Life can change so quickly. Four short years ago, I was a part-time realtor and a part-time stay-at-home mom. I sold some real estate and liked the business, but I wasn’t really in it to win. Then everything changed. My husband—an attorney for a finance company that grew very quickly—was laid off (along with over 40 of his colleagues).
I knew I needed to contribute more. So I started working more, earning more, and then burning out. My income increased, but I was exhausted, stressed—and I wasn’t spending enough time with my family. I had no systems in place, I did not follow a schedule, and I jumped every time the phone rang. I was struggling. I knew there had to be a better way, but I had no idea how to get there. So I confided my concerns to a friend and local business owner that I admired. I told him that even though I was closing deals, I felt stuck. I felt I wasn’t improving or growing. He suggested I meet Brady Thrasher, the new owner of Remax Preferred. I liked Brady immediately, and I found it reassuring that he was an agent in the trenches doing what I did—but at a much higher level. Brady shared a number of strategies and sales techniques with me. Even before I moved to his office, he helped me with my business. While it took some convincing myself to leave the brokerage where I was at and join his—I had a pretty sweet deal there and really liked my colleagues—I finally pulled the trigger and made the move.
Brady was the first person to ask me what my goals were. I threw out a number: $100,000 more than my previous year. Brady promised he would help me crush my goals, and together, we did just that. I earned well over double my goal for the year. My first full year at his office I doubled my GCI. Halfway through the year I surpassed my GCI for the previous year. That is when I really stepped back and thought about what I accomplished working closely with my new broker/owner/coach/mentor/friend. Brady helped me put systems in place, hire an assistant, and recently start a team. He taught me that if I worked to improve myself daily, I could become a better resource for my clients. Then the business would come to me, and I wouldn’t have to chase it. My mindset totally shifted. Suddenly, I was scheduling my days and spending more time with my family and closing more deals than ever. I couldn’t believe it. With Brady by my side, I learned to stop working in my business so I could start working on my business. Before I knew it, I was providing more value than ever to my clients. It’s amazing what you can do with the right mentor. My business exploded, my quality of life improved, and my stress levels decreased. I went from not being able to break $9 million in sales to selling just under $20 million. I never thought I could do that much business, but now I know that by surrounding yourself with the right people, the sky’s the limit.
Finally, I’m living life by my own design. And you can too by involving yourself with a group of like minded motivated professionals. The fate of your business is truly in your hands, you have total control.