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Mastering the Ninja Planner with Creator Eric Hardy

Ninja Selling Podcast

Release Date: 10/06/2025

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Ninja Selling Podcast

Eric Thompson interviews Tammi Winbauer, a Bismarck, North Dakota Ninja, who shares how she turned her business around after a difficult stretch. At the start of 2025, Tammi was in a slump, dealing with personal challenges, low production, and a mindset focused on simply getting by. By the end of the year, she had dramatically reversed course, earning over $220,000 in the second half of the year and building strong momentum into 2026. Tammi credits her transformation to recommitting to the fundamentals of Ninja Selling, especially her morning routine, mindset work, and consistent execution of...

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Eric Thompson interviews Kayla Carosella, a Cleveland-based brokerage owner and Ninja Coaching client, about how she leveraged the Ninja scorecard to drive extraordinary results. During a six-week scorecard challenge, Kayla averaged 112 points per week, totaling 674 points, and generated five listings, new business opportunities, and recruiting conversations—all directly tied to consistent activity tracking. Kayla emphasizes that the foundation of her success was simple but powerful: consistently hitting 50 live interviews per week. She shares how she creates these opportunities through a...

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In this episode, Eric Thompson interviews Hope George, a Richmond, Virginia based team leader who has built a highly effective Ninja-style farming business that generates consistent listings and income. With 60 percent of her nearly $880,000 in GCI coming from farming, Hope shares a clear, repeatable system for farming intentionally and profitably. Hope’s approach begins with selecting the right farm using both relationship affinity and data. She analyzes past transactions, proximity, turnover rates, and competition to identify “fertile ground” before committing resources. From there,...

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Eric Thompson interviews Jackie Converse, a Dallas-based Ninja with Allie Beth Allman & Associates, who is experiencing extraordinary momentum in her business, describing it as “clients coming out of the woodwork.” Jackie shares how this success is not accidental, but the result of consistent, authentic Ninja habits that focus on relationships over transactions. Jackie highlights three key drivers of her growth: handwritten notes, consistent auto flow through a weekly real estate newsletter, and thoughtful real estate reviews. Her handwritten notes, about ten per week, are personal,...

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In this episode, Eric Thompson interviews John Zickert about how he has grown his real estate team while staying true to Ninja Selling principles. John shares how his team increased production from $55.6M and 120 transactions in 2024 to $66.6M and 151 transactions in 2025, not by chasing new tactics, but by becoming more consistent with the Ninja Nine, improving team alignment, and deepening their commitment to value-driven relationships. John explains the structure of his team, the role clarity within it, and the “definitive purpose” that guides everything they do: to create value for...

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Rob Nelson and Eric Thompson break down one of the most repeated phrases in Ninja Selling: “Flow fixes everything.” The discussion begins with a question from a new Ninja who wondered what Auto-Flow really is and where to start. Rob and Eric use that question to explain how flow works and why it is essential to becoming the Realtor of choice. Flow simply means frequency of interaction. In Ninja there are two types: Live Flow and Auto-Flow. Live Flow is two-way communication, such as conversations, calls, meetings, and personal interactions. Auto-Flow is one-way communication, such as...

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Rob Nelson and Peter Parnegg explore the idea that fun should not be the reward for success but the fuel for it. The conversation begins with Peter sharing a 30 year life list goal he is about to achieve, a father son heli skiing trip in British Columbia. That story opens a broader discussion about how many professionals postpone joy until “someday” while building businesses that quietly consume their lives. Rob and Peter suggest that fun requires intention and planning. If it is not scheduled, work will always take its place. They contrast bucket list thinking, which often waits until...

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In this episode, Eric Thompson interviews Ryan Craig of Traverse City, Michigan, along with his Ninja Coach Mark Johnson, to explore a powerful transformation: pivoting from a cold lead centric business to a relationship based Ninja business. Ryan previously ran a high pressure lead generation operation with a large team and roughly 35,000 dollars per month in overhead, including about 10,000 dollars per month spent on cold internet leads. The model produced transactions, but it also created constant stress, fragmented attention, and a life where Ryan was physically present with his family but...

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In this bonus episode, we’re sharing a recording from our live Ninja Sales Meeting, held the first Monday of every month, after many of you asked to hear these sessions on the podcast. Peter Parnegg delivers an energizing and practical message focused on one core idea: if you want to quickly build your business, master the subtle skills that create real connection. Drawing on insights from Sarah Blakely and the Ninja principles, Peter explores how entrepreneurship exposes our fears and how many of us avoid live conversations because of discomfort, guilt, or fear of “feeling salesy.” In...

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Rob Nelson and Don Tennessen discuss Principle Two of Ninja Selling: Stop Selling. Start Solving. It’s built on a simple truth that people love to buy, and they hate to be sold. They explore why most sales approaches push people away, triggering defensiveness and avoidance, and how Ninja flips that dynamic by creating value, asking questions, and building relationships that naturally attract clients. Rob and Don clarify that the goal is not to avoid a process or abandon structure. The goal is to redefine what selling is, to become the trusted guide who helps people decide. They draw a...

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More Episodes

As the leaves turn and business planning season kicks into high gear, Rob Nelson sits down with a very special guest, Erik Hardy, the creator of the Ninja Planner. Together, they dive deep into one of the most crucial tools in the Ninja system, exploring its origin story and its role as a cornerstone for success. Rob and Erik discuss the fundamental principles of time management, accountability, and how intentional planning can dramatically increase your income per hour while helping you build a life you love - a masterclass in moving from being busy to being truly productive.

In this insightful conversation, you will hear how Erik’s own experience on the “hamster wheel of up and down” in his real estate business led to the creation of the planner. He and Rob break down the power of a hybrid system, using a digital calendar for collaboration and a paper planner for deep, personal time blocking and accountability. They explore how the planner is more than just a calendar; it is a comprehensive system for tracking your Ninja Nine, including gratitude, affirmations, and the critical 50 FORD & Record contacts. Learn the practical strategies for using this tool to gain awareness, eliminate distractions, and ensure that the most important tasks get done, ultimately leading to a more focused and fulfilling business and life.

Episode Highlights:

  • The origin story of the Ninja Planner, born from the rollercoaster of real estate.

  • Why time blocking with a paper planner is a crucial time management tool.

  • Combining a digital calendar with a paper planner for a powerful hybrid system.

  • Using the planner as your command center for the Ninja Nine habits.

  • Mastering the 50 FORD & Record by documenting conversations and follow-ups.

  • Moving from being busy to being productive through increased awareness.

  • How the planner helps you organize your whole life, not just your business.

  • The different versions of the Ninja Planner and where to find them.

Key Takeaways:

"Fall marks a lot of things for us, one of them being business planning season."

"The system only works with application, and application is the result of accountability."

"There is something about when you physically write it down in the planner...it just locks it in your mind."

"A task will take as much time as you give it."

"Surprises and derailments and unexpected events are pretty infrequent."

"If it gets put down on paper in the same place, a place that is sacred, it is not a sticky note."

"The goal of Ninja Selling is to help you increase your income per hour so that you can have a life."

"You don’t have to have this amazing rolodex in your head, you have to have a system."

"Please use a tool to make sure and understand how you are spending your time."

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