Single Mom Makes $10,000 a Month as a Notary Signing Agent | Pennsylvania

How much money did you make last month as a notary public loan signing agent?

10,000. I was working at a restaurant and I was coming home at 11 o' clock at night and my kids were sleeping at daycare at 11 o' clock at night and I had to carry one inside the house and then come back for the other one. I did not want that for my family. I didn't want that for me. It was killing me. I wanted my time. It's very rewarding to know that I, I did that, you know, from where I came from, I did that. You know, I worked, I hustled and I did it and I made it possible.

If you were wondering what the journey of a $10,000 a month notary public loan signing agent is, you're going to want to watch Mark. I'm Mark Wills, the largest notary public loan signing agent coach in America, here with one of my students, Marlenny, out of Pennsylvania. How you doing, Dave?

MARLENI I'm doing well, Mark, how are you?

I am so good. So to inspire people right out of the gate. How much money did you make last month as a notary public loan signing agent?

10,000.

$10,000. When I say back to you that you have a $10,000 a month notary public loan signing agent business, what kind of feelings go through your body?

Oh, my God. I, because I didn't even even think I could make that in a month, you know, so definitely, definitely is very rewarding to know that I, I did that, you know, from where I came from, I was, I did that, you know, I worked, I hustled and I did it and I made it possible.

I love it. 20, 24. Interest rates are 7, 8%. You're still doing $10,000 a month. You're on track for your biggest year yet. Years been a loan signing system. So, you know, you said the statement two seconds ago where I came from.

Yes.

So let's talk about that. I know you're a single mom. Two children.

Three actually.

Three children. I apologize.

Three children.

Take people back, man. How do we get here? Let people know that if you're a single mom of three kids, you can be a $10,000 a month notary public loan signing agent too. But where'd this all start? How did we get here? Take us back to the beginning.

So, Mark, let me say, obviously, you know, I'm an immigrant and, and when I came, when I had the opportunity to come to America, I wanted to make a difference in my life and my family's Life and the journey has been, it's been, it's been wild. I lived in housing projects. I one time received food stamps. Then, you know, eventually moved up to Section 8 housing, which is still living off the government. But I had a, and I have a drive in me that I wanted to make a difference for me and my family. I became a single mom when my kids were very, very young. Months old, couple months old. And I had to go live in the housing projects. Now I wanted better for them and for myself. And I found you.

I just want to say thank you for that vulnerability and sharing. And now you had every reason to roll in a ball and you didn't, you know, and thank you for letting people know. I mean, now that you are past that part of your journey, you know, how does it feel where you are today? Like you did this, no one else. Like you did this girl.

Oh my God. It makes me feel like I'm like, I, you know, can reach the stars actually. You know, sometimes you lay in your bed when everything is going wrong and, and everything seems impossible. But times like this, actually, it's like.

Exactly. I mean, you can do a girl.

And anyone can do it. You know, I was able to provide, you know, a home for my children that I can call my home, our home, our roof that I, that I work and pay for. You know, I'm able to take vacations with my family. We've been to Europe, we're going to Mexico in two weeks. And no one can tell me I can't go because my vacation wasn't approved or because I don't have any more vacation time. So I'm going and I did that and I'm able to do that because of what I do.

I literally got chills hearing you say that, you know, and I'm just proud of you and I know how hard you work. I've seen the Facebook posts over the years. I've seen you stay engaged in the community, go showing up to trainings. There's no shortage of Mama Bear building something for their family. How do your children look at you now?

Well, I would hope that they are proud of me. Yeah, they don't really say that, you know, that there's two older ones and then there's little ones. But, but you know, when I'm, when I'm done with signings at two or three in the afternoon and I go to daycare, pick up my son before they close at 5:30 and my son hugs me, that's my price because I don't have to wait for my time, the clock to finish at a job, for me to go pick up my son, you know?

Oh, God. You got, you got me, girl. I'm starting to tear up like, you know, too often we always talk about the money in this business only because that's what people want to hear, but right. Tired of talking about it because the money is not the best part. It's being able to pick up your child at 2 o' clock when you are done. I know the feeling because I'm a dad too. And tonight that's the best part about this business, man. It's not the money.

And I can attest to that. I can attest to that.

You're taking your family to Europe, you're going back, you're going to Mexico. Like that's the win, you know what I mean? And like you said, you don't need anyone to ask you for, for time off. You're making the decision. So you know what I hear is a mom who's always fighting for her family. And so talk to me through kind of the, you know, previous of the previous three years, what Living paycheck to paycheck kind of felt like, what kind of stress did that have on your, on you specifically? Being a single mom to three children. Walk people through that.

So it's like a vicious cycle for me when I get, when I got the job in banking, I was very excited. I was like, oh, wow, I'm gonna retire from this company, you know, because it was a big one of the bigger, one of the bigger banks. It's been around for a long time, is basically pract in, you know, all of the United States. And I was like, oh, wow, you know, I, you know, I'm doing good. I'm going to retire from this company. And then the digital world came and people started using online banking and people were not visiting the branches anymore. And then they started closing branches. And so where I wanted, where I saw myself going, that was not an option anymore. You know, when you have a mortgage, when you are a single mom and you have every, all this responsibility on your shoulders, your car payment, your insurance, your mortgage, your utilities, your food, you know, and the kids are growing and now they want, you know, they need bigger shoes or more, you know, they want more expensive shoes. And but this, but the amount of money that you're making is the same. The math doesn't add up. And so I was like, well, this is, I felt stuck. And I was like, what can I do? You know, what can I do? It's not getting promoted. Promoted within the company or moving up in the company is not an option anymore. I still have this. I still got to pay the same bill. Because life doesn't get any easier. It gets hotter. Things get, they don't get cheaper, they get more expensive. Electricity gets. And gas and food and, you know, things get expensive, more expensive every year. And if you're making. And what are you getting raised wise in a company, you know, yearly you get a quarter of it, 50 cents. How does that amount to you, you know, buying your, your, your teenage son an extra pair of shoes? It just doesn't add up, you know, so that's when I was like, okay, what the hell am I gonna do? Because I need to get out of this cycle. And then, you know, when you, but then you think about, you sit and you think about, oh, wow, but I have vacation paid time, vacation paid time off. Or you, or you have medical insurance, think about those things and you see the opportunity of building a business or building something by yourself and for yourself. You are like, you must be crazy or out of your mind. And people tell you that and people say, what, what are you going to do? You talk to friends or family members like, are you crazy? Because they don't have the mindset. So you have to have that mindset. You have to have a vision of where you want to be and where you want to go. Because if you don't, it'll never work.

You're so inspirational for so many reasons. Because, you know, coming from where you came from, immigrant to, you know, to government housing, you could have been like, living paycheck. Paycheck is the dream, right? Having just enough like, you could have been like, I've made it, quote, unquote. But I love how you always wanted more and you didn't stop at that. And, and so I am agreeing with you, your mindset. I want other people to be inspired by you. Because some people watch this and they'd be like, the security of the paycheck is the win.

Exactly.

Realize that. No, that's not the win. I'm still losing. And so it's that, that, that amazing fire in you that I want people to be inspired by. Because you had every reason to be like, oh, the security of the paycheck is, I'm good. I got the mortgage, I got the family. You know, I'm single mom. I got enough to make ends meet. But it's like, no, I'm going to take this massive risk. But you bet on yourself.

I know.

And I Want people to be inspired by that. Where did this betting on yourself come from? Like, is it like, talk about that? Because I want people to bet on themselves more. Like you're a poster child for it.

And as I said, you know, you have to have a vision of where you want to be and where you want to go and what do you want for you and your family? For me, being single, you have everything on your shoulders. And so if one of the kids got sick or we had to do a doc, you know, go to a doctor's appointment or go to a sports event, but you had to be at work, and I didn't want that. For me, I was like, I need to do something, build something where I can. I can provide more for my family and I can be, you know, a little bit more available for them. As I mentioned before, when I'm done at 3 o' clock or 2 o' clock in the afternoon with a signing and I go pick up my son early, that's. That's for me, it's like the cherry on top of the ice cream. You know what I mean? So I want it more and I wanted to be able to have that freedom, you know, I wanted to be able to have that time freedom to be able to provide that for them.

Well, I mean, you said something that I think everyone needs to hear is you have to, you have to have a vision of what you want your.

Life to be, what you want your life to be and where you want to be in life. Because if you have, if you don't have a mindset or a vision, you're that paycheck to paycheck cycle could be what works for you. You know, the winning, you know, the, the reward for you. For me, it wasn't, I want it more and I want more and I'm working towards getting more.

I mean, you're so, like I said, you come in as an immigrant, you know, you end up being in government housing and now you're making 10,000 dol. Thousand dollars a month going to Europe, going to Mexico, take your family. Great. Being done at a day at 2 o'. Clock. Could you forget the money? Could you ever imagine a day when your day was over at 2 and you had the next four hours with your son before they went to bed. Like, could you imagine that?

I wanted that so bad. I wanted that so bad because I was sitting at a desk at an office and I had to be there. And when it snowed outside, because I live in a cold state and it was snowing no one was on the road. I had to be at work. And I completely hated it. I almost cried sometimes when I had to go to work, you know.

Yeah.

It was like for me, that was my drive, you know, I remember a couple years ago I was, I was enrolled in college and I had a drop college because I was going to call, I was going to school. 2. I try to cramp my classes into two full days so I can work the other days. And I was, at that time I was working at a restaurant and I was coming home at 11 o' clock at night and my kids were sleeping at daycare at 11 o' clock at night, you know, and I had to carry one inside the house and then come back for the other one. I did not want that for my family. I didn't want that for me. It was killing me, you know, and then. And so I. My vision, I wanted my time manage my time. I want to be able to say, you know, hey, this day and trust me, when I have. I've done seven closings in a day and I've driven and I drive miles, you know, but when the days are slower, I enjoy that, you know, and that, and that does it for me.

Thank you for sharing all this. And I just want to give you a hug real quick. You know, I'm trying to unpack what you said, like, when you're sick or tired of being sick and tired.

Huh?

It's amazing what can happen, right? But what I love about you, Marlene Marleni, is what I really do is like, just because it's bad, it doesn't mean it can't get better. And there's, there's very few stories that I've really felt that like, you don't fall victim to what happens.

Exactly.

Don't fall victim. The fact that you were in Section 8 housing. You don't fall victim in the fact that like, you know, you're picking your kids. 11. You knew that there had to be more. But what I love about your story is you're actually doing more. A lot of people talk about it, but they don't bet on themselves. They don't take the leap of faith with what we're about to get into about leaving a 9 to 5 and going into entrepreneurship full time. Like, everybody says they want more, but they don't do. But like Arlenny, like, I don't say, but just thank you for sharing this because I hope everybody hears that you don't need to stay where you're at. There is better.

There is Better? Absolutely. There is better. There definitely is better. You just have to make it, make it happen.

If there's a single mom of three watching this right now, and they're in that place, like carrying in their child, 11 o' clock at daycare, and they just think that it can't get better, what would you say to them to help them through that moment?

If you, you are a single mom and you think that it's not gonna get better or you cannot get better, well, watch me if I can do it. Honestly, like I said, if you have a vision and you want better for yourself, there is better and it gets better. But you have to work for it, you know, you have to make it happen. No one is gonna do it for you. No one is going to do it for you, but there's always people out there that are willing to help you. You know, and that's what I found in this community, actually. You know, I, I became, you know, I took the training and, and I became a member of the Facebook group and I did the trainings and I, I took notes and when I wasn't sure what I was doing, I asked questions and there was people willing to answer them. So there is help out there. There is a way out there to get it done and make it happen. You go for it.

I'm just, you know, I applaud because you deserve it. Like, you deserve everything that you have. Like you said, nothing was given, everything was earned. You, you had moments of the lowest of lows. And going to Europe with your family, I would argue is the highest of highs. I think deep down. Tell me if I'm wrong, but I think deep down you knew you deserved more. And I think that's a powerful statement because when life throws something at you that you can either accept it or you can be like, no, no, no, no, no, no. I deserve, My family deserves more. And I think there's power in that. Am I kind of close?

Absolutely correct. I want it more. And I, and I, it's not just because I wanted it. It's because, you know, why couldn't I have more? You know, I, I work hard and I, and my children deserved more. You know, why, why not? You know, they, they deserve more. They deserve more than living in the project or, you know, being stuck at a daycare till 11 o' clock at night. And they have the right to enjoy, you know, their, their childhood and their time and, you know, because then they grow up and one day you're like, oh, you're 18. And now they don't want to. You know, they're their own adults and they have their own lives. And you're like okay, where did my time go? You know? And then you want to live it with regrets. No, I don't want to live with regrets.

We all deserve more. We all truly, truly deserve more. And, and, and you said what I think embodies a loan signing system way. And that's like, but you got to earn it. Like you're out there driving for seven straight appointments. You're out there knocking on doors, which we're about to talk about. And so just congratulations on your success. I know this is still just the beginning. I think you know that too. And so I'm so excited to see where you are in the next three years in this industry.

Oh, I can't wait too. I know.

7 and 8% and you're doing $10,000 dollars a month. Like I hope that's inspiring within itself. So let's talk about your income journey. Okay. 2022, you made $30,000. Okay.

Yeah.

I have a couple questions for you. That was part time. My correct. Like you're, you're still working your full time job and you had that part time.

So I left the full time job but I got a part time job so that I can, you know.

Yeah.

Kind of make enough to pay the bills while I was building your business. The business.

Okay, so let me ask you this. You know you dropped in the industry in 2022 right after interest rates were two and a half percent for two straight years. So why were you so happy to like join the industry where a lot of people were leaving at that time? What made you just resilient of like you know what, I don't care what interest rates are. I'm not going to listen to the Internet. I know I can build something in this industry. So walk the people through that. Watching.

You know what always I kept in my mind was you have to get, you have to go with the flow. You have to adjust to what is happening in your time. I wasn't around then. But as, as far as I've heard at one time in our life interest rates were 18% and people were still buying and selling houses. There is always a need for, in the real estate business, there's always a need. Always people are going to buy, they're going to sell or they're going to refinance because people, circumstances change. So if you want a home, you need to refinance because something a life event happened and you need money. So you're going to refinance you. Oh my God. You got a job offer in another state and you have to move or you got to sell the house that you live in and then you have to buy another house where you're moving to. You know, with the times changing and economy, you know, things getting more expensive, people are getting out of the bigger cities. I live in a smaller part of, I live in northeast Pennsylvania and we are two hours from Philadelphia. I'm two hours from New York and New Jersey, biggest cities. And people are coming here like crazy because they need to get, they can afford rent. So there's always business, there's always going. Yeah, like in every business, in every market, every situation, there's, there's ups and downs, there's slower times and busier times, and we see that, but it's, that's not just in real estate.

You're not in Philadelphia.

No, I'm in a, I'm not in a bigger city. I'm here where things close at 8, 9 o' clock and you go or you drive around 10 o' clock at night and you're probably not going to find almost anything open. This is, this is a rural area. It is not as bad as. I know there's other more rural areas, but this is a small valley. You know what I mean? There's not, there's not a lot going on here. So whenever you want to like the city experience, you have to drive out of here. Definitely things are cheaper here because it's smaller, you know, But I have seen the change here since I moved here in 2004.

Yeah, no, I mean, the point I was trying to make is, you know, you can be a $10,000 a month notary public loan signing agent in smaller cities. You just got to do what we're about to talk about. But you know, 2023 is kind of the year you went direct. Let's talk about that. Right. And so if you're watching right now business through signing service or business directly through mortgage professionals, if you get business directly through mortgage professionals, you keep the entire fee, but there is marketing involved. And so I want to talk about that. Okay, so 2023 is your first full time year. Right. And you did $50,000 in 2023. Walk me through the first time you marketed direct. How nervous were you? And again, I'm trying to normalize that. Nerves are okay. What's not okay is succumbing to them or bowing down to them. Right. You went through talk about the first few times you did. And Kind of the mindset. How nervous were you? Walk people through so they know they're not alone if they're also.

So Mark, you know, from watching the trainings, and. And, you know, I know you do this. You make a list. And I made my list, right? I think there were about 10 of them. And I made my marketing materials. You know, I order stuff, and I. And I make my little baskets, and I. We're on my way. When I got to the first one, I sat there and my hands were sweating, and my hands on sweat. My hands are sweating, and I was shaking. And probably. I probably visited maybe five of them. But that first one, it was like that deciding moment because the nerves were going to take over me. And it was when I thought to myself, okay, so am I gonna let the nerves stop me? First of all, I'm not afraid of people. People are not gonna. I had this stupid thought in my. My mind. I'm like, okay, well, people don't eat people, so they're. You know, they're not. They're not gonna swallow me when I go in there. And then what I thought about was, is either I make this work or I go back to my job. And that was definitely would have felt as a failure because I left my job. I left a job where I was making, you know, income, and I was. I had vacation time and I had medical insurance. But guess what? If I went back there, I was not going to have all the benefits or the same probably pay that I had when I was there. I was. I would have had to start new. And I was like, well, do I start new on my job and feel like crap because I failed, or do I make this work? And I went in and I dropped.

Let me stop you real quick. Like, I hope everybody heard that, because what you did was. You really said you burned the boats, like, there was no going back. Like, I make a decision right now. I'm not going back to that life. And I think too many people choose what they know versus the unknown. It was. The unknown is what's behind that. That title door. But I love how you made a decision in that moment of, like, I'm not going back. You took a stand. I deserve more. I'm going to get more, and I'm not going to let the past dictate the future. Like, there's so many moments where, like, you didn't need to make that stand, and people would have understood and they wouldn't have blamed you, but you didn't accept less.

And I hope everybody hears I did not. There was no going back because I had things depending on me, and I had, first of all, my pride because I was not going to go back and feel like a failure, you know, after all, you know, I've been through and gone through, and I have my children at home, you know, and I had. And my vision was I wanted to be somewhere else. I definitely was not an option. Going back was not an option. But, hey, you have to start somewhere. You have to take that first step and make it work. It just have to. You have to start somewhere. And actually, you know, it starts getting easier as you start doing it, and I start building relationships and, you know, and. And when you do a closing and there's an agent there that you've never seen before, introduce yourself, give them your card. And that's how it. Kind of like it's a domino effect.

Yeah.

It does not happen from day to night. Doesn't happen. You know, sometimes we make the mistake that we wanted yesterday. Yes. We want it now. And. And it takes time. And everybody's journey is different. But. But it. But it works. And we've seen it.

Somebody who embodies patience but growth, like the entire journey was like, I'm just gonna keep plugging them, keep chugging along. I'm gonna keep going. It's like, it's almost, you know, you. I tell a lot of you students, like, your past has really set you up to be an entrepreneur. And like, you had to, you know, you had the patience to get through what you got through. You gave yourself grace to get through what you got through. But you're always working. And so if you can combine patience plus work ethic, the stars, the moons is the limit, you know?

Right.

You know, let's move to the next topic. I have in these conversations with successful notary public loan signing agents, and that is, you know, if you only had one piece of advice to give another notary public loan signing agent, help grow their bit. I know there's a million. Boil it down to one. What would that be for you?

Make a plan and put it to work and focus on that plan. You have to have a vision of where you want to be and where you want to go in order to make it work. You cannot just be a soccer ball and go from place to place without a vision and a plan. You could start with something small. You know, let's say you want us. You want to make $3,000 a month. That's how I started. You know, I don't. Smaller steps.

Yeah.

Then when you hit that goal, then you're like, okay, well, what can I do to have a bigger goal? You know what I mean? And then set that goal and then do what it takes.

You said earlier about marketing, you, you made a plan of. You made a plan to found all 10 title companies. Like, that's a plan, right? It's not just waking up like, oh, what am I going to do today? I'm gonna go market. No, no, no, I have a plan. So what I did is I found the 10 title companies where I live. And so what I'm trying to help people understand is like, you're not $10,000 on accident A month. It is. You had a plan. The plan was started with me googling title companies. The next plan was getting all their contact info. The second plan was going to five of them. The third plan is following up. And so I love this. I think a lot of notary public loan signing agents kind of work haphazardly, not intentionally. Like, the thought is, I want more, but they're not really planning out what the more needs.

Absolutely.

Anything you want to add to that.

That is the only way you're going to be able to make it work. You cannot think that day one, you're going to jump into that last step of your plan because it doesn't work that way. It takes time. It takes patience, persistence, and commitment.

Oh, that's so good. I'm gonna write that down. Patience, persistence and commitment, that's the literally ingredients to be successful in anything. If you want to anything, be patient, be persistent, and then come in and then commit. So anything in life really can use those three ingredients. And so what an incredible, incredible conversation with such an incredible woman. If you can go back and list herself something in the ear of young signing agent, you know, Marleni, what would you say to that to young signing notary public loan signing agent Marleni to. To inspire her to keep going and keep getting the getting at it, girl.

It'S going to be okay. You're not going to starve. As long as you work and you hustle and you follow the system and you make a plan and you have a vision, it will be okay. I did it. Some days you work all day, but it will be okay.

Were there moments you wanted to give up but didn't? Oh, yes, talk about those moments.

The times were, you know, those slow months and, and you're like, oh, wow, I'm not getting messages from signing services or I'm not getting calls from my direct lines. And you sit there and you look around yourself and you're like, you have all these bills to pay, and you have three kids to feed. And like, what are you, what are you doing? Go back and get a job. Get a real job. A job is journey of the broke, and you're gonna be broke as long as you stay in the job. Because I was, you know, and, and I'm not saying I have money, but I'm saying there's no limit. I could have never made $10,000 in a month on my job, you know, so there is no limit with this up. When I found this opportunity and I saw, you know, I, I. Throughout the journey and I, and I saw people's testimonies and, and people's journeys, and I said to myself, well, why can I do this? Why can I build this? If all the people are doing it, why can I do it? You know, And I'm. I'm doing it, you know, and.

Keep that girl.

And there were times, yes, absolutely. But that's when you get up and you go to work and you make it happen because no one is going to do it for you. And if you don't feed the mouths that are, you know, calling you, mommy, I'm hungry, or you don't pay the mortgage or you don't pay your car payment, no one is gonna do it for you, you know, and why wouldn't you want more for yourself and your family? There's so many beautiful things out there to see and, and, you know, seeing your, your, your kids, faces of happiness when you go pick them up and they open your arms to you or whatever is your why, whatever your journey is, whatever your, you know, the reasoning why you want to do it, do better for yourself, you know, can be done. And it's proven, you know, that it works.

I mean, I know why you're incredible. And I said it, I'm. Say it again. Is like your ability to have an abundant mindset when, when the room is dark is incredible. And because, you know, the fact that you knew you deserved more in your lowest moments, the fact that you choose to be a victor, not a victim is, like, so inspiring. And I hope other single mamas hear this right? Like, you know, girl, I'm married, I got one kid, and I'm, like, out of my mind sometimes. Or like the fact that, you know, you single moms or single dads, like, you know, it's incredible the amount you have on your plate. And so the fact that you can build a business, be a moment, be a businesswoman, I mean, and be a victor, not a victim. Even in the months where you're like, is this working? Is this worth it? Right the moment you wanted to quit, but you didn't. And so, I mean, I've told a lot of stories, Marleni, this is probably the one that got me the most hate. And so the fact that you can build a business, be a mom, be a businesswoman, I mean, and be a victor, not a victim. Even in the months where you're like, is this working? Is this worth it? Right the moment you wanted to quit, but you didn't. And so, I mean, I've told a lot of stories, or, Lenny, this is probably one that's got me the most. Just emotionally charged because, like, you've had every reason.

Oh, yeah.

And you know, being a parent is the hardest job in the world. Being a business owner is cakewalk to that. That.

Oh, God, yeah.

But those are two combined is incredible. And so to all the single moms, being signing agents and single dads out there, like, all of you inspire me, including you, Marleni. So thank you so much for having this conversation with me. You know, you know, if. Let me ask you this last question on the way out. If Marleni could build this business, can anybody build this business?

And why anybody? And anywhere I'm not in a big city, there's no such thing as a big title company like Chicago title. And you can go in and you know you're gonna have work. No, it's different here. But it's still. There's still business, and there's a lot of business.

I see you in the Facebook group, I see you at the trainings, and now to know your journey, it's even more incredible. So give the family love from these congratulations, and I'll see you next time.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me.