The Financial Wholesaler Podcast Episode 2: Five Mindset and Habit-Set Tools

Aug 28

Written By Jessi

Great habits begin with great thinking.

In this episode of The Financial Wholesaler Podcast, Darren Cde Baca of DCB Strategies joins host Mitch Santala to break down five essential mindset and habit-set tools every wholesaler should master. With decades of coaching experience, Darren shares how intentional thinking and internal language shape not only your daily actions but your long-term success in the field.

You’ll discover:

How to shift from default-mode thinking to deliberate action with “I Am” identity statements
Why persistence triggers and positive self-talk help you stay on track, even when distracted
The difference between effort and mastery—and why training wins over trying

Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up, this episode delivers clear, actionable insights. Watch here!

Episode Timestamps: Five Mindset and Habit-Set Tools

0:00 – Introduction: Mitch welcomes Darren Cde Baca and sets up the idea that results don’t come from effort alone—they come from thinking differently.

1:04 – Darren explains why transformation starts in the mind. Before changing behavior, you must change how you think.

2:54 – Why speaking in the present tense reinforces identity and intentionality in your daily work.

4:40 – How to use short, powerful phrases to shape your mental stamina and stay the course.

7:21 – Break down your thinking into mindsets

12:55 – Effort can only take you so far. Training and mastery are what lead to elevation.

15:15 – Use daily rituals like gratitude, unplugging, and client communication strategies to stay sharp.

17:43 – Reassess, Restate, and Reactivate. A practical process for refining your habits and staying focused.

19:17 – Darren explains how mastery happens when you commit to the work—and to yourself.

20:56 – “Trying harder” doesn’t equal “training smarter.” Why effort must evolve into consistent preparation.

22:50 – Learn how to stack values and organize your time, energy, and attention in a way that actually serves your goals.

25:01 – Forget the myth of perfect work-life balance. Instead, be clear about your seasonal priorities and act accordingly.

27:15 – Professional success isn’t sustainable if it comes at the cost of personal well-being.

28:01 – Darren challenges listeners to pick one tool and get good at it. Mindset and habits work best when built step by step.

The Financial Wholesaler Podcast
Episode 2: “5 Mindset and Habit-Set Tools”
Mitch:
Darren, welcome back. It’s good to have you with us again.
Darren:
Thank you, Mitch. Glad to be here.
Mitch:
So, I want to jump into the next episode, the next content piece that you put together, which was on mindset and habit-set, and it’s one of the most practical talks I’ve ever heard on building habits.
Darren:
Yeah.
Mitch:
So, give us an overview of what you mean by habit-set and mindset, because most people, they focus on mindset and they don’t even mention habit-set.
Darren:
Yeah. And it was something that, when I was in the field, I recognized that I had to kind of do a study and a survey of myself and say, “What are the things that I’m actually doing that are making me successful and making me effective in the field?” And I started to realize, wow, there are a lot of things that I do daily that I don't think about anymore. And that's what a habit is, is when you do something without even thinking. And so, once I recognized that, I said, “Okay, well, I have mindset, which is what I want to do and who I want to be. But habit-set is how I do it.”
Mitch:
Yeah.
Darren:
So, when you put those together, and it's a term that I like to use, habit-set and mindset, you get traction in life. When you only have mindset, you're kind of dreaming and you're envisioning. You know, you're in your prayer time, you're doing your thing. But until you actually have a habit-set in place, you don't move. And so, what I tried to do is combine the two and say, “Okay, here's the mindset. Here's the vision. Here's what I want to do.” But then I also had the discipline and the structure to say, “Here's how I'm going to get it done.”
Mitch:
I think there's a really practical application to this that you speak of in this talk where you say, “The grind is great, but the grind must turn into training. And training is what builds muscle and produces mastery.”
Darren:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Mitch:
And what I appreciated about that was because you even used the word, “Hey, I was out there, I was working hard. I was training.” I was working hard and working hard and working hard. But then I had to turn it into training. Yeah. And training became something that caused me to have repetition and focus and intentionality. And so, kind of walk through, how did you get to the training part?
Darren:
Yeah. And I love that part of the talk because it came through a conversation that I had with a friend. And I was really discouraged, you know, one season. I said, “Man, I'm working so hard and I'm doing everything. I’m putting in the hours and I'm getting up early and staying up late and I'm on airplanes and everything.” And he just looked at me. He goes, “Well, you're working hard, but are you training?”
Mitch:
Yeah.
Darren:
And I was like, “What?” He goes, “There's a difference.” He goes, “You're working hard. That’s good. But training, that's when you're doing something repeatedly for the purpose of growing.” And that changed everything for me. I said, “Wow. Okay. I'm not just out here grinding. I'm actually training.” And so, what I did is I started to take inventory of all the things I was doing. And I said, “If I'm going to train, I have to start to be more focused. I have to start to be more deliberate.” And that's what I would do. I would put together my mindset and my habit-set for the week and say, “Okay, here's how I'm going to train this week.”
Mitch:
So, you gave us five tools, and I'm going to walk through each one with you. But the first one is, “Who are you doing this for?” That’s the first mindset tool. Tell me more about that.
Darren:
Yeah. So, that was huge for me. And in every area of life, we have a motivation. You know, we have a “why,” a reason we do what we do. And it's got to be a big enough reason to sustain you through the tough times. Because as a wholesaler, as a business person, you're going to have hard seasons. You're going to have quotas. You're going to have economic downturns. You're going to have all sorts of things that come up. And if you're not grounded in a strong “why,” then you're going to fall away. So for me, it was important to get clear on, “Who am I doing this for?” Because when I answered that question, it allowed me to kind of get centered and say, “Okay, that's why I’m getting up early. That’s why I’m getting on the airplane. That’s why I’m making these calls.” Because there's someone or something or some people that I’m doing this for. And so, the first mindset tool was, “Get clear on who you're doing this for.”
Mitch:
So what was the second one?
Darren:
The second one was, “Know what your core values are.” And that’s a big one because in every decision that you make, your values should guide you. But if you don't know what they are, then you’re going to be tossed back and forth by the wind. You're going to make decisions based on your mood or based on circumstances. So I would always ask myself, “What are my top three values?” And I would keep them in front of me. And those values became the filter for every decision that I made. So, if I had a choice to make between going on a trip or staying home, if I had a choice to make between working late or going to my kids’ game, I would go back to my values and say, “Okay, what do my values say?” And that allowed me to be consistent and to have integrity.
Mitch:
Okay. Number three?
Darren:
Number three was, “Make excellence your baseline.” And that's big because a lot of people, they want to be great. But they don't realize that greatness is the result of consistent excellence. So for me, I said, “You know what? I'm going to make excellence my minimum standard.” I’m not going to wait until someone’s watching. I'm not going to wait until it's a big opportunity. I’m going to show up with excellence every day, no matter how small the meeting is, no matter how insignificant the opportunity might seem. I’m going to give it my best. And that consistency over time, that’s what builds greatness.
Mitch:
What’s number four?
Darren:
Number four is, “Keep your promises to yourself.” And that’s a big one because we’re really good at keeping our promises to other people. But we break our promises to ourselves all the time. We say, “I’m going to get up early.” We hit the snooze. We say, “I’m going to eat better.” We cheat. We say, “I’m going to exercise.” We don’t. So, I started to realize, if I can’t keep my promises to myself, then I can’t trust me. And if I can’t trust me, how can anybody else? So I started to say, “If I say it, I’m going to do it.” Even if it’s hard. Even if it’s inconvenient. I’m going to be a person who keeps their promises, especially to myself.
Mitch:
Number five?
Darren:
Number five is, “Surround yourself with the right people.” Because your circle matters. The people you’re around, they influence you more than you know. So I said, “I’m going to put myself around people who are going where I want to go, who think the way I want to think, and who challenge me to grow.” And that circle became a source of strength and accountability and growth. So those five mindset and habit-set tools—those were the things that kept me going year after year, market cycle after market cycle, and helped me finish strong.
Mitch:
That’s a perfect place to land. Darren, thank you for sharing so practically. We’re going to link to your website and materials, and we look forward to the next episode.
Darren:
Thanks, Mitch. Appreciate you.

Meet the Coaches

Mitch Santala

Mitch Santala is the CEO and co-founder of ESA with over 30 years of entrepreneurial leadership. ESA supports over 500 sales men and women in the financial industry with world class appointment setting services.

Contact ESA →

Darren Cde Baca

As the founder of DCB Strategies, Darren Cde Baca brings over 40 years of leadership experience to help professionals grow with intention. His mission is to equip individuals and teams with the mindset, tools, and commitment to become who they’re meant to be.

Visit DCB Strategies →