The Mentor Moment

In this episode of The Mentor Moment, Dirk Houglum welcomes Rachel Schneider, author of The Widow Chose Red?, for a conversation about faith, grief, and finding hope when life takes an unexpected turn.
Rachel shares her experience of losing her husband to ALS, raising their sons through grief, and supporting a son through addiction and recovery. Together, Dirk and Rachel discuss how mentoring and community help people feel understood, supported, and less alone.
Through personal stories, they explore giving ourselves grace, trusting God through difficult seasons, and recognizing how a simple act of kindness can change someone’s day. Rachel also explains that prosperity reaches beyond finances to include emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.
The central message: Faith does not make every struggle easy, but it can help us move forward. Even when life’s “happily ever after” changes, hope, purpose, and meaningful connection are still possible.

As the year moves toward its final months, now is the time to take an honest look at your business. In this episode of The Mentor Moment, Dirk discusses examining what worked, what failed, where you grew, and where you struggled—without allowing mistakes to define you. He also explains why continuing education remains essential, even for experienced professionals, and how the lessons from this year can help you set clearer priorities, strengthen your systems, and build meaningful goals for next year.

This is one of those conversations I honestly did not want to have—but it is necessary. Personal growth is not only about making more money, gaining confidence, or building a bigger business. It is also about becoming responsible enough to protect what you have worked so hard to build.
In this episode of The Mentor Moment, Dirk talks straight about protecting your name, your business, your time, your family, and your future. From E&O insurance and written contracts to clear boundaries, good documentation, and planning ahead, this episode is a reminder that wisdom is not living in fear—it is being prepared.
If you are an inspector, entrepreneur, business owner, or anyone trying to build something that lasts, this is a conversation worth hearing. You have worked too hard to leave everything exposed.

Today on The Mentor Moment, Dirk talks about how real-life situations can teach us the biggest lessons. After a recent ER visit and more testing ahead, he shares why he started building a backup plan for D&P Home Inspection and reaching out to trusted inspector friends.
Using his own story—and the story of a friend who lost their spouse—Dirk explains why having a plan, building real relationships, and keeping important information organized is not fear; it is wisdom. This episode is a reminder that your business matters, but your family, health, and the people you love matter even more.

In this episode of The Mentor Moment, Dirk talks about how storytelling can make mentoring more powerful. After speaking with a former home inspector who left the business because fear became overwhelming, Dirk shares how fear can affect even talented people—and why mentors need to listen, encourage, and share their own real experiences.
He also opens up about being afraid to put his face and voice on Facebook, YouTube, and social media. The message is simple: confidence does not come before action—it comes from taking one step at a time, learning as you go, and refusing to let fear control your future.

In this episode of The Mentor Moment, Dirk explains the GROW Model: Goal, Reality, Options, and Will. Building on active listening and powerful questions, this simple mentoring tool helps business owners define where they want to go, honestly examine where they are, explore possible solutions, and commit to meaningful action. Real growth begins when we stop simply staying busy and start moving forward with purpose.

In this episode of The Mentor Moment, Dirk explores how active listening and powerful questions can strengthen our marriages, personal relationships, businesses, and communities. Drawing from one of his earliest sermons—and the honest story of how his wife almost stopped seeing him because he talked more than he listened—Dirk explains the difference between merely hearing someone and making them feel truly heard.
This episode challenges us to ask deeper questions, listen without immediately defending ourselves or trying to fix everything, and become genuinely interested in the people around us. Powerful questions may open the conversation, but active listening is what makes the answers valuable.

In Too Deep is about those moments in life when you have already invested so much time, money, effort, or emotion that walking away is not an easy decision. Whether it is a business that is surviving but not thriving, a vehicle that keeps needing repairs, a plan that suddenly changes, or a relationship going through a difficult season, the real question becomes: Is this still worth fighting for?
In this episode of The Mentor Moment, Dirk talks about the difference between perseverance and stubbornness, why changing the plan is not the same as failing, and how sometimes being “in too deep” simply means you have finally left the shallow end and need to learn how to swim.

In this episode of The Mentor Moment, Dirk shares a powerful business lesson passed down from his father: "You can make 10% off one item or 1% off ten. Chances are you'll sell a lot more at 1%, and in the long run you'll make more money."
Rather than focusing on charging the highest price possible, this episode explores the value of pricing for growth—a strategy centered on creating long-term relationships instead of maximizing every transaction. Dirk explains why successful businesses think beyond today's sale and focus on earning trust, generating referrals, and building a loyal customer base.
Whether you're a restaurant owner, mechanic, photographer, consultant, or any other entrepreneur, you'll discover why providing exceptional value often leads to greater profits over time. Learn how strategic pricing, outstanding customer service, and a long-term mindset can create momentum that no advertising budget can buy.
Because in the end, real business growth isn't built one transaction at a time—it's built one relationship at a time.

In this episode of The Mentor Moment, Dirk shares a humorous and humbling story from his first Kung Fu tournament. What started as an attempt to step outside his comfort zone quickly turned into a series of embarrassing moments—from discovering he'd be sparring barefoot, to his protective cup falling out twice, to tripping over his own gi pants and landing flat on his back.
Instead of letting those moments define him, Dirk finished the match, landed a few good kicks, and walked away with something far more valuable than a trophy: humility.
This episode explores why growth often begins where pride ends, how being willing to look foolish is part of becoming better, and why the greatest victories in life aren't always measured by winning—they're measured by having the courage to get back up.
If you've ever been afraid to fail, this episode is a reminder that humility is one of life's greatest teachers, and every expert was once a beginner who simply refused to quit.