Growth Notes

Business Planning Made Simple: Income Targets and Protected Time

Frazier shares a simple approach to business planning for Growth Notes as the year-end planning season approaches: it all comes down to income and time. He says to start with how much money you must earn based on what you want to accomplish that year, then work the business math—how many opportunities and closings are needed to hit that income target. From there, define what must happen each week to create those opportunities and closings, and finally block and protect the specific time when that work will get done. Frazier emphasizes that any goal without protected time isn’t serious, and while it’s easy to get lost in endless activity ideas, the plan should stay focused on the target, the math, weekly actions, and time protection.

Host Frazier opens Growth Notes on a Friday by reflecting on the quote, "We suffer far more in imagination than we do in reality," and challenges listeners to notice how often they talk themselves out of sharing an idea or asking for an opportunity because they predict negative reactions that have not happened. He describes how people create big stories about being judged, questioned on price, or seen as unqualified, then spend days worrying about something that might only take minutes. Frazier emphasizes that while real risks in business exist and should be understood and prepared for, hesitation often comes more from assumptions than evidence. He encourages asking, what do I really know and what am I assuming, and dealing with obstacles when they actually happen instead of living through every possible outcome first.

Frazier opens with a Thursday greeting, noting a Season Two event at 11:00 AM Eastern, then shares a quote from a Greek philosopher: “First say to yourself what you would be, and then do what you must.” They interpret it as defining the identity, character, and goals you want, then acting now in ways that match that vision rather than waiting. Using a loan officer example, they explain that trust is built in difficult moments like a troubled Friday closing by calling the client, sharing what is known, explaining what is being done, giving a timeline for updates, and following through. The message is to get specific about who you want to become, do what that person would do in your current situation, and start today while planning for 2027.

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Mortgage Mornings + The 12-Month Lock-In Challenge

In this episode of the Growth Notes Podcast, Frazier shares a quick Wednesday update and invites listeners to Mortgage Mornings at 10:00 AM Eastern, where Jonathan will walk through a live cash-out call (link in the show notes), and notes that season two starts tomorrow. Frazier then delivers a coaching takeaway: visualize what your business and life would look like if you truly locked in for 12 months—one year of focus, sacrifice, and going all in on your objective. He frames it as a planning primer for the back half of the year and encourages starting smaller with 30-day commitments, building momentum week by week, and using progress milestones (like members completing 75 Hard) as proof you can extend consistency from 30 to 60 to 90 days and beyond.

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Join Season 2

In this Growth Notes Podcast episode, Frazier shares housekeeping updates on two weekly calls—Mortgage Mornings on Wednesday and Season Two on Thursday at 11:00 AM ET—and notes that membership is open through November 7 before closing for at least 90 days, with future pricing expected to increase and a planned cap on members. He then reflects on recently taking a leadership role at a mortgage brokerage and how the challenge reminded him of earlier engineering days when being “in the zone” felt energizing despite the stress. Frazier explains that while originators often feel overwhelmed, many also miss being busy because they genuinely enjoy building. His message: being a solopreneur is fine, but collaboration and community can restore energy—so plug in, enjoy the ride, and recognize you may miss parts of the grind when they’re gone.

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How much time and energy are you wasting worrying about things you cannot control?

Rates, the economy, other people, and everything that could go wrong. You can spend all day worrying about these things and accomplish absolutely nothing.

In this episode, I break down the three things you can control: your actions, your reactions, and your mindset. We'll talk about how to stop wasting energy on uncertainty and start taking responsibility for the things within your reach.

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Draw the Straight Line: Stay Focused on Your Goal

On a Sunday episode of the Growth Notes Podcast, Frazier reminds listeners that “the shortest distance between any two points is a straight line,” and challenges them to examine how often they zig and zag on the way to their objectives. He distinguishes unnecessary wandering from intentional pivoting, noting that many detours come from “maybe” thinking rather than a clear plan. Frazier connects this to daily execution as well—without a schedule or strategy, days become a squiggly line instead of controlled progress. As a practical exercise for November, he encourages listeners to choose a goal for the next 60 days, draw a straight line from “me November 1st” to the goal, write the actions required along the line, keep it visible as a map, and track how often they drift off path through the end of the year.

Sell What Your Customer Actually Values

In this Growth Notes Podcast episode, Frazier uses a competitive research study on Mercedes to challenge listeners to rethink what drives consumer decisions and how that should shape sales conversations. He explains that when customers were asked why they bought Mercedes, the top reasons were status and prestige, quality, resale value, performance, and safety—showing that what sellers assume matters most may not be what buyers prioritize. Frazier ties this to business and mortgage sales, emphasizing that success comes from deeply understanding what matters to each audience segment and clearly connecting your product or service to their specific problem. He notes that first-time homebuyers, veterans, purchasers, and refinance clients require different talk tracks, and he warns against assuming you already know what clients value without real conversations.

Fix the Process Before You Change the Tool

On the Growth Notes Podcast, Frazier continues a Toyota-themed lesson focused on improving business systems by starting with process before technology. He argues that people often jump from vendor to vendor—especially with CRMs—when the real issue is usually a broken or unclear process, not the tool itself. Frazier warns against letting a platform dictate how you work and urges listeners to define the end goal and what they’re trying to solve before choosing technology, particularly as AI drives more tool-chasing behavior. He frames tools as both support for maintaining productivity and growth and as a lever for shifting gears, but only after processes are optimized. With year-end planning underway, he encourages reviewing what to add, remove, or budget for by first fixing and enhancing the underlying process.

Season Two + The 5 Whys: Fix the Root Problem, Not the Symptom

In this episode of the Growth Notes Podcast, Frazier announces the return of the “Still Standing” call as “Season Two,” a weekly Thursday 11 AM Eastern session led this week by Carrie, designed to help struggling loan officers with no pitch or agenda—just a topic to move business forward. He then revisits Kaizen and shares Toyota’s “Five Whys” method for problem-solving, emphasizing Toyota’s belief that problems are solved 20% by tools and 80% by thinking. Using an example of oil on a shop floor, Frazier walks through asking “why” five times to uncover the true root cause—often a decision made long ago—rather than fixing only the immediate symptom. He encourages listeners to apply the Five Whys in their own business to prevent recurring issues.

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