Looking to Buy, Sell  or Invest in Real Estate
Rodolfo Flores
Rodolfo Flores
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
When Rudy Flores first came to A.Z. & Associates, he was looking for a place he could grow his business. He didn't realize the impact A.Z. and Carla would have not only on his business but his life and marriage as well. Rudy has learned to embrace the low points and remember how it feels to be there because he doesn't want to be back in that place again. To be successful is all about how you show up every day, consistently. Being consistent is not a temporary fix but a lifestyle change and commitment to being the best version of yourself you can be.
The Rookie Sensation
  • ​Today, A.Z. is with the rookie sensation for A.Z. & Associates for 2019; Rodolfo "Rudy" Flores. Anytime Rudy is in a room; people gravitate towards him. His energy is so abundant, and he continues to lean in. Rudy's business has taken off, and he is on a path of hitting these great goals and ambitions. He is also on track to hit 6 million in sales alone for the year. 
  • ​It takes an agent an average of five to six years to even get to that point, and Rudy has accomplished that in one year. With every great success, he had, there were also some dark and painful areas. How did Rudy get into the space of Real Estate?
  • ​Rudy initially started with another brokerage so he could see what the industry was like. He was an inside sales agent for a real estate team, and he did a lot of cold calling. It was a learning experience and helped him learn about rejection. It served as a part of his overall growth process. Turndowns and losses are part of being in this business, and it is important to know you won't always win.
  • ​His parents kept pushing him to get his license through their obsession with HGTV and the house flipping shows. Rudy had friends in the industry who were also working at A.Z. & Associates, and it started to become clear to him that it was something he wanted to do.
  • ​Was it always part of his plan to come to A.Z. & Associates? The plan at first was to stay with the team he was with, but as he began to listen to A.Z. & Carla's podcast's on Facebook, they spoke to him and where he was. Rudy felt like it was part of God's plan for him. 
  • ​At A.Z. & Associates, some real and raw conversations happen; A.Z. and Carla do not hide anything. Nothing was sugar-coated, and Rudy even got triggered by A.Z. at one point and stopped showing up for a few days. A.Z. didn't mean to hurt Rudy, but he always saw something more significant for him. 
  • ​A.Z. called Rudy out on being attached to a certain story, telling him he wasn't doing everything possible for his marriage or his business, and that was a trigger for him. Rudy was in a place of blaming everyone, including his wife, for where he was at. 
  • ​Rudy needed to rise as a powerful man, and a powerful businessman; there was nothing but upsides to that. When someone decides to play smaller than that the consequences are grim. During that time, there were some times like that in Rudy's life and his marriage. It is a constant challenge to continue to grow a marriage and a business.
  • ​He was a new business owner, and Rudy had many other things around him that were not working. No one wants someone else pointing out that they aren't doing enough. That was a defining moment for Rudy, and it had him reflect on the growth that he had made up until that point. He knew he wasn't doing enough and being able to sit back and realize that A.Z. was right, was a turning point for him.
Obligations and Responsibilities
  • ​Rudy decided to take full responsibility for his life and where he was at that moment. It takes a big person to recognize that and an even bigger person to do something about it. He decided to stand strong in his business and marriage, even though the prospects weren't there. Rudy had to figure out how to grow his business while his marriage was in turmoil. A.Z. has watched Rudy and how he has risen as a husband, a father, and a business owner. He is leading his children, and his business is swelling.
  • ​Building his business wasn't easy, and he still doesn't feel he is anywhere near where he wants to be, but Rudy is building a strong foundation to build on. He has experienced success in a short amount of time and has had an influx of clients that he is working with. With that comes an influx of money and that can do something to people.
  • ​Having more cash then we are used to can give us a feeling of having arrived, that we don't have to work as hard; In this industry that can be temporary, unlike a corporate job with a regular paycheck. Rudy experienced some of that. How did he handle it?
  • ​Rudy admits he did have that feeling that he had arrived; he worked hard and deserved some time off. Once the bank account starts to dwindle and there isn't as much movement in your business, you begin to worry. The second he took his foot off the gas pedal, he felt the effects. 
  • ​Rudy took full responsibility, and once he did that he has seven deals in escrow right now. You need to realize that you do have specific responsibilities as business owners; it isn't a job or a hobby, and Rudy gets that. You have an obligation with marketing, sales, systems, and leadership. You are leading your clients, title, and mortgage companies into getting the result.
  • ​When you are in that low place, sometimes you question yourself. Did Rudy ever question himself? He did, but he was able to step back and see the progress and growth that he had made; he didn't allow the low place to hold him down there for long. Instead of falling into the pit of depression and being a victim, he took action.
  • ​Rudy started to put in the work and reaching out to people. He remembers a conversation he had with his Dad, and they opened up about their frustrations. Rudy told his Dad he was feeling low and that he wasn't coming through for his family. He told his Dad that despite feeling that way, he would say to himself to remember that feeling. You need to sit in the pain and the pit and process it. You need to feel where you are at. 
  • ​You want to remember all of the feelings you have while you are in your pit; you don't want to be there again. When you let your foot off the gas pedal in your business, you also do it in your family and your marriage and taking care of yourself. It bleeds into all aspects of your life.
  • ​What advice would Rudy give someone who is in their pit right now? Let yourself feel everything that you are feeling right now. Accept it but don't stay there you have to keep going. Being a real estate agent teaches you patience because there is nothing that happens right away. It will pay off down the line if you are dedicated to your success every day. 
  • ​You need to go into it every day with all of your energy, ambition, and drive. Not everyone can handle having to wait to see the results; that is why 87% of agents will fail. They don't trust the process and understand that it is a matter of being consistent always, not for just a week or a month.
Keep Moving Forward
  • Rudy looked back at his habits when things were going well, and he could see the trends and actions that led to the down areas of his life and the high points. Most people don't think about what they could do to correct the issue; they look to others to save them. They bounce from brokerage to brokerage, trying to find someone to help them figure it out. 
  • ​It is all within you, but you need to do what you say you are going to do. You need to operate from a place of integrity, and you will be able to see a greater possibility. Rudy was self-aware and took the time to wallow in it and then hit the ground running. 
  • ​Rudy realizes that you have to go through personal pains in life and business, and now he keeps moving forward. What are some of the things that Rudy does to build his business? What works for him? The biggest thing is putting himself out there. He lets people know who he is; people want to know who they are working with on a personal level.
  • ​Rudy has become a master marketer and is constantly sharing things on social media about his personal life and business. He is getting a podcast up and running and has a podcast coming up with another agent, Dallas Andrews. You have to be able to convey not only what we sell but our personality also. It's your name, your face and your personality that's going to get clients to contact you.
  • ​Rudy was in a dark place, and he was able to come out shining. He doesn't have it all figured out, but he knows that doing the right things over time will allow him to figure things out. 
  • ​What is the greatest value that Rudy has received from being at A.Z. & Associates? Overall he feels that it is the reinforcement of mindset. A lot of other agencies will put you on leads, and that is only a small part of the bigger picture. If you aren't able to create balance in your life and business, nothing will be sustainable. 
  • ​With A.Z. and Carla being so open about their own experiences, you know that as long as you follow through and do what you say you would, you can be successful. The environment is huge, and who you place around you is essential. Has Rudy taken what he has learned at A.Z. & Associates and applied it to other areas of his life? 
  • ​Rudy sees the growth in his marriage, and that is all the encouragement he needs that progress is possible. A lot of people give up if they don't see immediate results. Rudy is always working at getting better, and he knows he will never be 100%, but he is comfortable knowing that he will be a student in life for life. 
  • ​It is no longer a matter of how it will impact Rudy's life, but his kids lives also; the changes that he is making and how he is showing up is impacting generations to come. There are people out there who are where Rudy was a few months ago, and they are not in the right environment. What would he tell those individuals who have been looking to make a change but are on the fence? Stop thinking about it, and do it.
  • ​A.Z. told Rudy when he was thinking about coming to A.Z. & Associates that he needs to listen to that voice inside of him, telling him what he needed to do. Trust the process and understand that it is crucial where you put yourself if you want to get to a specific place in your life you need to surround yourself with those individuals who can help you get there. 
  • ​Anyone can tell you what to do, but when you find the people who are doing it, that is where you want to place yourself. If you have already thought of making a move to A.Z. & Associates it because you are supposed to make a move; don't think twice. 
  • ​A.Z. puts his heart and soul into what he does because he has been there, and he continues to live this life and this journey trying to become the person he knows he was always meant to be. It's not about regurgitating information or what sounds good; it's about living it. 
  • ​A lot of people want to work with Rudy, what can clients expect from him? Rudy listens to the experiences the client has had with other agents, and they are so quick to shut you down. Buying or selling a home is a big move, Rudy lets them know that even though they may not get the result they want right now, he is there to put the work in with them. 
  • ​He has aligned himself with the right people, and they are going to make it happen for them. It may not be right now, but as long as they are willing to put in the work, Rudy has their back. Rudy is about relationships, and he is good at that. Rudy can be contacted by calling him at 623-776-5540, or you can follow him on Facebook @Rodolfotherealtor, on Twitter @fitoflores23 and Instagram @fitoflores.realtor. He is everywhere.
  • ​What is Rudy excited about right now? He is excited about affecting as many lives as possible, and he feels that God's purpose for him is to impact people in different ways. He wants to impact his family and everybody he crosses paths with. What he has accomplished in the last year and a half is amazing. He told A.Z. at the beginning of the year that he wanted to be Rookie of the Year and he hasn't obtained it officially, but he is determined to get it. 
  • ​This is a business that will eat you up and spit you out and not think twice about it. A.Z. is glad that Rudy was able to stick with his convictions and now he is realizing the great results. For those of you that are looking to make a move go to www.badassagents.com and don't let the name discourage you, check out our information and check out our podcasts. There is a lot of content there designed to help you grow your business. 
  • ​If our name has popped into your mind, take action upon it and apply @ www.badassagents.com and A.Z. will personally meet with you to determine if this is the right place for you. It isn't a commitment; it is a simple conversation.
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
When Rudy Flores first came to A.Z. & Associates, he was looking for a place he could grow his business. He didn't realize the impact A.Z. and Carla would have not only on his business but his life and marriage as well. Rudy has learned to embrace the low points and remember how it feels to be there because he doesn't want to be back in that place again. To be successful is all about how you show up every day, consistently. Being consistent is not a temporary fix but a lifestyle change and commitment to being the best version of yourself you can be.
The Rookie Sensation
  • ​Today, A.Z. is with the rookie sensation for A.Z. & Associates for 2019; Rodolfo "Rudy" Flores. Anytime Rudy is in a room; people gravitate towards him. His energy is so abundant, and he continues to lean in. Rudy's business has taken off, and he is on a path of hitting these great goals and ambitions. He is also on track to hit 6 million in sales alone for the year. 
  • ​It takes an agent an average of five to six years to even get to that point, and Rudy has accomplished that in one year. With every great success, he had, there were also some dark and painful areas. How did Rudy get into the space of Real Estate?
  • ​Rudy initially started with another brokerage so he could see what the industry was like. He was an inside sales agent for a real estate team, and he did a lot of cold calling. It was a learning experience and helped him learn about rejection. It served as a part of his overall growth process. Turndowns and losses are part of being in this business, and it is important to know you won't always win.
  • ​His parents kept pushing him to get his license through their obsession with HGTV and the house flipping shows. Rudy had friends in the industry who were also working at A.Z. & Associates, and it started to become clear to him that it was something he wanted to do.
  • ​Was it always part of his plan to come to A.Z. & Associates? The plan at first was to stay with the team he was with, but as he began to listen to A.Z. & Carla's podcast's on Facebook, they spoke to him and where he was. Rudy felt like it was part of God's plan for him. 
  • ​At A.Z. & Associates, some real and raw conversations happen; A.Z. and Carla do not hide anything. Nothing was sugar-coated, and Rudy even got triggered by A.Z. at one point and stopped showing up for a few days. A.Z. didn't mean to hurt Rudy, but he always saw something more significant for him. 
  • ​A.Z. called Rudy out on being attached to a certain story, telling him he wasn't doing everything possible for his marriage or his business, and that was a trigger for him. Rudy was in a place of blaming everyone, including his wife, for where he was at. 
  • ​Rudy needed to rise as a powerful man, and a powerful businessman; there was nothing but upsides to that. When someone decides to play smaller than that the consequences are grim. During that time, there were some times like that in Rudy's life and his marriage. It is a constant challenge to continue to grow a marriage and a business.
  • ​He was a new business owner, and Rudy had many other things around him that were not working. No one wants someone else pointing out that they aren't doing enough. That was a defining moment for Rudy, and it had him reflect on the growth that he had made up until that point. He knew he wasn't doing enough and being able to sit back and realize that A.Z. was right, was a turning point for him.
Obligations and Responsibilities
  • ​Rudy decided to take full responsibility for his life and where he was at that moment. It takes a big person to recognize that and an even bigger person to do something about it. He decided to stand strong in his business and marriage, even though the prospects weren't there. Rudy had to figure out how to grow his business while his marriage was in turmoil. A.Z. has watched Rudy and how he has risen as a husband, a father, and a business owner. He is leading his children, and his business is swelling.
  • ​Building his business wasn't easy, and he still doesn't feel he is anywhere near where he wants to be, but Rudy is building a strong foundation to build on. He has experienced success in a short amount of time and has had an influx of clients that he is working with. With that comes an influx of money and that can do something to people.
  • ​Having more cash then we are used to can give us a feeling of having arrived, that we don't have to work as hard; In this industry that can be temporary, unlike a corporate job with a regular paycheck. Rudy experienced some of that. How did he handle it?
  • ​Rudy admits he did have that feeling that he had arrived; he worked hard and deserved some time off. Once the bank account starts to dwindle and there isn't as much movement in your business, you begin to worry. The second he took his foot off the gas pedal, he felt the effects. 
  • ​Rudy took full responsibility, and once he did that he has seven deals in escrow right now. You need to realize that you do have specific responsibilities as business owners; it isn't a job or a hobby, and Rudy gets that. You have an obligation with marketing, sales, systems, and leadership. You are leading your clients, title, and mortgage companies into getting the result.
  • ​When you are in that low place, sometimes you question yourself. Did Rudy ever question himself? He did, but he was able to step back and see the progress and growth that he had made; he didn't allow the low place to hold him down there for long. Instead of falling into the pit of depression and being a victim, he took action.
  • ​Rudy started to put in the work and reaching out to people. He remembers a conversation he had with his Dad, and they opened up about their frustrations. Rudy told his Dad he was feeling low and that he wasn't coming through for his family. He told his Dad that despite feeling that way, he would say to himself to remember that feeling. You need to sit in the pain and the pit and process it. You need to feel where you are at. 
  • ​You want to remember all of the feelings you have while you are in your pit; you don't want to be there again. When you let your foot off the gas pedal in your business, you also do it in your family and your marriage and taking care of yourself. It bleeds into all aspects of your life.
  • ​What advice would Rudy give someone who is in their pit right now? Let yourself feel everything that you are feeling right now. Accept it but don't stay there you have to keep going. Being a real estate agent teaches you patience because there is nothing that happens right away. It will pay off down the line if you are dedicated to your success every day. 
  • ​You need to go into it every day with all of your energy, ambition, and drive. Not everyone can handle having to wait to see the results; that is why 87% of agents will fail. They don't trust the process and understand that it is a matter of being consistent always, not for just a week or a month.
Keep Moving Forward
  • Rudy looked back at his habits when things were going well, and he could see the trends and actions that led to the down areas of his life and the high points. Most people don't think about what they could do to correct the issue; they look to others to save them. They bounce from brokerage to brokerage, trying to find someone to help them figure it out. 
  • ​It is all within you, but you need to do what you say you are going to do. You need to operate from a place of integrity, and you will be able to see a greater possibility. Rudy was self-aware and took the time to wallow in it and then hit the ground running. 
  • ​Rudy realizes that you have to go through personal pains in life and business, and now he keeps moving forward. What are some of the things that Rudy does to build his business? What works for him? The biggest thing is putting himself out there. He lets people know who he is; people want to know who they are working with on a personal level.
  • ​Rudy has become a master marketer and is constantly sharing things on social media about his personal life and business. He is getting a podcast up and running and has a podcast coming up with another agent, Dallas Andrews. You have to be able to convey not only what we sell but our personality also. It's your name, your face and your personality that's going to get clients to contact you.
  • ​Rudy was in a dark place, and he was able to come out shining. He doesn't have it all figured out, but he knows that doing the right things over time will allow him to figure things out. 
  • ​What is the greatest value that Rudy has received from being at A.Z. & Associates? Overall he feels that it is the reinforcement of mindset. A lot of other agencies will put you on leads, and that is only a small part of the bigger picture. If you aren't able to create balance in your life and business, nothing will be sustainable. 
  • ​With A.Z. and Carla being so open about their own experiences, you know that as long as you follow through and do what you say you would, you can be successful. The environment is huge, and who you place around you is essential. Has Rudy taken what he has learned at A.Z. & Associates and applied it to other areas of his life? 
  • ​Rudy sees the growth in his marriage, and that is all the encouragement he needs that progress is possible. A lot of people give up if they don't see immediate results. Rudy is always working at getting better, and he knows he will never be 100%, but he is comfortable knowing that he will be a student in life for life. 
  • ​It is no longer a matter of how it will impact Rudy's life, but his kids lives also; the changes that he is making and how he is showing up is impacting generations to come. There are people out there who are where Rudy was a few months ago, and they are not in the right environment. What would he tell those individuals who have been looking to make a change but are on the fence? Stop thinking about it, and do it.
  • ​A.Z. told Rudy when he was thinking about coming to A.Z. & Associates that he needs to listen to that voice inside of him, telling him what he needed to do. Trust the process and understand that it is crucial where you put yourself if you want to get to a specific place in your life you need to surround yourself with those individuals who can help you get there. 
  • ​Anyone can tell you what to do, but when you find the people who are doing it, that is where you want to place yourself. If you have already thought of making a move to A.Z. & Associates it because you are supposed to make a move; don't think twice. 
  • ​A.Z. puts his heart and soul into what he does because he has been there, and he continues to live this life and this journey trying to become the person he knows he was always meant to be. It's not about regurgitating information or what sounds good; it's about living it. 
  • ​A lot of people want to work with Rudy, what can clients expect from him? Rudy listens to the experiences the client has had with other agents, and they are so quick to shut you down. Buying or selling a home is a big move, Rudy lets them know that even though they may not get the result they want right now, he is there to put the work in with them. 
  • ​He has aligned himself with the right people, and they are going to make it happen for them. It may not be right now, but as long as they are willing to put in the work, Rudy has their back. Rudy is about relationships, and he is good at that. Rudy can be contacted by calling him at 623-776-5540, or you can follow him on Facebook @Rodolfotherealtor, on Twitter @fitoflores23 and Instagram @fitoflores.realtor. He is everywhere.
  • ​What is Rudy excited about right now? He is excited about affecting as many lives as possible, and he feels that God's purpose for him is to impact people in different ways. He wants to impact his family and everybody he crosses paths with. What he has accomplished in the last year and a half is amazing. He told A.Z. at the beginning of the year that he wanted to be Rookie of the Year and he hasn't obtained it officially, but he is determined to get it. 
  • ​This is a business that will eat you up and spit you out and not think twice about it. A.Z. is glad that Rudy was able to stick with his convictions and now he is realizing the great results. For those of you that are looking to make a move go to www.badassagents.com and don't let the name discourage you, check out our information and check out our podcasts. There is a lot of content there designed to help you grow your business. 
  • ​If our name has popped into your mind, take action upon it and apply @ www.badassagents.com and A.Z. will personally meet with you to determine if this is the right place for you. It isn't a commitment; it is a simple conversation.
Jesse Abarca & Rio Vidrio
Jesse Abarca 
& 
Rio Vidrio
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
This week the agents of A.Z. & Associates participated in their mid-year review. Having the opportunity to look where you are at the halfway mark in the year allows you to see where you were your strongest and where you need to course correct. Joined in the studio by Rio Vidrio, Jesse Abarca and a cameo appearance by Carla Araujo, A.Z. reinforces the benefits of living a challenge-based lifestyle and how showing up powerfully not only affects you but pushes those around you to move forward in their journey. The first step is to take the knowledge you have received and put it into action today.
Mid-Year Review
  • ​Today A.Z. Araujo is joined by the two men that make up the podcast duo of "Dos Bros." Rio Vidrio and Jesse Abarca are all over social media and part of the team at A.Z. & Associates. 
  • ​Coming off the packed house of the Mid Year Review with the other members of the team, it is a time where they can set their targets and ensure that they are on track for the year. It is easy to get off track at times because you aren't keeping track of it. 
  • ​The meeting was also a time to recalibrate and recommit. A lot has happened over the first six months of the year, and the review allowed the agents of A.Z. & Associates to get a brief glimpse of that with a video of the activities and accomplishments that took place. 
  • ​A lot has changed since the last time Rio and Jesse were in the studio with A.Z. Last time they were discussing how the three were preparing for their first inaugural A.Z. & Associates Sprint Triathlon. Everyone proclaimed that they would win and had the edge. Jesse is such a good swimmer he thought that would get him the win on its own. 
  • ​A. Z. ended up winning, and Rio came in second in that competition. Jesse pulled in with third place and an injured shoulder. There is some dispute about who had the advantage and better times in each event. A.Z. caught up to Rio on the third mile and was able to move ahead and take the lead. 
  • ​The running, swimming and cycling are really out of their comfort zones, so for them to train and show up the way they did, it was awesome. The event took place on Cinco De Mayo, and Jesse noted that it caused him to pause and reflect on what he used to do on Cinco De Mayo. Eat and drink. 
  • ​It triggered the production aspect of it because once you push the threshold in that one area of your life physically, it opens up your capacity to take on more in your business. A.Z. has observed that with both Rio and Jesse and how they have progressed tremendously in their businesses. They are both going for new heights as far as closings by the end of the year.
  • ​At the mid-year review and A.Z. & Associates has quarterly, mid-year and year-end reviews, keeps them all knowing what the trends are and be aware of their patterns. To be able to make those adjustments in your business that are necessary, you can't wait until the end of the year to sit down and look at it. It's too late to do anything about it and rely on the statement that next year will be better. 
Patterns and Consistency
  • ​At the first of the year, everyone is excited about their New Year's resolutions and goals, but what happens after the first month, the first three months and during the first half of the year. Most of the agents show up because they understand how vital the review is. Living a challenge-based lifestyle where you are continually setting the targets and striving for them, really allows you to wake up knowing you have something you have to do. 
  • ​A.Z.'s ability to reverse engineer and break it down for the agents, telling them exactly where they are at and what they need to do to accomplish their one-year goal is essential. When A.Z. goes through that process with the agents, it shines a light on what the trends are for them. 
  • ​They take their numbers and reverse engineer so they can understand what the average priced home is, and also what is required to hit their overall 2019 goals. Rio and Jesse are very clear about what they have to do specifically for the day, week, month, and the rest of the year. It gives your brain a direction of what to do and what to look for. 
  • ​Jesse appreciates that he can look at what Rio did and see the different perspective he has of the year, even though the two work together; Rio can do the same with Jesse. It takes a powerful man to take a step back and listen to another man. If the right person is giving you their feedback, it is something to listen too. 
  • ​A.Z. was able to graph out each agent's numbers, which was all of the closings from January to June 30. This allowed the agents to see the trends and identify their best month. It's great if they closed six transactions in one month, but what is essential is that they realize what led up to that point, what were the patterns and consistencies they had that got them that number. 
  • ​The next step was to identify their worst month; this is easy to see while looking at the graph. What were the patterns 60 days before that time? Our production and results don't come from what we are doing today; it comes from the things we did 60 to 90 days ago. That is important to realize in an instant gratification society that we live in. It is natural for us to want things right now. 
  • ​The build-up to do something is so much greater than it is to destroy it. You spend so much time building up momentum, and you finally get results but the amount of time it takes to destroy that momentum can happen overnight. You work out and put so much energy into getting your body in shape, and you see results in 3 months; you then have two bad weeks, and all of the gains are gone. It is that easy because we don't realize that when we let go, how far we let it go.
  • ​When you're not consistently doing the right things, and on the wrong track, you can go way off onto the wrong track. Training for the Olympic Triathlon A.Z. ate chicken every day, and rice and Jesse was eating chips and soda, and Jesse was wondering how A.Z. was still beating him. It's the consistent lifestyle that A.Z. is maintaining and not eating whatever he wants. The more consistent you are, the greater your results will be in whatever it is you do. If there are a lot of peaks and valleys, it is because of the inconsistency. 
Reflect, Revamp, Recommit
  • What was the thing that the men identified the most about what happened during their best month? What were some of the things that they were doing that resulted in that best month? For Rio to reflect on the best months, he had to reflect on the worst ones. During his bad months, he noticed his focus was elsewhere because he was getting. There is always something going on, but he completely let go of his business and February was the worst month he had ever had because of that. 
  • ​Because of that regression and the awareness of it for the following months, he went full-on into his marketing and completely revamped his marketing. The results began to show, and he had his best month that he ever had in June. Rio likes that A.Z. encourages his agents to restructure their goals, not only to increase it but to decrease it. That permits those that aren't on track to change their goal and make it something attainable, so they have something to keep fighting for; versus just giving up. 
  • ​Corporations do this all of the time; they adjust their numbers dependant upon where they are at. Both Rio and Jesse were in a position where they could increase their goals based on what they thought they were capable of in January. Now that they have beaten that goal, they realize they are greater then they thought initially been and are striving to be in the top 1% by the end of the year. 
  • ​It is amazing what they thought they were striving for six months ago seemed unrealistic to them, but here there are six months later, and they are surpassing it. When they reverse engineer it they see what they have to get done each month, and it is attainable. It's doable because they have proven it. When things are too complicated, you can become overwhelmed, but once it is a simple process of breaking down the numbers and know what needs to be done, you see that it can be done. 
  • ​Everyone needs to remind themselves what they promised themselves, what their goals are, and recalibrate on the actions. Are you still doing the things that got you the success or what haven't you done that brought you down? A.Z. feels like they are just getting started, and it is exciting. There are so many other agents, in other agencies that are just going through the motions and are burnt out. The environment of A.Z. & Associates is invigorating because you are surrounded by so many top producing agents that are producing. 
  • ​You have that ability to walk up to a top producer and talk to them and bounce ideas off of each other. There is so much to go around; it is never a competitive environment. Everyone helps each other out; there are no trade secrets. The company is all about helping each other grow together and building off of that momentum. A.Z. & Associates isn't just a business; it's a lifestyle. It is so much more than just the production aspect of your business. It's about living a great life. Period. 
P3:Purpose, Power and Profits
  • Other agencies may teach you how to be a great realtor, but A.Z. & Associates will show you how to be a great business owner. It's also to be great all-around as they focus on all aspects of your life. They are in it for the long game and not just to take advantage of what is happening right now. To do that you need to take care of not only yourself but your family; otherwise, it is going to be short term. When you're in the right environment around the right people, instinctively you will do the right thing. 
  • ​The environment is so important because it helps you build the right habits and eliminate the wrong ones. We are creatures of habit; poor habits, unfortunately. Jesse was a great realtor before he joined A.Z. & Associates, but he was a shitty family member and wasn't a good person all around. Now he strives every day to get better at it. When you live your life powerfully, you influence others that are waiting for you to rise. 
  • ​The more powerful you show up and the more certain of who you are in doing the right things, people will approach you and be thankful; thankful that you rose up which permitted them to do the same. Living powerfully affects more than just you. It is a domino effect of things that will happen for others. People want to follow someone who is dominating in their life, and that is what is the attraction A.Z. has with people. 
  • ​The greatest strategy to marketing is to be authentic and be you powerfully. We think that it is about just taking care of ourselves, but it does affect everyone around us. In the P3 model, The Prime 3 Model, is about accessing your mental and physical power to fuel your internal and external purpose. When you ask someone why they are doing something, they usually answer their family. If you are sacrificing for someone or something else, then you are not giving 100 percent of your power to them; you aren't living powerfully because you are sacrificing. You need to be able to do it for you, first and foremost. You need to feel good about what you do. 
  • ​When you are living powerfully, and your kids are watching that process, you are doing something great for them. The purpose is internal first, and then it is external; it becomes a byproduct from you that your family benefits from. Kids are important, and you want to do everything for them and pass on your knowledge. When you live powerfully the long term effect you will have on them will be far greater than pouring all of yourself into them. Parents are quick to tell others that they are proud of their kids, but can they say the same about you?
  • ​The third part of the P3 is profits and knowing that it is your job to continue to grow yourself by learning and then applying it. Profits are the result of something; you can't have the results of what you want for your business, your family, or for yourself unless you work on all aspects of those areas. How good is knowledge if you don't apply it? What is the difference between a person who can't read and a person who doesn't read? Nothing because when you learn something, you need to apply it and implement it or it is useless. 
Do You Have Space?
  • With all of the training at A.Z. & Associates, if you aren't applying it, why are you learning it? You take on all of this knowledge and information, and then you sit on your hands? That is counterproductive and does more damage than anything else; you need to do something daily that is towards that goal. 
  • ​Carla Araujo has joined the podcast. During the mid-year review, Carla made a great statement: Without purpose, you won't have the profits. You need to identify what the purpose is behind what you do. How do you feel? Whatever your feeling is behind your success is the purpose of it. It is okay to say that you want money and want to drive a nice car; but what is your drive behind that? Besides your children and your family, what is your REAL purpose? 
  • ​We are told by society that if we use ourselves as our purpose that it is selfish; it's not and it comes down to being the best you can be first so that you can be that in all areas of your life. All of us have bigger ambitions, and there is a gap between where we are at and where we want to go. If we go into an environment where we see something more significant for ourselves than we initially thought was possible, and we do nothing about it, we increase the gap. 
  • ​There is so much information out there about how to grow your business, but are you applying it? If all of this information is bombarding you, grab one or two ideas and build on that. There is a lot of stress to being a business owner; it can be overwhelming at times. 
  • ​Carla herself experienced a period where the stress was so intense she began to lose her hair. She even had an episode where her hand went numb at her desk and locked up; it was all the stress she was under. Her mind is wired to continue and get things done, no matter how she is feeling. Carla still showed up at the gym because of no pain, no gain. But as soon as her hair was falling out, she knew she needed to take a step back. 
  • ​You need to create a space where you can meditate and relax, bring your thoughts together, and not be in a constant state of G.O. When you create that space, you can see what MORE looks like; what the next chapter is. You need that pause to put yourself back together and ask yourself what your next step is. 
  • ​How does Carla create space? She journals, and she works out, which helps her to feel empowered. She also takes time to pray. Carla wakes up in the morning; she stretches and prays and gives thanks. She spends some time outside and listens to the birds and the wind; trying to take in everything and being very present. Those times are her most creative.
  • ​When you create space for yourself, it allows you to develop ideas for yourself and your business. Because we are so conditioned just continually to work, we aren't allowing yourself the time to expand and create. To understand that process, you have to hit a wall and know that you need to take a step back or you won't be able to move forward. 
  • ​If you are interested in joining A.Z. & Associates, go to www.badassagents.com and learn about what they do and how they can help you build your business and your life in general. If you would like to learn more about Dos Bros, you can find Rio on Facebook and Instagram and at www.TheRiodeal.com, and you can find Jesse on Facebook @JesseAbarca and Instagram @AZsRisingstars. You can subscribe, rate and review their podcast on Itunes which is Dos Bros In a Pod. 
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
This week the agents of A.Z. & Associates participated in their mid-year review. Having the opportunity to look where you are at the halfway mark in the year allows you to see where you were your strongest and where you need to course correct. Joined in the studio by Rio Vidrio, Jesse Abarca and a cameo appearance by Carla Araujo, A.Z. reinforces the benefits of living a challenge-based lifestyle and how showing up powerfully not only affects you but pushes those around you to move forward in their journey. The first step is to take the knowledge you have received and put it into action today.
Mid-Year Review
  • ​Today A.Z. Araujo is joined by the two men that make up the podcast duo of "Dos Bros." Rio Vidrio and Jesse Abarca are all over social media and part of the team at A.Z. & Associates. 
  • ​Coming off the packed house of the Mid Year Review with the other members of the team, it is a time where they can set their targets and ensure that they are on track for the year. It is easy to get off track at times because you aren't keeping track of it. 
  • ​The meeting was also a time to recalibrate and recommit. A lot has happened over the first six months of the year, and the review allowed the agents of A.Z. & Associates to get a brief glimpse of that with a video of the activities and accomplishments that took place. 
  • ​A lot has changed since the last time Rio and Jesse were in the studio with A.Z. Last time they were discussing how the three were preparing for their first inaugural A.Z. & Associates Sprint Triathlon. Everyone proclaimed that they would win and had the edge. Jesse is such a good swimmer he thought that would get him the win on its own. 
  • ​A. Z. ended up winning, and Rio came in second in that competition. Jesse pulled in with third place and an injured shoulder. There is some dispute about who had the advantage and better times in each event. A.Z. caught up to Rio on the third mile and was able to move ahead and take the lead. 
  • ​The running, swimming and cycling are really out of their comfort zones, so for them to train and show up the way they did, it was awesome. The event took place on Cinco De Mayo, and Jesse noted that it caused him to pause and reflect on what he used to do on Cinco De Mayo. Eat and drink. 
  • ​It triggered the production aspect of it because once you push the threshold in that one area of your life physically, it opens up your capacity to take on more in your business. A.Z. has observed that with both Rio and Jesse and how they have progressed tremendously in their businesses. They are both going for new heights as far as closings by the end of the year.
  • ​At the mid-year review and A.Z. & Associates has quarterly, mid-year and year-end reviews, keeps them all knowing what the trends are and be aware of their patterns. To be able to make those adjustments in your business that are necessary, you can't wait until the end of the year to sit down and look at it. It's too late to do anything about it and rely on the statement that next year will be better. 
Patterns and Consistency
  • ​At the first of the year, everyone is excited about their New Year's resolutions and goals, but what happens after the first month, the first three months and during the first half of the year. Most of the agents show up because they understand how vital the review is. Living a challenge-based lifestyle where you are continually setting the targets and striving for them, really allows you to wake up knowing you have something you have to do. 
  • ​A.Z.'s ability to reverse engineer and break it down for the agents, telling them exactly where they are at and what they need to do to accomplish their one-year goal is essential. When A.Z. goes through that process with the agents, it shines a light on what the trends are for them. 
  • ​They take their numbers and reverse engineer so they can understand what the average priced home is, and also what is required to hit their overall 2019 goals. Rio and Jesse are very clear about what they have to do specifically for the day, week, month, and the rest of the year. It gives your brain a direction of what to do and what to look for. 
  • ​Jesse appreciates that he can look at what Rio did and see the different perspective he has of the year, even though the two work together; Rio can do the same with Jesse. It takes a powerful man to take a step back and listen to another man. If the right person is giving you their feedback, it is something to listen too. 
  • ​A.Z. was able to graph out each agent's numbers, which was all of the closings from January to June 30. This allowed the agents to see the trends and identify their best month. It's great if they closed six transactions in one month, but what is essential is that they realize what led up to that point, what were the patterns and consistencies they had that got them that number. 
  • ​The next step was to identify their worst month; this is easy to see while looking at the graph. What were the patterns 60 days before that time? Our production and results don't come from what we are doing today; it comes from the things we did 60 to 90 days ago. That is important to realize in an instant gratification society that we live in. It is natural for us to want things right now. 
  • ​The build-up to do something is so much greater than it is to destroy it. You spend so much time building up momentum, and you finally get results but the amount of time it takes to destroy that momentum can happen overnight. You work out and put so much energy into getting your body in shape, and you see results in 3 months; you then have two bad weeks, and all of the gains are gone. It is that easy because we don't realize that when we let go, how far we let it go.
  • ​When you're not consistently doing the right things, and on the wrong track, you can go way off onto the wrong track. Training for the Olympic Triathlon A.Z. ate chicken every day, and rice and Jesse was eating chips and soda, and Jesse was wondering how A.Z. was still beating him. It's the consistent lifestyle that A.Z. is maintaining and not eating whatever he wants. The more consistent you are, the greater your results will be in whatever it is you do. If there are a lot of peaks and valleys, it is because of the inconsistency. 
Reflect, Revamp, Recommit
  • What was the thing that the men identified the most about what happened during their best month? What were some of the things that they were doing that resulted in that best month? For Rio to reflect on the best months, he had to reflect on the worst ones. During his bad months, he noticed his focus was elsewhere because he was getting. There is always something going on, but he completely let go of his business and February was the worst month he had ever had because of that. 
  • ​Because of that regression and the awareness of it for the following months, he went full-on into his marketing and completely revamped his marketing. The results began to show, and he had his best month that he ever had in June. Rio likes that A.Z. encourages his agents to restructure their goals, not only to increase it but to decrease it. That permits those that aren't on track to change their goal and make it something attainable, so they have something to keep fighting for; versus just giving up. 
  • ​Corporations do this all of the time; they adjust their numbers dependant upon where they are at. Both Rio and Jesse were in a position where they could increase their goals based on what they thought they were capable of in January. Now that they have beaten that goal, they realize they are greater then they thought initially been and are striving to be in the top 1% by the end of the year. 
  • ​It is amazing what they thought they were striving for six months ago seemed unrealistic to them, but here there are six months later, and they are surpassing it. When they reverse engineer it they see what they have to get done each month, and it is attainable. It's doable because they have proven it. When things are too complicated, you can become overwhelmed, but once it is a simple process of breaking down the numbers and know what needs to be done, you see that it can be done. 
  • ​Everyone needs to remind themselves what they promised themselves, what their goals are, and recalibrate on the actions. Are you still doing the things that got you the success or what haven't you done that brought you down? A.Z. feels like they are just getting started, and it is exciting. There are so many other agents, in other agencies that are just going through the motions and are burnt out. The environment of A.Z. & Associates is invigorating because you are surrounded by so many top producing agents that are producing. 
  • ​You have that ability to walk up to a top producer and talk to them and bounce ideas off of each other. There is so much to go around; it is never a competitive environment. Everyone helps each other out; there are no trade secrets. The company is all about helping each other grow together and building off of that momentum. A.Z. & Associates isn't just a business; it's a lifestyle. It is so much more than just the production aspect of your business. It's about living a great life. Period. 
P3:Purpose, Power and Profits
  • Other agencies may teach you how to be a great realtor, but A.Z. & Associates will show you how to be a great business owner. It's also to be great all-around as they focus on all aspects of your life. They are in it for the long game and not just to take advantage of what is happening right now. To do that you need to take care of not only yourself but your family; otherwise, it is going to be short term. When you're in the right environment around the right people, instinctively you will do the right thing. 
  • ​The environment is so important because it helps you build the right habits and eliminate the wrong ones. We are creatures of habit; poor habits, unfortunately. Jesse was a great realtor before he joined A.Z. & Associates, but he was a shitty family member and wasn't a good person all around. Now he strives every day to get better at it. When you live your life powerfully, you influence others that are waiting for you to rise. 
  • ​The more powerful you show up and the more certain of who you are in doing the right things, people will approach you and be thankful; thankful that you rose up which permitted them to do the same. Living powerfully affects more than just you. It is a domino effect of things that will happen for others. People want to follow someone who is dominating in their life, and that is what is the attraction A.Z. has with people. 
  • ​The greatest strategy to marketing is to be authentic and be you powerfully. We think that it is about just taking care of ourselves, but it does affect everyone around us. In the P3 model, The Prime 3 Model, is about accessing your mental and physical power to fuel your internal and external purpose. When you ask someone why they are doing something, they usually answer their family. If you are sacrificing for someone or something else, then you are not giving 100 percent of your power to them; you aren't living powerfully because you are sacrificing. You need to be able to do it for you, first and foremost. You need to feel good about what you do. 
  • ​When you are living powerfully, and your kids are watching that process, you are doing something great for them. The purpose is internal first, and then it is external; it becomes a byproduct from you that your family benefits from. Kids are important, and you want to do everything for them and pass on your knowledge. When you live powerfully the long term effect you will have on them will be far greater than pouring all of yourself into them. Parents are quick to tell others that they are proud of their kids, but can they say the same about you?
  • ​The third part of the P3 is profits and knowing that it is your job to continue to grow yourself by learning and then applying it. Profits are the result of something; you can't have the results of what you want for your business, your family, or for yourself unless you work on all aspects of those areas. How good is knowledge if you don't apply it? What is the difference between a person who can't read and a person who doesn't read? Nothing because when you learn something, you need to apply it and implement it or it is useless. 
Do You Have Space?
  • With all of the training at A.Z. & Associates, if you aren't applying it, why are you learning it? You take on all of this knowledge and information, and then you sit on your hands? That is counterproductive and does more damage than anything else; you need to do something daily that is towards that goal. 
  • ​Carla Araujo has joined the podcast. During the mid-year review, Carla made a great statement: Without purpose, you won't have the profits. You need to identify what the purpose is behind what you do. How do you feel? Whatever your feeling is behind your success is the purpose of it. It is okay to say that you want money and want to drive a nice car; but what is your drive behind that? Besides your children and your family, what is your REAL purpose? 
  • ​We are told by society that if we use ourselves as our purpose that it is selfish; it's not and it comes down to being the best you can be first so that you can be that in all areas of your life. All of us have bigger ambitions, and there is a gap between where we are at and where we want to go. If we go into an environment where we see something more significant for ourselves than we initially thought was possible, and we do nothing about it, we increase the gap. 
  • ​There is so much information out there about how to grow your business, but are you applying it? If all of this information is bombarding you, grab one or two ideas and build on that. There is a lot of stress to being a business owner; it can be overwhelming at times. 
  • ​Carla herself experienced a period where the stress was so intense she began to lose her hair. She even had an episode where her hand went numb at her desk and locked up; it was all the stress she was under. Her mind is wired to continue and get things done, no matter how she is feeling. Carla still showed up at the gym because of no pain, no gain. But as soon as her hair was falling out, she knew she needed to take a step back. 
  • ​You need to create a space where you can meditate and relax, bring your thoughts together, and not be in a constant state of G.O. When you create that space, you can see what MORE looks like; what the next chapter is. You need that pause to put yourself back together and ask yourself what your next step is. 
  • ​How does Carla create space? She journals, and she works out, which helps her to feel empowered. She also takes time to pray. Carla wakes up in the morning; she stretches and prays and gives thanks. She spends some time outside and listens to the birds and the wind; trying to take in everything and being very present. Those times are her most creative.
  • ​When you create space for yourself, it allows you to develop ideas for yourself and your business. Because we are so conditioned just continually to work, we aren't allowing yourself the time to expand and create. To understand that process, you have to hit a wall and know that you need to take a step back or you won't be able to move forward. 
  • ​If you are interested in joining A.Z. & Associates, go to www.badassagents.com and learn about what they do and how they can help you build your business and your life in general. If you would like to learn more about Dos Bros, you can find Rio on Facebook and Instagram and at www.TheRiodeal.com, and you can find Jesse on Facebook @JesseAbarca and Instagram @AZsRisingstars. You can subscribe, rate and review their podcast on Itunes which is Dos Bros In a Pod. 
Janette Owen
Janette Owen
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Trying to be an owner and a Designated Broker was too overwhelming for A.Z.; his mind was focused elsewhere on growing his brokerage, and his life. Knowing he had to find someone who was detailed oriented, focused and had a heart for A.Z. & Associates, he looked no further than Jeanette Owen. Jeanette came to A.Z. & Associates because she wanted a brokerage that would have her back, lead her business in the direction she wanted it to go and have a comradery of fellow agents to grow with. Jeanette has gone far beyond what was expected of a Designated Broker and has helped to create an environment of strong leadership and Baddassery within A.Z. & Associates.
B.A.B. - Janette Owen
  • ​Janette Owen is known around A.Z. & Associates as the Broker that delivers; she is also their Designated Broker. A.Z. couldn't handle growing the business and be the Designated Broker; it was nearly impossible. There is a limit to what you can handle, and it makes you feel like you are in a hamster wheel.
  • ​The first Designated Broker they had didn't fit into their culture, and it became a clash of standards. Jeanette understands what the brokerage is about and also it's heart; the Do the Work, BadAss mentality. 
  • ​Janette came in and completely owned the position; the brokerage is very particular about how it runs, and she was the perfect fit. What was the challenge for Jeanette taking on the additional responsibility? It blew her mind and was overwhelming at first. She loves a challenge and jumped in feet first, not knowing if she was prepared for it. The biggest challenge was making sure she didn't miss anything. Being so protective by nature Janette didn't want to let A.Z., Carla or any of the other agents down. 
  • ​It is a very detailed position, and A.Z. admits he couldn't deliver at the level Jeanette is because his mind and responsibilities were many; they needed someone to come in that was detail oriented and fill that void. Jeanette had to get used to training, being in front of a camera and she hated that.
  • ​The first time A.Z. asked Jeanette to do a live video she was miserable, but she has become comfortable being uncomfortable. She has her program that is recorded on Fridays called "Broker 411: The Broker Breakdown." Jeanette covers what is going on in the Brokers world right now, using real-life examples and how to protect the agents through proven practices.
  • ​How would Janette explain the training and support that agents receive at A.Z. & Associates? She has been in the industry a long time, and the two most essential elements for her has been Broker backing, someone she could call that would answer her questions. And then also the comradery which she felt immediately at A.Z. & Associates and as the Designated Broker she wanted the agents to think that as well. 
  • ​It is about being a student and always learning; protecting our sellers and our buyers as well as ourselves. There are so many mistakes made in this industry, and the number one danger is the incompetent, untrained agent. That's why we are committed to training and re-training and have the most competent agents in the state and probably the industry. 
Inspiration and Energy
  • ​How would Janette describe A.Z. & Associates to someone who doesn't know anything about us? We have created a Real Estate bible; what to do in this industry that Real Estate school has not prepared for you. Every form Janette has done a training video for and what is required for each type of transaction. 
  • ​What brought Janette to A.Z. & Associates initially? She loves the energy and that they focus on all the different aspects of life, not just real estate. Your business, your family, being spiritual and healthy. It is an excellent fit, and she likes A.Z. 
  • ​A.Z. & Associates are committed to making a difference in their agent's lives, challenging them not only in their businesses but in all aspects. We want to see people win; it's part of our DNA to do the things that are proven to work and watch them flourish. 
  • ​A.Z. has seen that being in the right environment will help you get through life's challenges faster. Keeping agents inspired to do an excellent job. What is the most significant value an agent will get from A.Z. & Associates? We genuinely care about our agents, and it's not just about teaching them to be good agents. It's about growing into an all-around solid person in all aspects of your life. We do an excellent job of helping agents create balance in their lives. 
  • ​When an agent that has been in the business for years but has hit the ceiling and is looking to make a move. What would Jeanette say to them about A.Z. & Associates? Come to a business meeting; it is entirely different than the environment you are used too. We have the tools to help people expand their business tenfold; taking their businesses to a whole new level. 
  • ​Some agents have commented that they are intimidated by what they see in Social Media about being with A.Z. & Associates, should they be? No. we are an intense group of individuals and if that intimidates you, then maybe Real Estate isn't for you. The reality is the nature of this business is more intense than anything going on; people depend on you as the authority in your space. 
  • ​It's about being, and you will get that at A.Z. & Associates; that is one of the reasons Janette stayed. Not just being motivated but given tangible tools to maintain it. Real tangible results based on real tangible things you can do daily. That is why we get the results that we do; it is no accident. A.Z. invites you to take a look at the brokerage, and the entire umbrella of their leadership and environment can do for you. You can't afford to go another day in a cycle that isn't working for you.
Is It Time For a Change?
  • This is the best the market has been in 15 years, and if you are barely making it now, you will have a difficult time when the market does change. What skill sets and mindsets do you need to build right now? Not one the promises of somebody else's systems and the back of someone else's leads, but on yours. When the market contracts you will have to depend on you and only you, if you don't have the skill sets to survive, you will be squeezed out of the market. 
  • ​If you aren't getting the results you want and you have been considering making a move, when are you going to make that move? When things are south? A.Z. encourages you to set that appointment up with us. You have the franchise option, The come one come all low fee option and The Bad Ass Agents option, which is a mindset, skill set based training through A.Z. & Associates.When you have that as the core of your foundation, there is nothing that can come your way to through you off indefinitely. 
  • ​Walking into an A.Z. & Associates office, you are likely to run into a Top Producer and not a part-time agent like at most brokerages. Everyone keeps their doors open also, and new agents can ask anyone anything. 
  • ​If you follow A.Z., Carla, Janette or any of the Top Producers at A.Z. & Associates, there is a real foundation there that will take you to another level; because of the methodology that we not only believe in but practice every day. It can work for you and looking for real change, whether you are just starting or a Top Producer, it's time to have that conversation with us. 
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Trying to be an owner and a Designated Broker was too overwhelming for A.Z.; his mind was focused elsewhere on growing his brokerage, and his life. Knowing he had to find someone who was detailed oriented, focused and had a heart for A.Z. & Associates, he looked no further than Jeanette Owen. Jeanette came to A.Z. & Associates because she wanted a brokerage that would have her back, lead her business in the direction she wanted it to go and have a comradery of fellow agents to grow with. Jeanette has gone far beyond what was expected of a Designated Broker and has helped to create an environment of strong leadership and Baddassery within A.Z. & Associates.
B.A.B. - Janette Owen
  • ​Janette Owen is known around A.Z. & Associates as the Broker that delivers; she is also their Designated Broker. A.Z. couldn't handle growing the business and be the Designated Broker; it was nearly impossible. There is a limit to what you can handle, and it makes you feel like you are in a hamster wheel.
  • ​The first Designated Broker they had didn't fit into their culture, and it became a clash of standards. Jeanette understands what the brokerage is about and also it's heart; the Do the Work, BadAss mentality. 
  • ​Janette came in and completely owned the position; the brokerage is very particular about how it runs, and she was the perfect fit. What was the challenge for Jeanette taking on the additional responsibility? It blew her mind and was overwhelming at first. She loves a challenge and jumped in feet first, not knowing if she was prepared for it. The biggest challenge was making sure she didn't miss anything. Being so protective by nature Janette didn't want to let A.Z., Carla or any of the other agents down. 
  • ​It is a very detailed position, and A.Z. admits he couldn't deliver at the level Jeanette is because his mind and responsibilities were many; they needed someone to come in that was detail oriented and fill that void. Jeanette had to get used to training, being in front of a camera and she hated that.
  • ​The first time A.Z. asked Jeanette to do a live video she was miserable, but she has become comfortable being uncomfortable. She has her program that is recorded on Fridays called "Broker 411: The Broker Breakdown." Jeanette covers what is going on in the Brokers world right now, using real-life examples and how to protect the agents through proven practices.
  • ​How would Janette explain the training and support that agents receive at A.Z. & Associates? She has been in the industry a long time, and the two most essential elements for her has been Broker backing, someone she could call that would answer her questions. And then also the comradery which she felt immediately at A.Z. & Associates and as the Designated Broker she wanted the agents to think that as well. 
  • ​It is about being a student and always learning; protecting our sellers and our buyers as well as ourselves. There are so many mistakes made in this industry, and the number one danger is the incompetent, untrained agent. That's why we are committed to training and re-training and have the most competent agents in the state and probably the industry. 
Inspiration and Energy
  • ​How would Janette describe A.Z. & Associates to someone who doesn't know anything about us? We have created a Real Estate bible; what to do in this industry that Real Estate school has not prepared for you. Every form Janette has done a training video for and what is required for each type of transaction. 
  • ​What brought Janette to A.Z. & Associates initially? She loves the energy and that they focus on all the different aspects of life, not just real estate. Your business, your family, being spiritual and healthy. It is an excellent fit, and she likes A.Z. 
  • ​A.Z. & Associates are committed to making a difference in their agent's lives, challenging them not only in their businesses but in all aspects. We want to see people win; it's part of our DNA to do the things that are proven to work and watch them flourish. 
  • ​A.Z. has seen that being in the right environment will help you get through life's challenges faster. Keeping agents inspired to do an excellent job. What is the most significant value an agent will get from A.Z. & Associates? We genuinely care about our agents, and it's not just about teaching them to be good agents. It's about growing into an all-around solid person in all aspects of your life. We do an excellent job of helping agents create balance in their lives. 
  • ​When an agent that has been in the business for years but has hit the ceiling and is looking to make a move. What would Jeanette say to them about A.Z. & Associates? Come to a business meeting; it is entirely different than the environment you are used too. We have the tools to help people expand their business tenfold; taking their businesses to a whole new level. 
  • ​Some agents have commented that they are intimidated by what they see in Social Media about being with A.Z. & Associates, should they be? No. we are an intense group of individuals and if that intimidates you, then maybe Real Estate isn't for you. The reality is the nature of this business is more intense than anything going on; people depend on you as the authority in your space. 
  • ​It's about being, and you will get that at A.Z. & Associates; that is one of the reasons Janette stayed. Not just being motivated but given tangible tools to maintain it. Real tangible results based on real tangible things you can do daily. That is why we get the results that we do; it is no accident. A.Z. invites you to take a look at the brokerage, and the entire umbrella of their leadership and environment can do for you. You can't afford to go another day in a cycle that isn't working for you.
Is It Time For a Change?
  • This is the best the market has been in 15 years, and if you are barely making it now, you will have a difficult time when the market does change. What skill sets and mindsets do you need to build right now? Not one the promises of somebody else's systems and the back of someone else's leads, but on yours. When the market contracts you will have to depend on you and only you, if you don't have the skill sets to survive, you will be squeezed out of the market. 
  • ​If you aren't getting the results you want and you have been considering making a move, when are you going to make that move? When things are south? A.Z. encourages you to set that appointment up with us. You have the franchise option, The come one come all low fee option and The Bad Ass Agents option, which is a mindset, skill set based training through A.Z. & Associates.When you have that as the core of your foundation, there is nothing that can come your way to through you off indefinitely. 
  • ​Walking into an A.Z. & Associates office, you are likely to run into a Top Producer and not a part-time agent like at most brokerages. Everyone keeps their doors open also, and new agents can ask anyone anything. 
  • ​If you follow A.Z., Carla, Janette or any of the Top Producers at A.Z. & Associates, there is a real foundation there that will take you to another level; because of the methodology that we not only believe in but practice every day. It can work for you and looking for real change, whether you are just starting or a Top Producer, it's time to have that conversation with us. 
Jason Smith
Jason Smith
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
You have succeeded, and you are content. You are stuck in a constant state of repeating the process to achieve the same success, over and over. Then what? You become bored and begin to self-sabotage because you are unhappy and don't know why. This happened to A.Z. and Jason at various times in their lives and careers. It wasn't until they realized they weren't rising to the next level because they stopped growing. You need to continue to do the reps, do the work and commit daily to being in that next space of success. Stop reliving the past, stop making the old new again, and break the patterns that hold you hostage in your today without pushing you into tomorrow.
Quit Making the Old New Again
  • ​You become frustrated having to learn the same mistakes over and over again so that A.Z. wrote this phrase in his journal: QUIT MAKING THE OLD NEW AGAIN. Anytime you succeed at a certain level you want to repeat that process, return to that situation and recreate it; it feels good and makes the adrenaline pump. 
  • ​When you win the same game repeatedly, it keeps you from growing. Jason Smith is the first non-agent to be a guest on Badass Agents Podcast, and after this interview, you will understand why. Jason is a mortgage broker who is committed to all facets of his life.
  • ​A lot of people in this industry don't succeed because they are all consumed with the Real Estate and Mortgage side of things; what about the personal element of it. You are learning the lessons. Has Jason ever been in the story of making the old new again? Yes. When you start to become accomplished, you want that pat on the back. That should be a push forward at the same time. You celebrate and relish in the success, and at the same time, you aren't moving forward to the next step.
  • ​At that point, it becomes almost a source of, and the regression begins. We think we are on the path of progression, but we are really on the path of regression; we stop doing the things that we are supposed to do. The same happens for people who have weight issues. They want to hit a specific goal, as soon as they hit that the process of regression now sets in. 
  • ​Jason experienced that when he lost 50 pounds in high school during the summer; he didn't want to be the fat kid anymore. He gained the weight back after a bad break-up going back to where he was again. He went right back to being the overweight, insecure guy he was many years before. Jason went back on the path to lose weight. 
  • ​We want that sense of accomplishment if we do it once we can do it again. That's great but what happens when you do it again? That's when you get to the next level, that is growth, the game changer. Everyone will applaud you for your win; look at where they were and where they are now. We can take that same story though and apply it 5 or 10 years ago. You are living in the same comfort range, staying in the space of what you tell yourself you can do. 
  • ​You don't move beyond that space, because you want to stay where you know you can succeed, getting comfortable and repeat the process. A.Z. has done that in his marriage and his business; he has a pattern that he has been able to identify over the years. Carla brought it to his attention that he had a pattern of winning at the game of business for about two years, and then sabotage it by trying something else. That caused financial hardship for his family, issues, stress and then he would build it all back up again. The reality was he was avoiding actual growth, the true next level
  • ​In this industry people get bored, discouraged, they don't want to sell anymore. They decide they are going to flip properties, or whatever; they eventually come back. They weren't burned out in this business, but they were unwilling to get to the next level in the business because it takes so much more. 
  • ​Jason agrees that it happens in the mortgage business also. People want to leave because they get to a certain level, they get pushed out of their comfort range with the systems we give them, but they don't want to do it because it feels foreign to them. 
  • ​A.Z. was prepared to shut A.Z. & Associates down in 2015; he was done. Carla asked him if he realized that this was the four-year pattern he had going one? Start a venture and then want to quit and do something else? She called him on his shit. He went back through every financial hardship they had over the years, and it was every four years like clockwork. A.Z. only took everything to a certain point and then became bored and didn't have the vision beyond that. 
  • ​A.Z. couldn't get to that next level, and he realized he wasn't bored, he was unwilling to do the work to take him there. He was comfortable within his range of skill sets.
Succeed, Stop, Start and Repeat
  • ​At the beginning of your career it is so fun and interesting. Then you cut yourself off from that next level of learning because of fear. A.Z. had a belief in what they were building, so he went deeper. Just as in a new relationship following a breakup. You work out more, it's fun, exciting and new; but what if you had worked that hard on the previous relationship and gone deeper? 
  • ​A.Z. and Carla were at that point with each other; they were done, and it was the same shit over and over. They decided to go deeper into the relationship, and they he now realizes that there is a deeper connection, and everything keeps getting better. In his business, he went deeper and stopped making the old new again.
  • ​In a relationship, we bring flowers home become we messed up the day before, and we repeat that process. Are you bringing flowers home because you are sorry or because you are stepping up? It's repeating the same cycle. If you want to get to the next level, it comes down to what are you avoiding? That shiny object or that new thing, you are repeating the same patterns.
  • ​So many companies on the real estate side and the lending side is offering all of these shiny objects. Do you need those or do you need to set the groundwork every day, get better, and keep doing the reps over and over? The shiny objects don't get you anywhere, and they are a quick fix. It's a lure, and it comes down to your efforts. 
  • ​Jason is a high producer and is having his best month ever. Number One Mortgage Broker for his company in Maricopa County; that is an unbelievable feat. That is the very reason that A.Z. brought him here; not because he is a top producer but because of what he does outside of producing. A lot of people can pound their chest and say they are the best but how else is he invested in what he does? How is he invested with his body, family, and children? He is the epitome of that and is encompassing all of it. 
  • ​Jason has the same belief system as A.Z., and he was coached by A.Z. also. That helped him to get to that next level. Jason gets up at 5, works out, drinks his green smoothie, spends time with his daughter; he is practicing those things at home and putting those systems into place. If you want something great, you have to put in the time and the reps. 
  • ​A.Z. remembers expecting love and respect from his wife and kids; chastising them if they didn't say hello when he came home. He wasn't spending the time with them but expecting everything in return. It's like expecting something great from your company when you aren't fully invested in what is required to be successful. 
  • ​We aren't caveman; we aren't killing something to eat and bringing it home and expect love. You can't sit on your laurels and think that your wife is going to appreciate you; they can do it themselves. Not only are women in business but they dominate at it. If you have that mindset, it will unravel very quickly because you are asking your wife to suppress her ambitions and goals and love you unconditionally. 
  • ​A.Z. and Jason expected that in the past; they were making good money, paying the bills, you have clothes, a nice car, and a home; that is so wrong and messed up. That spawned from their insecurities as a man because when that woman rises and comes up, most men want to suppress that because of their insecurities with themselves. You can enable each other to be stronger or be weaker, and that is the reality. 
They Don’t Need You to be Their Savior
  • ​When you are both on the same page in your relationship that is when real growth happens, when that happened for A.Z. and Carla, not only did their relationship and family flourish but their business took off. When they both started to take responsibility for how they showed up, it's a stress they no longer had to deal with. Their relationship is good and is no longer sucking up mental energy that can now be focused on the growth in other areas. 
  • ​Jason is newly married, he just had a baby, so they are learning that balance with each other; he is also learning that his wife has a hard time feeling secure in herself, he can't give that to her, but he also can't suppress it. Women get so invested in a child that they lose themselves sometimes, for men to play the hero is not the right response. They will find their way; they don't need a savior; not playing that role is vital for men. You can come together and have mutual goals and ambitions, but the goals for oneself is up to that individual. 
  • ​How did the coaching program impact Jason? When Jason came to A.Z. about the coaching, he was in the top 1% in the nation; he has done well with what he does for a living. There were other aspects of his life that he could see were not where they needed to be. He had reached his upper limit and realized that he had done this before and wasn't going to scoot backward again. Going through the coaching was the fine tuning he needed to get to that next level and getting to be where he needed to be, and not being scared of that growth. 
  • ​In 2013 A.Z. was in the same rut and spent most of his time looking for a voice to speak to him. He was lucky enough to find a few coaches that helped him along the path, but all he needed was perspective, a different outlook of what his realities were. He could only see what he knew and not beyond that. The upper limit is when things start feeling too good and maybe are unknown; we retract and regress. As men we get to a point if we aren't doing the right things, we shut down and sabotage. 
  • ​You get in a depressive state and go through the motions, but you know it's not where you need to be going. Being out of integrity with yourself, you operate at a lower level even though your subconscious knows what you are capable of. That creates a gap where you are carrying that burden of unfulfillment. We all go through that especially when you are a successful businessman.
  • ​That is why Jason reached out. Some of it was rooted from when he was younger, your family making you feel like you aren't good enough. Some people use that as fire, but is that enough? What is next? You want to be able to excel in all aspects. For A.Z. if you look at how he communicates with his wife, and his commitment in that, it is the very thing you will get from him in his business. If you look at the strength of his business, the energy that is the same thing you will see in his body. When you look at his body, how he feels and where he is going, that is the same thing that he puts into his family. 
  • ​You want every aspect to intertwine; you have success but how is your quality of life? There are so many people who can't let go of the element of how accomplished they are at their job, and their wives are home taking care of the kids, and they should love you for that. Some men belittle their wives and make them feel bad and start sabotaging themselves at work because they are depressed and have to go back uphill all over again. Instead of fixing the issues they begin to sedate them. Going out every weekend, every night, the drinking, the early happy hours; it becomes the norm. You set a meager standard because you are operating at a lower level. You go after clients you aren't ever going to get, treating them like kings and you go home and treat your wife like crap.
Who Is This Guy?
  • ​Four years ago, Jason starting seeing A.Z. and Carla on Facebook. Watching him, Jason realized there was something about A.Z. Who does this guy think he is? As he watched it he saw the mindset that A.Z. had to be humble, coachable, honest and do the right things; that attracted Jason. That is what Jason sees in the agents at A.Z. & Associates. They go out and establish great groundwork, where they are doing more business than most agents that are chasing objects; wanting lenders too buy them things. It's about delivering on the service. 
  • ​A.Z. invited Jason to become one of their preferred Mortgage Brokers because Jason delivers on what his job is. That's what his clients want. A.Z. doesn't care about the lunches, the suites; he can do that on his own. Jason isn't catering; he is delivering the service. Jason isn't here to impress anybody but to bring a platform where he shows you the value. Your productivity will go up because he is going to spend the time with the borrower figuring things out. 
  • ​Jason has saved so many deals for A.Z. & Associates and it because of the processes he has implemented with each client he deals with. Take the time and learn about the entire situation. That has made him successful. Jason and his team are closing 44 transactions this month, and that is huge. 
  • ​A.Z feels that his loyalty to someone is only as good as the service and value they provide to him. That may be harsh to some, but the reality is why would we tolerate lower standards. Friends and colleagues A.Z. has, he isn't in it for loyalty but because there is still mutual value going back and forth. He knows they are growing, increasing their capacity and the conversations are improving. If someone is invested and the same discussions are happening over and over again, that becomes an anchor on the other person. 
  • ​You need only to expect loyalty on the value you provide not based on how long you have known each other. You become expectant; you know me so you should be loyal to me. It about the value and being aware of your actions; if you can't learn from how you are approaching life, it doesn't live room for growth. You need to make sure you are taking care of your body, first and foremost; you can't roll into a meeting if you just rolled out of bed. You can pull it off, but it won't have the same energy. When you have consumed the right things, working on your body, you are winning. 
  • ​Working on his swimming, A.Z. has brought pain on himself, because it allows him to grow capacity in himself also. It's the little things that will take you to the next level to keep pushing you forward; they don't just happen; it's small metrics that lead to big metrics. 
  • ​If you can be consistent with the reps you do for yourself, you can be consistent in anything. It creates growth, financial freedom and bonds relationships; consistency is the basis and foundation of everything you do. It builds confidence, and there is a difference between confidence and arrogance. Sometimes it is mistaken one for the other. 
  • ​Commitment is so important, and everybody is committed to something, good or bad. Jason has leaned in and done the work, and we all need to be open to that. It's not about success; it's about being humble, hungry and coachable. Jason can learn from anyone, regardless of their age; it makes him want to push harder and be better. You need to grow and rise and not be intimidated and insecure. 
  • ​If you want a lender that will deliver for you, A.Z. recommends Jason Smith. How can you reach Jason? Jason is at a reputable brokerage, NOVA Home Loans. They are an elite company that delivers at elite levels. You can contact Jason at 480-227-6231, and he is all over social media. Call or text him any hour. Jason will take the turndowns and turn them into happy homeowners and happy agents that are delivering on that home. 
  • ​A.Z. & Associates leads their market on sales per agent and that's what matters the most. If a company is successful, but their agents are well below average, then who is winning there? We focus on growing our agent's businesses and treat our agents not only like realtors but small business owners. Teaching the systems, marketing and sales and applying those systems to make them successful. It's also about teaching leadership and how to lead their clients, title company, a mortgage broker to close those transactions. 
  • ​Where in your life are you making the old new again? It's time to raise the bar by challenging yourself not to stop where you are at; get outside of that and reach that next level. If you are interested in joining A.Z. & Associates Real Estate Group go to www.badassagents.com and apply.

CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
You have succeeded, and you are content. You are stuck in a constant state of repeating the process to achieve the same success, over and over. Then what? You become bored and begin to self-sabotage because you are unhappy and don't know why. This happened to A.Z. and Jason at various times in their lives and careers. It wasn't until they realized they weren't rising to the next level because they stopped growing. You need to continue to do the reps, do the work and commit daily to being in that next space of success. Stop reliving the past, stop making the old new again, and break the patterns that hold you hostage in your today without pushing you into tomorrow.
Quit Making the Old New Again
  • ​You become frustrated having to learn the same mistakes over and over again so that A.Z. wrote this phrase in his journal: QUIT MAKING THE OLD NEW AGAIN. Anytime you succeed at a certain level you want to repeat that process, return to that situation and recreate it; it feels good and makes the adrenaline pump. 
  • ​When you win the same game repeatedly, it keeps you from growing. Jason Smith is the first non-agent to be a guest on Badass Agents Podcast, and after this interview, you will understand why. Jason is a mortgage broker who is committed to all facets of his life.
  • ​A lot of people in this industry don't succeed because they are all consumed with the Real Estate and Mortgage side of things; what about the personal element of it. You are learning the lessons. Has Jason ever been in the story of making the old new again? Yes. When you start to become accomplished, you want that pat on the back. That should be a push forward at the same time. You celebrate and relish in the success, and at the same time, you aren't moving forward to the next step.
  • ​At that point, it becomes almost a source of, and the regression begins. We think we are on the path of progression, but we are really on the path of regression; we stop doing the things that we are supposed to do. The same happens for people who have weight issues. They want to hit a specific goal, as soon as they hit that the process of regression now sets in. 
  • ​Jason experienced that when he lost 50 pounds in high school during the summer; he didn't want to be the fat kid anymore. He gained the weight back after a bad break-up going back to where he was again. He went right back to being the overweight, insecure guy he was many years before. Jason went back on the path to lose weight. 
  • ​We want that sense of accomplishment if we do it once we can do it again. That's great but what happens when you do it again? That's when you get to the next level, that is growth, the game changer. Everyone will applaud you for your win; look at where they were and where they are now. We can take that same story though and apply it 5 or 10 years ago. You are living in the same comfort range, staying in the space of what you tell yourself you can do. 
  • ​You don't move beyond that space, because you want to stay where you know you can succeed, getting comfortable and repeat the process. A.Z. has done that in his marriage and his business; he has a pattern that he has been able to identify over the years. Carla brought it to his attention that he had a pattern of winning at the game of business for about two years, and then sabotage it by trying something else. That caused financial hardship for his family, issues, stress and then he would build it all back up again. The reality was he was avoiding actual growth, the true next level
  • ​In this industry people get bored, discouraged, they don't want to sell anymore. They decide they are going to flip properties, or whatever; they eventually come back. They weren't burned out in this business, but they were unwilling to get to the next level in the business because it takes so much more. 
  • ​Jason agrees that it happens in the mortgage business also. People want to leave because they get to a certain level, they get pushed out of their comfort range with the systems we give them, but they don't want to do it because it feels foreign to them. 
  • ​A.Z. was prepared to shut A.Z. & Associates down in 2015; he was done. Carla asked him if he realized that this was the four-year pattern he had going one? Start a venture and then want to quit and do something else? She called him on his shit. He went back through every financial hardship they had over the years, and it was every four years like clockwork. A.Z. only took everything to a certain point and then became bored and didn't have the vision beyond that. 
  • ​A.Z. couldn't get to that next level, and he realized he wasn't bored, he was unwilling to do the work to take him there. He was comfortable within his range of skill sets.
Succeed, Stop, Start and Repeat
  • ​At the beginning of your career it is so fun and interesting. Then you cut yourself off from that next level of learning because of fear. A.Z. had a belief in what they were building, so he went deeper. Just as in a new relationship following a breakup. You work out more, it's fun, exciting and new; but what if you had worked that hard on the previous relationship and gone deeper? 
  • ​A.Z. and Carla were at that point with each other; they were done, and it was the same shit over and over. They decided to go deeper into the relationship, and they he now realizes that there is a deeper connection, and everything keeps getting better. In his business, he went deeper and stopped making the old new again.
  • ​In a relationship, we bring flowers home become we messed up the day before, and we repeat that process. Are you bringing flowers home because you are sorry or because you are stepping up? It's repeating the same cycle. If you want to get to the next level, it comes down to what are you avoiding? That shiny object or that new thing, you are repeating the same patterns.
  • ​So many companies on the real estate side and the lending side is offering all of these shiny objects. Do you need those or do you need to set the groundwork every day, get better, and keep doing the reps over and over? The shiny objects don't get you anywhere, and they are a quick fix. It's a lure, and it comes down to your efforts. 
  • ​Jason is a high producer and is having his best month ever. Number One Mortgage Broker for his company in Maricopa County; that is an unbelievable feat. That is the very reason that A.Z. brought him here; not because he is a top producer but because of what he does outside of producing. A lot of people can pound their chest and say they are the best but how else is he invested in what he does? How is he invested with his body, family, and children? He is the epitome of that and is encompassing all of it. 
  • ​Jason has the same belief system as A.Z., and he was coached by A.Z. also. That helped him to get to that next level. Jason gets up at 5, works out, drinks his green smoothie, spends time with his daughter; he is practicing those things at home and putting those systems into place. If you want something great, you have to put in the time and the reps. 
  • ​A.Z. remembers expecting love and respect from his wife and kids; chastising them if they didn't say hello when he came home. He wasn't spending the time with them but expecting everything in return. It's like expecting something great from your company when you aren't fully invested in what is required to be successful. 
  • ​We aren't caveman; we aren't killing something to eat and bringing it home and expect love. You can't sit on your laurels and think that your wife is going to appreciate you; they can do it themselves. Not only are women in business but they dominate at it. If you have that mindset, it will unravel very quickly because you are asking your wife to suppress her ambitions and goals and love you unconditionally. 
  • ​A.Z. and Jason expected that in the past; they were making good money, paying the bills, you have clothes, a nice car, and a home; that is so wrong and messed up. That spawned from their insecurities as a man because when that woman rises and comes up, most men want to suppress that because of their insecurities with themselves. You can enable each other to be stronger or be weaker, and that is the reality. 
They Don’t Need You to be Their Savior
  • ​When you are both on the same page in your relationship that is when real growth happens, when that happened for A.Z. and Carla, not only did their relationship and family flourish but their business took off. When they both started to take responsibility for how they showed up, it's a stress they no longer had to deal with. Their relationship is good and is no longer sucking up mental energy that can now be focused on the growth in other areas. 
  • ​Jason is newly married, he just had a baby, so they are learning that balance with each other; he is also learning that his wife has a hard time feeling secure in herself, he can't give that to her, but he also can't suppress it. Women get so invested in a child that they lose themselves sometimes, for men to play the hero is not the right response. They will find their way; they don't need a savior; not playing that role is vital for men. You can come together and have mutual goals and ambitions, but the goals for oneself is up to that individual. 
  • ​How did the coaching program impact Jason? When Jason came to A.Z. about the coaching, he was in the top 1% in the nation; he has done well with what he does for a living. There were other aspects of his life that he could see were not where they needed to be. He had reached his upper limit and realized that he had done this before and wasn't going to scoot backward again. Going through the coaching was the fine tuning he needed to get to that next level and getting to be where he needed to be, and not being scared of that growth. 
  • ​In 2013 A.Z. was in the same rut and spent most of his time looking for a voice to speak to him. He was lucky enough to find a few coaches that helped him along the path, but all he needed was perspective, a different outlook of what his realities were. He could only see what he knew and not beyond that. The upper limit is when things start feeling too good and maybe are unknown; we retract and regress. As men we get to a point if we aren't doing the right things, we shut down and sabotage. 
  • ​You get in a depressive state and go through the motions, but you know it's not where you need to be going. Being out of integrity with yourself, you operate at a lower level even though your subconscious knows what you are capable of. That creates a gap where you are carrying that burden of unfulfillment. We all go through that especially when you are a successful businessman.
  • ​That is why Jason reached out. Some of it was rooted from when he was younger, your family making you feel like you aren't good enough. Some people use that as fire, but is that enough? What is next? You want to be able to excel in all aspects. For A.Z. if you look at how he communicates with his wife, and his commitment in that, it is the very thing you will get from him in his business. If you look at the strength of his business, the energy that is the same thing you will see in his body. When you look at his body, how he feels and where he is going, that is the same thing that he puts into his family. 
  • ​You want every aspect to intertwine; you have success but how is your quality of life? There are so many people who can't let go of the element of how accomplished they are at their job, and their wives are home taking care of the kids, and they should love you for that. Some men belittle their wives and make them feel bad and start sabotaging themselves at work because they are depressed and have to go back uphill all over again. Instead of fixing the issues they begin to sedate them. Going out every weekend, every night, the drinking, the early happy hours; it becomes the norm. You set a meager standard because you are operating at a lower level. You go after clients you aren't ever going to get, treating them like kings and you go home and treat your wife like crap.
Who Is This Guy?
  • ​Four years ago, Jason starting seeing A.Z. and Carla on Facebook. Watching him, Jason realized there was something about A.Z. Who does this guy think he is? As he watched it he saw the mindset that A.Z. had to be humble, coachable, honest and do the right things; that attracted Jason. That is what Jason sees in the agents at A.Z. & Associates. They go out and establish great groundwork, where they are doing more business than most agents that are chasing objects; wanting lenders too buy them things. It's about delivering on the service. 
  • ​A.Z. invited Jason to become one of their preferred Mortgage Brokers because Jason delivers on what his job is. That's what his clients want. A.Z. doesn't care about the lunches, the suites; he can do that on his own. Jason isn't catering; he is delivering the service. Jason isn't here to impress anybody but to bring a platform where he shows you the value. Your productivity will go up because he is going to spend the time with the borrower figuring things out. 
  • ​Jason has saved so many deals for A.Z. & Associates and it because of the processes he has implemented with each client he deals with. Take the time and learn about the entire situation. That has made him successful. Jason and his team are closing 44 transactions this month, and that is huge. 
  • ​A.Z feels that his loyalty to someone is only as good as the service and value they provide to him. That may be harsh to some, but the reality is why would we tolerate lower standards. Friends and colleagues A.Z. has, he isn't in it for loyalty but because there is still mutual value going back and forth. He knows they are growing, increasing their capacity and the conversations are improving. If someone is invested and the same discussions are happening over and over again, that becomes an anchor on the other person. 
  • ​You need only to expect loyalty on the value you provide not based on how long you have known each other. You become expectant; you know me so you should be loyal to me. It about the value and being aware of your actions; if you can't learn from how you are approaching life, it doesn't live room for growth. You need to make sure you are taking care of your body, first and foremost; you can't roll into a meeting if you just rolled out of bed. You can pull it off, but it won't have the same energy. When you have consumed the right things, working on your body, you are winning. 
  • ​Working on his swimming, A.Z. has brought pain on himself, because it allows him to grow capacity in himself also. It's the little things that will take you to the next level to keep pushing you forward; they don't just happen; it's small metrics that lead to big metrics. 
  • ​If you can be consistent with the reps you do for yourself, you can be consistent in anything. It creates growth, financial freedom and bonds relationships; consistency is the basis and foundation of everything you do. It builds confidence, and there is a difference between confidence and arrogance. Sometimes it is mistaken one for the other. 
  • ​Commitment is so important, and everybody is committed to something, good or bad. Jason has leaned in and done the work, and we all need to be open to that. It's not about success; it's about being humble, hungry and coachable. Jason can learn from anyone, regardless of their age; it makes him want to push harder and be better. You need to grow and rise and not be intimidated and insecure. 
  • ​If you want a lender that will deliver for you, A.Z. recommends Jason Smith. How can you reach Jason? Jason is at a reputable brokerage, NOVA Home Loans. They are an elite company that delivers at elite levels. You can contact Jason at 480-227-6231, and he is all over social media. Call or text him any hour. Jason will take the turndowns and turn them into happy homeowners and happy agents that are delivering on that home. 
  • ​A.Z. & Associates leads their market on sales per agent and that's what matters the most. If a company is successful, but their agents are well below average, then who is winning there? We focus on growing our agent's businesses and treat our agents not only like realtors but small business owners. Teaching the systems, marketing and sales and applying those systems to make them successful. It's also about teaching leadership and how to lead their clients, title company, a mortgage broker to close those transactions. 
  • ​Where in your life are you making the old new again? It's time to raise the bar by challenging yourself not to stop where you are at; get outside of that and reach that next level. If you are interested in joining A.Z. & Associates Real Estate Group go to www.badassagents.com and apply.

Jesse Abarca & Rio Vidrio
Jesse Abarca 
& 
Rio Vidrio
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Living a Challenged Based Lifestyle is all about living your life 12-weeks at a time. Setting a target for your body, business, and family and breaking it down to 90-days takes away the overwhelm and allows you to course correct every week to hit that target Preparing for a Triathlon has given A.Z., Jesse and Rio the mindset they needed to push forward and overcome to achieve their targets. Having the support of people around you will drive you towards success, not only in business but in all areas of your life.
Living a Challenge Based Lifestyle
  • ​Today A.Z. is joined in the studio by two special guests. Living a Challenged Based lifestyle, what is it, how do you maintain it, sustain it; to grow, to get what you want from your body, relationships, and business? Jesse Abarca and Rio Vidrio makeup “Dos Bros,” and are with A.Z. to talk about today’s topic.
  • ​A Challenged Based Lifestyle is about setting a target, something to work towards. When there is a clear vision or competition to prepare for it is All Hands on Deck. 
  • ​With several Triathlons coming up for the men, Rio birthed the idea of the 1st Annual A.Z. & Associates Triathlon. It will start with 750 meters in the pool, a 14-mile bike ride, and a 3-mile run. Rio has been working in the pool like mad, A.Z. and Jesse have been in the pool a few weeks. The competition is growing, but Rio admittedly hasn't been focusing on anything but swimming. 
  • ​Rio has picked up his game on his biking and running, and he did a mini-triathlon. With the other men picking up their game, Rio’s confidence is slipping a bit from he is going to win so he won't come in last. Jesse has mentally prepared himself that he is not going to have any excuses; he feels his best will be good enough, for first.
  • ​All kidding aside the swimming for A.Z. is still very intimidating. Two years ago A.Z. experienced a Sprint Triathlon, which for most people is a warm-up. For A.Z. it was like an Ironman, and he had to put all of his training towards it. He wasn't prepared; he didn't know the transitions or how to hydrate properly. It was a big feat for him to finish it; he got his ass kicked because he wasn't adequately prepared. 
  • ​The swimming and cycling were his weak points, but he did get a T-shirt. Jesse is so proud of Rio; whether he gets first or last, he has done the work consistently. Rio has eliminated the story that he isn't a runner; this competition has brought the best out in him. He has entered an arena that isn't his strong suit, but he has made it his strong suit by consistently showing up and doing the work every day. 
  • ​To have a grown man say that about another grown man that is a result of the environment they have at A.Z. & Associates. They never try to hold each other down, they talk shit about each other getting ready for the competition, but at the same time, they are lifting each other because they are not hiding. They want each other to rise and share what they are learning from their trainers and coaches. They want the best from each other on competition day. That correlates into their Real Estate business; sharing what they know works so the other can rise. 
  • ​Jesse and Rio started “Dos Bros in a Pod,” podcast but recently broke off into individual brands as well. As in marriage, you can't lose yourself in that union. You need to have your own identities, your personal goals, and ambitions and then come together more powerfully. If you are always dependent on the other, your actions become dependent on how the other feels and vice versa.
Life is Short; Get the Ferrari
  • ​It is important to see how great you can be and that pushes the other to do the same. That is what targets do as well. A.Z. would not be in the pool five days a week if he didn't have something to look forward too. He wouldn't show up to the office if he didn't have sales goals to meet. 
  • ​A.Z. was so defeated from his last Sprint Triathlon and swimming that he gave Jesse his wetsuit nine months ago; now A.Z. needs to buy a new one. Jesse was going to compete in an Iron Man, and A.Z . was proud of the goal he had set for himself, and he gave him the wet suit. A.Z. never gives away anything because he might need it. A.Z. thought he just lent it to him, so Jesse brought it back, but A.Z. already ordered the Ferrari of wetsuits. 
  • ​A.Z. has learned over the years that when you purchase cheap equipment or services, you get what you pay for. Put the money out up front, and it will be worth the investment in the long run. These standards are necessary.
  • ​You need to take care of your body and do whatever you can to be in the best shape possible so you can compete at a high level. We forget that as we get older. We lose that animal drive and instinct, and it is much needed, and competition does that, even in business. 
  • ​As a result of the Challenged Based Lifestyle, Jesse and Rio started their podcast back in September. They were in a 90-day target, and one of the challenges was to create something, and they created the podcast. It's only 12 weeks, living life 90 days at a time. Every 12 weeks they all get together and recalibrate and recommit to their bodies, business, families and every other aspect they want to improve on. 
  • ​It creates an environment of going after it and not getting complacent. Jesse used to write his goals out at the beginning of the new year, but they were so overwhelming he would lose momentum. It stresses you out looking at a year's worth of targets for your life. Twelve weeks is a short enough period where you can course correct weekly to stay on track. 
  • ​They are achievable targets that are just outside of your reach for the moment, but at the end of 12 weeks, it will be within your grasp. Rio went live every day on Facebook to prepare himself for doing a podcast. He did the reps. Jesse and Rio’s ability to communicate a message powerfully, and has improved dramatically over the past seven months. It was a process and not a God-given talent. 
  • ​Doing a podcast isn't easy because you are putting yourself out there like you are the authority and had they not done the reps or the podcast, Rio doesn't feel he would be encouraged to do what he is doing with own private brand. 
  • ​When you know you can accomplish your target it gives you the confidence to accomplish many things. Your confidence comes from doing the reps, doing the work. It is about being an environment that encourages your growth not just in one thing but in all things. 
  • ​The energy from A.Z. & Associates happens consistently, not with only the men but the women in real estate that Carla has brought one to this podcast. You can see the passion, and it's not all about business, and posturing; it's about living your life powerfully and encouraging others to do the same.
You Have to Spend Money to Make Opportunities
  • ​What has this process of Living a Challenge Based Lifestyle done for their businesses? Rio has done well; he isn't stressed out; he is losing weight; this is what most agents face. He was able to increase his total revenue from his first full year to his second year and credits that to hiring an assistant. Rio had been living in a scarcity mindset and thought he had to save all of his pennies. Jesse had a great assistant and suggested that Rio giver her a shot; he did and she also became the producer of their Podcast. 
  • ​Rio increased his business by 20% just by hiring an assistant and plans that same increase again this year. Had he not taken that initial step or set a challenge for himself he would have never known, how that felt. Now if he is out with his family and an offer comes in, or a client wants to see a house he calls his assistant. Having that freedom and building that foundation is incredible. 
  • ​Jesse had a great year last year and was in the top 5 % of all the real estate agents in Arizona, and this year he is on track for the top 2 %. Every year he will raise the bar without burning out which is the key. 
  • ​The environment is essential and surrounding yourself with people that are living it and doing it right to sustain it. Anyone is capable of going out and earning that money, but it is short-lived. At A.Z. & Associates, they live by the philosophy of doing everything great. One that path to greatness you are going to suck, and it's going to be tough, you will doubt yourself; there is a constant reinforcement of mindset and leadership that you can go on that path and get precisely what you want.
  • ​If you are interested to learn more about A.Z. & Associates go to www.badassagent.com and apply. Follow Dos Bros in a Pod, Jesse, and Rio, and you can see the energy.
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Living a Challenged Based Lifestyle is all about living your life 12-weeks at a time. Setting a target for your body, business, and family and breaking it down to 90-days takes away the overwhelm and allows you to course correct every week to hit that target Preparing for a Triathlon has given A.Z., Jesse and Rio the mindset they needed to push forward and overcome to achieve their targets. Having the support of people around you will drive you towards success, not only in business but in all areas of your life.
Living a Challenge Based Lifestyle
  • ​Today A.Z. is joined in the studio by two special guests. Living a Challenged Based lifestyle, what is it, how do you maintain it, sustain it; to grow, to get what you want from your body, relationships, and business? Jesse Abarca and Rio Vidrio makeup “Dos Bros,” and are with A.Z. to talk about today’s topic.
  • ​A Challenged Based Lifestyle is about setting a target, something to work towards. When there is a clear vision or competition to prepare for it is All Hands on Deck. 
  • ​With several Triathlons coming up for the men, Rio birthed the idea of the 1st Annual A.Z. & Associates Triathlon. It will start with 750 meters in the pool, a 14-mile bike ride, and a 3-mile run. Rio has been working in the pool like mad, A.Z. and Jesse have been in the pool a few weeks. The competition is growing, but Rio admittedly hasn't been focusing on anything but swimming. 
  • ​Rio has picked up his game on his biking and running, and he did a mini-triathlon. With the other men picking up their game, Rio’s confidence is slipping a bit from he is going to win so he won't come in last. Jesse has mentally prepared himself that he is not going to have any excuses; he feels his best will be good enough, for first.
  • ​All kidding aside the swimming for A.Z. is still very intimidating. Two years ago A.Z. experienced a Sprint Triathlon, which for most people is a warm-up. For A.Z. it was like an Ironman, and he had to put all of his training towards it. He wasn't prepared; he didn't know the transitions or how to hydrate properly. It was a big feat for him to finish it; he got his ass kicked because he wasn't adequately prepared. 
  • ​The swimming and cycling were his weak points, but he did get a T-shirt. Jesse is so proud of Rio; whether he gets first or last, he has done the work consistently. Rio has eliminated the story that he isn't a runner; this competition has brought the best out in him. He has entered an arena that isn't his strong suit, but he has made it his strong suit by consistently showing up and doing the work every day. 
  • ​To have a grown man say that about another grown man that is a result of the environment they have at A.Z. & Associates. They never try to hold each other down, they talk shit about each other getting ready for the competition, but at the same time, they are lifting each other because they are not hiding. They want each other to rise and share what they are learning from their trainers and coaches. They want the best from each other on competition day. That correlates into their Real Estate business; sharing what they know works so the other can rise. 
  • ​Jesse and Rio started “Dos Bros in a Pod,” podcast but recently broke off into individual brands as well. As in marriage, you can't lose yourself in that union. You need to have your own identities, your personal goals, and ambitions and then come together more powerfully. If you are always dependent on the other, your actions become dependent on how the other feels and vice versa.
Life is Short; Get the Ferrari
  • ​It is important to see how great you can be and that pushes the other to do the same. That is what targets do as well. A.Z. would not be in the pool five days a week if he didn't have something to look forward too. He wouldn't show up to the office if he didn't have sales goals to meet. 
  • ​A.Z. was so defeated from his last Sprint Triathlon and swimming that he gave Jesse his wetsuit nine months ago; now A.Z. needs to buy a new one. Jesse was going to compete in an Iron Man, and A.Z . was proud of the goal he had set for himself, and he gave him the wet suit. A.Z. never gives away anything because he might need it. A.Z. thought he just lent it to him, so Jesse brought it back, but A.Z. already ordered the Ferrari of wetsuits. 
  • ​A.Z. has learned over the years that when you purchase cheap equipment or services, you get what you pay for. Put the money out up front, and it will be worth the investment in the long run. These standards are necessary.
  • ​You need to take care of your body and do whatever you can to be in the best shape possible so you can compete at a high level. We forget that as we get older. We lose that animal drive and instinct, and it is much needed, and competition does that, even in business. 
  • ​As a result of the Challenged Based Lifestyle, Jesse and Rio started their podcast back in September. They were in a 90-day target, and one of the challenges was to create something, and they created the podcast. It's only 12 weeks, living life 90 days at a time. Every 12 weeks they all get together and recalibrate and recommit to their bodies, business, families and every other aspect they want to improve on. 
  • ​It creates an environment of going after it and not getting complacent. Jesse used to write his goals out at the beginning of the new year, but they were so overwhelming he would lose momentum. It stresses you out looking at a year's worth of targets for your life. Twelve weeks is a short enough period where you can course correct weekly to stay on track. 
  • ​They are achievable targets that are just outside of your reach for the moment, but at the end of 12 weeks, it will be within your grasp. Rio went live every day on Facebook to prepare himself for doing a podcast. He did the reps. Jesse and Rio’s ability to communicate a message powerfully, and has improved dramatically over the past seven months. It was a process and not a God-given talent. 
  • ​Doing a podcast isn't easy because you are putting yourself out there like you are the authority and had they not done the reps or the podcast, Rio doesn't feel he would be encouraged to do what he is doing with own private brand. 
  • ​When you know you can accomplish your target it gives you the confidence to accomplish many things. Your confidence comes from doing the reps, doing the work. It is about being an environment that encourages your growth not just in one thing but in all things. 
  • ​The energy from A.Z. & Associates happens consistently, not with only the men but the women in real estate that Carla has brought one to this podcast. You can see the passion, and it's not all about business, and posturing; it's about living your life powerfully and encouraging others to do the same.
You Have to Spend Money to Make Opportunities
  • ​What has this process of Living a Challenge Based Lifestyle done for their businesses? Rio has done well; he isn't stressed out; he is losing weight; this is what most agents face. He was able to increase his total revenue from his first full year to his second year and credits that to hiring an assistant. Rio had been living in a scarcity mindset and thought he had to save all of his pennies. Jesse had a great assistant and suggested that Rio giver her a shot; he did and she also became the producer of their Podcast. 
  • ​Rio increased his business by 20% just by hiring an assistant and plans that same increase again this year. Had he not taken that initial step or set a challenge for himself he would have never known, how that felt. Now if he is out with his family and an offer comes in, or a client wants to see a house he calls his assistant. Having that freedom and building that foundation is incredible. 
  • ​Jesse had a great year last year and was in the top 5 % of all the real estate agents in Arizona, and this year he is on track for the top 2 %. Every year he will raise the bar without burning out which is the key. 
  • ​The environment is essential and surrounding yourself with people that are living it and doing it right to sustain it. Anyone is capable of going out and earning that money, but it is short-lived. At A.Z. & Associates, they live by the philosophy of doing everything great. One that path to greatness you are going to suck, and it's going to be tough, you will doubt yourself; there is a constant reinforcement of mindset and leadership that you can go on that path and get precisely what you want.
  • ​If you are interested to learn more about A.Z. & Associates go to www.badassagent.com and apply. Follow Dos Bros in a Pod, Jesse, and Rio, and you can see the energy.
Michelle Cordova
Michelle Cordova
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
A.Z. is in the studio with a Top producing agent and former Corporate Superstar, Michelle Cordova. Deciding to leave her 20 years in Corporate America behind led Michelle to get licensed in Real Estate and become a new agent at A.Z. & Associates. But what took her to the next level was the support she received and the ability to break herself down so she could build herself back up again. You need to be committed to your business and realize that if you want to eat, you need to get off of your ass and hunt! 
Take This Job and Shove It!
  • Today with real life and real people in real estate AZ is joined by Bad Ass Agent, Rookie of the Year and a Top Producer at A.Z. & Associates, Michelle Cordova. Michelle has only been in Real Estate for a little under a year and a half after being in corporate America for 20 years. She was a manager and one day she snapped, and by 9 am she resigned; it was the best decision she ever made.
  • ​She called her husband, and he was excited, and her son was wondering what the hell she was thinking. Within a few months, she had her license, and the panic didn't set in until she finally started in Real Estate and was 20 days in with nothing in escrow. 
  • ​Being conditioned as a manager or an employee, it is hard to make that transition into Real Estate and not see a paycheck right away. What kind of doubts did Michelle have in the beginning? She wondered if she could do this. All the thoughts of doubt happened after seven months, and she had six escrows going, and she didn't know if she could continue with it. People don't realize that Real Estate is not easy; there is nothing sexy about what she does; it is hard. There are a lot of laws and litigation; you and your name are on the line. 
  • ​She knew she was going to make more money and have more than she would have had being someone else's employee. She wondered if she was worthy of it. That is when the self-doubt sets in; her husband told her to stop crying and get it together because she could do this. Her husband has always pushed her and supported her. The self-doubt never goes, but it comes and goes.
  • ​It happens a lot to small business owners, and it comes with any amount of success. We aren't used to it and subconsciously sabotage ourselves by shutting down. We feel we are supposed to struggle for everything and not experience success so quickly. The doubt can become so overwhelming that it can slow down your progression. Anytime we hit a new level of that it happens; the key is to identify it and understand it wasn't luck that got you there. 
Jekyll and Hyde and the Monster Inside
  • ​You need to keep going even if all the indicators point to failing; you have to keep going and not quit. You have to be self-disciplined and get up every day by remembering that only 7% of new realtors are successful. Those are the real facts. Michelle was not going back to work for anyone. 
  • ​What would be the advice she would have to anyone who just got their license, or someone hasn't created the results she has and has been in the business 5 or 10 years? For her coming to A.Z. & Associates was probably the best decision besides getting her license. Best decision she ever made; you can hang your license anywhere, you have to produce, be self-disciplined; By coming to A.Z. & Associates, by having A.Z. and Carla, the rawness and transparency, telling you to stop posturing. 
  • ​She asked A.Z. to help her with her marketing because she was bored with what she was doing, and they looked at her and asked her how many times she had she gone live? It's about accountability. You can go anywhere you want, but the key is to go someplace where people care about you. It's like having a realtor that you are just a transaction; we are not only realtors to A.Z. and Carla. 
  • ​You have to be able to take the heat if you are going to be here. You cannot be weak, and you will grow with A.Z. & Associates, but if you are struggling, you have to be here. A.Z. & Associates is not just a brokerage, they are a family, and we are a bunch of Badass Agents. What she did in her first year of Real Estate, 4 million in sales, she would not have done she had gone somewhere else. She would have gone back to work. 
  • ​The environment you are in is huge. You have to face the truths of what is holding you back. If you can do that you will see that at A.Z. & Associates they want you to succeed, if people take offense to what we say or how we operate, good luck in the real world because they will eat you alive. To bring that responsibility on yourself of what you need to do now, Michelle has been able to rise from that, and it's because she took responsibility her results are because of what she has been able to do.
  • ​There was a meeting that Michelle went to that Carla headed up. What was her experience at that meeting? The meeting was downtown, and she can still see Carla standing in front of her, and it was if she was talking directly to Michelle. Talking about the truths that people hold on the inside, the secrets that they never allow to come out as they continue to posture. She lost it because that was her life and she thought something has to change. 
  • ​She was a heavy drinker on the weekends; she wasn't an alcoholic; she was the person that people thought was nice until she started to drink with them. She was like Jekyll and Hyde, and she was thinking the month before she told her son who meant the world to her that he didn't mean shit to her; she was drunk. That bothered her because he is her world. It was non-stop, and you never knew who you were going to party with; she didn't want to be that person anymore.
  • ​At that moment she needed to stop what was making her into the monster she didn't want to be anymore. She needed to stop sedating and stop the bullshit. She needed to stop drinking. 
The Elephant in the Room
  • ​All of the thoughts of how she was going to have fun without alcohol. How would she go to a wedding? Did she continue to feed people bullshit or would she change? She stopped drinking, and it's been nine months. How did she change? She proclaimed that she was going to change because if she just said she was going to try opens a door for failure. With the change came some dark and murky times; the transformation from that made her want to shut down. She went to events and felt like the elephant in the room; everyone around her is drinking, and she is the sober one. 
  • ​When people would ask her why she stopped her drinking she was honest with them. Because she felt like a shitty person, she hurt people that she loved, and the people she hurt will never forget what she said to them; All of the years she hurt so many people along the way, she recovered from it, but they never did. 
  • ​Michelle has become a completely different person to the point that there are things she will not do anymore. She chooses where she goes because she doesn't want to be around that all of the time. She still goes to events but is intentional with her time. Michelle had to take her life and her business to a different level and if certain people couldn't support that she was going to have to leave them behind. No one will take care of her or love her like she will. 
  • ​Giving up alcohol has helped her elevate to the next level in her mind, and her heart. Michelle is in control of what goes on in the inside so that she can project that on the outside. You never become free of the problems, just the way we handle them. How has this impacted her family life with all of this transformation in her business and herself? Her kids love that she doesn't drink because they didn't know who she would become when she drank; who she would lash out at. 
  • ​She has always told her kids she is proud of them, but now when they tell her they are proud of her, she will always be their mom, but now they can look at her and know she will show up as Mom, and not make an ass of herself. They look at her and know she started her own business and know that she is doing it. They refer her out to everybody they know, that makes her feel amazing because they trust and believe in her. 
  • ​Michelle's children are seeing what a powerful woman is, not a victim but a person who took all of her obstacles and owned them. Her story goes more in-depth, but she positioned herself in a place that is inspiring; There are so many that deal with things from their past, certain behaviors that are causing them misery. The only way they know how to solve it is through sedation, or shutting down in depression being overwhelmed with anxiety. She has been able to proclaim her stake and own entirely it, changing all of her relationships and how she sees herself as well. 
  • ​She broke a generational cycle and now does not have to worry that her kids will continue that cycle. Michelle put an end to it and is creating a new life not just for herself but for them. They will not be who she was, because she stopped it. It's an awakening and gives you perspective. Maybe you don't have the life you wanted because you decided not to have it. Then there is an awakening when you start to make small changes and create a snowball effect to see the result.
Queen of the Jungle
  • ​Michelle has created so much, and none of it was by luck. Change is inevitable, and growth is an option; that is an everyday struggle. People fear change because they think it isn't broken. But when you change you see what was broken and you see those things you used to do weren't things you should be doing. You will always be the same person if you don't grow with the change. 
  • ​Michelle compares herself from when she was corporate to who she is today. Corporate Michelle was a lion, but she was a lion in a cage. She would roam in the area they gave her, and she did what she was supposed to do because they fed her, and she ate every time she got that paycheck. She continued to do what they needed her to do, not what she needed to do. 
  • ​In Real Estate she is the lion outside of the cage; no one is going to feed her; she has to feed herself. She can roam wherever she wants, she can move at her own pace, and she can do whatever she wants to do. It is all up to her because she will starve if she doesn't do the work.
  • ​We don't ever ask ourselves that question, what do we want. We all know what we don't want; we don't want to be unhappy, and making a clear statement of what we want carries with it a lot of uncertainty. The more that you lean in, the more you will continue to work on yourself, that becomes more of a real possibility of finding what it is you want. 
  • ​What would Michelle say is the defining moment that she realized she was the lion outside of the cage? It was after working on herself; it was one of those dark and murky moments where you are going through a transformation and reflecting one who she was. She was breaking down, and it was a process of shedding and rebuilding. To change again, you always have to break yourself down and begin to rebuild. 
  • ​She looked at herself and thought that in the corporate world she was the go-to person. It was realizing that she used to be a beast; she used to be that. She also realized that she was that lion in a cage never going anywhere. You are creating a new name for yourself, you are still a lion, but you aren't caged up anymore. If you want to eat you better get your ass outside, start calling people and start to hunt. 
  • ​Where does Michelle think people get stuck at? How big of reality was it for her to not be in this industry because that was a real possibility? If there was one thing, she could tell herself, looking back at the Michelle 12 months ago, to help or expedite the results? Sitting in self-doubt at that moment is she could go back and look herself in the eyes and say that yes you can do this and yes to will do it. Those are the only words she needed to hear at that point; she was feeling sorry for herself and doubting her ability to succeed.
Be the Tree
  • ​It's the ability to re-calibrate regularly; you don't arrive and have a high and stay there. You can have one great month, and three bad ones if you don't stay committed to the things that are required to succeed at a high level. 
  • ​Michelle is a person people can trust, what can her clients expect from her? She always looks back at Steven Coving; she is the tree. Her character and her integrity are the roots of that tree. The stump is her intent; she is transparent. They will know her motives, and her agenda as well as her capabilities. The fruit at the top of the tree is her success because she will bear fruit for them. Every client she has she always tells them that she will walk the walk with them. She will never leave their side and will always have their back. 
  • ​She is with them at the beginning and the end and never asks anyone to deliver keys to her client. She does it because it is important to her; when she says she is going to walk the journey with them, she means it. Michelle wants them to know that they are a team and she will make sure they get results. No one is going to hand her their trust and their life savings she has to earn it. Every house she sells she is building trust along the way. 
  • ​People in this industry can treat their clients like they are just a transaction and Michelle makes it a personal promise that they will not be alone through the process. Her results are the byproduct of that; as opposed to being transactional she is transformational. She is changing the lives of her clients, and in turn, they will refer her to help other clients also. 
  • ​You can find Michelle on Facebook through Michelle Cordova. Her business page is Michelle Cordova Makes it Happen. Her Instagram is AZ_realtormcordova. She is on Twitter and Snapchat and all over the place. 
  • ​A.Z is honored to witness her growth, and it fuels his ambition because he knows Michelle is just getting started, this is just the beginning of a beautiful journey. He has seen Michelle go through this process and emerge as powerful. 
  • ​What would she say to those that are stuck in a business and looking to move to A.Z. & Associates but are on the fence? It would be your best decision to come to A.Z. & Associates; she would not have been able to sell what she did in her first year of real estate had she gone anywhere else. The reason she says that is because having A.Z. and Carla behind her along with everyone else; everyone wants to see you win.
  • ​It's not about having the # 1 Realtor in Arizona; it's about having the #1 Team in Arizona. A.Z. always says that they might not be the biggest brokerage, but if you look at sales per agent, that is why they are called Badass Agents. We take what A.Z. and Carla give us, and we elevate to the next level and continue to keep going. If you are unsure, you aren't getting the training you feel you need, you have to come here. Michelle guarantees that once you are here you will find yourself and everything else will come with that. 
  • ​It made a difference in Michelle's life, and it will make a difference in anyone's life. Everything you go through happens for a reason; A.Z. and Carla have helped her and a result she will help someone else by paying it forward. Call her at 480-261-9547 or text her. She would be more than willing to sit down with you. 
  • ​It's about winning in the game of life, in all aspects. Having those powerful relationships, being a leader and now she can voice that unapologetically. That is what fuels ambition is knowing that there is impact behind it. The money will have its limitations, fueling others has no limitations; Michelle is doing that by the impact she is making. A.Z. is honored to roam with Michelle, and this is just the beginning for her. 
  • ​This is what is all about, finding yourself and discovering what it is you want; this is possible for anyone and everyone. If you are a licensed agent, in the state of Arizona and are looking for more information on A.Z. & Associates, go to www.badassagents.com also if you are a listener looking to buy or sell, look up Michelle Cordova and reach out to her. 
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
A.Z. is in the studio with a Top producing agent and former Corporate Superstar, Michelle Cordova. Deciding to leave her 20 years in Corporate America behind led Michelle to get licensed in Real Estate and become a new agent at A.Z. & Associates. But what took her to the next level was the support she received and the ability to break herself down so she could build herself back up again. You need to be committed to your business and realize that if you want to eat, you need to get off of your ass and hunt! 
Take This Job and Shove It!
  • Today with real life and real people in real estate AZ is joined by Bad Ass Agent, Rookie of the Year and a Top Producer at A.Z. & Associates, Michelle Cordova. Michelle has only been in Real Estate for a little under a year and a half after being in corporate America for 20 years. She was a manager and one day she snapped, and by 9 am she resigned; it was the best decision she ever made.
  • ​She called her husband, and he was excited, and her son was wondering what the hell she was thinking. Within a few months, she had her license, and the panic didn't set in until she finally started in Real Estate and was 20 days in with nothing in escrow. 
  • ​Being conditioned as a manager or an employee, it is hard to make that transition into Real Estate and not see a paycheck right away. What kind of doubts did Michelle have in the beginning? She wondered if she could do this. All the thoughts of doubt happened after seven months, and she had six escrows going, and she didn't know if she could continue with it. People don't realize that Real Estate is not easy; there is nothing sexy about what she does; it is hard. There are a lot of laws and litigation; you and your name are on the line. 
  • ​She knew she was going to make more money and have more than she would have had being someone else's employee. She wondered if she was worthy of it. That is when the self-doubt sets in; her husband told her to stop crying and get it together because she could do this. Her husband has always pushed her and supported her. The self-doubt never goes, but it comes and goes.
  • ​It happens a lot to small business owners, and it comes with any amount of success. We aren't used to it and subconsciously sabotage ourselves by shutting down. We feel we are supposed to struggle for everything and not experience success so quickly. The doubt can become so overwhelming that it can slow down your progression. Anytime we hit a new level of that it happens; the key is to identify it and understand it wasn't luck that got you there. 
Jekyll and Hyde and the Monster Inside
  • ​You need to keep going even if all the indicators point to failing; you have to keep going and not quit. You have to be self-disciplined and get up every day by remembering that only 7% of new realtors are successful. Those are the real facts. Michelle was not going back to work for anyone. 
  • ​What would be the advice she would have to anyone who just got their license, or someone hasn't created the results she has and has been in the business 5 or 10 years? For her coming to A.Z. & Associates was probably the best decision besides getting her license. Best decision she ever made; you can hang your license anywhere, you have to produce, be self-disciplined; By coming to A.Z. & Associates, by having A.Z. and Carla, the rawness and transparency, telling you to stop posturing. 
  • ​She asked A.Z. to help her with her marketing because she was bored with what she was doing, and they looked at her and asked her how many times she had she gone live? It's about accountability. You can go anywhere you want, but the key is to go someplace where people care about you. It's like having a realtor that you are just a transaction; we are not only realtors to A.Z. and Carla. 
  • ​You have to be able to take the heat if you are going to be here. You cannot be weak, and you will grow with A.Z. & Associates, but if you are struggling, you have to be here. A.Z. & Associates is not just a brokerage, they are a family, and we are a bunch of Badass Agents. What she did in her first year of Real Estate, 4 million in sales, she would not have done she had gone somewhere else. She would have gone back to work. 
  • ​The environment you are in is huge. You have to face the truths of what is holding you back. If you can do that you will see that at A.Z. & Associates they want you to succeed, if people take offense to what we say or how we operate, good luck in the real world because they will eat you alive. To bring that responsibility on yourself of what you need to do now, Michelle has been able to rise from that, and it's because she took responsibility her results are because of what she has been able to do.
  • ​There was a meeting that Michelle went to that Carla headed up. What was her experience at that meeting? The meeting was downtown, and she can still see Carla standing in front of her, and it was if she was talking directly to Michelle. Talking about the truths that people hold on the inside, the secrets that they never allow to come out as they continue to posture. She lost it because that was her life and she thought something has to change. 
  • ​She was a heavy drinker on the weekends; she wasn't an alcoholic; she was the person that people thought was nice until she started to drink with them. She was like Jekyll and Hyde, and she was thinking the month before she told her son who meant the world to her that he didn't mean shit to her; she was drunk. That bothered her because he is her world. It was non-stop, and you never knew who you were going to party with; she didn't want to be that person anymore.
  • ​At that moment she needed to stop what was making her into the monster she didn't want to be anymore. She needed to stop sedating and stop the bullshit. She needed to stop drinking. 
The Elephant in the Room
  • ​All of the thoughts of how she was going to have fun without alcohol. How would she go to a wedding? Did she continue to feed people bullshit or would she change? She stopped drinking, and it's been nine months. How did she change? She proclaimed that she was going to change because if she just said she was going to try opens a door for failure. With the change came some dark and murky times; the transformation from that made her want to shut down. She went to events and felt like the elephant in the room; everyone around her is drinking, and she is the sober one. 
  • ​When people would ask her why she stopped her drinking she was honest with them. Because she felt like a shitty person, she hurt people that she loved, and the people she hurt will never forget what she said to them; All of the years she hurt so many people along the way, she recovered from it, but they never did. 
  • ​Michelle has become a completely different person to the point that there are things she will not do anymore. She chooses where she goes because she doesn't want to be around that all of the time. She still goes to events but is intentional with her time. Michelle had to take her life and her business to a different level and if certain people couldn't support that she was going to have to leave them behind. No one will take care of her or love her like she will. 
  • ​Giving up alcohol has helped her elevate to the next level in her mind, and her heart. Michelle is in control of what goes on in the inside so that she can project that on the outside. You never become free of the problems, just the way we handle them. How has this impacted her family life with all of this transformation in her business and herself? Her kids love that she doesn't drink because they didn't know who she would become when she drank; who she would lash out at. 
  • ​She has always told her kids she is proud of them, but now when they tell her they are proud of her, she will always be their mom, but now they can look at her and know she will show up as Mom, and not make an ass of herself. They look at her and know she started her own business and know that she is doing it. They refer her out to everybody they know, that makes her feel amazing because they trust and believe in her. 
  • ​Michelle's children are seeing what a powerful woman is, not a victim but a person who took all of her obstacles and owned them. Her story goes more in-depth, but she positioned herself in a place that is inspiring; There are so many that deal with things from their past, certain behaviors that are causing them misery. The only way they know how to solve it is through sedation, or shutting down in depression being overwhelmed with anxiety. She has been able to proclaim her stake and own entirely it, changing all of her relationships and how she sees herself as well. 
  • ​She broke a generational cycle and now does not have to worry that her kids will continue that cycle. Michelle put an end to it and is creating a new life not just for herself but for them. They will not be who she was, because she stopped it. It's an awakening and gives you perspective. Maybe you don't have the life you wanted because you decided not to have it. Then there is an awakening when you start to make small changes and create a snowball effect to see the result.
Queen of the Jungle
  • ​Michelle has created so much, and none of it was by luck. Change is inevitable, and growth is an option; that is an everyday struggle. People fear change because they think it isn't broken. But when you change you see what was broken and you see those things you used to do weren't things you should be doing. You will always be the same person if you don't grow with the change. 
  • ​Michelle compares herself from when she was corporate to who she is today. Corporate Michelle was a lion, but she was a lion in a cage. She would roam in the area they gave her, and she did what she was supposed to do because they fed her, and she ate every time she got that paycheck. She continued to do what they needed her to do, not what she needed to do. 
  • ​In Real Estate she is the lion outside of the cage; no one is going to feed her; she has to feed herself. She can roam wherever she wants, she can move at her own pace, and she can do whatever she wants to do. It is all up to her because she will starve if she doesn't do the work.
  • ​We don't ever ask ourselves that question, what do we want. We all know what we don't want; we don't want to be unhappy, and making a clear statement of what we want carries with it a lot of uncertainty. The more that you lean in, the more you will continue to work on yourself, that becomes more of a real possibility of finding what it is you want. 
  • ​What would Michelle say is the defining moment that she realized she was the lion outside of the cage? It was after working on herself; it was one of those dark and murky moments where you are going through a transformation and reflecting one who she was. She was breaking down, and it was a process of shedding and rebuilding. To change again, you always have to break yourself down and begin to rebuild. 
  • ​She looked at herself and thought that in the corporate world she was the go-to person. It was realizing that she used to be a beast; she used to be that. She also realized that she was that lion in a cage never going anywhere. You are creating a new name for yourself, you are still a lion, but you aren't caged up anymore. If you want to eat you better get your ass outside, start calling people and start to hunt. 
  • ​Where does Michelle think people get stuck at? How big of reality was it for her to not be in this industry because that was a real possibility? If there was one thing, she could tell herself, looking back at the Michelle 12 months ago, to help or expedite the results? Sitting in self-doubt at that moment is she could go back and look herself in the eyes and say that yes you can do this and yes to will do it. Those are the only words she needed to hear at that point; she was feeling sorry for herself and doubting her ability to succeed.
Be the Tree
  • ​It's the ability to re-calibrate regularly; you don't arrive and have a high and stay there. You can have one great month, and three bad ones if you don't stay committed to the things that are required to succeed at a high level. 
  • ​Michelle is a person people can trust, what can her clients expect from her? She always looks back at Steven Coving; she is the tree. Her character and her integrity are the roots of that tree. The stump is her intent; she is transparent. They will know her motives, and her agenda as well as her capabilities. The fruit at the top of the tree is her success because she will bear fruit for them. Every client she has she always tells them that she will walk the walk with them. She will never leave their side and will always have their back. 
  • ​She is with them at the beginning and the end and never asks anyone to deliver keys to her client. She does it because it is important to her; when she says she is going to walk the journey with them, she means it. Michelle wants them to know that they are a team and she will make sure they get results. No one is going to hand her their trust and their life savings she has to earn it. Every house she sells she is building trust along the way. 
  • ​People in this industry can treat their clients like they are just a transaction and Michelle makes it a personal promise that they will not be alone through the process. Her results are the byproduct of that; as opposed to being transactional she is transformational. She is changing the lives of her clients, and in turn, they will refer her to help other clients also. 
  • ​You can find Michelle on Facebook through Michelle Cordova. Her business page is Michelle Cordova Makes it Happen. Her Instagram is AZ_realtormcordova. She is on Twitter and Snapchat and all over the place. 
  • ​A.Z is honored to witness her growth, and it fuels his ambition because he knows Michelle is just getting started, this is just the beginning of a beautiful journey. He has seen Michelle go through this process and emerge as powerful. 
  • ​What would she say to those that are stuck in a business and looking to move to A.Z. & Associates but are on the fence? It would be your best decision to come to A.Z. & Associates; she would not have been able to sell what she did in her first year of real estate had she gone anywhere else. The reason she says that is because having A.Z. and Carla behind her along with everyone else; everyone wants to see you win.
  • ​It's not about having the # 1 Realtor in Arizona; it's about having the #1 Team in Arizona. A.Z. always says that they might not be the biggest brokerage, but if you look at sales per agent, that is why they are called Badass Agents. We take what A.Z. and Carla give us, and we elevate to the next level and continue to keep going. If you are unsure, you aren't getting the training you feel you need, you have to come here. Michelle guarantees that once you are here you will find yourself and everything else will come with that. 
  • ​It made a difference in Michelle's life, and it will make a difference in anyone's life. Everything you go through happens for a reason; A.Z. and Carla have helped her and a result she will help someone else by paying it forward. Call her at 480-261-9547 or text her. She would be more than willing to sit down with you. 
  • ​It's about winning in the game of life, in all aspects. Having those powerful relationships, being a leader and now she can voice that unapologetically. That is what fuels ambition is knowing that there is impact behind it. The money will have its limitations, fueling others has no limitations; Michelle is doing that by the impact she is making. A.Z. is honored to roam with Michelle, and this is just the beginning for her. 
  • ​This is what is all about, finding yourself and discovering what it is you want; this is possible for anyone and everyone. If you are a licensed agent, in the state of Arizona and are looking for more information on A.Z. & Associates, go to www.badassagents.com also if you are a listener looking to buy or sell, look up Michelle Cordova and reach out to her. 
Kara Gutierrez
Kara Gutierrez
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
A new agent to A.Z. & Associates, Kara is joining Carla in the studio today. Carla wanted to show what Kara is like at this moment because she wants to make some changes. Kara is new to using technology and has been fearful of it up to this point. She joined A.Z. & Associates because she knew they would coach her on how to utilize social media and ways to overcome her fears. Trial by fire as Carla puts her on the spot and immediately brings her into the studio to shoot her first video. Trying to create content when you don't know what to can be intimidating; the secret is to say something. Do this every day, record yourself doing something, and watch it 30 days from now. Step one is to step out of your comfort zone; there will be growing pains in the discomfort, but the point is to develop through it. Don't let the voice in your head stop you, instead use it as a catalyst to move you forward in your business and life. 
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
A new agent to A.Z. & Associates, Kara is joining Carla in the studio today. Carla wanted to show what Kara is like at this moment because she wants to make some changes. Kara is new to using technology and has been fearful of it up to this point. She joined A.Z. & Associates because she knew they would coach her on how to utilize social media and ways to overcome her fears. Trial by fire as Carla puts her on the spot and immediately brings her into the studio to shoot her first video. Trying to create content when you don't know what to can be intimidating; the secret is to say something. Do this every day, record yourself doing something, and watch it 30 days from now. Step one is to step out of your comfort zone; there will be growing pains in the discomfort, but the point is to develop through it. Don't let the voice in your head stop you, instead use it as a catalyst to move you forward in your business and life. 
Carla Araujo
Carla Araujo
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
What is the difference between an agent, a business owner, and an Empire Builder? You are and the work you put into not only your business but every aspect of your life. At A.Z. & Associates, they aren't building a Brokerage of agents that are led but creating a legacy of Badasses that produce. You need to be raw and real with yourself and be surrounded by producers and marketers that are doing the same. The only one who can lead you to success and you do that by being the leader of your Badassery.
Resolutions or Revolution?
  • ​We are excited as we prepare for our Ignite Event, where we set new 12-week targets and reward our Top Selling Agents. Everybody gets excited about New Year's Resolutions, new behaviors, a new habit, and new actions we are going to take. For us it's like any other day, we focus on our targets every 12 weeks. 
  • ​Our brokerage has grown so fast because we have been able to take our agents to a different level, by treating them as business owners and they set their .business plan. The 12-week Target books were developed for the agents of A.Z. & Associates, and it gives them direction on how to show up as business owners and entrepreneurs. You don't have to know where you are going, but you need to know what you want. It starts with a mindset.
  • ​The agent paradigm describes the differences between an agent, a business owner, and an empire builder. The average agent gets stuck on questions like, what do I do and how do I do it; it can be the biggest killer of momentum. There are specific action plans for you outlined in the 12-week target books. Taking that energy you put into those questions and pushing it to the wayside, gives you the clarity to grow your business.
  • ​In our market our agents sell more real estate per agent; that has to do with them taking full control of their businesses and asking the questions of what they need to build on, what they need to add, and what actions they need to take. As opposed to other brokerages that try to become someone's Dad or Mom, walking people through it; the reality is it's your business and how far are you going to take it?
  • ​The moment you stop talking or have discussions about your business daily, your doors are shut. You constantly need to remind yourself and your clientele, that you are a real estate agent and your doors are open. When you aren't out there, you are closed; you aren't running your operation. 
  • ​The 12-week targets create habits for you daily; continually doing what you do repetitively. We are here to hold each other accountable; did you make your video, did you do what you said you were going to do? You can get overwhelmed, but you have to keep going. 
  • ​We aren't just saying to do these things; we do them ourselves. We aren't telling you this is what you should do; we are telling you this is what we do. These are the things we follow to make sure we are doing the reps and putting the deposits into our business, in our marriage, and our lives. As a business owner, it's your responsibility to make a living at it. Why would you sacrifice the cushy job with benefits and vacation, if you are only going to scrape by? It is our responsibility to deliver at a high level, so we can get paid we have earned and deserve.
  • ​How can you empower all aspects of your life to resemble that? If you are going to be judged on one aspect of your life, you are going to want it to be reflected in all areas. When people comment on you being a good family man, you want to make sure your body is in top shape, and your business is running at optimal speed. Depositing into all aspects of your life and that is the foundation of what we do at A.Z. & Associates when you see our agents and hear the phrase Badass Agents, it's because we have to be good at everything. That is what makes us unique; we aren't just preaching it, we are living it, and it's available to everyone. 
The Average Agent
  • ​When these concepts are first introduced to you, it can be life-changing, and when it's life-changing, it will continue to work; if you continue to put in the work. It is the daily deposits and creating a lifestyle that works. 
  • ​There is mindfulness that comes with being successful; when you have that dialed in with the right systems, the right focus, it's only a matter of time. We encourage you if you like what you are hearing to go to www.badassagents.com and fill out an application and have a conversation with us. That meeting alone will change your perspective because we are intuned with it, and it is the real deal. You will feel our energy because we are living it; it's operating through a place of integrity and doing it. 
  • ​To conclude on what the average agent is. The average agent gets stuck on questions like what do I do, and how do I do it? This process kills time and momentum and takes days, weeks, or even months to convince themselves to take the required action. This thought process is a cyclical loop, regardless of how much success they have had. The average agent ends up going back to the same thoughts and feelings as before, asking the two redundant questions: What do I do and how do I do It? 
  • ​The average agent questions and destroys their desire for the industry, and belief in themselves as an agent. They don't trust the process, and they don't trust themselves, they are on fire one day and cold the next few weeks. The average agent continues to wrap themselves around the idea of what to do next, following every shiny object instead of just doing something right here and right now. The average agent has no consistency, no marketing, few sales, and zero systems and is stuck in a cyclical loop. The average agent does not have the support and training that you do. You know what to do and how to do it, so it becomes merely a choice to do the work or don't do the work. It comes down to a commitment to trust the process, if you are stuck or over complicating it. 
  • ​I think all agents can self select what bracket they belong too; Agent, Business Owner, or Empire Builder. 80 % percent of agents are all stuck and need an awareness shift. Seeing something more significant for yourself, your perspective is going to change the dynamic for your future. Whenever you see a result, you saw it twice for it to happen. You saw first the vision of it and then when you saw the result of it. 
  • ​When new agents come to A.Z. & Associates, they see so many things they didn't see in themselves before, by allowing yourself to be honest on some of the things that you aren't doing. We aren't pointing out what you are doing wrong; you will see everyone else around you doing what you aren't doing but what you should be doing. You start to ask yourself questions and begin to know yourself better, and that is how you have been handling your business. You then have a better understanding of why your business isn't where it should be.
  • ​The hustle at A.Z. & Associates is a little different and infectious. When you see others being successful in your field, you begin to ask yourself, if they can do it, why can't I? That is the most significant breakthrough. It comes down to asking yourself better questions. It can be hard to get motivated and push yourself to the next level.
  • ​It's about living your life at the highest level, and that is being a Badass. When you are in a place of average, you will be average. The word Badass alone will fire you up.
Doing What it Takes
  • ​Carla is going to do a few pro shows this year. When things aren't going, and you are looking for the shiny object, what the different Brokerages offer, you forget everything you are doing right now. You get stuck in the mindset that you aren't doing enough, you need help, and someone needs to save you. Everything is fine; you need to keep going through the ugliness that is the business. You forget how you became the person that you are. 
  • ​You are a Badass, you got the license, but you are busy looking around at what everyone else is doing. Carla has great coaches, and they critique her; you have to be able to show up and get critiqued. One of her coaches pointed out that she lost muscle; she thought she was putting in a lot of work. A.Z. didn't agree, but what he sees and the coach sees are two different things. She didn't ask what she needed to do, she already knew. She needs to go back to where she started, and stop looking around, putting an action plan together; she already knows what to do.
  • ​To the average man she looks great, but to be on stage, there is a lot of hard work involved. She has seen the ugly of competition and business, and she is a competitor. When you desire something, it becomes that much easier. Doing whatever it takes to get to that point. We all face ugliness in business, but that doesn't mean that you need to be saved. 
  • ​You need to go back and do the work, trust your actions. If you need a system, find one that works for you. If you need to build a team, find a strategy that works for you. We don't have it all figured out; every business is very different, so we treat you like that. What hole do you need to fill and lets work on that.
  • ​We are raw and honest, and if we see something, we will be honest with you. Things you have not put into your business and how we can help you achieve that. We do that on a daily, so that is what we will tell you to do also. Be in a place where you have to do the work and are surrounded by people who inspire you to do the work. Don't settle for a smaller space, where someone will coddle you; step into your potential as a badass. 
  • ​You know what you should be doing; you are a professional. It's time for you to lead and not be led. Our agents are leaders of their clientele base, communities, and the people who follow them. They are Master Marketers; they are beacons of how they live their lives. It comes down to work.
  • ​We hire new agents and experienced as well. We have a great new agent training program. Our systems, processes, and blueprint are all about doing things daily; taking consistent action. If you are a new agent, get your license and go to www.badassagents.com, fill out an application and we will determine if Badass agents are right for you. If you have been in the business for a long time and are burnt out or have lost yourselves, even if you want to take your business to the next level, apply. 
  • ​We are here to support you and build what you want by doing that we have developed an excellent brokerage and the focus is on our agents. Go to www.badassagents.com and read the testimonials from agents of our brokerage. A lot of the great agents in this industry began here, and it is because of the foundation we gave them. We are so proud of all of the agents that are out there because they are the footprint of Do the Work and A.Z. & Associates. If you want to change the dynamic of your life, not just your business, there is no one else that will deliver at the level we do. Because we live it and the results are in black and white.
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
What is the difference between an agent, a business owner, and an Empire Builder? You are and the work you put into not only your business but every aspect of your life. At A.Z. & Associates, they aren't building a Brokerage of agents that are led but creating a legacy of Badasses that produce. You need to be raw and real with yourself and be surrounded by producers and marketers that are doing the same. The only one who can lead you to success and you do that by being the leader of your Badassery.
Resolutions or Revolution?
  • ​We are excited as we prepare for our Ignite Event, where we set new 12-week targets and reward our Top Selling Agents. Everybody gets excited about New Year's Resolutions, new behaviors, a new habit, and new actions we are going to take. For us it's like any other day, we focus on our targets every 12 weeks. 
  • ​Our brokerage has grown so fast because we have been able to take our agents to a different level, by treating them as business owners and they set their .business plan. The 12-week Target books were developed for the agents of A.Z. & Associates, and it gives them direction on how to show up as business owners and entrepreneurs. You don't have to know where you are going, but you need to know what you want. It starts with a mindset.
  • ​The agent paradigm describes the differences between an agent, a business owner, and an empire builder. The average agent gets stuck on questions like, what do I do and how do I do it; it can be the biggest killer of momentum. There are specific action plans for you outlined in the 12-week target books. Taking that energy you put into those questions and pushing it to the wayside, gives you the clarity to grow your business.
  • ​In our market our agents sell more real estate per agent; that has to do with them taking full control of their businesses and asking the questions of what they need to build on, what they need to add, and what actions they need to take. As opposed to other brokerages that try to become someone's Dad or Mom, walking people through it; the reality is it's your business and how far are you going to take it?
  • ​The moment you stop talking or have discussions about your business daily, your doors are shut. You constantly need to remind yourself and your clientele, that you are a real estate agent and your doors are open. When you aren't out there, you are closed; you aren't running your operation. 
  • ​The 12-week targets create habits for you daily; continually doing what you do repetitively. We are here to hold each other accountable; did you make your video, did you do what you said you were going to do? You can get overwhelmed, but you have to keep going. 
  • ​We aren't just saying to do these things; we do them ourselves. We aren't telling you this is what you should do; we are telling you this is what we do. These are the things we follow to make sure we are doing the reps and putting the deposits into our business, in our marriage, and our lives. As a business owner, it's your responsibility to make a living at it. Why would you sacrifice the cushy job with benefits and vacation, if you are only going to scrape by? It is our responsibility to deliver at a high level, so we can get paid we have earned and deserve.
  • ​How can you empower all aspects of your life to resemble that? If you are going to be judged on one aspect of your life, you are going to want it to be reflected in all areas. When people comment on you being a good family man, you want to make sure your body is in top shape, and your business is running at optimal speed. Depositing into all aspects of your life and that is the foundation of what we do at A.Z. & Associates when you see our agents and hear the phrase Badass Agents, it's because we have to be good at everything. That is what makes us unique; we aren't just preaching it, we are living it, and it's available to everyone. 
The Average Agent
  • ​When these concepts are first introduced to you, it can be life-changing, and when it's life-changing, it will continue to work; if you continue to put in the work. It is the daily deposits and creating a lifestyle that works. 
  • ​There is mindfulness that comes with being successful; when you have that dialed in with the right systems, the right focus, it's only a matter of time. We encourage you if you like what you are hearing to go to www.badassagents.com and fill out an application and have a conversation with us. That meeting alone will change your perspective because we are intuned with it, and it is the real deal. You will feel our energy because we are living it; it's operating through a place of integrity and doing it. 
  • ​To conclude on what the average agent is. The average agent gets stuck on questions like what do I do, and how do I do it? This process kills time and momentum and takes days, weeks, or even months to convince themselves to take the required action. This thought process is a cyclical loop, regardless of how much success they have had. The average agent ends up going back to the same thoughts and feelings as before, asking the two redundant questions: What do I do and how do I do It? 
  • ​The average agent questions and destroys their desire for the industry, and belief in themselves as an agent. They don't trust the process, and they don't trust themselves, they are on fire one day and cold the next few weeks. The average agent continues to wrap themselves around the idea of what to do next, following every shiny object instead of just doing something right here and right now. The average agent has no consistency, no marketing, few sales, and zero systems and is stuck in a cyclical loop. The average agent does not have the support and training that you do. You know what to do and how to do it, so it becomes merely a choice to do the work or don't do the work. It comes down to a commitment to trust the process, if you are stuck or over complicating it. 
  • ​I think all agents can self select what bracket they belong too; Agent, Business Owner, or Empire Builder. 80 % percent of agents are all stuck and need an awareness shift. Seeing something more significant for yourself, your perspective is going to change the dynamic for your future. Whenever you see a result, you saw it twice for it to happen. You saw first the vision of it and then when you saw the result of it. 
  • ​When new agents come to A.Z. & Associates, they see so many things they didn't see in themselves before, by allowing yourself to be honest on some of the things that you aren't doing. We aren't pointing out what you are doing wrong; you will see everyone else around you doing what you aren't doing but what you should be doing. You start to ask yourself questions and begin to know yourself better, and that is how you have been handling your business. You then have a better understanding of why your business isn't where it should be.
  • ​The hustle at A.Z. & Associates is a little different and infectious. When you see others being successful in your field, you begin to ask yourself, if they can do it, why can't I? That is the most significant breakthrough. It comes down to asking yourself better questions. It can be hard to get motivated and push yourself to the next level.
  • ​It's about living your life at the highest level, and that is being a Badass. When you are in a place of average, you will be average. The word Badass alone will fire you up.
Doing What it Takes
  • ​Carla is going to do a few pro shows this year. When things aren't going, and you are looking for the shiny object, what the different Brokerages offer, you forget everything you are doing right now. You get stuck in the mindset that you aren't doing enough, you need help, and someone needs to save you. Everything is fine; you need to keep going through the ugliness that is the business. You forget how you became the person that you are. 
  • ​You are a Badass, you got the license, but you are busy looking around at what everyone else is doing. Carla has great coaches, and they critique her; you have to be able to show up and get critiqued. One of her coaches pointed out that she lost muscle; she thought she was putting in a lot of work. A.Z. didn't agree, but what he sees and the coach sees are two different things. She didn't ask what she needed to do, she already knew. She needs to go back to where she started, and stop looking around, putting an action plan together; she already knows what to do.
  • ​To the average man she looks great, but to be on stage, there is a lot of hard work involved. She has seen the ugly of competition and business, and she is a competitor. When you desire something, it becomes that much easier. Doing whatever it takes to get to that point. We all face ugliness in business, but that doesn't mean that you need to be saved. 
  • ​You need to go back and do the work, trust your actions. If you need a system, find one that works for you. If you need to build a team, find a strategy that works for you. We don't have it all figured out; every business is very different, so we treat you like that. What hole do you need to fill and lets work on that.
  • ​We are raw and honest, and if we see something, we will be honest with you. Things you have not put into your business and how we can help you achieve that. We do that on a daily, so that is what we will tell you to do also. Be in a place where you have to do the work and are surrounded by people who inspire you to do the work. Don't settle for a smaller space, where someone will coddle you; step into your potential as a badass. 
  • ​You know what you should be doing; you are a professional. It's time for you to lead and not be led. Our agents are leaders of their clientele base, communities, and the people who follow them. They are Master Marketers; they are beacons of how they live their lives. It comes down to work.
  • ​We hire new agents and experienced as well. We have a great new agent training program. Our systems, processes, and blueprint are all about doing things daily; taking consistent action. If you are a new agent, get your license and go to www.badassagents.com, fill out an application and we will determine if Badass agents are right for you. If you have been in the business for a long time and are burnt out or have lost yourselves, even if you want to take your business to the next level, apply. 
  • ​We are here to support you and build what you want by doing that we have developed an excellent brokerage and the focus is on our agents. Go to www.badassagents.com and read the testimonials from agents of our brokerage. A lot of the great agents in this industry began here, and it is because of the foundation we gave them. We are so proud of all of the agents that are out there because they are the footprint of Do the Work and A.Z. & Associates. If you want to change the dynamic of your life, not just your business, there is no one else that will deliver at the level we do. Because we live it and the results are in black and white.
A.Z. Araujo
A.Z. Araujo
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Up against a challenge or obstacle, we can be our own worst enemy. The voice in our head determines our mindset about what we can or cannot accomplish. Doubting your abilities only leads to the comparison game where you notice everyone else's accomplishments above your own. It isn't until you can tell yourself that you are equipped, you have done the work and that you got this that you can be triumphant. Go after that and your business will begin to grow.
Words Matter
  • ​Joined in the studio by his wife Carla Araujo, A.Z. is discussing how words matter. This will be a conversation that not only applies to athletes and everything we do in life but especially in business. When we hit those obstacles and challenges, how do we show up and what thoughts resonate in our minds.
  • ​This is something that recurs as we push ourselves past the limitations; the first thing we think about isn't positive. You wonder how and why you ended up in this place, questioning ourselves and we don't have the answers. We are good until the spotlight is on us and then we question why we are here? We aren't prepared to answer these questions because our capacity is not at that point.
  • ​We think on all of the negativity; why am I doing this? I will never be good enough. It is easier to bring ourselves down than to rise and fight. Fighting takes effort, and you might get bruised; but when you concede the resistance is gone. 
  • ​This is something that A.Z. faced this weekend doing the First Annual A.Z. & Associates Spring Triathlon. Even though he has been conditioning himself for it, the first thing he thought was,” What the hell am I doing?” Especially in the swimming portion. 
  • ​When you are doing great, and ahead of the game you aren't going to ask yourself questions. The moment we feel as if we are losing or falling behind is when we begin to question. No one wants to be second; everyone wants to be first and good at everything. Or you can be good at what you are doing, and something comes your way, slaps you in the face, and you begin to question yourself.
  • ​When Carla feels the slap in her face, it shakes her out of her comfort. It is the negative self-talk and the comparison game. It goes from feeling you can't do something to looking at someone else who we think is doing it better. When Carla was becoming an IFB Pro, she would always compare herself to the other competitors; no one told her she wasn't good enough; it was all in her head. She didn't have anyone else tell her that until she got really good and then she was surrounded by people questioning her on why she was doing it. 
  • ​Carla was not only hearing from herself but everyone around her. It was then confirmed to her by someone else how she was feeling. A.Z. can remember a person that was in their life at the time who would question why Carla kept competing when she was falling just shy of getting IFB Pro. They didn't realize the negativity this man was bringing into their lives.
  • ​Not many people were in the situation Carla was in at that time. Not only was she losing to this other competitor, but this other person also become an IFB Pro in her second show; Carla had six more before getting her belt. Coming into the office she was already down, but this man, not maliciously questioned how it only took the other girl two tries and Carla 6 more. It was the words that cut deep though. 
  • ​Carla has built up a thick skin, a mental capacity over the years because of her childhood and how she was raised. As things are falling through in your business, how do you show up the next day? You can move faster when you build up that thick skin, the mental capacity so when you face a challenge the comparison game doesn't get to you.
Bruises Heal; Emotional Damage Lasts a Lifetime
  • ​There is an old saying; Sticks and Stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Carla can remember telling A.Z. she wished her bones were broken or she was physically injured because the emotional damage lasts a lifetime and the surface injuries will heal. 
  • ​Think about it as a whole. When your negativity is confirmed by somebody else, it becomes toxic. The words that people had said to Carla as a child has stuck with her even today. When people say to get over it and grow up; you do but as the years go by the reality will hit you that you are wired to believe your not good enough. 
  • ​Carla had to overcome that. A.Z. had asked Carla once what was happening on stage for her. She wasn't shining, and her personality wasn't coming through. Carla wished that someone would have punched her in the face then to tell her she wasn't good enough every day. The physical isn't as bad as the words that get wired in your brain. She didn't realize until the spotlight was on her that she didn't feel like she wasn't good enough.
  • ​Carla broke her toe once, and she taped it up and got back on her Stairmaster because she was two weeks out from a show. Sitting in the kitchen crying, holding her toe, and that wasn't anything compared to what she was telling herself. No one knew it was broken and she worked on four toes and played it off. The pain to her wasn't as huge as the words and not showing up to that show would have done more damage than good.
  • ​There is an author that A.Z. loves reading, John Azarath. He has a phrase that is “Words Matter; words create the physical matter in our lives.” Whatever you end up telling yourself is what you will create in reality. If it is a life of despair, and dysfunction, you will create that. The number one thing that hits us when we run into an obstacle is negativity; we all know that. Then we start the comparison game before finally saying no I can do this. The positive self-talk is much more difficult for us as humans to get too.
  • ​The first thing we think about is not how we will overcome the obstacle but damn it will it ever turn my way? Will I ever get ahead? That is the first thought regardless of how good you are. The difference between those that have and are succeeding at a high level vs. those that are constantly in dysfunction and despair is how long it takes to go from the negativity to the comparison to you going out and dominating your space. That is the difference; how quickly you get through the phases. 
  • ​Positive self-talk, positive reinforcement, you're going to get this, nothing is going to stop you. Those are the phases, but the thoughts do matter; it's not necessarily what others are saying, but what you are saying to yourself. 
Quit Watching the Other Guy
  • ​During the triathlon, the swimming game got a little bit ahead of A.Z., and he went through that negativity where he had 20 laps down, and he still had 10 to go. He thought he would never finish and he was slowing down. A.Z. saw a teammate Rio get out of the pool and he took off. A.Z. was saying to himself that Rio was going to beat him. Then A.Z. realized he needed to focus on just himself. Once he did that was the fastest time during his entire swim when he realized he had it, he knew what he was doing. He hopped out of the pool quickly and knew he was built for it. He had been through worse. 
  • ​Carla always talks about reminding yourself of how things used to be. Anything we are facing now isn't new, just a new version of it. When Carla realized that she could do it, she loved the lights and the stage; feeling powerful. She didn't like feeling like she was completely lost and not empowered. Carla realized also she was built for competing; it is mentally hard, but she is built for it. 
  • ​All of us have that power within us. When you win something, it doesn't just stop there. You are constantly growing and learning more about yourself. Every time Carla starts a new project she sees it all the way through; she never gives up. She isn't half in, half out. Carla doesn't worry about who is looking at her or questioning her; it's part of the thick skin that we all need. 
  • ​This is a conditioning process; the thick skin is good. The way to build a thicker skin and that mental capacity is to understand the different phases of where your mind will take you. The different phases will develop the physical matter of your life. If you get stuck on phase one or two; good luck to you. You will little growth and constant chaos within your business, your marriage, and your body. 
  • ​It's there especially when you start a new diet, and you face this obstacle and you then you find yourself off of the diet. You begin to compare, look at her, look at him. People tend to stay there until one day they get the courage to try it again. They fail to move on to the positivity, the ability to tell yourself you can do it and get back on track. 
  • ​A.Z. was talking to his sister who was there to support Rio, and he told her that it all comes down to what we tell ourselves during the process. Through the run he was hurting and cramping up; A.Z. felt like he needed to stop and walk. She said to him that it is essential to speak positivity into yourself. His sister was on a challenge to climb a mountain, and all she kept telling herself was why am I here? She kept telling herself to stop until she finally did. 
  • ​A.Z. told her that she needed to be able to recognize when she was doing that and jump ahead to phase 3 where you tell yourself you can go. Right after that Brennen walks up to A.Z. and his sister and says he wants to interview her. The first thing she says is she isn't good at interviews. A.Z. stopped her and told her she was doing it again. We have to recognize when we are doing it in our lives because that is what is preventing us from growing in our business. Recognize where it is holding you back from having the body and being in the shape you want to be in. 
  • ​It relates to every aspect of our lives. Start thinking what phase am I getting stuck in? Is it Phase One where it is just negativity, all by yourself? Is it Phase Two where you compare yourself to others? Or do you go to Phase Three and how long does it take you to get there? You can do this; you can move forward, I'm going. 
When You See It You Can Be It
  • ​Carla's coaches would tell her she was physically ready; if you don't believe in yourself and that you are good enough, you will continue not to place first. They would tell her when she went on stage, to close her eyes and believe that everyone is there for her, and everything is cheering for her. It was hard for her to envision that because she never had that vision of herself before. It was easier said than done for her.
  • ​They couldn't get Carla that first place because she didn't want it. One day she decided to go on stage and close her eyes, regardless of what would happen. She could hear everyone screaming her name, and it worked. Moving forward there were many times she shut her eyes, on her book, her work, her speaking events, her podcast; she realized she had so many listeners and viewers. 
  • ​You have to take every opportunity that comes your way, whether it be big or small; make it like it is your only opportunity. You will never get it back. It didn't start there though. It began by doing little reps through every opportunity that has come her way. Carla used to sit at the UPS store and dream about being in magazines and now she has been in two. Now she is comfortable to do all things that are asked of her. She is dominating in her world; in her mind she sees a billion people watching her, and it feels great. It's insane where your mind can take you. 
  • ​Your mind can make or break you and build the physical matter. This week as you go about your business challenges or any challenges that you are facing; getting in the best shape possible, reconnecting with your spouse, whatever is understand that where your mind goes will be created in the physical life. Go at it, go through the different Phases and end up on Phase Three. Where you need to dominate and remind yourself how great you are. 
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Up against a challenge or obstacle, we can be our own worst enemy. The voice in our head determines our mindset about what we can or cannot accomplish. Doubting your abilities only leads to the comparison game where you notice everyone else's accomplishments above your own. It isn't until you can tell yourself that you are equipped, you have done the work and that you got this that you can be triumphant. Go after that and your business will begin to grow.
Words Matter
  • ​Joined in the studio by his wife Carla Araujo, A.Z. is discussing how words matter. This will be a conversation that not only applies to athletes and everything we do in life but especially in business. When we hit those obstacles and challenges, how do we show up and what thoughts resonate in our minds.
  • ​This is something that recurs as we push ourselves past the limitations; the first thing we think about isn't positive. You wonder how and why you ended up in this place, questioning ourselves and we don't have the answers. We are good until the spotlight is on us and then we question why we are here? We aren't prepared to answer these questions because our capacity is not at that point.
  • ​We think on all of the negativity; why am I doing this? I will never be good enough. It is easier to bring ourselves down than to rise and fight. Fighting takes effort, and you might get bruised; but when you concede the resistance is gone. 
  • ​This is something that A.Z. faced this weekend doing the First Annual A.Z. & Associates Spring Triathlon. Even though he has been conditioning himself for it, the first thing he thought was,” What the hell am I doing?” Especially in the swimming portion. 
  • ​When you are doing great, and ahead of the game you aren't going to ask yourself questions. The moment we feel as if we are losing or falling behind is when we begin to question. No one wants to be second; everyone wants to be first and good at everything. Or you can be good at what you are doing, and something comes your way, slaps you in the face, and you begin to question yourself.
  • ​When Carla feels the slap in her face, it shakes her out of her comfort. It is the negative self-talk and the comparison game. It goes from feeling you can't do something to looking at someone else who we think is doing it better. When Carla was becoming an IFB Pro, she would always compare herself to the other competitors; no one told her she wasn't good enough; it was all in her head. She didn't have anyone else tell her that until she got really good and then she was surrounded by people questioning her on why she was doing it. 
  • ​Carla was not only hearing from herself but everyone around her. It was then confirmed to her by someone else how she was feeling. A.Z. can remember a person that was in their life at the time who would question why Carla kept competing when she was falling just shy of getting IFB Pro. They didn't realize the negativity this man was bringing into their lives.
  • ​Not many people were in the situation Carla was in at that time. Not only was she losing to this other competitor, but this other person also become an IFB Pro in her second show; Carla had six more before getting her belt. Coming into the office she was already down, but this man, not maliciously questioned how it only took the other girl two tries and Carla 6 more. It was the words that cut deep though. 
  • ​Carla has built up a thick skin, a mental capacity over the years because of her childhood and how she was raised. As things are falling through in your business, how do you show up the next day? You can move faster when you build up that thick skin, the mental capacity so when you face a challenge the comparison game doesn't get to you.
Bruises Heal; Emotional Damage Lasts a Lifetime
  • ​There is an old saying; Sticks and Stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Carla can remember telling A.Z. she wished her bones were broken or she was physically injured because the emotional damage lasts a lifetime and the surface injuries will heal. 
  • ​Think about it as a whole. When your negativity is confirmed by somebody else, it becomes toxic. The words that people had said to Carla as a child has stuck with her even today. When people say to get over it and grow up; you do but as the years go by the reality will hit you that you are wired to believe your not good enough. 
  • ​Carla had to overcome that. A.Z. had asked Carla once what was happening on stage for her. She wasn't shining, and her personality wasn't coming through. Carla wished that someone would have punched her in the face then to tell her she wasn't good enough every day. The physical isn't as bad as the words that get wired in your brain. She didn't realize until the spotlight was on her that she didn't feel like she wasn't good enough.
  • ​Carla broke her toe once, and she taped it up and got back on her Stairmaster because she was two weeks out from a show. Sitting in the kitchen crying, holding her toe, and that wasn't anything compared to what she was telling herself. No one knew it was broken and she worked on four toes and played it off. The pain to her wasn't as huge as the words and not showing up to that show would have done more damage than good.
  • ​There is an author that A.Z. loves reading, John Azarath. He has a phrase that is “Words Matter; words create the physical matter in our lives.” Whatever you end up telling yourself is what you will create in reality. If it is a life of despair, and dysfunction, you will create that. The number one thing that hits us when we run into an obstacle is negativity; we all know that. Then we start the comparison game before finally saying no I can do this. The positive self-talk is much more difficult for us as humans to get too.
  • ​The first thing we think about is not how we will overcome the obstacle but damn it will it ever turn my way? Will I ever get ahead? That is the first thought regardless of how good you are. The difference between those that have and are succeeding at a high level vs. those that are constantly in dysfunction and despair is how long it takes to go from the negativity to the comparison to you going out and dominating your space. That is the difference; how quickly you get through the phases. 
  • ​Positive self-talk, positive reinforcement, you're going to get this, nothing is going to stop you. Those are the phases, but the thoughts do matter; it's not necessarily what others are saying, but what you are saying to yourself. 
Quit Watching the Other Guy
  • ​During the triathlon, the swimming game got a little bit ahead of A.Z., and he went through that negativity where he had 20 laps down, and he still had 10 to go. He thought he would never finish and he was slowing down. A.Z. saw a teammate Rio get out of the pool and he took off. A.Z. was saying to himself that Rio was going to beat him. Then A.Z. realized he needed to focus on just himself. Once he did that was the fastest time during his entire swim when he realized he had it, he knew what he was doing. He hopped out of the pool quickly and knew he was built for it. He had been through worse. 
  • ​Carla always talks about reminding yourself of how things used to be. Anything we are facing now isn't new, just a new version of it. When Carla realized that she could do it, she loved the lights and the stage; feeling powerful. She didn't like feeling like she was completely lost and not empowered. Carla realized also she was built for competing; it is mentally hard, but she is built for it. 
  • ​All of us have that power within us. When you win something, it doesn't just stop there. You are constantly growing and learning more about yourself. Every time Carla starts a new project she sees it all the way through; she never gives up. She isn't half in, half out. Carla doesn't worry about who is looking at her or questioning her; it's part of the thick skin that we all need. 
  • ​This is a conditioning process; the thick skin is good. The way to build a thicker skin and that mental capacity is to understand the different phases of where your mind will take you. The different phases will develop the physical matter of your life. If you get stuck on phase one or two; good luck to you. You will little growth and constant chaos within your business, your marriage, and your body. 
  • ​It's there especially when you start a new diet, and you face this obstacle and you then you find yourself off of the diet. You begin to compare, look at her, look at him. People tend to stay there until one day they get the courage to try it again. They fail to move on to the positivity, the ability to tell yourself you can do it and get back on track. 
  • ​A.Z. was talking to his sister who was there to support Rio, and he told her that it all comes down to what we tell ourselves during the process. Through the run he was hurting and cramping up; A.Z. felt like he needed to stop and walk. She said to him that it is essential to speak positivity into yourself. His sister was on a challenge to climb a mountain, and all she kept telling herself was why am I here? She kept telling herself to stop until she finally did. 
  • ​A.Z. told her that she needed to be able to recognize when she was doing that and jump ahead to phase 3 where you tell yourself you can go. Right after that Brennen walks up to A.Z. and his sister and says he wants to interview her. The first thing she says is she isn't good at interviews. A.Z. stopped her and told her she was doing it again. We have to recognize when we are doing it in our lives because that is what is preventing us from growing in our business. Recognize where it is holding you back from having the body and being in the shape you want to be in. 
  • ​It relates to every aspect of our lives. Start thinking what phase am I getting stuck in? Is it Phase One where it is just negativity, all by yourself? Is it Phase Two where you compare yourself to others? Or do you go to Phase Three and how long does it take you to get there? You can do this; you can move forward, I'm going. 
When You See It You Can Be It
  • ​Carla's coaches would tell her she was physically ready; if you don't believe in yourself and that you are good enough, you will continue not to place first. They would tell her when she went on stage, to close her eyes and believe that everyone is there for her, and everything is cheering for her. It was hard for her to envision that because she never had that vision of herself before. It was easier said than done for her.
  • ​They couldn't get Carla that first place because she didn't want it. One day she decided to go on stage and close her eyes, regardless of what would happen. She could hear everyone screaming her name, and it worked. Moving forward there were many times she shut her eyes, on her book, her work, her speaking events, her podcast; she realized she had so many listeners and viewers. 
  • ​You have to take every opportunity that comes your way, whether it be big or small; make it like it is your only opportunity. You will never get it back. It didn't start there though. It began by doing little reps through every opportunity that has come her way. Carla used to sit at the UPS store and dream about being in magazines and now she has been in two. Now she is comfortable to do all things that are asked of her. She is dominating in her world; in her mind she sees a billion people watching her, and it feels great. It's insane where your mind can take you. 
  • ​Your mind can make or break you and build the physical matter. This week as you go about your business challenges or any challenges that you are facing; getting in the best shape possible, reconnecting with your spouse, whatever is understand that where your mind goes will be created in the physical life. Go at it, go through the different Phases and end up on Phase Three. Where you need to dominate and remind yourself how great you are. 
Jaime & Melissa Hernandez
Jaime & Melissa Hernandez
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Being labeled as a Master in your area of influence isn't always what gets you the client. Putting yourself out there, communicating to them who you are will be the game changer. A client wants to know that you are the authority in your field, but not by a license hanging on your wall, but the knowledge you share. Having a strong marketing game through social media is what will put the dollars in your pocket that you have been working hard to get. To make that money you need to be in front of your client every day, every week and be committed to your brand. Improve your perceived value, and your client will be excited to be on the journey with you.
Underestimating What is Required
  • ​We have one objective here, and that is to get our mind right so that we can recalibrate and recommit to the actions we must take to dominate our week. Today I want to talk about Underestimating What is Required.
  • ​As you know, I am preparing for a Triathlon, and the swimming I have been avoiding. I waited until just a few weeks ago to get into the water. I hesitated because I am uncomfortable with my head going into the water, not knowing what is swimming under me, it is a mind game I play with myself. 
  • ​Over the last 2 ½ weeks I have been going at it and hired two coaches; the first was a Masters Coach, but we didn't connect. That stresses the importance of connecting with our clients on a personal level when you do you will have that loyalty from your clientele base. 
  • ​I didn't get to know this gentleman; he doesn't have a strong social media presence; he knows what he is doing; I didn't know enough about him to have a connection. 
  • ​I went to a second coach, who was as good as the first one but his interaction with me was different, more personable. He knew about me. When I contacted him, the first thing he did was research me, got to know who my friends were and started communicating with my friends. He had a solid social media presence so I got to know him, which was more important.
  • ​Two individuals with similar skillsets, but why did I choose the one that had more exposure? Because he put himself out there, he didn't hold back and proclaimed his authority in the space. The other guy had a generic Facebook page, didn't communicate that; he was passionate, but I didn't feel connected.
  • ​Creating value is perceived value, and if you don't market your name, your face and your personality consistently, you will lose out. You may be as skilled or more skilled than the next guy, but with no connection on a personal level, you will lose that client. I chose the other guy because he showed a presence of authority and I get excited about that. 
  • ​You may think it isn't a big deal; you are doing social media marketing, reaching out through email and texts and just going through the motions. Your clients get excited to work with someone with perceived value, perceived authority. We need to understand that, and if you aren't doing enough marketing, that needs to change. 
  • ​You will lose clients to people who have more perceived authority. As you go into this week, you can't hold back on your marketing, or you may lose out on a clientele base that is sitting on the fence. They have been working with another agent that hasn't connected with, and they see you and all of this perceived value, they are going to go with you, that get excited about it. 
Beginners Swim 1:1
  • ​I have been in the pool for the last few weeks, my skill sets have improved, and I think I should be farther ahead then I am. My coach sends me a PDF the first time I meet him entitled,” Beginners Swim Session.” I thought to myself that I didn't need to see it; I am a beginner, but I have swimming now for 2 ½ weeks. I assumed the beginner's session would be straightforward, so I don't even open the PDF.
  • ​I went to my second swim lesson, and I am improving, and he asks me if I did anything from the PDF he sent me. I told him to know, said I would look at it and I avoided it again. This morning I knew I would be in the pool and I decided to open the PDF. The warm-up itself is 400 meters; I thought what the hell? I am a beginner, and this is way too advanced for me. This is too much.
  • ​As soon as I opened it I remembered new agents that have come from other real estate offices that have never put themselves out on social media. I tell them to put their marketing online and put a selfie video up right now. People are resistant; they are a beginner; those are the realities of understanding of what is required.
  • ​You cant take a 6 -8-week process and finally do a selfie video. You need to jump right into it not ease into it as you want. There is no easing into it; you need to run and jump in; head first. This was not a case of sticking my toe in the water; this was about going all in. The main set following the warm-up was four sets of 50 and rest 20 seconds every two. Then do 100 meters without stopping, and that sounds easy until you get into the water. You aren't supposed to put your feet down, breathing, learning the right techniques and keep going.
  • ​Then the set continues with three sets of 50 and then 150 meters without stopping, then two more 50 meters and finally 250 meters; that is eight times up and back without stopping as a finish. This is the beginner; I thought I was way above a beginner until I realized what was required for me to handle if I want to finish this triathlon. That is a big deal. 
  • ​When I tell you that marketing is required, going on social media and connecting with your clientele base is what is necessary for you to succeed. We don't have time to ease into it. Think about this as you hesitate to do things for your business. You may be uncomfortable just going around your sphere of influence, and that is good. You need to add another link to it, your marketing game needs to be on point, and you need to be seen as the authority.
Are You the Authority?
  • ​It is a two-way conversation that we are having here. One is just the importance of just going at it, not thinking you are getting started or a veteran agent who feels that they are above this type of marketing. There are a lot of agents who are happy with just getting referrals. I am not talking about staying the same; I am talking about adding this element; you can increase your income by several 100,000 dollars. If you are already selling 10 million and more, that is some big money on top of that. 
  • ​Imagine if you are consistent with your marketing game, with the selfie and raw videos. Our acceleration program has agents learning about the different types of videos in lesson 7. If you are interested in being part of the next training reach out to me, regardless of how long you have been here. This is a process we use to prepare you to do social media videos. Video 7 is about reading an article and then translate it, on camera, through your own experiences. That way they will see you as the authority. Out of 10 people in the group, two have submitted their video. That is the thing, the value we give our clients will always correlate to the amount of money in our pocket.
  • ​If you are struggling financially, consider that you may need to get more value out there. There are a lot of good agents in Arizona that give updates, a few in A.Z. & Associates. They tell you what is going on in the market right now. You need to proclaim today that you will do it every week. 
  • ​It is a simple process of reading an article that is industry related, and sharing it with your clientele in an informative manner that relates to you personally first, states the facts then has a call to action. That is you telling them if they want to know more about this subject to call you and you will give them more information.
  • ​You assume that the information you are sharing is already out there. You know that because all you think about is real estate; your client does not, so they will be interested in what you are telling them. What you think is basic is new knowledge to them. 
  • ​My swim coach has probably heard his story a million times, but I have only heard it once, and that is important to me as the client. He understands that he needs to communicate that to me. 
  • ​When we talk about perceived value and underestimating what is required it all goes hand in hand. I am looking at it from the clientele perspective and if you don't market I will not know your worth. Your client doesn't know your worth, experience or your commitment level. On the flipside underestimating that making videos is probably your number one priority and communicating to your clients; you need to focus on that. 
  • ​If you have held back from putting up selfie videos, and weekly updates, start this week. Someone is watching you; there only has to be one conversation that gets them to call you. Now it is a game to find out what conversation intrigues them. 
  • ​1500 meters is what I am required to swim in my triathlon, and it is part of my beginners swim session. There is no more easing into it, no more one day. You need to go after it and claim you are the authority. Understand your value and once you see that you will give that energy to your client. You need to believe in yourself most, make your mistakes, stutter on live videos; the agents that are doing that, their money correlates to their commitment to the process. 
Quit Playing Small
  • ​Take what you like from what other agents are doing; it doesn't matter, because your clients don't know them. Everyone has hesitation in the beginning, but they overcome those fears and understand what it takes to succeed in this business. If you don't see the money in your bank account, you are underestimating the action that is required. You have to become the authority, put yourself out there and become a marketing machine. 
  • ​Starting a podcast, doing YouTube videos or interviewing other agents; no better way to become the authority. I am asking you to buy into this game again, whether it is your first day or you are ten years in; some of you are holding back. I encourage you to go today and be consistent with it. 
  • ​Take your passions, what you do outside of real estate and share it; your clients will get to know you on a personal level. Communicate with authority and certainty; your clients will be happy to know they are working with someone who knows what they are doing. Not a fly by night agent, not an average agent; they are proud of working with you. 
  • ​Some of you have more perceived value of your competition than your clients do. You think someone is better than you and your clients think you are the best. Because we know the stats and the industry, we play a bit smaller than the other guy. You don't want to penetrate their market because they have been around for years; your client doesn't know that all they see is you. 
  • ​Be the authority and your client will give you all of those marketing dollars free because they are talking about you. If you don't think you have the experience to speak on real estate, your license is as good as mine, and I have been in the game 15 years. We can do the same thing; the homes will sell themselves; we have to be master marketers of us, of you. 
  • ​You know you are doing a good job if your clients are out there telling everyone what a good job you are doing. It is very stressful to deal with different personalities, but when you are consistent with your marketing, it becomes fun. You want to make more money you need to help more people, you want to help more people you need to market your ass off.
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Being labeled as a Master in your area of influence isn't always what gets you the client. Putting yourself out there, communicating to them who you are will be the game changer. A client wants to know that you are the authority in your field, but not by a license hanging on your wall, but the knowledge you share. Having a strong marketing game through social media is what will put the dollars in your pocket that you have been working hard to get. To make that money you need to be in front of your client every day, every week and be committed to your brand. Improve your perceived value, and your client will be excited to be on the journey with you.
Underestimating What is Required
  • ​We have one objective here, and that is to get our mind right so that we can recalibrate and recommit to the actions we must take to dominate our week. Today I want to talk about Underestimating What is Required.
  • ​As you know, I am preparing for a Triathlon, and the swimming I have been avoiding. I waited until just a few weeks ago to get into the water. I hesitated because I am uncomfortable with my head going into the water, not knowing what is swimming under me, it is a mind game I play with myself. 
  • ​Over the last 2 ½ weeks I have been going at it and hired two coaches; the first was a Masters Coach, but we didn't connect. That stresses the importance of connecting with our clients on a personal level when you do you will have that loyalty from your clientele base. 
  • ​I didn't get to know this gentleman; he doesn't have a strong social media presence; he knows what he is doing; I didn't know enough about him to have a connection. 
  • ​I went to a second coach, who was as good as the first one but his interaction with me was different, more personable. He knew about me. When I contacted him, the first thing he did was research me, got to know who my friends were and started communicating with my friends. He had a solid social media presence so I got to know him, which was more important.
  • ​Two individuals with similar skillsets, but why did I choose the one that had more exposure? Because he put himself out there, he didn't hold back and proclaimed his authority in the space. The other guy had a generic Facebook page, didn't communicate that; he was passionate, but I didn't feel connected.
  • ​Creating value is perceived value, and if you don't market your name, your face and your personality consistently, you will lose out. You may be as skilled or more skilled than the next guy, but with no connection on a personal level, you will lose that client. I chose the other guy because he showed a presence of authority and I get excited about that. 
  • ​You may think it isn't a big deal; you are doing social media marketing, reaching out through email and texts and just going through the motions. Your clients get excited to work with someone with perceived value, perceived authority. We need to understand that, and if you aren't doing enough marketing, that needs to change. 
  • ​You will lose clients to people who have more perceived authority. As you go into this week, you can't hold back on your marketing, or you may lose out on a clientele base that is sitting on the fence. They have been working with another agent that hasn't connected with, and they see you and all of this perceived value, they are going to go with you, that get excited about it. 
Beginners Swim 1:1
  • ​I have been in the pool for the last few weeks, my skill sets have improved, and I think I should be farther ahead then I am. My coach sends me a PDF the first time I meet him entitled,” Beginners Swim Session.” I thought to myself that I didn't need to see it; I am a beginner, but I have swimming now for 2 ½ weeks. I assumed the beginner's session would be straightforward, so I don't even open the PDF.
  • ​I went to my second swim lesson, and I am improving, and he asks me if I did anything from the PDF he sent me. I told him to know, said I would look at it and I avoided it again. This morning I knew I would be in the pool and I decided to open the PDF. The warm-up itself is 400 meters; I thought what the hell? I am a beginner, and this is way too advanced for me. This is too much.
  • ​As soon as I opened it I remembered new agents that have come from other real estate offices that have never put themselves out on social media. I tell them to put their marketing online and put a selfie video up right now. People are resistant; they are a beginner; those are the realities of understanding of what is required.
  • ​You cant take a 6 -8-week process and finally do a selfie video. You need to jump right into it not ease into it as you want. There is no easing into it; you need to run and jump in; head first. This was not a case of sticking my toe in the water; this was about going all in. The main set following the warm-up was four sets of 50 and rest 20 seconds every two. Then do 100 meters without stopping, and that sounds easy until you get into the water. You aren't supposed to put your feet down, breathing, learning the right techniques and keep going.
  • ​Then the set continues with three sets of 50 and then 150 meters without stopping, then two more 50 meters and finally 250 meters; that is eight times up and back without stopping as a finish. This is the beginner; I thought I was way above a beginner until I realized what was required for me to handle if I want to finish this triathlon. That is a big deal. 
  • ​When I tell you that marketing is required, going on social media and connecting with your clientele base is what is necessary for you to succeed. We don't have time to ease into it. Think about this as you hesitate to do things for your business. You may be uncomfortable just going around your sphere of influence, and that is good. You need to add another link to it, your marketing game needs to be on point, and you need to be seen as the authority.
Are You the Authority?
  • ​It is a two-way conversation that we are having here. One is just the importance of just going at it, not thinking you are getting started or a veteran agent who feels that they are above this type of marketing. There are a lot of agents who are happy with just getting referrals. I am not talking about staying the same; I am talking about adding this element; you can increase your income by several 100,000 dollars. If you are already selling 10 million and more, that is some big money on top of that. 
  • ​Imagine if you are consistent with your marketing game, with the selfie and raw videos. Our acceleration program has agents learning about the different types of videos in lesson 7. If you are interested in being part of the next training reach out to me, regardless of how long you have been here. This is a process we use to prepare you to do social media videos. Video 7 is about reading an article and then translate it, on camera, through your own experiences. That way they will see you as the authority. Out of 10 people in the group, two have submitted their video. That is the thing, the value we give our clients will always correlate to the amount of money in our pocket.
  • ​If you are struggling financially, consider that you may need to get more value out there. There are a lot of good agents in Arizona that give updates, a few in A.Z. & Associates. They tell you what is going on in the market right now. You need to proclaim today that you will do it every week. 
  • ​It is a simple process of reading an article that is industry related, and sharing it with your clientele in an informative manner that relates to you personally first, states the facts then has a call to action. That is you telling them if they want to know more about this subject to call you and you will give them more information.
  • ​You assume that the information you are sharing is already out there. You know that because all you think about is real estate; your client does not, so they will be interested in what you are telling them. What you think is basic is new knowledge to them. 
  • ​My swim coach has probably heard his story a million times, but I have only heard it once, and that is important to me as the client. He understands that he needs to communicate that to me. 
  • ​When we talk about perceived value and underestimating what is required it all goes hand in hand. I am looking at it from the clientele perspective and if you don't market I will not know your worth. Your client doesn't know your worth, experience or your commitment level. On the flipside underestimating that making videos is probably your number one priority and communicating to your clients; you need to focus on that. 
  • ​If you have held back from putting up selfie videos, and weekly updates, start this week. Someone is watching you; there only has to be one conversation that gets them to call you. Now it is a game to find out what conversation intrigues them. 
  • ​1500 meters is what I am required to swim in my triathlon, and it is part of my beginners swim session. There is no more easing into it, no more one day. You need to go after it and claim you are the authority. Understand your value and once you see that you will give that energy to your client. You need to believe in yourself most, make your mistakes, stutter on live videos; the agents that are doing that, their money correlates to their commitment to the process. 
Quit Playing Small
  • ​Take what you like from what other agents are doing; it doesn't matter, because your clients don't know them. Everyone has hesitation in the beginning, but they overcome those fears and understand what it takes to succeed in this business. If you don't see the money in your bank account, you are underestimating the action that is required. You have to become the authority, put yourself out there and become a marketing machine. 
  • ​Starting a podcast, doing YouTube videos or interviewing other agents; no better way to become the authority. I am asking you to buy into this game again, whether it is your first day or you are ten years in; some of you are holding back. I encourage you to go today and be consistent with it. 
  • ​Take your passions, what you do outside of real estate and share it; your clients will get to know you on a personal level. Communicate with authority and certainty; your clients will be happy to know they are working with someone who knows what they are doing. Not a fly by night agent, not an average agent; they are proud of working with you. 
  • ​Some of you have more perceived value of your competition than your clients do. You think someone is better than you and your clients think you are the best. Because we know the stats and the industry, we play a bit smaller than the other guy. You don't want to penetrate their market because they have been around for years; your client doesn't know that all they see is you. 
  • ​Be the authority and your client will give you all of those marketing dollars free because they are talking about you. If you don't think you have the experience to speak on real estate, your license is as good as mine, and I have been in the game 15 years. We can do the same thing; the homes will sell themselves; we have to be master marketers of us, of you. 
  • ​You know you are doing a good job if your clients are out there telling everyone what a good job you are doing. It is very stressful to deal with different personalities, but when you are consistent with your marketing, it becomes fun. You want to make more money you need to help more people, you want to help more people you need to market your ass off.
Mike Zahn
Mike Zahn
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Setbacks can change our mindset, and not for the better. We tend to think our success will always be linear when in fact it is on a continuous loop. Insight, resilience, and growth come from within your hardship; you aren't starting from scratch, you are standing on the foundation of the experience from the regression. Get up, use what you have learned and continue on the path, utilizing the patterns that got you the success the first time. You will see over time that the regression will be less and less and the growth will be more and more.
Progression, Regression and Growth
  • ​We have one objective here, and that is to get our mind right so that we can recalibrate and recommit to the actions we must take to dominate our week. Today I want to talk about regression; it is essential not only in business but in everything in general.
  • ​I think that when we hit new levels of success, we lose that weight, we expect to maintain it. When we close transactions, we see an influx in our bank accounts, and we expect it always to be there. When we have a good vacation with the family, we expect it to be that way still. What we fail to realize is that things don't always stay the same. Our growth only goes linear to get what you want; as humans, we don't take a straight path; it is more of a loop.
  • ​I am doing a triathlon along with four other people at A.Z. & Associates. I have focused on improving my times with my biking, running and now swimming. About three weeks ago we had an event here, where we invited all of the agents to come out and run with us. It was a 5-mile run, and we had 20 people who showed up to run. I had been improving on my run time every week like clockwork; I thought my improvement would continue that way. Every week I was growing, my capacity was getting greater, my times were getting faster, and I was feeling good. 
  • ​That day, I felt good going in and I had a target of doing a 7 minute, 30-second mile for 5 miles. I was able to achieve it. I was pumped and ready to see that time get faster and faster in the coming weeks. We think that way because the momentum is going that way; with the momentum we believe only positive things can happen. We don't need to learn anything new or overcome any more obstacles; we keep growing. 
  • ​That is the fallacy we have because we don't realize that there is a pattern of regression in any growth spurt; it can throw us backward, causing us to start from scratch. I hit that 7 minute and 30-second mile for 5 miles and I am feeling great. That following Wednesday I believed I would do great because of my history of consistent improvement. Some of us are experiencing that right now in our businesses. Some of you are getting 2 to 3 pre-quals every week, so we expect things to go this route because we pay the price. No more obstacles I got it all figured out. 
  • ​That Wednesday I go out, and my legs were aching. I thought if I pushed forward my body would adapt to it; run through the pain. I started my run, and my feet were not moving, and I struggled through the entire 4-mile run. I was the worse run I had since I started two months before. I was shocked and began to wonder if my success was a fluke, that the 7 minutes 30-second mile would never happen again. I was losing my confidence because my result was not the same or better. We forget about all that we have achieved and all of the sudden we are less confident than when we first started, and then we don't want to try again. I have avoided running for the last week and a half, almost two weeks. All I can remember is my worse run and not the best run I had ever had three days before. 
  • ​As agents that can happen. You get disappointed with your results and then you don't want to get back out there. You have your best quarter and then have nothing for months. We lose so much confidence after hitting milestones that the moment we don't repeat it immediately all of the confidence goes down the drain. We question everything about ourselves; I know I have. The same patterns that got you the results, to begin with, we avoid. I was avoiding the running when the only way I got my best time was because I was getting my ass out there, doing the work.
Get Up, Put On Your Shorts and Embrace the Hardship
  • ​The thing about regression and failure that we forget sometimes. Hardship gives you insight when you stop becoming a victim of your circumstances. If you look at your patterns, it will provide you with insight. You will realize that you have stopped doing your Open Houses, you were doing them every day when you were closing all of those escrows and then got to busy to continue doing what got you the escrows in the first place. You used to send out private messages every day, and now you aren't. You gain insight, and at times you feel it's easier to think you will never get back to that point again. Hardships build resilience; at the moment you stop becoming a victim of your circumstance. You gain wisdom once you stop focusing on the failure. 
  • ​My thoughts needed to be on where my body was at when I got the best time while I was running; not focusing on when I got the worst time in 2 months. What about all of the closings you got at the beginning of the year? Why are you so focused on that one buyer that went a different route? Once we refocus and go to the successes of our life because there are plenty, we can start to come up with solutions on how to get there again and again. Hardships give you insight, awareness, and wisdom. They aren't supposed to break you down. 
  • ​Last night I realized I need to get my ass back out there and run. I was, but I got up this morning, just like you may be hesitant to hold those Open Houses, send those emails or do those social media posts, and that is okay. I got up and put on my shorts, went outside forgot my iPod, then my water; I kept going back inside. I felt unprepared. I put on my Airpods, and they weren't connecting to my Apple Watch, so I grabbed my daughters, back inside again. I started thinking that maybe today was not the day to run. Maybe today isn't the day to do your Open House because you forgot the signs, or you didn't do enough marketing; that is where our mind goes. 
  • ​I get through all of that, and I get on the road, and I set my Apple Watch, and I start to run. I realized that my shins didn't hurt, so I sped up and started to run, and I feel that my whole running process is on point. Everything felt good, and I was moving fast. Today I got my second best time ever. A 7:33 for 4 miles by myself. I had to rely on my capacity and wisdom; my insight and awareness from the first time. It built strength, and it reminded my body that if I could do it once, I could do it again and again. It isn't going to go the way you want it to go, it isn't going to go linear but in a loop. Progression, regression, growth; in a loop. 
  • ​Progression, best time ever. Regression, worst time in 2 months. Progression, killed it today by myself. This is true for your business as well. If you did it once you can do it again and again, don't expect to happen in a row; your job is to continue to show up and get the insight, awareness, and wisdom you need. Thinking we have to start from scratch is total bullshit. Why? Because we are discrediting all of the experiences, all the reps that we did before that point. We aren't starting from scratch; we have a great foundation. I have a great foundation, months of running under my belt. I had one bad showing and needed to get my head out of my ass and go back at it. 
  • ​You are so deep in there, not realizing you have been in this place before and you know what to do; it's up to you how long you wait before trying again. Progression, regression, and growth. That is the game, but it will never come to fruition if you don't continue to work. Maybe you did mess up. Maybe you killed your momentum; okay lesson learned, you're wiser now. Quit being in that place. Think about all that you did to get those deals in escrow and do it again. It is that easy because you aren't starting from scratch, you have experience. 
  • ​Even though I have done this a thousand times, I forget. We all forget. You know why you are where you are because you are failing to repeat the patterns that got you the success. At the moment we face obstacles and start to regress we feel we aren't growing anymore and we panic. I was so disappointed yesterday when an agent that was here, doubled and tripled his business; he had a bit of regression and lost his confidence. He decided to move, and that doesn't fix anything. I pain for him because he couldn't get past his regression state and now is settling for less than what he deserves. 
Get Off of Your Ass and Get Too it!
  • ​You need to continually remind yourself that you did it before and you can do it again. And then get your ass out there and do it again. If it doesn't work, you do it again and again until it does. As you start growing, that is the pattern we go through. The times will become fewer as your confidence continues to grow. The regression will become less frequent and not as intense as it was before. But if you remain in the regression state, thinking you have to start from scratch, you end up in a situation you don't want to be in.
  • ​I hate to see a powerful person become weak. The solution is always within. Get out of your head and quit becoming your own worst enemy; you are giving the power to the enemy which is your thoughts. If you are in a regression state right now, understand it and go back to the patterns that are proven to work for you. It won't happen overnight, but you keep reminding yourself and get after it. 
  • ​We all hit these plateaus, and we forget we can continue to progress. There is a stage we forget, and it isn't called failure, you didn't fail, you kept showing up. You need to give yourself credit for continuing. You forget that your marketing skills are on point because you don't see that money in the bank. You are consistent as hell, and we forget those things. Remember that today, and I hope this will give you the momentum to continue to do the right things.
  • ​You will get the results you want from the right things. If you have fallen off the wagon and you aren't in any better shape than you were on January 1st like we all said we would. If your business is not greater than you were at the first of the year; this is the stage you are in, and the problem is that you may have stayed in there too damn long and it's up to you to get out of it. 
  • ​Regression is not meant to make you comfortable, to wallow in it. Learn to shine bright, progress and grow. Growth makes you shine. You need to do the things that you proclaimed you would do. If you don't have more money, you packed on a few pounds; your marriage isn't getting any better; you are the nucleus of all of that, so get on it. Make everything better. Get out of that regression stage, start moving forward and quit thinking that things are happening to you. Let's go after it and continue the patterns that will get us what we want. 

CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Setbacks can change our mindset, and not for the better. We tend to think our success will always be linear when in fact it is on a continuous loop. Insight, resilience, and growth come from within your hardship; you aren't starting from scratch, you are standing on the foundation of the experience from the regression. Get up, use what you have learned and continue on the path, utilizing the patterns that got you the success the first time. You will see over time that the regression will be less and less and the growth will be more and more.
Progression, Regression and Growth
  • ​We have one objective here, and that is to get our mind right so that we can recalibrate and recommit to the actions we must take to dominate our week. Today I want to talk about regression; it is essential not only in business but in everything in general.
  • ​I think that when we hit new levels of success, we lose that weight, we expect to maintain it. When we close transactions, we see an influx in our bank accounts, and we expect it always to be there. When we have a good vacation with the family, we expect it to be that way still. What we fail to realize is that things don't always stay the same. Our growth only goes linear to get what you want; as humans, we don't take a straight path; it is more of a loop.
  • ​I am doing a triathlon along with four other people at A.Z. & Associates. I have focused on improving my times with my biking, running and now swimming. About three weeks ago we had an event here, where we invited all of the agents to come out and run with us. It was a 5-mile run, and we had 20 people who showed up to run. I had been improving on my run time every week like clockwork; I thought my improvement would continue that way. Every week I was growing, my capacity was getting greater, my times were getting faster, and I was feeling good. 
  • ​That day, I felt good going in and I had a target of doing a 7 minute, 30-second mile for 5 miles. I was able to achieve it. I was pumped and ready to see that time get faster and faster in the coming weeks. We think that way because the momentum is going that way; with the momentum we believe only positive things can happen. We don't need to learn anything new or overcome any more obstacles; we keep growing. 
  • ​That is the fallacy we have because we don't realize that there is a pattern of regression in any growth spurt; it can throw us backward, causing us to start from scratch. I hit that 7 minute and 30-second mile for 5 miles and I am feeling great. That following Wednesday I believed I would do great because of my history of consistent improvement. Some of us are experiencing that right now in our businesses. Some of you are getting 2 to 3 pre-quals every week, so we expect things to go this route because we pay the price. No more obstacles I got it all figured out. 
  • ​That Wednesday I go out, and my legs were aching. I thought if I pushed forward my body would adapt to it; run through the pain. I started my run, and my feet were not moving, and I struggled through the entire 4-mile run. I was the worse run I had since I started two months before. I was shocked and began to wonder if my success was a fluke, that the 7 minutes 30-second mile would never happen again. I was losing my confidence because my result was not the same or better. We forget about all that we have achieved and all of the sudden we are less confident than when we first started, and then we don't want to try again. I have avoided running for the last week and a half, almost two weeks. All I can remember is my worse run and not the best run I had ever had three days before. 
  • ​As agents that can happen. You get disappointed with your results and then you don't want to get back out there. You have your best quarter and then have nothing for months. We lose so much confidence after hitting milestones that the moment we don't repeat it immediately all of the confidence goes down the drain. We question everything about ourselves; I know I have. The same patterns that got you the results, to begin with, we avoid. I was avoiding the running when the only way I got my best time was because I was getting my ass out there, doing the work.
Get Up, Put On Your Shorts and Embrace the Hardship
  • ​The thing about regression and failure that we forget sometimes. Hardship gives you insight when you stop becoming a victim of your circumstances. If you look at your patterns, it will provide you with insight. You will realize that you have stopped doing your Open Houses, you were doing them every day when you were closing all of those escrows and then got to busy to continue doing what got you the escrows in the first place. You used to send out private messages every day, and now you aren't. You gain insight, and at times you feel it's easier to think you will never get back to that point again. Hardships build resilience; at the moment you stop becoming a victim of your circumstance. You gain wisdom once you stop focusing on the failure. 
  • ​My thoughts needed to be on where my body was at when I got the best time while I was running; not focusing on when I got the worst time in 2 months. What about all of the closings you got at the beginning of the year? Why are you so focused on that one buyer that went a different route? Once we refocus and go to the successes of our life because there are plenty, we can start to come up with solutions on how to get there again and again. Hardships give you insight, awareness, and wisdom. They aren't supposed to break you down. 
  • ​Last night I realized I need to get my ass back out there and run. I was, but I got up this morning, just like you may be hesitant to hold those Open Houses, send those emails or do those social media posts, and that is okay. I got up and put on my shorts, went outside forgot my iPod, then my water; I kept going back inside. I felt unprepared. I put on my Airpods, and they weren't connecting to my Apple Watch, so I grabbed my daughters, back inside again. I started thinking that maybe today was not the day to run. Maybe today isn't the day to do your Open House because you forgot the signs, or you didn't do enough marketing; that is where our mind goes. 
  • ​I get through all of that, and I get on the road, and I set my Apple Watch, and I start to run. I realized that my shins didn't hurt, so I sped up and started to run, and I feel that my whole running process is on point. Everything felt good, and I was moving fast. Today I got my second best time ever. A 7:33 for 4 miles by myself. I had to rely on my capacity and wisdom; my insight and awareness from the first time. It built strength, and it reminded my body that if I could do it once, I could do it again and again. It isn't going to go the way you want it to go, it isn't going to go linear but in a loop. Progression, regression, growth; in a loop. 
  • ​Progression, best time ever. Regression, worst time in 2 months. Progression, killed it today by myself. This is true for your business as well. If you did it once you can do it again and again, don't expect to happen in a row; your job is to continue to show up and get the insight, awareness, and wisdom you need. Thinking we have to start from scratch is total bullshit. Why? Because we are discrediting all of the experiences, all the reps that we did before that point. We aren't starting from scratch; we have a great foundation. I have a great foundation, months of running under my belt. I had one bad showing and needed to get my head out of my ass and go back at it. 
  • ​You are so deep in there, not realizing you have been in this place before and you know what to do; it's up to you how long you wait before trying again. Progression, regression, and growth. That is the game, but it will never come to fruition if you don't continue to work. Maybe you did mess up. Maybe you killed your momentum; okay lesson learned, you're wiser now. Quit being in that place. Think about all that you did to get those deals in escrow and do it again. It is that easy because you aren't starting from scratch, you have experience. 
  • ​Even though I have done this a thousand times, I forget. We all forget. You know why you are where you are because you are failing to repeat the patterns that got you the success. At the moment we face obstacles and start to regress we feel we aren't growing anymore and we panic. I was so disappointed yesterday when an agent that was here, doubled and tripled his business; he had a bit of regression and lost his confidence. He decided to move, and that doesn't fix anything. I pain for him because he couldn't get past his regression state and now is settling for less than what he deserves. 
Get Off of Your Ass and Get Too it!
  • ​You need to continually remind yourself that you did it before and you can do it again. And then get your ass out there and do it again. If it doesn't work, you do it again and again until it does. As you start growing, that is the pattern we go through. The times will become fewer as your confidence continues to grow. The regression will become less frequent and not as intense as it was before. But if you remain in the regression state, thinking you have to start from scratch, you end up in a situation you don't want to be in.
  • ​I hate to see a powerful person become weak. The solution is always within. Get out of your head and quit becoming your own worst enemy; you are giving the power to the enemy which is your thoughts. If you are in a regression state right now, understand it and go back to the patterns that are proven to work for you. It won't happen overnight, but you keep reminding yourself and get after it. 
  • ​We all hit these plateaus, and we forget we can continue to progress. There is a stage we forget, and it isn't called failure, you didn't fail, you kept showing up. You need to give yourself credit for continuing. You forget that your marketing skills are on point because you don't see that money in the bank. You are consistent as hell, and we forget those things. Remember that today, and I hope this will give you the momentum to continue to do the right things.
  • ​You will get the results you want from the right things. If you have fallen off the wagon and you aren't in any better shape than you were on January 1st like we all said we would. If your business is not greater than you were at the first of the year; this is the stage you are in, and the problem is that you may have stayed in there too damn long and it's up to you to get out of it. 
  • ​Regression is not meant to make you comfortable, to wallow in it. Learn to shine bright, progress and grow. Growth makes you shine. You need to do the things that you proclaimed you would do. If you don't have more money, you packed on a few pounds; your marriage isn't getting any better; you are the nucleus of all of that, so get on it. Make everything better. Get out of that regression stage, start moving forward and quit thinking that things are happening to you. Let's go after it and continue the patterns that will get us what we want. 

Germain Roberson
Germain Roberson
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This of the podcast will be a deep dive that you will not want to miss. Host A.Z. Araujo brings on Germaine Roberson, a devout agent of A.Z. and Associates. He allows the podcast to catch a glimpse of the inside and see what gets him up every morning (@1:40am).
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
This of the podcast will be a deep dive that you will not want to miss. Host A.Z. Araujo brings on Germaine Roberson, a devout agent of A.Z. and Associates. He allows the podcast to catch a glimpse of the inside and see what gets him up every morning (@1:40am).
Rio Vidrio
Rio Vidrio
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You do not want to miss this episode with badass agent Rio Vidrio! This episode gets personal and you will have to listen to find out why. Listen as host A.Z. Araujo and Rio discuss fitness, owning your business, and becoming a better dad. This one gets deep.
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You do not want to miss this episode with badass agent Rio Vidrio! This episode gets personal and you will have to listen to find out why. Listen as host A.Z. Araujo and Rio discuss fitness, owning your business, and becoming a better dad. This one gets deep.
Frank Martin Jr.
Frank Martin Jr.
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In this episode of Badass Agents, host A.Z. Araujo has a raw and real conversation with Frank Martin Jr. about being a new dad and living life to the fullest. This is an episode you will not want to miss.
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In this episode of Badass Agents, host A.Z. Araujo has a raw and real conversation with Frank Martin Jr. about being a new dad and living life to the fullest. This is an episode you will not want to miss.
Ruth Nastasi
Ruth Nastasi
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Ruth Nastasi is not your typical Real Estate Agent. Ruth has a need for speed in her business and in her cars. She also has a history of welding at a high level. You will not want to miss this episode and hear Ruth’s unique and powerful story.
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Ruth Nastasi is not your typical Real Estate Agent. Ruth has a need for speed in her business and in her cars. She also has a history of welding at a high level. You will not want to miss this episode and hear Ruth’s unique and powerful story.
Jesse Abarca
Jesse Abarca
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Jesse takes us deep into his life’s story, recounting how he had to destroy everything in order to finally recognize one simple thing: the need to be in an environment that could best serve him. This “chess player who volunteered for infantry” has since developed the killer mindset needed for success, and we’re happy to share his amazing story with you here.
Investing In Your Health & Embracing Constant Change
  • ​Jesse kicks things off by recounting his Ironman training, citing anticipation for an event in mid-November that includes a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run.
  • ​AZ and Jesse discuss what it takes to get to a point where you’re ready to compete at that level (to participate in an Ironman challenge), physically and mentally.
  • ​The two talk about what makes people badass, outside of just real estate, and how pain and suffering gives you added clarity, focus, and momentum in your work.
Delivering For Yourself & The Ones You Love Most
  • ​Jesse comments on how reading and being “an avid chess player” taught him to be a better person and to think strategically, recounting time spent in a 6th grade chess club.
  • ​AZ mentions how if you’re able to deliver for yourself and the ones you love most, there’s no question you’re going to deliver for your client base.
  • ​Jesse discusses time spent in the marines, including a 7-month deployment to Iraq, and how he wanted to be a part of something bigger than just himself.
How To Live A Life On Fire
  • ​AZ and Jesse cite Jesse’s ability to own his personal story as the reason for his continual success, mentioning how marketing and personal branding have changed.
  • ​Jesse tells the heartbreaking story of how he lost both his parents in an auto accident at the age of 12, and how it has completely shaped the person he is today.
  • ​Jesse leaves us all with some impactful closing advice, detailing how agents owe it to themselves and their families to have a conversation with Carla and AZ.
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Jesse takes us deep into his life’s story, recounting how he had to destroy everything in order to finally recognize one simple thing: the need to be in an environment that could best serve him. This “chess player who volunteered for infantry” has since developed the killer mindset needed for success, and we’re happy to share his amazing story with you here.
Investing In Your Health & Embracing Constant Change
  • ​Jesse kicks things off by recounting his Ironman training, citing anticipation for an event in mid-November that includes a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run.
  • ​AZ and Jesse discuss what it takes to get to a point where you’re ready to compete at that level (to participate in an Ironman challenge), physically and mentally.
  • ​The two talk about what makes people badass, outside of just real estate, and how pain and suffering gives you added clarity, focus, and momentum in your work.
Delivering For Yourself & The Ones You Love Most
  • ​Jesse comments on how reading and being “an avid chess player” taught him to be a better person and to think strategically, recounting time spent in a 6th grade chess club.
  • ​AZ mentions how if you’re able to deliver for yourself and the ones you love most, there’s no question you’re going to deliver for your client base.
  • ​Jesse discusses time spent in the marines, including a 7-month deployment to Iraq, and how he wanted to be a part of something bigger than just himself.
How To Live A Life On Fire
  • ​AZ and Jesse cite Jesse’s ability to own his personal story as the reason for his continual success, mentioning how marketing and personal branding have changed.
  • ​Jesse tells the heartbreaking story of how he lost both his parents in an auto accident at the age of 12, and how it has completely shaped the person he is today.
  • ​Jesse leaves us all with some impactful closing advice, detailing how agents owe it to themselves and their families to have a conversation with Carla and AZ.
A.Z. & Associates Real Estate Group - 2019