R.E.A.L. Real Estate Agent Life Podcast

From North Pole Alaska To Pismo Beach Luxury Real Estate

• Shane Kilby and Duane Murphy • Season 2 • Episode 49

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She grew up in a town called North Pole, Alaska and yes, it’s real. 

From there, Kim Renshaw builds a life that looks nothing like her starting point: horses, motorcycles, and a thriving real estate business on California’s Central Coast near Pismo Beach, where acreage and beach living sit ten minutes apart. 

Our conversation isn’t a highlight reel. It’s the real story behind momentum: the moves, the missteps, and the mindset that finally clicks when you stop playing small. 

We trace Kim’s path into real estate, from leaving a stable IT career to getting licensed while raising a newborn, then “cutting her teeth selling dirt” on ranch and land deals. 

She explains how that rural expertise turns into a powerful niche and why niching down is often the fastest route to growth. 

If you’re trying to stand out in a crowded market, you’ll hear practical takeaways on specializing in land, ranch properties, luxury listings, and homes on acreage without losing your personality in the process. 

The most powerful moments get personal: grief, getting stuck, and the cost of letting private pain bleed into business. 

Kim shares her biggest failure, her definition of success as getting out of her own way, and the role of coaching and community, including her influence from Krista Mayshore and the “uncomfortable rooms” that accelerate growth. 

We also dig into leadership and agent mentorship: how Kim pours into her people with systems, technology, and vetted opportunities, and why authenticity is the best long-term marketing strategy. 

If this hits home, subscribe, share the episode with one agent who needs it, and leave a review. 

What’s one part of yourself you’ve been hiding that could actually become your brand?

🎙 Thank You for Tuning in to the R.E.A.L. Real Estate Agent Life Podcast!


We appreciate you joining us for another powerful episode where we dive deep into the world of real estate, mindset, and business growth. If you found value in this conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your network!


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SPEAKER_00

Welcome to the RTAL podcast. Dive deep into the work of real THL. From overcoming hurdles to celebrating success, join us as we explore the journeys of industry veterans and rookies alike. Get ready for bi-weekly episodes back with advice, feedback, and mentorship from the best in the business.

SPEAKER_02

This is real estate agent life. We appreciate you tuning in. I'm Dwayne Murphy. That's my co-host, Mr. Shane Kilby. Sweet home Alabama. Boom. There it is. And I tell you what, uh, as always, we are super, super excited to bring you some of the most amazing rock stars across the United States and beyond. So I think, well, our last one was Hawaii. That's still in the States. Yeah. But we'll swim oceans if we have to. We have been to Canada. We have been to Canada. We have been to Canada. Like we will we will do whatever we need to do for our listeners to bring them the best of the very best. And we did that again today. So without any further rambling by me, Mr. Shane Kobe, who do we got today?

SPEAKER_03

It's funny you say that because talking about the guests that we have had on this podcast in the past from as far as uh Canada and East Coast, West Coast. And today we have Miss Uh Kim Renshaw, which, although she is now a California native, we come to find out that she was originally from the North Pole, from Alaska. It's very interesting. And the reason that I'm so small. Yes, she actually went to school at let me quote me if I'm wrong, North Pole High School, is that correct?

SPEAKER_01

End elementary.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, so now we all know where Santa comes from. We all know everything's from the North Pole. So isn't this the same North Pole that same North Pole?

SPEAKER_01

All the little kids write their letters to Santa and they go through the post office in North Pole, Alaska, and that's the town I grew up in.

SPEAKER_03

That's amazing. I don't know if I've ever the reason I just wanted to put a focal point in that because everybody here's North Pole, they never know it's a real place. It is a real place. You can live there and raise your beautiful children there. What's the average temperature there though, Kim?

SPEAKER_01

Mmm, well, like I just got some pictures from my brother recently. They had a cold snap and it was 45, 45 below. That'll make your eyelashes stick together when you go out.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, we had twice. We just got done with two weeks of that. Alaska can keep it. Right? Alaska can keep it. Like it's it's it's inhumane, is what it is.

SPEAKER_01

You know what though, on the flip side in the summer, you know, the days get real long and there'll be like a midnight sun. There's actually a baseball game where they don't even have lights because the sun is like right there at midnight. So it goes the opposite. Yep. And it's beautiful. The summers are amazing there.

North Pole Alaska To California

SPEAKER_03

Well, you know, before we get too deep, I'm all camoed out because Kim is an outdoor uh enthusiast, and she was supposed to come with her outdoor gear. So I went and changed actually from the last podcast we shot and completely went with the stuff that I'm most comfortable in in my most comfortable outings and uh most comfortable scenes. So I'm the only one here, looks like I don't have a job. But in fact, thanks for the memo, guys. Yeah. Well I can do it. I have my outfit set out. Apparently, Dwayne, I'm the only one that didn't get the memo. So you two are dressed for work and and I was, and now, well, I missed the memo. Well, we all know who does and who doesn't. It's all good. Yeah. Now our list. Somebody's got to. Somebody's got to, as long as it's not me. That's that's all that matters. That's all that matters. So, Kim, let's get into it. So, ladies and gentlemen, you are uh about to take a few minutes and listen to and and consume some content from an amazing person, just a real estate entrepreneur, amazing uh representative of our community. And like always, any true success story is not always a paved road. I'm not even sure if any success story is a paved road. It may end up as a paved road, but it didn't start as a paved road. So, Miss Kim, share with us, like all right, so today Kim uh resides in Pismo Beach, California. She is uh an equestrian. She loves the the horses, she loves that is her thing, that's her, that's her place, that's her space. Uh I've seen it in her content, like that's her happy, happy place, right? And um she has the best of both worlds. So you apparently have some beautiful um land where you're at, which is great for horses, and you're also at the beach, right? Close to so you can't, I mean, what's the average temperature where you're at?

SPEAKER_01

Well, we're in the almanac for having the most tempered climate. Uh, it'll run like in the summers, it's 75 to 85 all summer. And summer lasts about 10 months.

SPEAKER_03

Pretty good place to sell real estate, I'd imagine. Just gonna go on a lamb and sell. That's why we have 10 months of winter. It's because someone stole their unfair share.

SPEAKER_04

I stole your summer.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Sorry.

SPEAKER_03

Well, see, I know a good agent that can uh get you set up in Pismo Beach, California. Um, so Kim, uh seriously, take us back to uh a little bit of your backstory. So share with the listeners and viewers um how Kim got into real estate. Like where did all that begin?

SPEAKER_01

Sure. So I stopped off, I moved from Alaska to Idaho and stayed there for about 15 years, met my husband. He lived here on the Central Coast, so then I moved to California. And he was by trade, he was a farrier, he was also a heavy equipment operator, and he trained performance horses as a non-pro. And so when I moved here, he said, Oh, you don't have to work, you know, you can just take care of me. And I was just like, sweetie, I love the job, but the pay sucks. So no. So I um he's like, well, then do whatever you want to do. And when I was in uh Idaho, I worked for Blue Shield and their IT department as a system administrator, change management coordinator. So I was a geek. And I looked for a job like that around the Central Coast and didn't find anything that blew my hair back. So I had always wanted to get into real estate and I just never had the opportunity because you either have to be, you know, you have to have paychecks, right? And so I had my opportunity to study, get licensed, and you know, cut my teeth in real estate. So that I've been licensed since twelve.

SPEAKER_03

And but in California, how long does it take to get your license in California?

SPEAKER_01

It didn't seem like it took very long, and I passed the test the first time, so I don't know, maybe six months.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01

And I wasn't trying real hard. I mean, I wasn't studying. I had a baby, a new baby, so I would study when he slept.

SPEAKER_03

So he's the he's the oyster man now. Yes, he is. Okay, cool, cool. I love oysters. Dwayne is completely he is completely allergic to any crustacean.

SPEAKER_02

So have you ever seen the movie? Have you ever seen the movie with Will Smith, Hitch? You've never seen the movie Hitch, where he's like face blows up and just like it's it's it's not pretty. It's it's not good. Yeah. And of course, my entire mastermind group just loves eating seafood.

SPEAKER_01

So uh I grew up on good seafood in Alaska.

SPEAKER_02

So I suppose that's like real seafood.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so Mama's happy. Joey came, he went and did a test run. I said, You better make a test run on that boat, make sure you're not gonna be like, you know, seasick. And he came home the first day and he was I swear he's skipped into the house. He was so happy. And he's like, Mom, I got a half a halibut. And I'm like, What? You got a half a halibut? And he goes, Yeah, wiggling a couple hours ago. I'm like, so I'm quite happy.

Horses Motorcycles And Outdoor Life

SPEAKER_03

So Dwayne, you could eat that's fish. I mean, it it's fish. So he just can't have any, it's it's it's a uh shellfish allergy, which is I guess the iodine, I don't know, but doesn't the fish have iodine in them too? It's weird. I don't know. I don't have thank God I don't have that allergy. And but if you do have for those who have it, like I'm very empathetic because I get to I have to watch Dwayne not eat what the rest of us eat when we're hanging out together. That's right. But then occasionally we do go to a barbecue place for three days in a row. Chicken tenders and ranch dressing. Here we go. If they're cut out in dinosaurs, he's he's in heaven. Heaven. Throw him a couple pieces of bacon on there, he is content. He's like a child with building blocks, square pegs and round holes.

SPEAKER_02

The corals are an eye today. Shane mentioned uh that you know, the horses and your and your passion for horses. You also you have other horses uh that you like ride all over the place too, I uh if I remember correctly.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I got some steel horses.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

That's I uh what uh you own a bike or a couple bikes? Three. Okay, well, I stand uh corrected.

SPEAKER_02

I've just been I've just been humbled. I have my one. What do you have? Uh I have a Dynaglide, soft tail.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, very cool.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, very old school leather, leather bags, just a nice little bike to tool around on. You with the old springs, you probably don't want to go uh cross country on it. And if you do, your back may never come straight again. But but uh it's fun for tooling around in the country and and uh little little here and there. It's got some snaps.

SPEAKER_01

I love I love motorcycles. I grew up like when we were little on the homestead, we had little mini bikes, and there was two of us kids, and dad brought home two little Honda 70s, and we had unlimited fuel, and we just tore up the we had trails everywhere, and we would just ride, ride, ride. We had like no skin on our knuckles in the summer from riding all summer. And then my other grandparents and my mom's folks, they actually owned a Harley dealership in Fairbanks. So I was always that little girl, you know, wanting to hang out in the Harley shop, and they'd be like, Kim, don't touch the bikes, because I'm sure my hands are all sticky and whatever from whatever I was eating. So I would go around the bikes and I would touch all the pretty bikes. Like I touched the bikes.

SPEAKER_03

It'd been better off to say, hey, go out there and wipe all those bikes down. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01

But they had to pre-wash everything after I got home.

SPEAKER_03

That's funny though. Uh both of you guys have have bikes. And so when I went through my uh real estate school, had uh I had been looking for, you know, I wanted a motorcycle. I wanted a motorcycle. Uh my mom passed away a year before that, and then she made me promise that I'd never buy a motorcycle while she was living. Uh a year after that, I said, you know, I said, all right, now I'm gonna go get a bike. When I went through real estate class, I had been looking high and low and trying to find a deal on on a Harley. So you we already know that story doesn't end well. So I ended up buying the bike close to where I live. And um what's the funny part about it was I bought it as I gave it to myself as a as a graduation present for finishing real estate school, but I hadn't gotten out of class yet. I hadn't finished real estate school yet. So anyway, but I did finish real estate school, and the funny thing about which I did enjoy riding, I did not enjoy being on major highways. You know, I just it was an experience. I ain't been on bikes and and and toys all my life, but I just didn't like the way it felt neck next to felt next to big trucks and stuff like that. So enjoyed it for a while, and then real estate took off. I was like, okay, yeah, I'm not going to watch this beautiful bike collect dust. And I hated to part with it because like any ADHD kid would do, I didn't go get the the one that was the one, and then I got all the stuff to go on it because I couldn't wait and put it on a little other time. I went all at one time, all screaming ego, everything's so yeah, so I ended up selling it.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

I love that bike, but I ended up selling it. I I wish I still had it, but I couldn't get high when same thing.

SPEAKER_01

Sean wouldn't let me get a bike. Like I got my license when I lost my grandpa, the one that had the bike shop. And so I would like go rent motorcycles. He was okay with that, but he's like, No, you can't have a bike. So I'd save up, you know, 10, 15 grand to go get a bike, and he'd be like, Look at this pretty pony. Wouldn't you rather have this horse? And I'm like, Oh, that's pretty. And then I'd go get the then he'd go get me the horse. One time he got me two horses. And so he just didn't want me riding. And I don't blame him because it's it's dangerous, you know. Yeah. I don't go on the highways either. We live we live off, you know, we're on acreage here, and I go on the backcountry roads through the vineyards, and I ride like I'm invisible because that's just how you're supposed to ride, you know. Yeah, and I wasn't planning on getting a bike, but I have a whole bunch of gear just from renting it. And then one of my friends is like, why you got all that gear and you don't even have a bike?

SPEAKER_02

And I was like, Yeah, yeah. I saw your little girl pack on one of your socials, so you know, I like that.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Wendy, she was just here and she brought so it was funny because she, you know, was giving me a hard time. She's like, Oh, and I'm like, that's like big hat and no cattle. And I'm like, So I went online and I was like, that one will do, and then went and bought a motorcycle the next day.

SPEAKER_03

Jim, you should see the how great of a horseback rider that Dwayne is. It would he would be highly entertained. We can make that I I have I would say I'd be witness to that, but I was a victim of that, of witnessing. I was a victim of witnessing him riding a horse for a week, probably across 75 miles, and it was a most painful 73 miles of my life.

How Kim Started In Real Estate

SPEAKER_02

Well, the tears running down my face, I think made it way more painful for me than it was for you. But anyway, let's bring this, let's bring this horse back to the trail. Kim, you started in real estate about 2004. Walk us through on uh on your path and journey, starting as an agent and to where, and then what some of those milestone stones were along the way to where you are now. Because there's been some changes from you didn't start back then where you are today. You had to start somewhere and add some steps along the way.

SPEAKER_01

For sure. Yeah, definitely. So when I started, we lived about 45 minutes inland. Um, and it's warm, it gets triple digits, you know, it'd be 115 in the summer. And we built a really cool ranch out there because, you know, it was more affordable for us rather than on the coast. And we had a nice big beautiful ranch. And so that's where we lived when I got licensed, and a lot of land out there. So I cut my teeth selling dirt. I sold a lot of dirt out there, a lot of ranches. Some had houses, some didn't. And then there was, you know, a small little town with residential, but mainly it was ranch properties. So I was hoofing it up and down hills, looking for monuments, you know, meeting the well testers, well drillers, all that fun stuff. And that's what I cut my teeth on. And it was fun because there wasn't anybody out there, so there wasn't any competition. And I, you know, staked my claim out there for sure. So that was really good. And then we ended up having to move back to the coast for health reasons for Sean, and so moved back to the Central Coast, just a little fur further south than I am right now in Pismo, and started doing more residential. And that was all good, you know, because we had a really lucrative and Sean was very accomplished in the cow horse industry, so that took a lot of time too, you know, running the horses, keeping the horses going. He'd have two, three, four show horses at any given time, and we'd travel across the United States to Oklahoma, Texas, all over, showing horses. And so I did real estate probably three-quarter time and then helped support him in the horse business. And then fast forward to now, I don't know, there was a lot of stuff that happened in between there. But um I switched brokerages about a little over five years ago. And so I've always sold big ranch properties, and then like where I'm at now, sometimes they're luxury, sometimes they're rustic, and more than not they're on five plus acres. I've listed, you know, 700 acres before, but then the beach is also like right there. It's 10 minutes to get to the beach. So I started selling some higher end beach properties too, just because it's right there. And if you can sell ranch properties, you can sell beach properties, you know what I mean? So that's been my focus is just luxury and then homes on acreage.

SPEAKER_03

And sometimes they're both so to me though, I mean like I know what Dwayne's already thinking. If there was a if there was a niche or a niche that I wanted to be a part of, like that would that would be it. Like I've always said that if if things weren't so uh as simple complex um in the world that I live in now that I I would like to do, you know, big tracts of land, you know, you know, big big big property just because I love to be outside. I would rather be outside than anything.

SPEAKER_01

Say.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I just it's just that I just feel like you're just more connected with um it is what it is. I I just feel more connected with the creator and the universe and just everything that uh we're made up of and comprised of. Um and you I've never seen anyone spend a lot of time outside, by choice, of course, that um lived an unhappy life. I mean I agree.

SPEAKER_01

I agree. Like the one property that we have under contract right now, a good friend of mine, I helped him sell his ranch, and he just said, Hey Kim, I've got someone that needs your help. Meet me at the house tomorrow at 10. And I'm like, Okay. So, like, I love it because I can put on my ball cap, you know, my duster or whatever I'm wearing, my vest, and run out there. We jump in the side by side. He's got a pistol and a holster, he's got two cow dogs in the back, and we go down the road, you know, and it's like this doesn't feel like work. It doesn't feel like a job. It feels like I'm playing and I'm not.

SPEAKER_03

Well, it must be pretty, oh let me see, pretty therapeutic because uh a friend of all three of us, um uh oh uh Johnny Cheflack, as Alec would call him, um, he seems to uh enjoy his equestrian passion and the acreage and spreading his feet and and extending his feet out and and kind of being out of the the concrete life, the cityscapes and um and be able to unwind and and tap into that creativity. Let me ask you this though, Kim. So what has up to this point in time, because we yeah, I've seen you experience a lot of success. I haven't known you for a great deal of time, but we really connected back at a at a KFR event and a KFR intensive, right? Where only the few and the proud and the foolish or brave tread because it's live time, you know, and I don't think I was really disclosed when I swiped my card and paid for that, but I was already in, so I wouldn't turn him back. But it was it was a great experience nonetheless. But what has been your biggest success in business to this point? What would you say?

SPEAKER_01

Getting out of my own way, and you watched that whole process. I mean, I can rent it a pretty fast clip, but I know I'm capable of so much more. Just that's just how I was raised and how I'm wired. And I've been playing really small healing from a lot of loss. You know, I lost my mom and my husband back to back, and that took its toll on me. And so I just, you know, I I gave myself a little grace and I gave myself a little time, and it probably took me a little longer than it should have, but it is what it is. And so what I do now is I take things that I know I should be doing that are gonna move the needle, and I throw them out in front of me. And you reached out to me because I was like, I'm scared shitless.

SPEAKER_04

You did say that.

From Selling Dirt To Luxury

SPEAKER_01

I was I was so scared because I didn't know anybody, and I'm super introverted, even though when you I got YouTube characters on here, I can get it.

SPEAKER_02

I was gonna say, you weren't all that introverted sitting in the front row of that of that little room.

SPEAKER_01

That's a whole nother story. I did not pick that seat, someone picked that seat for me, and I did not want it because when we were at the first one, Shane, where you were like, I can relate. That was our first. I'll have to look back at that, whatever that conversation was, because you're like, Wow, a little scared too. And I'm like, and John's not intimidating looking at all.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, he's what especially when he stands right at the edge of the coffee table, right? Right in front of there. Well, his foot up on the table.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, it's real easy to be picked on. So I yeah, I said, no, we're going to the front. That way, speakers typically look about the middle of the room or the back of the room for whoever's trying to hide. Ah, I'm on the front. I'm calling bluff, but I'm sitting up here on the front trying to play a good bluff card. So Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. The entire time, the entire time sitting there thinking, like, please don't don't call on me. Don't call on me.

SPEAKER_01

The second KFR I went to, and I have to like do things a few times because Before I, you know, get with the program. And I met a gal at the the chow line, right? Getting our breakfast. And I was like, I've been here before. I said, girls, you need to go like save your seats, you know, gotta get in there and save your seats. And they're like, oh, okay. So there was a group of them and they ran in and saved seats. And then they come back out and they're like, oh, we saved you one too. And I'm like, oh, awesome. Thanks. So I sat and had breakfast with them, right? And then I go looking in the back for where they're sitting, and then I can't find them. And then I look and they're in the front frickin' row. That is why I was in the front of the bus. I'm a back of the bus girl. They were in the front of the bus. And I was just like, shit.

SPEAKER_02

Isn't that isn't that how life works, though? I mean, sometimes we all need that little bit of poke and prod to get our cabooties moving in the direction we need to.

SPEAKER_01

You know what I call that? A seven and a half boot in the booty.

SPEAKER_03

It's almost like the the uh cartoonist says, whoever's whoever wants to take the challenge, step forward, and everybody else steps back, and that one person lifts that and out there going, No, I didn't I missed the memo to step back. One thing it's funny though, it's um with Kim Dwayne and I put together a little small mastermind group where we all met um at a at a CRM technology years ago and remain close friends. And so we put together a a little mastermind in 2018. We're all still together and we meet twice a year off-site. We'll get a big Airbnb and like for two days we'll just spend you know eight, nine hours a day just close. Close proximity. What's that?

SPEAKER_02

Close proximity.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, it's it's fun. I mean, it's uh it it you know, Dwayne's a lot at times, but you just kind of you you just kind of learn to travel with earplugs and stuff, and you know, um, it grows on you. But um we spend about you know eight to ten hours a day, you know, truly diving into that Napoleon he'll mastermind, overcoming each other's hurdles, calling each other out, and reminding each other of the expectations that they set for themselves that the last time we met together. And it's uh I think I truly believe that it's moved the lever of everybody in the group, some way, form, or fashion. Some of it's just, you know, the personal growth, some the professional growth, some a mixture of of both. But one thing that we have grown to do is anytime that we are in close proximity to an event like Tahoe, uh, or any other event like KFR, like we are known to be there. Uh, we may be late for everything else, but we'll be there an hour before the doors legally open, and we're getting in that room. Nope, nobody sees this and rats on us, we're gonna do it anyway. We're gonna get in that room somehow if we have to act like we're staff, and we're gonna get right at the front of the stage during in arm's reach, proximity. Just because if, you know, none of us want to get our straw drawn out and be thrown to the wolves, but we do know that you know that's part of life, and that if it doesn't kill you, it makes you better, right? So that's what I think we've ever sat in the back, have we?

SPEAKER_04

Maybe two of that?

SPEAKER_02

I mean, and part of that is I mean, we're like everybody, we're there for a reason, and uh and that's to be absorbed in that and and immersed in that. And and uh when you look at just the amount of squirrels we chased on a very short little episode here before we jumped on camera, us in the back of the room is just not a really good match. So when we're in it's almost like being in class, like when you're in front of the room, you gotta behave a little bit and you gotta pay attention and focus, which probably isn't the worst thing for us to uh to be in that situation. So there's a there's a multitude of reasons for it, but there's definitely there's there's definitely that. So on your on your path with everything and where you are now, and I see your social media is going through the through the ceiling and your exposure and and just being a a leader in your market um has just like manifested and and exploded uh in in the last six months, in the last year or so. What would you say though, if you had to narrow down something in your career, what would you say is one of the biggest successes that you've had thus far in business?

Biggest Success Getting Unstuck

SPEAKER_01

Well, I measure success a bunch of different ways. Oh, it depends on your measuring stick, right? So I would say for real estate sales, it's been niching or I say niching, right? So when I niched down and just started focusing on what I knew, like what I do, and it just rolls, I don't even have to think about it, and it's like the homes on acreage. So niching down, and I I joke and say the riches are in the niches when I'm wearing my britches, right? And and then the luxury stuff too, because I I understand all that too. And so I would say for real estate sales, it would be niching, and then for me personally, um, in the real estate space would be to be constantly learning and putting myself in uncomfortable places so that I learn because I love to learn. I mean, I I just do. I don't watch TV. I turned my TV off eight years ago and I haven't missed it one lick. And I'm either outside or I'm learning. And so personally within the real estate space, it would be that is to like always put myself in uncomfortable places so that I grow. I'm always growing, I'm always learning. Um and I would say for I don't even what you want to call it, but um maybe you guys can help me come up with a word when I describe it. But like fulfillment, like in my heart that makes me go would be how I'm able to give pieces of myself to the agents that are in my organization and how sharing things with them, like personally and like technology, sharing because I share that because I'm a geek, and how it's or experiences like bringing them along to KFR with me or bringing them to Monterey, who just got done that was tagged on to another retreat, and just exposing them to the things that I've already vetted, you know. So I go out and bird dog. That's what I did the first time I was at KFR. I'm the bird dog, I'm gonna go find the things that are gonna elevate both myself and my people, but I have to vet it first, and then I bring it back to the camp. You know what I mean? So being able to pour into the people that are around me and elevate their business and life, I'd say those things. Does that make sense? That was a lot.

SPEAKER_03

No, it's uh I think we we do a lot of that. You're kind of you know, betting different uh events and functions and what have you. Um Wayne and that's well, I mean, that's that's how we ended up at um KFR. You know, we it started at Maverick events, and it's like, okay, it's good good insight, good uh content, good context, good speakers, you know, and then of course you check them all out, like everybody checks out. It's like no, it's none of this um, you know, easy button, the next big thing is it's more of hey, you got everything you need. Stop buying stuff. You're not using what you already had. You're not using what created the success to begin with, right here. That blood sweat equity, right? So I and I would say that that like our little small mastermind group, we probably save each other, we probably saved each other hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years of this little group and probably made one another millions in the process. But and and what I'm saying is by testing and and trying and breaking different things and different easy buttons and technology stacks and and word gets around, and so you stay in the right circles and you you know what works and what doesn't work. And I think that we've probably kept one another from really making some deep piss poor financial decision, or at least thought twice about them and looked at things from a different perspective, different angle. So, Kim, let me ask you this. Um, there's no success story that uh doesn't have, you know, that oh, or I wouldn't I didn't calculate that, or I didn't see that coming. What would you say has been your biggest failure, your biggest pendulum moment in your business thus far?

Niching Down And Leading Others

SPEAKER_01

Letting my personal life roll over into my business. Just with like I stayed stuck too long. I stayed sad too long, you know? So just letting it and you're always gonna have a little bit of the personal, like like they say, show me your business and I'll show you your personal life, right? Like when you're when you're not right, you're not right. Sean would have been pissed if he like if I stayed there any longer.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, what's um we've we've heard these spoken again and again and again, and we know that they'll be said again and again and again. What happens in private will show up in public. And there are no business problems. There are personal problems that show up in business.

SPEAKER_01

Yep. Sorry, guys.

SPEAKER_03

And it's uh no, that's I mean, it it does look I mean, it's not real if you don't if you don't if you don't it's like I I I try to help my students and and the agents that I work with, and even the ones that are far, far more successful than than than me, it's like uh, you know, your your first why is a lie and your true why is seven layers deep.

SPEAKER_04

Yep.

SPEAKER_03

Seven levels down. And if you don't know that, then when you start having that conversation with individuals and you're really trying to help them, and the first thing they say is, My family, you're right. I got you. Now tell me more. Why are your family? Right? And it's like, uh oh, that was sorry, I was one, I was level one. Now we gotta go, we got six more to get to the jackpot. And then you know it's like, well, you know, our family was unstable, it was this, it was that. Interesting. Why? What happened? And then it's like you really test someone's vulnerability. And vulnerability, look, I think that's something where like you like really gotta be in tune, like in the first half of your life to be able to be vulnerable. I don't think that I was ever able able to be vulnerable the first half of my life. It probably wasn't even the first half, probably in the last 10 years, to be totally honest with you. You know, like but it's the rooms that you show up in, and when you realize that everybody in that room, we we talk about going to smaller rooms and being the smallest fish in that room. It doesn't take you long to realize that all of these people in that room are at these levels of success they are. They all have the vulnerability issue at one point in time, right? And it's they all come from that somewhere. So know this, that it's not you, you're not alone. And there is no there are no success stories that haven't had to go seven level deep to that true why, that true burning emotional connection.

SPEAKER_01

I remember the first KFR we were at, Dustin was talking, Dustin Runyon, and he said, If you haven't been through some shit, I don't want you near me. And I about jumped up out of my chair, it's like, I got a whole big pile of it over here.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, you want the truck too? I got a truckload of that out back.

SPEAKER_01

Right? Yeah, I was just like, oh my gosh, I'm with my people. It felt like I was with exactly who I was supposed to be. And even though I didn't talk to a single soul, I think the only person I talked to was sweet Kay that manages the place. I think she was probably the only one I talked to the whole time on the first round. But like I know, like with my heart of all hearts, that the success I'm having now is directly related to the shit I've gone through. I mean, it's just how it is, you know? And I know I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be and with who I'm supposed to be with. Like I couldn't be more clear on that right now and doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. Because it feels like when you're in flow, you can feel it. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03

So I teach pre-license and post-lic, I teach real estate in general. And about uh we've been teaching now for about 10 years, and five years ago, you know, we just we were trying to grow and expand it, and we couldn't, we started struggling with our test, our test scores, pass rates, and you know, it was it was beginning to to be because that's to me that's a loss. I don't lose, and I'm not a very good loser. I don't lose worth of shit. I pout. Like I'm I do not I'm not a good loser. He does get pouty. I get pouty. Yes, I'm not pouty. I'm I'm trying to not burn bridges when I lose. That's what I'm trying not to do, because I'm trying to figure out like what did I do wrong, right? Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I take it.

Biggest Failure Personal Bleeding In

SPEAKER_03

And so yeah, so we went back to the drawing, I you know drawing bar. I said, Well, this is this isn't this is not going to continue moving forward like this. I'm I'm gonna about to fix this problem. So spent a lot of countless hours in figuring out where the problems were, and at the end of the day, it was ultimately on me. I allowed people who weren't who were not passionate about what they were doing, attempt to take people that wanted to change their life in this industry, and they did not pour enough passion into them. So fast forward that five years later, or I guess probably three years later, for the last two or three years, we have some of the highest pass rates in the state, and we won't ever have we will never be in the back of the bus again for that ever. I'd watch it. When we talk with our real estate commission, uh it's they're always interviewing us on how our pass rates are so high. And and I told him, I said, it's it's simple. We look into our student classroom, and I don't want I mean, I don't, and it's funny that you say that about Dustin. I don't want anybody in there that um is that has not been through hell. I don't want anybody in the class. I don't really I don't really want to, I mean, listen, I'll help anybody win, but I want somebody, I want to fill a space full of people who have been through hell or high water and want something better on the other side. And the reason I share that is one of my, I won't disclose her name or details, but she is uh she came in our class and and you know, through the coaching and mentoring of John and and Alec and these guys, we really got creative with our pricing structure of our classes a couple years ago. And so we're really filling these spaces up. Well, it just so happens that this particular young lady, it was affordable for her. I think it was a$50 class. I put it the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday. She was one of the first ones to sign up, and she has a very compelling story. It is, I can't even, I won't even talk about it because it's just too emotional. Make a long story short, right? She has she has poured into myself and my business partner about how bad she really wants this, right? And I've heard a lot of it. I've seen a lot of things in my life, so I've I've heard it all. And I can typically figure out real quick if your talk or your walk, if you got the fight or flight. And uh and so kind of felt like she was gonna feel that mold. And so she just took a midterm. She just took a midterm last night, and she scored a 95 on that bad boy. And I am intentionally brutally tough on them on quizzes and tests and assessments and midterms and finals, and they have to have an 80 across everything to get out the door to take the state exam. Now, in the state of Alabama, as an instructor, I only have to require a 70%, whatever the state requires on the state test, which is 70%. But they know coming in a door night one, now is probably the time to walk back out that door and get your money back if this is going to be tough for you to swallow. Because you're not going to take the state test with me. I'm not signing off on you until you score 80% across the board. And so I don't even think she scored less than a nine on any of her assessments. So we've all been through some stuff, and that's how we get to the point where we can win and win with the mindset of simple solve the complex. You don't understand that until you bled, until you bled a lot.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I agree. And you know, I have there's and I don't know if this is why, but like I always say, I don't want kittens hanging from my apron. Like I I just if you're gonna be a kitten, cool, go over there. You know, you're not gonna be hanging on my apron. And I have people or have had people come to me and like complain about one thing or another and a woe is me and a victim mentality and all that crap. And I just shut them down. I'm like, you are barking up the wrong tree. And I just lay them out. I'm just like, get like get away from me.

SPEAKER_02

You know, I always tell him you I said you don't want to compare scars.

SPEAKER_04

No, definitely not.

SPEAKER_02

You ain't gonna you ain't gonna win in this game. You do not want to compare scars. No, your scars probably more like a look uh like a callus. But you you both bring that up, and that's that's true with those rooms because we sit in some rooms over the years, and you know, recently and and over the years, the rooms we've talked about, the the rooms that make you uncomfortable. You look around and you're like, ooh. Like you know there's just ballers in that room. I mean movers and shakers and just kingdom makers, right? And you're just there's a little bit of imposter syndrome sometimes that pop pops in because you're like, wow, that like I don't even know if I belong in this room. How'd I how'd I get in here?

SPEAKER_01

I do a lot of research.

Influence Of Coaching And Community

SPEAKER_02

Even if you even if you paid to be in that room, you're like, I can't believe they still let me in, even though I paid to be here. Exactly. But all of them, all of the okay, maybe not all, the uber majority of them all, as we've all discussed, have been has have been through a lot of crap and and overcome momentous things to to be where they are. Along that journey of making that happen, we all have lots of influences and and people that essentially that, right? They they influence our life, they influence our business, and they kind of help make us who we are, maybe point us in the right direction or or did something. Who would that who would you say has been the greatest influence in in your life and business?

SPEAKER_01

I've probably had a couple, but I would say the first one that got me unstuck was my first real real estate coach, and it was Krista Mayshore. She's become a dear friend of mine. I actually used a good chunk of Sean's life insurance to buy her coaching because I knew that would get me out of bed and I didn't want to get out of bed. And so I bought her her course, and it was like a six-month course. And then when my six months were up, she called me one day and I was like, crap, I'm in trouble. She knows my time's up. And she was as sweet as can be, and she said, Hey, your time's up. And I'm like, Yeah, I know. I was hoping you wouldn't notice. And I can just be like, stay in the group, right? And I said, I can't afford the continuity, I'd love to stay. And she's like, No, I just want you to stay. And I'm like, I would love to, but I just I can't afford it. And she goes, No, no, no, you don't understand. I don't know what you do in our Facebook groups, our private groups. She goes, But I can't imagine you not being in there. Will you please just stay? And her coaching's not cheap. And she has never charged me a dime since then. She's given me opportunities to like I taught her tech class just because I'm a geek and some accountability classes for her. And I just, you know, that was my way of giving back. But what that actually ended up doing was, you know, I ended up knowing all the students. So when we switched, and I wasn't planning on switching brokerages, but I switched a few years back and I knew all the students in her coaching. And she had already switched, so Chris is my sponsor at EXP. But it just opened that whole thing up so that I was able to age and attract. People already knew, like, and trusted me because I'd been coaching them for years, and it was just a natural progression. So she launched that whole thing for me at EXP. I feel, and she gave me a community where I felt safe. So she's probably my biggest influence.

SPEAKER_03

Right. That's awesome. That's awesome. I did I did not know that that that was the connection. Yeah, she's she's amazing. She is, she is, she's amazing.

SPEAKER_01

She's really messaging me this morning, and she was just like, You did what? You're doing what? And I'm just like, I know, look what you created.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, she didn't create an email, obviously. My mom and dad did, but she gave me opportunities to do much bigger things. And I mean, I never ever wanted to age in a trap. When I joined EXP, I was just getting away from a broker that was sticking his hand in my pocket financially. You know, I just wanted the split. That's all I was there for. And I knew Krista had moved her boutique brokerage over. So I was just like, What's this all about? And she goes, talk to this guy. And so I talked to that guy. And I said, What's the split? And he goes, 80 20, and I sign me up and I moved my license the next day. And I don't jump brokerages. I'd only been at one other brokerage for you know 22 years, whatever it's been.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. She's done a great job of marketing stuff too. I I've I've taken her stuff just to to just to for observation and just to you know, I'm always coachable, always a student.

SPEAKER_01

She's a smart cookie and she knows she knows her stuff. I mean, retargeted me somewhat that I even when I didn't have a lot of money, made me open up my pocketbook and write her a check.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

That was the best decision I ever made.

Trust Yourself And Stop Dimming

SPEAKER_03

Looks like she opened your pocketbook for you, you know. So yeah, so that's a reciprocal effect in the end. So that's what matters most. So let me ask you this, you know, headed down a little different direction before we wrap up. Um, you were looking back at a cam that was just about to take that leap of faith and go down that same path. What is something that you wish that you would have known then that you can share with someone now that maybe Will uh make an impact on them as they move forward.

SPEAKER_01

Trust yourself. Like, I would second guess myself. I would think that I wasn't deserving of like all my hard work. And like I've always I've been like this since I was little. Like I always see what everybody else is doing. And then I go that way. Like I always feel the opposite of what the herd's doing. And I've always been like that. So I think just trusting myself and my intuition rather than second guessing myself and you know getting lost in the crowd. Someone else, another buddy of ours, Tyler, he said, all that stuff that that you keep trying to hide, the motorcycles, the horses, the tractors, the like you being you. And I'm like, yeah. And he goes, lean into that. Like do more of that, which I didn't. And I think Dwayne, that's what you see now. Like in say the last six months, I'm more me than I've ever been on social because I always I always hide myself. I've always like dimmed, you know, yeah. And I'm not doing it anymore. I'm just they said be your more be yourself, be your authentic self more. Like lean into that. And so I said, if I get kicked off the uh Facebook, it's your fault.

SPEAKER_03

Well, you know, here's the thing about it, it's like the worst thing we can ever do uh as um successful people, you know, are are trying to get to another level of success or trying to make an impact. The the worst thing we can do is dim our light so someone else's light will shine greater. That they don't want it to shine greater. They just don't want yours to shine brighter.

SPEAKER_01

When you're around the right people, they do though.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01

And I noticed that too. So yeah, I'm just gonna be me. It's a lot easier. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03

When you're in the right circles, though they will put the light, they will make your light brighter.

SPEAKER_01

Well, look at like my posts last couple days. Like, I still am just going like, did that really happen? Like, did they actually really want me to get on a Zoom call with them? Did you know? Like it's it's it's still making me just go, is this really happening?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, lots of great content for you to I mean, there's so many pieces of content there for you to leverage, you know, and and then store it and file it and and use it again.

SPEAKER_02

People want to do business and and do life, you know, not only with those that are successful, but those that are real, you know. So it you know, and and uh I think the more you can show that, the more the people feel that, you know, the more people are just gonna gravitate you towards you and and you're you're an amazing example of that when you look at at the organization you're building and how fast it's all of a sudden growing and it's it's almost taking on a life of its own now. It actually organically on how it's growing and that even though we say organic, it wasn't organic. You know, you were the nucleus behind it, and you know, in the center of that uh you know, by being you, the authentic you, you're just attracting more like-minded people that are like you, and then that just continues to attract it's it's like a you know, the the force or the power of you know, three hundred magnets versus the power of one. Three hundred's gonna win every damn time, right?

SPEAKER_01

And uh you wanna know how I describe that? My org, as like a draft horse can pull eight thousand pounds, you yoke it and teach it to pull with another draft horse. You think it'd be sixteen, eight, and eight? It's twenty-four. It's exponential. And then you bring another one in, and now you have a whole team of draft horses, and they're all yoked together, you're gonna haul ass. Like they're gonna yeah. I mean, they're gonna go. And it takes time though, and that's the thing I think also people don't don't realize is like there's you know, there's a lot of shed boaters out there, you know what I mean? Like, me, look at me. And I'm more like, don't look at me. I'm um you know, I'm hiding. And but I'm doing stuff and I like take care of the people. I pour into my people. And when you do that, like they feel it. And they're not going anywhere. You know, everybody's like, Aren't you worried when you what's your attrition? I'm like, I don't I don't even pay attention to that. It's like if they don't want to be here, there's that seven and a half boot in the booty, like get like I want people that want to link arms and run. Right? Yeah. Link arms and run with me because I have like I could give a rip what anybody thinks anymore.

SPEAKER_02

I you can't be concerned with the ones that that don't want to. Um you know, you concern yourselves with the ones that do. So they're more they're more uh You want that.

SPEAKER_04

Hold that. Wait, you're gonna make me leave I I I'm not leaving the podcast room to go get mine. Kim wants hers to go get hers. I am if they don't like the here's the here's the reality of it.

SPEAKER_03

If they don't like the atmosphere, they knew what the atmosphere was from the get-go. It's not gonna change with or without them. They didn't create it, they're not going to ruin it. I don't, I mean, I don't, it's not the the atmosphere is not me. I'm not the community. The community is the group that makes the makes up the community. So if you don't like it, I mean, I understand it's not for everybody. There's no harm, no foul. I love you like Jesus, and we'll see you on the other side. Uh, I need that seat back because I got somebody waiting to get in it. Kim, I don't need anybody at base camp. I'm ready to climb Everest. Well, at least Mount Teton. Tell it. What's our next one? Uh Kilmajero. Kilmajero? Yeah. Ain't that hot? Isn't that a hot climb?

SPEAKER_02

No, that's not hot. I guess another time we get top. But but you and I are gonna have to do that, I think. So Kim, uh, wrapping up a little bit because we've taken a lot of your time and and we do super, super appreciate it, and so does our audience. As you are painfully aware of, life sometimes is way too short. And uh, and we all have clocks sticking and and uh you know, and we wish yeah, I think most of us probably wish we knew what what that time was and what that clock said, but but ultimately we don't know. When you're when your time is done and you're and uh and the clock is is up, how do you want people to remember you?

SPEAKER_01

As someone that they could count on to show up and like give a rip, like just care about people, probably that. And a good mom, good wife, hell of a horsewoman, and just get out of my way when I'm on my bike. Or like my brother used to say, either follow, just get out of the way.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I love that.

Legacy How To Reach Kim Closing

SPEAKER_03

That was a great exclamation point right there. So, Kim, there's gonna be a lot of um listeners and uh a lot of viewers that are going to want to um get closer to Kim. And if you are listening to this podcast or you're viewing this podcast, she's definitely one that you want to run with. She's definitely one that you want in in your corner. She's as real as it gets, and I hope you do your research to find those facts to be true. I know that they're true. So, Miss Kim, how what's what's your preferred means? Instagram, Facebook, email, phone, like what's the best way they could find you?

SPEAKER_01

Facebook, my personal page, and my phone number's at the top. So they can call me, text me, send a pigeon. I don't care.

SPEAKER_03

Or show up at any KFR event, she'll be there front row.

SPEAKER_01

Right.

SPEAKER_03

They're all intentional now. It might have been accidental on the first one, but they're all intentional now. Expectations been set. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Here's the standard, here's the floor. You guys are awesome.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I tell you what, um, it's been a big uh, as Shane Kilby would say, put a big bowl tie on this. If you've been listening to today's episode and you liked what you heard, we invite you to go listen to the rest of the podcast that we've had. We've talked to absolutely amazing leaders throughout the entire United States, Kim being one of them, and and just an amazing panel of rock stars that we've we've had the pleasure to talk with and get to know. Share this episode. If fit helped you just a little bit, you could resaniate and it and it and it it meant something to you, or you it just pulled on you a little bit, or or you caught something, share it with somebody else. Somebody else could use the same advice, somebody else could use the same connection. And that's what we're here for, is just to kind of connect people from all over the state and all over right from shore to shore and and beyond, and uh and just try to connect people. So uh a couple other things before I forget, because I'm rambling now. Um Shane, what what is it that uh what they have what does somebody have to do after they get done listening to one of our podcasts?

SPEAKER_03

Well, we definitely want you to smash that subscribe button. We definitely want you to smash the like button, and if you don't like it, hit it twice. Yeah. And if you know if you or anyone else that you know might uh want to be a guest on the podcast and have the compelling story, we would love to hear from you. We would uh we are just everyday uh guys and gals just like you are, and we get out of bed and get up and go after it each day just like you do. No one's special. We would love to connect with you or um you know reach out to whoever you might want to recommend how they come on the podcast and speak. We'd love to hear from you.

SPEAKER_02

Without a doubt, without a doubt, we definitely couldn't do this without our listeners tuning in and and absorbing our talks and and our podcasts and our recordings, and we super, super appreciate that. Kim, thank you for your time and and sharing with us and and allowing people to reach out to you and connect with you. We hope you just get flooded with people that that are looking to make a connection with you. Um, because I know they won't regret it. Uh thank you. All right. Well, I tell you what, an up, another apple sold. I'm trying to think. Wrapping up another episode of real estate agent life, I'm Dwayne. I'm Shane. Shane, that's Kim.

SPEAKER_04

Kimmy Cowgirl. Kimmy Cowgirl. I tell you what, on behalf of all of us.

SPEAKER_00

Thanks for joining us on this episode of the R E A L Podcast. Don't forget to connect with us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more exclusive content. Keep striving for success, and we'll see you in the next episode.