Transcript
Speaker: The biggest problem we have is we think we're not supposed to have problems.
Speaker: And we all have problems.
Speaker: We're going to have problems.
Speaker: And so you just have to grow through what you go through.
Speaker: And so if you know that when you go through another bad season in your life, go through it.
Speaker: with gratitude.
Speaker: Be like, I am going through something right now and I'm going to make a choice to grow through it.
Speaker: Hi, I'm Christy Winfrey and I'm so excited you're here with me today.
Speaker: Welcome to the Not Just a Daydream podcast.
Speaker: daydreaming about the life you wish you had?
Speaker: Yeah, me too.
Speaker: Well, for many years, I felt stuck and I felt those dreams would only ever be just daydreams.
Speaker: Today, I now run a thriving six-figure virtual business that allows me to have the freedom to work and live from anywhere.
Speaker: I also teach others how to grow and operate a successful TC business of their very own.
Speaker: If you're looking for inspiration, motivation, and application, then this is the podcast for you.
Speaker: In here, we discuss business, dreams, goals, and everything in between.
Speaker: Welcome to the Not Just a Daydream podcast.
Speaker: Hey y'all, welcome to today's show.
Speaker: Today I am interviewing Sarah Cruz and this is a special one for me because I've known Sarah for probably six, seven years through the real estate industry.
Speaker: And I've just seen so many like different seasons in her life and her business.
Speaker: And it's just been amazing.
Speaker: interesting every different season that she goes through and it's such a wonderful conversation to always be able to talk with her.
Speaker: So welcome to the show, Sarah.
Speaker: Thank you for having me, Christy.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: So I know, you know, I, I know I've known you for such a long time, but for our guests who don't know you, tell us a little bit about like what made you get into real estate?
Speaker: So I was a stay at home mom.
Speaker: and went through a divorce.
Speaker: I left, um, let, let's just say like I went through a divorce as a stay at home mom and I needed to hustle.
Speaker: I had three kids under the age of five.
Speaker: They were not old enough to go to public school and I couldn't afford daycare.
Speaker: So, um, I had to hustle.
Speaker: Um, by the grace of God, I,
Speaker: when I graduated college, I, my first job was a loan officer.
Speaker: Um, that was 2006 and before 2008, kind of crazy, but that's where I learned a lot, learned a lot, uh, there.
Speaker: And then, um, went into commercial real estate when I moved to Houston.
Speaker: And, um, then I, you know, started having kids and then,
Speaker: When I went through my divorce, I went into residential real estate and I felt like that was my only option because it was flexible.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Now, I mean, you can make money from your Apple watch online store, you know?
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: I thought...
Speaker: you know, real estate was my only option.
Speaker: So that's how I got into it.
Speaker: And did you not go like, you didn't stick with the loan officer side because, because of 2008 with the markets crashing and all that, is that why you should, that's a really good question.
Speaker: I don't remember why I didn't go back into lending.
Speaker: I think back when I was a loan officer, it was, I was in my early twenties and
Speaker: And I'm still emotionally immature.
Speaker: And you take, I mean, you, you're the liaison between your customer and like underwriters, processors, and all these people that are dealing with a file.
Speaker: And you're the middleman and you get yelled at constantly.
Speaker: And I would take that personal.
Speaker: Now I have no emotion.
Speaker: If it's out of my control, I don't, I don't lose sleep over it.
Speaker: So, but I had to learn that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I think I didn't want the stress of that.
Speaker: And then the loan officers I know here in Texas, they have to hustle for their business.
Speaker: When I was a loan officer, I worked at Countrywide and my phone, my desk phone would just ring.
Speaker: I never had to prospect because we had people prospecting for us.
Speaker: Oh, that's nice.
Speaker: With customer service, reaching out to people.
Speaker: And then they would,
Speaker: And it was a really bad paying job, but now I understand why.
Speaker: Like we didn't have to go for any business.
Speaker: It just came to us.
Speaker: Gotcha.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: A whole different world for sure.
Speaker: And I learned a lot.
Speaker: I call it the sweatshops of mortgages, but now I understand why they do what, or why they did what they did.
Speaker: They actually went under, um, Oh my gosh.
Speaker: I didn't even realize that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Well, good thing you were no longer in that business.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But that's where I learned everything.
Speaker: So I just felt like residential real estate was my only option.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: What were those first couple of years like?
Speaker: It was a roller coaster.
Speaker: And I think when you're in survival mode, you may not...
Speaker: And this, I mean, it's been so long that, but I just really had to be resourceful and think outside the box, but it's still, I mean, I would have a closing and then I wouldn't have a closing for, you know, three more months.
Speaker: And so I was constantly going into pre-foreclosure and I would have to dig myself out and then I would go back in and then I would have to dig myself out.
Speaker: And it just,
Speaker: the sleepless nights.
Speaker: And, um, I mean, it was just extremely stressful.
Speaker: I remember like, I couldn't pay my HOA fees, you know, they sent me to an attorney and I ended up paying trip over triple what I would have just had to, but I couldn't pay it, you know, like I put the lights on and pay and feed my kids.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah, exactly.
Speaker: So, but I mean, I remember I look back now cause I mean the real estate market,
Speaker: there's a lot of hustlers out there that say it's not a bad market.
Speaker: It's a slow market.
Speaker: You know, listings, you have to be strategic.
Speaker: You have to acclimate to this market.
Speaker: But, um,
Speaker: back then, I remember I'm like, what did I do back then when I started my business?
Speaker: Cause it was before the COVID market and it was this kind of market where I started my business.
Speaker: And I felt like I built a six figure business pretty quickly.
Speaker: And I was, I was doing events.
Speaker: I was doing tons of open houses, posting on social media.
Speaker: And now the, now today it's like, I know what to do.
Speaker: I just don't
Speaker: it's like not my cup of tea anymore, you know?
Speaker: So I'm just kind of finding my purpose in life right now.
Speaker: And, you know, people talk bad about, Oh, you know, real estate agents leave the industry now because it's too hard.
Speaker: Like I don't necessarily want to leave or have to leave the industry, but like, it's kind of, you know, I'm still going to, I still have a mortgage to pay, but yeah, like I'm kind of looking at other avenues to, yeah,
Speaker: make money.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And I think that's okay.
Speaker: I think, like you said, people get a bad rap of agents leaving the industry, but I think there's different seasons in your life.
Speaker: And then there's always different paths.
Speaker: And I don't knock anybody for trying a new path and just seeing that was my life stage then, but what does my life stage look like in the next
Speaker: two, three, four years.
Speaker: And I know that there's real estate agents who are contemplating no longer being real estate agents and becoming transaction coordinators.
Speaker: And, you know, what better person to become a transaction coordinator than who, somebody who already has the knowledge of the real estate industry.
Speaker: And, you know, being an agent is not the right path for everybody.
Speaker: I know whenever, so I was an agent my first year and then helped coach agents that next two years when I was thinking about, you
Speaker: Okay, what's my next step?
Speaker: Do I go back into real estate sales or do I want to become a transaction coordinator?
Speaker: I chose the transaction coordinator path because for me, it was a more of a nine to five type schedule.
Speaker: It was more conducive to the life I wanted.
Speaker: And I think that's probably, that sounds like where you're at right now, you're trying to think about like, what is the life I want?
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: And do you think that has also changed with like your boys getting older?
Speaker: Maybe like they're in a different season of their life too.
Speaker: Has that impacted your seasonal life?
Speaker: Maybe they do eat a lot more.
Speaker: Oh yeah, I'm sure.
Speaker: I spend a big chunk of money at the grocery store and instead of doing that once a week, I'm finding I'm going to, I'm having to do it twice a week.
Speaker: Oh man.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I mean, they're healthy.
Speaker: They're healthy.
Speaker: They're fit.
Speaker: They're active.
Speaker: And so I'm grateful.
Speaker: But I'm just like, you know, inflation could have happened at another time.
Speaker: That would have been.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: So true.
Speaker: I mean, they're turning it.
Speaker: One of them is almost a teenager now, I think, right?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Yeah, my oldest nephew is now 14.
Speaker: And I mean, he eats as much as a grown man.
Speaker: Like, oh my, my poor sister.
Speaker: Yeah, I think probably it's been two years now where we like no longer can order kids meals.
Speaker: All of us eat adult meals when we go to Chick-fil-A and it's like 40 to 50 bucks a pop.
Speaker: So, I mean, we don't do that as much anymore.
Speaker: But yeah, I mean, I think-
Speaker: going into real estate from the very beginning was, it wasn't like, I want to be a real estate agent.
Speaker: I wasn't like, I didn't choose that career when I was, you know, going into kindergarten.
Speaker: It was not my dream, you know, but it was my vehicle to survival when I needed it.
Speaker: And I'm thankful for it.
Speaker: I'm good at it.
Speaker: I know all the loopholes and the contracts and all the things, but yeah,
Speaker: I, I'm going to keep doing it for a while, but like, I don't think that it's really the path that God wants me to be on.
Speaker: And I, like, I, you know, I wrote the course on how to be a six figure agent and I feel like God is pulling me, you know, it's not the real estate path.
Speaker: It's helping women come out of,
Speaker: you know, maybe a divorce or, you know, anything that I feel like whoever was like in an abusive relationship, whether it be a husband, parents, roommate, whatever their story is, I feel like I can help somebody heal and bridge to, you know, because we all, no matter what, even if you live a perfect life,
Speaker: you still go through programming.
Speaker: You still learn programming.
Speaker: You still have certain baggage and we're, we just, you know, we're here when we're born and then we, you know, learn all these things.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And that's what makes us who we are.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I don't, I don't remember the exact age, but I think it was by the time you're seven, you've already gotten, um, the majority of the programming in your life that you would, uh, that you're going to have like for the rest of your life or, or what kind of creates.
Speaker: And that's, that's crazy to think about, you know, um, that having the things that
Speaker: child of that age are taken away and how it impacts their life for, for so many years.
Speaker: And then of course, you know, you have things that different things that happen throughout your life as you get older.
Speaker: And, and most people have gone through some form of like, I guess you would consider it trauma.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's, it breaks my heart and I've been going through a court battle and just yesterday I was sitting in a courtroom waiting for my turn and I'm,
Speaker: listening there's she's just calling people on her docket to go stand in front of her.
Speaker: And, um, I, it's, it's so heartbreaking.
Speaker: I've, I almost wanted to be like, why am I going down this road?
Speaker: Like my life is what I'm here for is not imperative.
Speaker: Um, like I'll make it like just for the listeners, my ex-husband can't seem to support his children.
Speaker: And so, um,
Speaker: I wish I would have never started going down that road.
Speaker: But point is the there's kids that have representatives.
Speaker: They're advocating for them.
Speaker: Thank goodness.
Speaker: There's people out there that do that for them.
Speaker: But it's like, you know, the dad's in prison.
Speaker: The mom doesn't have an address.
Speaker: No one knows where she is and their parents are there.
Speaker: So the child's grandparents are there trying to advocate for them.
Speaker: But it's it's still a sad situation because the you know, one of the grandpas was like, I.
Speaker: I can't do court that day because we'll be on vacation.
Speaker: And it's like this poor child, where's the child?
Speaker: I want to go adopt them.
Speaker: But then the court date got rescheduled for February.
Speaker: Oh, wow.
Speaker: So the child has to wait that long to like,
Speaker: It's just, I just wanted to walk out and be like, my life is great.
Speaker: Like I don't need it.
Speaker: So was the child just like sitting in foster care, just waiting to be, I don't know.
Speaker: They weren't there.
Speaker: The child is not there.
Speaker: And I just, but anyway, that goes back probably getting off topic, but it goes back to programming.
Speaker: I also believe that we all go through things for a reason.
Speaker: And so I,
Speaker: You know, when you, I've heard that too, where I think a lot of the kids get, or everybody gets their programming before the age of seven, you know, and we keep, we keep getting programmed, you know, I didn't meet my husband until I was in college, you know, and then 10 years of criticism and asking if I can hang curtains and things like that, like that will do a number to your mindset.
Speaker: But I think of my kids, like I left, um,
Speaker: I left my husband when they were under the age of five and it breaks my heart to know that they went through that.
Speaker: And I have to remember that, you know, they saw me, I was not in a good place and I probably was not the best mom.
Speaker: And I have to remember that they went through that for a reason.
Speaker: One there's,
Speaker: Programs that help you undo your programming.
Speaker: So that's great.
Speaker: But two, like you never know what they're going to do when they're older.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: How are they?
Speaker: They might help somebody or you just don't know.
Speaker: I hope.
Speaker: I hope they do.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: And I think, you know, I mean, you're continuing to raise them and they see they see the great things that you're doing and how you're helping others.
Speaker: And so I think just by watching you and hearing the things that you're saying, you know, that is that's also restructuring their programming and and helping them, you know, helping them cultivate that kind of mindset, too.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I hope so.
Speaker: And I'm not a perfect mom by any means.
Speaker: Like I'm still, I mean, my middle son told me the other day, he was like, I like going to dance because he hangs out with me.
Speaker: You're always doing something.
Speaker: And I'm like, I know, like I'd much rather be hanging out with you than managing a home, working, you know, like wondering where my next dollar is coming from.
Speaker: I know, right?
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: I mean, it's true, but you have to do those things because you have to feed them, like you said.
Speaker: Sometimes children don't always understand in the moment, but looking back later in life, they'll get it.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Oh, I think so too.
Speaker: And I'm not a horrible mom, but- Oh, no, not at all.
Speaker: I do.
Speaker: I do spend time with them and I do-
Speaker: I mean, they are in sports.
Speaker: I feel like I'm chauffeuring them around all the time.
Speaker: Like I'm spending lots of time with them, but it's like the day-to-day life, you know, the hustle.
Speaker: And then they go to their dads and they get to relax and go to the pool and do that.
Speaker: And so that, that's the difference.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Well, um, so tell us more about like what your thoughts are now you're saying like for now you're, you're still going to continue to work your real estate business, but you're also feeling like you're being called to a bigger, greater purpose and wanting to lean into that.
Speaker: So what do you think like that looks like?
Speaker: Um, what's on your heart?
Speaker: I think that helping women, um,
Speaker: get out of, you know, I, so years ago, my dogs can hear your dogs barking.
Speaker: So they're like on high alert right now.
Speaker: I'm so sorry.
Speaker: No, you're good.
Speaker: At least they're not barking, but, um, Oh, so, you know, years ago.
Speaker: So I started with failure wasn't an option.
Speaker: So back in 2017, I had done,
Speaker: some deals and I hired a coach and I hired club wealth.
Speaker: And so through there, I just met a ton of people.
Speaker: Like I made a ton of connections that I still have today, which I'm super thankful for.
Speaker: I kind of feel like it's an unfair advantage, but there were,
Speaker: team leader, like everyone knew me as the single mom.
Speaker: There would be a team leader who would reach out to me and they would say, Hey, I just had the single mom join my team.
Speaker: She's really struggling.
Speaker: Can you talk to her?
Speaker: And I, that's where it all started.
Speaker: Like, yeah.
Speaker: So, you know, I would talk to the agents and we would kind of keep in touch, but, um, I love doing it.
Speaker: And I, you know, the time I'm like, what am I going to say?
Speaker: But I always like, I always based on like their struggles, like I always knew what to say and I hope it helped.
Speaker: Oh, I'm sure.
Speaker: Um, I mean, there's still women that reach out to me, you know, like I'll, I'll meet them in a coaching group.
Speaker: They know my story.
Speaker: And, um, you know, even if it's years down the road, they like, I just, I've been talking to somebody last night and this morning, like just helping her.
Speaker: She, she,
Speaker: finally left her narcissistic husband.
Speaker: And she's like, it is awful.
Speaker: Like he is making me suffer.
Speaker: And so it's like, we're talking through, I'm giving her advice, like things that I did that I didn't realize were a benefit at the time, but I were like keeping a journal through like, when you know, it's going to be bad.
Speaker: I, well, I started documenting things that were happening.
Speaker: Because I thought I was doing it for court.
Speaker: But what I was doing is I was releasing from my piece.
Speaker: From your brain, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, putting it into a notebook.
Speaker: And then just looking.
Speaker: Divorce is hard.
Speaker: Being a single mom is even worse.
Speaker: And when you hit rock bottom financially, it is super easy for women to jump back in.
Speaker: Just because they don't want to, it's like the unknown is super scary.
Speaker: And, but I went, before I left, I made that conscious decision.
Speaker: I was like, I rather move my kids back to New Mexico and live with my parents.
Speaker: I rather hit financial rock bottom.
Speaker: I don't care if my credit is 400.
Speaker: Like I, anything is better than being here.
Speaker: And that's when I like made the decision to,
Speaker: and did it, but it's, you know, you're going through all the, that, I mean, narcissists, they will make you pay for what you've done to them.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's, it's all your fault.
Speaker: You're the one that left for no reason.
Speaker: And they make you, you know, I I've had car seats thrown at me at exchanges.
Speaker: I've had, you know, all the things.
Speaker: And like, I, it, I would look back on my journal and I just,
Speaker: Remember and to see your own words on paper of what has happened is soup.
Speaker: It's like, it's, it breaks your heart.
Speaker: You're like, why did I, why was I there so long?
Speaker: Right now.
Speaker: So, um, it definitely helped me and it's, it's not fun to look back on, but you know, I have, it's helping me now build my story so that I can help other women.
Speaker: Yeah, I need to develop a better habit of journaling because I know how like therapeutic it is.
Speaker: But I think it also is great to be able to like, as hard as it is to look back on that, but now you can look back and be like, man, look how far I've come.
Speaker: And sometimes you don't always remember how far you've come until you're truly able to be like, to look, you know, see your words on paper, like you said.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: What are some other tips that you've given to these women of like how to, how to move forward and, um, you know, get out of the situation?
Speaker: I think it depends on the situation.
Speaker: Um, everyone is scared about the finances and I just like in this most recent season of life, well, I could tell you, um,
Speaker: in that season of life where I left and then in this past year, cause I guess it didn't drill into my mind, um, enough.
Speaker: It didn't, wasn't clear in my mind.
Speaker: And so God is making me go through this again, but you have to trust God.
Speaker: You have to like, just give it all.
Speaker: Just he's got you like, he's never going to give you more than you can handle.
Speaker: Um,
Speaker: I like there are some days where like I wouldn't know how I was going to pay the electricity bill or whatever.
Speaker: And it's just like money comes from somewhere.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Which is amazing.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's and I've never been.
Speaker: But I will say like.
Speaker: People that are like afraid to leave because they're a stay at home mom.
Speaker: It's seasonal.
Speaker: Whatever you're going to go through is seasonal.
Speaker: And if you own your home and you miss some mortgage payments, that's, that doesn't define you.
Speaker: Whatever's on that credit report, you don't take that with you when you die.
Speaker: Your credit report is like not, no one has to see it really if you don't want them to, but who cares?
Speaker: Like it's a season.
Speaker: You can build that credit back up.
Speaker: I did.
Speaker: I built my credit back up to the 700s after being like in foreclosure a couple of times.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Our country probably has a worse credit score than I will ever have.
Speaker: Oh, this is probably true.
Speaker: That's funny.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Like when you look at the big picture, it doesn't matter.
Speaker: Like just take care of your family, take care of yourself.
Speaker: Your kids don't need a toxic...
Speaker: home.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's probably worse.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And I never encouraged divorce, but there's, there's some things that you need to, and I can't explain it.
Speaker: Like I, it is beyond my understanding, but I know I went through what I went through for a reason.
Speaker: And I know the Bible says you're not supposed to get a divorce, but here I am.
Speaker: I've been completely blessed and I'm going on with life.
Speaker: I'm not going to hell.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: You know, so yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: And, you know, I think too, like you were talking about, it's just a season.
Speaker: I think we've got to remember that we just have to take it one day at a time.
Speaker: Every time that I am so incredibly stressed about finances or something like major going on in my life, I think my favorite book in the Bible is Matthew 6.
Speaker: And it talks about like
Speaker: how God dresses the lilies of the valley beautifully and provides food for the birds and, and like how much more important we are than the flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow.
Speaker: And anytime, anytime I'm scared, I just go back and reread that book because it just, it encourages me.
Speaker: And to know that God's going to, God's going to provide, like, I just got to think about just today.
Speaker: And I think sometimes, um,
Speaker: Especially as women, I think we do think, try to think so far into the future, like, well, if I do this, what's going to happen?
Speaker: And I'm sure as a single, as a potential single mom, you know, that was terrifying whenever you, you made that decision.
Speaker: I can't even imagine.
Speaker: I, you know, I know my sister went through it too.
Speaker: And so you women are so incredibly strong to stand up for what you know you're worth and your children are worth and, and leave that situation.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And it's still, you go through heartbreaking things afterwards.
Speaker: Like my kids are so innocent, like when they were younger, um,
Speaker: and they have to live between two homes.
Speaker: Like, and that broke my heart.
Speaker: I mean, you're, you just go through things and that's another reason you should journal and cause you can look back and yeah, unfortunately I got, I ignored a bunch of red flags and I married the wrong person.
Speaker: Um, I do believe that I would have my kids no matter what, no matter who I would have had them with, but, um, he did, he gave me three healthy, beautiful, smart children and,
Speaker: you know, and I, I'm, I'm thankful for what I went through.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Not at the time.
Speaker: But later on when I'm, you have to grow, you have to, whatever situation you're in, you have to grow through it.
Speaker: Who people are like at your house right now.
Speaker: That's my cool guy going.
Speaker: I'm like,
Speaker: All those solicitors at your house.
Speaker: We're going into my backyard.
Speaker: No, it's my pool guy and Tucker is in there like barking hysterically at him.
Speaker: So whining.
Speaker: You can hear it, but thankfully the mic is not picking it up.
Speaker: At least I don't think it is.
Speaker: So for all you listeners, if you are hearing Tucker, so sorry about that.
Speaker: I didn't want you to be distracted.
Speaker: I'm like, I'm so good at tuning people out.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But you said, you know, you went through growing and I was going to say, you know, like that takes a lot of growth to be able to say, I'm grateful for the experience that I went through because of who I am now and because of being able to help others.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: It's a hard thing to get to.
Speaker: Well, and then you, once you realize, so Tony Robbins says, you
Speaker: The biggest problem we have is we think we're not supposed to have problems and we're, we all have problems.
Speaker: We're going to have problems.
Speaker: And so you just have to grow through what you go through.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: And so if you know that when you go through another bad season in your life, be, go through it
Speaker: With gratitude, be like, I am going through something right now and I'm going to make a choice to grow through it.
Speaker: And being, having gratitude every night before you go to bed and every morning when you wake up will help you sleep through the night.
Speaker: No matter if your, you know, bank account is overdrawn and you don't know how you're going to make the electrical payment, like you have to put these things in place.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: You know, and
Speaker: I'm, I pray if I wake up in the middle of the night, I'm, I'm praying.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: I feel like there's a reason for that.
Speaker: It's, it's hard to be scared, like to focus on scarcity when you are focusing on gratitude.
Speaker: You can't really focus on the two at the same time.
Speaker: That is a good point.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I totally agree.
Speaker: Like it's, we live in a amazing country that we have,
Speaker: We, no one should be going to bed hungry.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: And I think that there are resources.
Speaker: You just have to find them.
Speaker: You have to be resourceful.
Speaker: No one owes you anything.
Speaker: You have to grow and use that.
Speaker: Just figure it out.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: There's people in other countries that would die, literally die to be where you are right now.
Speaker: whether no matter what you're going through.
Speaker: So it's not that bad.
Speaker: And it's seasonal.
Speaker: It's not going to be like this forever.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I do not.
Speaker: I just saw this on Instagram the other day and it was a celebrity who said it.
Speaker: I kind of feel like it might've been Chris Pratt, but I can't remember for sure.
Speaker: And he said, there is somebody laid up in a hospital bed, just praying to be where you're at right now.
Speaker: You know, when we may think that we're in a very tough season in our life, there is somebody that is struggling so much worse.
Speaker: And it doesn't minimize what we're going through, but it also helps kind of put it in perspective.
Speaker: Yeah, it does put it in perspective.
Speaker: I remember it was within the last year.
Speaker: There's this ship like traveling thousands of miles.
Speaker: And when it came, got to land, there were three men.
Speaker: from another country, like on, in the front of the boat, like exterior of the boat, like they're going thousands of miles and they're getting splashed and they're like, they're like, people are literally will die to be here.
Speaker: They, they've been, who knows how many years they were planning on, you know, finding their opportunity to come to America.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I think we just, yeah.
Speaker: It does put things in perspective.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, it sure does.
Speaker: Man, that story alone.
Speaker: makes you think about like how determined they were and how, I mean, to hold onto the side of a ship with waves crashing around you.
Speaker: And it's probably, I don't even know how they were gripping the side of the ship, you know, like, um, that takes some, everything you got in your mind, in your body, physically, mentally, spiritually, everything just to, to cling to that.
Speaker: And I think that is, um,
Speaker: metaphorically, we should be doing the same thing, right?
Speaker: So when we feel like there's a call in our life, which you feel like you have right now, that is something that you should cling to and lean into, you know, like with mentally, spiritually, physically, everything.
Speaker: Pray about it like you said you're doing and just follow that dream because I think everybody has got, I think God has three things.
Speaker: Put certain dreams on your heart.
Speaker: prepared you for those dreams, like for seasons, there's not a single person out there that is going to do what can do what you can do exactly the way you can.
Speaker: And so God has equipped you and given you skills that no one else can possibly do it the same way.
Speaker: Um, and giving you those dreams and, and we'll provide those resources to, for you to be able to, you know, make that come to pass and he'll help it come to pass.
Speaker: It's not something that we have to make come to pass.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Totally agree.
Speaker: But that makes me think, you know, okay.
Speaker: So I do pray.
Speaker: I'm like, what am, what is my purpose?
Speaker: Like, help me find my purpose.
Speaker: But you know what I don't do is I don't like, I don't listen.
Speaker: You know, we're so busy in our lives and I'm like, please, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker: Please do this.
Speaker: Please.
Speaker: Thank you for this.
Speaker: Please do this.
Speaker: And then I don't,
Speaker: listen.
Speaker: So when you're, when you're saying that I'm like, Oh my gosh, I'm not listening though.
Speaker: So I think that's an important,
Speaker: It really, it really is.
Speaker: I mean, I've always found it already, but I'm just like ping pong ball.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: And I'm so guilty of it too, because like you said, we have busy lives and stuff and it's like, you know, you want to sit, sit and carve out like your quiet time in the mornings or whenever you have that time.
Speaker: But, but you also have people who are needing your attention, like your, your boys and business and everything.
Speaker: So yeah.
Speaker: It is.
Speaker: It's hard to, it's hard to figure out like, okay, how do I just sit and listen?
Speaker: But I think at the same time, you know, it's important to intentionally have that time to listen, but also just having your ears open throughout the day, because God will speak to you in many different ways and throughout the day.
Speaker: And it's just like, are we listening or, or our ears open?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, totally agree.
Speaker: That's kind of about, you know, like, how are you going to use me?
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Well, and I do think, you know, he can use it in so many different ways.
Speaker: And so it sounds like from everything that we're talking about, like this next phase in your life is you're really seeing it as being able to help other women who have gone through similar situations as yours to come out on the other side and thrive.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Probably help with perspective.
Speaker: And, but yes, I want to help them come through it.
Speaker: And it, it all goes back to mindset.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: And you know, the way you perceive things and the way you reflect, react and you know, your next steps.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: So like kind of, and I'm not like, I'm not a counselor.
Speaker: I'm not a therapist.
Speaker: I just, I've been through it.
Speaker: And so.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: I think that's what you said about your next steps.
Speaker: Like that mindset and next steps, those are hand in hand and so important.
Speaker: And I think sometimes people may get overwhelmed by the mindset piece, but again, it's just taking it day by day.
Speaker: Like your mindset continues to change and get stronger every day when you implement like these new good practices into your life, listening to something that's helpful and uplifting or reading something that's helpful and uplifting.
Speaker: I mean, so my mindset is not nearly,
Speaker: or let me rephrase that.
Speaker: My mindset is so different from where I was 10 years ago.
Speaker: Like I'm so much stronger now and have a different mindset, but it's only because of the things that I've poured into me.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I think we go through everything for a reason.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: Um, so, uh, let's see.
Speaker: What we're kind of coming to the end of our show.
Speaker: So if you were to give like one piece of advice to somebody who is thinking about like taking the risk and maybe chasing their dreams or, or getting out of a tough situation that they're in, like, what would you say to them?
Speaker: When I originally read that question, I was,
Speaker: I laughed because we've been at breakfast before where we've said, okay, you actually told me you're like, don't quit your day job.
Speaker: When, and I was like, I am so confident this is going to work.
Speaker: And you know, and I, it, it, that's why, like, I started struggling again.
Speaker: Cause it was like, I didn't, I don't know.
Speaker: It just didn't, it was not my plan.
Speaker: I thought I had a plan.
Speaker: But it, God had other plans.
Speaker: But you got to take the, you got to stop worrying about what people think.
Speaker: It may, you have to go day to day because it may not turn out to what you think it is.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: So it will,
Speaker: And anything you start, no matter if you have a plan or not, no matter if it's going your way or not, everything evolves.
Speaker: So if you, the point is like, if you don't know exactly where it's going to go, don't worry, just start because it's going to evolve anyway.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: I am, I've said it so many times, but I feel like whatever path you start can lead to other paths, you know, create different branches.
Speaker: And I think I always envision a tree, you know, when the trunk is growing, right?
Speaker: And then all of a sudden you have all these different branches, but it all creates this one beautiful tree.
Speaker: And so...
Speaker: Yeah, you may not, even if you start on your plan and it's not working out exactly the way you thought it would, you're learning different skills and tools and it's going to help you, you know, move over to maybe another path or another opportunity that you're working on.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Just be consistent.
Speaker: I think the most important, I've heard you not only have to be consistent, but you have to be intense too.
Speaker: I think you just need to be consistent.
Speaker: And when you have it figured out, then add the intensity.
Speaker: But like, I'll tell new real estate agents, I'm like, there is a hundred ways to get there.
Speaker: Choose one and be consistent.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: And that's because that's what I did wrong.
Speaker: I did.
Speaker: I was doing all kinds of things and just throwing wet needles at the wall to see what would stick.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: What I found is that there is
Speaker: is literally a hundred ways to get there and you need to choose one and be consistent.
Speaker: And we are talking about a real estate business.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Add some intensity behind there, but like where I'm at right now, I'm not, I'm trying to figure out like my messaging, my purpose.
Speaker: So I just, I need to be consistent and do what I'm doing.
Speaker: And then I think when I figure it out, just, you know, add that a splash of intensity and just really get it out there, you know?
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: And going back to like real estate or really anything, I think, like you said, there's a hundred different ways to do it, but you also want to find out what is the one that you love the most, you know, because you're probably not going to be consistent with something you don't love.
Speaker: And in the beginning, you might be trying five, six, seven different things just to figure out what that one thing is.
Speaker: Oh yeah.
Speaker: I mean, this is probably a whole other episode, but yeah,
Speaker: Yeah, I definitely think that.
Speaker: I even see seasonal agents wanting to know what somebody's secret sauce is.
Speaker: And it's not what they're looking to do whatever somebody else is doing.
Speaker: What is your secret sauce?
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Do you like parties?
Speaker: Do you like doing videos?
Speaker: Do you like...
Speaker: door knocking.
Speaker: Like I, I don't know who likes door knocking, but 110 degree weather, but what is your secret sauce?
Speaker: Anything.
Speaker: There's so many things like, what do you like to do?
Speaker: And you can totally use that to build a real estate business.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: Um, what is a book or podcast that's been very influential in your life?
Speaker: Uh, the real estate marketing dude.
Speaker: Uh, he's awesome.
Speaker: Um,
Speaker: You'll find me preaching a lot of what he preaches because I've heard I listen to him and it's like on repeat in my mind.
Speaker: But also the Gold Digger podcast with Jenna.
Speaker: She's like business.
Speaker: You can totally use she's like all business.
Speaker: But you can use practically anything she says in your real estate business.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: I follow her too.
Speaker: And she's been very influential in my life.
Speaker: And as far as like her podcast and just listening to her stuff, because she's very much in alignment with just knowing who she is.
Speaker: And I connect in that way, plus all the business tips too.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And lastly, how can people find you?
Speaker: Ooh, um, I would say my Instagram.
Speaker: Um, I am the single agent with the T H E. And, um, that is because I'm a single mom and I'm a solo agent.
Speaker: That's perfect.
Speaker: Other people are like, is it cause you're single?
Speaker: I'm like, well, I mean, if you want to think that way, I mean, it's just single.
Speaker: Um, but yeah, I'm the single agent.
Speaker: And then, um, one more thing about like how to build your business, fill your mind.
Speaker: Like when you get in your car, it's not, don't, I mean, if that, if you want to listen to music, cause you need to just like zone out fine, but it's important to like, listen, to use that opportunity to listen to podcasts, listen to
Speaker: to audio books.
Speaker: And that helped me tremendously to build my real estate business.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: I forget what somebody like coined that as like auto university or something like that, or like commute university, something.
Speaker: And it's so true.
Speaker: I mean, I've listened to so many podcasts and audio books whenever I'm in the car or walking the dogs.
Speaker: And it, like I said, my mindset is so different, you know, today than it was 10 years ago because of
Speaker: those things I've poured into my mind.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So if, if somebody wants to reach out to you for real estate, they can do that on your Instagram or any, like any woman who's listening, who is maybe going through some of these things, possibly divorce or, or struggling with, you know, being a single mom, different things like that.
Speaker: They can reach out to you as well and like send you a DM to get that discussion started.
Speaker: Just go to my Instagram and reach out to me.
Speaker: I'll make sure I,
Speaker: look at my, uh, that weird box, the inbox that when you're not, when you don't follow someone and the messages go to a certain, I'll make sure.
Speaker: Right, right, right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Like the more the, like the request.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Um, okay.
Speaker: Well, awesome.
Speaker: Well, thank you so much for being here and just, um, pouring into the audience.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Thank you for having me.
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: Thanks so much for tuning in today.
Speaker: If you'd be so kind and leave me a quick review, I would love to hear from you.
Speaker: You can also connect with me on Instagram at Christy Winfrey.
Speaker: If you enjoyed today's episode, please hit that follow button.
Speaker: And until next time, keep chasing those dreams, my friend.
Speaker: Remember, you are worth it.
