The Most Dwanderful Real Estate Podcast Ever!

Jacki Semerau-Tait: The Resilient Real Estate Champion

• Dwan Bent-Twyford • Season 5 • Episode 380

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Imagine overcoming the odds of single motherhood to become a titan of the real estate world—that's the story of Jacki Semerau-Tait, the powerhouse agent and coach joining us today. She embodies resilience, teaching us how to navigate the real estate hustle while putting people before profits, a true testament to our Dwanderful ethos. Our dialogue with Jacki is a tapestry of personal triumph and professional wisdom, offering a treasure trove of insights for both seasoned agents and those just breaking ground in the industry.

Transitioning from eclectic careers to the thrill of closing deals, this episode is a rollercoaster through the unpredictable avenues of real estate. We uncover the value of comprehensive industry knowledge and mentorship, sharing tales that span from the intricacies of legalities to the satisfaction of piecing together successful transactions. Whether you're a creative looking for stability or a seasoned professional seeking to avoid pitfalls, this episode serves up essential advice with a side of nostalgia—we're talking 80s music icons and the simple pleasure of a perfectly cooked filet mignon.

We round out our conversation with the critical theme of self-care, especially for women who traditionally balance multiple roles. Jacki's upcoming group coaching pod stands at the forefront, a lighthouse for those aiming to work smarter in the often choppy waters of real estate. And as we bid farewell, we leave you with a profound parting thought on gratitude. Join us for this enlightening exchange that's guaranteed to educate, entertain, and inspire.

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Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Hey everybody, Welcome to Tthe most wonderful real estate podcast ever. I'm your host, Dwan Bent Twyford, aka Dwan-der-ful, America's most sought-after real estate investor, and we are really excited that you are here with us today. As you can see, I have a guest, so you know it's going to be an extra special show. Our motto at Dewonderful is people before profits. So if that is something that resonates with you or your girls Also, you can opt in to Dewonderful D-W-A-N-D-E-R-F-U-L, dewonderfulcom. You have a free e-book how to Flip your Way to a Fortune and also the top 10 short. Have free ebook how to flip your way to a fortune and also the top 10 short sales mistakes and how to avoid them. So go get some free stuff and uh and hang out and have a good time with us today. So, miss jackie, how are you? I'm good. How are you good? I've been looking forward to meeting you.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

You're so pretty, oh oh, thank you, it's so pretty oh thank you, ou're so pretty.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Oh, I remember when I had brown hair. Well, look at how fun your hair is though I love it. I decided to embrace the gray this year so, like I found out, this is actually my real hair. It's like wow, that's a lot different. So I'm doing the pink, the purple, the gray and just having fun with embracing the gray.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

I love it. Good for you.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I can't fight it anymore. I cannot be every two weeks like doing those routes. It's like, oh, like, who has time for that for real? So I'm like you know what I'm going to be the fun, the fun Mimi, the fun 65 year old woman with all the fun hair.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

There you go.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

And that's going to be the deal, so okay. So, jack, first let's have a toast To everyone that's listening. You know the drill Grab something to drink. Cheers, thank you for being on the show today, and cheers to all of you. Thank you for watching, cheers and everybody. Just take a breath and like, stretch and join in with us, shake off all your negativity and have fun. Now, if you're listening on audio, that's amazing, but I'm going to suggest you go over to my YouTube channel and watch, because we're so much more fun when you get a chance to watch us in person. So I highly suggest watching as well as listening. Okay so, jackie, it's really good to have you. How are you today?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

You know I'm doing good. It's been a hectic one of those hectic real estate mornings where all the moving pieces, you're kind of juggling them around, but it's all good stuff.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Yeah, I know, but I love days like that because if you get all that stuff happening, you got something going on.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Well, that's just it, and that's part of the reason why I love real estate so much, because every day is different.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Every day is different. All right, so basically, what we like to do is just take our guests and throw them straight to the wolves. So we have you, just give us your name, all the ways to reach you. So we have you, just give us your name, all the ways to reach you, so you're in the show notes and just send like a sentence or two Tell us what you do, and I have some super fun little questions and we're going to find out how you became to be Jackie, who is podcasting with me today. What's your deal? What's your deal?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Well, my deal is. My name is Jacki Simerill Tate. I am a real estate agent in Flagstaff, arizona, sedona, verde Valley area. I have a team, a business partner, and I run a team of six agents in Arizona and I've been in real estate since 2002, so it's been a minute.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

I love it. I absolutely love it. Over the course of my journey, I also now coach our new agents in our brokerage. I do coaching for Realty One Group agents nationwide and I also do real estate coaching for people outside of our brokerage as well. I do some group coaching and have fun with that. So I love it, because all the things I've learned in real estate I love to help others in real estate learn. I call it how to get off the commission roller coaster and have a steady income in real estate, and so that's my jam and the ways to reach me. Best way to reach me is to go to stepstostrength. com and then I'll give you all the links to reach me. Best way to reach me is to go to steps to strengthcom and then I'll give you all the links to everything I do. So that's the steps to strengthcom.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I love steps to strength. I love that.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Thank you. I used to have an organization called the Strong Single Mom Network, had that for years and years, and as part of that I have a keynote that I give called Steps to Strength, and so that just kind of became my thing, because I think, you know, I mean, in life you get, you get knocked down, but you know, the key is how do you get back up again and do you learn anything while you're down? Um, and so that's really where that came from now.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I love that. I also was a single mom for a long time and you know, when you're trying to raise kids and being a single mom it is uh, obviously it's a little bit more challenging and my ex was like completely 100 of the picture, so it was definitely a little bit challenging and but you know, I learned a lot, made me strong, but I get it and I uh I like that strong. I was a strong single mom.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Yes, I was a strong single mom for eight years and uh, yeah, I think that's why I started the network is I found that there weren't a whole lot of resources for single moms out there and and I had a real passion for I would see single moms who would kind of repeat you know, rinse and repeat their maybe relationship mistakes or you know different things, and so my whole thing was like, okay, let's learn from, let's learn from this, let's make choices to become the women we want to become in the future. And that really was what it was all about.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

And so I mean we had a lot of really cool success stories and things like that, but I mean eventually, eventually, I had to step away from that, so but it was. It was a really really cool time in my life.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Now it is I. I got kind of started in real estate investing because I became single and I have a child. I'm like, okay, well, I want to work for myself, but I don't really know what to do. I don't have any job skills, I don't have a college degree, I don't have this, I don't have that. But like I want to be a single mom, but I Mom, I still want to do, like you know, the homeroom mom and the Girl Scout mom and the field trip mom, and I still want to be that fun person. And so it was really challenging.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

And real estate investing as a whole, especially back then, was so much still a man's business. So people were just like not taking me serious, just like, seriously, you're gonna fix up houses. It's like, well, yeah, I am, I have skills, I know how to do stuff. I know I know how to use tools. Tools aren't just for men. But it is a struggle and I always still to this day, have such a heart for women. That started off as single men. But you know, I didn't get married till I thought I was 13, so I was like I was in it for a minute. But I built a nice company, I had a car, I had a boat, I had rentals. I was like look at me killing it over here.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

But you know, now I'm like killing it, killing it, but back then that was like a big thing for me to have done all that by myself that's awesome it really is. So I love the fact that you have a heart for that. I like steps to strength. I feel like really anyone not just women, but anybody looking to get involved in investing or looking to get involved in anything they're scared.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Sure, absolutely Well. I mean, anytime you make change, it is a little scary because you have to step outside of your comfort zone and do something that you're not familiar with. I always say, like, change is actually easy, it's the transition that's hard, and so you know, when you're at point A, eventually you're going to figure out point B and that change when you're there and you're on the side. You got this now, but it's what happens in between. That's really difficult.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Yeah, no, I cannot agree more. I cannot agree more. So now, what led you specifically into this field? Why did you decide, out of all the millions of things in the world to do, that real estate was gonna be your jam?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Well, it actually started because I wanted to get into investing. My ex-husband and I were in a position where we were thinking about buying our first investment property and I started to work with a real estate agent and she didn't understand what we were after. And then we're new to the whole real estate investing thing. So her not understanding our goals and I don't think she had really worked with investors before and us being brand new investors and this was before you could, you know, learn anything. So you couldn't just go and find some resources and sort of self-educate. I really needed somebody to walk me through the process. So my ex-husband and I kind of looked at each other and we said, well, we could go and interview other real estate agents, but I was really interested in it. So I said, well, why don't I go to real estate school? I'll get my license so I can represent, you know, us and our and our business.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

But the weirdest thing happened is I just fell in love with real estate and so by the time I was done with school, I was like I want to do this, like I actually want to do this for real. And I say it's strange because my background, my major in college was dance, with a concentration in choreography I am. Before I started doing real estate, I was in marketing and advertising, so for me it's all creative. But I really fell in love with the intricacies, the legalities, how you piece together a deal, how you make it work, all the different angles that you have to come from and look at it and I thought you know what I get it. I know I can be good at this and I want to do this, so that's how I got started.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I love that. I love that, especially your. What you went to college for is so opposite of of investing. It's just investing period in general, but especially getting in into real estate. So did you guys end up buying a couple of investments? So?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

did you guys end up buying a couple of investments?

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

No, we ended up getting divorced, me too.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

So you know, I mean, hey, in the end of the day, every step we take leads us to the next step, and while the marriage didn't work out, I do have two amazing daughters who are now off living their own adult journeys, and so I couldn't be happier or prouder of them. So it all works out.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I'm with you. So after the divorce, did you then say like, hey, I'm going to be an agent? Did you ever become like an actual investor? Or did you really just you really found like your sweet spot in the agent side of it?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

So kind of my journey. I became an agent while I was still married, did that for a couple of years, and when I got divorced I didn't really want the insecurity at the time. I didn't know how to make consistent money in real estate. So I was very much like, ok, I am going to see if I can take this real estate experience, stay in the industry but maybe do something that has a little more security, more of a steady schedule. And so I went to work as a corporate marketing manager for a Fortune 150 title company in the area and so yeah, and I loved that and honestly I learned so much doing that. Part of my gig was putting together trainings for real estate agents. So in putting together the trainings for real estate agents and having done the agent thing I mean I sold some houses in those two years where I was an agent, so I knew enough to know what was needed and then, putting on those trainings, I honestly learned so much that then I quit and went and became an agent again.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

So I like that though, but the nice thing is having, like, the title company background and the marketing background and the agent and then dealing with people and dealing with all that. That just makes you a better agent for the people that you're working your clients, but also the people that you're working for, because a lot of agents don't branch outside of. I'm an agent. They don't learn the other things, they don't know what the title company does, they don't know a lot of the stuff like that, don't you think?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Oh, I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, that was one of the trainings that we would put on for agents is things like how to read a settlement statement, how to read a rate sheet, how to understand the rates in title and escrow, because very successful real estate agents would have no idea you know what, what are schedule B's and schedule A's, and this and that and so like. What do we really need to look for in in those moments? And so I feel like most agents learn that when something you know, something that they could have caught, blows up in their face and they didn't see it on the you know, on the schedule B's, and then it comes to the closing table and, oh my gosh, we have to scramble, and then they go oh, now I get it, you know, and I'm not saying all agents are like that.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I'm just saying People are just scrambling at the last minute because they just don't understand. Like, as an investor, I tell anyone I'm like, listen, you need to learn what an agent does. You need to learn what a mortgage broker does. You need to know the job of the title company. You need to understand the documents. You need to understand all of it because less things will go wrong when you take the time to really learn. Because I've had I mean we all have had closings that have blown up. Oh, absolutely.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Especially like at the last minute.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

You're like what's happening right now?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

A lot of real estate is trial by fire, that is for sure. So I do feel like some of those fires you know. I mean, again, I look back at my first couple of years in real estate and it's shocking to me what you don't know. And I think it's just because there's so much that goes into each deal and every deal is different and really until you live it and experience it, it's hard to understand how to catch it in the beginning. And so I mean and that's part of why, like right now, what we do with the training our new agents is we pair them with mentors. That's one thing I didn't have when I was a new agent, that I really think every brand new agent needs a new investor needs. I think, if you jump into something like this, find yourself a mentor. I think mentors are key to success in this industry.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Yeah, I tell everyone because I also coach on the investing side. I'm like, listen, you're going to learn everything the mistakes and mentors. I'm like, listen, you're going to learn everything the mistakes and mentors I'm telling you mentors are cheaper.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Absolutely, I love that line. Mentors are cheaper than mistakes.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I mean one big, giant mistake could put someone completely out of business on one deal. Right, if you have someone who's already done it and kind of the wheels already there I mean the real estate wheels already been invented, someone doesn't need to reinvent the wheel. They need to find someone who can show them how to get from you know point A to point B quicker, faster, less mistakes. You know all the things. I mean someone like you. You can cut someone's learning curve. How long have you been doing this? Since 2000?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

2002, so 22 years.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Someone's years by 20 years.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Yeah, absolutely.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

It's like I tell people all the time like, why would you not want to learn from another person who can, who has 20 years of experience on top of you and that can help you and cut the cause? You know, if you get your learning curve cut less mistakes, less mistakes you're a happier person with the investing in the agent side of it and you make money. I mean, all the things just happen easier because just let someone else talk to you about it.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Yep, exactly. Well, and to your point, I mean having the mentor being cheaper than mistakes. You know what you're going to be paying your mentor up front. Mistakes, huge variable and they can cost you more. So you can end up in the hole if you're you know you make the wrong mistake and, like you said, can put you right out of business.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Oh, I've seen people, just not even just a couple of years ago I met this couple and I'm like, oh, we're going to buy this in Denver. So my husband and I are based out of Denver, I'm in Iowa right now. We have a little apartment here in Iowa and a house in Florida. And I met this couple. They said, oh no, we're going to buy this house in Denver and we're going to pop the top, because in this it's one of those old neighborhoods where everybody's tearing down houses and putting on building two story like very contemporary. So they wanted us to coach them. Like well, first off, you were going to say you can't pop the top. No, no, no, we want to look. We're not gonna be able to help you because what you're doing, you don't even have a clue what you're doing and because you saw some thing on tv, on hgtv, popping the top and you went to somebody's workshop.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

It's not like that no they were like, no, no, no, we're gonna work with this person over here, we want to pop the top. So I don't even remember the numbers on the house. They bought, like the, the house for, yeah, cheap, couple hundred thousand probably compared to, like you know, denver prices. But then they start trying to put this second story. Well, everything known to man went wrong and like four years later, they're still dealing with this house now. They can't sell it. They're super upside down. There was a million mistakes that were made and they called us like man, we should have listened to you guys and I'm like, well, how bad is it? And at this point they'd ran up credit cards, borrowed money, use their retirement, like just staying in this deal, trying to make this deal work, and I was like you can literally lead people to horse to the water.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

You can't make them drink, they were completely out of business on one deal and I was like, listen, when you guys want to come back around and listen, you can make all that money back and we can help you. But there's no popping tops around here, no.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

That's the, and they're like oh yeah, we're going to do it ourselves.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

We've got a contractor and then we're going to work on it on the weekends and everything out of their mouth. It was like I don't understand why you won't listen to me. I've done 2000 deals Like, listen to us, Right, we just, we just want to be.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

This will be fun and it was a so then they're like hey, can you help us now, like if you're coachable, because I think back then they just had this thing and they thought it would be easy. And you know, and I see it all the time, it's like it looks amazing when you do that. But I don't think that's a place to start when you have experience and limited money, and it's your first deal no, and listen.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

you can't. You cannot watch HGTV and think you now get it, because HGTV for all I mean, it's entertainment. In the end of the day, it's entertainment and these things are put together in such a way to bring you entertainment. They've got a formula. It's going to show you what they want to show you. You cannot be an HGTV investor or real estate agent.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

You just can't do it. And you know I love to watch all the shows. I mean, I watch them all. I love the property but I love it all. But I tell people all the time, as much as I love HGTV, it's done a really a big disservice to the actual investing and real estate world because it looks easy. They're like oh, here's those towels. They put this much in, they made this much money. It looks like it got done over a weekend, it's like. But it's not like that.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Right, it's not.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

It's not like that, people. So I want you to give us one actionable tip. So someone's listening, they're like, hey, you know what, I'd like to be an agent. I'd like to give us one actionable tip. So someone's listening, they're like, hey, you know what, I'd like to be an agent. I'd like to learn more about that. I'm interested in what Jackie has to say. What would be a good actionable tip that would get someone started on the right path?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Well, I would say an actionable tip if you're looking to become a real estate agent and you haven't yet, I really want to encourage you to reach out to a successful realtor that you know, like and trust and ask them about the reality of becoming an agent. I think, just like HGTV, you have to understand a real estate agent. We're all independent contractors and so what you see out front is you know we're touting ourselves, we're tooting our own horns, things like that, so we're not telling you all the nitty gritty and you don't see everything that goes up Startup costs. People look online and they go oh, I can go to real estate school for $700 and then $400 to get my license, I'm all in at 1100 bucks. But that's not the case, because then you have other startup costs that come up and you got to join your association and you got to join the MLS and you got to get business cards and signs and websites and all the things, and so it really is important that you're going in with your eyes wide open. So that would be my actionable tip.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

If you're not in real estate yet, my actionable tip is if you're already in real estate but you're struggling, find yourself a coach or a mentor. I can't stress it enough that you need somebody to kind of hold your hand, hold you accountable to the habits of real estate. In today's day and age, we have access to you, know all the social media things and all of the different ways you can learn and, like we just talked about HGTV and it can make it look one way, but in the end of the day, true success whether you're an investor, a realtor or anything else, true success comes from those small daily habits that you create, and when you do those consistently, that is what creates success. So find yourself someone who will hold you accountable to those small daily habits.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I agree. Now what's the thing in the back there? Which one Record looking thing.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

That's our top producer award. We've been top produced. Most of them are in the office, but I keep one one here just as inspiration. But we've been, yeah, we've been top one percent of Realty One Group nationwide for the last five years and counting.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

That's nice and you're excited to be a part of that.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

I am.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Do you focus on the coaching part? Are you also out there doing the deals?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Both. I am absolutely both. I'm out there producing Both. I am absolutely both. I'm out there producing. That's one of the reasons why I actually do like coaching is because I'm coaching from a perspective of experience and relevancy. I'm not coaching from a place of like hey, I studied this and here's what I think you should do. It's like no, this is what I do, this is what I found through trial and error. I'm going to teach you what works and I'm going to show you to avoid what doesn't. I did that. I did it all. I did what doesn't work. I did what doesn't.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Let me help you.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I love it. I know it's like for those of us that have experience. We look at these new people, we're just like, oh the don't. The thing is they don't know what they don't know. And if they would really take that to heart, like, ok, I really don't know many things, and the things that you know, it's probably a smidge of the reality of the business. Like you said, oh, I took a course, I got my license, I know what to do. It's like you don't know anything. You know nothing. You know nothing. You know less than nothing.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

The fact you have a license and you think you know everything. That in and of itself is scary, honestly. Well, you know what I teach our new agents all the time is. You know what the difference between a new agent and an experienced agent is. An experienced agent is totally comfortable saying that's a good question. I don't know the answer. Let me find out. A new agent panics and goes should I know that? I should know that they do so.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

that's the difference. I've met a few people lately that are like, oh man, my real estate license, oh good. And I'm like, are you going to be like a listing agent or an empires agent? And they're just like, um, I don't know. It's like you don't know that. Like that's kind of a big thing Should should you know more about that? And we have all these brokerages and, I'm sure, everywhere where it's very cheap to get in, you hang your license, but they don't. They don't offer any real actual mentoring and coaching and and things that you really do need to know.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Yep, no, I couldn't agree more. That's actually one of the things I do love. I mean not that I'm trying to plug RealtyOne, but I will say that's one of the things I love about them is that we are 100% commission but you still get all the training opportunities they really pour into their agents. It's kind of a you first mentality from the leadership down and I, yeah. It's why, why it resonates with me and why I love being a part of it.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Is Realty One. Are they in Colorado?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Yeah, yeah, realty One is actually we're. We're in all 50 states and we're now in 19 countries.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Wow, okay, good, I'm going to have to send some people that way, cause we, we have a, we run the REio group in Denver and people are like oh, I'm with Metro, I'm with this this, this, this, this, this, this. But then, six months later, they haven't done a deal, they haven't got a listing, they haven't sold anything. They're schlepping people around to like 5,000 houses, it's like but oh well, they give us a little training here and there. It's like no, you need to find someone to like take you under their weight.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

It's really the only way to get ahead, I agree that's the only way to get it.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Well, that's good. Well, I'm sure we must have a real two one somewhere there in denver. And since you're in arizona, I can't send them all the way to you, but I'm gonna send some people that way because I'm all about. I'm all about training, like it. Just, I learned all by the seat of my pants and my learning curve was long, like long. It was like a decade before I stopped doing anything. That was like a dumb mistake, because new things came up I didn't know. I tried to expand my investing career and I didn't have anybody to help me.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

So I'm just like just pay for the help.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Absolutely.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Pay for the help. Pay for the help. Pay for the help.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Listen to Dawn. She knows what she's talking about.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I know I'm going to send people to you. It's like, listen, go work with Jackie. I mean people just don't get it. They really just don't get it. They don't get it. And it's too bad, because it's like if you're going to be a brain surgeon, you just don't take, like you know, a year long course and then go, well, here you go, here's a brain. I mean years and years and years and years and years. And people in real estate, people that are investors, like oh, I went to a weekend workshop and I'm going to be an investor it's like really, really.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Oh man, my favorite was like back in the day. You remember those like late night infomercials about how to invest and you know you can. You can buy all these houses for no money. Or the ones about the tax certificates and all that stuff. And now, instead of the late night infomercials, you got like oh, I watched a tick to TikTok on this and now I think I can do it.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

You're like it's a three-minute TikTok and they're gonna start a business. It's like, oh my god, all right, we'll show them topics for a minute. What's your uh favorite band of all time?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

oh, my favorite band of all time. I mean, okay, if I have to say like an actual band, I'm going to say Bon Jovi. But if I had to say like an actual artist, I have to tell you it's Cyndi Lauper. And yes, I'm an 80s child, as you can tell by my two answers.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Now, hey, listen, I was in my 20s and the 80s and I love both, both of them. I was such a Bon Jovi fan. It's like the big hair, that whole era. It's like, oh god, could these men be more gorgeous? I still like that. But I was 165 and I was 66 and I was like you keep that hair long. I'm still. I'm still hanging on past things in the 80s. And Cynthia Lauper, she's just, she's delightful.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

You know what I think so many. I mean I love Cindy Lauper. I have like all her records and her obscure stuff and everything. What I really like about her is she's unique and different and she would reinvent herself every few years. She would reinvent herself. She didn't pick a lane and stick to it. She's like no, I think it can be good over here and I can be good. I mean she's done country, she's done jazz, she's done. I mean so much and if you really appreciate the artistry of it and not just like the pop, the forward-facing pop thing you think of, like girls just want to have fun or whatever, but if you think about all that stuff, she's very insightful and in depth.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

And now she's doing these commercials and she's I think she's probably my age now and she's got the pink and the purple hair and she's still so cool and she's out, you know, like supporting all the rights for people. It's like she's been amazing forever.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

I love it. How old are you?

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I am 49, 49, yes, I'm, so I would have been listening to her in a little bit late. When was she out? Was she in the 90s? She?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

came out in the mid 80s in the 80s.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

That's what I thought. Yeah, in the 80s I was into very much. In the 80s I was in my 20s, I was very much into disco, clubbing, dancing and her stuff was out there. But then I still had that little rock and roll thing with like Aerosmith, bon Jovi, like you know I had that little like rocker heart at heart. So all right, what's your favorite food?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

oh, um. So this is actually a good question, because I am quite a foodie and so I would say anything, that is, anything that's in front of me in the moment. Told, I love a good filet mignon. It's got to be cooked, just right, but to me, like I mean, you can't eat it every day, that's for sure, but that is one of my favorite things.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Yeah, I, I, I, my husband and I both we just said, not a filet mignon, we just had steak last night. I we eat steak for dinner like three times a week. I just I love the taste. I love red meat, I like steak. I like, believe me, I like all of it, like, oh, you shouldn't eat that much red meat. It's like, listen, we eat good, we exercise, we do everything and I really love the way it tastes and the protein makes me feel good.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

So, but filet mignon with that, uh, bearnaise sauce, oh, and the butter, yeah, I mean it's listen, I'm not saying it's the best thing for you, I'm just saying if, if, like if you said, you know, hey Jackie, you know, if I had to do the last meal thing, it would be a good filet mignon, a lobster tail, mashed potatoes and, frankly, a donut for dessert.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Yes, girl, I'm out there to Arizona. You and I are going to go eat and that's exactly what we're going to eat. I love it. I'm going to eat every single bite. I know you can't have too much butter and you can't have too much bernice sauce. You just can't. That's what makes it good and you're right Maybe not every day, but good to enjoy it. What's your favorite part of the day? What time Like? What is your favorite? Where's your happy spot?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Oh, I would say I think my happy spot is maybe from like two to five. That's my, that's my time where, you know, I feel like a lot of the things that I had to do are done for the day and it's you know, but you're still kind of in that workspace hour. So this is where I feel like I can get creative and maybe work on some projects that aren't the you know have to do right now. This is where I get to work on the things that sort of bring me joy. And the other side of it is like if I'm tired, if I worked hard in the morning, I can take off, I can go reward myself and go for a hike, I can go for a happy hour, you know, do whatever. So I think that's my favorite because it's just the most flexible.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Yeah, no, I agree, and you know I like what you said about that because there's so many I mean for me and my generation. I was raised in Ohio so everyone was kind of like taught all the women get out of high school, get married, have kids, work for a factory work for the man, put in your years and retire you married, have kids work for a factory work for the man, put in your years and retire at 60 or whatever. And I think a lot of people, especially like a lot of boomers, I feel like we still feel guilty if we take off early or spend time on this and that when we should be working. So I like what you said is that you take time.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

That's your creative space, because that doesn't have to be something people do after work. That's part of the work. That's whenever it pops up, when your creative moment pops up. Get up and do whatever it is that you're working on. Absolutely I I like that. I get really creative at night. I find myself sometimes just weird too, like two in the morning I wake up with an idea and I get up and I'm doing stuff and then, thank God, I write it down, because then the next day is like what was I thinking last night?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Well, who's? I think it's Jerry Seinfeld, who sleeps with a little notepad next to his bed. So if he wakes up in the middle of the night with an idea for a joke, he writes it down and then just goes back to sleep.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Yeah, no, I do that. I've been doing that for a long time, because I wake up with ideas for shows and podcasts and guests and just things I want to learn more about, but then I forget. So I do that too. But I like the fact that I like to find that when people like carve out that time, that it's kind of for them yeah, and a lot of people don't. They work all day, they take care of kids or whatever did that and then they go to bed and they wake up and they do it again. It's like, but where in that time did you have some time for yourself to do whatever it is Relax, meditate, get creative, think of new things. Where is that time?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

You have to find it for yourself, and this is one of the things I actually coach on about creating a really healthy work-life balance, and that's part of it. I mean there's days when, let's say, I mean again being in real estate. You go with the flow and you're flexible. So if I have a busy afternoon that's scheduled, there are mornings when you will find me and my husband sitting on the couch at 9 am watching a movie we've been wanting to watch, and it's because it's like, oh, we've been so busy for, you know, we've. Our nights have been busy, our afternoons have been busy, and you have to find that time. And so sometimes it is like we literally look at each other and like, hey, you got the morning open. Yeah, you got the morning open. Let's hang out, you know let's. Let's sit down and watch this movie we've been wanting to watch, or let's go out to breakfast and have mimosas or whatever it is, you know.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

So what's the last movie you watched at home? What's up? What's the last movie that you watched at home? The last movie that we're going to watch a movie? What's the last one?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

that you watched together like that? That's a really good question. I couldn't tell you the movie, but I will tell you that the last time we did that, where we looked at each other in the morning, it was just this past Monday, and we watched the American Idol finale because we watch it on Hulu, so we don't have to watch the commercials. We're like, hey, before we read it in the, you know in the papers or whatever, do you want to sit down and watch that?

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

So we did, we sat and we watched and we took calls and paused it and all that stuff. Yeah, we sat and watched, mary, that's fun. My husband and I do stuff like that too, and people will be like, well, it's the morning. It's like, so, this is the time and we're together and it's fun and it's like I feel like that's kind of the things that help keep your marriage intimate no-transcript person and it burned.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

it burned me out. It burned me out, landed me in the hospital. I was bedridden for 10 days, so, yeah, so that was when I was like, let's learn. So, like I said, this is why I coach the things I coach, because I've learned them through trial and error on my own and I want to help other people. But yeah, I learned like, okay, I have to learn how to set healthy boundaries around my real estate business and I have to be okay with taking time for myself. And in real estate, it doesn't always look like time for yourself starts at 5.01 PM. In real estate, time for yourself can be at nine o'clock in the morning on a Monday.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Yeah, no, I um. The other day the new Bridgerton came out and I was like, well, you know what? I'm going to watch all four episodes right now and I'm going to put off this thing till later, cause I want to watch it right now before I read or one of my friends or I see something about it and I was like add a glass of wine. It's like it was like nine in the morning. This is the best morning ever.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I love it. So I, I, I get it, I get it, and I think that's a big thing. I think maybe even for women, because I think we're just sort of kind of raised like you know you get married, take care of your kids, you do this, you do that, you take care of your husband, and I feel like a lot of women don't carve out enough time to actually have self-care.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

And at the end of the day, it's so bad for us and our health and our mentality, and I'm always preaching that listen, you've got to take time for yourself.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

You have to.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

If you have to schedule it in, it's got to be there. I agree, all right. So let me ask you this what's your biggest goal that you're looking to accomplish right now, and how can the DeWonderful family help you to reach that goal?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Oh, I love that. I think my biggest goal right now is I really am shifting into doing more group coaching, and so I will be having a group coaching pod that will be launching. So if, in terms of how you guys can support it, if you go to the URL by referral byreferralcom, I've got a little four-step mastery guide to working with your sphere of influence, and it is specific to real estate professionals, and so if you're a real estate professional and you wanna get better at working smarter, not harder type thing then that would be a good thing to do, and then that way, you'll be also notified when my next group coaching pod launches.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I like it. So by by by. Referral dot com. Correct, I love it. We are always a wonderful family. We're always looking to encourage other people and help other people and help people reach their goals, because, as you know, when you help other people, then things come back to you as well.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

A hundred percent.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

And we're on a team. Nobody out here is their own Island. We are all on a team, and I am, uh, even my little grandkids. Now I'll say what do you say? Like teamwork makes the dream work, mimi, like teamwork makes the dream work.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I'm like you're just gonna keep saying that your whole life that's right, okay, so buyreferralcom is where we're gonna send people, and I have a lot of people in um, in in my programs and systems and all my social medias that are agents. And that's one thing I really can't help people with, because I never even got a real estate license. I started rehabbing and then 20, 30 years later, 35 years later, I still do investing. So I've never gotten my real estate license. People are like hey, I'm an agent and I want to talk to you. I'm like listen, I'm not your girl.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

I don't know the ins and outs. I don't know. I know from the investing. I can teach you everything, but all those little extra things. It's like you need to find someone that can help you with that. So I'm going to send people to you, miss Jackie.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Well, I love it and I love your mission to help people learn about investing, because I think that is so important. I still, you know, I have become a real estate investor myself now multiple times over, bought and sold so many different properties and I think that real estate is still by far the number one way to build wealth here in the United States of America. So you got to learn it, you got to do it.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

It is every year on Forbes list of whatever new millionaires, it's always the biggest asset group is always from real estate. So it's been that way since the beginning of our country. It's still that way now. And I tell people like, listen, you don't have to just stick to the investing side, do both sides Right. I'm an agent and all that. You just got to find somebody else. It's not me, you're the one I'm going to say hey, I thought so. I always like when I, when I meet a new person, I love their heart. Then I'm all about referring people and we'll make sure that the by referral thing gets put out there, and if you have something coming up, let me know. I'm happy to put out an email about it. Well, thank you.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

I appreciate that.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Thousands and thousands of people on my mailing list. A lot of them are agents. When they ask me agent questions, I'm like I don't know. And even if I got my license today, it'd take me long to learn about being an agent as well. Because I've been investing for so long, I'd have to learn the ins and outs of that side of it.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Yeah, absolutely. It's two sides of a similar coin.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

It is, it is, and they are both different. Okay, so first I have one more question for you before we go. But everyone that's listening, I want to thank you for being with Jackie and being with me today. So if you laughed, if you had fun, if you learned something just anything at all I'm going to ask you to do me a favor and like the podcast. Go on to Instagram, facebook, youtube, all the places Dwanderful Over at YouTube. Hit like, hit, subscribe, hit the little bell, so every time a video and a new podcast comes out, you'll be notified, so you don't miss anything. And go to dwonderfulcom and opt in and I will send you a lot of free stuff. And I have blogs every day, videos every day, training every day, and I have amazing guests often as well. So get involved in the D'Wonderful world and we will help you take your business to another level. Okay, so last thing is, I want you to give us a parting word of wisdom, but only one single word.

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

Gratitude.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

Oh, that was good, that was fast, it's it's-. Wait, don't tell me what it is. Hold on, hold on, because I'm gonna say something. So everyone that listens, all my regulars, you know that, uh, that's our word of the week. So I ask everyone, I ask jackie, everyone to write it on a little yellow sticky and, like, put it up on your bathroom and every day, just use the word and meditate on the word gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. So now we want to know what does it mean to you?

Jacki Semerau- Tait:

And when you live your life with gratitude, it truly is life changing. I think that every day we have a choice. We have a choice that we can either live that we're thankful for the opportunities we have, we're thankful for the wisdom we learn through our struggles. You know all of that good stuff. If we live in gratitude, it elevates your life, the choices. You can look at life with victimhood and instead of gratitude you go oh this and that and I have to, and then it brings you down. Oh this and that and I have to, and then it brings you down. So for me, just having that gratitude attitude, it really does make life so much more enjoyable.

Dwan Bent-Tywford:

And I could not agree more. Amen, girl, I love it. I could not agree with you more. So after we hang up, you hang on just for a second so I can have a few more words with you and everybody else. I just want to thank you for being on the most wonderful real estate podcast ever today. I know for sure that you all loved Jackie, and I love what gratitude means to you. I could not agree more with the thought. So that's your word of the week, guys, and we'll be back next week. Same bat time, same bat channel. And remember that the truth is in the red letters. All right, everybody, jackie, thank you, ciao. Everyone. Have a good week. Keep it full of gratitude this week.