVee #InterestGraph #SalesStrategy #BrokerLife

Sales Life is back with a prospecting clinic. Sean and Justin go rapid-fire on the fundamentals: how to actually build a pipeline, how to pick up the phone when you don't want to, and how one tactical AI workflow is quietly changing how the best commercial real estate brokers close deals. Sean lays out his two-gear prospecting model — 100 outbound calls a day plus 3 relationship meetings a week — and explains why the pipeline is the one thing you can never outsource. Justin reveals how he's using Claude Cowork to turn every listing into a project workspace, generating real-time client updates in 30 seconds instead of hours. Then it gets uncomfortable. Sean's frame lands hard in the back half: in every market, in every sale, in every LinkedIn post, you're either cutting through the noise or you're white noise. There is no third option. What we cover: → The two-gear prospecting model that works in any sales role → Why "if someone's handing you something to process, you're not in sales" → What Sean and Justin have both gotten wrong about prospecting → Branding vs. prospecting: the billboard vs. the rifle scope → Justin's Claude Cowork workflow that turns every listing into a project → Where AI helps in sales, and where it actively hurts → Sean's phone stopwatch trick to force yourself to make calls → Justin's "never sit down" rule for outbound → The 400-minimum list-building rule (and why 100 isn't enough) → Sean's three-tier attention framework: white noise, insta-delete, or cutting through → The one-day-rep challenge that changes how you think about outbound Chapters 00:00 – Cold open 00:30 – Welcome back and the "we have the smartest audience" frame 02:45 – Sean's 60-second prospecting framework for a new salesperson 04:30 – "If someone's handing you something to process, you're not in sales" 06:11 – What we've gotten wrong about prospecting 08:02 – You can outsource everything except your pipeline 09:55 – Feeling guilty about prospecting when your cup runs over 10:25 – Branding vs prospecting: billboard vs rifle scope 13:30 – Casting a net vs rifle shooting (with Naval Ravikant reference) 16:13 – Everyone's brain is hyper-tuned to tune out noise 17:52 – Animated GIFs in email + Tyler Bendy's 100 deals campaign 19:30 – The AI segment: Justin's Claude Cowork workflow 24:00 – Where AI hurts in sales (don't replace your voice) 26:00 – LinkedIn: dead or just noisy? 26:45 – How to actually pick up the phone 28:30 – How to make sure your call adds value 30:00 – How to build your prospect list (Justin's 400-minimum rule) 31:55 – What Justin learned about prospecting by owning real estate 32:30 – White noise vs cutting through the noise (the episode's frame) 34:40 – Sean's closing teach: get the reps 35:54 – Outro Referenced in this episode → Naval Ravikant (leverage concept) → Tyler Bendy (100 deals campaign) → Claude Cowork by Anthropic (Justin's AI workflow)   Connect with Sales Life → Subscribe to The Letter of Intent newsletter: https://saleslife.beehiiv.com/  → Follow Sales Life on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-life-podcast/ About the hosts Sean Ward leads commercial real estate at CBRE in Southern California. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-ward-ab616a8/ Justin Ryder, CCIM, specializes in multifamily and SEC town student housing at SVN Stone Commercial Real Estate. https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-ryder-cre/ If this episode landed, hit subscribe and turn on notifications. New episodes every other week. #SalesLife #CommercialRealEstate #CRE #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #ContentMarketing #LinkedInStrategy #SalesPodcast #CreativeSelling #AIinSales #AttentionEconomy #BrokerLife #SalesContent #PodcastForSalespeople #CREbrokerage 

Sales Life is back with the second episode of the season. After last week's conversation on creativity and AI, Sean and Justin go deeper - into burnout. What it is, what it's not, and what it's actually trying to tell you. Justin shows up with a list of strategies to avoid burnout. Sean shows up with three handwritten notes from his podiatrist's office and reframes the entire conversation. What emerges is the most personal episode the show has produced. What we cover: → Sean's three-point framework (burnout is a luxury, burnout is temporary, burnout is an invitation) → Justin's strategies to avoid burnout: don't take everything personally, don't measure everything weekly, don't work with clients you don't like, stop comparing yourself → Why "if it is to be, it's up to me" is a brutal way to live → The "whipped ass" story: how Sean took six weeks off and came back different → The leaky pipe metaphor and why doubling down on burnout backfires → Justin's case for handwritten journaling as the antidote → The 2-week test: can you step away? Chapters: 00:00 — Burnout is an invitation 01:50 — Burnout in year 8 of sales 04:17 — Tired vs burnt out (the vacation test) 07:11 — Your false sense of self is filling you up with work 09:30 — Sean's three-point framework 11:24 — Burnout is an invitation 13:18 — Don't take everything personally 15:43 — Don't measure everything every week 17:43 — Humans aren't made to sit at screens 12 hours a day 19:00 — Niche down and work with people you like 20:56 — Stop comparing yourself 22:30 — Wherever you go, there you are 25:30 — The whipped ass story 29:07 — Justin's spiritual breakthrough 29:22 — The number one cause: forgetting your why 30:49 — Journaling is the antidote 31:39 — What to do when you're burnt out 34:17 — The 2-week test 35:38 — Can you ever feel like Day 1 again? 36:20 — Subscribe ask Connect with Sales Life→ Subscribe to The Letter of Intent newsletter: https://saleslife.beehiiv.com/  → Follow Sales Life on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-life-podcast/ About the hosts Sean Ward leads commercial real estate at CBRE in Southern California. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-ward-ab616a8/ Justin Ryder, CCIM, specializes in multifamily and SEC town student housing at SVN Stone Commercial Real Estate. https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-ryder-cre/ If this episode landed, hit subscribe and turn on notifications. New episodes every other week. #SalesLife #CommercialRealEstate #CRE #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #ContentMarketing #LinkedInStrategy #SalesPodcast #CreativeSelling #AIinSales #AttentionEconomy #BrokerLife #SalesContent #PodcastForSalespeople #CREbrokerage 

Sales Life is back. After four months off, Sean and Justin return with a warning: if you're not capturing attention in sales right now, you're sleepwalking into being replaced. Sean unpacks the content strategy behind his recent LinkedIn warehouse video - the four-point framework he uses to ship video content in under 10 minutes from his phone, with no mic, no editing, no excuses. Justin breaks down why most commercial real estate brokers won't get on camera, and what changed when his SEC towns ranking video hit 300,000 views. Then Sean drops his "sleight of hand" content strategy: nobody wants to watch you talk about your listing, but everyone will watch you teach about the industry around it. The listing shows up inside the teaching. What we cover: → The four-point LinkedIn video framework (phone-only, no editing, 10 minutes from idea to post)  → Why the concierge service angle works in CRE content  → 894 units in BOV in Kentucky and the 1% black swan buyer thesis  → Why multifamily brokers don't collaborate (and why they should)  → The six-part advanced manufacturing teaching series  → The sleight of hand content strategy that gets niche content viewed  → John Drachman's "Dr. Doom to Dr. Hope" market pivot  → Justin's 300K view SEC towns video breakdown  → Sean's sleepwalking monologue: "If your eyes aren't open to the value of capturing attention, go watch Gary V until you figure it out"  → Why creativity is the only thing AI can't replace in sales Chapters 00:00 – Sales Life is back (and almost wasn't)  01:25 – The new direction: pull up a chair  02:30 – Sean's LinkedIn warehouse video breakdown  04:00 – The 10-minute, no-mic content workflow  05:30 – The concierge service angle owners love  08:50 – Justin's BOV stack and the 1% black swan buyer  12:30 – Why multifamily brokers should collaborate  14:30 – Creativity as the antidote to drudgery  17:15 – The 6-part advanced manufacturing teaching series  18:30 – The sleight of hand content strategy  20:00 – Dr. Doom to Dr. Hope: market pessimism is over  22:34 – The sleepwalking monologue  24:00 – You'll be replaced by AI if you don't tap into creativity  26:15 – Going viral the right way  28:50 – The Resurrection Episode Connect with Sales Life → Subscribe to The Letter of Intent newsletter: https://saleslife.beehiiv.com/  → Follow Sales Life on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-life-podcast/ About the hosts Sean Ward leads commercial real estate at CBRE in Southern California. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-ward-ab616a8/ Justin Ryder, CCIM, specializes in multifamily and SEC town student housing at SVN Stone Commercial Real Estate. https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-ryder-cre/ If this episode landed, hit subscribe and turn on notifications. New episodes every other week. #SalesLife #CommercialRealEstate #CRE #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #ContentMarketing #LinkedInStrategy #SalesPodcast #CreativeSelling #AIinSales #AttentionEconomy #BrokerLife #SalesContent #PodcastForSalespeople #CREbrokerage   

A bias of urgency... gaining momentum out of nowhere... resetting after a brutal loss in CRE Sales...  @socalindustrial  answers the tough questions. For Sales Life Listeners, you should know that these speed rounds were totally unplanned 😜. Great work, Sean! Justin's social: LinkedIn Twitter YouTube Sean's social: LinkedIn Twitter YouTube   SUBSCRIBE to the Sales Life Letter of Intent (our somewhat weekly newsletter on intentional sales life:

The book that stopped us cold. Didn't even make it through Chapter 1. 📖 Book mentioned: Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy Jim Murphy's Inner Excellence was spotted on an NFL sideline and blew up nationally — and after reading the first few chapters, we get why. In this episode, we're breaking down the ideas that hit us hardest: the real definition of fear (hint: it has nothing to do with being scared), why high performers actually stop chasing results (and get them), and the concept of "total absorption" that might be the most important thing missing from your life right now.  Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:10 - Introducing the Book: Inner Excellence 00:00:59 - Initial Impressions and Expectations from the Book 00:01:40 - Discussion on High Performance 00:02:37 - Two Paths to Life: External vs Inner Development 00:06:10 - The Importance of Living in the Present 00:06:59 - Discussion on Fear as Self-Centeredness 00:13:40 - Implications of Attachment to External Elements 00:16:13 - Freedom of an Undivided Heart 00:19:07 - The Power of Total Absorption 00:24:52 - The Lies We Believe 00:26:50 - The Trap of Self-Centeredness 00:27:20 - Experiencing Life in Its Fullness 00:31:38 - The Importance of Reflection and Truth 00:32:08 - The Power of Reflection: Defining Your 'Why' 00:32:49 - The Role of Work and Excellence 00:34:22 - Living in the Present and Letting Go of Control 00:34:49 - Applying Inner Excellence in Real Life Justin's social: LinkedIn Twitter YouTube Sean's social: LinkedIn Twitter YouTube   SUBSCRIBE to the Sales Life Letter of Intent (our somewhat weekly newsletter on intentional sales life: