So I’m at a Bob Burg conference in Florida, and I meet this guy who I invite to dinner with April and myself.
We head out of the hotel and he asks if we can take our car because he drove his wife’s coupe and it’s only a 2 seater.
That’s when I about filled my shorts…
You see, this was back when we were just getting our painting business going and we had driven our old Saturn that was rockin’ a nice muffler rattle complete with a baby seat and toys filling the back seat.
Insisting he sits in the front, I’ll never forget watching Todd Smith hold on for dear life while I was nervously navigating the crazy Florida interstate traffic trying to find the Cheesecake Factory.
By the grace of God, we finally made it and had a wonderful meal with Todd.
And by the grace of God indeed, because that dinner turned into a life-changing mentorship for me.
Here’s why:
Todd only lived up the road from us and he agreed to meet with me for lunch.
We’d meet for lunch and he would give me advice. I’d do the thing he’d advised and then report back to him.
A big takeaway right there:
– If you find a mentor, DO what they advise you to do, and then report back to them. This will encourage them to continue to mentor you. –
Hear this :
Todd has been a million-dollar earner, not revenue, for the last 30 years!
A few things that are unique about Todd are that he’s a no-gimmick guy and he doesn’t need to curse to seem important.
He embraces a more meaningful and effective approach to sales that goes beyond the traditional closing strategies.
I soaked them up, and now you can, too!
Todd has just started publishing his sales success principles and strategies.
It’s with great honor that I get to share one of my mentors and friends, Todd Smith, with you now:
SalesRockstars.com
About the Author
As many of you know, my journey has been one of grit, grace, and transformation. At 19, I was a high school dropout, single father, and struggling paint contractor in Michigan. I later moved to Florida, where I faced both personal and professional hardships. With nothing left to lose, I turned to prayer—and was blessed with a relentless hunger to learn. I devoured books, attended seminars, and discovered better ways to streamline and grow my business—even through the Great Recession (and yes, I did hit the wife lottery along the way!). In 2014, I published How To Double Your Business and later sold the painting business, launching a new chapter: coaching others to grow their businesses. For the past 10 years, I’ve dedicated myself to helping business owners scale through the DYB System, while also drawing from frameworks like EOS, Scaling Up, and The Four Disciplines of Execution. Yet something was still missing—something more adaptive, integrated, and complete. Then I found Pinnacle. After months of research and interviews with other Guides, I joined Pinnacle. Their tools and strategies have exceeded every expectation. Now, as a Pinnacle Business Guide, I help leadership teams implement a custom-tailored operating system that draws from the best in the industry—but flexes with your unique business. It’s a dynamic, proven approach to achieve clarity, momentum, and lasting growth. I’m no longer taking on any more 1:1 coaching clients… Instead, I now specialize in working with visionary business owners who are ready to get their leadership teams aligned—around a clear vision, a focused strategy, and an actionable execution plan. With the tools and process I now have as a Pinnacle Business Guide, I help turn alignment into momentum, and momentum into results. If your business is growing—but your leadership team isn’t fully rowing in the same direction—let’s talk.