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It was 6 AM, and I was standing on a prison yard in a uniform that didn’t quite fit.

I was 19 years old.

Fresh out of getting fired from my job at the egg company (that was embarrassing)…

And somehow, I landed a gig as a prison guard at the Florida State Prison.

Yeah… that Florida State Prison.

The one with the electric chair.

I still remember the sound of the gates closing behind me that first morning — loud, final, metallic.

I thought:
“What in the world have I gotten myself into?”

Every morning, I stood there on the yard as inmates filtered out,
Some were older than my dad, some barely older than me.

Some had a spark in their eye.
Some looked like the light had gone out long ago.

It was one of the first times I realized this:

There are only two kinds of people in the world.
Those who accept their situation…
And those who find a way out.

I watched guys behind bars become barbers, artists, ministers.
Not many, but some.

And that stuck with me.

Years later, when I entered the mortgage world…

It hit me again.

A lot of LOs are trapped in their own version of a prison:
Too many hours.
Not enough closings.
Trapped in paperwork.
Trapped in fear.
Trapped in “I’ll get to it tomorrow…”

But here’s what I saw back then — and still believe now:

The key is always in your hands.

You just have to pick it up.

You don’t need to wait for someone to save you.
You just need a simple plan, a bit of courage, and some folks who’ve walked the path before you.

If you’re feeling stuck — like you’re standing on the yard wondering what comes next —
I’d be honored to help.

Because I’ve been there.
I just didn’t stay there.

A few years back, I found myself in my Ford F-150 pickup truck, sitting in the parking lot with my head in my hands thinking that this loan officer work was just too darn hard…

Leads were a little hard to come by, appraisals were slow, and I was having to make some difficult “your deal is going sideways” phone calls…

As I was having my own little pity party, I heard an inner voice tell me to look up.

When I did, I had a life-changing moment.  Let me explain further.

When I looked up, on top of the building next to me, there were 3 men and 1 lady on top of the roof.  And this roof wasn’t like most roofs, it was a flat roof.

Well, from time to time with a flat roof, you have to “Tar Mop” it.

That’s where you get buckets of super hot tar (so it’s spreadable) and literally get kitchen mops, and spread the hot tar on the roof. 

I did that one summer when I was in high school and I can tell you it was the hardest job I’ve ever done.  The tar was super hot, it splattered on my arms causing instant burn blisters, the fumes from the hot tar were almost as bad as the mosquito bites and the sunburn from the hot Florida sun. 

As I looked up from my air conditioned seat in my truck that day and saw those 4 people working very, very hard in the most miserable conditions, I heard “that voice” again…

“Carl, you want to know what hard work is, those 4 workers on that roof are experiencing hard work.”  It’s hot, spreading the tar is like spreading molasses, just backbreaking work…

… oh, and by the way, it pays around $14 an hour at best.

I then heard that voice one more time…

“Carl, I’m asking you to do 3 simple things to make more money than you could have ever dreamed of…”

“I’m asking you to Talk, Type, and Think… Which you can do while sitting in an air-conditioned room, in a very comfortable chair… no fumes, no mosquitos, no sunburn… all while making more in 1 month than the roofers will make in an entire year.”

Talk, Type on a computer, and Think.   Resulting in helping a lot of people, making lots and lots of money, and no tar fumes.

… and here’s the other thing, we don’t even have to think too much because we can just copy the already super successful, well, as long as that’s who we’re hanging with instead of the doomsayers. 

Once that was crystal clear in my head, I felt a wave of relief and gratitude wash over me like a warm blanket on a cold night.

So here’s the thing, we are not in “hard times” right now, we simply have to talk (saying the right things to the right people), type (communicate and follow up with those people), and think (again, this is minimized by hanging out with the winners).

Now, those that don’t do those things, those that try to do business the same way they did it last year, well, it could be a very very hard season for them coming up.  Don’t be one of them. 

We have to be adaptable and work the “Epic Success Plan” while talking, typing, and thinking.  It’s really just that simple and doesn’t involve buying a bunch of widgets. 

The Epic Success Plan is exactly what we are mapping out on our coaching calls with our high-level and high production (while low-stress) loan officers.  It’s absolutely amazing what can be covered, and the results some of the LOs get on even just 1 of these 1 on 1 calls.

If you want a free sample of what even just 1 of those calls can do for you, I’ll give you one.  <no credit card, no “trail”, and no strings attached>  We’ll help you with what to say, who to say it to, how to communicate with them, and what the top producers are thinking… you know, their Epic Success Plan.

Free Sample 1 on 1 Coaching Call

Just go here and we’ll help you with the right activities, the right conversations, and with the right people… right now .   Why, because that’s the way we roll around here.

Looking forward to talking soon.

Carl “this is really easy” White 

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.

You’ve got this.

I remember a conversation I had with a loan officer, Stan, from Lincoln, Nebraska, 6 weeks ago. He was frustrated. He felt like he was doing everything right—making the calls, following up, staying consistent—but the results weren’t showing up fast enough.

He told me, “Carl, maybe I’m just not cut out for this.”

“You are closer than you think”, I encouraged him.

After we spoke for a bit, instead of quitting, he did one thing. He committed to reaching out to five more people that week—just five. Nothing fancy, no complicated strategies. Just simple conversations.

One of those five calls? It turned into a meeting with a past client who had been on the fence about buying again. That conversation led to a referral. That referral led to a closed loan. And that closed loan, introduced him to the listing agent, who has referred him 3 more prospects, one of which is in underwriting with Stan now.

This forward momentum encouraged him to keep pushing forward.

Earlier this week when we talked, his entire mindset had shifted. He saw that success wasn’t about making huge, dramatic moves. It was about showing up every day, doing the simple things, and trusting that the work would pay off.

I want to challenge you to do the same today. Here are three simple actions that can move the needle for you:
 

1. Call one past client – Just check-in. No sales pitch, no agenda. A simple, “Hey, how’s everything going?” can lead to a great conversation and possibly a referral.
    
2. Reach out to one agent you haven’t spoken to in a while – Real estate agents need strong lender partners now more than ever. A quick “How’s the market treating you?” can open doors.
    
3. Follow up on a lead that went cold – Sometimes, people just need a nudge. A simple, “Hey, I was thinking about you. Are you still considering buying or refinancing?” could be all it takes.

The loan officers closing the most deals right now aren’t necessarily the smartest or the most experienced. They’re the ones taking action while others hesitate.

So let’s make today count. Take the next step, and if you ever need help, strategy, or just a little motivation, I’m here.

Keep pushing forward, even if you are tired.  You are closer than you think.