#813: Adversity Doesn't End: Leadership Lessons from 20 Years and 4,000 Transactions with Ryan Smith

In this episode of the John Kitchens Coach Podcast Experience, John sits down with Ryan Smith, combat veteran and CEO of the Ryan Smith Home Selling Team, for a conversation on leading through adversity, hiring for grit, and why AI is about to separate the agents who thrive from the ones who get left behind. With nearly 20 years in the business and close to 4,000 transactions, Ryan brings a rare dual perspective — balancing an active military career with running a growing real estate team — and doesn’t hold back on what it actually takes to build (and rebuild) a winning culture.Key Topics Covered:* Staying intentional while juggling two demanding careers* The data-driven decision to rebuild the team from the ground up* Hiring for “humble, hungry, smart” — and why the driven part is hardest to spot upfront* How agents self-select out when adversity hits, and what that reveals* Leading people who can walk away vs. people who can’t* The habits (dollar-productive activities, mastery of craft) that carry agents through a down market* Ryan’s deep dive into AI — from P&L analysis to building a one-to-one nurture system for 30,000 contacts* Where team leaders should start their own AI journey“It doesn’t matter how many houses you sell, it doesn’t matter how many years you’re doing this — these things that you experience as a rookie still happen to me now, having done this for almost 20 years... It doesn’t end. It’s a career-long journey.” — Ryan SmithReady to think like a CEO? Book your strategy call at 7figurecall.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnkitchenscoachpodcast.substack.com