Tag: Loan Officer Marketing

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.

Not too long ago, my longtime friend Dean Jackson shared something with me that really stuck. 

(If you don’t know Dean—he’s a brilliant trainer in the real estate agent space and has one of the sharpest minds I’ve ever come across when it comes to productivity and marketing.) 

He said: 
“It’s not that people don’t have time. It’s that they’re losing the battle between being proactive and reactive.” 

Man… that hit home. 

You see, a lot of folks I talk to say the same thing: 
“I just don’t have time for everything.” 

But here’s the truth—you DO have time. 
The trick is learning how to spot the Reactive Activators that are hijacking your day. 

Here are the four big ones Dean shared with me years ago. 

1. Email 
How do most people start their day? Checking email. 
But your inbox is a to-do list that other people wrote for you—and it’s hooked up to the internet, which means the rabbit hole is real. 

2. Your phone 
We carry them 24/7. Which means we’re always one buzz away from getting pulled into fire drills and distractions. That puts you in reactive mode fast. 

3. Other people 
People walking by your desk. Quick chats. “Got a sec?” 
All well-meaning… but they can easily take you off track from what really matters. 

4. Your own thoughts 
This one’s sneaky. You remember to call someone… which leads to another task… then another… and before you know it, your whole plan for the day has drifted off course. 

But here’s the good news: 

Once you see these triggers for what they are, you can start building a little buffer around them. You can protect your time and take control of your day. 

And when that happens? 

You stop feeling overwhelmed. You start getting the right things done. 
And yeah… turns out you do have time for everything. 

Thanks, Dean, for this golden nugget. 
And to you reading this—I hope it helps you the way it helped me. 

Hey, if you’re looking to take a real step forward in your business—away from overwhelm and into clarity—I’d love for you to join me at my next Mastermind Retreat.  
 
It’s a small, invite-only gathering at my office where we work together to build out the exact plan top-producing loan officers are using right now to grow. 
 
Check out the details here: www.MasterMindRetreats.com