Ever feel like you're running into brick walls in your business or career? If so, this episode's for you. I'm pulling back the curtain on the real estate and mortgage industry and the trials I've faced, including overcoming the tough journey to become a Mortgage Loan Originator and dealing with the harsh reality that some realtors can come off as greedy. You'll hear about my discovery that a staggering 25% of Realtors have quit the industry, yet amidst the turmoil, I've found that there are still opportunities to cash in—if you're willing to think beyond the box.
But it doesn't stop there. This episode is also about building a life and business that resonates with you through the formation of habits and routines. I'll be discussing my thoughts on habit stacking and its potential to pave the way for a robust foundation. You'll learn about the critical importance of carefully selecting your business partners and creating partnerships that are more than just about the dollar signs. And finally, I'll share my five-year journey—triumphs, trials, and everything in between—and the invaluable roles of perseverance and resilience. So, sit back, lend an ear, and be inspired to push forward, no matter the odds.
Ever feel like you're running into brick walls in your business or career? If so, this episode's for you. I'm pulling back the curtain on the real estate and mortgage industry and the trials I've faced, including overcoming the tough journey to become a Mortgage Loan Originator and dealing with the harsh reality that some realtors can come off as greedy. You'll hear about my discovery that a staggering 25% of Realtors have quit the industry, yet amidst the turmoil, I've found that there are still opportunities to cash in—if you're willing to think beyond the box.
But it doesn't stop there. This episode is also about building a life and business that resonates with you through the formation of habits and routines. I'll be discussing my thoughts on habit stacking and its potential to pave the way for a robust foundation. You'll learn about the critical importance of carefully selecting your business partners and creating partnerships that are more than just about the dollar signs. And finally, I'll share my five-year journey—triumphs, trials, and everything in between—and the invaluable roles of perseverance and resilience. So, sit back, lend an ear, and be inspired to push forward, no matter the odds.
Hey guys, ryan Dement, hope you guys are having a great day This week. On the podcast, you guys have me for one more round. I wanted to share a little bit more about what is going on in my life, but also business and then some things that that have been going on in the sense of the development, but then the overall business and the direction, and I really wanted to start out this week by saying Thank you for tuning in. I see people listening and hearing what I'm having to say comments, suggestions And that'll lead me into the first topic. Topic number one is we've discussed it in a prior episode that the podcast are getting too much for me And I'm looking at potentially bringing on not potentially about bringing on a producer And the only way to do that is having a couple sponsors or commercials They'll be 15, 20 seconds, whatever to help pay for it. I'm hoping that's OK with you guys because ultimately it's going to allow me to grow the podcast. I'm not trying to over commercialize it, but I do have to offset the costs of bringing on a producer And I have spoken to numerous producers and I've narrowed it down to two and potentially even one, and I really think this person will do a great job. We just need to follow up on some technical pieces and then also more of a roadmap of where we're at and how excuse me, how everything will play out, because my virtual assistant will also have to help, but what I'm trying to get here is I'm hoping to deliver you guys a better product, improved product. I'd love to hear your guys's thoughts and feedback on this process as I continue to move forward, but also better yet once we start putting out the product, with the producer, letting us know what you think, what we can do better, what you like. It's just all part of the process that will allow us to grow on this front.
Speaker 1:
Excuse me, on this front of the business, the other quick topic for the week. I've spoken about this in the sense of I wanted to become a MLO, a mortgage loan originator, and I've been studying for several weeks And I don't know if anybody knows, but the pass rate on that test is very low on your first try. I think it's less than 50% of what I've been told. Some people say it's 51, some people say it's 48, whatever. I actually took the test yesterday and I am happy to say I did pass, so that's a huge deal for us because now it allows us to, as I say, sling paper And be able to originate for our projects but other things that we're working on outside of just real estate. So that's pretty exciting to be able to pass on the first time.
Speaker 1:
Got to go through the background check now and also state licensing And I'm working on three. So I should have those very shortly And I would hope in the coming weeks I can report that that is all squared away and ready to go And we have things launched so we can start originating loans. The third piece that I want to talk about and then I'll digress into some off topics Third piece is our development in Indiana, but it's more in line with the groups of people that we are interacting with And we'll be providing services And I'm not trying to call out a specific group of people, but I want to talk about the challenges because they are real. I'm talking about realtors And the way this industry works is quite daunting. It's an old, staunch group that really does not see anything outside of the norm And that's a struggle for me, and not everybody in this group is that way. I'm just saying as an industry whole it seems to have some struggles And there's some really good realtors we're working with. But I've interviewed a lot of realtors and this has just been an experience And I want to hear other people's feedback too.
Speaker 1:
Is it just seems like there is No thought process when it comes to working with Realtor's commission. It's all or nothing. You either take my services or you don't, and I think that is one unhealthy. Two not a very good business acumen. And three, it really puts a bad taste in someone's mouth, especially when you potentially could be creating a lasting relationship with these individuals over a period of time And you want to make sure that these individuals are truly representing your business and your developments with your best interest in mind. And I'm not saying they won't. It just comes off as greedy and all about money. And by all means, guys I've talked about this, i've said it enough times A byproduct of what we do in our real estate business is profit.
Speaker 1:
I get it. I'm not questioning profitability or making money. I'm talking about how you go about it. If you can't see a long-term relationship and you're just looking for a one-hit wonder, that's a problem. And you wonder why And I read this in a Wall Street Journal article And if I can find it, I'll put in the show notes that right now, with the market and where it's at, almost 25% of Realtors have basically walked away either full-time and walked away to go get another job, or they're doing a side hustle, or working a full-time job and making their realtor position a side hustle. That tells you something. That tells you something about the industry. It tells you, unfortunately, about the keys of what's going on within that industry.
Speaker 1:
In any market you can make money. You just have to be creative and really bust your butt to get done What needs to get done to put food on your table. And the three realtors we are potentially going to be working with I think all three are all hungry, all different ages, but all very hungry and willing to work. I'm not asking them to work for free, nor am I willing to ask them to work for a commission. That would put them in the hole to where they would lose money. I'm asking them to understand that the affordable homes that we develop don't have 60%, 70%, 80% margin upside. It just doesn't work that way in this space.
Speaker 1:
But a lot of people just don't see that And they think that we're trying to hide the numbers. And when I show them the numbers, i'm very transparent. I'll show the numbers. They're like oh, that can't be right. Those are our numbers, those are our costs. I'm not making those up. Would you like me to connect you with our general contractor and have him walk you through every single cost on the actual build? Come on, whatever happened is being transparent and truthful and just saying, hey, i can't make it work for this And then be done. It's more like you have to take it or leave it. And that's where I want to end.
Speaker 1:
This is, if someone's trying to do business with you that way, run, run as far as you can, run as fast as you can, because truly that's a person that's greedy, that truly doesn't care about anybody else other than himself or herself, and it's somebody you don't want to be in business with. And it's sad that we have these interactions in our lives. But it's also a teaching moment, a learning moment. It's a moment that we get to learn and move forward with. But I don't think a lot of us at times do that. We just typically take it as face value and say that's what the industry is and take it So I really like it. No-transcript. That's sad because that translates to our lives And I was talking to a friend today that struggles with mindset and some other stuff And he's getting himself back in a place to where he really wants to be And he has, unfortunately, some people that have been giving him a bunch of crap, that have forced him into this situation.
Speaker 1:
But the piece that I told him was no one, including myself, can tell you how you should feel or how your life should be. Those people were taken advantage of you And that was horrible. It's still horrible, and I can tell when I spoke to him today that his mind is clear, he can really think about what's going on and he knows that he can't go back and stay in that place because it's only going to harm him and his family And he's all about his family and making sure they're taken care of. I really hope he can actually get on the other side of this. It sounds like he is, but that's what life is all about. It's all about getting to the other side and learning from our mistakes, learning from our past, and I know they're old adages or sayings, but it's true.
Speaker 1:
We truly need to do that. In every time something goes awry in life. There's a learning moment in there, there's something to take away from it and be able to move forward. But we don't do that. We just my old saying we sit on the couch and you bomb-bond and watch Oprah And we're comfortable, and then we wonder why our lives are not what we wanted to be And we're depressed and we're anxious. But it's where you actually say enough is enough and you want to make that change which will truly, truly set you apart in life And I'm not comparing you to others, but in life You will find your purpose, you'll find your passion. Life will be good for you. By all means. Life is not always perfect. It's not always going to be roses, It's not always going to be happy times. Sorry, guys, i couldn't come up with anything there But it's during those times that a storm comes through. There's a learning, there's something to learn there And there's truly something to be able to better ourselves through but also share those experiences with our family, loved ones, friends, acquaintances, whatever. But we don't do that today And that seems this all ties back into business. It just seems we're comfortable with what we're doing and staying in that box.
Speaker 1:
And if you want to be, or if you are an entrepreneur, small business owner, or whether you work a nine to five job? what truly excites you? What is your passion? What are you happy about? And do you have those things in your life? And if you don't, what actions or steps are you taking to find them? Or are you just a, as I say, a walking zombie And you're just taking day by day and you're hoping for Friday so you can sit and do nothing on the weekends and then you're miserable on Monday again? But that applies to everyone. It doesn't mean that you are a small business owner or an entrepreneur or a W2 employee. It applies to everyone. And the sacrifices that we have to make in our lives to make all these things work is tough, and I'm with you every step of the way on that, because for the last five years that's all of my life has been is sacrifice, worrying about where the next dollar is going to come or getting knocked down and trying to find a way to get back up, and the mindset shift that I've had through this has been tremendous.
Speaker 1:
I think about it a lot And the one thing that I hear myself and take action with is if I really want to do something, i have to stack my habits. I've created a habit, a morning ritual in the morning. But if that's where I'm doing my daily habits and I want to add something to it, i need to stack it during that time because it's my quiet time where it gives me time to be able to do that. And I think on last week's podcast I talked about doing pushups. I'm just starting to do pushups on a daily basis, stacked where I'm doing all my other habits that I want to accomplish on a daily basis. I started with five. I'm up to 10 in a week. Add it on a day. I know it's not very much, but guess what? I take the small wins and I move forward. But that's life, that's business. You've got to take those small wins and wrap them up into bigger ones, because sooner or later I'll be able to do 20 and then 30 and then 40 and then 50 pushups at a time. But I have to build a base And what I really wanted to get to you guys today is that base, that foundation.
Speaker 1:
It is probably the most difficult task to create. It's that first small step into your life that you're wanting to go after. But that small step cannot happen until you face the change that you truly want. Even by facing it and taking it head on, you've started to change your life for the better. But the next piece is stop thinking about it. Stop talking about it and putting actions into place.
Speaker 1:
Last week on the podcast I'm pretty sure I talked about it was I'm reading a book for the third time Atomic Habits and he talks about stacking habits. Do it when you most possibly can to create that muscle memory or whatever you're trying to do on a daily basis. The only way things start creating themselves in your life is you consistently do them over and over again. It's like going to bed at night. Before going to bed, you brush your teeth, maybe some people shower at night or wash their face. Those are all routines. So why can't you take those same concepts and apply it to your life? I honestly don't know why we miss that one, because, including me, a lot of us do, and it's easier as you go along with creating the habit and stacking it.
Speaker 1:
During your time of habit forming, it's the first several days, or maybe even weeks, that you struggle. But take those struggles and for me, I write my struggles down so I can learn from them and understand how well I'm adapting. What else do I need to do to help myself get into this habit? But also how it's changing my life, how it's impacting my life. How is it impacting others? I do look at it that way Outwardly is it something that's impacting others in a negative way or a positive way? And then I work through that process, but I don't think we do this quite frequently enough And I still think I can do more on a daily basis from stacking habits.
Speaker 1:
I still have work to be done. I can improve every single day, and I think the next step in creating some more habits is I need to find another outlet in the morning. I walk for almost 30 minutes with my dog Moose in the morning. I think there could be more to be done in that aspect, but I'm one that hates running. I was forced to run in a prior life and I truly hated it, and it's just one of those things. Maybe I start running, maybe I start riding a bike, i don't know. But there's something else missing that's got me going that I need to do and stack with my other habits. I don't know yet what it is and I'm working on that, but I will work on it. I will follow up and share with you guys what I'm doing. But the aspect of business I want to tie this all in and wrap this all up in a bow for you guys. All these things that I've been working on personally to stack habits ties directly into business And here's how The habits that I'm creating and forming and put a foundation under are translated into business through action.
Speaker 1:
And you guys have all heard the saying action speak louder than words, and they do. And when people's actions don't match up with their words, whether it be personal or professional, those are individuals that none of us want to do business with. And through the business process, i would have to say I've gone through turds, just to be honest, of people to work with. Have I learned from each of those people? Yes, at the time I probably wished that it didn't happen, but now, looking back and writing that down and understanding what I learned was invaluable, priceless, i want to say it. It allowed me to discern and really focus in on the vision of the business and what we're doing professionally to find the individuals that we want to work with or businesses that we want to work with on this journey.
Speaker 1:
I want it to be a healthy partnership for all parties involved. It's not one-sided. All parties need to benefit, and I'm not talking just financially. It needs to be spiritually, emotionally, mentally. People need to be excited about their partnerships. Money is great, but money can only go so far, and the time and effort that's been put into these relationships have two outcomes Either they work out or they don't. But the amount of time that you put into the relationships upfront to somewhat vet them out, is truly a a special asset that you need to be able to utilize, and it can be done on a business relationship, on a personal relationship, but also in your life for yourself, when you truly have focus of what the business looks like and you have motivation, you have vision, all great things, but do you have purpose? That's when your business and your life goes to a whole another level, and I feel like I'm just coming into that. I still have work to be done on purpose And I think purpose can be multi-pronged, and that's why we have true community or nonprofit.
Speaker 1:
We'll be able to start doing loan originations. We have real estate. I'd like to be able to get to some point to where we have a land acquisition piece, to where we can always have land ready to go when we need to build. And lastly, the human touch aspect. We'll get a lot of that through true community, but through the other entities I wanna be able to encompass that human touch, that humanizing aspect that businesses need to do, because we're in the customer acquisition business And we're always looking to acquire customers, but we're also looking to make sure we're taking care of them from a human aspect. They're not just a number to us, they're a human And, again, a byproduct I'll say it again a million times is profit, but that's just life. That's why we have a nonprofit that will do a lot of financial coaching.
Speaker 1:
But to tie the bow nicely now, guys, is this for yourself If you're truly unhappy, you're not finding yourself to be where you wanna be professionally and personally, it's time to take that small hard step into saying I need to make a change. I'm willing to make a change and I'm willing to sit down and understand where I'm at and see where it goes. Start having those honest conversations with yourself. It will start translating into what you're looking to do, what you want to do, but it also will start translating into life as in a whole, personally and professionally. And that's where I see myself today. We're starting to see that transformation in the business. We're attracting the right people to the business, we're attracting the right partners into the business and I'm attracting the right people into my life. That's huge, it's life changing, it's a game changing moment.
Speaker 1:
But it's taken me five years to figure this out. Five years, 60 months. I'm not gonna add up the days, i'm not gonna add up the hours. It's a lot And there's been a lot of trials and tribulations through this process. But I'll leave you guys with this Don't give up on yourself. Focus on the tiny steps that you need to take to get you where you wanna go, and when you start doing that, you will see the change in your life appearing The biggest aspect in that. Once it starts appearing, you can't back off. You have to keep going. You cannot stop. Stay focused, stay strong and start taking those small steps forward and never stop moving forward. Have a good one, guys. I hope you guys have a great week. Next week is 4th of July. We will have an episode out on Wednesday. I do have a guest for that, so be on the lookout. I hope you guys have a great week and we'll be talking to you soon.
