Big Dreams and Living Low Carb in Sin City

John HurlbutPersonal Growth1 Comment

This week I’m at a Real Estate Conference in Las Vegas.  I’m with nearly 4,000 individuals at the Mike Ferry SuperStar Retreat.  Now if you know anything about real estate trainers, and coaching companies, the name “Ferry” is pretty high up on the list.  Not only has Mike been training Real Estate agents for 40 years, his sons, Tom and Matt have also gotten into the real estate agent training game.

Another prominent name in this forum is Brian Buffini.  Now if you know anything about me, you know I’ve been part of Brian Buffini’s system for over 11 years now.  I credit Brian and his “Referrals By Design” system with much of my success in my career really since it began.  I’ve been to probably 15 turning point retreats, two masterminds, and had a private coach for the better part of four years with Brian’s company.  I believe it’s why I’ve been so successful in my career, despite the housing market crash and subsequent recovery. 

Now, if you were to mention Brian and Mike in the same sentence, you may as well have said black and white, oil and vinegar, fire and ice or any other comparison of direct opposites you want to make.  They are as different in their systems as different can be.  For a number of years, I didn’t want anything to do with anyone named Ferry.  I was invited to a Tom Ferry seminar about 6-7 years ago and hated every second of it.  So I wrote off the whole family.  A few months ago, I was invited to a Mike Ferry 1/2 day event, and the ol codger, while brash and abrasive, made some sense.  So I signed up for this retreat.  And here I am. 

I bought two new suits, a sportcoat, some new slacks, shirts, ties and belts for this event. Mike is pretty old school and expects Realtors to dress professionally at all times.  Truth be told my wardrobe was in need of an upgrade anyway and this was as good a reason as any to do it.  Not that Mike, or anyone else at the retreat will even notice me, but it’s been good getting all spiffed up each day.  I DO feel more professional and confident when I wear a suit, so maybe this will turn into a habit.  I don’t think it’ll be too much to ask me to at least wear a button up shirt and slacks every day and have a tie on standby!

I had gotten complacent with Brian Buffini and needed something to challenge my status quo.  Mike is certainly doing that!  While I am doing really well in my career, I know I can take that much further.  This year I’m on pace to sell 55-60 homes, more than I ever have in the past.  But I know there is more there.  Like I think it’s possible for me and my team collectively to sell 100-120+ homes per year and STILL give exceptional service to our clients.  I just need to generate that business.  So I’m dreaming big tonight.  Imagining what my life would be like if I were going on 5-7 listing appointments per week and closing 10 homes per month.  Let me tell you it’s a pretty exciting dream!  Now I just need the discipline to implement the plan I’m building this week.   I need to learn to delegate more effectively than I have, and I need to learn how to prospect.  Two things I really suck at.  As Rage Against the Machine so eloquently put it in Guerilla Radio, “It has to start somewhere, It has to start sometime. What better place than here, what better time than now?”

I think the hardest thing for me to delegate will truly be hiring a buyers agent.  But it’s time for me to accept the fact that I am pretty good at this Real Estate thing.  I was given a hand up by some great agents when I got into the business.  They were primarily listing agents and gave me the opportunity to work with buyers that came as a result of their marketing their listings.  As my business has gradually shifted over the past few years into more of a listing business, it’s time for me to give someone else a chance to be great.  So one of my focus areas will be to find a GREAT buyers agent going forward.  That’s not to say I’ll never work with a buyer again, I love working with buyers.  But it’s time to give back!

Now, being in Las Vegas on a low carb eating plan is not the easiest thing to do!  I brought all my breakfast, lunch and snacks for the week from 3010 Weight Loss for Life so all I really had to do was worry about finding a salad for lunch and lean protein and a salad for dinner.  I’m not sure what the scale will say when I get home, I’m sure I’ve gained weight, how much remains to be seen.  But I’ve been doing ok.  When I got off the plane in LV I googled “grocery stores” and Whole Paycheck errrrr Whole Foods was the closest, so I headed there.  I ended up fixing a fabulous salad from their amazing salad bar.  Well that worked so well Sunday, that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday it was WF salad bar for dinner.  In the casino, I’ve opted for romaine with a chicken breast.  They call it a Caesar, but with no dressing, or only oil & vinegar, it looks pretty much like romain & chicken.  There are so many decadent things here in LV that it’s the first time I’ve felt seriously tempted to go off my eating plan in a long time.  Tonight’s dinner, a bone in rib eye and asparagus was as close as I’ve gotten to going off plan.  But still super low carb and high protein!

I am excited for next week, I’ve got three flight lessons scheduled.  I’m hoping for a couple of firsts.  The big one, first solo flight, and another, first night flight.  We’ll see how it goes! 

Keep dreaming big.  Perceive, Believe, Achieve…

One Comment on “Big Dreams and Living Low Carb in Sin City”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *