The Sales Hunter Podcast

Episode: Overcoming Adversity and Building Habits for Success

Host: Mark Hunter | Guest: Patrick Engasser

Date: February 19, 2026

Episode Overview

In this inspiring episode, Mark Hunter interviews Patrick Engasser, an accomplished sales leader, coach, and author, about transforming adversity into success and the importance of purposeful habits in achieving sales excellence. Patrick, blind since birth, shares his journey from struggling call center rep to top-ranked sales manager and coach, emphasizing the power of a strong “why,” consistent routines, faith, and mentorship. Together, Mark and Patrick break down actionable lessons for overcoming obstacles, building high-performance habits, and creating a meaningful sales career.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Patrick’s Journey: From Adversity to Top Performer

• Early Ambitions and Obstacles

  • Patrick originally aimed for a career in radio broadcasting. Born blind, he found radio to be an “equalizer,” facilitating connection to sports and news.
  • Faced the 2008–09 economic downturn; took a call center job in debt collection, which he found intolerable and suffocating due to extreme micromanagement.
  • “I really did not like that. And I was like, I want to find the opposite of this, whatever the opposite of this micromanagement factory is.” (01:38, Patrick)

• Leaping into Outside Sales Despite Challenges

  • Through networking, Patrick entered straight commission outside sales (1099 contractor), surprising many due to his inability to drive.
  • Faced a bumpy start, ranking in the 500s out of 600+ reps.
  • Hired a business and sales coach at the end of year two—14 months later, he became the number one account closer company-wide.
  • “I know for a fact it was that coaching and mentorship that made a big difference because that was the one main thing that I had changed.” (04:19, Patrick)
  • Eventually became district manager and sales coach, later launching his own coaching business.

Why Stay in the Game When It's Hard?

• Faith and Purpose
  • Patrick attributes staying power to his faith and the belief that he was meant to have an impact through sales, contrasting the meaningfulness of sales with the call center job.
  • The “red hot why”: A compelling, deep personal motivation that sustains through adversity.
  • “...it's important not to live in your past, but it is... you can go back and check in with your past and say, hey, where was I before? Where am I now?” (07:01, Patrick)
  • Measuring how far you’ve come is key to summoning strength and envisioning future progress.

Advice for Struggling Salespeople

• Find Your Real “Why”

  • Don’t just focus on financial goals; uncover what those goals will actually allow you to do—experiences, security, lifestyle.
  • “If you can't quantify what that means and how that's going to drive you and how that's going to magnetically pull you out of bed… it's not going to happen.” (09:24, Patrick)
  • Visualize your motivation daily; keep reminders front and center.

• Examine and Change Your Habits

  • Evaluate whether daily habits advance your goals or just fill your schedule.
  • Action-packed hours do not equate to meaningful progress.
  • “If you change your habits, you can change your whole life.” (11:15, Patrick)

The Power of Mindset and Process

• Start with “Why”, Don’t Jump Straight to “How”

  • Mark emphasizes that people often want to fix the process without understanding their motivation.
  • “So many people just jump into the process… But that's not going to put any juice in the tank.” (11:49, Mark)
  • Patrick: Use probing, open-ended questions to uncover a client or coachee’s vision for their ideal life and back-build process from there.

• Build Your Business Around Your Life

  • Patrick warns against fitting your life into the leftover “scraps of time” after business—design your business to support your desired lifestyle instead.
  • “Most people do the opposite...they live their life in the scraps of time left over by the process, rather than building the process around the life that they want to create.” (13:35, Patrick)

Morning Routines of High Performers

• How You Start Your Day Predicts Success
  • Both Mark and Patrick stress the critical importance of a consistent morning routine.
  • Patrick’s own routine (15:32–17:41):
    • Begin with gratitude (10 things before rising)
    • Prayer, Bible reading, meditation
    • Physical exercise (6 days/week)
    • Breathwork for mindfulness
    • Motivational or uplifting content during breakfast or getting ready
  • “I have a chapter in my book… It's called Breakfast for your brain. I believe…if you're feeding your brain something positive in the morning, the day is going to go a whole lot better.” (17:12, Patrick)
• Gratitude as a Daily Anchor
  • Both write down 10 things they’re grateful for every morning (18:45, Mark & Patrick).

The Secret: It’s Not a Secret

• Consistency, structure, and purpose in habits are the difference-makers—not fads or shortcuts.
• “It's not a deep, dark secret... It's just you gotta have a routine and be consistent with it.” (19:02, Mark)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Turning Adversity Into Strength:

  • “If I hadn't worked that collections job, I probably wouldn't be doing...what I'm doing now as a coach and a speaker.” (03:28, Patrick)

• On the Importance of a Strong ‘Why’:

  • “...find something that excites you. Write it down...Keep that in front of you on a daily basis.” (09:57, Patrick)

• On Mindset vs. Tactics:

  • “For me, the biggest thing I work on is mindset. Because...if you can't quantify what that means...it's not going to happen.” (09:09, Patrick)

• On Building Your Business Around Your Life:

  • “...Build their business around their life or build their sales career around their life rather than their life around their career.” (13:09, Patrick)

• On the Power of Morning Routines:

  • “How you start is...a huge role in how you finish. Not just your day, but everything else.” (16:02, Patrick)
  • “It's not a deep, dark secret...it's just you gotta have a routine and be consistent with it.” (19:02, Mark)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Patrick’s Background and Challenges: 00:54–05:44
• Staying Motivated During Adversity: 06:05–08:07
• Advice for Salespeople Struggling to Break Through: 08:49–11:35
• Importance of Purpose/Vision Before Tactics: 11:35–14:21
• Role of Faith as Foundation: 14:21–14:54
• Morning Routine and Its Impact: 15:07–18:12
• Gratitude and High Performance: 18:12–19:02
• Consistency and Habit-Building: 19:03–19:32
• Book & Free Strategy Session Information: 19:32–21:36

Resources & Next Steps

• Patrick’s Book:
  • Title: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It: Inspiration for Eliminating Excuses, Overcoming Challenges, and Succeeding in Business, in Life
  • (Mentioned at 19:32, Patrick | 21:17, Patrick)
• Free Strategy Session for Listeners:
  • Go to talkwithpatrick.com, mention The Sales Hunter Podcast for a free session (19:49, Patrick)
• Connect with Patrick:
  • Website: patrickengasser.com
• Host Contact:
  • www.thesaleshunter.com

Summary & Takeaways

This episode is a powerful testament to how adversity, when paired with purpose, discipline, and faith, can lead to exceptional success in sales and life. Patrick’s journey, anchored by clarity of purpose, deliberate habit formation, and a strong faith foundation, serves as both practical advice and deep inspiration to anyone facing sales challenges. Actionable steps include auditing your “why,” building life-supporting business processes, and cultivating a morning routine centered on gratitude and growth. Consistency, not secrets, is what separates top performers from the rest.

“If I can do it, you can do it.” — Patrick Engasser (21:17)