How to 4X Your Business & Fall Back in Love With It!
Cody, a 21-year real estate veteran, rebuilt his business with his husband Bill by implementing call tracking, hiring assistants, and documenting systems. The moves cut stress, freed up his personal cell from listings, and grew the team to six people earning roughly $1M GCI that year.
All right, welcome back to another case study. And today I am beyond blessed and excited for y' all to hear from someone who I met probably, I think it was like four or five years ago. And. Yeah, and I'm just gonna let you, Cody, kind of give a quick introduction, maybe 60 seconds on like, who you are when you got into real estate, and then we'll kind of dig into the good, bad, ugly of your journey.
Okay, well, thank you for having me. And I've been in real estate for 21 years, so a super long time. And right now, fast forward to where we are will we exceeded the million dollar GCI spot. Finally this year, we'll probably end up at about one point. And in that journey, I found you only five years ago. And before that I was just a realtor, kind of a cocky realtor. I thought I was. I mean, I was really good, a really good real estate agent, but what I was not was a business owner. I had no bloody clue if I had money in the, in the bank. I was happy. So this is completely. Lars, you have changed my life and just where we are today and how I deal with money and overall happiness. So I'm happy to be here because if there's anything I want to get out there, how much gratitude I have for B school. And I don't want everybody to think that sounds cheesy. I just am happy to be here. And that journey is through our work with you. I don't want to underscore that because we've worked really hard.
Yeah. And so what really excites me about getting your message out, and it's something that is a little different than my journey. I honestly never liked being a real estate agent, so I actually assume that nobody likes it. And it's the wrong assumption. And it's taken me years to learn that. I just assume everyone hates working with buyers and sellers and here. So here's a really great example of someone that has been in the business for 21 years. They love the business and yet, and I want to help sort of everyone understand, like, what was it like when we first met, you know? But real estate agents get to the point where if you're a top producing agent, your life, you fall out of love with the business and your life becomes a living hell. And I'm not going to use those words for you, but I'm going to let you explain, like when I first.
Met.
What did you want to achieve? What was the business like? You know, maybe we talk a lot about time, money and stress Sometimes the money's good, but you're working 80 hours a week or you're super stressed. Like, talk about what you want to achieve. What was life like when we met? Maybe touch on time, money, and stress a little bit.
When I found you, the very first time I found you online, it was after I had met you in person because we had met in a different scenario. But when I found you online with B school, it was. I was in an open house. Freaking hate open houses. So I hate open houses. That's just straight up. Then I had just had a buyer that was just a nightmare, so I didn't care for that at all. I was in pain. Like, you wouldn't believe. Money. Like I said, I've never been good at money. If I had it, I spent it. And I was never afraid. There was not a moment that I had fear that I could not make more money until 2009. That 200910 thing happened, and that rocked everything. So there was all this combination of so much crap, if you will, that I needed, like, a lifeline or just forget the whole thing, because I couldn't. I couldn't stand it. I actually felt like I couldn't breathe at times. So then I said, okay, this. This is what I'm doing. And then I got you on the phone and I said, okay, you did this in six years. Can I do it in three? Because that's what you were saying. You're saying you can do this in three. So I'm like, okay, I'll do whatever it takes, whatever it takes to do this in three years. And so that was the very beginning of the journey. And my commitment was 110%. There was no waffling. I did everything. Everything. And I'm proud of that time because it was hard, but it was so awesome, and I'm so glad I did it. But that's kind of how it started.
So what specific problems were you facing back then? Like, think about that time where you had the buyer, the open house. Like, you know, I want to give this whole thing up. It's kind of not worth it. Um, what kind of specific problems were you facing?
I think the. The biggest thing is I was used to having, like, it just be on me like, that I didn't understand, like, didn't even consider anything different. And that kind of came from. From an I'm an amazing person attitude. And I say it because I really mean it. It was a really arrogant kind of place to be in. Then I said, okay, if I can rely on others, Right. And start. Start finding support or something. That was a big deal. And my husband had already come on with me and. But I just. Like you, teach. I'm this visionary who have all these amazing ideas and would plop all these ideas on his lap to say, okay, implement. I come back 24 hours, and I'm like, okay, are we ready with that? And he just looks at me like, I have three heads. Like, you got to be joking. Like, you can't do this, and you can't a put it on all on me either. So we had no clue how to work together. There was so much pain there. But we love and respect each other so much that it wasn't like a battle. It was just, oh, my gosh, what are we doing? And I put all the stuff I didn't want to do on him. Well, he doesn't really want to do that stuff either. So it just not. Stop relying on just myself and start looking outside of what I. You don't know what you don't know. That was the thing I was now about. Just your message was telling me stuff I didn't already know. And it opened that space to say, okay, there's a different way to do this. And I see agents still doing what I was doing then and there. Don't even think outside the box. I don't even know. It's not even outside the box. Now it is my box. And I am just so grateful to be here. So, yeah, that's. If that is. I hope that answers your question.
Yeah. So when you talk about, you know, not being able to breathe, so you're a top agent at this point.
My phone's ringing off the hook.
Yeah. Enough business. 16, 17 years in the business, you're super confident about yourself. You can go make money at will, and at the same time, you can't breathe.
And I can't stand the people anymore. Like, the part I love about the business today are the, like, I love people. I love hanging out with people. I love asking questions. I love learning about people, and I enjoy it. Well, I wasn't enjoying that even. I couldn't stand the people. They. I felt my energy was so down here that I think I was just attracting everybody that just didn't like me either. I don't know. Just was a constant battle, and now, like, it's just joyful. And it also comes down to when your phone's ringing off the hook and you want to be at your son's basketball game enjoying it, and you can't do anything besides answer that phone because you have this tug to make sure your business keeps going. I don't know. That almost contradicts the fact that I know I can make money, though, because I knew the money would always be there. But it doesn't change you. You can't. You can't do it all. And I'm. I'm a mom. I'm a mom of two. They're 18 and 17 now. And so when this came in my life, it was a space where, holy cow, with eight. I need to be there. I need. I want to be there. And so that was a painful thing to figure out. That. And I mean, I. I don't think I've missed a basketball game. If I did, it's been one of a gazillion. So they got over it fast. So that was a big piece is to get back with my family, find that family time, figure out Bill and I, what are our roles. That was one of the first things you gave us, by the way, is our roles together. Just defining our roles changed everything for us. So that was a very big piece. And then, like I said, getting my phone to stop ringing and moving into, like, that dialogue tech that I would have to say that's my big thing is dialogue tech is just to get that phone off of me ringing elsewhere and being answered by Bill, and that was it. And then hiring an assistant. So I don't know that you've really gotten to those three. Three things. But hiring assistant, which wasn't easy.
Yeah, I'm going to get there in a second. I want to one more thing, because I don't know the answer to this. Hours worked when we first met. Like, what was the average number of hours days per week? And what was your GCI back then versus hours stress level and GCI now?
My largest GCI came probably when everybody else's did. At that moment was 2005, when everybody was selling anything. And we made $300,000 that year. And I remember it so well because, I mean, I just thought, I'm amazing. I just thought that was the crescendo and we're rocking. And then right then, we got hit with making nothing. When I go from selling, I don't know, 25 to 30 homes to, I sold seven in 2009 and 10 in 2010. So those were just horrifying experiences because. Because my arrogance or confidence, whichever you want to call it, just didn't work. It wasn't there. So then I fast forward. Then we were back up there again around 200, 250. And I mean, we're just thinking that's great money. And yeah, it's just funny to me.
And it's interesting too. And I don't know if this is one of your three, but I'll comment on it because to me it was. And you mentioned it, you hinted on like that, you know, nobody really teaches us how to do money. You know, like you're really good at a thing and like your confidence is high. I can go out and make money. And then like it's, it's not what you make. Like it's if you're not keeping it and you're not managing it, you know, so we had some really sort of heart to heart conversations about awkward for me in one sense. I don't know, do we need that? Do we need that, like that payment, you know, so it's just interesting that, you know, I look back on those times because I honestly don't get to do as much of that today where I'm really in it with you guys. And we, you know, we talk back and forth, you and I and I, just because of those intimate moments that we had, you know, Bill and you and me and talking about stuff that people don't freaking talk about.
That's right. And I cannot over let that go without people knowing a little bit about that. We owned a cabin that my husband built with his family, his husband and his brother, or his husband, his father and his brother and his father had since passed away. And we're doing our outline of assets and our debt and Lars looks at it and he's like, what's this cabin? I mean, it's a horrible payment that we were spending maybe two, three weeks out of year. Lars, like, that's ridiculous. You got to let that go. I looked at Bill and I about died that you just said that. And he, Bill couldn't even believe it. It wasn't even a thought. And I will tell you, within about two months it was sold and it was the best thing, it was the right thing and it was the best thing. And we are in a hugely different place, partly because of that, obviously, because we don't have that debt. But now just everything's different.
Yeah. And you don't often get. You don't. Nobody really takes a lot of time in their everyday life just to take a step back and kind of look at their business, look at their financial picture, look at their marriage, look at their roles in the business. Being in a business with your spouse is hard, like, and if you don't have that, like, clear line of like what, like what the rules of engagement are, what I'm willing to do, what you're willing to do. You know, it can make it a little wonky.
I can tell you, without Bill, I wouldn't. I wouldn't be here at all. And Bill and I say without this defining that just what you said, because, I mean, our parts were clear at the minute you said it. It made so much sense and it put a level of, ah, I'm this. Now I can sit in this space and not stay in my lane. That was on my vision board last year, by the way. Staying in my lane and him staying in his lane. And it just flourished from there.
Yeah, that's awesome. So let's dig into. I want to. Want to give a flavor of the tool, system, strategies, mindsets. Three things that you feel had the biggest impact on your journey. You know, going from where you were to where you are today. Let's just list the three things and then I'll ask questions about the three of them.
Okay. So Dialogue Tech genuinely changed. Changed a lot for us. The thing I can't totally, and maybe you can help put it into place because DialogTech has all the phone numbers, right. So I had to have had the signs, the three signs in the yard. And that was a really fast and easy thing that we did. But then in order to have those three different signs with the three different numbers, we had to have Dialogue Tech. But the minute we had Dialogue Tech, every everywhere my cell phone was, was taken off.
Yeah, so let's call that one. It's like call tracking, call routing, getting disconnecting your personal self from your business. Like, it is the biggest step. 99.9% of real estate agents. What other number would you put on the sign? Like, you know, it's like when you really want to get a call Sunday night at 6pm it's like, no. So, okay, so let's tee that one up as call routing, call tracking, freeing yourself from your cell phone. What's number two?
Okay, now this one was. It was hiring an assistant. And it may sound crazy because it was Bill and I, but. But it was an essential piece. And I don't want that to come across like, oh, yeah, I just hired an assistant. It was very hard. That took me a year and a half to find the right person. And I went through six to find the seventh, the lucky number, seven.
What's the story in the Bible?
It was painful.
Yeah. Where they have to. On the seventh time around. The. I don't remember what the story is, but I know seven is a number of completion in the Bible. Alright, so hiring assistant, getting leverage through the right person and empowering that person with the low dollar productive task. We'll dig into that. What's number three?
You know, can you say mindset? I mean mindset was. I was a mental, you know, I mean I was mentally just, I don't, I don't even know. I can't, I wouldn't say exhausted but just, I don't know, mentally out of the game. And that biggest shift was the mindset to commit to something that was a little scary. And I'll say this, it wasn't scary for me because it was a lifeline for me but for Bill it was like holy crumb, the money going out was scary to him. Then I'm saying we're putting more money out with an assistant that was really scary to him. So he and I had this yin and yang thing. So we had to get a mindset around growth and that ability to. Yeah, to walk in. I mean it's just, it's just scary.
I love that one. I'll definitely dig deeper on that. So it's almost like you know, the solo agent, top producer mindset to like how would a business owner look at investing in an assistant? Investing in a lead gen source or.
Platform or you almost have to take a step back, like you have to come back and not sell so many deals for a minute. Take us a little. And it's like good point.
So it's, it's, there's different ways to measure growth.
Yeah.
Real estate, everyone wants to measure it by GCI or units or and like the strength of marriage. You know, how much net worth do you have? How much time do you have away from the office? How less stress do you feel? So alright, so let's dig into number one. So number one, I'm going to call like getting your cell phone off of everything. It seems like a simple thing and there's a couple specific tools that come into play. One is our, you know, yard marketing strategy where there's three, three signs in the yard, three different psychologies that a buyer can sort of engage with in the front yard of a property. Triples your, your inbound calls at least doubles and then having bringing in a call tracking call routing system like dialog tech. So talk a little bit about like what was the, what was the, what was it like before every sign that every, everywhere you advertised, everywhere had your cell phone?
Had my cell phone on it.
So seven days A week, your phone would ring. And if you answered it, great. If you didn't answer it, they may or may not leave a message.
Correct. And I like, if I'm watching this video right now, I'm thinking, okay, well, that's fine. But there were still just two of you. How do you put another number on there? It doesn't matter. It would still have to call me. It didn't though. It. We would have it like, that's where Bill and I, we had our roles and. And he was the operations. He just, he took care of that. And he sat. I. And he took the phone calls and I didn't. And we're still together. But then we put boundaries on our hours. Right. Like, we're okay if that rings after 6pm doesn't matter. And that's hard to do. That's really hard to do when you're used to, you know, taking it at all hours. So that piece. And that was a monster change for me.
Yeah. And it goes to the mindset too. I don't want to dive into the mindset necessarily, but it really is a big leap from. If you think about traditional success in our industry, you had already achieved it, and it wasn't worth having. You know, like, say we're like 300,000 GCI, or make it $300,000. But you're answering your cell phone. If you run an ad somewhere, it's your cell phone. If you. It's a yard sign, it's a cell phone. Going to three signs with your cell phone. Like, who would want more calls to your cell phone? So you almost, like, you don't want to get more calls at a certain point. And you, as the thinking, as the business owner and the visionary, if you're getting pulled into the weeds all the time through, like, answering calls at all hours, you don't even have any margin in your day to think like a business owner. Can you comment on that?
Exactly right. You got it and it. And even like, business owner. Like, I don't know. I thought I was. I thought I was killing it. And it. It just put it into such perspective. No, I was a realtor, and I even, you know, got my broker's license. I was a real estate broker. And none of that changes the fact that I was not a business owner. I had no clue what that meant. I had no clue what our expenses were. You. When you gave us an operations, he was operations. I was sales. The minute that happened, then he knew, okay, he actually has a say in the. In the expenses. Like Cody These are the expenses, and I've tracked them. We never did that before. And it gave him that power to say, holy cow, you need to rein it in on all that spend. And he was right. And so it's like, I learned so much. So I don't know. That's mindset. Yes. But I don't know. I don't want to get off topic, too.
It's almost a number four, and I can get into it. It's becoming the CFO of your business. Business. I'll touch on it in a second because I think it's valuable. All right. So number two, you said was hiring an assistant, and it's crazy. I Learned recently that 85% of real estate agents don't have any leverage through another person. So they're just solo, which doesn't say a whole lot because I know, like, 50% of them only sell one home. So it's sort of, in some ways, a pathetic industry that we're involved in. So talk about hiring an assistant and talk about six people that didn't fit. Was it all them? Was it you weren't ready? Was it your process? What lesson could you give somebody? Everyone that wants to elevate and make more money in less time, have less stress must get an assistant. Like, it just. It is. No doubt. Right? So talk about that journey and how did you stay committed to get to lucky number seven?
No doubt. I'd like to say it was all them, but clearly it was not all them. I'm just. And I imagine most of us that are here are those high Ds, right? We're not exactly the easiest people to work for. You kept telling me that. You kept saying we are not the easiest people to work for. You said you are not the easiest person to be married to.
I was just gonna say that.
I mean, holy cow. Hearing those things, it just. It was like perspective, Cody. And just. I mean, now it's just the love is so much there. Like, I've just grown so much. But that time, it was just. I was difficult, but. But I. But I think it served me, too. Like, I don't want to say that it didn't. These people were not the right fit. They were never going to be who we have now. So it was a combination for sure. But the best thing I did in that process is we created what is called a business office guide. So as we added these systems, each assistant would learn a system and put it in the business office guide and the steps, exactly how to do it right? And then they'd be gone in two months. So whatever. Maybe they got two systems in the business office guide, but they were perfect, right? So then I hired number two. Well, she already knew how to do those systems. I didn't have to teach her because the business office guy taught her. And then she could create one or two or three. However long she was here, she kept the business office guide growing with every system. We kept adding. So by seven, like, it was actually easier to hire seven because I had a whole business office guide to hand her and say, these are our systems, and this is the way it works. I didn't know it at the time, but it was genius. It really worked well for us. And I would suggest that everybody immediately start getting that going with any assistant, because who knows, they may or may not last, but you will always have that to give to the next person. It was awesome.
Yeah. And I wish I could take credit for that. And that is all you.
I did that one.
That is amazing. Because if you think about it. So some would get discouraged. Some would hire somebody and say it didn't work. Like, that was hard. It was my first hire ever, and they rejected me or I didn't fulfill my. You know. And you were like, no, man. I got two systems in the business office, guys. God intended that person to help me build those two systems. And did it, you know, so that. That.
And I did feel that, though. Like, I felt like, oh, my gosh, that I did feel like it hurt. And I had that. But. But it was, like I told you, committed. I was not stopping Lars. I was not stopping one assistant, didn't want to be here, whatever. It had to be okay. And so each one got easier and easier because I just wanted to be great, and I needed an equally great person. And we have her now. So I don't mean to interrupt you, but, yes, I'm very excited about that.
That is awesome. So let's break down number three mindset, and let's include the knowing your numbers piece in that you mentioned mentally exhausted and committing to the journey. It's funny, we do a different onboarding process with new members now where I talk about committing to the journey. Like, committing to the journey of, you know, we only work with top producing agents as our entry point, which is only like 1.5% of the whole realtor population. So. And I talk about you need to mentally commit to this journey. So when I say that and when you said it, what do you mean? What do you mean by it? Like, you were at the point where you were just Ready to give it all to building, you know, leverage and systems. Talk about that a little bit.
I think people make decisions out of pain, right? Like, it. I was just in such pain. And it was either. And I think Dave Hook kind of has said this in the past, too. It was either, like, changing this completely or getting out of it, figuring out something else, because it was just stinky, for lack of a better word. And so that was the space. But you. You know, we had bills and we had. I don't know. I never. Never really felt that, though. I guess if I felt if I made a change, I would just go make a change and it would be okay, too. But the change was this. And I had invested, what, at that point, 15 years of my life to this. I don't think I have anything that I've invested 15 years of my. Other than my children and my husband and this. And, like, I've never worked at a job for more than two years. Really. Like, I just wanted to change always in high school and in college. And it's just. This was like a big thing, and I had. And to see it in a different way was. Was pretty really cool. And I remember listening to your deal, just talking that message, and it was. It was what I wanted, and it gave me that in a little bit different way.
But, yeah, that's awesome. So let's in. In the realm of mindset and making the shift from, you know, solo top producing agent to business owner, you mentioned, like, the bringing, you know, your expenses and how that was scary, you know, for Bill, you know, who's a business partner, and your husband.
Talk about scary to me, too, when it was written down. Yeah.
So talk about how you weren't tracked, you weren't tracking much at all in your finances, and how maybe the tracking gave you a little bit of confidence that you had the money to spend and talk about that in a mindset perspective, if that makes sense.
It sure does. And it's actually really, really kind of cool for me because I have a trainer now at the gym, and he's building his business. And I said, you know, he's sending out postcards just like mine. And he goes, I don't care what happens with these postcards. I just want to be like you, where everybody knows me. And I'm like, okay, well, I care about my postcards, and I care about how many calls I get from every postcard I send, and I know exactly how much I spent on every postcard. Do you know how many of these people that are in this gym came from those postcards. Like, I'm a full fledged coach. I could teach him that because of what you taught me. And that was monumental. The minute I looked back and you said, look at your closings, whatever. I might have had 40, I think it was 42 closings or something. You said, go back and find out where they all came from. And it was like, Bill and I are. That was fun to us. Like, oh my gosh. That was a referral. That was a referral. That was a referral. Like. And you could look at what, you could look at it in a way, I can even feel it right now. I can see what is going on in my business. The minute I knew where all those deals were coming from. And if anybody has a business and they are not tracking where their business comes from, then they are not a business owner. Just. It is. Just isn't.
Yeah. What else on mindset? You know someone that's listening to this, that was at the point you were at, you know, when you got started with the real estate B school. What else? There's some fear, you know, around growth and you know, 15, 16 years of doing the same thing and being successful outside of the dip that you had for the, for the recession. What. What else mindset. Could you sort of speak into somebody that might be at the same point.
You were at of doing it for so long and then not wanting to.
Do it anymore or just the fear that you might get around growth or you know, taking on some expenses to get leverage in people and systems and you know, some. Some systemized marketing.
Okay, super. Yeah, super good question. Because I kind of said earlier that spending money was never didn't worry me at all. And I think that came from. I just knew that I could convert. Whatever happened, I was spending money on online leads before, like the minute it came out through market leader or something. So it just. I don't know that that wasn't there, but it very much was there with Bill when even just coming on the expense of B school. And he's. I'm like the just mindset around coaching and getting the knowledge that you need. I bought into that from super young and he did not. And so it was a monumental for him to say to take that leap of faith. And I think going at it together maybe helped him. I don't know. But I do know that it's 100% necessary. Even you could read all the books in the world, I think. But I just. You gotta have some sort of way to learn what you don't know. Cause you don't know it. And you gotta find a way to figure it out. And so I guess the way it did it for me is it had to be changed. So we went in and we went through. We had to step through the change. And you had mentioned. And many people, I think, mention you've gotta go through that really uncomfortable space to grow. Well, I. I buy that. Buy into that. You didn't have to teach me that. That was something I bought into. So if you don't buy into that, that's going to be even harder for you.
Yeah.
And you mentioned to go through it.
Yeah, you mentioned earlier. You said, you know, you don't know what you don't know. You know, it's like. And that's been true. I mean, I have been involved in personal development and coaching as a recipient of it, you know, I think probably more than anyone I know.
Yes.
I always like, I've got to know if I want to get there. There's just a gap in skills or.
Knowledge and I need somebody to teach me them.
Yeah. So. So when we got first got together, was there any objection or hesitation that you had? Like, where you're like, man, it sounds good, but I almost didn't join because. Was there any hesitation?
Well, I almost didn't join because Bill. Sorry, honey. I just didn't because of his hesitation and his fear. But I pushed through that piece. And the money piece was scary, but so scary to him. I just, I think of that and I almost. I'm trying to think of the light bulb moment that he had. And I don't think there was a light bulb moment. I just think it was his faith in me that and because mine was so strong, I'm like, I'm doing this or like, there's nothing else to do. Like, this is the answer to my happiness. So then Bill goes, happy wife, happy life, do it, whatever it takes. And. And then it was really hard. Right. Because I think it was three months in, I was like, oh, this is painful. And the money wasn't. That was so light. And I was struggling. I couldn't do a stupid basketball hoop for my kids for Christmas. And I was so mad. I called you and you're like, this is crazy. I don't want you stress it over a basketball hoop for your kids. Like, this is, you know, and we had a conversation around it. Your give to me was huge and made all the difference in Bill's faith with you. When you had. You just talked to us.
Yeah.
You just said, listen, let's let's get through this together. And. And Bill did a 180. And he goes, I am in with that guy. And the trust and the faith was a hundred percent there. That when he and I struggle with a decision, we both go, okay, let's go to B school. They'll answer it. They'll be that third person for us to just answer the question, which one of us is right? Or is there a combination that we can move forward with? But you got to step in with a little bit of faith. No question about it.
That's awesome. So, yeah, and I remember, you know, having a lot of faith in you guys as well, you know. So you say that you had faith in. Like, there wasn't a real agenda around helping you guys. I just knew that you could do it. So I wasn't in those, like, times, like, we need someone when it's. When it's hard. And, like, yeah, it's hard. Like, I knew it was gonna be hard. Sorry I didn't explain it ahead of time. That was gonna be hard, I think. And now it's like, you guys can do it. Let's. Let's keep going forward. So let me ask you, what's been your favorite part of real estate? B school.
Oh, that's a very good question. Boy. A bunch of things. I think. The ability on a whim, to reach out when I need to, I am. My word for 2020 is routine. So, like, I'm not somebody that has been a great person at an exact precise schedule every day. And so when I needed your help, like, I needed it then, and it. I would do the voxing and I'd get on vox, and I. It was either you or Andy Thomas, I think, had done it once, I don't know. But it was always that ability to put it. And even when you do it and you say it out loud in the moment, you're like, oh, wait, I. You could figure it out maybe on your own, but that's. Not many times I couldn't. And I would just leave that. And I knew that it was there and it would get answered. And I'd had the answer to my question, and I needed, you know, little silly things like, gosh, what do you say in this moment? And it was really great, or, I gotta hire this person. And I think. I think it was you that said, do you want me to talk to him? Like, I'll talk to him. And I was like, oh, my gosh, that is the coolest. However, I was like, if I can't do this, then I don't deserve to be a business owner. So, no, I'll talk to him. But thank you. Knowing you're there and would do that was huge. Every piece of this. You guys have been there for me, and I say you personally, but it's just the whole. The whole thing is there. Stacy has been there. I mean, every time you need something, she's there to help me. And it's really nice. Really nice.
That's awesome. Let me ask you, who would you recommend real estate b school to and why?
Good question. So I have this gal who. She's. She's just in so much pain and can't. I can't find the right hire. And she is. You know, I hired a. What do you call it, Virtual assistant. I told him he just had to figure it out. You can't do that. Like, she's just so frustrated, and she really wants to build a business because she has that same faith in herself, and she is the perfect candidate. And, you know, she keeps going back to the Keller Williams model, and I'm in Keller Williams, and I'm loving it, but she keeps going to those productivity coaches and the maps coaching in there. And I almost did it too. And I can see clearly. And I told her, I'm like, the difference is night and day, you will become a business owner. And I'm having the conversation. She is the exact person. She. Or it could be a he, whoever, but that person that just really wants to see an ownership of something. Because, remember. And I don't know if we're there yet, but I'm gonna. I am gonna say this. I'm. I'm at a place where, like, I have an. I have two assistants, and I have two sales agents. And Bill and I. So there's six of us on this team. And I do all the stuff I love. I love to be in listing appointments. I love the thrill. I love getting that signature. I think it's cool as heck. So that is awesome. And those people who are in that space of doing all of it, they don't like it anymore. Well, there's a reason they joined real estate. There's a reason they got in and a reason they got to the level they are. There is something about it that they like. So elevate yourself to the space. You're only doing the things you like. Then if at that moment you figure out, I don't like this anymore, then elevate yourself to the stepping out of your business. But. And we can do that. We might do that. But right now, I'm really enjoying where we're at.
That's really. That's really powerful. And I wanted to say. So it's just a series of, you know, it's the shift from agent to owner, but it happens in steps. It's not like all of a sudden you're like a solo agent doing 300,000 and then you're thrown into a $1.2 million business where you're managing people and you know, you're the cfo and you now you know how to track and yet you're still selling. And, you know, it's like kids, right? Kids don't come out as teenagers. If they did, nobody would ever have kids. Like, the first 12 years prepares you for year, you know, so it's like it's just pushing in and leaning in and trusting the process just over and over and over again.
And to not compare yourself to everybody else. I kind of have lived. I have learned about myself and all this self help and self care stuff that I lived in that I'm not good enough space, which really helped me drive through and get all these systems in and done. Because I wanted to be just like Lars. I want to be just like you. That was my thing. And then finding out that maybe I didn't and maybe it's okay and I want to be this instead of that. I'm going to stay in this lane because this is actually joyful for me. Wasn't a fail. That was a choice and monumental for me.
Yeah. And you can create. Yeah, that's. That's another really powerful point. And you know, even though I'm six and a half years into being business coaching, real estate, B school, I'm still learning that part of it. Like, this is about where you want to end up, where you feel joy, where you. I don't get to judge that. You should be going on listing appointments. Like, if you are filled with joy and you love to kill, still, the good thing is if there's a day that you don't want to, you'll have a couple solid agents like chomping at the bit to take over that production if you ever get there.
That is exactly. Now we're building that. But this time we did it before and it was a. It was a epic fail. And now we're doing it again. But it's just now I'm in a space where I love the day and I can love them and I can love their not so good things too, and it just is. And they'll get there and we'll get there and it'll. I don't know, it just is. I'm so much more comfortable and it's not a real race.
And so you mentioned one more thing I've learned as well and this is just true in life, I think you actually said, you know, put your blinders on. It's like the picture of, you know, when a horse is running a race and literally have blinders on over their eyes. And so like this is your race, you need to run your best race. And you don't need to be on Facebook looking at this top agent or like, man, he sells all those homes and is, you know, his wife is good looking or like his kids are always well dressed and well behaved. Like we do all that stuff to ourselves that I know guys running $5 million businesses that are not making half of their personal production and profit.
Bingo.
Yeah. Businesses that aren't even fricking businesses and nobody's really revealing that. And slower growth, you know, find your joy in each part of the growth process and take a long term view of the whole thing. Like what are we all rushing for? Why are we all looking at each other when all I got to worry about is my faith, my husband, my kids, my community and the impact I have with my team members. That's the world. Who gives a crap what anyone else thinks about us?
Freedom, that's. Yeah, the freedom in that is huge. And going back, I did interview like some other top people in our area when I was considering going into Keller Williams or Exp or something like that. I was in that space of I want to find a home and not be a broker on my own. And I interviewed people and they're like, they, for whatever reason, they were very open. Yeah, I wrote five figure checks to my business this year. You what? I'm looking at you like you're friggin rock star. It's like, wow. The admission of that I feel was so honest and real and transparent but eye opening for me because you've told me that you said they're not where you think they are. And that really was the, that was a fact right then in that moment. And I mean we went back all the way back. We had the. You told us to do monthly. I think it was check our worth. Our what we are worth monetarily. And the difference between the second year was in B school. I think it was about a second year, beginning of the second year to now. Like it's, I mean it's like awesome.
Yeah.
I don't Even know if I should say, it's just so awesome. Like, we're buying properties with cash right now, and we're like. It's just insane.
Yeah.
And why would I stop this. This is so fun.
Yeah. And nobody really, you know, and. And money is like one of like, maybe eight measures. And it's a fun. You know, in business, you're putting your time on the line to make money and make decisions around investing in people and marketing and processes so you have money left over so you can have something to show for it. So keeping score of that. So few people do it because I think people are keeping up with the Joneses. They don't want to really know what's actually going on financially. But that's a total soapbox that I don't want to.
We can get on. No, no, no. I've been wonderful. And my time. The Monica, that was money, but my time, like, it's. We're relaxed this year. We. We have done better this year than any other year. And I've spent less time really cranking things out this year than any other year. How do those two even. How does that even make sense without systems and processes and the things that you've taught us is the only way that comes together that way. And I'm just proud of it because I am grateful to B School, but I don't want to say that it takes the work that we put in to B school to make those two all come together for sure.
And committing to the journey. Cody, this is. You know, you have a special place in my heart. You and Bill do and just so much love and respect for you and what you've built and you keep showing up when I challenge you and when the team challenges you, you know, and you keep leaning in and we don't let you off the hook and, you know, you keep demanding value of us, and it's this just amazing thing that we built together. So if you're at the point in your business where this just speaks to you, you know, top producing agent that has achieved traditional success, maybe others think you've arrived. Maybe even you think you've arrived, but it sucks if you're being honest with yourself, your time isn't your own. Probably don't have as much money to show for your efforts as you think you should. And you're super stressed all the time. I honestly don't know where else to send you than real estate. B School. And of course, I'm the founder, so I'm, like, partially biased. But just go to realestate bschool.com the only thing we can offer you is a conversation about your business. It's the same conversation Cody and I had four or five years ago. Like what? What is life like now? What do you want it to look like? And what's getting in the way? Right. You're 15, 16 back then, you're 15, 16 years in the business. We had that conversation. So if you go to realestate bschool.com, click on the orange button, and we'll get on a phone call and talk about your business and what you think is possible and how we might be able to help you get there. Cody, you're amazing. Bill's amazing. I appreciate you guys. I love you guys. Anything we can ever do for you, just let us know, okay?
Thank you so much. You are amazing as well. We appreciate it.
We'll talk soon. Bye. Bye.
