When I was 14, I spent my summers working in the tobacco fields of Pleasant Garden, North Carolina.
Now, if you’ve never been in a tobacco field in July, let me paint the picture…
It all starts at 4:30 am (I still wake up about that time every day)
In the field by 5:30 am.
It’s 95 degrees by 10 a.m.
The humidity… it felt like I was wearing it within the first 30 mins.
And that black gum from the stalks? It’ll stain your hands for days.
I was hot, tired, itchy, and smelled like the inside of a barn.
And to be honest… I felt like quitting… often!
But I showed up and did the deed day after day anyway.
Because that’s what you did.
Nobody was coming to save you. Nobody was handing out shortcuts.
You just did the work.
Day after day. Row after row.
I remember one particular hot afternoon, I dropped to my knees and asked God, “Please tell me you have a better plan for me; tell me I’m learning something here…”
Turns out… He did have a better plan for me.
And I did learn something in those hot fields.
Years later, I found my way into the mortgage world.
But at first?
Man, it felt just like those tobacco fields.
Waking up early. Making uncomfortable calls.
Getting rejected. Sweating through your shirt.
And doing it all over again the next day.
But here’s the twist…
Most people quit when it’s hard.
But, see, I had a little secret from those tobacco fields:
Hard wasn’t new to me.
See, I learned something in those rows that they didn’t teach in school:
The ones who keep showing up – even when it’s not fun, sexy, or easy – those are the ones who win.
And now…
Because of that hard work…
We built a mortgage business that runs with freedom and flexibility.
Because of that hard work…
We built a training company that helps thousands of loan officers every week, many of whom are going through their own “tobacco field” right now.
If that’s you, I just want to say this:
You’re not alone.
You’re not broken.
You’re just in the middle of the row.
Keep showing up.
The harvest is coming.
