By Aaron "Kiwi" Franklin
The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.
Mike Rolewicz was a successful owner of a staffing firm in Jacksonville, FL for more than 20 years before his life took an unexpected turn—he was diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately, it was treatable. But when he came back from his radiation treatments, he realized that his passion for his business was gone. It was then that he decided to leave his comfort zone and venture into something entirely new. Now, after his first year in real estate, he was able to close 30 houses with 12 million in sales volume, and a GCI of $320,000!
Looking back, he started his staffing company when he was only 24 without any industry experience. He just had to believe in himself. He admitted that he could just scale or totally redefine his company’s culture, but he knew when he came back that the fire was lost. So he took a gamble and sold his firm in February 2018, and got his real estate license a few months later.
Now based in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, Mike said he and his wife have always had a passion for real estate. But whether it’s rooted in watching too much HGTV, he knew that he just loves getting to know people and their stories, building relationships, and guiding them through real estate. His stellar first year was a great testimony to where his “businessman mentality” had brought him, and he’s hungry for more.
Mike shares his strategies and leverage in generating leads, what his typical day looks like, the biggest lessons he learned from his previous company, and the importance of getting the right brokerage to fit in.
Believe it or not, Mike owes it a lot to his ugly bout with cancer to where he is today. That despite being broken physically, he was given the clarity and the courage to find his new purpose in life.
Show Notes
For our tenth episode, we bring you another super mom—California-based realtor Amanda Todd, founder and leader of the Amanda Todd Group, and her incredible story of strength and empowerment that will inspire not only women but people in all walks of life.
She had been a stay-at-home mom for almost 10 years after her divorce. Despite this, she was determined to not be a stereotypical single mom and wanted to keep their lives as normal as they possibly could.
She had her real estate license but never sold a single house. But by starting a neighborhood newsletter and organizing community events, she established herself as a valuable neighborhood specialist where she got her first client. After her first year in 2014, she completed 23 transactions! Five years later and her team has scaled in Utah and California, and she’s now on a national stage as a motivational speaker dubbed as the “Million Dollar Mom.”
Amanda emphasized the importance of surrounding yourself with people who are smarter and better than you, and then actually implementing the pieces of advice they give. She’s a huge believer in waking up early, being time-efficient, and learning when to say “No.” Amazingly, she even competes in Ironman triathlons and loves the dedication and commitment they require.
Despite a tough roller coaster ride that includes an ugly divorce, legal battles, ongoing health issues, and multiple surgeries, Amanda is on her way to finding joy in every opportunity and trying to find her inner peace in this stressful and fast-paced industry.
Mentions
Amanda Todd Group - http://amandatoddgroup.com/
Ylopo - https://www.ylopo.com/
Lab Coat Agents - https://www.facebook.com/groups/labcoatagents/
Darren Hardy - https://darrenhardy.com/
IRONMAN Triathlon - https://www.ironman.com/#axzz64y4vUEEa
Brene Brown - https://brenebrown.com/
Amy Youngren - https://northgroup.com/about/Amy-Youngren
Juefeng Ge - https://www.linkedin.com/in/juefengge/
Howard Tager - https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardtager/
Michael Hellickson - https://clubwealth.com/michael-hellickson/
Seth Price - http://www.sethprice.net/
Kate Spade - https://www.katespade.com/
Tesla - https://www.tesla.com/
Tech Partners;
Ylopo - https://www.ylopo.com/ (Lead Gen, Lead Nurture, Lead Follow Up)
Show Sponsors;
Ylopo - The Future of Real Estate Tech - https://www.ylopo.com
Lab Coat Agents - The #1 Facebook Real Estate Group to learn how to grow your real estate business - https://www.facebook.com/groups/labcoatagents/
Angela Gabriel can be described in a lot of ways — she’s a real estate agent based in Baton Rouge, LA, a coach and mentor, a loving single mother to four children, a shooting survivor, a domestic violence victim, and an advocate. But above all, she’s one of God’s strongest warriors.
Growing up, Angela always wanted to stand out and be different from everybody else. She went to the military despite her initial plans to study psychology and play volleyball at Louisiana State University. She studied interior design in college, and eventually got interested in real estate after her stint at construction. She learned everything about real estate from a coach. Afterward, she decided to focus on building and nurturing relationships to grow her team and business.
But on the morning of February 2017, a fateful incident left her with nine shots on her upper body and paralyzed chest down. But not once did she allow herself to sink into rock bottom after everything that’s happened. Instead, she just kept going. She continued working while recovering in the hospital, was able to recruit four nurses to become realtors, and even got her rehab surgeon qualified to become a home buyer. Indeed, she turned that tragic event into a miraculous story full of hope, faith, and resilience, which opened up opportunities to help her advocate for people who can’t speak up for themselves.
Now, her healing and self-discovery continue.
Tune in as Angela emphasizes the importance of leverage and accepting help from others, getting a coach, and using real estate as a vehicle to find your true passion and purpose. She also shares with us some of her advocacies, including helping women who are victims of domestic abuse and people with special needs and disabilities.
Truly, her incredible physical and mental strength helped her separate herself from everyone else and spend her new chapter in life helping others.
Mentions
Keller Williams - https://www.kw.com/kw/
Southern University - http://www.subr.edu/
Louisiana State University (LSU) - https://www.lsu.edu/
911 - https://www.911.gov/
Joy Russell - http://www.joysellslouisiana.com/
Show Sponsors;
Ylopo - The Future of Real Estate Tech - https://www.ylopo.com
Lab Coat Agents - The #1 Facebook Real Estate Group to learn how to grow your real estate business - https://www.facebook.com/groups/labcoatagents/
Show Notes
In this new Rags to Riches podcast, you’ll learn a thing or two from the dynamic and relentless Brian North, founder of North&Co., a real estate firm based in Phoenix, Arizona. Originally from Orange County, Ca, life had been tough for Brian. He was born in a broken and poor home, his family had to move so often that he had gone to 13 different schools before finishing high school.
He took a few years off to earn money by being a salesman and even tried to be a pro snowboarder. Through this extreme sport, he got himself into Fort Lewis College. But one of his darkest times came when he tore his ACL, and to rub salt to his injury, he had neither money nor help from home. Thankfully, he recovered and got his Sociology degree, a huge accomplishment that no one else in his family ever had. It became his golden ticket to get on to the next big thing in his life.
While serving at a restaurant in Durango, Colorado he learned and understood the value of rapport in sales. So a chance meeting with an affluent customer who owned a Mercedes-Benz dealership opened a new door for him. The next thing he knew, he flew into Arizona and landed a job as a luxury car salesman, where he excelled.
Brian was also an investor before becoming a real estate agent. He applied everything that he learned from selling cars—such as building rapport and understanding the lifestyle of his potential buyers—to thrive in the central Phoenix luxury market. Now, his North&Co team has over 150 full-time agents, three offices, and over $550 million in sales in 2018 with 1600 transactions!
Join us as Brian shares his biggest influences and motivations in life. He also emphasized how his fear of “being broke” became an inspiration, and how he got over his mental roadblocks through the help of special mentors.
He is further living proof that dreams do come true, and that “cool shit” happens to those who work hard and strive to be the best of whatever they’re doing.
Mentions
Lab Coat Agents - https://www.labcoatagents.com/
North&Co. - Brian North’s Team - https://northandco.com/
Mercedes-Benz - https://www.mbusa.com/en/home
Fort Lewis College - https://www.fortlewis.edu/
Zanzibar Vermiglio - https://www.zanzibarenterprises.com/
McGeorge CPAs - https://mcgeorgecpas.com/
Darren Hardy - https://darrenhardy.com/insane-productivity-ludicrous
Show Sponsors;
Ylopo - The Future of Real Estate Tech - https://www.ylopo.com
Lab Coat Agents - The #1 Facebook Real Estate Group to learn how to grow your real estate business - https://www.facebook.com/groups/labcoatagents/
For Kenita Tang, a Maryland-based real estate agent and business coach, life has been such a crazy roller coaster ride. When her parents got divorced, their lives took an unexpected turn and they struggled to make ends meet. At roughly 12 years old, she had her first job at a snowball stand to help her mother. But it was through these early hardships that she learned the power of sales and discovered her innate talent for salesmanship. “Sales is in her DNA,” so to say.
When she got divorced, she had to sell all of her businesses and even their $1.4M home, which led her back again to square one. It was one of the toughest times in her life, especially since she became a single mom to her three small children. It was after she moved back to their childhood home that she thought about how she could re-establish herself. She engaged in some hobbies, started to pierce her life back together, and did everything she could to earn money. She eventually went back into sales by selling luxury cars.
Her good work ethic, love for serving people, and extensive business experience laid the foundation for her real estate career. In 2018, she closed over 15 million and 50 properties as a single agent, giving her a GCI of over $400,000. This year, she now has a team of buyer’s agents and admins who are looking to close almost 100 homes.
Tune in and be in awe with how Kenita Tang managed to pick herself up whenever she falls down in life, and how she prides herself in her diligence to read and learn everything about her work. She also shares how she used social media to leverage her real estate business, and why she tells people to also value self-compassion to help them become better versions of themselves.
Who says midwifery and real estate have nothing in common? For Seattle-based broker Mel Parsons, her background and abilities as a midwife helped her carve out a niche for herself in the real estate industry. She’s now managing an incredible real estate team with a GCI of $865,000 in 2018!
She couldn’t even believe that only six years ago, she experienced collecting food stamps, babysitting other people’s kids during summer, and figuring out other resourceful ways to live out of very little money. When they lost their third baby, her pain and grief made her despise other women who successfully gave birth. But they were also struggling financially, so she evaluated herself and thought about what other things she could do with her capabilities.
For someone who didn’t even have any value of homeownership back then and could hardly pay their rent, she tried her luck in real estate and took her licensing exam in 2015. From then on, she jumped in on every opportunity she could get to learn from the geniuses in the industry.
And with her genuine and nurturing personality, she’s continuously growing her business through providing a high-touch service with their clients.
Join us as Mel gives a glimpse of her wonderful but also painful journey as a midwife, how she transitioned into real estate, and the great people she looks up to who help her pave the way to success, of which she is really proud of.
Mentions
Parsons Team Seattle - https://www.parsonsteamseattle.com/
Kelly Tadlock - https://kellytadlock.com/
Cheri Benjamin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheri-benjamin-945bb8115
Club Wealth - https://clubwealth.com/
Lab Coat Agents - https://www.labcoatagents.com/
Misti Bruton - https://www.rags2richessuccessstories.com/podcasts/astonishing-rags-to-riches-episode-3-misti-bruton
Keri Shull - https://kerishull.com/
Mike Cuevas, “Real Estate Marketing Dude” - https://www.realestatemarketingdude.com/mike-cuevas/
Brittiny Howard - https://www.rags2richessuccessstories.com/podcasts/astonishing-rags-to-riches-episode-5-brittiny-howard
Ron Anderson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronanderson27
Michael Hellickson, Club Wealth - https://clubwealth.com/michael-hellickson/
Ruth Krishnan - https://ruthkrishnan.com/about/
Long Doan - https://realtygroupmn.com/coon-rapids-team/long-doan-licensed-real-estate-agent
Tech Partners;
Ylopo - https://www.ylopo.com/ (Lead Gen, Lead Nurture, Lead Follow Up)
Show Sponsors;
Ylopo - The Future of Real Estate Tech - https://www.ylopo.com
Lab Coat Agents - The #1 Facebook Real Estate Group to learn how to grow your real estate business - https://www.facebook.com/groups/labcoatagents/
Some classic Brittiny Quotes ...
“I have a big dick and I’m not afraid to say things”
“I don’t back down if I believe something is right.”
“Get your ass up and go to work.”
Show notes ...
In this fifth episode of Rags to Riches podcast, Baton Rouge real estate agent Brittiny Howard shares with us her brazen but captivating story. Growing up, she had a good support network, with her dad working in a roofing and brick masonry business. Her first stint at real estate was when she helped her mom sell their home at 12 years old to her best friend's family.
Even though she had her first child at the age of 20 and raised him as a single mother, she refused to let it stop her from graduating at the University of Vanderbilt on time.
However, difficult times came when she was barely making enough money and even had to count nickels in order to buy their food. Despite all of this, her little boy was her biggest motivation to push and try harder.
This iron-willed and decisive mother was able to close 52 deals in her first year as a real estate agent. But by the end of 2017, merely four days after she got fired by her brokerage, her home and neighborhood got flooded. The government didn’t help them and her insurance failed to reimburse everything she spent, wiping out all of her savings. Devastated as she was, her family and personality remain as her driving force to “get her ass up” and go to work—with no more excuses.
Brittiny simply believed that losing and failing is not an option.
Tune in as she mentions the amazing people who’ve become part of her real estate journey, how she started focusing on building relationships with her potential clients, and her special way of giving back to the less fortunate in her community.
Mentions:
Zillow - https://www.zillow.com/
Commissions Inc (CINC) - https://www.cincpro.com/
Google (PPC) - favorite set-up
Lab Coat Agents - https://www.labcoatagents.com/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com
Gusty Gulas - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustygulas
Tristan Ahumada - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristanahumada
Michael Hellickson, Club Wealth - https://clubwealth.com/michael-hellickson/
Kevin Markarian - https://www.searchsanfranciscocahomes.com/team/kevin-markarian-licensed-real-estate-agent
Sam*
Cheri Benjamin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheri-benjamin-945bb8115
Mike Bjorkman - https://teambjorkman.com/team/mike-bjorkman-licensed-real-estate-agent
Amanda Todd - http://amandatoddgroup.com/
Howard Tager - https://www.ylopo.com/howard-tager-ylopo-ceo
Vanderbilt University - https://www.vanderbilt.edu/
Show Sponsors;
Ylopo - The Future of Real Estate Tech - https://www.ylopo.com
Lab Coat Agents - The #1 Facebook Real Estate Group to learn how to grow your real estate business - https://www.facebook.com/groups/labcoatagents/
For Ruth Krishnan, gathering up the courage to get out of her little town in Missouri and move into a huge city like San Francisco changed everything. It was no easy feat thriving in an entirely new place, but she believed that she had nothing to lose. Things were really tight growing up in their family with nine children—they had very little to eat and she was used to wearing hand-me-down clothes. So the only thing she can do was to move and figure out how to make it in her own way. So she did.
Once she learned she was pretty good at sales, she studied interior design and established her own design business. Eventually, she tried out her luck in real estate and ended up really liking it. Being a new mother at that time, they needed the income so she knew her only option was to make it work.
Fast forward to today and she handles an amazing team who has been leading the San Francisco luxury real estate market. She loves learning from a lot of other people who are doing better than her; people who are thinking differently and making things happen. She shares valuable lessons from her awesome mentors and life coaches, her main sources for leads, and different leverage strategies that help her make the most out of her business and personal life.
Come join us as Ruth shares her inspiring journey of a poor girl who took a huge leap of faith to venture into something new and challenging, to being the No. 1 Buyer’s agent in San Francisco.
Mentions:
Tony Robbins: https://www.tonyrobbins.com/
Compass - https://www.compass.com/agents/sf/ruth-krishnan/
Ylopo: https://www.ylopo.com/
Wall Street Journal - https://www.wsj.com/
Kari Shull - https://kerishull.com/
Core coaching - https://www.thecoretraining.com/
Matt O’Neill - https://www.mattoneillrealestate.com/about
Yelp - https://www.yelp.com/biz/ruth-krishnan-san-francisco-real-estate-san-francisco-3?osq=Ruth+Krishnan
MyOutDesk: https://www.myoutdesk.com/
Tech Partners;
Ylopo - https://www.ylopo.com/ (Lead Gen, Lead Nurture, Lead Follow Up)
Show Sponsors;
Ylopo - The Future of Real Estate Tech - https://www.ylopo.com
Lab Coat Agents - The #1 Facebook Real Estate Group to learn how to grow your real estate business - https://www.facebook.com/groups/labcoatagents/
Show Notes:
After three years of being in an abusive relationship that took away all her material possessions, Misti Bruton found herself jobless, homeless, and a single mother with 4 kids. She found herself abandoned, lost and penniless. She begged her ex-husband to crash on his couch for six months. But she did not let this situation define her and she restarted her journey from scratch. She got into odd jobs, saved money and got her real estate license back.
After five years, Misti owns one of the top real estate brokerages in Texas. She did not stop pushing herself and reached out to the right people. Using Facebook as her number one tool, she grew her audience and got her name out there while working behind her computer. She got herself a mentor and learned to trust the process in elevating her business which included creating and growing her own team. And life kept getting better for Misti.
She took the challenge of getting back on her feet, building her team, and leveling up herself personally and professionally- and she is definitely winning it!
Join us in this amazing podcast as Misti shares her beautiful and inspiring journey of turning her life around and building a thriving business.
Mentions:
Lab Coat Agents Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/groups/labcoatagents/
Tristan Amuhada : https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristanahumada
Nick Baldwin : https://www.labcoatagents.com/speakers/nick-baldwin/
Michael Hellickson : https://clubwealth.com/michael-hellickson/
Club Wealth: https://clubwealth.com
Ylopo : https://www.ylopo.com/
Street Texts : https://streettext.com/
Firepoint: https://www.firepoint.net/
Realtor.com : https://www.realtor.com/
Show Sponsors;
Ylopo - The Future of Real Estate Tech - https://www.ylopo.com
Lab Coat Agents - The #1 Facebook Real Estate Group to learn how to grow your real estate business - https://www.facebook.com/groups/labcoatagents/
Long had to grow up really fast after his father was ripped away from him, his mother and 2 younger brothers in the middle of the night by the communist Vietnamese and thrown into political jail.
Long was only 8 years old and instantly had to become the man of the house. He eventually managed to escape via boat at the age of 12 and after floating at sea for days ended up in a Malaysian refugee camp before getting sponsored and making it to America where he resides and thrives today, this is the incredible story of everything in between.
Long also gives us a glimpse of how he landed into the real estate industry and started his career. What steps he took in order to land where his business is right now. And how he plans to grow it in the future. He also gives out his outlook in having a mentor, his belief system, and what he thinks of mistakes and taking chances in growing personally and professionally.
If you are looking for a story that will inspire you and help you believe in a positive mindset, this is the episode for you.
Join me and Long as we talk about surviving, staying positive, and building a business to inspire others to grow and thrive- not just survive.
Mentions:
Long’s Father - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90o%C3%A0n_Vi%E1%BA%BFt_Ho%E1%BA%A1t
Realty Group - Long’s Real Estate Business - https://realtygroupmn.com/
Mike Bernier - https://realtygroupmn.com/coon-rapids-team/michael-bernier-licensed-real-estate-agent
Club Wealth - https://clubwealth.com/
Michael Hellickson - https://clubwealth.com/michael-hellickson/
Sam Khorramian - https://bigblockrealty.com/sam/
Howard Tager - https://www.ylopo.com/about-us
University of Minnesota - https://twin-cities.umn.edu/
Tech Partners:
Ylopo - https://www.ylopo.com/ (Lead Gen, Lead Nurture, Lead Follow Up)
Call Action - https://callaction.co/
Show Sponsors:
Ylopo - The Future of Real Estate Tech - https://www.ylopo.com
Lab Coat Agents - The #1 Facebook Real Estate Group to learn how to grow your real estate business - https://www.facebook.com/groups/labcoatagents/
The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.