with A.Z. Araujo - Episode 49:

The Good, Bad, and the Ugly

with A.Z. Araujo - Episode 49:

The Good, Bad, and the Ugly

CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
I have so much gratitude that I share with my wife and business partner, Carla, for all we have accomplished over the past decade. We didn't do it alone, and through the growth of our business, you all were there to support and believe in our vision. When we can tap into the memories of our past, it is an incredible fuel to motivate and propel us forward in all aspects of our life. What have you overcome in the past decade? How will you use it to continue your growth in the next?
Gratitude
  • ​This is the final Mindset Mastery of 2019, and it is amazing what has been created over the past year. I think that we can be so focused on where we want to go that we forget to appreciate what we have been through. I think the most powerful tool we can gift ourselves is gratitude, and for many years I didn't pay much attention to that fact.
  • ​I didn't have a lot of gratitude; I was only focused on getting that money and growing my business and didn't take a step back to realize the lessons life was teaching me. There are people in our lives that are helping to fuel our ambitions, and we don't give them the credit they deserve or spend time to feel that gratitude. 
  • ​I have two daughters, and they were up late last night; I walk into their room, and seeing them crashed out on the same bed reminded me of being ten years old. There was a school field trip I was excited about, and we were allowed to bring a soda and some chips. I can remember going home and telling my parents about that and asking them for money to go to Circle K to buy those snacks. My Mom had to tell me she didn't have the money for that; it was only a dollar, but she didn't have it. 
  • ​I never knew we were underprivileged or financially strapped. I always had food on the table, shoes on my feet, and love in my household. A ten-year-old doesn't comprehend that, as my kids don't comprehend the value of money, they think everything is affordable. My mother came up with a solution for me to roll our spare pennies, and I could take that to Circle K and buy the snacks I wanted. I started packing the pennies into the rolls, and she helped me. I walked to Circle K, and I asked the cashier if I could buy something with the coins; she told me I couldn't, and I didn't want to tell my parents because they were so happy about the solution they came up with. 
  • ​That was the first sign for me that things were different in my household; I went on a field trip, and everyone had their snacks. Why wasn't I able to get this? I didn't want to put that burden on my parents. Looking at my daughters this morning, I got a sense of how grateful I am for those experiences — feeling the pinch at ten years old and 25 years old, making my mistakes at 35. I felt that pain and was able to overcome it, and now I am grateful for my perseverance.
  • ​I didn't want to live in that scarcity mindset where I couldn't afford things. I don't want my kids to feel that there is a disadvantage. I don't put the focus on them working hard; I focus on how they can show love and appreciation for others, themselves, and life. I know money is a commodity and isn't something to only work for and build our kids to only work for money. We need to show them that they need to show love so they can live a fulfilled life. 
  • ​This little thing motivated and inspired me to come in here and talk about it. Gratitude is a gift that we can give ourselves daily through our experiences. You can become a time traveler; I went back 30 years, and it motivated me right now. We have at our disposal if we can remember to show that gratitude. It can be something today, last week, last year, or as a kid; we need to tap into that to feel inspired and motivated for where we are at today. 
  • ​If we only focus on where we want to be, it becomes a burden on us, causing us to feel that we can never be good enough. The story about the penny rolls got me fired up and gave me the motivation to be a better father to my daughters.
The Decade Behind Us
  • Think about where you have been; we are rolling into a new decade; where were you ten years ago? I was in my early 30’s, not realizing that my life was going to crumble in about four years; I faced the hardest hardships in my life and marriage. My thoughts about myself got dark, scary, and full of dysfunctional behavior. I walked into that new decade, thinking things would get better only to realize that four years into it was going to be the worst time in my life. 
  • ​We can all go into the new decade, thinking things will be different, but we need to realize there will be hardship attached to it. Every great success comes from overcoming difficulty. It was a devastating time for me. All the decisions I made as a 35-year-old have given me the life I have now. It was only five years ago, and that is amazing to me. 
  • ​We can get upset with the results we have right now, we can be going through things in our marriage, or our health is declining; but it doesn't have to be that way. We can make the changes right now and say that we have overcome before; we have been here before. You do that with gratitude and by looking back at a situation where you were before, how you overcame, persevere, and kept going. 
  • ​Some of you are feeling that pressure right now, but I want you to think about when you first got into this business; that pressure was immense. Not knowing how you would pay the bills, not knowing the contract, or how to get your next client; you know how to do that now. Don't think that you are starting from scratch; gratitude will motivate and inspire you to keep going. 
  • ​It is a tool that we all possess, but I am so grateful for the business that I have built, a business I am passionate about, and I get fired up about. I know how it used to be, and it was dreadful and hard; I hated it. Entering into this new decade, from having a four-year-old and an infant to now having two daughters that have grown into a responsible 14-year old and ten-year-old, I am grateful for the bond that we have.
  • ​Where were you ten years ago? Where were you five years ago or last year? We can't dwell on those things we do not have, or where we think we should be. Look back, and I am sure you have made a lot of good decisions as well. I don't know what will happen in the next five years going into this new decade, but I know I am prepared for it, and so are you. 
  • ​I will end this new decade at 50 years old, and that is a scary thing to think about. I know life is only getting better because of what I choose to do today, and how I appreciate my now and my past. I look forward to the future. This is bigger than a new year; you all have significant responsibilities to yourself, to your family, and your business. It begins by taking it a day at a time, a step at a time. It takes getting up every morning and saying that I am grateful, grateful for my connection with God, with my wife and daughters; it fuels me and inspires me. I know that regardless of what comes my way, I will keep going. I have a track record with a 100% success rate of being able to overcome, and so do you. 
  • ​Whatever challenges we face, that you are currently facing, you have a record that you can depend on. Gratitude is such a powerful tool and is something that we all need to focus on daily, and not only on the new year or at the start of a new decade. There is so much good around us, regardless of what the experience has been. Those that betrayed you have made you wiser; be grateful for them, because you know better now. 
  • ​The mistakes that you have made in business have made you a better business person. Maybe this was a decade where your marriage fell apart, don't be resentful towards the other person, look at who you have become. I promise you are a better person because of them.
A Girl Has to Eat
  • It's an amazing life, and I think we need to continue to fuel it through our gratitude, and I am thankful for you. Grateful for you believing in what we do and what you do. It is the consensus that we have all arrived at, that it is our job to continue to grow, expand, and become better people. 
  • ​You make it so much fun for me to come in daily; your stories of what you have overcome fuel me. Thank you for sharing that with me because the better business people you have become, motivates me. You rekindling your marriages fuels me; even when you decide that you are in a toxic one and taking a stand for yourself inspires me. Getting connected with your children gets me going. 
  • ​As we start a new decade, a new year, I want you to begin to consider how you will be thankful for your experiences; the good, the bad, and the ugly. You are the person you are today because of that. Be grateful for the people around you, take the time to invest in them, and your children; look them in the eye, and appreciate them. Be grateful for yourself and being able to overcome all of the nastiness that this life can sometimes bring to us and still be a kind soul. 
  • ​I am inspired; in 2010, I didn't know that 2019 would be this way. I didn't know where I wanted to go, but I am grateful for that person I was in 2014 that decided I was going to risk it all and start this brokerage. I felt the financial pinch, and it was hard. My marriage felt it also, but I am grateful I continued to believe in myself even when it didn't make financial sense. 
  • ​Many things in your life will not make sense, but if the voice is within you, I want you to trust it and double down on it. If that voice is there within you, it is the right move for you. I am thankful for Carla, my lovely wife, and a business partner. I am grateful for being able to witness her going after her IFBB Pro card and what that takes. Her showcasing that to our daughters because there are so many lessons our daughters learn from that. 
  • ​I will be 50 years old in ten years, and it seems so far off, but it is just around the corner. The foundation that we have set as a couple has prepared us to establish a strong foundation for the next generation; that is our responsibility as leaders of the household. What are you grateful for? 
  • ​We can get trapped into the mindset that we don't have enough or that we can't create it for yourself. Carla had lunch with two of her friends from school when she was in fourth grade; she does this once a year. They usually meet at Mimi’s Cafe at 7 in the morning, and they will stay until 3 in the afternoon. They had their annual meet-up to see where they are in life. It is nice for Carla when they seek her out because they want that energy. 
  • ​One of her friends that have known her since second grade, she used to own a food truck; every night after school, she would have to stock them. Carla’s mom was always working, so she didn't see her often, and they lived in a one-bedroom home with her entire family. Carla and her brother would have to fend for themselves, and her friend lived next door to her. After school, if Carla stocked all of her friend's food trucks, she would give her two sandwiches and two pints of milk; but if her mom found out, she would get into trouble. 
  • ​That is how Carla fed her brother and herself. When they meet up, they always tell that story because her friend can't believe who Carla used to be and who she is now. Carla was struggling financially when she married me. Because of a job that didn't pay well, we were young and had a mortgage. Everything has changed for Carla while her friends have stayed the same; she found a way because she wanted it that bad. 
  • ​Anytime that she feels unmotivated, she remembers that girl that would stock the food truck and look for ways to feed herself; she will never go back to that. Carla will sit in that space and remember how it didn't feel right to be that person, which keeps her moving forward. 
WARNING: Tear-Jerker
  • That is a characteristic that we all possess; we can all find a way if we look for that way. When building a business, you need to believe that you are going to build an epic and profitable business. You come to a belief and then go after that belief; you have to believe it to your core and soul. 
  • ​Carla’s Mom would ask her where all the food was coming from, and Carla would tell her that she was working, and she was in third grade. She has always found a way. I can feel her energy when she is looking back at her hardship, and I get inspiration from it. Gratefulness is a tool that we can tap into consistently to help fuel our ambitions. 
  • ​It isn't about going back and talking about a sad story; it's about being inspired from where you were, even as a child, a teen, a young adult, and where you are today — fighting the demons that urge you to go back to who you used to be, to the job you hated and didn't serve you. Going all in and feeling those hardships can take you to a place where that all changes; continuing to believe in yourself will get you much further over the next decade. 
  • ​That is what will fuel you today, tomorrow and the days ahead. We usually give our kids what they ask for, and we wonder if we are doing the right thing. I think it goes beyond that because we are showing them how to love, respect, and give back. Teaching them how to appreciate themselves is more important to us than showing them how to work hard for money, 
  • ​Carla doesn't feel we give our kids everything they want, but they have everything they need. We all want stuff, Carla loves Nike shoes, and her closet is full of them. We are teaching our kids so much, and it has been a blessing that we can give to our kids. Carla stocks the refrigerator and cabinets with food because she comes from a place of having no food at all. She grew up in not a great household; her mom always loved her when she was around. Carla gives the kids what she had missed out in her life. 
  • ​There is a lot of times we say no to our kids, and they have earned the things they have. Through their actions and through who they are as people. I have noticed that when they have their friends over, we always tell them that our house is their house; they can go through every cabinet and the refrigerator and eat what they want. Even if they comment on liking our daughter's shoes or a shirt, Carla will tell them to take it; she is that person because she has been in that world of wanting what others had. 
  • ​Money can solve some problems, but if you aren't happy and aren't fulfilled or giving your best to yourself and your family, it doesn't matter how much money you make. We have all learned or are learning; it is about having it all and being fulfilled while doing it. 
  • ​Carla and I wanted to reach out to all of you and express how grateful we are to all of you. If we become more successful, we can impact more lives, and there is no cap on what we can do. I want you to think about the person that you can become; this is a new standard, a new foundation, and we are going to use gratitude as the fuel to drive us. It is going to be an amazing year and an amazing decade. 
  • ​When we come from a place of knowing what it is to struggle, you are so grateful for the things that you have. When we lost is all, not coming from much, we knew we had to move on and learn from it. We made mistakes but are continually learning and carrying on. Carla knows that they never learned to fear grabbing onto another business; if it doesn't work out, we learn from it and move on. You learn to appreciate the highs because you have been through the lows. 
  • ​We all have a unique story and journey; we have lived that life that serves as inspiration. You need to find gratitude for that to remind you to keep going. We don't want our kids to struggle and have the things they need and want; our kids always hear about our highs and lows. Abigail can remember when Carla was crying all the time and depressed because we had lost everything. 
  • ​When Abigail repeats those stories, we know that she is listening, and Carla can appreciate that about her. Something that has worked for us, whether it is right or wrong, we disclose everything to our kids; marital issues, financial issues, and any problems with our business. They understand and are grateful for why we do what we do. To hear from them that they want to help and inspire people is amazing; they know it is not an easy task, and life is not perfect.
  • ​We don't know if we are good parents, but the kids have big goals, and we get inspired by that. We live in a great country, and statistically, you have a better chance of winning the lottery than being born in the United States. For us not to take advantage of that and realize that every opportunity is within our grasp, we only need to work for it. 
  • ​I am proud to live in this country, to be an American, and it is simply amazing. Looking back on who you were, what used to debilitate you and stop you in your tracks because of fear, now is just a walk in the park. 
  • ​Think about all of the adversity we have overcome in the last ten years. Carla is getting emotional, and she used to hide that, but she doesn't give a damn now. She is an emotional person because of where they came from when they started A.Z. & Associates; it was tough, and the direction they had to take to rebuild their lives was tough. Carla is stunned and grateful that they are still married. There is so much more behind the doors than only real estate. 
  • ​It was all of us who accomplished what we have, not only Carla and myself. We did it together, and we are a team. Starting this brokerage, I can't even tell you how many times we wanted to give up. It was hard on both of us and to see where we are today, and we are so excited about the future. We were scared, but we listened to that small voice, and we didn't know what we were doing. We kept going and to see and hear all of the appreciation you have for us, and the brokerage is amazing. 
  • ​Without all of you, we couldn't have done what we have done. I needed you, the people who believed in us to bring us out of our place of brokenness. Thank you all. I didn't know this episode would be so emotional, but I hope it touched your soul. 
  • ​Be excited about 2020, as it is going to be an excellent time for all of us. You can tell your children about your hardships, and you can show them how you have prevailed. Emotion comes to all of us when we reflect on our journeys; you have so much gratitude that it can be a tear-jerker. It releases emotions that we can sometimes suppress; it's your story that is bringing those tears to the surface. 
  • ​Thank you for joining us on this Mindset Mastery; it is going to be an epic year for all of us. Let's go in with the mindset that we believe that story of how we will do everything until we make it a reality; that is the game, and that is the goal. Reflect often on who you are and what you have been through as the fuel to motivate you to continue.

More Episodes

CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
I have so much gratitude that I share with my wife and business partner, Carla, for all we have accomplished over the past decade. We didn't do it alone, and through the growth of our business, you all were there to support and believe in our vision. When we can tap into the memories of our past, it is an incredible fuel to motivate and propel us forward in all aspects of our life. What have you overcome in the past decade? How will you use it to continue your growth in the next?
Gratitude
  • ​This is the final Mindset Mastery of 2019, and it is amazing what has been created over the past year. I think that we can be so focused on where we want to go that we forget to appreciate what we have been through. I think the most powerful tool we can gift ourselves is gratitude, and for many years I didn't pay much attention to that fact.
  • ​I didn't have a lot of gratitude; I was only focused on getting that money and growing my business and didn't take a step back to realize the lessons life was teaching me. There are people in our lives that are helping to fuel our ambitions, and we don't give them the credit they deserve or spend time to feel that gratitude. 
  • ​I have two daughters, and they were up late last night; I walk into their room, and seeing them crashed out on the same bed reminded me of being ten years old. There was a school field trip I was excited about, and we were allowed to bring a soda and some chips. I can remember going home and telling my parents about that and asking them for money to go to Circle K to buy those snacks. My Mom had to tell me she didn't have the money for that; it was only a dollar, but she didn't have it. 
  • ​I never knew we were underprivileged or financially strapped. I always had food on the table, shoes on my feet, and love in my household. A ten-year-old doesn't comprehend that, as my kids don't comprehend the value of money, they think everything is affordable. My mother came up with a solution for me to roll our spare pennies, and I could take that to Circle K and buy the snacks I wanted. I started packing the pennies into the rolls, and she helped me. I walked to Circle K, and I asked the cashier if I could buy something with the coins; she told me I couldn't, and I didn't want to tell my parents because they were so happy about the solution they came up with. 
  • ​That was the first sign for me that things were different in my household; I went on a field trip, and everyone had their snacks. Why wasn't I able to get this? I didn't want to put that burden on my parents. Looking at my daughters this morning, I got a sense of how grateful I am for those experiences — feeling the pinch at ten years old and 25 years old, making my mistakes at 35. I felt that pain and was able to overcome it, and now I am grateful for my perseverance.
  • ​I didn't want to live in that scarcity mindset where I couldn't afford things. I don't want my kids to feel that there is a disadvantage. I don't put the focus on them working hard; I focus on how they can show love and appreciation for others, themselves, and life. I know money is a commodity and isn't something to only work for and build our kids to only work for money. We need to show them that they need to show love so they can live a fulfilled life. 
  • ​This little thing motivated and inspired me to come in here and talk about it. Gratitude is a gift that we can give ourselves daily through our experiences. You can become a time traveler; I went back 30 years, and it motivated me right now. We have at our disposal if we can remember to show that gratitude. It can be something today, last week, last year, or as a kid; we need to tap into that to feel inspired and motivated for where we are at today. 
  • ​If we only focus on where we want to be, it becomes a burden on us, causing us to feel that we can never be good enough. The story about the penny rolls got me fired up and gave me the motivation to be a better father to my daughters.
The Decade Behind Us
  • Think about where you have been; we are rolling into a new decade; where were you ten years ago? I was in my early 30’s, not realizing that my life was going to crumble in about four years; I faced the hardest hardships in my life and marriage. My thoughts about myself got dark, scary, and full of dysfunctional behavior. I walked into that new decade, thinking things would get better only to realize that four years into it was going to be the worst time in my life. 
  • ​We can all go into the new decade, thinking things will be different, but we need to realize there will be hardship attached to it. Every great success comes from overcoming difficulty. It was a devastating time for me. All the decisions I made as a 35-year-old have given me the life I have now. It was only five years ago, and that is amazing to me. 
  • ​We can get upset with the results we have right now, we can be going through things in our marriage, or our health is declining; but it doesn't have to be that way. We can make the changes right now and say that we have overcome before; we have been here before. You do that with gratitude and by looking back at a situation where you were before, how you overcame, persevere, and kept going. 
  • ​Some of you are feeling that pressure right now, but I want you to think about when you first got into this business; that pressure was immense. Not knowing how you would pay the bills, not knowing the contract, or how to get your next client; you know how to do that now. Don't think that you are starting from scratch; gratitude will motivate and inspire you to keep going. 
  • ​It is a tool that we all possess, but I am so grateful for the business that I have built, a business I am passionate about, and I get fired up about. I know how it used to be, and it was dreadful and hard; I hated it. Entering into this new decade, from having a four-year-old and an infant to now having two daughters that have grown into a responsible 14-year old and ten-year-old, I am grateful for the bond that we have.
  • ​Where were you ten years ago? Where were you five years ago or last year? We can't dwell on those things we do not have, or where we think we should be. Look back, and I am sure you have made a lot of good decisions as well. I don't know what will happen in the next five years going into this new decade, but I know I am prepared for it, and so are you. 
  • ​I will end this new decade at 50 years old, and that is a scary thing to think about. I know life is only getting better because of what I choose to do today, and how I appreciate my now and my past. I look forward to the future. This is bigger than a new year; you all have significant responsibilities to yourself, to your family, and your business. It begins by taking it a day at a time, a step at a time. It takes getting up every morning and saying that I am grateful, grateful for my connection with God, with my wife and daughters; it fuels me and inspires me. I know that regardless of what comes my way, I will keep going. I have a track record with a 100% success rate of being able to overcome, and so do you. 
  • ​Whatever challenges we face, that you are currently facing, you have a record that you can depend on. Gratitude is such a powerful tool and is something that we all need to focus on daily, and not only on the new year or at the start of a new decade. There is so much good around us, regardless of what the experience has been. Those that betrayed you have made you wiser; be grateful for them, because you know better now. 
  • ​The mistakes that you have made in business have made you a better business person. Maybe this was a decade where your marriage fell apart, don't be resentful towards the other person, look at who you have become. I promise you are a better person because of them.
A Girl Has to Eat
  • It's an amazing life, and I think we need to continue to fuel it through our gratitude, and I am thankful for you. Grateful for you believing in what we do and what you do. It is the consensus that we have all arrived at, that it is our job to continue to grow, expand, and become better people. 
  • ​You make it so much fun for me to come in daily; your stories of what you have overcome fuel me. Thank you for sharing that with me because the better business people you have become, motivates me. You rekindling your marriages fuels me; even when you decide that you are in a toxic one and taking a stand for yourself inspires me. Getting connected with your children gets me going. 
  • ​As we start a new decade, a new year, I want you to begin to consider how you will be thankful for your experiences; the good, the bad, and the ugly. You are the person you are today because of that. Be grateful for the people around you, take the time to invest in them, and your children; look them in the eye, and appreciate them. Be grateful for yourself and being able to overcome all of the nastiness that this life can sometimes bring to us and still be a kind soul. 
  • ​I am inspired; in 2010, I didn't know that 2019 would be this way. I didn't know where I wanted to go, but I am grateful for that person I was in 2014 that decided I was going to risk it all and start this brokerage. I felt the financial pinch, and it was hard. My marriage felt it also, but I am grateful I continued to believe in myself even when it didn't make financial sense. 
  • ​Many things in your life will not make sense, but if the voice is within you, I want you to trust it and double down on it. If that voice is there within you, it is the right move for you. I am thankful for Carla, my lovely wife, and a business partner. I am grateful for being able to witness her going after her IFBB Pro card and what that takes. Her showcasing that to our daughters because there are so many lessons our daughters learn from that. 
  • ​I will be 50 years old in ten years, and it seems so far off, but it is just around the corner. The foundation that we have set as a couple has prepared us to establish a strong foundation for the next generation; that is our responsibility as leaders of the household. What are you grateful for? 
  • ​We can get trapped into the mindset that we don't have enough or that we can't create it for yourself. Carla had lunch with two of her friends from school when she was in fourth grade; she does this once a year. They usually meet at Mimi’s Cafe at 7 in the morning, and they will stay until 3 in the afternoon. They had their annual meet-up to see where they are in life. It is nice for Carla when they seek her out because they want that energy. 
  • ​One of her friends that have known her since second grade, she used to own a food truck; every night after school, she would have to stock them. Carla’s mom was always working, so she didn't see her often, and they lived in a one-bedroom home with her entire family. Carla and her brother would have to fend for themselves, and her friend lived next door to her. After school, if Carla stocked all of her friend's food trucks, she would give her two sandwiches and two pints of milk; but if her mom found out, she would get into trouble. 
  • ​That is how Carla fed her brother and herself. When they meet up, they always tell that story because her friend can't believe who Carla used to be and who she is now. Carla was struggling financially when she married me. Because of a job that didn't pay well, we were young and had a mortgage. Everything has changed for Carla while her friends have stayed the same; she found a way because she wanted it that bad. 
  • ​Anytime that she feels unmotivated, she remembers that girl that would stock the food truck and look for ways to feed herself; she will never go back to that. Carla will sit in that space and remember how it didn't feel right to be that person, which keeps her moving forward. 
WARNING: Tear-Jerker
  • That is a characteristic that we all possess; we can all find a way if we look for that way. When building a business, you need to believe that you are going to build an epic and profitable business. You come to a belief and then go after that belief; you have to believe it to your core and soul. 
  • ​Carla’s Mom would ask her where all the food was coming from, and Carla would tell her that she was working, and she was in third grade. She has always found a way. I can feel her energy when she is looking back at her hardship, and I get inspiration from it. Gratefulness is a tool that we can tap into consistently to help fuel our ambitions. 
  • ​It isn't about going back and talking about a sad story; it's about being inspired from where you were, even as a child, a teen, a young adult, and where you are today — fighting the demons that urge you to go back to who you used to be, to the job you hated and didn't serve you. Going all in and feeling those hardships can take you to a place where that all changes; continuing to believe in yourself will get you much further over the next decade. 
  • ​That is what will fuel you today, tomorrow and the days ahead. We usually give our kids what they ask for, and we wonder if we are doing the right thing. I think it goes beyond that because we are showing them how to love, respect, and give back. Teaching them how to appreciate themselves is more important to us than showing them how to work hard for money, 
  • ​Carla doesn't feel we give our kids everything they want, but they have everything they need. We all want stuff, Carla loves Nike shoes, and her closet is full of them. We are teaching our kids so much, and it has been a blessing that we can give to our kids. Carla stocks the refrigerator and cabinets with food because she comes from a place of having no food at all. She grew up in not a great household; her mom always loved her when she was around. Carla gives the kids what she had missed out in her life. 
  • ​There is a lot of times we say no to our kids, and they have earned the things they have. Through their actions and through who they are as people. I have noticed that when they have their friends over, we always tell them that our house is their house; they can go through every cabinet and the refrigerator and eat what they want. Even if they comment on liking our daughter's shoes or a shirt, Carla will tell them to take it; she is that person because she has been in that world of wanting what others had. 
  • ​Money can solve some problems, but if you aren't happy and aren't fulfilled or giving your best to yourself and your family, it doesn't matter how much money you make. We have all learned or are learning; it is about having it all and being fulfilled while doing it. 
  • ​Carla and I wanted to reach out to all of you and express how grateful we are to all of you. If we become more successful, we can impact more lives, and there is no cap on what we can do. I want you to think about the person that you can become; this is a new standard, a new foundation, and we are going to use gratitude as the fuel to drive us. It is going to be an amazing year and an amazing decade. 
  • ​When we come from a place of knowing what it is to struggle, you are so grateful for the things that you have. When we lost is all, not coming from much, we knew we had to move on and learn from it. We made mistakes but are continually learning and carrying on. Carla knows that they never learned to fear grabbing onto another business; if it doesn't work out, we learn from it and move on. You learn to appreciate the highs because you have been through the lows. 
  • ​We all have a unique story and journey; we have lived that life that serves as inspiration. You need to find gratitude for that to remind you to keep going. We don't want our kids to struggle and have the things they need and want; our kids always hear about our highs and lows. Abigail can remember when Carla was crying all the time and depressed because we had lost everything. 
  • ​When Abigail repeats those stories, we know that she is listening, and Carla can appreciate that about her. Something that has worked for us, whether it is right or wrong, we disclose everything to our kids; marital issues, financial issues, and any problems with our business. They understand and are grateful for why we do what we do. To hear from them that they want to help and inspire people is amazing; they know it is not an easy task, and life is not perfect.
  • ​We don't know if we are good parents, but the kids have big goals, and we get inspired by that. We live in a great country, and statistically, you have a better chance of winning the lottery than being born in the United States. For us not to take advantage of that and realize that every opportunity is within our grasp, we only need to work for it. 
  • ​I am proud to live in this country, to be an American, and it is simply amazing. Looking back on who you were, what used to debilitate you and stop you in your tracks because of fear, now is just a walk in the park. 
  • ​Think about all of the adversity we have overcome in the last ten years. Carla is getting emotional, and she used to hide that, but she doesn't give a damn now. She is an emotional person because of where they came from when they started A.Z. & Associates; it was tough, and the direction they had to take to rebuild their lives was tough. Carla is stunned and grateful that they are still married. There is so much more behind the doors than only real estate. 
  • ​It was all of us who accomplished what we have, not only Carla and myself. We did it together, and we are a team. Starting this brokerage, I can't even tell you how many times we wanted to give up. It was hard on both of us and to see where we are today, and we are so excited about the future. We were scared, but we listened to that small voice, and we didn't know what we were doing. We kept going and to see and hear all of the appreciation you have for us, and the brokerage is amazing. 
  • ​Without all of you, we couldn't have done what we have done. I needed you, the people who believed in us to bring us out of our place of brokenness. Thank you all. I didn't know this episode would be so emotional, but I hope it touched your soul. 
  • ​Be excited about 2020, as it is going to be an excellent time for all of us. You can tell your children about your hardships, and you can show them how you have prevailed. Emotion comes to all of us when we reflect on our journeys; you have so much gratitude that it can be a tear-jerker. It releases emotions that we can sometimes suppress; it's your story that is bringing those tears to the surface. 
  • ​Thank you for joining us on this Mindset Mastery; it is going to be an epic year for all of us. Let's go in with the mindset that we believe that story of how we will do everything until we make it a reality; that is the game, and that is the goal. Reflect often on who you are and what you have been through as the fuel to motivate you to continue.

More Episodes

A.Z. & Associates Real Estate Group - 2019