

GRIT: The Real Estate Growth Mindset
Brian Charlesworth, Sisu
Brian Charlesworth’s Grit Podcast is a powerful resource for anyone seeking to develop the mindset and resilience needed to achieve success in life. Hosted by Brian Charlesworth, an accomplished entrepreneur and business leader, this podcast provides valuable insights and practical strategies for overcoming obstacles, embracing challenges, and achieving one’s goals.
At its core, the Grit Podcast is all about developing grit, a term coined by psychologist Angela Duckworth to describe the combination of passion and perseverance that enables individuals to pursue their long-term goals with resilience and determination. Through interviews with successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, and other high-achievers, Charlesworth explores the qualities that underpin grit, such as self-discipline, adaptability, and optimism.
One of the strengths of the Grit Podcast is its emphasis on practical advice and actionable strategies. Charlesworth is a skilled interviewer who knows how to draw out insights from his guests that can be applied in everyday life. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a busy professional, or simply someone who wants to achieve more in life, the Grit Podcast offers a wealth of valuable insights and strategies to help you succeed.
Another key feature of the Grit Podcast is its focus on real-world stories of grit and resilience. Charlesworth’s guests are individuals who have faced significant challenges and setbacks in their lives and careers, yet have managed to overcome them and achieve great success. These stories serve as powerful inspiration for listeners, demonstrating that with the right mindset and strategies, anything is possible.
In addition to interviews with successful entrepreneurs and business leaders, the Grit Podcast also features episodes focused on specific topics, such as overcoming fear, building resilience, and developing a growth mindset. These episodes offer in-depth explorations of key concepts and strategies, providing listeners with a deeper understanding of how to develop grit and resilience in their own lives.
Overall, Brian Charlesworth’s Grit Podcast is a must-listen for anyone seeking to develop the mindset and resilience needed to achieve success in life. With its practical advice, real-world stories of grit and resilience, and deep exploration of key concepts and strategies, the Grit Podcast is a powerful tool for anyone looking to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.
At its core, the Grit Podcast is all about developing grit, a term coined by psychologist Angela Duckworth to describe the combination of passion and perseverance that enables individuals to pursue their long-term goals with resilience and determination. Through interviews with successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, and other high-achievers, Charlesworth explores the qualities that underpin grit, such as self-discipline, adaptability, and optimism.
One of the strengths of the Grit Podcast is its emphasis on practical advice and actionable strategies. Charlesworth is a skilled interviewer who knows how to draw out insights from his guests that can be applied in everyday life. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a busy professional, or simply someone who wants to achieve more in life, the Grit Podcast offers a wealth of valuable insights and strategies to help you succeed.
Another key feature of the Grit Podcast is its focus on real-world stories of grit and resilience. Charlesworth’s guests are individuals who have faced significant challenges and setbacks in their lives and careers, yet have managed to overcome them and achieve great success. These stories serve as powerful inspiration for listeners, demonstrating that with the right mindset and strategies, anything is possible.
In addition to interviews with successful entrepreneurs and business leaders, the Grit Podcast also features episodes focused on specific topics, such as overcoming fear, building resilience, and developing a growth mindset. These episodes offer in-depth explorations of key concepts and strategies, providing listeners with a deeper understanding of how to develop grit and resilience in their own lives.
Overall, Brian Charlesworth’s Grit Podcast is a must-listen for anyone seeking to develop the mindset and resilience needed to achieve success in life. With its practical advice, real-world stories of grit and resilience, and deep exploration of key concepts and strategies, the Grit Podcast is a powerful tool for anyone looking to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 7, 2021 • 32min
Episode 082 with Tamir Poleg, CEO at The Real Brokerage Inc
Tamir Poleg started in the real estate industry as a construction worker 16 years ago. This experience allowed him to learn homes and construction from a fundamental level. After earning a degree in economics, he joined the tech world with a couple of start-up companies doing mainly sales positions in Europe.
In 2006, Tamir started his own real estate company in Houston, Texas. When the market tanked in 2007 - 2008, he saw the opportunity to invest in real estate and grew his portfolio, property management company, and construction company. Despite the odds, it turned out to be a good decision, and he ended up selling that company in 2013. A year later, he started Real, a technology-powered real estate brokerage, and this is where he’s been devoting his life to ever since.
Today, Tamir Poleg is the CEO at The Real Brokerage Inc. The company recently rang the bell at Nasdaq and is currently on a mission to make agents' lives better, creating financial opportunities for agents through better commission splits, best-in-class technology, revenue sharing, and equity incentives.
In this episode, we talked about:
03:36 Why Tamir decided to go into the real estate world?
07:22 How COVID gave way to in opening up the industry virtually
08:56 Why Tamir chose New York to start his own company
10:30 What was the vision for Real when they first started it?
15:13 When did the idea of building wealth through Real come about?
19:47 What sets Real apart from a traditional brokerage?
20:11 Why are agents attracted to Real?
22:49 How revenue sharing works at Real
24:16 What is the tech platform that Real uses?
25:11 The four main pillars of technology
30:15 Tamir’s most crucial piece of advice

Aug 31, 2021 • 29min
Episode 081 with Rivers Pearce, CEO & Co-Founder of W8less
In 2005, Rivers Pearce started doing e-commerce and lead generation for an ad agency in Atlanta and then moved to Charleston and South Carolina. Five years later, a real estate technology startup called BoomTown was looking for someone who can do search engine marketing and Rivers joined them as their 10th employee.
For almost a decade, Rivers helped grow BoomTown’s client base from 70 to well over 3000 clients by serving as their Director of Client Success, Director of Digital Marketing & Strategy.
With his vast experience working with operations and team/brokerage structures as well as the various technology, marketing, advertising, and operational components that support all of that, Rivers is considered a veteran in the real estate technology space.
Today, Rivers is the CEO & Co-Founder of W8less, a real estate and property technology consultancy that is focused on making people's processes better and ultimately creating an infrastructure to support their business’ success.
In this episode we talked about:
00:57 How Rivers came up with the weightless concept?
04:20 What does that mean to be “weightless”?
09:45 How Sisu’s way of automating processes helped operational efficiency for teams and brokerages
18:39 The key difference between Sisu and other transaction management platforms
20:24 What Rivers thinks anyone managing a real estate business should know
20:56 The value of looking outside the industry for your competitors
25:15 Why you should work with companies that can help you navigate the technology aspects of your business
26:23 What advice Rivers has for business owners moving forward

Aug 26, 2021 • 49min
Episode 080 with Steve de Laveaga, Founder & CEO at Real Intelligent Sales Engagement (R.I.S.E.)
Growing up, Steve de Laveaga loved playing basketball. As a high school senior, he attended basketball camps at Cal Lutheran. Due to his athletic talent, he was offered a full academic scholarship and decided to take up Communications.
Through this course, he discovered that the key to creating great influence and wealth in any field is the ability to communicate your vision and passion to your network. As as he got older, he has made it his mission to make people’s lives better through his positive influence.
For almost a decade, Steve was the SVP and National Sales Manager for Fidelity National Title Group, encompassing multiple Divisions and overseeing 3,100 Sales Executives, and assisting over 200 sales managers across the US. Here, he assisted their partners and stakeholders in growing their business and bringing value to real estate companies.
Today, Steve is the Founder and CEO at Real Intelligent Sales Engagement (R.I.S.E.). Their main goal is to be the best business-to-business facilitator with clients and prospects in the real estate space. They also work with top producing teams and focus on helping agents develop into “sales savants” and be in their company’s top 10%.
Top Takeaways:
03:06 Why Steve has chosen to work with elite teams
09:54 How Steve came up with R.I.S.E
11:23 The 3 key things a team must have to achieve more closings
12:54 The value of follow-up
14:23 Why more agents don’t always mean more closings
15:42 Why you need to be accountable to the process and business of real estate
21:34 Where Steve sees the real estate industry ending up in the next 3-5 years
23:27 What Zillow and Open Door haven't figured out yet
24:28 What will happen if Google or Facebook goes into real estate?
27:11 Why you need to watch out for Keller Williams
36:38 What Steve loves about Sisu dashboards
42:38 Steve’s vision for consumer experience
46:08 What is Steve’s most important piece of advice?
To get a hold of Steve, you may visit https://salesisacareer.com/

Aug 17, 2021 • 39min
Episode 079 with Michael LaFido, Founder & CEO at Luxury Listing Specialist Designation(LUXE)
Upon getting his real estate license in 2000, Michael LaFido worked as a part-time agent and full-time high school health and physical education teacher. But with a growing family, he felt he was spreading himself too thin. So in 2010, he decided to go into real estate full time.
Several years later, Michael did some real estate coaching and consulting where he developed a product called “The Ultimate Listing Blueprint”. This product led him to meet a gentleman who coaches top luxury agents who are having difficulty competing in their marketplace.
He found that most agents who deal with luxury properties think that the only way they’d be able to compete is if they become one of the cheaper agents in their market - which he doesn’t agree with. This was when he made the shift to luxury listings on his home selling side and his coaching/consulting side as well.
Today, Michael is the Founder & CEO at Luxury Listing Specialist Designation(LUXE) where he helps brokers and agents improve their luxury marketing strategies to help sell more luxury homes. His methods are considered “The New Standard” for marketing luxury homes today.
Key Takeaways:
05:20 The 3 things agents can do to make more money
07:28 What is a luxury listing?
09:22 The 4 primary price points in most markets
10:20 How to make the switch to luxury listings?
21:25 What trends does Michael see in marketing versus what everyone else does?
21:46 What does “fresh eyes analysis” mean?
25:56 Michael’s vision for the market
30:29 What’s the best method of learning for Michael
36:01 How to have a great year for your business
37:18 Michael’s most important piece of advice
To get a hold of Michael LaFido, you may email him at michael@marketingluxurygroup.com.
You may also check his social media pages:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxurylistingspecialist
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lafido
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikelafido/

Aug 10, 2021 • 45min
Episode 078 with Robert Lucido, Director of Business Development for Lucido Global
Baseball has always been Robert Lucido’s dream and passion. At the age of 5, he dreamed of joining the big leagues. He played through high school, became an all-academic athlete in college, and played professionally for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers.
He was often the smallest guy on the team. But what he lacked in height, he made up for in hard work. As an athlete, he always believed in setting goals and making progress in achieving those goals. He brought the same passion and grit when he transitioned into the real estate world in 2018.
Today, Robert is the Director of Business Development for Lucido Global. He drives corporate strategy and innovation, intending to create an economic moat, scale, and efficiency across the Lucido companies.
In this episode, we talked about how the adversities he faced in his baseball career helped shape his character and what you can do to keep creating opportunities in your life and your career.
Key Takeaways:
03:18 How Robert started his baseball career
07:12 The importance of proper timing
11:31 What made Robert decide to leave baseball
16:10 The book that helped Robert get out of rock-bottom
20:09 The changes that Robert sees in the market
25:04 What are “forest agents”?
27:33 Who is the future of real estate: Teams or solo agents?
32:33 The key technologies people need to have in their real estate business
32:50 The value of time
34:02 How leveraging technology can affect your ROI
36:54 What does Lucido Global’s latest acquisition mean for their business
38:06 What benefits do team owners get when they join Lucido Global?
42:00 Robert’s most important piece of advice
To get a hold of Robert, you may email him at robertlucido@lucidoglobal.com

Jul 27, 2021 • 32min
Episode 077 with Brad Sugars, CEO & Founder of ActionCOACH
Brad Sugars has been in business since he was 15 years old. He has bought, sold, or started more than 50 companies. Throughout his 3-decade career as an entrepreneur, he has become a strong advocate for building a business that works without you.
Today, Brad Sugars owns 9 companies and is the CEO & Founder of the largest business coaching company in the world, ActionCOACH. He is also a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and the #1 business coach in the world.
In this episode, we talked about the 5 Core Disciplines of Exponential Growth in Your Business and how his systematic approach to business has allowed him to spend more time doing what really matters to him.
Key Takeaways:
02:32 Brad’s goal as an educator
03:43 What the 30X Business Training is all about
06:29 Why Brad thinks that “hustle and grind” is the new stupid
07:19 The 5 Core Disciplines of Exponential Growth for Your Business
09:16 Why ActionCOACH and Sisu get along so well
12:43 A CEO’s number 1 job
14:41 The 4 complex areas of a business strategy
14:46 Brad’s definition of leverage
20:35 How important are ratings and rankings
21:54 How many times should you be posting on social media today?
24:52 Brad’s advice for people who run large team brokerages but struggle to recruit within their organization
28:11 Why people leave their jobs
29:47 The one thing Brad keeps coming back to when it comes to sales
To know more about Brad Sugars, go to https://bradsugars.com/ or visit https://www.actioncoach.com/
To check out Brad’s latest book, Pulling Profits out of a Hat, go to: https://www.audible.com/pd/Pulling-Profits-out-of-a-Hat-Audiobook/B07YSXPTWF

Jul 20, 2021 • 47min
Episode 076 with Kevin Flaherty, Real Estate Broker @ eXp Realty
Kevin Flaherty has been in the real estate business for 33 years. He was a solo agent for a very long time and used to build custom web pages for homes in the ’90s. When MLS listings went online, he was already ahead of the curve. He thought of ways to further improve web pages by adding plans and videos with narration.
He then ran a team under iPro Realty Ltd. Brokerage for the past 11 years where he was the overall number one top producer for 10 straight years. Here, he offered cutting-edge real estate marketing to help sell homes.
Today, Kevin Flaherty is a Real Estate Broker at eXp Realty where he continues to provide clients his decades of experience, advanced marketing technologies, and direct exposure to thousands of successful real estate transactions.
In this episode, we discussed his high-end marketing model, his views on what the ideal real estate team structure should look like, and all the things he loves about Sisu.
Top Takeaways:
02:17 How does Video-narrated 3D animated online showing work?
11:34 What motivated Kevin to make the move to eXp Realty
15:13 One of the biggest misconceptions about eXp
18:26 How Kevin structured his team
22:35 How to get agents to do the activities they should be doing
23:59 How technology makes the hiring process more efficient
28:37 How does a team owner get their agents to focus on selling real estate
31:12 Kevin’s advice on how to get an ISA team up and functioning successfully
34:01 Why Kevin highly recommends Sisu
35:02 What every top producer should know
35:43 The enormous mistake that led him to find Sisu
38:18 What Kevin loves about Sisu
To get in touch with Kevin Flaherty, go to www.flaherty.ca. You can also email him at kevin@flaherty.ca or call 226-916-0595.

Jul 13, 2021 • 39min
Episode 075 with Spring Bengtzen, CEO of the Utah Life Real Estate Group & REAL Broker LLC
Spring Bengtzen started in real estate while she was only 22. A developer refused to hire her at that time because they thought she was too young. However, she was determined to prove herself, so she agreed to work for free for the first couple of months. After learning the trade, she was able to sell her first house just by transacting over the phone. This impressed the developer, and they decided to keep her.
She worked her way up to being their principal broker and sold thousands of properties while she was there. But when the economy tanked in ‘08, they filed for bankruptcy. At that time, Spring was listed as one of REALTOR’s Magazine 30 under 30, and she had the opportunity to join Keller-Williams. From 2010 to 2019, she built and grew her team to become the largest in Utah.
Eventually, Spring felt she was ready for something more. So in 2019, she started her own brokerage under Realty One. While she loved its branding and transaction model, she realized that she’s really not meant to be a broker-owner. She had to let go of her ego, sell her brokerage, and ultimately joined REAL Broker LLC.
Today, Spring is the CEO of the Utah Life Real Estate Group & REAL Broker LLC. at Real Broker USA. In today’s episode, we talked about her plans for building wealth, what she loves about joining REAL Broker LLC, and the biggest challenge she ever had to deal with in her life.
Top Takeaways:
02:47 The projects that Spring is currently working on
04:57 How Spring manages to continue to double her business every year
06:06 How you should do morning huddles
08:18 What one-on-one sessions look like in Spring’s business
11:24 How does “special agent attraction strategy” work?
16:36 Why Spring decided to buy a brokerage
19:34 What Spring loves about REAL Broker LLC
23:59 The value of having a plan for building wealth
28:07 How to achieve work-life balance when you and your spouse are both in real estate
31:35 How Spring’s determination helped her get to the next level
32:29 Why you need to believe that the worst day of your life has already happened
33:41 The worst trauma Spring had to deal with in her life
36:28 Why you should live your life as a choice
To get in touch with Spring, check her Instagram page @springbengtzen. You may also send an email to spring@liveutah.com or contact 801-641-1431.

Jul 6, 2021 • 46min
Episode 074 with Brindley Tucker, Owner of Your Realty Leverage Inc.
Before coming into the real estate world, Brindley Tucker worked in the financial sector and sold country club memberships. She realized then that the best way to learn things is to become an assistant to someone doing it. So when she wanted to go into real estate in 2011, she decided to apply as a real estate assistant and ended up working as a KW Marketplace Director of Agent Services.
This was also the time where she went through massive personal challenges and had to make some major life decisions - one of which was to start her own transactions management company. She started as an independent operation, and in 3 years, she grew her team and was able to close 2,000 real estate transactions in a year.
Due to her success, Keller-Williams invited her to become a MAPS coach to teach and train other people how to do transaction management.
Today, Brindley Tucker is a licensed REALTOR® and the owner of Your Realty Leverage, Inc., a recruiting, training, and coaching firm where she specializes in unifying teams and helping agents increase leverage in their businesses.
In this episode, we talked about her journey, how an incident that happened during the darkest point in her life changed her, and how she viewed the world.
Top takeaways:
03:49 Brindley’s vision for her company
05:33 How Brindley went through the darkest part of her life and what it taught her.
12:47 What is Fail Forward Friday?
13:50 Why is Brindley called “The Queen of Leverage”?
15:40 The 5 things real estate agents should be doing from the time they enter the industry
24:33 How do agents determine their hourly rate?
26:21 How to make leverage work for team owners
28:40 The importance of regularly auditing your systems, technology, and people
37:21 What self-care should be all about
38:58 What is Brindley’s number 1 source of growth
To get in touch with Brindley, go to www.yourrealtyleverage.com
You may also reach her directly at 727-512-9098 or check her Facebook and Instagram page @brindleytucker

Jun 29, 2021 • 30min
Episode 073 with Hedda Parashos & Raquel Rivas of Palisade Realty
Hedda Parashos has been a real estate agent since 2006. Eight years ago, she started Palisades Realty with 14 agents. For the longest time, Hedda didn't want to grow her business mainly because she was afraid of growth. Eventually, a third of her staff left the company and in her mind, she felt stagnant.
That’s when she decided to change and do an overhaul of not just her mindset but of the entire brokerage as well. That’s when Raquel Rivas came into the picture. An in 2019, their brokerage experienced a tremendous amount of growth.
Today, Hedda Parashos is the owner and Raquel Rivas is the COO of Palisades Realty. From selling 136 units in 2019, they’ve projected to hit 250 units in 2020.
In this episode, we talked about Hedda and Raquel’s journey on how they took their business to the next level and how SISU has been an instrumental part of that.
Top Takeaways:
02:29 How to move on from your fear of growth to the next level
07:19 When did Hedda realize what her true problem was
11:48 What is Palisades Realty’s vision for 2021?
13:15 How Palisades Realty attract agents because of SISU
21:03 How to make agents love attending weekly meetings
25:32 How the competitive spirit of their brokerage has driven them to success
28:17 How competitiveness leads to lifting others up
28:56 The value of feedback


