In this episode of the Broker’s Playbook, we’re talking with Storm Fletcher. Storm is a business and real estate coach, as well as an analyst. In this wide-ranging conversation, she shares her insights on coaching, business analysis, and more!
For the past 18 years, Storm Fletcher has helped grow Richard Robbins International (RRI) into the foremost authority in Canadian real estate training and coaching. A master of her craft, she commands the frontline of innovative development and growth at RRI and believes that success comes from an unwillingness to be comfortable and the desire to do more.
This is an episode you don’t want to miss if you’re looking to take your business to the next level! Love what you hear from Storm? See what RRI has to offer you and your business, or connect directly with Storm to start the process of analyzing your business today!
Coaching & Business Analysis w/ Storm Fletcher
Simeon Papailias: What’s up? Broker Playbook Nation, This is your boy, Simeon. Papa Elias. And today I have the pleasure of bringing Storm Fletcher Business development for Richard Robbins International. She has been the vice president of the firm for a very long time, and her insight today is going to be invaluable into how coaching actually helps your business. Stay on track through the years of up markets, down markets and everything in between. We’re going to be talking to the Richard Robbins international system of lifetime referrals and how coaching can bring 25 to 30% return on your database. This is one you do not want to miss. See you shortly.
Laura Martin: Welcome to Brokers Playbook. We are so excited to have our special guest today. Storm, you are such a force. Of course I am rhyming like crazy and I’m just so excited to have Storm Fletcher, the VP of Sales for Richard Robbins International. She’s been a coach and sales development leader there for 18 fabulous years, changing hundreds of lives. Their primary goal is to coach and empower real estate agents and mortgage brokers across Canada and the world. She is going to share with us today on the power of coaching Storm. Welcome to the show.
Storm Fletcher: Thank you so much. Really, really, really excited to be here.
Simeon Papailias: Welcome to the show. My good, good friends Storm Fletcher. I couldn’t be more excited to have you here for you to share your message. And some of that magic that we’re going to hear today is going to be surrounding the systems that Rich Robbins and that entire organization. They’ve created a system for lifelong referrals, a touchpoint system, a coaching system that just brings out the absolute best in both realtors, mortgage brokers, books of business. So. So I couldn’t be more excited to hear all about it. Laura, Laura, take us anywhere you see, Lady.
Laura Martin: Honestly Storm I would love some coaching on. How to create these lifelong relationships, because I think some something I struggle with personally is I’m a bit one and done. You know what I mean? Like when you’re when you’re urgent, when you’re in my zone, when I’m currently doing your deal, you know, obviously I’m all over it. But then that post closing follow up, it’s like, you know, of course I could put you into the CRM and I could send you meaningless birthday messages. But you know what? What could you do to really know? No, I’m not saying like specifically what do I need to do? Because obviously that’s like freaking call them. Change is mindset where I’m thinking to do it because everything starts in the mind, right?
Storm Fletcher: You know, it’s so funny that you say that because there’s a couple of different things. The biggest mistake that I see in this industry, this and mortgage is consistency. We don’t bring consistency to our behaviors. And I’ll tell you why. In all industries, when especially when you’re dealing with the exchange of money, shall we say, there is this thing that you are only successful based on the result that you produce. And while having a goal and an objective of what your result is is massively important, it is the one thing you cannot frickin control. The only thing that you can control is your behaviors. And when we are inconsistent in our behaviors, when we get pulled to what’s urgent, we lose focus on what’s important. And this is like it’s a relationship business. No matter what business that you’re in, the business is as deep and as rich as the relationships that you form. So I want everybody to think for a minute, if you were to meet your future spouse, partner, whatever that looks like, and you were only to talk to them every six months. And when you talk to them every six months, it was sharing details about you, how deep and how rich would your relationship be and would they be running out and telling everybody, oh, my goodness, you got to model my relationship? So it’s a relationship business. That is it, period.
Laura Martin: Yeah, I say that, you know, like this. This could be a really great learning opportunity for people because it’s not just that the technical details, the process, how much you know about the market, how much you know, lenders, how many what you know, what your book of business is like. It’s more about like this business development mindset and like that, always trying to add to your network.
Storm Fletcher: You know, I always say, excuse my French, the road to hell is paved with great ideas and there is no shortage of great ideas out there. And when you are of an entrepreneurial mindset, when that is kind of the nature of who you are, and I find a lot that are in the mortgage industry and in the real estate industry, we’re very entrepreneurial. You tend to bounce from thing to thing to think, Oh, that’s a great idea. Ooh, that’s a great idea and shiny subject.
Simeon Papailias: Yeah. Syndrome. It’s it’s 100%, 100.
Storm Fletcher: And I feel this when you don’t stay the course in one. So it’s like have three strategies commit fully and execute on those If you don’t, if you’re constantly bouncing, it is honestly the equivalent of getting up every single morning and going, I’m going to climb that mountain and getting just about to the top and going, Oh, I’m not getting the results I wanted. I quit and then going and pick another amount in the next day.
Laura Martin: So wait, you said have three strategies and commit those.
Storm Fletcher: Yes. Yes. So strategy number one would be your relationship nurturing strategy. How are you going to continue to develop your relationships prior to the business happening? And then long, long after? Number two, the next strategy is how do you bring continuity and authenticity to who it is, what it is that you do and doing that with consistency. So what is your consistency for execution? Number three, What are your primary behaviors? Things that you need to do? The big thing, the big mistake that we do is we look at somebody who has success and what we want to do is we go, Oh, you’re really, really successful. I’m just going to do what you’re going to do. Mistake. There’s nothing wrong with mirroring success, but eventually you’ve got to breathe it in and body it, breathe it out as your own.
Simeon Papailias: Well, because execution is so different by so somebody can look at my book of business and say, I’m going to do it exactly the same way. Well, you can’t because you’re not me. When you’re doing it, you’re going to do it your way even though you think you have the right steps. It’s like it’s no different than a bread recipe unless you follow it, which is what they say. Baking is a science, not not a craft. Yes. If you want to be a pioneer, you’re a craftsman. But if you want to make good bread, you better follow the recipe. Or else that Gordon Ramsay bread that you see on TV is not going to be Gordon Ramsay bread. Yes. So either you stick to the fundamentals and follow it to a T, which is where, again, we’re going to talk about coaching. We’re going to talk about the systems, because if you don’t and you just helter skelter everything every single morning, you’re going to wake up. Exactly. Facing that big mountain and thinking that it’s your shoes. Oh, no, I’m going to get the better pole. No, I need a bigger knapsack. No, you don’t. You need to just walk up the goddamn mountain.
Storm Fletcher: Well, and I think we can all agree one of the biggest challenges we’re having. I’m seeing it. We’re seeing it massively. We’ve got huge burnout. We’ve got massive, massive, massive fatigue and burnout because people have been just hairy carry being chased around, no structure, no systems, and they’re at the mercy of everybody else. And so when you bring it back, this is a business, is it not? We are all business owners. We own our own little book of business. And if you can’t have the bandwidth to stand back and really look at and analyze what am I doing, what’s working, what’s not, when all we’re doing is chasing the result, then you’re going to grind and burn out year over year over year, and then you are not at the highest and best service to your clients. How can you possibly nurture a relationship when you’ve got nothing in you? So you’ve got to be able to stand back and pour into yourself, take that time, so then you’re able to pour it all back into other people.
Laura Martin: So I love that Simeon was just talking about, how are you going to get off that mountain? You know, is it the poles, is it the shoes? And I read something the other day that was referring to mentors and coaches as the Sherpa, specifically with the Mount Everest example, Not a single soul has gone up Everest without a Sherpa. And we’re talking about most people wouldn’t dare go up Everest, right?
Simeon Papailias: So I would not I can speak to me specifically. I have zero either. None.
Laura Martin: So you’re getting this like 0.001% of the ultras that have been training their whole lives and they still wouldn’t be able to do it despite their million hours of training without a Sherpa and the sharp. Is that guide. They know the lay of the land. They know like they have this like in depth connection. That’s like at a molecular level.
Simeon Papailias: They are the mountain.
Laura Martin: Iterations, right? And so. Would you say that a coach is like a Sherpa, you know, and would you say that there’s no way to get up that mountain without one?
Storm Fletcher: You know what? I would I would only differentiation I will make. You can get the mountain without one. But when you get to the top of the mountain, what state are you in and what condition are you in? Is your body healthy enough? Have you gone the right way that you’re able to get back down the mountain? Because for every mountain you climb, you’ve got to come back down and climb again. And so can you get to the top of the mountain. I have had the privilege of knowing many great humans who have created a tremendous level of success in their business without a coach. But when they come to us, they’re exhausted, they’re run regen. And to even get them to release 10 minutes of bandwidth of time, to be able to train somebody or give them a dump delegate or do it’s a lot more work. It’s way easier to form good habits and learn the path than it is to break bad ones.
Simeon Papailias: So just before we leave the topic, because she’s talking about a Sherpa, you’re talk we’re talking about coaching, what defines what makes a coach. So give me a little bit about maybe your background because we didn’t touch on your bio. Tell me a little bit by why I should listen to your advice. And I’m speaking this not from a funny place, but literally what makes Storm Fletcher somebody to listen to? Why are you a good coach?
Storm Fletcher: I’ll tell you why. The one thing that none of us have the ability to do is to truly see ourselves through others eyes. And we get so locked into a belief, an idea of who we are and what we are and what we want to do. To have someone who’s not attached to that and stand from the back. Think of it this way A coach when you would listen to them, remember when GPS first came out, everybody was like, Oh my God, it changed our lives. You got in your car, you punched in a destination and off you went. But the original GPS didn’t know the one the was a one way. Wouldn’t tell you about traffic, wouldn’t tell you all those things. So you might be driving along, get stuck in traffic detours, all of it. But you’re in it. You’re just in your car, You’re going. So then along came the app called Waze. Waze tells you if there’s red light cameras, if there’s potholes, is there police? And it’s going ahead of you 20 kilometers at all times. So you don’t have to hit the detours, you don’t have to hit the speeding, you don’t have to hit any of it. That’s what coaching is. They get an objective and a goal in mind with you. Who are you? Let’s get clear. Where are you right now? You cannot get where you want to go unless you first figure out where the hell you are. So let’s get really clear on where you are. And then objectively, they don’t have the same emotion.
Simeon Papailias: So what are the steps? So what happens? So let’s say I want to start coaching tomorrow. Sure. What are the actual steps? So. So let’s say for example, myself, I have a I have a small team. Me and a mortgage broker have teamed up where a real estate and mortgage duo very common in this business. What are the steps for us to structure? Let’s say we’re doing great production, we’re happy, but we’re getting bogged down. What are the questions that you’re going to ask? How do we how do you determine where we are?
Storm Fletcher: So we figure out it’s almost like a little mini audit. So we audit your business practices. We audit what you’ve done in the past, we audit what your personality is. We get clear on what is it that you love. One of the things we ask a lot is if there was something that you never had to do again, what would it be listed here? So we get really, really clear on who you are as a person, What’s important to you as a person? Are you married? Do you have children? Do you have a team? What have you done in your business to date? And then if everything that you’ve done has gotten you where you wanted, where you are now, if you continue to just repeat that pattern, you’re going to stay where you are. Correct? So if you want to go from where you are to say, let’s just make up a number so you’re starting at 250, you want to go to five. If you continue to do the same things you’ve always done, you’re going to continue to produce that result.
Storm Fletcher: So we analyze it and go, okay, so this is where you are. You want to be over here? What is it that we can change? We don’t cannonball your business. It’s not about coming in and going. Now we’re just going to teach you how to do it our way. That doesn’t work. It’s about who are you? What do you love to do? What are you passionate about? What have you done now? Maybe we just need to change the trajectory. Five degrees. Maybe we just need to add something over here. Maybe we need to remove something over here. So it’s a continuous audit of behaviors and business principles and practices, and then a revisit. So often when you join any kind of coaching, it’s like, okay, where do you want to be ten years from now? Now, while it’s really important, guys to have strategy and idea of where you want to be in ten years in your business, as you evolve, your strategies can change. Where are you right now? Where do you want to be next? Okay, let’s build that bridge.
Simeon Papailias: Are you process? Are you process and habit focused? Are you result focused? Is there a hybrid? Because I’ve heard many, many different schools of thought. I’ve heard the hard core results count. Everything else is nonsense. Obviously, I personally am not a believer in that strategy. I believe processes everything, meaning that when you do the right things, the result is automatic. Others may agree or may not agree. What is your personal stance? What is the stance of your organization on process and habits versus result?
Storm Fletcher: Only process and habit lead to result. And so look it. I don’t know about you. I don’t want to work for free. The result that we produce is massively important. And so it’s not like you come in and it’s all whimsical and fluffy and oh, it doesn’t matter that you didn’t make any money this month, you just had the right behaviors. Go, go, go. That’s not it at all. It’s more about let’s hone in on what behaviors that you do that we’re going to execute on and fine tune the process behind it. That’s the important part. So if you just focus on results, you get burned out and you change tactics. Too often, if you focus on the.
Simeon Papailias: Systems, you’re always looking for result, which is short term as opposed to process and habit, where we’ll lead you to a system of referrals, etc. Because I really want to get into that system.
Storm Fletcher: Right now. Yes, Well, because if you think about consistency, guys, if you look at if our goal every single day and I’m going to do realtor speak for a moment, but I want you to think of this from a mortgage advisor perspective as well. But if I wake up every single morning and my goal is to find a buyer or seller, I am relevant to maybe 5% of the population at any given time. Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be relevant to five. I want to be relevant to 100. And the way that you’re relevant to 100 is by having the ability to nurture existing relationships and open new relationships through that nurturing. Imagine for a moment, guys, if you create that kind of loyalty, you don’t make it about you. You make it about them. Always. Not a buyer, not a seller, a homeowner or a potential homeowner if you make it about that. You’re frickin golden. You’re golden because you’re always looking to open up new relationships. What if I were to tell you?
Simeon Papailias: So what is the value proposition there? So. So. So you’re looking at you’re not looking at the customer. You’re looking at a client, You’re not looking at a transaction. You’re looking at a solution. Take me further. So what is the mindset? What is the actual playbook that we’re serving up right now is the way we look at the transaction? Is it the way we look at our fellow human being? Are we looking.
Laura Martin: To with anything? Right. Like, Hey, can I support your business or your restaurant or can I help with your.
Simeon Papailias: Give me an example. You’re in a lineup at Starbucks. How do you act in that lineup in Starbucks? Not you’re not there to pick up clients but as as business owners were there to get coffee. So we’re supporting a business and we’re going to take when we can how do we provide value in a lineup where somebody would want to connect with us?
Laura Martin: I mean, usually I’ll remark on a quip like most of my value is making them smile, just saying something funny.
Storm Fletcher: You bet. When I always say as well, I’m a shoe girl.
Simeon Papailias: But making somebody brighter is what you’re getting.
Storm Fletcher: Yes. And connection. Finding a common thread. A relationship is about common threads. So we may not all speak the same language and connect at the same level. But if I if I can see another person who loves shoes, be it man or woman from 100 miles away. So I’m a shoe girl. So when I’m in a lineup, I’m always looking for an opportunity to really, really connect with people, to bring joy, bring laughter, bring great conversation. And so I will always find someone in that lineup who has a great pair of shoes, my kindred spirit and I will call out to them great shoes.
Simeon Papailias: So is the lesson here is the lesson here that in order for relationships to open because if I told you this is the question I get 5 trillion times in the last 15 years for my new agents, Well, I don’t know anybody. What am I supposed to do? The answer is go out there and meet people. But then they’re like, Well, what do you say? And I say, Because I believe very much in what Laura said. I make people laugh. I’m not a frickin clown. I’m not I’m not going to make people laugh, but I’m going to make people’s day better. So you’re leading the world with positivity, and I’m in a meaningful way, meaning that that person being in the lineup, you can choose to be quiet, which does nothing for no one. You can choose to be an asshole for lack of a better term, because that’s the only thing you can be when you’re an asshole. So the people who are like, Oh, I was here first. Oh, push. Are you done ordering yet? All those people. Those are the people. Those are the stains on the planet. Those are the people who who like to destroy and bring people down. You mean you can be right?
Storm Fletcher: Well, and you got to think of it this way as well. We’re different types of personalities. So the most important piece here is how do I connect with somebody? So if I’ve got somebody who’s really gregarious and outgoing and loves to connect with people, very social, I’m going to give them all kinds of tips that they can do to connect with people in lineups wherever they are. Have a word. So one of the things, if someone asks me how I’m doing, how often your day do you get asked how you’re doing living life, selling houses? Oh, your realtor. I sure am. And then, oh, oh, oh. Curiosity comes. But let’s say that you’re not that person. You’re more of an introvert. Go and sit in a coffee shop. Go up to the till, give them $50 and save for the next $50 worth of sales that come through for coffee. They’re on me and all that I’m asking you to do. In return. I’m going to be sitting over there in the corner. Can you just point and say coffee’s on storm today? Reciprocity is that at least 25% of those people are going to come over and thank me for that gift. In that moment, I have an opportunity, but I want to just flip the script here for a minute, if I can. Do you.
Simeon Papailias: Mind?
Storm Fletcher: No. I want you to think about this for a second, guys. In business, so often when we have that opportunity to connect, maybe we have a great conversation. What is automatically nine times out of ten that happens At the end of the conversation, we say, or they say, You know, I really enjoyed our do you have a card? And we give them our business card and we walk away thinking, Oh God, that was so great. What a great conversation. They walk away feeling the same way. But then life happens. How the hell do I nurture a relationship through my business card? I can’t. So I don’t. I don’t give out business cards. If I really connect with somebody, I automatically say to them, Do you have a business card storm? You know what? Actually, I don’t. But what’s your cell number? I’ll text you my contact details. I’ve set myself up as a contact in my phone, so I don’t do digital cards. I don’t do any of that because, again, I’m giving the control to someone else the minute I text them my contact details, guess what I have? I have their contact details.
Storm Fletcher: I walk away in my phone, I immediately take that number. I add it to my contacts. I put down their name. Most of the time I only know their first name, but then I make a special note. What was our thread? Where did we meet? What did we talk about? And then a couple of weeks later, I’ll circle back and I don’t give a shit. If I’m sitting at home in my pajamas, I’ll circle back and I’ll say, Hey, you know what? I’m in Starbucks again this morning. And I was thinking about our conversation. How are you? How are you doing? And it is about nurturing the five second elevator speech that we have been taught to do is not healthy and not good. When you are first opening up a relationship, think of it this way. You go to a bar, you see somebody gorgeous across the bar, you guys make eye contact. You walk over and you say, Hey, you got 5 minutes for me to tell you all about me. No.
Simeon Papailias: No, ma’am.
Storm Fletcher: No. Curious.
Simeon Papailias: Be curious. Drive value first when you go off. And this is again, I’ve seen this in listing presentations where I shadowed my. My junior agents. They go in, they just start talking about them. Awesome company. What are you doing?
Storm Fletcher: Who cares? Nobody gets a shit about you or your company.
Simeon Papailias: It’s not exactly what you just said. Shut up.
Storm Fletcher: Right.
Laura Martin: Shut up. I’m dead. Air. You’ll talk yourself out of a deal, man.
Storm Fletcher: Yes. Well, and then think about afterwards. Right. So we’ve transacted. The deal is closed now. This is where we really lean into our lifetime referral system. Guys, we have clients that are consistently producing 20 to 25, in some cases, 30% return on database. What does that mean? This system executed. You’ve got 100 people in your database, you are doing 30 deals a year and not just one offs.
Simeon Papailias: So what what is the system? It is Define it. I want five five sentence definition.
Storm Fletcher: You need to have it. Okay. You’ve got to have 70% of your process has to be automated and generic. Why? Because if you don’t have it automated and generic, you’re not going to be consistent in your connection. It’s about staying top of mind. It’s about staying in their presence. But you shift it up as far as based on your personality, your communication style, what that is, and then you delegate that process out. So I don’t know. Let’s use some old school ones, shall we? Newsletter If you’re sending out a newsletter, how do you customize it and make sure that you’re speaking to the right language, the right people in their area, Market updates. What’s happening in our markets? What’s currently going on? What’s happening with mortgage rates? What does it mean to them? If I’ve got a 500,000 mortgage and it goes up by half a point, what does that mean to me bringing that voice of education? And that can be very generic. You always want to go macro, don’t go micro macro in your touches for 70% because we want to create curiosity and you always want to give them an opportunity to engage.
Simeon Papailias: And then the 30%.
Storm Fletcher: The 30% is customized and personal and micro. So you could do nannies and mimosas, you could do little client experiences and client events, you could do a coffee. I always say you should meet with your clients in person, belly to belly, face to face at least two times a year minimum. At least two times a year. Right? So a lot of people go, Oh my God, Storm, I’ve got 200 clients. And how do I meet with them?
Simeon Papailias: Well, let me tell you, that belly to belly in 2022 doesn’t exactly mean what belly to belly meant in 1999. Yes, because belly to belly right now, an Instagram live is a very intimate experience. Yeah, it’s a very personal experience hosting a clubhouse where you educate your clients, 30 of them at a time, about a topic that matters to them. Yes. Is belly to belly. Seeing them and dropping by their actual home is belly to belly. Yes, But making those micro events is what they’re called. Because I literally saw a presentation yesterday by one of my very esteemed colleagues, Eric already. She’s brilliant, so brilliant, and.
Storm Fletcher: She’s mastered micro events.
Simeon Papailias: So. So you want to talk about 70, 30, 70% keeps you in their inbox? Oh, yeah. It’s just a real estate newsletter. I’ll watch it. I won’t watch. Doesn’t matter. But the 30%, if you don’t do the 70, they don’t remember you or value your 30%.
Storm Fletcher: Yes. And what do you really want to factor into? The 30% Who are our clients? Our clients, our homeowners or potential homeowners, period. So our clients, everybody. And so how do you bring value? Well, do you have a strategic alliance with a window cleaning company? Do you have a strategic alliance with a gardening company? You have a strategic where are your strategic alliances and how do you bring value when you connect? And it’s a give. So right now I would be reaching out to all of my clients first number one step I would call a window cleaning company and a landscaping company. I would make sure I vet them. It must be someone that you know, like and trust. You can deliver these. Yes, They have to be in line with who you are and what you what you are, period. So you have to be willing to do the work. But guess what, guys? Opportunity looks a whole hell of a lot like hard work. All right, But you’ve got to do the work. But if you go and you interview a window cleaning company, you interview a landscaping company, you interview a furnace cleaning company, you interview a gutter cleaning company, and you then go to them. You know what? I really want to give my clients an opportunity to engage with your services. I want to promote your company to my clients. Free marketing. Hello. In exchange, I’d like to know what can we offer my client? So for window cleaning, it’s spring. Have you looked out your windows lately? It’s horrible. So I would be going to my clients and saying, Spring is here. Thank goodness, what a long winter. I’ve got this company that I’ve partnered with and they’re offering my clients 15% off of their first window cleaning service. If you want to take advantage of that, just please mention my name when you call. It’s a give a give a give. So the other 30% has to be specific, targeted and giving. It must be.
Simeon Papailias: Give them a reason. And once, once you start doing that once, twice, three times, people are going to grow accustomed to actually expect value. That’s actually real short term gain, such as if you’re like a business person that goes to for one pizza, whether it’s 50 bucks off the planters at the local garden center, all the different things they’re going to be like, Well, let’s see what she’s got this time, because this one’s crazy. She always goes and gets me all these crazy little things.
Storm Fletcher: Yes, always. Because think about it for a minute, guys. What is the greatest challenge that we have? The greatest challenge we have is how do we differentiate ourselves and how do we define our value? And if we are all saying and doing the exact same things and we’re not investing any piece of our self into our relationships, the client sees a pack of zebras. Therefore, there is no loyalty and they’ll choose anybody because you’re the same as everybody else. So if you want to stand out in differentiate yourself, you’ve got to be willing to do the work. And the only way that I know to do that, it has to be structured. Guys, look at our phone rings, the client needs something, We get pulled in 500 different directions. If we do not systemize this, would you build a frickin house without laying the foundation first? No, you would never do it. Oh, but I don’t want to worry about the foundation. I just want to worry about the pretty walls. Well, you’re pretty. Walls are going to crumble and fall down if your foundation is shit.
Simeon Papailias: That’s right.
Laura Martin: Okay, so let’s talk about structure a bit. Structure and consistency is like, That’s my mountain structure and consistency are my mountains.
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Laura Martin: So, you know, I try my best. I have several planners, Google calendar, notebooks, you know, affirmations, whiteboards. I try.
Storm Fletcher: How’s that working for you.
Laura Martin: And.
Storm Fletcher: Why? No, you know what?
Simeon Papailias: Why do you ask, Staab? Do you know.
Storm Fletcher: Why I say that? Because, look, it’s not a lack of that. But here’s the challenge, and I’ll do an analogy this way, and I can babble for hours. Guys, shut me up.
Simeon Papailias: Just have to reminder one thing, though. Anybody can say whatever they want. Yes, we’re talking about somebody that’s like just to make this very clear, Laura, you operate at the highest level in many different businesses. So and you are still the person to say that this is my mouth, this is my goal. If anybody knows what Golgotha is, it’s the mountain that Jesus had to walk up carrying the cross. Yes. So the fact that you know where your Achilles heel is, the fact that I know as a fact, because right before this podcast started, we were talking about my calendar. And she goes, So where’s your time? Block Where is your your time? And I was laughing. It doesn’t look as she goes. That’s not funny. Like, you’re you’re going to lose. So it doesn’t matter who you are.
Laura Martin: I don’t account for travel time. I don’t account for a meeting taking longer. I don’t account for something coming up. I don’t account for, Hey, I need my meditation time and my lunch time and this. Maybe I might be burnt out by three, so just stop booking things by.
Simeon Papailias: So I want to be very sensitive to you to this. Only because. What the takeaway here, because we have a coach in the House, one of the highest regarded coaches in the house, is the fact that Laura is coachable. I know as a fact that I am coachable. I change things all the time with absolute intent. Whether I’m comfortable or uncomfortable, I’ll do what I need to do. So let’s take Laura, because what Laura struggles with is probably the most common struggle across our industry, including I have got I know I have gotten better, but I still have miles to go because my consistency has only improved because I delegated it so personally has not improved as much as I have I paying to ensure I have it. You say now, do you know what I mean? So I do want our coach. I just wanted to preface preface that whole thing because A, you need to be able to identify your issues if you’re ever going to get a coach, do not pay a coach if you are not coachable.
Storm Fletcher: But then and I’ll add here, though, I don’t believe that anybody is not coachable. It’s about when you’re not coachable. When somebody comes in and tries to bulldoze you and your business and your life, you have to be to be a great coach, you have to be a great listener. You have to be able to really identify and then think of it this way. The challenge we all have is that mountain of, of, of, of things getting out of control and spiraling. But here’s what we do. Think of it this way. So has anybody ever eaten way too much chocolate over Christmas and way too much food? And you wake up Jan one, you go, Oh my God, I gained £20.
Simeon Papailias: I have.
Storm Fletcher: Yeah, right. And then you’re going like, Oh, that’s it. I’m never eating sugar again. And then by Wednesday you’re driving in your car trying to figure out where to hide the chocolate bar wrapper. Because when we make all encompassing statements and we try to change everything all at once, it doesn’t work. You have to do it in bites. So it is if you want to make a change in your business, I would never suggest to anybody that you go into your calendar and you time block and try and schedule everything all at once because it becomes a frickin elephant and you will never live into it. You won’t have time to form the habit. So I think about it this way. If I wanted to eliminate sugar from my diet, the very first thing I’m going do is I’m going to go, okay, I’m not going to have sugar on Mondays. And until I wake up on Monday morning and I don’t go, Oh shit, it’s no sugar day. I don’t add another day. As soon as Monday just becomes another day, then I add Tuesday. So when you’re starting off in your life and you’re like, Oh my gosh, this, this, this, this, this, and you try to change it all, don’t start with a bite.
Simeon Papailias: So one day it’s the resolution versus lifestyle change, right? Yeah. Like my personal trainer just ripped me. He goes, Why two, three days a week? You have to work out every day. And working out every day doesn’t mean because this is happening to me right now. I’m working with a personal trainer right now and he goes, No, I don’t want you to commit to a workout every day because I know you’re not going to do it. Factually. I’ve seen hundreds of you motivated, intense individuals just like you, Simeon. What you’re going to do is you’re going to see me twice a week, but the other days you’re going to go for a walk, play with your kid, you’re going to be active. Don’t tell me you’re going to work out. Don’t tell me you’re going to train.
Storm Fletcher: Take. Don’t tell me, don’t take an elevator.
Simeon Papailias: So she goes, Work activity into your life. You see me three times a week is 300% more than what you used to do or.
Storm Fletcher: Work experience into it as well. Yes. If I write down, let’s say I’ve got, as you.
Simeon Papailias: Said, bites. Elephant bites. Yes.
Storm Fletcher: Because think of it this way. If I say, you know what, one day I would really love to go to Australia for a month. Yeah, it’s great. One day I want to go to Australia with my daughter. I want to spend a month and I want to have this experience and this experience and this experience. I have way more attachment to that. So but you have to start slow, guys. Start slow. What is the one habit that you want to form in your business and then don’t overcommit when we reach a goal, you see there’s an endorphin dopamine fires off in our body and we’re like, I really like the way that that feels. I want more of that. When we overcommit to things and we don’t execute, the opposite happens and we’re like, Oh, that shit doesn’t work. I don’t want to be bothered with it. I’m not that person. It won’t work for me. And that is just a garbage story that we tell ourselves. But you have to be able to start slow and slowly build so that you put in that consistent behavior and structure. So one day I want everybody that’s listening.
Storm Fletcher: Right now, if you struggle with self management, I hate the word time management, self management. If your business and your schedule is out of control, first of all, have mercy on your self, please. We are human beings, not human doings, right? We’re human beings, not human doings. So we are not judged by that. But I want you to check one day and in that one day I want you to put in a two hour window. And in that two hour window you are focused on you. You are. The most important relationship you will ever have is with yourself. So in that two hour window, how are you going to pour into yourself and strategize in my calendar? Guys like I get I’m booked solid almost every day, all day, but there are gaps in my calendar that it doesn’t matter if somebody runs past me on fire. I do not surrender that time unless I’m absolutely certain they can’t find the fire extinguisher on their own. So you’ve got to be that regimented about it. It must be a non negotiable but a non negotiable start. Small.
Laura Martin: Right. So I do definitely block like many hours for planning and scheduling, but then my issue is poor. I guess. Well, I only have a fancy term for it. It’s called cognitive discounting. So it’s like not knowing how I’m going to feel in that moment and then suddenly I’m there and things are much different than I expected, right? So it’s like I’m planning everything on Sunday and I’ve got my whole week planned out. But then by the time I get to a Wednesday, Thursday, things have morphed so much that I’m like, you know, I’ve thrown the plan out the window.
Storm Fletcher: Yes. So then that’s where that honestly is, where a coach really comes into play with helping, because what they are able to do is they’re able to help you identify those patterns. What are where are there is consistency in all things. So I say the word threads so much, but there’s thread. So there’s something common that’s happening throughout all of that that when we’re in it, we can’t identify it. But when somebody is strategically looking at and analyzing and auditing, always they’re able to help identify what is something that’s happening in this pattern that continues to produce that result. And then it’s a small tweak and a small change. The first step isn’t the blocking. The first step is the commitment to it. And when we go in and we block something and then we commit, that’s the reverse. You first have commitment, right? And I always say, and again, it’s not meant to be hard ask because look, I know I know that there are days where it just goes sideways. But one of the big words that I just totally despises that word try and it’s like if I were to say to you right now, I’ll pick up that coffee cup, you’re going to reach over and you’re going to pick up the coffee cup. There’s no trying. You either are or you are not. And when you say I’m going to try something, what you are literally doing is you are giving yourself an escape hatch out of success. Because when you say try, you are leaving the door open, that there is failure as an option. And when failure is an option, you have opened up an escape hatch and you will always be able to dive out of it. So you have to make it a non negotiable not trying 100%. Not a try. I do. And small, small, small, small, small.
Laura Martin: So do you recommend like a heavily regimented schedule with some whitespace?
Storm Fletcher: Again, it’s so individualized, it’s so specific on the person, the personality. Like I would not recommend any one way. There’s not one way to do things. There is a strategy of something that works and then you bleed it into who that person is that you’re specifically dealing with. I cannot imagine, cannot imagine what my life would be like without my calendar. And it forces me. It forces me because I’ve got a calendar link out there always. You can go on to our website in my email signature and you can book an appointment with me any time. So because of that, it forces me to be very, very, very disciplined with my calendar because I wear many hats. I’m the VP of Sales and business development. I coach, I train, I speak, I there’s like we there’s so many moving parts to our businesses. And so because of that, I have to be willing to show up and be present in every single interaction that I have in my life.
Simeon Papailias: And I have to agree running literally four different businesses having over at this point probably 90 staff between those businesses and being responsible for so many different things. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting the business and you’re trying to adjust and learn how business is, you’re still going to have to schedule it. So if you’re starting out, you need to schedule your prospecting the first 2 hours.
Storm Fletcher: Your.
Simeon Papailias: Email follow up, your your, your door knocking, your your digital door, knocking, your relationships, your family. If you look in my calendar today for the very first time of my life in the last year, I have now scheduled my family. Some people may laugh, some people may call me like you’re a sick person that you have to schedule your family. And I say f you to anybody, My, this is how I run my life. If I was looking for judges, I would ask, I don’t. So I’m sharing you with actually works Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. it says Gabriel baseball at 8 p.m. it says Simeon Personal trainer Thursday Gabriel Baseball 8:00 personal trainer Thursday mornings from 9:00 AM to 3 p.m. is business development. It’s blocked off shown as busy Monday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. It’s blocked off business development. Why? Because on Mondays I’m going to get 40 calls from my agents. This is what’s happening. I need this, this, this. I cannot take on new appointments and new business. While that’s happening, you’re not going to be effective. So this is what I’ve done. So if I were to share my screen, you would be like, You’re a maniac, you’re not normal. But what people don’t realize is that’s a ten minute call, but it has to be followed up on Tuesday at 1:00 PM.
Laura Martin: Yes, you’ve just seen a light bulb moment because this is awesome and this is exactly what I was hoping to create. But so Storm said, look for the thread. Right? And what Siemian said is on Mondays it is a known and a given that I’m going to get flooded with calls and I cannot take on new business. So you acquiesce to that, thereby blocking it off. And so one idea would be to look at my day timer in the past bunch of weeks and say, what happens anyway?
Storm Fletcher: Yes, yes. I think of it this way as well. We’re so fortunate. Guys. Think about I’m going to use just I’m going to kick old school birthdays.
Simeon Papailias: I’m just going to remind everybody we’re running at 45 minutes and this is over. Our listeners are going to punch us. Yeah. So, so last idea.
Storm Fletcher: So think of it this way. If you’ve got clients and you can look at and you can go, Kay, in the month of June, I’ve got 45 clients that are having birthdays. You can block off in the morning when there’s no noise in your world, 5:00, 6:00 in the morning, quiet time. You go in and you literally record 45 quick minute videos. Hey, it’s your birthday. Hope you have an amazing day. Then you delegate to your assistant or whomever that this video goes out on this day done out of your brain. So making sure that you have that key time for me. It’s mornings. I am our business hours start at 830 in the morning. I’m not kidding you guys. I am at my desk by 530 every single morning and that gives me 3 hours before the noise.
Simeon Papailias: The world.
Storm Fletcher: Starts. I send videos off to my brokers, I connect with my clients. I follow up on actionable items with our with coaching. I do all of that before you’re even out of bed. Before you out a bed and it just makes the day. And for some people they go, Oh my God, you’re up at five.
Simeon Papailias: So? So I don’t think it’s a coincidence. Again, what we’re running into here. You are a nationally renowned coach and organization, and you’re now sharing things that you do that are your daily habits, which just happen to be the daily habits of every single person who is actually consistently winning. Because if you want to win consistently, you cannot be competing with your screaming daughter, your your your six year old son who needs to get his butt wiped. It just doesn’t happen. And those are reality. You’re not going to not take care of your kids. No. But if you’re not up at five to have 2 hours of alone time, you’re never going to get it because there are going to be up at 640, five, 7:00 and they need breakfast and they need their faces washed. And did you brush your teeth? So before the noise for forget, even if you don’t have kids, the dog, even if you don’t have a dog, the phone, the distractions. Yeah. So everybody has their own distractions. But I just wanted to pinpoint that as a coach, you’re giving us tactics and practical things, but also you’re uncovering what does a successful coach do as business owner? Well, I’m up at 530 regarding my bomb bombs that are going to connect Simeon to bridge it, and I’m going to bring value to both of them and they’re going to call me back and tell me how much they love me and they’re going to give me something back because they owe me. And this is the real world of success, constantly bringing value to others. You don’t owe me nothing, but you do it. I owe you nothing. But now I’m going to do it. And the more we do, the more we receive. Yeah.
Storm Fletcher: And I’ll just say, like, for anybody, you guys that is interested, we do not ever believe in hard selling our coaching. It’s not our approach at all, ever. But if anybody is ever interested in booking a call to learn a little bit more, have a strategy session with me for 30 minutes. Let’s jam and talk about your business and what your pain points are. I’m going to share my calendar link and it can go out with this podcast if you guys choose. I am 100,000,000,000 trillion percent in Let’s jam, let’s connect. I believe passionately that there is a solution for every problem, but you will always find what it is that you are looking for. And sometimes what we are looking for. There’s a powerful book. It’s called The Road Less Stupid by Keith J. Cunningham, and he talks about We build a machine for a problem that isn’t.
Simeon Papailias: He’s bright.
Storm Fletcher: Brilliant, brilliant. There’s dry parts of it. But I’m telling you, feed your mind, feed your soul, feed your business, nurture your relationships, enlist the help of others, dump delegator, do invest in your business, whatever that looks like. Quit looking for the bright and shiny opportunity. Looks a whole hell of a lot like hard work. But you don’t have to work dumb. You can work smart 100%.
Laura Martin: I love that you just ended with like ten perfect cliche phrases.
Simeon Papailias: So I don’t know anybody that can pack that much punch into one show. Like, it’s exhausting. Like, I’m just trying to process this storm. Fletcher, you are a legend. You are absolutely phenomenal. Brilliant. And I love you. Genuinely. Thank you for coming to visit me. Thank you for joining Laura and I and trying to create value in our marketplace by sharing such insight. As far as I’m concerned, you’re going to have a place, a permanent place inside brokers playbook for sure, only because Richard Robbins International is probably one of the only organizations, not one of the only. There’s one of very few organizations in that space that I trust holistically. They have performed and have a track record of of walking the walk for their clients, which is mortgage brokers and real estate agents. So I strongly urge everyone to explore it, to see if it’s right for you and and try to contact Storm at your earliest for your own good, as far as I’m concerned.
Laura Martin: Yeah. And for all the clubhouse users out there, Storm we’ll show you how that is done. Bob has 1 million.
Storm Fletcher: Followers.
Laura Martin: So active but yeah you’re just such a super connector super networker so it’s been a pleasure to have you in our audience and in our presence today and thank you so much for your advice that you share.
Storm Fletcher: Thank you. It has been my privilege. I have mad love and mad respect for this human being right here and for yourself. What you guys do, what you bring to the table, how you come from a place of service and giving is inspiring. If you’re looking for an example to follow, follow these two.
Simeon Papailias: God bless you and thank you to our entire brokers Playbook Nation. Thank you for joining us, Laura. Thank you. For for introducing this episode. Storm again, God bless. We’ll see you all soon. Take care. Thank you so very much for spending your time with us here at Brokers Playbook. This is a growing community. If you found value in this video, please invite others to subscribe and of course, share the videos with. We’ll see you soon.