#740: Why You Will Never Escape Production with Joel Perso
John Kitchens Coach Podcast | Life. Coaching. Real Estate.
Release Date: 11/07/2025
John Kitchens Coach Podcast | Life. Coaching. Real Estate.
Episode Overview In this timely and thought-provoking episode of the John Kitchens Coach Podcast, John Kitchens is joined by returning guest Eric Post, AI strategist, founder of Huzi.ai, and one of the sharpest minds at the intersection of technology, consumer behavior, and real estate. This conversation goes far beyond “how to use AI.” John and Eric unpack the real threat and opportunity in the market today: the AI-powered consumer. As consumers gain instant access to information, agents can no longer win by being the knowledge holder. Instead, success now belongs to...
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Episode Overview In this episode, John Kitchens sits down with Dr. Matt Townsend for a powerful, reflective conversation on emotional resilience, leadership maturity, and what high performers must leave behind to move forward. As the pace of business accelerates and uncertainty continues to rise, John and Matt unpack why most leaders feel overwhelmed—not because they lack ability, but because they’re carrying outdated thoughts, unhealthy emotions, and destructive habits into the future. This episode is a deep dive into growth through subtraction: letting go of what no longer...
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Episode Overview In this episode of the John Kitchens Coach Podcast, John Kitchens and Joel Perso close out the Agent to CEO six-part series by unpacking the final and most critical milestone: The Leadership Flywheel. This conversation is all about building a self-managing, self-sustaining team—one that doesn’t rely on you as the bottleneck. John and Joel break down how elite leaders design lean organizational structures, recruit true A-players, and create leadership development systems that generate momentum instead of burnout. If you’ve ever felt trapped by your team,...
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Episode Overview: In this episode, John Kitchens welcomes back powerhouse leader Brett Sikora for a deep, real-world conversation on intentional growth, leadership decisions, and scaling without chaos. Recorded nearly five years after Brett’s first appearance during the height of COVID lockdowns, this conversation reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped his brokerage’s evolution—from doubling down during uncertainty to building one of the most stable, scalable, and culture-driven organizations in the country. Brett breaks down how real growth doesn’t come from chasing...
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Episode Overview In this episode of the John Kitchens Coach Podcast, John Kitchens and Joel Perso break down Milestone 5 of the Agent to CEO Framework: The Execution Roadmap—the critical bridge between strategy and real-world results. Most agents don’t fail because they lack ideas or effort. They fail because they work on the wrong things, in the wrong order, with no execution rhythm. John and Joel unpack why second-best problems kill momentum, how to identify the single biggest constraint in your business, and how elite CEOs turn long-term vision into focused 90-day sprints....
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Episode Overview In this powerhouse episode, John Kitchens sits down with Oklahoma City powerhouse and brokerage owner Will Mahan for a raw, real, and revealing conversation about leadership, obsession, building culture, and the evolution every top-producing agent must go through to truly become a CEO. Will takes us through his 15-year journey—from life insurance to top-tier real estate producer, to team leader, to eXp influencer, and now the founder of a rapidly growing hybrid brokerage built around entrepreneurship, investing, and true wealth creation. He breaks down why most...
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Episode Overview In this another powerful guest episode, John Kitchens takes the hot seat for a deep dive into the real roadblocks holding agents back from real success. This conversation unpacks the journey from overwhelmed producer to intentional CEO — and why most agents stay stuck far longer than they should. John opens up about his early days in real estate, the tough lessons learned through market crashes, building and scaling brokerages, and how escaping “hero mode” transformed everything. He breaks down the exact mindset shifts, business models, and strategic frameworks agents...
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Episode Overview In this special guest appearance on the Career Coaching Secrets Podcast, John Kitchens sits down with host Kevin to unpack his 20-year journey from defaulting into real estate… to leading one of the most recognized residential real estate coaching platforms in North America. John shares how growing up in a coach’s home shaped his belief that “great coaches collapse time, see around corners, and become the catalyst for transformation.” This episode pulls back the curtain on what it truly takes to coach top producers, scale a real estate business, escape...
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Episode Overview In Part 4 of the Power Hour Series, John Kitchens and Joel Perso deep-dive into one of the most pivotal milestones of the entire framework—the Profit Engine. If Milestone 1 gave you clarity, Milestone 2 charted your course, and Milestone 3 upgraded your thinking… this is where you finally start architecting the business machine that will free you from the transaction treadmill. John and Joel break down how to build a team-driven, financially sound, scalable real estate business that no longer depends on your personal production. They unpack the...
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Episode Overview In this third installment of the Agent to CEO Power Hour Series, John Kitchens and Joel Perso go deep into the milestone that changes everything for agents ready to step out of production and step into leadership: The CEO Operating System. If Part 1 (The Clarity Compass) revealed where you are, and Part 2 (Charting the Course) defined where you’re going, Part 3 is the mental upgrade that makes scaling possible. This session unpacks the critical thinking models, decision-making filters, and constraint-focused operating principles that separate agents stuck...
info_outlineEpisode Overview
In this high-impact episode of the John Kitchens Coach Podcast, John Kitchens and Joel Perso unpack one of the most common struggles top-producing real estate agents face—how to escape production and build a real business that runs without you.
From strategic planning frameworks like EOS and Rockefeller Habits to mastering financial discipline and team structure, John shares the exact playbook that took him and Jay Kinder from burnout to building a scalable, profitable company.
They also break down real-world examples of agents who have successfully stepped out of production—including how they did it, the math behind it, and what freedom actually looks like once you get there.
Whether you’re a solo agent planning your next stage, a team leader looking for leverage, or a CEO aiming to scale, this episode will give you the clarity, systems, and strategy you need to create lasting freedom.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
The 3 Keys to Escaping Production
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Strategy: How mastering frameworks like Rockefeller Habits and EOS creates structure and focus.
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Value Systems: Why CHSA & CHBA are game-changers for consistency and scalable client value.
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Financial Clarity: The “Simple Numbers” model that transformed their net profit by 17% in one quarter.
Forecasting and Financial Discipline
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Why forecasting is not goal setting—and how to get accurate with your assumptions.
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Understanding cash flow vs. profit to stay in control of your business.
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How small teams and large teams can step out of production faster than mid-sized ones.
Leadership, Freedom, and Ego
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Why most agents can’t escape production—and how to fix it.
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Letting go of ego to empower your team and build true leadership depth.
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The real difference between stepping out of production and stepping out of the business.
Real Case Studies:
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How Jim & Leanne scaled leadership to step out within 24 months.
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The Reedy team’s path to financial freedom through real estate investing.
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Why Blake Sloan and others achieved lifestyle freedom through leadership leverage.
Resources & Mentions
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Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish
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Traction / EOS by Gino Wickman
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Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits by Greg Crabtree
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CHSA & CHBA Designations – Certified Home Selling & Buying Advisor Programs
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John Kitchens Executive Coaching → JohnKitchens.coach
Final Takeaway
Freedom in real estate isn’t about working harder—it’s about building systems, developing people, and knowing your numbers.
As John Kitchens says:
“If you don’t have a goal for freedom, you’ll never escape production—it’ll always own you.”
Connect with Us:
- Instagram: @johnkitchenscoach
- LinkedIn: @johnkitchenscoach
- Facebook: @johnkitchenscoach
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