Rich and Gina Thomas left successful careers in the entertainment and cable industries—including HBO and Spectrum—to reinvent themselves in Big Bear Lake, California real estate. In this episode of Time Tested Mastery: Life Lessons Sell, host Mark Dolan explores their journey from corporate sales to resort property sales, where the challenge isn’t selling a “need” but uncovering and fueling a client’s true “want.”

They discuss the steep learning curve of starting over, the differences between corporate sales cycles and the long timelines of real estate, and the lessons they’ve learned from shadowing, mentorship, and daily discipline. Rich and Gina also share creative prospecting strategies, how they manage seasonality in the Big Bear market, and their best advice for anyone considering a mid-career leap into real estate.

This episode is packed with insights on resilience, professionalism, and building a business that reflects your values and lifestyle.

• Website: bigbearhomesearch.com

• Instagram: @gina_t_bbrealestate

• Text or Call: 909.936.1464

• Email: ginathomasbigbear@gmail.com

New agents chase leads; pros chase consistency and character. In this conversation, Realtor Nick LaBate shares how centering his business on faith, choosing connections over commissions, and running a disciplined morning system took him from ~$6–8M a year to ~$25M—and why he’s now blueprinting a $50M year. We break down his 4:30 a.m. routine, prospecting cadence, how to remove drama from heated deals, and the mindset shift that made everything click.

• Connection > Commission: Put the client’s interest first. The dividends show up later—bigger and better.

• Consistency compounds: Daily prospecting beats the feast-or-famine cycle. Same morning system, Monday–Thursday.

• Belief drives performance: When your conviction matches your habits, results jump.

• Slow the drama: When emotions spike, step back for hours—not minutes—then solve.

• Design your day: Faith → fitness → family → focused prospecting → afternoon appointments.

• Know your why: A real purpose prevents burnout; if you don’t have it, pivot.

• Level up with systems: Buy back time so you can do high-leverage work (matching buyers/sellers, luxury focus).

• 00:00 — Why faith changed Nick’s business

• 02:45 — Work ethic origins: splitting wood for a first phone

• 06:30 — Credibility hurdles as a young agent

• 09:45 — Mentorship and “teach to fish” foundations

• 15:40 — Phones, mailers, sphere: the simple, hard stuff

• 19:50 — The belief inflection point (≈$8M → ≈$26M)

• 24:30 — 1% better daily; momentum and grace

• 30:10 — Perfect-day design: 4:30 a.m. routine & prospect blocks

• 35:20 — Consistency vs. burnout and having a why

• 38:05 — Next 5 years: systems, luxury, and a $50M target

• 39:50 — How to reach Nick & closing thoughts

• 4:30–5:30 a.m.: Devotional/prayer + light stretch

• 5:30–6:30 a.m.: Gym

• 6:30–7:30 a.m.: Coffee + quiet

• 7:30–9:00 a.m.: Family time

• 9:00–9:30 a.m.: Inbox, quick follow-ups

• 9:30–12:00 p.m.: Prospecting (phones + mailers/sphere/social)

• Afternoons: Appointments, showings, negotiations

• Friday: Work from home, family-centric, still touch the system

1. 60 minutes of calls daily (no zero days).

2. 100 mailers or 50 warm reach-outs.

3. Write your WHY on an index card; keep it at your desk.

4. When a deal gets hot, remove the drama—pause 3–4 hours, then re-approach.

• “Connections over commissions.” —Nick

• “You can’t do the right things over time and not get the right results.” —Mark

• “When belief caught up with my habits, my volume jumped.” —Nick

• “Take the drama out of the deal, and solutions appear.” —Nick

• Daily devotional / morning routine

In this episode of Time Tested Mastery: Life Lessons Sell, Mark Dolan sits down with Christine Lee—entrepreneur, faith-driven leader, and founder of the God in Business Mastermind—to explore how faith can radically reshape the way we build and lead businesses.

Christine shares her journey from skepticism to fully embracing God in her entrepreneurial path, revealing how prayer, surrender, and a faith-centered mindset have transformed her productivity, leadership, and peace. Together, Mark and Christine unpack practical ways to integrate spirituality into daily business life—including a three-step day planning framework that prioritizes divine guidance over hustle and grind.

Listeners will discover how letting go of control can unlock greater results, how fear often disguises itself as “productivity,” and why building a community of faith-driven entrepreneurs matters now more than ever.

If you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or professional searching for deeper meaning in your work, this episode is a roadmap for aligning business success with spiritual growth.

Find Out More @ https://www.seizethemarket.com/