YOUR FIRST MILLION DOLLARS
BROKER BOTTLENECKS
How To Create A Client Attraction System
Master your priorities, master your life, make your first million BY JEN DU PLESSIS, SPECIAL TO NATIONAL MORTGAGE PROFESSIONAL
T
here I was, yet again, on my phone outside a restaurant having socalled “dinner” with my family, pacing on the concrete-curb-balancebeam (you know the one); talking with a client “who needed me,” when I happened to glance through the restaurant window to see my family laughing and enjoying dinner, creating memories…without me! My heart sank. And in that moment, I realized that after 20 years in lending, working ridiculously long hours, experiencing financial ups and downs, being overwhelmed and stressed in the daily chaos, chasing uncommitted Realtors (often on weekends) and harming my family, life, health and business; I hadn’t been in many of their memories at all. Somewhere along the way I had lost sight of what truly made me happy. I thought, “Oh my gosh, I’m prisoner to a business that owns me, and I’m losing everything that’s important to me!”
‘BUSY-NESS OF THE BUSINESS’ I was so focused on the busynessof-the-business (doing activities for the sake of activities) that it felt like eating soup with a fork. I was tired,
drained and not fulfilled. When I was with my family … I really wasn’t. Yes, I was there, physically; but never emotionally. How many games, recitals, romantic evenings, birthday parties have you physically and emotionally missed? Do you even remember them? I’ve been there…for 20 long years. It just makes me sick to think about it now…just sick. When do you really uncover this reality? When your daughter tells you about something fun that happened during a family vacation, and you don’t even remember being on that vacation!! To make matters worse, at that time, I was consistently funding 18 loans a month but couldn’t seem to break through the ceiling to the next level. I was losing sleep over what I could be doing wrong, feeling that everyone else was doing more business than me, resulting in me having the insatiable drive to work even more! I began to wonder if it was all really worth it. Living in chaos, working long hours, babysitting your loans, chasing clients,
Realtors and money doesn’t result in success. Period.
LIFE AND SUCCESS So then, I started to think how can we gain both experiences – life and success? The great Les Brown, says “If you’re casual about your life, your life will become a casualty.” Ask yourself, is your life becoming a casualty because of your business? I’ve come to learn that, “A life of priorities and values, adds value everywhere in your life.” Prioritize your family, and you will be fulfilled; your health, and you will feel better; your finances, and you will sleep better. Everything in your life will grow—including your business! My father used to say, “Jen, you can rust out or you can wear out, it’s your choice.” It is a choice. A choice to be present during the journey we call life. What I learned was that if I was going to withstand a long-term career in lending it would be essential for me to choose my life desires first; and then build an amazing business to add value everywhere. I can help you with this too. The key was to get out of my own way and let go of the invisible chip on my shoulder. The chip many of us have—my clients only want me, no
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE //
> Angel Oak
Home Loans is continuing its expansion in Texas with a new branch in El Paso with Jason Trujillo serving as branch manager.
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> The American
Land Title Association announced the appointment of Chris Morton as senior vice president of public affairs.
| NATIONAL MORTGAGE PROFESSIONAL MAGAZINE
> SimpleNexus
announced the election of Senior Sales Executive Cathleen Schreiner Gates to its board of directors.
> David
Lowman, a 40-year industry veteran and former executive vice president with Freddie Mac, has been appointed to the Roostify board of directors.
