In this motivational talk, the speaker challenges common phrases like “pick your brain” and the complacent mindset of doing things “the way we’ve always done it,” arguing that such attitudes suppress creativity and growth. He frames the current real‑estate landscape as a period of intense flux, citing legal, technological (including AI), consumer‑behavior, inventory, and interest‑rate challenges that can trap agents in a defensive, “turtle‑shell” mode. Instead of retreating, he urges agents to ask, “what’s next?” and to explore creative financing, emerging niches such as Airbnb, probate, divorce, and investment opportunities. A personal anecdote about his daughter entering college illustrates embracing change, letting go of being the story’s center, and finding excitement in the unknown. He concludes by encouraging professionals to build collaborative teams, lean on others’ creativity, and expand their horizons, positioning a forward‑looking, adaptable mindset as essential for thriving amid market turbulence.
Chapters
What phrase drives you completely crazy? For me, I've got several. One of them is "pick your brain." If somebody would please stop saying "pick your brain," I've got nothing left for you to pick at. The phrase that really drives me crazy though in life is when somebody starts saying, "Well, that's not the way we've always done it." Y'all, doing things the way we've always done them means we are turning off our creativity, we're turning off our curiosity, and we're turning off the idea that something better could be just around the corner. So maybe, just maybe, today's the day for you stop saying you're going to do it the way it's always been done and instead say, well, what's next? I mean, look at real estate. Real estate is in a wild, wild state of flux. You've got legal challenges, you've got technology challenges, because I don't like AI. Do I have to get used to it? I don't know. You've got consumer behavior challenges, you've got inventory challenges, we have interest rate challenges, we have all these things going on that could make you just pull into your little turtle shell and say, but if I do it the way I've always done it, I'll find something. But stop thinking like that. Maybe It's time to go out and say, well, what's next? Interest rates are high? Great. What's next? Figuring out creative financing. Inventory is low? Great. What's next? Figuring out a piece of the business you never really learned. Is that investments? Is that finding the Airbnbs that are no longer going to be held as investments? Is that finding probate business? Is that understanding divorce better? Maybe you're concerned about AI and technology. Okay, well, I'm with you on that. So we'll skip that one. Maybe you're concerned about the legal challenges to real estate and all the class action lawsuits. Well, maybe, just maybe, dig deeper into those came into being, and what do you do personally to counteract that messaging in the community where you live? Every single one of us who is a full-time professional REALTOR® knows there are lives you have impacted positively by being their agent. You have listened carefully and created personalized solutions. You have encouraged people to move forward in a purchase when they thought they were going to be lifelong renters, and you've seen the outcomes of your actions. So instead of getting mired down in the way we've always done it, let's say, what's next? And figure out where the opportunities are going to lie in the change market. That's what you're supposed to do when things look crazy. Maybe in your personal life things are weird. I have a child in college now. I don't know how that happened because I'm still 25. And when I look at the fact that my daughter is gone, I could look back and cry over the pictures of her as a cute little tiny, and I do that sometimes at night. But instead, I realize those are wonderful memories, and I have loved watching her grow and change. And what's next? I don't know what's next. And there's some excitement in the not knowing because I'm watching her grow and change and learn, and I'm watching her figure out who she is in this big world. I'm learning her— I'm watching her learn how her foundation is built and if she can rely on it. That's huge. It's amazing. And I'm not at the center of that story anymore, but I can enjoy the story as it grows. Maybe your what's next also involves not being the center of the story, but learning how to watch the story evolve and change from you, because all those things are good. Maybe, just maybe, somebody around you is the one with the creativity and the ideas upon whom you can lean and from whom you can learn. Because sometimes getting out of the rut of the way we've always done it has to do with building a better team so that you can grow and learn and expand your own horizons and be excited about what's next.
