REMASTERED:  Letting Go of Sabotaging Self-Talk, with Shelly Smith and Jennifer Bennett | (Self Improvement, Personal Development, Sales, Business)

REMASTERED: Letting Go of Sabotaging Self-Talk, with Shelly Smith and Jennifer Bennett | (Self Improvement, Personal Development, Sales, Business)

Author: Southwestern Family of Podcasts - Southwestern Family of Companies July 28, 2026 Duration: 19:25
Shelly Smith, a Professional Sales Coach here at Southwestern Consulting, is a natural encourager and loves to laugh hard while working hard. She honed her sales and recruiting skills working 9 years with The Southwestern Company selling door-to-door. She is passionate about helping people visualize where they want to go and holding them accountable on the journey there. She has experience in the travel and fundraising industries. Lately, she has been having a blast encouraging a new sketch and improv group that she directs. Jennifer Bennett has been in the housing market for 25 years. She is currently working at Caliber Home as a Loan representative. Jennifer is dedicated to providing superior service and personal expert guidance throughout the home financing process. Show Highlights: We had to catch the negative self-talk and change the way she was thinking about her situation. – Shelly SmithWhen you’re in sales, it’s hard to hide what is going on in your personal life. – Jennifer BennettSelf-talk is the biggest factor in my positive results. – Jennifer BennettThe talks I had with Shelly got me so grounded. – Jennifer BennettI was able to share what was happening both professionally and personally. Shelly helped to redirect my focus. – Jennifer BennettI didn’t realize how many things I was telling myself internally. – Jennifer BennettIt’s hard to realize that you are allowing your self-talk to become negative when you’re in the thick of it. – Jennifer BennettIt is crazy, it won’t be soon and you now need to start acting as if it isn’t. – Shelly SmithI felt a complete lack of control and desperation. -– Jennifer BennettYour thought process is so powerful and affects your sales process. – Jennifer BennettSlowing down self-talk was unbelievably impactful. – Jennifer BennettIf you can’t physically change what is happening, then you have to change how you think about it. – Shelly SmithSome people don’t change because their identity is wrapped up in the thing they are complaining about. – Shelly SmithMy biggest obstacle wasn't my circumstances; it was me. – Jennifer BennettIf you believe it long enough, eventually you don’t have to talk yourself into it anymore. – Shelly SmithDecide in your heart that you're willing to fight for whatever you're after. – Jennifer Bennett The Action Catalyst is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management, Dan has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to make better use of time to achieve life, sales, and other business goals. Each week, he interviews some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Subscribe on iTunes and please leave a rating and review!

What does it take to move from thinking to doing, from planning to achieving? The Action Catalyst is a podcast built on the premise that real progress requires more than just motivation-it demands actionable insight. Each conversation features a different top leader or accomplished achiever, but the focus remains consistently practical: extracting the hard-earned lessons they learned on their way up. You’ll hear stories not just of success, but of the setbacks and plateaus that preceded it, with guests offering concrete strategies for navigating those inevitable challenges. This isn’t about abstract theory; it’s a resource for anyone feeling stuck in mediocrity or unsure of their next step in business, personal development, or their professional journey. The discussions are designed to help you uncover a more personal source of inspiration and then translate that into a clearer path forward. Tune in for a regular dose of candid advice and proven methods to help dismantle obstacles and reach your specific goals. The Action Catalyst is produced by the Southwestern Family of Podcasts, part of the Southwestern Family of Companies, and delivers these conversations with the understanding that sustained action is the most powerful catalyst for change. You’ll find each episode centers on a transferable idea or a shift in perspective that you can apply immediately, making the podcast a tool for ongoing education and self-improvement.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Action Catalyst
Podcast Episodes
CLIP:  Innovation Hesitation and the Aerodynamics of Creativity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:13
Richard Braden and Dr. Tessa Forshaw, innovation educators from Stanford, explain how “innovation hesitation” holds people back, and explain how the tools of creativity are a lot like the ones you use to pilot an airplan…
CLIP:  Your Difference Is Your Destiny [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:28
DeVon Franklin—Hollywood producer, New York Times bestselling author, and leadership expert— explains how the things that make you UNcommon, are the very keys to your success....but getting comfortable with them is the c…
CLIP:  Don't Negotiate Like Elon Musk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:40
Pay negotiation expert John Gates, explains why Elon Musk can afford to employ a very specific negotiation tactic which the average job seeker should very much NOT utilize...Hear John's full interview in his very special…
CLIP:  Conditioned Tendencies and Diminishers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:49
Preston Smiles, personal development leader, author, and speaker, breaks down the concepts of conditioned tendencies and diminishers, and how each one can lead to an incomplete understanding of our own control, and an in…
Act Your Wage, with John Gates | (Salary, Pay, Hiring, Negotiation) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:41
Pay negotiation expert John Gates, author of "Act Your Wage", shares proven salary negotiation strategies to help professionals increase compensation by 10–20% without risk or confrontation. Drawing on decades of experie…
CLIP:  Antipatterns and Artificial Ownership [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:51
Phil Le-Brun, former McDonald’s VP and International CIO and current AWS leader, shares how companies can avoid common “anti-patterns” like excessive bureaucracy and rigid structures, and defines what "artificial ownersh…