Is your business making you happy?
No, really... take a moment to think about it. Is your business making you happy? Is the financial part of it making you happy?
Let’s face it: Most people who are just starting out in real estate investing are not making the level of income that they want. If you feel like you’re not delivering the type of income you’d like to see from your business, it can sometimes be because of… a stinky attitude.
Now let me ask you this: Do you have a stinky attitude?
What I mean by that is, do you constantly complain and have a negative attitude about your business?
If you do, you need to change your outlook!
Especially if you’re just starting off – now is the perfect time to adjust the ’tude.
Hey Moguls, Jason Lucchesi here…
As you probably guessed by now, today I want to chat about how your mindset can either set you up to fail or to succeed. In other words, you need to have the right mindset – a positive outlook – to succeed in your real estate investing business.
Your mental state is such a powerful contributor for ensuring that you make the income you desire – and feel happy while doing it.
Now, there are obviously many ways that you can achieve an optimistic mindset. You can attend training conferences or seminars and get pumped up (Arnold Schwarzenegger-style). You can do your own research and become more educated – which, in turn, boosts confidence.
But, if you want to start with a small, basic step toward having a better attitude, the answer is simple: surround yourself with positive people who you want to emulate.
And, equally important, get rid of the people who are dragging you down and who are critical of your goals.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
~Jim Rohn, entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker
As you begin your real estate investing business, you may find that you don’t have the support of a loved one, at first. They might be doubtful of how the venture will work, financially, and if it will succeed. So find someone – a friend, colleague, etc. – who will be that positive influence for you.
Bad Company Corrupts Good Character
To help illustrate my point here, let’s have a little story time (milk and cookies optional, but encouraged)...
When I was working for a mortgage lender at the ripe age of 24, I was doing pretty well in my career. *Brushes off shoulder*
I was doing so well, in fact, that I was promoted and asked to travel to one of our other branches that was struggling. It was my job to pinpoint what was going wrong at that branch, and how we could help that team improve their sales.
Walking in to that office, I saw a whiteboard that listed each loan originator’s goal for the month. Most were aiming to originate only 2-3 loans per month. I cringed internally. Where I came from, 6-8 loans per month was the norm.
I could see that the sales and operations team was downtrodden, and I soon discovered the source of that negative energy.
The branch manager at this office was a very toxic person. He was not an effective mentor and coach for his staff members, and instead spent a good deal of his time taking too many breaks. After learning more about his lackadaisical leadership, my regional manager ultimately made the decision to let this branch manager go. I was there when it happened.
I’ll never forget when the fired branch manager walked out of that office. He turned to me and basically spat, “You’re going to fail with this branch.” In all honesty, he used more colorful language than that – but you get the idea.
But you know what?
I took it as a challenge.
When people tell me I’m going to fail, I love to prove them wrong. I became acting co-branch manager (along with another colleague) of that office, and we immediately got to work setting things right.
The branch had 15 employees, and the highest number of loans they had ever closed in 1 month was 28 (less than 2 loans per person!). But as soon as the fired branch manager left, it was like the negative energy was just lifted away from that office.
My fellow acting branch manager and I began mentoring the sales team and encouraged them to aim higher with their goals. During the first month that we took over the branch, we did 32 loans – it wasn’t a huge improvement, but we didn’t have a healthy pipeline going into that month.
The biggest change?
The employees’ outlook did a complete 180.
By the second full month, we closed 82 loans – just shy of 3 times the amount of their previous highest month ever, under the former branch manager…
I believe the highest volume they had originated under that guy was about $2 million. The month that they closed 82 units, they originated nearly $16 million in volume!
Let that sink in.
Now, you might be thinking that the sales team had to put in a lot of extra hours to achieve this – but that wasn’t the case.
We completely changed the culture in that office, and we were super supportive of the team there. In fact, if they were on track with their goals, we actually gave them the flexibility to arrive late, leave early or take an occasional Friday off.
So what can you take away from this story?
Change the attitude, and you can change everything.
Find Your Happy Place
I hope you feel encouraged and maybe even inspired (just don’t get all sappy on me) by my story. Really, I cannot emphasize enough how vital it is to surround yourself with people who believe in you and support you – that’s huge!
It’s a big part of entrepreneurship.
When it comes to achieving success in investing (or any career, for that matter), it’s all about the foundation. Having the right mindset will give you a firm foundation that will help you out dramatically.
And the financial success will follow. Promise.
If you need help, ask for it! There are tons of investing professionals out there – ask them for advice on how to truly boost your business and draw from their uplifting attitudes.
And – it is a must that you get rid of those negative influences in your life. Those people are like a disease – get away from them, and move on.
Life is great, and so many people take it for granted. So live life to the fullest and be happy.
Let’s Chat
Have you ever parted ways with a toxic or negative person who was dragging you down? How did it change your outlook? Hit me up in the comments section below.
Find positive influences. Identify 1-2 people who you admire for their optimistic outlook. Invite them to coffee or have a brief phone chat, and discuss how they go about achieving their goals.
Pick up a book! Books can have an amazing affect on your mindset. Some of my favorites are below. Choose one of these or find your own, and make it a priority to spend time reading.
» Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
» Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and
Winning the Deal by Oren Klaff
» The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure by
Grant Cardone
» The Pumpkin Plan: A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business
in Any Field by Mike Michalowicz
» Covert Persuasion: Psychological Tactics and Tricks to Win the Game
by Kevin Hogan
Nix the negative. If you have an acquaintance or friend who’s bringing you down in any way, it doesn’t mean you need to cut them out of your life completely. Just limit your exposure to them, and surround yourself with positive influences more regularly.