From Rock Bottom to Global Impact | Featuring Alison Blanchard

What does it really look like when the Innergator system comes to life?

In this powerful episode of Finding Your Innergator, R.B. Wright sits down with Alison Blanchard, real estate leader, speaker, and founder of Compass Impact, to explore how discipline, relationships, and intentional action can transform not only your life—but the lives of others around the world.

From pawning her wedding ring just to survive…
 to building a thriving business…
 to helping construct schools and provide resources in Uganda…

Allison’s story is a real-life example of what happens when you align the five pillars and refuse to stay in your comfort zone.

🔑 Key Takeaways

•  Success is built through alignment—not luck 
•  Relationships are the ultimate multiplier in life and business 
•  You cannot be committed to your comfort zone and your goals at the same time 
•  Your beliefs shape your reality—challenge the limits you’ve accepted 
•  Massive action creates momentum—even when conditions aren’t perfect 
•  True success leads to impact, not just income 

 Alison’s Journey

•  Raised in small-town Wisconsin with a heart to help others 
•  Worked in psychiatric rehab helping women re-enter society 
•  Moved to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild communities 
•  Hit rock bottom financially—pawned her wedding ring to survive 
•  Entered real estate with no resources but relentless determination 
•  Quickly rose to the top 5% through service and discipline 
•  Built a thriving real estate business and multiple ventures 

Making an Impact

Through Compass Impact, Allison and her team are:

•  Building schools in Uganda (including education access for young girls) 
•  Providing clean water and essential resources 
•  Supporting healthcare initiatives in underserved and war-torn regions 
•  Creating opportunities where none previously existed 

One of the most powerful moments:

A young girl in Uganda was asked what she wanted most in life…
 Her answer: “Opportunity.”

Practical Lessons You Can Apply

1. Move When It’s Time to Move
Don’t wait for perfect conditions—take action and adjust along the way.

2. Build the Right Circle
Surround yourself with people who push you, challenge you, and elevate your thinking.

3. Stop Listening to Yourself—Start Talking to Yourself
Replace doubt with direction.

4. Make Aligned Decisions, Not Convenient Ones
Convenience often leads to regret—purpose leads to growth.

5. Create Your Reality
Your beliefs shape your outcomes—choose them intentionally.

Quotes From This Episode

“Your beliefs become your reality—so choose them wisely.”

“The better your relationships, the greater your impact.”

Challenge This Week

•  Evaluate your inner circle 
•  Identify one limiting belief and challenge it 
•  Take one bold action you’ve been avoiding 
•  Look for one opportunity to create impact beyond yourself 

Connect & Support

Want to support Alison’s mission and global impact efforts?

👉https://bit.ly/compass-impact

 Final Thought

Inside of you, there is greatness.

But greatness doesn’t grow by accident.

It’s built through discipline…
 through relationships…
 and through intentional action.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Hello, everybody, and welcome to Finding Your Innergator Podcast, where we talk about discipline, relationships, and the habits that release to greatness that is already inside of you. I'm your host, RB Wright, and I am so glad that you're here. In each episode, we'll explore powerful lessons, real life stories, and practical strategies to help you live intentionally, build meaningful relationships, and unlock your full potential. But greatness isn't something you stumble into, it's something that is built every single day. So let's get started and begin the journey to finding your inner gator. Hello everybody, this is RB Wright, and I am so glad that you're here. You're listening to Finding Your Inner Gator. Over the past several weeks, we've been walking through the five pillars of the innergator system. You know, we started with the mind because I believe everything actually begins there. Then we moved into health because that's where your energy comes from. Then we talked about relationships, and I I believe that relationships are the multiplier in life. We talked about your calendar. That tells the truth about your priorities, right? You put on your calendar what's important to you and what you say is important to you. If it's not on your calendar, you got some adjustments you've got to make. And last week we wrapped up with finances. And here's what I want you to understand. Like we said last week, finance is not the starting point. It's the result. It's the result of how well you manage your mind, your discipline, your relationships, and your time. And that's exactly why I am so excited about today's episode because today we actually have the opportunity to bring all of this to life. I've got a guest with me who has built an incredible business. She gets to speak across the country. And more importantly, she's using her success to create an impact. She was introduced to me by my good friend. Y'all hear me talk about Zan all the time. Zan Monroe introduced me to today's guest probably four years ago, three or four years ago. And when Zam makes an introduction, I learned a long time ago, you better pay attention. Allison Blanchard is with Compass Realty Group in Clear Lake, Wisconsin. Now they're not tied, she'll explain. They're not tied to the the big franchise uh Compass Realty. But she also has a foundation uh that we're gonna talk about that's making an impact. And what I love about this is her story reflects exactly what we talk about here. When you get the right things in alignment, success will follow. But more importantly, as you will see, impact follows. Allison, I am so glad that you're here today.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

Thank you. I'm super glad to be here with you guys.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Can you hear me all right?

SPEAKER_01 3:33

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 3:34

All right. So did did did I get everything right when I was talking about uh the compass realty group piece?

SPEAKER_01 3:43

Yes, we are compass realty group. That is compass real estate. We are not the same, but probably both equally great in their own ways.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Well, let's get right into this. If you would, I want you to uh I know your story, but I want you to give us some background and kind of talk about where you were and how you got to where you are today.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Okay. Um, how far back you want me to go?

SPEAKER_00 4:08

Hey, as far back as you want to, because I I I tell you, uh, when I met you, uh you were already having success. You're speaking cross. How did just talk about uh the journey in your mind when you look at um where you're at today? Because look, here's what I do know, and you know this. A lot of people uh there's a you know those little books Zan gives out with the quotes in them? Those little red and green books? Well, one of his books says uh success doesn't happen overnight, but when it happens, it happens overnight. And and the the way that I I interpret that is people don't see what it took to get to where you're at today. And I I'd love for you to kind of talk about how you got on the journey and uh where you were and where you're at. Does that make better sense?

SPEAKER_01 5:00

Yeah, no, that's fine. Um, and you're right, it does, you know, the journey in general, um, as you're trying to get to wherever it is you're going will require more of you than you ever thought possible, and it'll take longer than you think. So um let's just go back. I grew up, had a great life, lived on a small farm in the middle of nowhere, Wisconsin, um, and had a great uh upbringing. I played four sports, was very competitive, and depending on the day, I still am, and I don't know if that's good or bad, but most of the time it helps me. But then I went to college for psychiatric rehab. Um, my intention was to go to school for psychiatric rehab to help people coming out of jail and prison, which I did for many years. And what I found was is it wasn't necessarily that specific thing that I wanted to do. It was helping people that I really wanted to do. So then I moved to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. I got offered an opportunity that I was not qualified for, and I was a project manager for a project that built 128 homes on the Gulf Coast after the storm. And then after that, I accidentally signed up with the number one broker in the state of Mississippi for real estate. But all of that sounds great. But in the middle of all those things was massive struggle um trying to figure out what it really was that I wanted to do and what vehicle it was going to take to get me there. And really, um, we were having a real hard time because at that point I had five young children and had to work around their schedule because my husband was the primary income at the time. And we just had nothing because then the oil spell happened down there. We lost some major contracts because he's a builder, and things went from bad to worse, and I had to find a way to be involved uh with the income of our family and still manage a house of kids that were between the ages of one and eleven, um, and and five of them. So that's when I got into real estate.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

So let me you said, and and I had forgotten about this, that you were in psychiatric rehab and were going to work with people that were getting out of jail or prison.

SPEAKER_01 7:43

Yeah. So my my forte was I dealt with women coming out of prison who had a mental disorder coupled with a drug and alcohol addiction. And my job was to try to help them understand those so that they wouldn't re-offend because they would understand triggers, how those mental disorders worked, what the uh drug and alcohol addictions look like and how to manage them.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

God bless you, because I'm I'm I don't I have to I'm I'm being very careful how I say this because the need is there. Um but that that would be a very difficult that's not something you just clock out and no, that would be a a I mean uh that's a special that takes a special person, but it would also what it says to me is your mindset and your heart on that because you went right into um post Katrina building houses on the uh on the Gulf Coast. On the Gulf Coast. Wow. And you you said you were were you in real estate during this time now?

SPEAKER_01 8:51

No, um I had left right from um my schooling and working with at I went from women um coming out of prison to children actually who were forcibly removed from their homes by the court system. So I went straight from that to building homes in Mississippi. I I um felt called to go down and that I could help and make a difference and ironically make an impact. And so I did, and I got offered that position, which once again I was not qualified for in any way, but um someone had to do it, so I stepped into the role.

SPEAKER_00 9:30

Well, so you had the oil spill, five kids uh under 12. Uh you are are automatically, you know, just because of of who you are, uh, or giving of yourself, your your income is going down. And so, you know, a lot of times in this part of the conversation, I'm looking for what early challenges or maybe something that was a turning point, but for you, uh it sounds like this you were right in the middle of one of the biggest challenges you were facing.

SPEAKER_01 10:06

Yeah, and it frankly got worse because I didn't have the tools or the experience to lean on at this point. And um that's when I had to make the decision to do something to help out, and that was real estate. But to do that, we needed some extra money. We were behind on rent, we hadn't paid bills in a very long time. I'm talking months, and you know, I didn't grow up that way. Like this was the epitome of rock bottom.

SPEAKER_00 10:44

So, so just real quick real quick, what year would you say this was?

SPEAKER_01 10:50

I'm gonna guess 2010-ish.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

Okay, so roughly 16 years ago, you're in Mississippi, can't pay your bills, you know you've got to do something in real estate. All right, I'm called up. I'm good.

SPEAKER_01 11:10

And that's when, you know, we were inching along, and as the story goes, our landlord came to us and said, Hey, you know, I've been trying to help you out, but I've got bills to pay too. And I need you to catch up by Friday, or I'm gonna have to kick you out. And I haven't told this story in a while, and I'm having a hard time doing it again. Um, but we didn't we didn't have any option at that point. I mean, we were on food stamps. I had very little of anything that had any value, and what I did have we had already sold, you know, at a garage sale or whatever. And so my husband came to me that night and told me he had a a solution, but I wasn't gonna like it. But we didn't really have any options, so I said, shoot, what you you know, what do you what do you got? And he said, We're gonna have to pun off your wedding ring. And I just absolutely lost it because it's it's all I had. But the following morning that's what we did, and that's kind of what clicked. And I said, I'm not doing this anymore. And I got my license just after that. My parents helped out a little bit. Um, they were in Wisconsin, they're fabulous, the best parents anyone could ever have. But I didn't let them know how bad it was because I didn't want them worrying.

SPEAKER_00 12:50

Right.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

But they helped me get my license, paid for some of my books and my stuff, and that was the beginning of a major change.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

So you you went into real estate school.

SPEAKER_01 13:10

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 13:13

Then what?

SPEAKER_01 13:16

I um I took my test very quickly, went through the classes very quickly. Um any free moment I had, that's what I did. I made a lot of time at late at night, you know, with kiddos. Um, and when I got hired on, I didn't know it, but the broker that was buying, because it was in the middle of the transition, I had hired on, but they were already in transition of getting purchased by another company. And it was the number one broker in the state of Mississippi.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 13:48

Wow. And I had, you know, looking back, the amount of things that happened just right so I could be in front of the right people at the right time was insane. And I couldn't have planned it. There's no way I could have planned it, but it was crazy because the number one broker in the state had hundreds of agents, multiple offices, and taught me everything I know today.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

That is awesome. Uh two two things come to mind real quick. Number one, you said the right people, right time, referencing the number one broker in the state and being able to establish those relationships. You know we talk about that all the time, but that uh that is awesome because this is kind of the moment where I think things began to change for you. But the other thing I I as you were talking about the ring um sometimes I mean what I s what I envision as you're telling that part of the story is everything in the world uh seemed to be going against us. Uh I'm worried about how I'm gonna feed my kids, I can't pay my bills, uh, nothing is happening. But I can look down at my hand and I can see uh what represents uh probably the key relationship in my my life, and now you're asking me to give that up. Uh but I I kept thinking about uh a statement I heard Grant Cardone say one time, and that is massive action equals massive results. So you you you pawn your ring, you go to school, you get introduced to these people, and things begin to change.

SPEAKER_01 15:40

Yes. Um I I did not have any of the right tools that your normal agent has. The clothes, the the vehicle, the money, I I had none of it. And because my back was up against the wall, I did it anyhow. So I didn't have excuses. I couldn't say like I drove an old falling apart van in a what I would call a luxury market. People buying their second, third, fourth homes, oil money. They'd fly in because we had an airstrip. Hey, I'm here for two days, I need to find a house quick, and then they'd leave, buy it cash. And I'm sitting there as an agent, one of the youngest ones, because they're all 65 and older, retired. Their husbands have fabulous jobs, and they're just out at the country club. And I do not fit the part in any way, shape, or form. But I didn't have an option. So what I learned quickly was it's not what I looked like and who I was, it's what I could provide because that's all I had. So I was able to provide the best service out there because that's something no one could take away. It didn't matter what shoes I had on, which I often worried about. It didn't matter what I showed up in, it didn't matter how my hair looked or what clothes I had on, but those were all stories I had built up in my head that were reasons I wouldn't do okay. But I had five little people that didn't give two craps, frankly, about any of my excuses. So I had to figure it out, and I did. And I was able to quickly become in the top five percent. My boss or broker at the time. Um, I don't know. I I I thought she might think I was kind of mouthy because I was fairly mouthy at the time, because I'm only in my I'm still in my I'm in my early 20s at this point, mid-20s maybe. So I am not, I I am still very young on top of it. And she took me places and put me in rooms I did not belong in. I was semi-new and she put me in front of the CEO of Coldwell Banker, the franchise. Um and I got to talk, his name was Budge Husky. And Budge Husky asked me that night, because I got to go to a dinner with her that only the top 3% of all brokers in the country got to go to, and she took me with her. And Budge Husky asked me if I thought that Coldwell Banker was doing a good job. And I didn't know that he was Budge Husky and who he even was. So I had a foot and mouth moment, and I said, Well, and I still say it today, so it's kind of funny. I say, you know, Budge, or I maybe I didn't say Budge because I didn't know it was him. I said, uh what I don't get is how we can make it to the moon, but Coldwell Baker can't give us more localized marketing that helps me because the marketing I get is from Jackson, Mississippi, and that's three and a half hours north of me. What good does that do me? And I'm just frankly telling him this because he was asking. And then the announcer said, you know, our our speaker for tonight is the CEO, Bud Husky, and he stands up and he walks away, and I got my hand in my face or my face in my hands, and he looks back at me and kind of smiles, and I'm just like, oh my gosh, I'm going to die right here.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

Oh, that's awesome, though. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 19:39

But how do you have, you know, he I think about that still today, it's been, you know, 15, 16 years. If Budge Hussey, Husky can ask me what his company can do better, then we all ought to be asking everybody, what can I do better? And it was a great lesson. Um, but once again, in a room I didn't, you know, quote unquote belong in, but I was with Carlene and she took me there.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

So I guess when you and I talk, it's kind of like Xan and I. Um we'll be talking about one thing, and I'm I'm thinking what we're gonna talk about next. Then all of a sudden I get going down a path. Uh, because you just triggered you just triggered two things with me. Number number one, um uh my wife Jennifer and I've shared a story with some folks. Um and this applies to what you just said. Now I I would love for you to expound on this a little bit, but I was of all things, believe it or not, I was having a bad fishing tournament, and I knew that I had to get out of my comfort zone for day two to fish an area I normally don't because the fish had moved. And I was frustrated. She sat down in the truck and I told her what was going on, and she said, Babe, you can never be committed to your comfort zone and your goals at the same time. And I thought, whoa, that's that's incredible. And as you were sitting here talking, she was taking me to places I didn't want to go, she's taking me to these dinners, and I I didn't feel like I belonged in the room. But you had somebody who saw something in you and had to put you out of your comfort zone, and you said it. My back was against the wall, and all the things I had in my head, that self talk that we all have o of why this wasn't gonna work, at that point it didn't matter. You had no choice, it had to work. So you had to get out of your comfort zone. But getting out of your comfort zone back fifteen, sixteen years ago, uh, would you would you say that that's That is help catapult you.

SPEAKER_01 22:03

Yes. Because oftentimes one of my my favorite things that I talk about with anyone around me is our beliefs and our ceilings that we put disguise themselves as reality every single day. And if you let them, they will be your reality. So we get the choice. Are you going to allow those things to be your reality? Or are you going to stop playing by rules that don't exist?

SPEAKER_00 22:36

Love it.

SPEAKER_01 22:37

When I look back, I I was not a great kid in school. I mean, I was fine, but I got in trouble a lot. My parents did not enjoy their trips to the principal's office, I'm sure. But I was always curious. I was insanely curious, adventurous, but I found out looking back, I was always asking, why not? Says who. And what I didn't know that I was doing back then, it looked like rebellious, which it might have been to some extent. But it was also pushing the boundaries of rules that they said existed. And I said, says who. And really, um let me tell you, can I tell you a story about one of my favorite people? And I use it when I speak, it's Roger Bannister. He wanted to break um and run the mile in under four minutes, and um everyone said it was impossible because no one had ever done it. And the belief, like I talked about just a few minutes ago, was the reality. The belief is that it's not possible, humans can't do it. But in 1952 or four, or somewhere in there, Roger Bannister ran a mile in under four minutes. And I've always said, and I talk about this story often, because it talks about beliefs and proves a point. Because the fact that he broke it isn't what's amazing. What's amazing is that just a few weeks later, someone else broke it, and then someone else, and then someone else. Humans didn't change, our muscles didn't like get longer so we could run faster. The only thing that changed was the belief that it was possible, because the reality said this isn't possible, it's not something that can be done. The rules that they were playing by no longer existed because Roger Bannister broke them.

SPEAKER_00 24:55

Exactly right.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

And when you play with people like Zan, people like Carleen, my broker, my parents, anyone who has a belief that anything is possible. Um I forget, oh, it's called the I I think it's called the Pygmalion effect. It's the idea that you rise or fall to the level of expectations that are placed on you. So, you know, if we're talking about belief, then who are you with and what are you allowing them to imprint on you? And is it holding you back or is it fanning, you know, the flames of your desires and dreams?

SPEAKER_00 25:36

You can't see me right now, but I have both hands up in the air just saying you are 150% right. And and let me just for one second, let me just kind of share a thought there. Uh I I say people who who I talk with a lot, they hear me say a lot of the same things. I and I I it's just because it's my belief system, right? But if you look, I I believe fully, Zan and I have this conversation a lot. I believe fully, you're a direct reflection of the top five people that you that you interact with, that you hang out with, right? A lot of us have a work circle, we have a personal circle, but in those circles, you are a reflection of those folks. And and a true friend, a true mentor shouldn't be saying to you, hey, the status quo is okay. They should be pushing you and kind of helping pulling you to be to the next level. If they are not doing that, I I don't believe you have an inner circle. I believe you have a cage because they are absolutely 150% holding you back. And so when I hear you say uh and you start mentioning out names, and as an and I talk about all the time, we I love playing with Xan because when Zan and I just in a in a conversation, he'll look at me and I'll look at him, and the conversation is, well, why not? Why why can't we do that? Why can't you do that? The only thing that's holding you back is is that space between your your ears, right? So uh didn't mean to get on that, but you got me excited because uh I I don't believe relationships are an accident. I believe they're 150% intentional. They need to be intentional. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_01 27:26

Oh, it's the relationships are gonna happen regardless. So you can either, and I say that about you know just your life in general, it's gonna happen regardless. Are you going to be a creator of it or are you gonna let it create around you? And I don't want something just forming around me by accident. I want to create something that makes sense for where I want to go and more importantly, who I want to become. Because I've got people waiting on me to become who I'm meant to be. And so I got work to do every single day, and I'm gonna get up and I'm gonna do it. So you better make sure that your people, whether it be five, six, or seven around you every day, are people that are gonna fan those flames.

SPEAKER_00 28:11

Exactly right.

SPEAKER_01 28:12

And it if that's not done intentionally, it's gonna form for you, and who knows if that's gonna be right or not.

SPEAKER_00 28:19

I love it. I love it. Let me ask you over the years, I can tell you there's two people, and and I'm not counting my wife in this at all. Uh there's two people outside of Jennifer that I've had a really long-term close relationship because they, using your terms, will fan my flames, and I'm able to to fan theirs or push them, and that's a guy named Terry Fisher and Zam Monroe. Uh both those guys are in my very, very close inner circle. But over the years, uh, there's people that I am still nice to, but I've had to to move beyond that that immediate influence because I felt like they were holding me back. Talk about that. Have you had those type of situations that you kind of outgrew the relationship? Does that does that does that question even make sense to you?

SPEAKER_01 29:25

Yes, because it it touches and twangs my heart strings quite a bit. Um there have been so many times, and I I actually don't think that question is addressed enough because people always talk about, oh, I want to grow, I want to do this, I want to do that. But the the hurt and the pain that you have to undergo, not only, you know, honing you, because you know, just like you hone anything, it's not an easy, nice process. But there have been so many times where people want to come along on the ride, but they're not willing to do the work, or they say they are. A lot of people say they are, but when it comes down to it, they aren't. And whether it be a fear of something, the stories in their head, whatever it is, it's holding them back, and you have to make the choice do I let this person hold me back with them, or do I move on? And you can't want it more than them. And you have to understand that some some of these people are put into your life for seasons, and you have to somehow be okay with that and learn. It's kind of like you know, stretching a muscle that that's gonna happen sometimes. And one of my major um people who have impacted me in my life was a small season that I had to let go of because they showed me that something was possible. They were Roger Bannister for a little bit, but then when I grew, I realized that the alignment wasn't there only in one section of life, and that wasn't good enough because I was in my 30s and I had enough experience that I had a little bit of an ego. And because of that and aligning in that one department, but not the others, it hit me, it broadsided me. I didn't realize that it was causing trouble in other parts of my life, and then I almost lost everything again in a different way that I never saw coming. So I had to cut that off because it wasn't serving the true purpose of getting to where I needed to be to help the people that are waiting on me to help them, and it was painful but required.

SPEAKER_00 31:57

Yeah, yeah. You you know, I look back uh over my career since eighty-nine, and there are so many people that I'm thankful were in my life. But here's Allison, you you can tell me if I'm wrong here, but uh complacency happens a lot, right? So you're pushing to to get to the level of the person that's in your inner group, and then you realize they're not pushing to get any further than where they are. And sometimes just human nature, they're jealous that you've accomplished what you've accomplished, and they kind of work you you you gotta be careful who you let in. You really do, and you've you've got to I I talk about protecting your calendar, but you've got to protect that inner circle because when I say you're a direct reflection, sometimes the negativity may be disguised as something else. And what they're saying to you is you can't do that. You really man, that's crazy. You can never run a mile in under four minutes. Have you lost your mind? And that's not and and we believe it. We believe it because we trust this person. Does that I'm not saying get rid of all your friends, I'm saying surround yourself with people who are going to push you and want you to be better tomorrow than you are today.

SPEAKER_01 33:28

There are a few sentences that I've heard over my life where I realized that person was no longer going to be able to be in my circle. And it's not because they're going against you, but it's the mindset needed and you've outgrown it. Alison, you're putting the cart before the horse, am I? Or are you just uncomfortable? Don't grow too fast. That's how people fail. What's too fast? Says who. It's just their limits, and they're placing them on you because they're fearful, because they're having to expand and grow and they don't like it. Our brains are wired for protection. Our brains are wired to keep us safe. If they can keep if they if our brains, as if they're the robots, but if they can keep us in a pattern that they can predict and know what we're gonna do, then the brain feels safe and it's copesthetic. This is great. But that's where mediocrity sets in, and then you start in with lack and fear, but it likes that because it can understand what you're doing. As soon as you step out of that bubble, and I do things as simple as I drive different ways of work every day just to keep my mind thinking and paying attention.

SPEAKER_00 34:54

Love it.

SPEAKER_01 34:55

But if we if we allow ourselves to do that and not pay attention to what we're doing and create things on purpose, including the people around us, the things that we say, the things that we allow them to say to us, the beliefs, because beliefs become reality. So I love when people tell me I'm crazy because then in two months or a year when I'm doing it, I'm like, hey, you can't see me, but I'm like, I'm doing the fingers, like, hey, like what happened?

SPEAKER_00 35:29

That's hilarious.

SPEAKER_01 35:30

Uh and a lot of times it does take, you know, people want to believe, but sometimes it takes them seeing it a couple times before they're like, okay, I don't know how you're doing it, but I guess I'm along for the ride. Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 35:42

Yeah, and that that's you know, that that point I think gets overlooked a lot, is that you have the doubters, you have the haters, you have the naysayers, and then you do it, and all of a sudden a portion of them are looking at it saying, Huh if she ran the mile another four minutes, maybe I can too. And you you can leverage that relationship to to help them see it can be done. Uh, and that doesn't happen with everybody, but it does happen. Uh and and listen, I know uh for those of you listening, you're enjoying this as much as I am, and and uh anytime I have a guest on it runs longer than normal. But what I and and we got off on on that that tangent, and I you don't see me smiling right now, but I'm smiling ear to ear because you you have just shared what we talk about all the time, and I love that. Now, let's do this. Your business we we talked about uh you hiked your ring, you were uh starting real estate school, you you got introduced, got out of your comfort zone. Let's talk about today. Tell me about your business today.

SPEAKER_01 37:04

Today we're just having fun. Um I love that. We're creating, and we're no longer, you know, when I started, it was starting from scratch, and I had to, you know, take a calculated risk and say, you know what, I believe in myself and my capabilities, we can do this. And so that was about creation and and processes and systems, which are not my forte. But we're now to a point where we get to say, what like we literally analyze our business every day and say, why are we doing this? Is it because that's the way it's done, or because the way we want to do it, or that's the way we want to do it? And we're just out there analyzing every piece of it to say, where can we do something different? Where can we stay ahead of the pack? Um, for the first time ever this past quarter, we are number one in our area, and we're a fourth, a sixth, and an eighth the size of everybody else.

SPEAKER_00 38:09

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 38:10

And we're getting to do these things because we're providing massive value, because that is our standard, that is our reality, and that is what we choose to believe. And we're doing it on purpose and with intention. And it's really fun because it's attracting the people that we want. We don't even have to go out there and do anything. And so when I say we're having fun, we're just having fun. Like in general, having fun doing and creating the things that we want to do and create.

SPEAKER_00 38:43

That is awesome. You know, one of the things that uh you and I talked a couple weeks ago, and something that really stands out about you is that you haven't just built a business, uh, you're making an impact, you're building an impact. So talk about a little bit about the foundation. And uh I keep using the word impact, and ironically, I think that's part of the name of your foundation. Talk about that a little bit and what you guys are doing.

SPEAKER_01 39:16

So when we named our real estate company, we went with Compass because we could help people navigate business and life, and we wanted to do it in a better way than what was currently happening. Once again, stop playing by the rules that exist here and let's create something different. And so when we started doing things out in the world, um we wanted to create impact on people that needed um the basics, water, education, healthcare. And we wanted to, you had kind of pointed out a little bit earlier, when someone does it, it gives them the belief, somebody out there, the belief that they can do it too. And really, that's why I do what I do. I try to break as many of those false thoughts and beliefs out there as possible because something we haven't touched on is I am back in that small town. There are literally 1,100 people where I live. And so the idea that you can create change and impact, massive impact around the globe is silly, or is it?

SPEAKER_00 40:31

Why not?

SPEAKER_01 40:32

And so, what we're trying to do is show people it can be done, and you can do it too. Because if, you know, crazy little me in the middle nowhere, Wisconsin, with a small little company with five kids can do it, what's your story? And let's change it. So we then wanted to create massive impact um around the globe where it was needed the most. And so we created Compass Impact, and we just gave it a name and started doing the work. Like no formalities, we just started doing it. And the first project we did was um started building a school in Uganda.

SPEAKER_00 41:14

Wow. And you you've been there.

SPEAKER_01 41:20

Yeah, um, so we had worked on it for about two, two and a half years by providing funds and um some counsel from here. And we went at the end of end of 2024, I got to take my two younger kids. And when people around us that you know had seen my posts and everything else saw us there in front of the school that we had built and doing work on it and meet the kids. I mean, the elementary school, because the school we built is a high school, and it's the first one that girls are gonna get to go to, which blows my mind. And so I got to meet the kids. There were 500 kids at the elementary. When people were able to see the true impact of what that had done, and we could share that story. People were jumping on board left and right. Let us help, how can we help? Like they saw what it could do, and real faces and real buildings, and it went crazy.

SPEAKER_00 42:30

So when you were there and you're looking that the excitement in these faces of these kids, uh, talk about that. Talk about I mean, it's one thing to know that uh you are helping somebody you don't even know halfway around the globe have a better life. But for you to firsthand be able to see that, talk about the impact it had on you.

SPEAKER_01 43:04

Well, I'm uh, you know, fairly loud person, and I was quieted and humbled greatly when I went there. And at the time, I think my kids were 14 and 15. I had the two youngest with me. Um we uh one of my favorite stories and and what touched me the most is they have uh they vote, and one of the older kids is like the school speaker. So if someone comes to visit, they talk to them, they give a speech, they're the ones kind of in charge of the student body. And this girl's name was precious. And I was in conversation with her because she was the school speaker, and she had asked me a few questions about leaves changing color and snow, because they had never seen either of those. And I said to her, you know. If you could have anything in the world, what would you want to do here? Like what would you want for you if you could pick anything? And I was expecting, you know, ice cream or slides or who knows, you know, any of those things. And she's 14 years old at the time. And she looked at me and thought for a second, and she said, if I could have anything, I would have opportunity. And that story I will tell and tell and tell because basically, how dare we? And it's not that you know one person's got it worse than the other, but how dare we have the opportunity to make a change, to create change, to create impact, and not take it when we have people around the world, both near and far, who would give anything for the lives that we have.

SPEAKER_00 44:58

You know, I I was Jennifer again. Uh look, Jennifer, I'm probably like your husband, that I have a lot of lessons in my walk life that my wife taught me. But Jennifer and I were uh riding in one of the boats to lunch the other day. And I was complaining about something, Allison. And she looked at me and said, you know you're you're really uh kind of out of whack right now. Uh when you look at how fortunate, truly fortunate uh we are, how fortunate anybody that lives in this country for the most part compared to places like Uganda. When you start thinking about that, and the problem is it's really this out of sight, out of mind thing. And it it makes you number one be extraordinarily grateful uh for the the blessings, if you will, in the life that that we have, uh we being uh people in this country, but it also says, you know what, I may not be able to uh take the time to to fly there. Uh there are people who are called to do that, but I can support that in some way. Uh have you had a lot of people supporting you from from uh a financial aspect? Have you had people that um uh are giving thousands? That's yes, that is awesome.

SPEAKER_01 46:46

I mean Because we we have done so much there, we brought textbooks because they were teaching off of tag board.

SPEAKER_00 46:53

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 46:54

Um we're building a well there next because they still walk half a mile for water every single day.

SPEAKER_00 47:01

I'm gonna stop you just a second. I want you to think about that. I walk if I needed water while I'm talking to you right now, I may be walking twenty feet. Twenty feet to get filtered water. They're walking half a mile to get water out of a well.

SPEAKER_01 47:21

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 47:22

And it's 2026, Allison.

SPEAKER_01 47:25

That's what yeah. I I I it blew my mind because I've traveled all over the world, so I've seen all sorts of things, but this by far was the most impactful in terms of okay, we gotta do something. No one should have to live like this in the world that we live in today, with people spending money on I don't even know what. And we've got people who don't have water. I am not okay with that, especially when it's children, you know, they don't get a choice, they're born into this, and it it's not, you know, there's a a whole complex of that, but I am not gonna turn away. There is uh a great scene in the show or the movie Hotel Rwanda, and it's what drives me. Um, and it what drove it's what drove me to make the decision to go to Mississippi. They're fighting uh because they're there are civilians in the hotel, and the guy running the hotel is saying, You guys can't leave, talking to the Americans. You can't leave. What are we supposed to do? Like, call them, what like call somebody, and he the guy looks at him, and this is very pre paraphrased. The guy looks at him and he said, You know what? They do see it, they watch it on the news, and then they carry on with their dinner and their lives. And that just hit me that that's that's what we do because we don't see it, but these are humans in our world, and they may be 8,000 miles away, but they are amazing humans all over the world, and when we choose to live in gratitude, joy, and abundance, which you will not find anyone in my world who doesn't live by that.

SPEAKER_00 49:15

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 49:17

Because when you live in gratitude, joy, and abundance, you have a heart to give, and it doesn't mean you have to give everything you have, and it doesn't mean, like you said, that you need to make the trip, but it does mean that you understand that you have to live leave the world a better place than you found it. And for me, real estate, speaking, you know, we build houses, all of that are just vehicles to do what I was actually called to do, and that's create a difference and an impact in the lives of people all over the world.

SPEAKER_00 49:51

Love that. I love that. And uh, you know, I keep going back to the the the four the four-minute mile. And you just said, hey, look, have an impact with people all over the world. I'm in a town of eleven hundred people. Why not? Why not? Right? If if not you, who? And to the people listening this, let's just you know, d do you have a link or something that I can or somehow they can get a hold of you if they wanted to contribute to this that I can put in the show notes that they can they can't. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 50:27

We'll give you a direct link, and all it is is a direct link to our Square account, and all of the funds um go directly to these projects, and we have other projects across the globe. We are bringing health care to people in war zones, we are bringing vehicles to people in war zones, um, medicine, medical equipment, all sorts of things. Um, and it's happening all over the globe, and we have projects at home too, um, because that's equally as important. It's just different because obviously things are different here than there. But we focus on clean water, education, and health care, and we put as much money back into it as possible. We're not using it on big fancy websites and all this stuff because we have found that the people who like, know, and trust us send us who we need to get these projects done so that people can have a better life.

SPEAKER_00 51:26

I absolutely love this. And one of the things that I was actually having a conversation with one of my daughters uh this weekend, and we were talking about um she's 25, so she's starting to understand uh what it takes each month to to survive, right? And one of the things we're talking about was uh having very little debt, having a good income allows you the opportunity to save some money, but to help those who don't have that opportunity. And uh I I love the fact that you've looked at this and said, All right, I'm using my professions as the vehicle to do what I was actually called to do. So I I love that. And what I love about this whole thing is is uh you and I have shared uh you know some of the relationships that you've been able to leverage to to help with this, and and I think it's it really is at the highest level leveraging those relationships to have that impact. I love the name of it, by the way. Uh the the to have a the the impact, not just in Uganda, in war zones here at home. So I just say to you, that is fantastic, and we'll definitely will have some some information uh in the notes on that. So thank you for thank you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_01 53:00

Absolutely. Well, I think at the end of the day, you know, the better relationships you have, the more impact you can make.

SPEAKER_00 53:08

Yeah, I do too. I do too. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 53:10

You know, and whatever that, you know, whatever that looks like to you, because not everybody wants to do what I do, and I don't blame you, but whatever success and impact looks like to you, the more you have good relationships and people like, know, and trust you, and that you like, know, and trust back, the more impact you can make in whatever your cause or business or goals you have.

SPEAKER_00 53:39

You know, you and I have had enough conversations, you know how I feel about the power of relationships. Uh, when we first moved to the coast here, you may you may find this interesting. We first moved to the coast here, uh, we wanted to have a little kickoff gathering uh in our in our backyard and for summer. So the first year we were excited. We had 12 couples that we had met in the previous six months. Uh we went through a list of people that we're gonna invite uh this year. Uh I I still trying to figure out how we're gonna do this because there's 72 couples on this list. Now here's the crazy thing about it. Uh I looked at Jennifer and I said, you know what? This this actually can be an incredible networking opportunity for these folks. There's real estate company owners, there's restaurant owners, there's charter captains, there's some of the local uh the people that are coming, uh some of them know each other, but a lot of them don't. I said, I just want to be like Zan, sit back and just watch these relationships develop because the the the power in that when you see those networks, whether you are helping people in Uganda or you're you know you're you're you've got a property that you need to sell, those type of relationships, and then all of a sudden you become a part of that network, and you become a part of theirs, your relationships grow. I believe there's so much power, so much power in that.

SPEAKER_01 55:24

Yes. So we we have said that always, and that was really hard during COVID, but our world kept moving because we're you know so remote. When good people get together, good things happen because when we're together, we have that momentum and conversation and excitement, and people build on that.

SPEAKER_00 55:49

So let me ask you you went from the ring to helping everybody. You gotta you've got this this incredible uh foundation going, you've got an incredible business. What's one thing as you're you're thinking about this? What what do you think is the one habit that's made a difference in your success?

SPEAKER_01 56:18

I move when it's time to move. Um, you know, I talked about it earlier, calculated risks are not, you know, risks when you've done the work and educated yourself and grown. If you make the move, act on the decision, and bet on yourself, the people who actually move and do the thing are the ones who have more success because everyone else is sitting there waiting for the time to be right and you're already 10 steps ahead. Because maybe you made the move and it was wrong. Fine, recalculate and keep going. You're still ahead of the people who are still standing there waiting for everything to be good and comfortable and right.

SPEAKER_00 57:02

I love that answer, by the way. I absolutely love that answer. With everything that you have going on, I believe that what you focus you heard me say it a lot, what you focus on expands. How when you've got real estate speaking, kids, impact, how do you how do you how do you keep your focus?

SPEAKER_01 57:29

Um, well, I uh the deep answer is I know what I was built for and nothing's gonna derail me. But the day-to-day answer is I'm I'm a builder, uh a dreamer, a creator, and I know that I can't stay on task because I got all sorts of ideas. So I have slowly and consciously built a team around me of integrators in every business I have, because I also own a t-shirt company and uh you know we flip houses and building.

SPEAKER_00 58:04

I forgot about that, the the t-shirt company.

SPEAKER_01 58:06

So right? So and that's that's compass as well. So we have a whole compass brand of getting people to where they need to be in ever all these different facets, but it's building a team of integrators, people who can take my ideas that I trust and carry them out. So the t-shirt company has them, the real estate company has them, the building company has them. We we have integrators around us doing the things that need to get done because I know that's not my fortune, that's not what I'm built for. So rather than trying to do it all myself and bottleneck it all, I've got the people that are meant for that, that that are good at those things, and that's their superpower, and I let them do it.

SPEAKER_00 58:54

That is awesome. That is awesome. You and I could probably talk for three or four hours. Um yeah, and we've been we're going on an hour right now, so let's do this. Uh, do you have any final thoughts, uh story, or uh advice for the folks that are listening?

SPEAKER_01 59:23

Um, let me do these really fast. When people are talking to you, consider the source. What are they building and do they live a life you want? If not, don't listen to them.

SPEAKER_00 59:35

Love it.

SPEAKER_01 59:36

Make decisions that align with who you want to become and what you want your life to become, not ones that are convenient. Convenient decisions are bad decisions.

SPEAKER_00 59:46

Repeat that.

SPEAKER_01 59:48

Make decisions that align with who you want to become and what you want your life to look like, not ones that are convenient.

SPEAKER_00 59:58

Purpose and intention. I absolutely love that.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:02

Any convenient decision I've made, whether it be a convenient hire, a convenient answer to someone who I should have been spending time with, has turned around and bit me. And I've always said, why didn't you wait? It would have been uncomfortable, but it would have been better than this.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:25

And then you need to direct your brain, give it clarity. It needs help every single day. Clarity every single day to attract what you want and the life you want. And stop listening to yourself and start talking to yourself. Because if you listen to yourself, you're gonna say, I'm not good enough, I can't do this, I'm not meant for this, blah, blah, blah. No one cares. Stop listening to yourself and start talking to yourself. I got this. I'm amazing. We're gonna do amazing things. Let's go kick the world's butt today. And your fear cannot be stronger than the fire inside you.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:04

I am writing all these down, but what I what I love, uh, you know, Zan's told you and I both, you can never possess a positive thought, two thoughts at the same time. So you can't possess a positive thought and negative thought at the same time. Talking to yourself versus listening to yourself. I love that. That is awesome. That is awesome.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:27

I tell my kids that all the time. My son's out on the golf course. Golf is a mental game. If you listen to yourself, you're gonna say, Don't miss, don't miss. No, we can't process negatives. You tell yourself what you're gonna do. I'm gonna drop this right next to the pin. Happy Gilmore did it best. He told the ball to go in the hole.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:47

Go home, baby. Go home.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:49

Go to your home. And so we have to learn that these things matter. And we have to know, you know, if I can say one last thing.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:02

What do you want your reality to be? And then create your beliefs around that. If your beliefs don't align with the reality you want, if your beliefs are creating the reality that you live and you don't like it, then create different beliefs. It's not that hard. Just do it. And people say, Well, I can't, but the answer is yes, you can. And then I forgot I was supposed to tell you the last bit of the ring story.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:33

I was getting ready to ask you about that.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:37

So um five years, well, I don't even know. I should look at the book, it's in there. A few years later, anyhow, after all that, I got into real estate, things were starting to get a little better. At least I was paying my bills. My broker asked me to go with her to a conference, and um I asked if my husband could come with because the room was already paid for, so why can't he come? And she said, sure. And it was early February that we were going, and it was in Chicago, I believe. And we got to the hotel and he said, Hey, I got you a Valentine's present. Do you care if I give it to you? And I said, Uh, sure, but I didn't get you anything, like I hadn't even thought about it. And he said, Close your eyes, and I did. And I heard him rustling around in his bag, and when he got in front of me, he told me to open his open my eyes, and he had his hand sitting there in a cupped motion, and he picked his one hand up, and a ring box was sitting there. And I just thought, you know, my hand had been bare for two years, and he had finally gotten me a new ring, and I was so excited. Um, just because what that represented, we're finally getting back on our feet, and then he opened it, and I all but lost it because it was my original ring. And what he proceeded to tell me after that was he had gone back to the pawn shop without me knowing and begged the lady not to sell it, and said he'd do whatever it took to buy it back from her, and he only gave her 10-15 bucks a week until it was paid off.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:20

That is awesome, that is awesome. Massive action, massive results, your life changed, and then the the the what represented the one piece that represented what was going right in your life, you had to give up. But two years later you got it back. That is awesome to me. That is awesome.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:45

So I guess I hope I hope anyone who's listening takes that whatever you're going through and whatever you're doing, if you put in the work and the time and you make sure that the story you're telling yourself aligns with who you want to become, anything is possible. It's gonna take more than you think, and it's gonna take longer than you want, but it's possible.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:08

Uh, you are a living example of that. And Allison, I appreciate more than you will ever know uh you being here. Uh and this has been a very powerful conversation for me. Uh what I love about it, uh there's a lot of things I like about this, uh, but the pillars that we talk about here, you know, the uh the mindset, the the energy levels, the relationships, the calendar, the finance, all of that is you just sharing your story, it absolutely comes uh comes together and and validates really what we're talking about. But what what really stands out to me is that you didn't stop at success. You used the word several times today, your calling. Was to help others. And you used your businesses to be the catapult to help you do that and to have the impact. I love what you're doing with the foundation. Again, we'll have that information in the in the uh show notes. But I just want to tell you, I appreciate greatly you being here, and I love I love hearing your story. Love hearing your story and thank you for what you do.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:28

Well, thank you for having me. I appreciate you, I appreciate you greatly.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:32

Yeah, well, we'll I will look forward to catching up with you soon. Thank you, Allison. Thank you. Everybody, thank you so much for listening to the Finding Your Inner Gator podcast. You know, if today's episode helped you, share it with someone who needs to hear this message. Remember, greatness is achieved through discipline, intentional action, and optimizing the relationships around you. I look forward to getting with you next week. Now, go Gatorize your day.