10 minute read
Master Your Priorities. Master Your Life. Make Your First Million
There I was, yet again, on my phone outside a restaurant having a so-called “dinner” with my family. I was pacing on the “concrete-curb-balance-beam” (you know the one I mean)—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.
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 daily chaos, chasing uncommitted realtors (often on weekends) and harming my family, life, health and business; I had not been in many of their memories. Somewhere along the way I had lost sight of what truly made me happy.
I thought, “Oh my gosh, I am prisoner to a business that owns me, and I am losing everything that’s important to me.”
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 was not. I was there physically, just never emotionally.
How many games, recitals, romantic evenings, birthday parties have you physically and emotionally missed? Do you even remember them? I have been there for 20 long years. It makes me sick to think about it now—just sick. When do you really uncover this reality? Is it when your daughter tells you about something fun that happened during a family vacation and you do not even remember the vacation?
To make matters worse, at that time, I was consistently funding 18 loans a month, but could not seem to break through the glass ceiling to the next level. I lost sleep over what I thought I could be doing wrong. I felt that everyone else was doing more business than me, which resulted 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 does equal success. Period.
So then I started to think, “How can I have both experiences—life and success?” The great Les Brown said, “If you're casual about your life, your life will become a casualty.” Ask yourself, “Is my life becoming a casualty because of my business?
I have come to learn that “a life of priorities and values adds value everywhere in your life.” Prioritize your family and you will be fulfilled. Prioritize your health and you will feel better. Prioritize 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. Then I could 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 is, “My clients only want me, no one else could do a better job, and it is easier to just do it myself.”
I was in a bottleneck because of my inability to let go of my insatiable appetite to control everything. Sound familiar? When I was able to slow down enough to think through my business, I was able to recognize that one of the reasons I was experiencing a revolving door of referrals was not because of me, it was systems created to build a killer customer experience. If I could duplicate the experience and the systems utilizing team members, I would get more of my time back.
So I made the choice to hire others to help me with tasks I dreaded, and within a few months, we broke through that glass ceiling—not just to 19 loans per month, but right on up to 26, and then 30, and more.
I had created a client attraction system, which in turn saved time and allowed me more personal time to pursue the things I love—competitive ballroom dancing, boating, competitive shooting, “dates” with my husband, children and grandchildren.
There would be no stopping our team, resulting in more than $1 billion in funding during a time when I began to transition into full time speaking, coaching and podcasting. More than just the funding volume increasing; my personal and professional relationships excelled as well. Then there was my psychological state. I was present in all aspects of my life. To my surprise, I attracted even more people, which allowed me to continue to work less, live more and grow my business.
Looking back, I am dumbfounded as to why I spent so many years sabotaging everything that was so important to me. Imagine the results you could be experiencing right now if you could make this type of pivot in your business.
Often, we know what to do, but we do not know how to do it. Let me introduce you to the five Lifestyle Business
Very simply, these are the five areas tiply their results in record time. I did this Mastery strategies, which if implemented effectively and properly, can lead you to achieving more success (financially or personally).
No. 1 — Clarity
Are you clear about your core values? What do you truly want in life? What fulfills you? What are your priorities? Is your marketing message clear and consistent? Does it align with your values? Does your brand align with your message?
No. 2 — Credibility
What have you done to improve yourself personally and professionally? Certifications? Designations? Are you a master influencer in your area? Are you known for a specific niche or product, or are you selling anything to anyone? Do your
Are you tracking and measuring your activities and results? Do you have an accountability partner? A mentor or coach? Are you scheduling time for you first?
I have focused on for years—even now. The simplicity is astounding, yet so many continue with the chaos.
For the past 15 years, I have been privileged to share these strategies to help mortgage loan officers and realtors “Crack the Top Producer Code” and mulby showing them what it is like to say yes to their personal lives, which sometimes
clients see you as an expert?
No. 3 — Community
Are you nurturing or neglecting your database? Do you have systems to ensure regular engagement? Are you working with the right people? Saying no to the wrong people? What retention plan do you have in place?
No. 4 — Communication
Do you have value-added systems in place to attract referral partners? What kind of client experience are you creating? Is it consistent? Are your systems in your head or easy to implement?
No. 5 — Continuity
Would your calendar show consistency in your daily routine for leads, processing, retention and referral partner contact? means saying no to their business. My passion is guiding you to achieve professional and personal breakthroughs so that you can stop the chaos and regain control of your business by mastering your priorities and values—and then be the master of your life.
Ten years after my “restaurant” experience, there I was again. This time, I was spending a month with my husband in Europe sitting on the balcony of our hotel in Barcelona. I gazed across and looked at him, thinking and feeling so free-spirited, relaxed, present and experiencing life. In that moment, I realized that my business was growing and running smoothly back home. And it was happening without me.
That felt good.
Jen Du Plessis is recognized as an influencer in her industry as the best-selling author of “LAUNCH-How to Take Your Business to New Heights” and host of the top ranked podcast “Mortgage Lending Mastery.” She also is a highly sought after and charismatic international speaker, sharing the stage with icons like Darren Hardy, Tony Robins and Les Brown. Text STRATEGY to 66866 for a Breakthrough Strategy Session.
Unleash Your Power
Ihad this brilliant idea at the beginning of the year. Leave my job, publish my book empowering women to create the life they had always wanted (as I was doing), and lead workshops for women based on the book. It was perfectly orchestrated. I had a partner for the workshops and a marketing team for the book.
Everything was on schedule until, of course, the world shut down. My partner’s workshop business was struggling. He did not know how many employees he would need to furlough, or worse, let go, but he knew he needed to considerably cut back. My programs were part of the cut back. My marketing plan for book launch, which included a tour, keynote speaking and book signings, were all cancelled.
“It’s okay I told myself…just keep going.” And so I looked for a book tour and speaking engagements a bit further out. But shortly after my pep talk to myself, those too were cancelled due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Disheartened, discouraged and wondering now what, I carried on. At that point, I could not find a job if I wanted to, nor did I want to. I knew the direction I was heading was not panning out the way I had intended—not even close.
In my book, “Unleash Your Power,” the third step is Design. This is where flexibility and faith are needed with your dreams that have not yet come true. It can be a most frustrating time because you can see your vision is so close to manifesting. Garth Brooks’ song “Unanswered Prayers” comes to mind. I don’t know what the outcome would have been had the recent past gone the way I had planned. But it didn’t.
It is in this step—Design—that I need to remind myself daily to be flexible and that there could be something exciting right around the corner. I must be open to opportunities I did not even consider. In this way, my vision of positively impacting women is still present, but the way I thought it would occur is different.
What visions did you have six months ago? Have you given up or thought, “There is no way I can do this now?” Perhaps you are right. There is no way you can do this the way you thought By Kirsten Blakemore
going, albeit differently than you originally anticipated. Or, you could give up.
Don’t. The world needs your messages now more than ever. The world is in need of empowered women, not ones who shrink under pressure. I believe that if our visions and dreams were easy to achieve, they would not hold meaning. It is because they are so challenging to realize that they mean so much to you.
We are not done with the virus crisis. We are not done with the world throwing us curveballs. We are in dire need of supporting each other through this, so that when we consider giving up, someone will tell us, “Don’t you dare.” The world needs your gifts. Open yourself
you would six months ago. I never thought the world would shut down. But if you stop at the point where your visions could vanish, they will never become a reality. Only you have the choice to keep to a different path to achieving the goals you have defined for yourself. If we can celebrate our small “wins” along the journey, they will empower us to keep going for the bigger ones.
For more information…
kirstenblakemore.com amazon.com/Unleash-Your-Power-empowered-according/dp/1734532815 linkedin.com/in/kirsten-blakemore-ma-pcc-cpcc-chc-2989836 facebook.com/unleashyourpowerwomen
