R.E.A.L. Real Estate Agent Life Podcast
🎙️ Welcome to the R.E.A.L. Real Estate Agent Life Podcast, hosted by Shane Kilby & Duane Murphy ! Each week, we bring you actionable tips, expert insights, and inspiring stories to help real estate professionals thrive. From lead generation and marketing to negotiation and mindset, we cover it all. Perfect for agents looking to grow, learn, and succeed. New episodes drop every week —don’t miss out! Subscribe, share, and join the conversation. Let’s elevate your real estate game!
R.E.A.L. Real Estate Agent Life Podcast
What If Real Estate Is Your Ministry
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A single home search can change the way you see the world. When Martha Melendez tried to buy a house as a young woman, she wasn’t met with guidance or respect, she was pushed toward where someone else thought she “fit.” That moment didn’t just sting, it became the reason she got her real estate license and built a service-first career in Orlando, Florida focused on protecting clients, explaining the process, and treating people like family.
We dig into Martha’s backstory as an immigrant from Colombia who had to learn English fast and grow up even faster to help her mother navigate life in the US. That foundation shows up in her business today: she listens harder, teaches more clearly, and stays calm when buyers and sellers feel overwhelmed. If you care about client experience, referral-based real estate, and building trust that lasts beyond the closing table, you’ll hear exactly how she does it and why it works.
We also get real about leadership and systems. Martha shares a recent mistake she owned as a team leader, what it taught her about leading from the front, and why modern distractions demand more repetition and clarity than ever. Her most practical advice is simple and painful if you’ve learned it late: use a CRM now, because the best CRM is the one you actually use.
If you got value from this, subscribe, share it with an agent who needs a reset, and leave a five-star review so more people can find the show. What part of Martha’s story hit you most?
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Welcome And Show Mission
SPEAKER_03Welcome to the REAL Podcast, your host Tim Kilby and 2013. Dive deep into the world of real estate agent life. 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 packed with advice, feedback, and mentorship from the best in the business.
SPEAKER_06Welcome to another episode of Real Estate Agent Life.
SPEAKER_04We only start this always every time. Like, I don't know, is this camera frozen or what's he pausing for effect, folks? Pausing for effect. So I am Dwayne Murphy. If you haven't heard us yet, here I am. Happy from Wisconsin. Mr. Kilby, Shane Kilby, my co-host, where are you from? Sweet Home, Alabama. You know it. Sweet Home, Alabama. What's the temperature down there today? Today it is. It's nice. It's comfortable.
SPEAKER_0574 degrees and 150% humidity and 300% pollen count.
Meet Martha From Orlando
SPEAKER_04I haven't seen 70 in six or seven months. So that's okay. We had 30 degrees last weekend. So yeah, we're at a brisk. We're actually warm today. We're at 42. So it's almost tolerable. Almost tolerable. And then I tell you what, our mission here, and what we try to do is we try to bring you some of the most amazing guests from all over the United States, every brand, every company. We try to hit all the states. We're getting there slowly but surely. But our goal is to introduce you to the people that we are lucky enough to meet. And we feel like you need to meet them too. Shane, we have one of those amazing people with us today. Who do we?
SPEAKER_05Yes, we have Martha Melendez, and she is based out of Orlando, Florida. And, you know, we've had the pleasure of meeting Martha, I don't know, a couple years ago now, two, three years ago. Um, and Martha is just a very special person to this industry, and a very, very special person to myself and Dwayne. And she has had a successful career in real estate. She is a big, massive contributor to the fig team down there in Orlando. See that, you know, I guess I just overlooked this previously, but you're a Jersey girl.
SPEAKER_01I am, South Jersey. Yes, sir. Yes. I am a Jersey girl.
SPEAKER_05You know, you we never talk about where we came from. We always figure that we've we've all had some type of struggles on the way up to meet uh where we meet in in this industry. But it's like when I was looking through my notes, I'm like, is that right? Jersey. Okay, okay, cool. That's another hey, we got another just two weeks in a row, Jersey Girls. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. We've been stacking the Jersey Girls. Yes.
SPEAKER_02Originally from Columbia, though. Originally from Columbia.
SPEAKER_05But you're also a uh UCF alone.
SPEAKER_02I am going nights.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, Central Florida. How long have you been with the fig group?
SPEAKER_02I see, is it la a couple years? Yes, so it'll be it'll be two years in all in July.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so I met uh I met 2024. Okay, all right. So I met Martha uh at a John Chiplack private event, one of those small rooms we laugh about all the time because they're, you know, they're intentionally uncomfortable. Because as you grow through any profession, you know if you plan to be successful at elite levels, then you must, you must put yourself in those small spaces, tight spaces. Uh, and it it it's gotta be uncomfortable. You can't travel to somewhere that's gonna be a party. You get nowhere in your business. You can actually get divorced, or you can get a whole lot of things in your life you don't won't need. When I when I sat back and in and listened to Martha, just as you know, as she engaged in the room and the conversation and and just got to know her, I'm like, like, we're the same people, like just in different, different parts of the the world. We're blessed to have you here with us today, Martha. I want to open up though, and just in in in in first and just kind of go back and see, like, what's your backstory? Like, where did Martha start? Like, you know, where was Martha before real estate? How'd you get into real estate?
The Moment She Chose Real Estate
SPEAKER_02So, first of all, thank you for having me. Uh, you know, you guys had me at hello at the ranch. So you guys are amazing. The energy was we were just like so it was like a magnet. So thank you for having me. Um I uh see, I got my license in 05. And the reason so my husband and I moved to Florida in 1998. So we were in our early twenties, and we went to we wanted to buy a house, so we went to a real estate company, and sadly we're not treated um very good, right? So we told them exactly where we wanted to go, best school for our daughter, and uh who was four at the time, and um the agent unfortunately took us to she thought that we were like a puzzle piece, and she took us to where she thought that me, uh well, my husband and I belonged on the other side of town, if you know what I mean. So I had to have a hard conversation with and I was in my early 20s, so I wasn't very assertive, but I just said, Can you can you please take me? Can you please take me to where you would want to live? And so I mean the whole process was just not a good process. It was I don't even think we had an inspection, like it was just not the wonderful thing. Like I was gonna be the first person, well, it's always just been my mom and I, and she never owned a home. So it was our first American dream, right? So so I thought that it was gonna be something beautiful and it was not. It was very so I said, man, how many classes do I take at the UCF to become a villain? I can't have people who look like me or people that don't that don't fit in their puzzle piece to be treated the way that we were. So that's my why. And often heard that your why should make you cry. And to this day, I make sure that I treat everybody as if they were my my my my people, my my family, my you know, I treat everybody like they were my mama, you know, and I tell them I am going to take care of you. You know, and that that was in 2005 and it's still true today. Like I fight for my people and I make sure that they're good. It doesn't matter where they want to live. Take care of your people.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, it's um that that you know and so teaching pre-licensed, post-liced a as an instructor, when you know, we go through that part of class, I always ask students put yourself in someone else's shoes, right? And and how uncomfortable the process can be, right? How intimidating the process can be. And it's funny because a lot of students have been through that process, through that experience. Dwayne knows this. We've shot, I mean, produced uh 55, 65 of these things, these podcasts. We're not perfect at it, but we've had some perfect people, some very amazing people. And I maybe I'm wrong, Dwayne. I think we've had probably, I don't know, six, eight, or nine. These are all top brass producers, team leaders, broker owner, like contributors to this industry in a big way. And something along those lines was was their why or their reason to pursue this industry. And we don't, I mean, we it just is what it is. We don't bring on agents who have not cut their teeth, who have not been through something and achieved something. So it's interesting to see that a lot of agents that succeed at high levels have been through a lot of things and hardships in life, but that being one of them, like they felt like they weren't served or weren't served equally or fairly, should I say.
Immigrant Roots And Growing Up Fast
SPEAKER_04Well, and I think, you know, they always say that if you want change, you have to be the change a little bit. And and obviously, Martha, you stepping into the the role of real estate, and we'll get into that a little bit of like kind of heard your why of getting into it, but we'll hear where your transition was uh in between there. But you know, you're you're instituting that change. I I there's no doubt that your team carries that same, that same mission, that same goal that you just spoke of. And again, you're you know, you're essentially propagating that even wider than just yourself, because you're impacting all the agents that are under you, and then you're impacting your clients from there, the agents that you interact with. And it's just right that whole, I don't know if you want to call it a movement, but that whole just doing right, maybe just do it right. Maybe just be kind humans, just grows and spreads. So kudos, kudos, kudos for that. Now, just uh touching on that, so then I know you had said as we first got going, or maybe it was a little bit off air that you were originally, originally from Philly. Okay, original, originally and from Colombia. Columbia. Okay, what that was kind of my question. I was I was wondering, was your mom the first first generation immigrant? Yes.
SPEAKER_02So so we came together in '85.
SPEAKER_04Okay, so you both came to Gotcha.
SPEAKER_02I spoke no English, terrified as heck, uh, the whole process, and they just threw me in school and had to get all these shots back in the 80s where they had this like gun and was like, what is happening? I hate America. And then, and then, you know, because it hurt my arm. I remember being a little kid and I had this big afro, you know, and and um, because my mom didn't know what to do with my curly hair. And uh and and I remember and everybody like knew that I was in Colombia and I was walking the halls, and I would just hear Columbia, Colombia. And I'm like, what? I I had no clue, and I was like, why am I here? You know, we lived very good in Colombia, and school was completely different there, so it was it was quite the change, but then all of a sudden I had to because my mom was then 53 years old, and we're in this strange country, and I'm like, she's not gonna learn the language. I have to. So I had to grow up very quickly and learn how to, you know, get an apartment, fill out the forms, you know. So I had to immerse myself so I had uh more of a a a need to learn because I had to take care of my mother.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. And oh, by the way, for everyone listening who may be of a younger generation, there was no Google Translate or Chat GPT or or anything of that nature. I mean, I was I probably burned up my Google Translate this morning for about an hour. And without that, there would have been no communication whatsoever because I speak very little. What is movie book? And so like there wasn't, right? There wasn't Google Translate and all these other things. You just you had to be fully immersed and just kind of right. Um, you had to do it yourself and learn it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and my my poor mom worked at a a at a at a uh factory, you know, making a whole three bucks an hour of that. And and so she would come home tired, but I signed her up to adult school and we would walk, we were in New Jersey, so we would walk at like two miles, you know, and then I would say, can I just stay here? So I would go to school and I would come at at night, I would go from six to eight because I had to learn, you know. So it um yeah, it was uh I haven't talked about that in a long time. Thank you for bringing it back because that was a time it was hard, you know, because um I had to grow up really quickly. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04So um and then but just like a just like a house or anything else, I mean, you can't build anything magnificent without a really strong foundation. And it was that early years and all that you had to go through that strengthened you and you know, I wouldn't say harden you, but right strengthen you to be able to to deal with stuff later in life. And it was that foundation of having that struggle and having that adaptation and all those other things that so many other people didn't have to go through that, you know, pit you, I think I think we'd all agree, and hopefully yourself as well, that it put you on the path to where you are today and and even more so of where well of where you're headed.
SPEAKER_05Well, and I want to throw out I I just want because you know you get to a certain point in this business, you've you've seen enough transactions, you've you know, signed off on enough transactions, you've been held accountable to compliance. I mean, enough transactions you've you've coached, you've taught, you've trained, you've recruited, like you've done so many things in this business that you can make these statements. But I'm gonna be honest with you, like I think I think a a tough spot in life, I don't want to necessarily call it a childhood drama, because not everybody's drama happens at the same place at the same time. But I will say this, and I believe this is a fact, uh if that statistic was uh pulled up in this industry. If you look at all of the successful professionals in this industry, I bet a lot that a high percentage, I'll say above 80% of the elite success in this industry have been through some type of significant hardship, trials and tribulations in their life because this was easy, right? There's a 87% of new licensees fall from from day one to day uh to the end of 36 months. 87 out of 100 are toast. But I guarantee you the ones that remain have been through things that make this look like a cakewalk. I tell agents all the time, it's like, oh, this is so hard. I'm I just I don't want to make calls. I don't want I don't like getting told no, I don't like rejection. I'm like, well, go roof a house. Go roof a house. You know, go do go be a brick mason. Go work concrete foundations. And where I'm going with that is like those who have been through some things in life, this is easy. Now there's good but good days and bad days, but it's a pretty simple business when we get out of our own way. I do want to elaborate. I don't think Dwayne and I were quite as young when we felt those vaccine guns, but I do know that we both have uh served our time in the military, and and you get the same guns. Yeah. The difference is yeah, you belong to the government, DI government issue. Um, don't flinch, uh or this will rip a hole in your arm. Just keep going next thing. So I don't know about I do remember those, and I was like, I I don't know.
SPEAKER_02Things are big. That was like unnecessary.
SPEAKER_06And I remember, you know, I was like, cattle or horse walking through that that lane.
SPEAKER_02Pop, pop, pop.
SPEAKER_06Don't move.
SPEAKER_02I'm glad that my mom made the choice to come, you know, it was 85, so it was in Columbia. You know, the cartel was crazy at that time, and my mom knew better. Yeah, and her family, uh our family has been here since the early 60s, her sisters. So her sisters were like, now, now she's like, I have to I have to do it for my daughter.
SPEAKER_05Good.
SPEAKER_02You know, so it was a sacrifice. She had a lot of time.
Service First Builds Referral Business
SPEAKER_05I've just seen the people around you and see how I've seen firsthand how you light up and how they light up, even if it's complete strangers. And I've seen you at a at a uh gatherings where those complete strangers, the previous gathering, were now become family. Like I can see the interaction. So you're blessing a lot of people. And so we're all blessed that you're here. We're glad that you're here. Yeah. Well, Martha, let me ask you this. Now we're now on the track of you know building that Martha, you know, success and that brand and that trajectory. What what would you say so far has been your biggest success in business?
SPEAKER_02Taking care of the person in front of me and humanizing real estate. Uh sometimes it's too transactional. And it's like the next buyer, the next buyer, where I I mean it when I look at the buyer, and I sometimes just happened the other day. Um, this guy's been looking for 16 months, and he said, Nobody listened to me. I found a house we found my house in two days because he was like, You've been the only person who listened to me. And I and I really mean that. I like I I mom my clients. I'm like, I will, I will hold your hand all the way through. And and that resonates. And most of my business is referral business because they remember that most of them call me Mama Martha. You know, they're like, you know, Mama Martha said, you know, I'm like, you better don't buy, you know. So I I tell them if you you can buy nothing, you eat, you pay your bills, that's it. I said, if you want to buy something, you call me because I'm gonna tell you get out. Do not. And they're like, thank you. And I explained the process. And I think I used to be a teacher. I I was in English as a second language teacher, um, because I wanted to give back um to the teachers that that helped me learn English. And so I still have that teaching mentality. So I the first time I meet them, the the third house or whatever, the last one we see, I'm like, let me tell you, have you bought a house yet before? No, do you have a couple of minutes so I can walk you through the process? So there's no surprises. And they always say yes. They want, they want, they are yearning for for information and for somebody to care. They don't they don't care how much you know. They want to know how much you care.
SPEAKER_05That's it. That's it. It's um, and what I try I you know, I when I'm talking to agents often, I'm I'm like, if you know, if you will, if you will change your mindset from sales to service, serve instead of sell, right? Then then this business becomes, I mean, it it it fulfills you because you are helping others achieve something that's super overwhelming and intimidating, even if it's a third property, fifth property, they know the reason the world doesn't do what we do for themselves is because it's intolerable. It's intolerable. We carry the stress of the world as if it was like taking the trash out to the street each day. And it's not that we don't put a lot of emphasis and care and obedience and loyalty and all the fiduciary responsibilities in into play, but it's just what we've done it, we're so well conditioned, right? And but it comes up often, you know, because agents, when they come in this business, even if they've been in this business but they are struggling, it's like you try to take them back. You've got to focus on the relationship. Stop being stop thinking about the transaction. The transaction is one and done is cold and incomplete. Serving for that relationship, like you want to get Christmas cards from these individuals. Like, that's the level you want to serve. Will they send me a Christmas card, you know, next the in five years from now? Right. So that is uh it's that's special that you said that. Very special that you said that.
Dropping Scripts To Find Connection
SPEAKER_04Yeah, the you had you had in talking with that and how you you know treat your clients and the relationship you have, and then obviously teaching that to your team. Something that I always share all the time too, and and uh uh something that I truly believe in is something that we'll we will say is you'll start as a as a customer or client, and by the end you're gonna be friend and family. And and it's that mentality of you're not just a number, you know, you you you're gonna be part of us now, you're part of our story, and you're gonna be part of our story going forward. You know, same way with having client events and inviting people to these client events, six, seven, eight, ten years later. Yep, you didn't you bought a house from us 10 years ago. Hey, guess what? We still have a pizza for you, we still have a pumpkin pie for you, we still have an event for you. Like, well, we don't have any plans of selling. I don't care. Don't care. You bless our life by being in it once, and we want you to continue to be in it. And if you buy a home from us in 20 years, great. And if you don't, you don't. But we're still gonna invite you and still treat you like friend and family. And uh in chain had hit on it, you had hit on a little bit too. It's it's it's literally this business is so easy if you come into it with a servant's heart and mindset. How can I serve you? The rest will take care of itself. People can people people know when you're sincere and and when you're looking out for their best interests, and that that servant's heart, man, it will open so many doors and and it will just from the loyalty, the referrals, every piece of that that goes, but it's it's that servant's mindset right off the bat. Shane had had used that word, you had used that word, and and it just keeps coming up. It's that it's it's it's servant mentality.
Leadership Misstep With Team Leads
SPEAKER_05Well, this, you know, this, you know, last last week or in the last few days, we do role play training every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 30 minutes in and out. And we were uh we were focusing on sale boners or expireds, and you know, they all want the the you know, one of the old timers, as they call it, to to to be the agent. So I said, I'm I'm good. Throw me to the wolves. Rusty, I'm good. I'm gonna get there because I'm persistent. And so it's funny because they all practice scripts and re and rehearsing scripts, and and I'm studying conversation. So I completely I I completely left the script because I didn't need the script. And you know, my opening line was, where are you headed after this? Where do you have to move? Like, well, and in the other side of role play was, well, my grandkids have moved. They've been relocated a couple years, and it's just driving me crazy. I'm like, oh, really? Really? So, so how many grandkids you got? And two, Sam and Sally Boinger's kind of going through the role play. And so, like nine minutes later, like everybody's like, You didn't use a script. I'm like, No, I didn't have to. I wanted to connect with the human being. I already knew they had a house for sale, already knew they had a goal to sell the house because that's why I was on the market, you know, and so I I wanted to connect the human dots first. We can talk talk about business later because you know what? We may not do business together, but I have an excuse to make another connection with another human being. So that's what it's about for me. And they were blown away. And it's like, yeah, it's like you get so wrapped up in the framework of the script that you forget that the script is there as a guardrail for people because to keep you from standing in the middle of fear and overwhelm to give you something to move forward with. We've all suffered storms in business, you know, and I know that you cannot be successful without the storms. It's not possible. Um and those who disagree haven't haven't done it long enough. Um because what's Chip say, nobody's staying with you forever. Season, reason, or lifetime, right? And the lifetime side of things is a very, very small circle. The season and the reason we as leaders have to embrace that, appreciate that, and love that, and love them for where they are on that journey, where they are on the bus with us for that time period. What is a a failure in business that uh has set you back? Or or what's a what what's your biggest failure in business thus far?
SPEAKER_02Hmm. Good question. Well, most recently had I think I told Dwayne this a little bit when we were talking earlier. And I wanted the team so much to have overflow of leads that I pulled myself out of getting leads from Zillow, right? Because I wanted them to have and I wanted them to have closings and such. Um, I was not leading the right way. So I had to learn and thank God that I go to KFRs and conversion cons and I was like, wait a minute, this is not a they problem, this is a Martha problem. So I uh I was I was leading from the back, like, yeah, you can do it, da da da. And I had to because we're we're we're grooming a new team in our county, I couldn't just piggyback up the Orlando team because they already they've already been rocking, right? So I had to jump back in and essentially CPR and now organically everybody's cranking. But I had to say, well, instead of saying, oh my God, how come they're not blah blah, right? Because that's the easy thing to say. What am I not what am what am I missing? Where am I missing the mark? And so I learned that I have to leave from the phone mic.
SPEAKER_05That's a perfect statement because we're in a uh, you know, we're in the information age and we've I guess we've been there for the last 20, 30 years. But uh the days of COVID, you know, restructured communication and it also restructured distractions. And, you know, although COVID went away, you know, the distractions didn't. The distractions are actually, I think, amplified, uh, you know, even beyond COVID. You know, there was this idea and this this fantasy of working remotely. Well, you know, I've come to realize that only leaders can work remotely because if if you're not in a leadership position or you you don't see yourself as a leader, you're just not going to hold yourself accountable because it's not possible to hold ourselves personally accountable to a certain extent until it gets uncomfortable, gets inconvenient, gets gets tired, then we m then we give up. Along that path, I've realized that sales meetings, team meetings, these events, Duane, like you know, I know you feel this pain at time and time. It's like you got a hundred people or sixty people or whatever, and it's like you got this great event planned, and like 15 people show up, you know, and you're like, originally you like, just like you said, Martha, you like you get very frustrated, very frustrated. But then when you learn from people that have been where you're at and where you want to go, and they look at you and go, how many times did you say it? How many different ways did you say it? Did you deliver that message to them in five different platforms seven different times? I'm like, that's 35 different, you know. You so you say an email, text, phone calls, video message, yes, calendar invite, Facebook group invite. Did you do that seven times on each one of those platforms? And I'm like, nah, I didn't. It was like, well, that's where they're at. They're distracted. So it is funny. You you nailed, it's like when that happens, we got to look in the mirror and say, okay, what do I need to be doing better as a leader so that they feel more convicted to the cause, whether it's the lead pool, money pull pond, whatever, or the event, right? Because at the end of the day, we go, we exhaust ourselves 60, 80 hours or more or less for our people. Yeah. And our agents are our people, our staff are people, and the community's our people.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and sometimes, sometimes that decision and sometimes what you need to do is exactly what what you did do, Martha. I mean, sometimes it's grabbing the bootstraps, jumping right back in and and leading from the front and saying, okay, like, let's go. Like, I'm on the front line right with you, showing them it can be done, showing them how to do it again and again, as Shane alluded to, right? But but essentially being on that front line saying, you know what, let's go. Let's link arms, let's hook shoulders. I'm gonna show you that this can be done. You know, and and it sounds like, you know, from the numbers you're sharing and and the results you're sharing, your team responded right along with that and and started stepping up. Now they're not all gonna do it at once. We wish they all would, but we know there's that 10 to 20 percent that will right off the bat. And then you have the middle group that's gonna just kind of watch and see a little bit. Let's see if this is a program of the month, let's see how long this lasts, and you got that last 20% or so. That's gonna, you know, you might have to either help them move up or help them move out, and that's just part of life, and that's okay. But so speaking of life, you got into the business around 2005. So, right before the crash, so you got to see a bunch of different things in real estate, the zombie apocalypse, the super high interest rates for a while, at least what we thought was super high interest rates for a while, uh, to where we are now, and a lot of markets are short on inventory um after the crazy 2021. From your real estate start to now, and even before then in life, because sometimes we have several. Who would you say has been your greatest influence in Martha's life and in Martha's business?
SPEAKER_06Try not to cry.
SPEAKER_02Always my mother, always my mother. It all leads back to my mother, how she led her life. She did, she was fearless. She just jumped, she she just did the things and and she worked hard and she she would always say, You have to work as onto God and everything that you do, and everything else will be okay. And she just she she never did learn English, but she knew enough to get on the bus and get to where she wanted to get to. But man, she m she made friends and and whether they spoke English or not, she was talking to them and she she would light the room with her smile and I love you, baby, and God bless you, baby. And I and she's hugging everybody and the way she led her life unapologetically, without fear, and I wanna be like that. I want to live my life with you know, not asking permission. And she never asked anybody for permission. She did her thing. She was a woman's woman, born in the wrong time. My mama was born in 1932, but the way she she just she cared for people, like she oozed Jesus. She just loved people, and I I want to love people the way my mother loved people. And I think that personal or business, I want to do that for the people around me. I I want them to feel, hey, yo, I love you. You might break you know what I mean? Like, so I want to be like my mom.
SPEAKER_04Well, I we never had the I know, you know, I speak for shame for a second, but myself, I we neither one of us have had the fortunate ability to meet your mother. But I tell you what, uh, she's gotta be beaming and proud because there is no doubt that you are an absolute ray of light. And I just don't say that to say that. You're a damn spark plug. And uh and I tell you what, and those those people, those type, right, um, such as yourself are rare. And that's uh and that's pretty awesome. So your mom, your mom is gonna, it should be very, very proud.
SPEAKER_05And not just that, but you know, you said she was in a wrong time. And you know what? I disagree. Only because the three of us and even our generation, and you know, the next gener and the next generation, like without strong, strong people like that, we wouldn't be able to lead or attempt to lead in their shadows and do what they were able to do. Times were tough, like and and and generation will look back and say, this, you know, we we had some struggles and strife, I'm sure, but it it took very strong people like your mother to pick up and move to a country where she did not speak the language with a little girl because she knew it was the right thing to do. Now we talk about being uncomfortable, that's the ladder of success. You don't get there otherwise, but there's no finer example of that. Like, that's doing uncomfortable, scary things because it's the right thing to do, and it will create the results that you want. So we're blessed, you're blessed that she came through that like she did as she built an amazing person that you are today. You are today.
SPEAKER_00Thank you. I'm not crying.
SPEAKER_05It's uh no, it's it, it's you know, and and it so you know this podcast has been out long enough where everybody asks now, like, what are we gonna talk about? It's like, well, you know, we're gonna keep the rails where you want to keep the rails, but we know everybody's you know, got stories, you know, and so everybody asks us that now. It's like, what are we talking about? Like, these are the questions you can you give, you, you allow, you you open the gates or slam the door shut. So we will stay where you want to stay. But real leaders are vulnerable. Real leaders open up, fake leaders stand in front of cars that are rented, they have hair that's fake, they have posts that are fake, they have the perfect little everything, and it's all bullshit. It's all inflated, and it's over, it's to protect the ego, right? So that being said, like this, you know, we've we've touched some, we've got some heart strings in here before, and it won't be the last time because that's what that's what separates uh wannabes from those who walk the walk instead of talking that talk. That's just what a real leader does.
SPEAKER_04So, Martha, I'm gonna I happen to have something you can't see it, but I happen to have sitting on this desk right now a crystal ball.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_04It doesn't always work, but this time I think it's going to because you're the one that's going to be making the prediction, and you're the one that's going to be reading that crystal ball. What is Martha's future? Where do you see yourself being down the road? What is um I like to call it the B Hague, the big hairy, audacious go. We can even call it a big, hairy, amazing go, because you know. Um just one have a few. Hey, I tell you what, this is your time. You take the stage, you have to stage for a little longer, you just take it, you roll it out, you speak it into existence.
SPEAKER_02Amen. I uh, you know, Shane talked about hardship, you know. So I I um did not listen to my mother, and I got married very young to another very nice guy, and things went down, right? And sometimes women, we take care of everybody. You guys too, but you asked me, so and I would like to have a space where women get healed. So I speak a lot at churches about uh vision boards and how the vision board literally transformed my own home with my my now new husband for 20 plus years, but because I didn't heal from that first marriage and jumped into a new marriage, I brought a lot of baggage with me. And this has nothing to do with real estate, but it kind of does because um uh the the the process of how my husband love me th through God allowed God used my husband to help heal me. Um, and there's a lot of people, there's a lot of broken people out there, both men, men and women. And so if I had a crystal ball, I I could share that message of healing to both, you know, to be and God um downloaded a message to to men because men, you guys get the short stick sometimes. You're amazing, you are leaders, and and and you hurt more than you allow yourself to tell your wife, your your kids, your that. And I just see a little boy who's scared sometimes. And so God was like, I need you to because I speak to women all the time, and God was like, I need you to speak to the men and let them know you hear you see their heart and their hurt, and you know the white cost of them did this and da-da-da. There's so much that's expected of men. So, so that I want to be able to be in more churches and more things to to deal with the things about that's more important to me. I love real estate, and I think that I was born to do real estate. I I think I stumbled on real estate, but it was the biggest blessing. You know, the biggest blessing, my mom coming here, jumping into real estate. But my core, I want to help help heal people, you know, whether from the podium or from the everyday conversations, because we carry these hurts and and it translates that into our business and it translates that into our family. So when I was healed, when when God allowed my husband to help get me through that healing process, I became a better builder. Because there's all we're we're all again, we're all broken crowns, right? Doesn't mean that we don't we don't uh draw a beautiful picture with a broken crown of that uh is our life. But um I take that with me and I say that um real estate when I go out is my ministry. I pray over people. I am like, you know, and um I I I want to make sure that I am honoring him first, always. So that that would be my to to have a space that I can share his word. That is my uh my crucible moment.
SPEAKER_04Yes. I love it. Very good. There's no doubt that uh that you'll get there. And I I could not agree more with what you said, love real estate. I mean, we all do, but I have preached or stated from a long time real estate's what we do in real estate, but real estate's a platform and it allows us to to it allows us to impact a lot of people and allows us to to achieve greater things through that platform that is real estate. I have right outside my podcast room here, we have a hallway that's about 40 feet long, and I always call it the our kingdom walk. And it's pictures, it's not pictures of homes we sold, it's not pictures of client sold signs, it's pictures of how we made a difference and what we made as an impact, you know, whether it's a community event or helping someone in need or a fundraiser or whatever it, you know, whatever it may be, there's so many different things um that are in these collages of photos that are down this entire hallway. Real estate made that all possible. And I think real estate, you know, for you is gonna do the same thing. Um, God in your heart and and you know, and real estate under your feet, um, you know, it's gonna open those doors and and uh I have no doubt that you're gonna continue impacting people on way more than just finding them the home of their dreams. That's important, but there's there's right, there's there's more.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. We have a unique opportunity to make a big impact. Unique opportunity to make a big impact on agents, on buyers, on sellers, on other leaders. You know, and that's uh the world needs more of that. Less distractions and more impact. More impact on others. Yeah, thanks for sharing that.
SPEAKER_02That's a t-shirt. Less distraction. I like that.
One Regret Start A CRM Early
SPEAKER_05Might have to hand some of those out at the next KFR. Martha, one last question. I know you got a crazy schedule, and and we've, you know, we've we've already seen beforehand you had to kind of dodge some some some chaos there. If you were looking back 20 years ago, you know, 25, like when Martha was coming into the business and just like this was complete overwhelm and and fear and just confusion and stress. What's one thing that you would like to say to that younger version or to that individual coming down that same path that you wish you would have known then that you know now?
SPEAKER_02Use a CRM immediately. Like I literally legit just started using one when I started when I went to the fig team because everybody says, Well, which is the best CRM? The one you use. I have lost I have lost so many clients, you know, from all the me. I don't know where they are, you know. Luckily, my phone has a lot, but you know, that I wish I would have known about and done the thing. Like you said, just do it.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_02It's simple. We complicate it. Just do it. So yes. I wish Martha would have had a CRM that she used back in 2005.
SPEAKER_05No, it's uh that's you know, we will always work harder tomorrow than we do today if we do not have a CRM. And the money won't go up, the money will go down, we will work harder for the money. Work the CRM, let the CRM work for you. Your relationships are gonna have more value, more impact. You're going to uh have more value and impact because you're gonna drop less balls and the business will will go up, your income will increase, and your workload will decrease because it has a system and a process. Yes, you know that absolutely correct. Miss Martha, if um there's gonna be a lot of folks that's gonna be like, that's a really cool person. Like, I want to connect with her on a deeper level and kind of and kind of see what she's uh like in social media and just connect with her. What's the easiest way for someone to connect with Martha and get closer to Martha?
SPEAKER_02Probably Facebook. I uh I am, as my kids say, you are just old and you love Facebook, and I do. It makes me feel old, but I'm telling you, I am learning. Yeah, usually just Martha Melendez, I think fake team or something like that. I can send it to you guys.
SPEAKER_05But well, listen up, you youngsters. Most of us that make these calls are already smoking your tail on Facebook social media. Maybe not the next thing you got coming up, but we're gonna come get that too. We're gonna let you get it ready.
SPEAKER_06We're gonna get that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I tell you what, Martha, Martha's been making a heck of an impact on her social and and uh the KFR baby. Oh man, I tell you what. Like you just you've been blowing it up. It went from there's a little bit of like there might be a heartbeat there for now, it's just it's there. Well, what does Sanit say?
SPEAKER_00You have to let them eat your face. Done. I was like, that's all I needed. When he put out that picture, I was like, Yes. So do you remember?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, that's like he moved us up.
SPEAKER_02Like he was like, I love that dude. I'm like, I had this my first time seeing him, and I'm like, oh my god, he's my people. I'm like, yes.
SPEAKER_05That's a great way putting that. He is so good. I mean, he's laugh out loud.
SPEAKER_02Yes, oh my god, he he made my we were so cold that day that I'm like, I don't even know. I I wasn't even cold anymore when he got up on stage.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, he's good though. Yeah, he's been through his his share of trials, tribulations, and hardships, and he's got some some great stories. Some great stories don't even seem real, they're so awesome.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, through the smell of propane and the carbon monoxide poisoning. I mean, didn't even stand in the way of that. Like, let's go.
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh. I'm like, mm-mm.
SPEAKER_02I was like, Yeah, my daughter was with me. You guys met my daughter, she was pregnant, and I was like, oh no, I must protect her baby. I'm like, hello, I smell something. Which by the way, she had the baby and so happy. And oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_04When did when did when was that?
Get In The Rooms Take Action
SPEAKER_02Say that again. When you said uh she had her little one, March 15th. March 15th. You've not seen that little baby. Oh, it's precious. So cute, so cute. Oh my goodness. But uh, yeah, so but uh get in the rooms, man. If if I can say anything to people, get in the rooms might make you uncomfortable because you might meet two of your next favorite people, and I'm so blessed to be part of your world. And I am I'm excited to see what we're gonna do together.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and I think maybe that next event out there at John's place might it might be, it may take, I guess, probably from around that point until several it's probably gonna take a while to put that facility together that he's got the blueprints for. Um, so it might be like, let's get this you know gathering together, and then it may take us a while before we can get back in there because and because of the inclement weather stuff in the winter. It's gonna be amazing. I can't wait to see that uh when it gets finished. It's gonna be it's gonna be very cool. It's amphitheater. I will need I need I need my name on the back of a seat because I will be a permanent resident. So just I should get my name plaqued on that. Right.
SPEAKER_04What's the number of events that that we have been to combined? Like we have paid for a chair. At least. Like we should get a little name plate on a chair at the very least. Like, you know, or if there's a brick wall in the back, like I want a brick. Like this brick paid for by Tori Murphy and all his attendance at all these events and buying everything I paid up for sale.
SPEAKER_05So true. So true. Even when he forgets to pay and he shows up in Tahoe and he's like, Are you sure I'm not on there? Yeah. Yeah, that's a whole nother story. And the ticket sale stopped two weeks ago, so like, but I'm here now.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I I'm like, it was kind of one of those options. Like, all right, you can sell me a ticket now so I can attend and pay you. I'm gonna have to dress up in a server outfit and sit in the back.
SPEAKER_05Roll a car down right on into that room. Either way, I'm going in the room.
SPEAKER_04You can either charge me, take my money, or I'm gonna have to just sneak in the back. I I mean, let's, you know.
SPEAKER_00It's happening.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Change happens in those rooms, man. You know, you are the change. You either change or you just don't go back, right? And and it's sad that there's a lot of people that have gone in those rooms or rooms like that, and next Monday's still Monday, and nothing changes. So I'm proud of you guys for for changing.
SPEAKER_05You have to you have to get into a you have to get into a smaller room with a bigger price tag because now you're getting around people that think like you. When the price tag's too cheap, the crowd's too big, and it's yeah, and you got people there that don't belong. I said it. You know, when the when the rooms tighten up, that's where you gotta put up a shut up, you gotta walk the walk now. Talk talk talking's over. You know, so you either you either want to grow or there's the door, you know. So it's a it's a good, it's a good event.
SPEAKER_04You go to those rooms and then you go to them again or in similar ones, and then you see the ones who have taken action and where they are now compared to where they were when you talked to them last, you're gonna be a great amazing example of that, of where you were to where you are and to where you're going to be. Like if that doesn't spur you to get off your butt and get stuff done just based off of seeing them do it, uh nothing ever will. I mean, it's it's just it is always an amazing example every time in those rooms of just people taking action and getting shit done. I mean, it's it's is just amazing seeing the progress of of different individuals over the years. Martha, you have have you done Tahoe yet?
SPEAKER_02No, I have not done Tahoe. I need to, it's it's a lot of people. We're gonna tell you too.
SPEAKER_04We don't we don't have an affiliate link. We're not trying to sell anything. Everybody always hears us talk about Tahoe. We should have an affiliate link. So uh John Chet Black, if you're listening, um love an affiliate link. I mean, because we maybe a little QR code that, you know, like Shaney Duane, you know, it just I just made a KFR grizzly bear jacket that no one else has.
SPEAKER_05Like, why like why have you got that jacket? Like, I boom. I don't know, but I want one. Yeah, there's only two.
SPEAKER_04We referred like we referred 50 to your 50 to your uh 50 people to your event. Um, like, yeah, do we get a jacket or something? We want a specialized hat, you know, nothing much. Nothing much. We don't need money. We just want some swag. We just want some swag.
SPEAKER_05That's what we want. And he's got he has an all-black grizzly bear Tahoe hat. And I'm like, I don't see that in my bag. I don't like I don't like where where the hell is that? I'm a hat guy. I'm a hoodie guy. I'm but that I'm a hat guy, like, and I know you ain't gonna wear no cheap hats. So where's the hat? Yeah, I need the I need the hat, and there's only one, so I gotta work on that. I don't know how to do that, but I might have to figure out a way.
How To Connect And Support
SPEAKER_04So we're gonna put a little bowl tie on this. We can keep this going for a while, without a doubt. Without a doubt. Martha, it has been absolutely amazing. And to uh all of our listeners, thank you for tuning in and listening to us go down Martha's journey. She shared her information on how to reach out to her. Please do. This is how you grow. This is how you increase your network and your net worth is by meeting amazing people. And that's why we have this show is to introduce you to them again from all over the United States and from every brand. We don't care for what flag you fly. You we're all in the same big, big family, and we just want to introduce you to more amazing people. So if you've liked this podcast, you liked what you heard, and you haven't done so yet, somewhere, somewhere there's a button or something to click that says subscribe, join, right? Hit that. That way you're gonna know every time we drop an amazing podcast. And we're dropping these fairly regular. Like Shane said, we're on 50, 60, and soon we'll be at 100. So uh please listen, uh, listen to our guests. You can fast forward past my section uh when I speak, and then just like focus in on what you need to, like people like Martha, right? Um, and then there's another thing that helps us a lot. Uh that would be taking this episode and sharing it. Share it on your social media, share it to someone you know, uh, someone that you know needs to hear Martha's message. Maybe they had a similar story, a similar journey. You're like, dang, okay, they need to hear some of this and uh and give them some inspiration and give them some hope and and give them some motivation. We would love for you to share this to someone who needs to hear it. One of the other things that we'd love you to do, we always say that, because we know that it does amazing things. Somewhere, there's also a little like review button where we can hit five stars, or you can just, you know, say some nice comments, you know, just talk about how nice my hair looks today. You know, so something like that. Just you know, just make an impact. I tell you what, why do Shane? Can you tell Martha why we love five-star reviews and five-star votes?
SPEAKER_05When you like, share, and subscribe, and you give that five-star review, we get this thing called Google Juice. Google juice. Google juice is what every podcast wants because Google juice gets you in on top of the algorithm and gets out there to more beautiful people just like you.
SPEAKER_04That's exactly what it does. Google Juice allows us to help more people. And we would love to do that. So on that note, I don't think Shane, did I forget anything else? Not likely. Usually usually don't think forgetting. I usually, yeah. I usually ramble across 30 different subjects. So we probably hit everything we hit. So at this point, Martha, Shane, Dwayne, I tell you what, it's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you. And this is it. Peace. Peace.
SPEAKER_03Thanks for joining us on this episode of the REAL 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.