From Broken Ribs to Real Estate Success | Brett Johnson

In this episode of "Above & Beyond: Where Excellence Meets Elevation," host Jän Simon sits down with Brett Johnson, a licensed real estate professional serving the Phoenix and Denver metro areas. Brett shares her journey from a competitive sports background in Colorado to becoming a leader in real estate and a champion for foster youth.
 
 We dive deep into:
 • The origin story of her unique name and growing up in a fiercely athletic family
 • How a traumatic line drive injury in 8th grade taught her the resilience needed for the ups and downs of real estate
 • Her transition from a Master's in Sports Law and Business at ASU to finding her true calling in property
 • Why she's passionate about building generational wealth and helping first-time homebuyers
 • Her philanthropic work with "All-In Empowering Futures" and using golf as a platform for impact
 • Practical advice for anyone looking to enter the real estate market or make a major life pivot 

 Connect with Brett Johnson:
 Instagram: @movewithbrett
 Website: allinempoweringfutures.org

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#RealEstate #PhoenixRealEstate #DenverRealEstate #WomenInBusiness 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

And a lot of times people try to sugarcoat it and think that that's the best way to go about it when a lot of these people just want to know what's happening, when it's gonna happen, what could go wrong, what are you gonna do to fix it? So having that honest conversation right up front and letting people know that this may happen later down the road, it saves so much turmoil in the end. So that does help.

SPEAKER_00 0:17

What does it take to compete at a high level? Serve people with integrity and still use your platform to make an impact beyond business? Hey there, welcome back to Above and Beyond where Excellence Meets Elevation. I'm your host, Jan Simon, and this season we're raising the bar, diving into the passion, purpose, and defining moments of leaders who don't just aim high, they live there. Big ideas, real stories. Let's get into it. Today on Above and Beyond where Excellence Meets Elevation, we sit down with Brett Johnson, a licensed real estate professional serving both the Phoenix and Denver metro areas. With a master's in sports law and business from Arizona State University, Brett brings a competitive mindset, sharp strategy, and a heart for helping people navigate some of life's biggest decisions. Brett's story goes beyond real estate, from helping first-time buyers and seasoned investors to hosting charity golf tournaments for all-in-empowering futures and championing foster youth initiatives. She's building a life rooted in purpose, service, and impact. This is a conversation about ambition, communication, giving back, and what it really means to go all in. Brett, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

Yeah. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Welcome.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

Yes, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

So, I mean, we kind of covered a lot of stuff there, but give me the down and dirty about where Brett is from and first start with your name. Because it's a very unique name.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

It is.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

The only other Brett female I know is Brett Cooper. Is that her last name? Brett Cooper.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

Could not even tell you.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

She's she's a she's a from like the old. No, she's a talking head. She's young.

SPEAKER_02 1:53

Interesting. Interesting.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

Cooper, I think it's her last name. But anyway.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

I honestly, it's such a boring, I think it's a boring story because you'd think that there'd be such a better background story on it. But I have two older brothers, one's eight years older than me.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Shelley and you would think, right?

SPEAKER_02 2:08

You would think. Gregory and Kyle. We call Greg, Kyle, Brett. And Greg, he was eight when I was born.

SPEAKER_04 2:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:14

And apparently I was supposed to be a boy. And so they just let Greg pick the name if I wanted to go girl name or boy name, and he picked Brett. And that's where it's at.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

That's awesome. So it's not short for anything.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

Brett Annuel.

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Brett Annuel.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

No, I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

It is just a big thing. Oh God. I was like, wow.

SPEAKER_02 2:29

No kidding. No, I actually like when I was working, I had to stop wearing name tags because people are like, what's your real name? Like whose name tag did you steal? So it's it's definitely a great conversation starter. People love questioning me on it. People ask me, like, were your parents on drugs or like was something going on?

SPEAKER_00 2:45

I tell people that about mine all the time. I mean, I was born in the 70s and it's yawn, but it looks like Jan. And I tell people all the time, it's like, yeah, well, there's two stories. One, my parents were high as a kite.

SPEAKER_01 2:55

Yep. It's one or the other.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

And two, it's a family name. No, but anyways, that's cool. Yeah. So I just thought maybe your dad was like big time into baseball and well, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:06

He well, he is actually very big into baseball. He was actually a professional umpire. Oh, he was? Yeah. Oh, no kidding. Okay. But no, had nothing to do with that. I still to the Zair are like, are you sure there's not like a bigger story why my name is Brett? And they have no answers for me.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

So you have to sit down and come up with a story. I know, I need something better. Anyways. Okay, so where'd you grow up?

SPEAKER_02 3:29

I'm from Colorado. So I was born and raised in Lakewood. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

That's south of Denver, right?

SPEAKER_02 3:34

West of Denver.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

West. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

Going towards the mountains. So I was literally 20 minutes from the mountains, 15 minutes from downtown Denver. Lived in the same house my whole life.

unknown 3:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

Which was super cool. Not a lot of people can say that these days. So I was there up until I was 22. And then I moved to Arizona. So I'm not a snow girl. I don't like the snow skiing.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

I was gonna say, did you grow up a snow prodigy skiing, snowboarding?

SPEAKER_02 4:00

We did grow up skiing. We would go cross-country skiing all the time, downhill scaling all the time. And for some reason, my middle brother, he loves it, him and his wife go skiing all the time. My parents still go skiing all the time. Me and my older brother, we just didn't get the snow gene.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

No kidding.

SPEAKER_02 4:13

Yeah, so we're very much like, get me in the sun, and I'm good.

SPEAKER_00 4:16

That's hilarious. I um I've I think I told this on the podcast before, but I I grew up in Washington State and northeastern Washington, and my parents decided one year that we were gonna get into cross-country skiing. And I was maybe in fifth grade, maybe. But it had snowed like a ton one night. My dad was a teacher, my mom worked at the hospital, they both left. I decide brilliance of my mind, I'm gonna ski to school.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_00 4:44

Like three hours later.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

They're sending out the troops looking for. Where is he?

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Find them.

SPEAKER_00 4:52

It's like all of maybe a mile from my house to the school. But it's it's literally one of those things. You know, people talk about we had to trek uphill both ways in the snow. It is kind of uphill both ways. It's it's weird, like these weird, but you know, cross key cross-country skiing. You get on a hill.

SPEAKER_02 5:09

You're screwed.

SPEAKER_00 5:10

You can't go anywhere.

SPEAKER_02 5:11

No, that's a whole workout in itself, and it's not enjoyable. It's not enjoyable at all.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

Anyways, so cross country skiing, did you play sports?

SPEAKER_02 5:18

I did. Played lots of sports growing up. I tried tennis, did volleyball, did soccer, ended up playing basketball in high school, supposed to go to college for basketball, but got hurt, and then I ended up playing softball in college.

SPEAKER_00 5:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 5:31

So and I ran track in middle school, did long jump.

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Were you what position did you play in softball?

SPEAKER_02 5:36

Pitcher and outfield.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

Yep. I was a left-handed pitcher. Um, no kidding.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

Give a wicked like drop.

SPEAKER_02 5:41

My curveball.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

No kidding.

SPEAKER_02 5:43

Yeah, coming into a right-handed batter. They hated it. They hated it.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

I can't imagine. I played baseball for a while, not anything good, but watching women's fast pitch. I don't know how you hit a ball. It's so fun. That's crazy. I've I've never actually attempted to hit a fast pitch.

SPEAKER_02 6:00

We'll have to do that one.

SPEAKER_00 6:01

Just the angle coming that way versus coming. Coming down. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:05

Yeah. Then I had a natural rise too, which always screwed people up. And then it pissed me off too because I when I needed to throw a rise, I couldn't throw a rise. So it was one of those where I just I just had to stick to what I that's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

Yeah. So where'd you go to college?

SPEAKER_02 6:18

So I went to a junior college first. Um I had a full ride there, so it was just kind of a no-brainer. I didn't know if I wanted to play softball in college, so it was kind of like, let me just go do this for a year, see what happens. Went there for a year and then I transferred to Colorado Mesa. I was sick and tired of softball. Had a spot on the team there, and then decided that I just wanted to play club ball. I just wanted to have fun with it and stop the competitiveness of it all and practicing. The junior college, I mean, we're practicing eight hours a day because they don't have any restrictions. So my first month there, I lost 15 pounds and I was already tiny. So I went home and my doctor's like, Are you okay? Like, are you depressed? Like, no, we're just running for eight hours a day. Like it was insane. My coach was crazy.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

Did you have a good team or was it just more crazy coach?

SPEAKER_02 7:02

We were good in the fall, which wasn't our actual season. And then our coach completely switched everything around in the spring, and we were not good in the spring. So it was kind of an unfortunate because there was a lot of potential with that team. We had a lot of good girls. But yeah, so unfortunately the coaches were kind of the reasons I left softball and went to Colorado Mesa. And then yeah, I just started playing club ball there. Loved it, was able to play intramural basketball because of it. So I was able to get back into basketball and it all just made sense once I got there.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

Very cool. You talk baseball with sh with Karen at all?

SPEAKER_02 7:34

I haven't. I haven't yet, no. But I do love it.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

Watch out for her. She'd talk you under the table.

SPEAKER_02 7:40

Oddly enough, I when I first met her, I was like, she looks so familiar. And I think it was I can't remember what tournament we were playing in, but I was like, Did you used to play or coach somewhere? And she was like, I used to coach at Highlands. And I was like, that's why. I was like, you had to reach out to me at some point to recruit me to Highlands.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

Oh, no kidding.

SPEAKER_02 7:56

Ten years ago. Yeah. So it was like super small world.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 8:00

I could never go to Las Vegas, New Mexico. That sounds I don't know how she did it.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

Well, yeah, it's such a beautiful town.

SPEAKER_01 8:07

Something. It was something all right.

SPEAKER_00 8:09

She played sports. Was was there anybody in your in your history growing up that that really kind of shaped, molded, influenced you into who you are today?

SPEAKER_02 8:21

I would say pretty much my immediate family, like all of them. So there's five of us. My parents are still together, they've been married for 41 years. And then my two older brothers, my they're all I can literally, they're all my best friends. So I was very blessed that I love the age difference between me and my oldest brother because it was he kind of grew up, he was just not really there in the stages where I needed him necessarily, but when it counted, he was always there. And then I was able to look up to him more as like a older figure, like a mentor rather than an older brother.

SPEAKER_04 8:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 8:54

Um and I would say him especially has shaped me a lot. My parents, obviously, like my dad being both my parents are super athletic. My mom grew up playing sports, she ran triathlons and did all that. My dad, baseball, football, basketball. Even to this day, I call him old and he's still like outbeat me and everything. Yeah. And so even then my middle brother too, he's we were closer in age, so we were around each other a lot more and we butt heads a lot, but now he's definitely like somebody I just I call him all the time for support and asking what his opinion is and all of that. So I'd say just I am so blessed with the family that I have. That's been amazing.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

That's awesome. That's awesome. Did um I'm assuming your brothers played sports as well.

SPEAKER_02 9:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 9:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:35

Yeah. So my oldest brother, he um actually, I believe it was in eighth grade, was playing football, and he got tackled on the sideline with his helmet off. And so he had a concussion to the point where if he were to play another contact sport, if he got hit, he would die.

SPEAKER_00 9:52

No, wow.

SPEAKER_02 9:52

And so he had to switch to golf. And that my brother, that's the most competitive out of all the three of us. And so he switched to golf, played golf all throughout high school, went to college for golf, and then got his pro card and was playing mini tours for a little while.

SPEAKER_04 10:06

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 10:06

I I tell him he's a little nutcase. So I'd stu I stayed away from golf because I was like, I'd just rather like you be the loony too in the family right now. But then, so he's been playing golf. My middle brother was a track star. We learned, we learned very early on his left ventricle was bigger than his right, and that's why he could run so far.

SPEAKER_04 10:24

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

So whatever it was. It was something stupid. He was all proud of it. But yeah, so we all and Kyle played basketball too. My middle brother played basketball, so we have always been a super competitive family.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Are you better than your older brother in golf?

SPEAKER_02 10:36

Oh no, gosh, no. Oh my gosh. I try. I'm I'm slowly getting close to beating my middle brother. He doesn't play that seriously, so it's like not that big of an ego boost. But my oldest one, there's no chance.

SPEAKER_04 10:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:48

He'll not play for three months and go shoot a 62.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

Wow. Stupid.

SPEAKER_02 10:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

So one day when he's old and I would love to just shoot under 70 someday.

unknown 10:57

All right.

SPEAKER_01 10:58

I mean, it's like in the 80s consistently or something.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

I swear it's like I can put together a great nine holes.

SPEAKER_01 11:04

Yeah, exactly. And then the rest are done for it.

SPEAKER_00 11:07

Train wreck.

SPEAKER_01 11:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Or it's a train wreck, and all of a sudden I decide to play the back nine. It's like, why can't I piece together two good nine holes?

SPEAKER_02 11:14

The more I play, the worse I'm getting though. So I'm like, do I need to and I won't, I won't go get lessons because I can't justify sucking and having lessons. But like if I don't have lessons and still stuck, then I'm like, oh well, that's because I don't have lessons.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Amen. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:27

It does make sense.

SPEAKER_00 11:27

I am the exact same way. Like people say, why don't you get lessons? It's like I I'm not in this competitive.

SPEAKER_01 11:33

Yeah, no, I just love it.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

And I suck, so there's a reason I suck.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

And we're staying like this.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

There are days I play well. Yeah. And then there's days that you'd wonder, God, have you ever picked up a club before?

SPEAKER_02 11:44

Exactly. And it's just fun for me. I've only been playing for about four years. Oh wow. So golf is fairly new to me, and I'm actually left-handed in everything except for golf and basketball.

SPEAKER_00 11:54

Is that because somebody had golf clubs just laying around and you decided to pick up the golf clubs and kinda.

SPEAKER_02 11:59

So I used to work maintenance in Colorado at a golf course. I was the only girl with all the boys, just like growing up. But my dad was a superintendent at two courses in Westminster. And so we'd have an employee tournament every year. And so I'd just call my dad, hey, can you bring me home clubs? I don't golf enough to actually have my own clubs. So he'd bring me home left-handed clubs and I would hit him. My last year at the golf course, he brought me home right-handed clubs, completely forgetting that I was left-handed. And I didn't think anything of it. So I just went and hit right-handed clubs because I sucked either way. And then I just started playing that right-handed clubs.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

That's crazy. I used to work with a gal that oddly enough played softball and stuff growing up, but then she played golf and she basically told herself she was going to learn to play golf because I was like what the business people did.

SPEAKER_04 12:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:45

And she was a left-handed, left-handed at everything, left-handed swinger at the bat, and then picked up left-handed golf clubs and struggled. And then one day switched to right. Switched to right. And all of a sudden she's like it was like game on.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

Yeah. It's weird because I I used to be a switch hitter for softball. So I started right-handed and then I'd go to left and then left. I just stayed left just because I could power hit left and I was a slapper. So it just made sense. And never thought to try. It was just weird. I don't know how it happened, but it's working, I guess. It doesn't matter my softball swing now. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 13:20

That's awesome. All right. So when people see today successful real estate agent, I'm assuming successful real estate agent. I mean, that's what you're doing. Yeah. We're making a living at it.

SPEAKER_01 13:30

We're here.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Both Phoenix and Denver. What would you say is an important part of your origin story that most people don't know about Brett?

SPEAKER_02 13:42

I think it would be I w when I was in seventh or eighth grade, I got a line drive to the rib and broke my ribs.

SPEAKER_04 13:49

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_02 13:50

And I was terrified of the ball. The next day, I actually I had a tournament that weekend, and that was a Saturday that I got hit, and I was watching Sandlaw before my games on Sunday, and the opening scene of Sandlaw is the baseball coming at the screen. And I flinched super hard, and I was like, I can't go pitch today.

SPEAKER_04 14:05

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 14:06

And so I was terrified. And pretty much from I want to say it was probably the summer of me going into eighth grade. No, me, it would have had been going into freshman year, I think. My c my high school coach didn't know that I broke my rib. She didn't know the extent of how traumatic it was for me and like picturing a ball flying at my face again, like it was just not something I thought I could get over.

SPEAKER_04 14:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:24

And I but I kind of had to suck it up. I could I didn't want anybody to know at my high school that I was being this little baby in eighth grade and terrified of the ball and anytime stepping on the mound crying kind of thing. So I did. I sucked it up and finally somehow got over the fear of the ball flying at me. And I actually made varsity my freshman year, played varsity all four years. And I think that has really led into my real estate career because real estate's not an easy thing to continue, especially with the ups and downs. So it is kind of that pushing through and making sure that like even like your mental game has to be strong, yeah, even in the valleys. And I think that's been something that I didn't know I learned until getting into real estate. Because I I see I saw it in a lot of other things, like with school and my master's program and all of that. But I think real estate when it is such an up when it can be such an up and down business, just pushing through and having to actually just suck it up.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:16

Um, has been huge.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

So let's let's talk about school for a second. You went to school, got a master's in sport law and business. Sport law and business. Yeah. Is is okay, so sport law, is that similar to like law law? I mean, what it what did you think you wanted to do with that?

SPEAKER_02 15:32

I wanted to be a sports agent.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 15:35

I walked into the first day of our program and it was a smaller program, and everybody in there wanted to be a sports agent pretty much. So our professor went around and she said, Okay, everybody's gonna say what you want to do after your program. So it started first person, sports agent. She goes, You're not gonna be a sports agent. We're like, okay, next person, what do you want to be? Sports agent. You're not gonna be a sports agent. So then I'm sitting there like, what the hell? So I'm sitting there, I'm like, Well, I want to be a sports agent. She goes, You're not gonna be a sports agent. I was like, okay, well, like there, I don't know what else I want to do in sports. I don't want to do like ticketing, I don't want to do sales, like I don't want to do that other anything else does not sound intriguing to me. So yeah, I pretty much I still in my head was like, no, I'm gonna be a sports agent. Like there was me, the one other guy that I'm still really good friends with who was just stubborn or was all get out. He was like, no, I'm going to be. And they sat there for 10 minutes arguing back and forth about him being a sports agent. He's not a sports agent. Oh, it's funny. He's actually a real estate agent. And so that was kind of like going through the program and learning more about because we did still have classes on sports agents and blah, blah, blah. And there was one story about a sports agent who had to sit the agent or the client's, the athlete's wife, away from his girlfriend. And I was like, my morals and ethics, I'd be so petty and I would sit them next to each other. Yeah. And so in that moment, I was like, I can't, I'm not gonna even try. So um, I knew I didn't want to really do anything with sports halfway through my program. So I just got the degree and then tried to figure it out after that.

SPEAKER_00 16:59

Did you go straight into real estate after school?

SPEAKER_02 17:01

No, I didn't. So I was working at a golf course, I was working at a Acateo pretty much since I moved out here. And I was just bartending and I was sitting there, and at this point, I've been in, I think it was I've only been licensed for three and a half years. So it was like four and a half years ago. I was sitting there and I had his name's Larry, he's one of my regulars there, and it was just me and him talking, and he's like, You remind me so much of this girl in California who does real estate and she does it really well, and I think that's something you'd be really good at. And I've always thought about like interior design and doing something with houses. I love building things and putting things together and decorating and whatever it is. So I was like, Well, maybe like that would be cool. Like I love looking at houses, don't know if that like correlates with what an actual agent would have to do. And so I was like, screw it. So I literally had my laptop out right then and there and bought the classes, then got licensed, and now here we are.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:51

Well, that's cool. Yeah, very good. And that was three and a half years ago.

SPEAKER_01 17:54

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

Where did your competitive spirit come from? Obviously, I'm sensing that you've talked about it a little bit. And it sounds like with two older brothers, they're very competitive.

SPEAKER_02 18:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:04

Is it just the family?

SPEAKER_02 18:05

Is it just I think it is the family. I definitely I grew up with all boys. I mean, I had my brothers, I had best friends too, that were always over. So I was surrounded by boys pretty much my entire childhood. I had two other or three other, four other boys, and we had to lived in a cul-de-sac. So four other boys, there was only two other girls, and they were all older than me. So I only hung out with the guys, and all we did was play sports and had water balloon fights and teepeeing wars, and so I think it just came from being around them and trying to keep up with them and not trying to be the little girl of the group.

SPEAKER_00 18:38

So I think that's what it was.

SPEAKER_02 18:39

Playing with with Barbies and No, my brother got a Barbie once for his birthday, and I don't think I ever got Barbies. I had dolls, but I was like, he did get a Barbie at some point.

SPEAKER_00 18:48

That's funny. Talk to me about so I've got this question, I want to read it to you because I will mess it up if I don't. Real estate can be emotional, stressful, deeply personal for clients. How do you lead people through a big decision while keeping honesty and trust in the forefront?

SPEAKER_02 19:08

Yeah. Transparency is everything. I just one in particular story that I can tell you about is I this was early on in my career too, like right when I got licensed. I got a referral from one of my lenders, and it was this guy whose wife was dying. She had cancer. They knew she was dying, but didn't know when that was gonna happen. He they both used to be in real estate, but she used to do all the paperwork, so he didn't know how to do any paperwork, so he had to stop doing real estate. And so he called me one day and he was a very straightforward man too. He was older and he said, I don't know when my wife is gonna effing die on me, so we just need to sell my house. And I was like, Wow, okay. And in that moment, I'm like, Oh my god. Yeah. And oddly enough, I did go, I got my master or my undergrad in sports management with a minor in social work because therapy, being a therapist was something I thought about being. So I was like, this kind of ties into my social work aspect of life. And so I did it was very it's being transparent without because they don't want you to sugarcoat it. And a lot of times people try to sugarcoat it and think that that's the best way to go about it when a lot of these people just want to know what's happening, when is gonna happen, what could go wrong, what are you gonna do to fix it? So having that honest conversation right up front and letting people know that this may happen later down the road, it saves so much turmoil in the end. So that does help.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Has there been a time where either you've been, well, let's let's say you've been a buying agent, and and I'm making assumptions, but you've been a buying agent and you've had a client, and I probably shouldn't do this because you probably haven't had a lot of clients, right? But you've had a client that like you've shown a lot of houses to, and you're like, just make a decision. I've spent so much time finding you the perfect house.

SPEAKER_01 20:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:53

Just do it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:56

Yeah. It happens.

SPEAKER_00 20:57

How do you deal with that?

SPEAKER_02 20:58

I think the the lucky part for me is I love people and I love spending time with people and I love seeing inside of houses. So it is kind of beneficial to do that for me. But I also it's it is still that transparency part. Like I can go through the 15 houses they sent me and be like, you're not gonna like this one. We don't need to go see it. And a lot of times they're like, Okay, yeah, you're right. And it is kind of harder with newer clients if I don't know them as well, because then it's we kind of have to do a little trial and error and see once you walk in three houses, you know if what they're actually fixated on and what their needs actually are, whether they say it or not. So it is really just kind of reading them and determining what their five must-haves are when it comes to buying a house. And a lot of times a lot of buyers are actually very respectful of my time, which is I've been very blessed with that. But it is, I mean, I have had a couple of clients that I've been working with them for two years now. So and they're just too scared to pull the trigger. But it's like I know they're I know they're going to at some point. Yeah. But yeah, I mean it's really just it's one of those things. You just gotta suck it up and do it.

SPEAKER_04 22:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:04

And but I mean there's a lot of agents out there too that do have showing agents. So they can just send their showing agents and then it really doesn't affect them personally. I'm not there yet. I like still going to see houses, I like doing all of that still, so I haven't gotten to that point. But it is pretty easy to narrow down what their actual wants are further down the line.

SPEAKER_00 22:22

Once you see a couple of them when when you're as as the business has been we'll say growing, transitioning, have there been situations where you thought maybe I didn't decide to do the right to do the the right thing? Like I'm maybe I'm not cut out for real estate.

SPEAKER_02 22:41

Yeah. Oh no, it probably more than I'd like to admit, actually. It could the the lows can be very low sometimes. I think the hardest thing for me, I because I was working up at the golf course up until June of last year.

SPEAKER_04 22:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

And that was my main lead generation source. So I was basically getting paid to lead gen and get clients.

SPEAKER_04 22:58

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 22:59

Once that ended, not only did it end in June during the slow season of real estate in the summer, I kind of I was gone pretty much all of June. And then I was in Colorado for two weeks in July. So I was gone a lot. So I actually wasn't actively doing real estate the last five months of 2025.

SPEAKER_00 23:15

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 23:16

So not only did I have to rebuild my pipeline, but I had to figure out a new way to lead generate that actually fit my personality and fit what I wanted to do in my business because I didn't want it to be transactional. I wanted it to be relational. So that's when I decided social media was going to be one of my lead generation sources, golf was gonna be one, and then events was gonna be the other. And so now it's kind of been like I kind of restarted real estate. So I've been rebuilding my pipeline, really focusing on the things that I know I'm good at instead of trying to do a billion different things and just hope that I'm good at one of them. And it's been really good for me.

SPEAKER_00 23:50

Do you feel do you feel like you've had to believe in yourself more than you ever thought you would have to? Oh yeah. Or do you have a good support system that keeps saying, hey Brad, you're doing a great job. Let's go.

SPEAKER_02 24:01

Both.

SPEAKER_00 24:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:02

I have an amazing support system, especially out here, especially with my brokerage and my friends. They are all very much they I feel like they believe in me more than I believe in myself, which is hard because I there are times where I'm like, I don't know why you guys are believing in me when I can't even believe in myself.

SPEAKER_04 24:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:17

But that's I mean, one of the first things that they teach you in real estate is affirmations. They're like, you should be waking up every morning and saying these things to yourself. So I have plenty of affirmations on my mirror right now, which some days wake up and are fantastic and they help. And some days you're like, I want to erase these all off my mirror.

SPEAKER_04 24:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:32

But no, it is it is hard because you do, it's a mental battle. Yeah. It really is. And if if you're not staying mentally healthy, you can go down a dark hole and real safe.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

I I find that in what I do as well. I mean, I'm in sales, so it's it is what it is, but but I feel the same. Like, but there's times where it's like I've got to go, okay. Stop focusing on the fact that it feels like there's no deals being closed and start focusing on meeting somebody new or you know, whatever, say go to an event and say, okay, how can I walk out of here with two people that I haven't known before and I can have conversations with them.

SPEAKER_01 25:06

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 25:06

So let's let's talk about you and I had a had a previous conversation very briefly with regards to adoption and the whole cycle. So let's kind of shift gears a second and we'll probably come back to real estate at some point. But talk to me about how you've gotten involved with well, I'll say the adoption world, and correct me if I'm wrong.

SPEAKER_02 25:27

No. Yeah, it it kind of is kind of the opposite. It's kind of like the non-adoption world, because we do deal with kids who age out of the foster care system who never get adopted. Um, so my mom actually was working in DC. She was the assistant secretary for children and families. So she was pretty much she was under the secretary, so she's pretty much the second largest social worker in the United States, pretty much. This is the way I like to describe it. She'll probably tell me to be quiet.

SPEAKER_00 25:51

So she was kind of important.

SPEAKER_02 25:53

She was she's a big deal. My mom, she's got some big shoes to fill. No, she's an amazing, she's an amazing woman. So she started this in DC and she had gotten, I don't know, the I like majority of the governors on board, all in, to be help change the foster care system, help those who age out, that kind of thing. When she was done living in DC, she came back and she wasn't really able to finish that initiative. And so we were like, Mom, like you gotta keep this going. Like you're doing really good for these kids. And we call them kids, they're all 18 and older, so youth, aged out youth.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

You're so old.

SPEAKER_02 26:26

I'm getting there. My knees tells me differently. But yeah, so she we were like, You gotta do it, you gotta do it. She was kind of reluctant, but she finally we had his name Deshaun. He's a part of all in. And he called my mom and he said, Can I stop by the house? I'm going to California. Um, I just need a place to stay for a little bit. Do you mind if I stay? She's like, My mom is anybody can stay at my parents' house. I've got that trait also. If you ask any of my friends, my door's a revolving door as well. And so Deshaun stayed at the house. He went hiking with my brothers and did a bunch of stuff, and then he went on his way to California. And a lot of traits from people in foster care who age out, if they leave their personal belongings somewhere, it means they felt safe there and that's their what they would consider home. So my mom went up to go clean the room and found all of Deshaun, like a bunch of Deshaun's things. And so she called Deshaun and said, Hey, like, where can I send this to? Like, you left all this stuff. He's like, Don't worry about it, I'll get it when I come home. And so then my mom was like, I'm gonna do this. So next thing you know, we have 20 aged-out foster youth at my parents' house. They don't have a massive house, it's there is sleeping bags and air mattresses. I slept on my parents' floor in their bedroom. And it was pretty much like a bunch of 18 plus year olds live reliving the childhood they never got.

SPEAKER_04 27:40

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 27:40

And so that's what kind of started it. So when from those 20 to now we have about 200 that are involved with all in. And I always say I have 200 more siblings now, because if they are not my parents aren't answering, they're calling me.

SPEAKER_04 27:50

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 27:51

So and they've all I've gotten really close with a lot of them, and I do consider them a lot of them family, and they have completely changed my perspective on life.

SPEAKER_00 27:58

Talk to me about when you say age out, what does that mean?

SPEAKER_02 28:03

So depending on the state, it's either gonna be 18 or 21, and some of this I might get wrong. My mom is the expert at this stuff, but um, when you age out, the foster parents stop getting money to house you and take care of you. A lot of them will say, Yes, I'm gonna still help you and support you, and there's other ones that would say you're on your own. Some states you don't even have your birth certificate, you don't have a driver's license, you have nowhere to go. You're basically just back on the streets. And there's statistics where majority of people who age out end up on the streets or end up incarcerated or end up pregnant or dead. Um and the statistics are actually very sad. And this is something that nobody even realizes is a problem because all they think about is the people in foster care and don't realize what happened to the p youth that age out of foster care. So it's a very overlooked problem in the United States that now, which is the craziest and most amazing thing seeing this nonprofit grow is we'll have somebody in California somehow find an aged-out foster youth in West Virginia and bring them into the community and just love on them. And so that's why it's grown to where it's at. And I can't we have West Virginia, Indiana, Chicago, Colorado, Arizona, like we have youth everywhere. And you would think with how far apart they are statewise, like they're with each other all the time, especially when they get together. Yeah. It's a super, it's super cool to see.

SPEAKER_00 29:26

That is really cool. I there's a little bit of perplexity, perplexity going on here because and we've talked about this, but I'm gonna kind of bring it up again. Aging out, is it that they're just not being prepared for the next step? I mean, because you know, and obviously there's different levels of society and and all the different things that go on. In your opinion, is there something broken on the inside with the younger youth, maybe in foster care, that could be potentially fixed that might help?

SPEAKER_02 29:57

Yeah, I don't I don't know to the extent I'm not well versed in the actual foster care system aspect of it, but I do know a lot of these kids who age out, they want to change what's going on in the foster care system. I read a book, it's actually called A Piece of Cake, and her the author's name is Cupcake Brown. She um grew up in the foster care system. She was put in a foster home where they abused her, sexually abused her, all of those things, and she would try to tell people and nobody believed her because she was just a foster kid. She ended up escaping, and now she's a super successful lawyer. So there are, I don't know the extent of and every state is different also, so it's hard to speak on what's going on internally when it comes to the foster care system. But I mean, not being able to get a driver's license or not being able to get a birth certific your birth certificate to go apply for a job or things like that, they'd I know just some of the systems just don't allow the youth to be set up for success.

SPEAKER_04 30:53

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 30:53

So I mean we had a we had a men's retreat a few years ago and they didn't know how to change a tire. They don't know how to tie a tie. So it's like all these things that you would think you'd learn growing up, like that we were blessed enough to learn growing up, right? They missed out on that and they didn't get that opportunity. And it's I mean, everybody's story story is different. I mean, not everybody in the foster care system has had a bad experience, but a lot of them that did age out, they kind of were just thrown to the wolves. Tell them like told them to go figure it out kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 31:22

Yeah. So tell me what all in does for them.

SPEAKER_02 31:26

So we won't call ourselves a program because we don't we're not like you're not in the program, we're not fixing you, whatever. We're just giving you resources.

SPEAKER_00 31:34

So is it a nonprofit though? It is a non-profit. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 31:37

Yeah. So it's basically we put on retreats and it's building community. It's basically showing that you guys have a bigger purpose than what you probably believed that in the foster care system. So, Westford, like I said, the men's retreat, showing them how to do all the stuff that they didn't know growing up. We have one young adult who was starting a family and he went up to my dad and was like, I don't know how to be a dad. I never had one. So getting them connected with the right people, the mentors, giving them opportunities. I know one of the aged out foster youth, my mom was able to get him a scholarship for like an IT tech school or something like that. So it's just connecting them with the right people, getting them involved in community, letting them have that belly laughter that they never had growing up. But yeah, it's it's a pretty when you see them all together, it's like it's the most amazing thing.

SPEAKER_00 32:23

That's cool. Is are are the retreats mostly in Colorado nearly?

SPEAKER_02 32:27

They're everywhere. They're all over. We've done one in Georgia, we did a women's retreat in Georgia, we did one in West Virginia, they did one in Indiana, they did one in Missouri, we had the one in Colorado. I think they're on their work working on doing another one. I just don't know where yet. So and they're the purpose of that is because they are so spread out, and we want to make sure we can get as many there as possible. So depending on where we are, we know which ones we're able to bring in and get there.

SPEAKER_00 32:52

Gotcha. And so through those retreats, you're helping them form community, but then you're also helping them does does the program help them learn skills and things that they can potentially use in life?

SPEAKER_02 33:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

And and how do people get involved?

SPEAKER_02 33:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:08

On the other side, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 33:10

Yeah. So I mean, we do give them resources and ways to learn what to do and what not to do. For West Virginia, we had a financial advisor come in and he did a whole workshop on budgeting and how you should go about spending your money on this way, how to save, where to put what, and then gave it like was literally, here's my card, call me and I'll do whatever for free. Like, and we have a lot of people who hear these stories of these young adults and are more than willing to offer their services and get them on their feet. As far as getting involved, I mean, it's really just word of mouth at this point. I mean, the nonprofit or the golf tournament alone, we've had, I think I've had from this last golf tournament, I think I've had seven or eight people reach out asking how they can get involved.

SPEAKER_00 33:53

And you just had that last week?

SPEAKER_02 33:54

It was in the end of March.

SPEAKER_00 33:56

Oh, was it that long ago?

SPEAKER_02 33:58

Time is flying. Time is flying. But yeah, so it's it's really cool because once once they hear about it and see how passionate my parents are about it, especially, it's it's a no-brainer for a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 34:09

Yeah. Yeah. At what point did you realize that you had a heart for that?

SPEAKER_02 34:14

Early on, I'd say um my mom is has she pretty much raised us to just love others unconditionally, which is a are you and I'm sidetracking for a second.

SPEAKER_00 34:25

Are you do you are you a member of a faith base? I mean, do you do you go to church? Is that where it kind of comes from too?

SPEAKER_02 34:32

Or yeah, I grew up Catholic. I was baptized back Catholic when I was born, and then I'm Christian now. I just got baptized Christian two years ago. So yeah, I think that does help. A little bit. Okay. My mom, the one thing that's so amazing about my mom too is she is a God-fearing woman, and it's it shows day in and day out. But a lot of these youth who age out have had a problem with the church at some point, and so they're very much like, I hate God, I want nothing to do with God. And one thing that's so amazing about my mom is she doesn't push religion, spirituality, nothing on them, but a lot of them have come to Jesus because of the way she treats them.

SPEAKER_00 35:05

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 35:06

And it's a really cool thing to see, and I think I've gotten a lot of that from her. Um, and even my dad. My dad grew up Methodist, he wasn't really involved in the church until I mean he met my mom, and my mom's kind of just the bright light of the world, and so he's just already fallen into that path. He already had all those morals and beliefs and loves the way that Jesus would want you to love others, and that's how both my parents are, and I think a lot of people see that, and that's why a lot of people are so drawn to my mom too, and feel like I don't know how many of the youth call her mom. Like that's uh so cool. They're just like, you are my mom, and so it's a I being Christian and growing up faith faith-based has been huge. I think that helps a lot.

SPEAKER_00 35:45

What what ultimately what is the purpose of all in? I mean, what what is you're trying to accomplish with the youth? And I say youth as young adults, however you want to look at that.

SPEAKER_02 35:58

I think the main purpose of all in is to build a community and let them know that they do have a family, whether it's a chosen family, blood family, or the adoptive family. And we do call it chosen family. We that's what we we get to pick who we love and like who we want there and whatever, and they all choose each other, which is super fun. But it is, I think, helping them grow and giving them the opportunities to know that you are bigger than what your story was. Um and I know a lot of them, what I mean, most of a lot of them have started their own nonprofits. One of the ones that I'm super close with too, he already started fostering and he's only 28 years old. Oh wow. He's fostering teenagers, so he's doing amazing, and I think it's just giving them a s a sense of worth and knowing that they are they have a purpose in this world too. So and that they are loved unconditionally.

SPEAKER_00 36:46

That's impressive. Do you ever feel like I don't even know how to ask to ask the question? Do you ever feel like you were given now now being involved with all in, do you ever feel like as a youth you were sheltered and you didn't see, you know, maybe looking back at maybe some of the kids you went to school with and now thinking, hmm, okay, I understand them a little bit differently.

SPEAKER_02 37:11

Yes and no. Hearing the extent of some of these stories has really changed my perspective. I I don't wouldn't say I was sheltered. I did have a lot of my mom, I mean, my mom, she was a parole officer, and then she's always been in social work. So and then I have three adopted cousins as well. So we I have seen some of that stuff prior in my childhood, but I think the extent of the stories I've heard now from all in, I mean, I get mad at my computer and I'm I have to like check myself, like, no, I haven't had a bad day compared to some of these people in our family. But I wouldn't, I mean, it's hard to when I was younger fully understand or accept that that could actually happen. Um, that people I mean, and like I've said, I mean my brothers are so so blessed that we had such great parents growing up. And unfortunately, that's not every story. But I mean, that's where I think such why I have grown to love all in so much too, is because it has put me in a place to where I can take a step back and realize I'm okay no matter what. If these young adults who have gone through hell and back are out here thriving and healing and doing everything that they need to do to grow, I can do the same thing. So it's been kind of empowering for me to see and hear their stories as well.

SPEAKER_00 38:26

That's cool. That's cool. Yeah. Do some of the youth that have is is there a you go through the program and then you're kind of done, or is it once you're in, you're kind of a part of it.

SPEAKER_02 38:38

Yep. That's you're just in there. You're just our family at that point.

SPEAKER_00 38:40

Okay. Yeah. Very cool. And and it it's your mom, obviously, and you. Now you have other families across the country that help with.

SPEAKER_02 38:49

Yeah. So my mom and my dad are the two main people. We have Jayla, who's a big help, and then a lot of our foster youth are also involved in it. Um, we have one that does our social media, another one that does our marketing and fundraising. My some of my mom's friends have stepped in and they're just voluntarily helping. But yeah, it's people from I mean, we have one of my mom's friends in, I think he's in West Virginia, offered up his whole ranch to us, and so the youth was able to go there. That's the West Virginia retreat we had. Um, my mom's on the board of Chick-fil-A as well, so of Windshape. So the owners of Chick-fil-A, Bubba and Cindy opened up their home to the for the women's retreat, so we were able to go there in Georgia. So yeah, they're all over. And because the majority of the places that we go are offered up to the nonprofit.

SPEAKER_00 39:34

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_02 39:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:35

So how how could or what what is it that you need? What is it that all in needs? I mean, is it just monetary?

SPEAKER_02 39:44

It's pretty much fundraising right now. Because it is just basically my parents doing it. Um my dad's still working full time, he's God sent. It is pretty much just the fundraising aspect of it because in order to get the youth to these retreats, yeah, the flights are insane. But I mean, a lot of them will call my parents if their car breaks down or if they're getting evicted from their apartment. So they're those funds also go or go towards helping them get out of those situations as well.

SPEAKER_00 40:10

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_02 40:11

And is there a website or it is all in empoweringfutures.org or dot com.

SPEAKER_00 40:18

All in empowering futures dot.

SPEAKER_02 40:21

I believe it's dot com. I'll have to double check that.

SPEAKER_00 40:23

Something.

SPEAKER_02 40:24

Something. You'll you'll find it.

SPEAKER_00 40:26

We'll we'll we'll make sure to get that from you and we'll link it when we when we when we throw everything together. Okay, so that that's impressive. I mean, I it it it just blows me away because I feel like, you know, in my in my head, naive naivete, I guess. You think about you know, these kids, they're they go into foster care and you think, okay, these people are fostering because they want to love on the kid, they want to help the kid be successful, they want to help the kid grow and be ready for life, and but yet that's not happening. And it's like that's that's super sad. Yeah that that that is actually happening.

SPEAKER_02 41:02

That it's it's insane. I mean the book I referred to, uh, the piece of cake, I I like using her book as reference because a lot of the people in our program don't aren't comfortable sharing their story fully, and her story does embody it a lot of the people sometimes the ones that get fostered are the ones that are getting molested by their foster parents or abused by their foster parents. And so that's why a lot of them are wanting to change the system into and I I like I said I don't know the extent of how each state goes about allowing foster parents to foster and the adoption process. I don't know the extent of all of that, but yeah, it's it's insane, and it definitely are the stories you hear are ones that are literally unbelievable.

SPEAKER_00 41:44

Yeah. So through real estate, you've got to I'm telling you what to do now, right? Suggestion lightly sell a bunch of properties, get on the inside, flip and fix, end up buying a massive ranch.

SPEAKER_01 41:59

And house all these years.

SPEAKER_00 42:00

House them all.

SPEAKER_02 42:01

Yeah, so actually, oddly enough, one of my best friends who I met through the nonprofit, she also aged out of the foster care system. I sold her, she has her own nonprofit too, and it's called a place to turn. And so she was housing women, young women who are aging out of the foster care system. And she is the most fiery spirited human I've ever met. And so we ended up selling her house around this time last year, and now she is on a mission to find a either a piece of land that she can build on or some house that she can start housing people again. That's cool. And so that is actually like one of her missions that she wants to do, and she is she's reaching out to people. She is doing so much to see if that's something she can make happen. And it's really cool to see because she's another one where her story's insane, and she actually speaks at my golf tournaments because she is her story, is seeing who she is now, she's an incredible mother, she's an incredible friend, and you would just never know that her past was the past that she had. So it's super cool seeing her try to build her nonprofit and knowing that she wants to give back to who she calls her family. She's a she said to all the people that age are the foster care system in the foster care system, those are her brothers and sisters. That's awesome. And she will go to the end of the earth for all of them.

SPEAKER_00 43:08

That's really cool. Yeah, it's awesome. That's cool. There's uh I've had these weird thoughts over time about starting a nonprofit. One of them, for whatever reason, I'm fat infatuated by shoes, which I don't have a lot of shoes, and I have crappy shoes. But but what I've noticed is in my mind, anyways, you can kind of tell somebody who's truly homeless by what their shoes look like versus somebody who's just out panhandling right, right? And so I've had this thought of starting this nonprofit called Shoes for My Soul.

SPEAKER_01 43:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 43:41

Just a weird, right? But part of the whole nonprofit being I've wanted, I think it'd be so cool to have a ranch where you could go to people who are homeless and say, look, I can help you get off the street, I can help you get clean. You gotta come work the ranch, come work the ranch, you gotta learn a trade, I'm gonna teach you to do. Woodworking or welding or whatever, you know, we will help you build that up. And once you're clean, the whole premise is I'm gonna help you get to a point where you're ready to soar, right?

SPEAKER_04 44:11

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 44:12

I love that. And I and I just that whole picture of having that ranch. So when you talk about it, it's like I just love that because I just think a lot of people really truly just need an opportunity, right? They haven't been given it over time and and whatever it is. So if if we can you know use our space to help provide them space, but anyway, so I love I love what you're doing. So I would love to get involved. Absolutely. So we'll talk about that offline. Let's let's let's trans transition back down to real estate. Okay. Building a career in real estate, you're three years in. So some people would say, Oh, she's still young, she has no experience. We'll pretend like you have a lot of experience. I'll take it. Is there anything that you would go back now before you started or when you decided to pull out your laptop and and do the exam online? Is there anything you go back to to yourself then and say, hey, make sure to do X?

SPEAKER_02 45:08

Yeah, I think the number one thing would be a lot of people get into real estate because they're like, Well, I can be I have the flexible hours and I can go travel and I can do all of this. I wish from the jump I would have treated real estate as a nine to five job. It is very hard to get out of the habit of doing real estate when you want versus when when you should be. And it's not it's not a career that you can just pick and choose when you can do it. We are blessed in the fact that if we have our phone on us, we can technically do real estate. That is a very big blessing part of the career. But it is also something that's if you're not intentionally working on building your business, it's not gonna build itself. So I think treating it as an actual job from the start versus a hobby, I think would be the biggest thing. But the other th the kind of my downfall, I would say, was I was still working at the golf course and I was making very good money at the golf course.

SPEAKER_00 46:02

So real estate was kind of so there was no burning necessity to have to do something. Exactly, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:09

But it did get me in a bad routine of okay, well, I'll call people this day and maybe not this day, or I'll reach out to somebody this day and not this day. So that's been a big shift that I've had to change.

SPEAKER_00 46:20

Yeah. Has has any of what you've done in real estate helped you transition or help some of these kids who are transitioning out of the foster system into possibly look at, hey, there's an opportunity here. Because similar to insurance, you don't have to have a college degree to get into insurance. You just gotta pass a test.

SPEAKER_01 46:41

You just gotta pass a test.

SPEAKER_00 46:42

And you gotta have determination like that and just go get it.

SPEAKER_01 46:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:45

So has that helped you at all to be able to talk to some of these we'll say kids and say, look, there's opportunity out there, you just have to be willing to go work for it.

SPEAKER_02 46:54

Yeah, absolutely. Actually, one of them, um, he was one of the ones that I met really early on in the nonprofit. He called me probably two or three years ago, and he just got licensed he just got his real estate license. Um and he actually was was like, I think this is a way I'm gonna be able to provide for my family.

SPEAKER_04 47:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:11

But yeah, I mean, even looking at my girlfriend who she the one that has the nonprofit herself, she's even like, Well, how can we like start getting houses? Like, even if I rent it out and go do this, this, and this, and so they're all seeing the that there is opportunity if you just take the leap.

SPEAKER_04 47:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:26

Um, and me being so close with a lot of them, they do call me and ask me about it all the time, and I am very transparent with them, and they're very transparent with me. So it's kind of a we bounce the ideas off each other, and it really helps motivate each other to go push each other more.

SPEAKER_00 47:40

And that's cool.

SPEAKER_02 47:41

Um, but yeah, they definitely see that there's a lot more out there than just a nine to five job.

SPEAKER_00 47:46

So I I think that's it an easy trap to fall in in both of our industries and probably quite a few other industries that are out there that give you that flexibility to be able to say, Oh, it's Monday. Oh, you want to go play golf? Yeah, let's go play golf. You know, it's like, okay, is there a purpose to me being on the golf course right now? Right?

SPEAKER_01 48:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:06

Who am I gonna be with? What possible conversations are there? How do I work this into the conversation? You know, what what does that look like? It's funny because when I first started selling insurance, I've been in insurance for 30 years, but when I first started actually selling insurance, somebody's like, pick a silo, go after that silo. You know, what do you what do you want to focus on? And I'm like, well, golf, because I love playing golf.

SPEAKER_01 48:30

I love playing golf, duh.

SPEAKER_00 48:31

I think every agent out there wants to focus on golf. So it's like, okay, that's not a good silo, you know, but you figure that out kind of early on, but but the the whole thing of it it it allows for a lot of flexibility, but it also demands a consistent, methodical, you know, driven purpose. I I don't know, I mean throwing words out, but but it's one of those things where it's like you kind of almost have to, you were talking about on your mirror, you know, affirmations written on your mirror. I don't have affirmations written on my mirror, but on my whiteboard at home, I have one affirmation written, and it is just simply focus on the process, the outcome will come. The outcome will take care of itself. Because there's so many times where I'm whether it's staring down the barrel of needing to pay bills or oh my god, I haven't put a new piece of business in the pipeline for a month, you know, whatever it is, and I start freaking out and I start thinking, I'm not gonna make any money, what happens at it? I'm not gonna make it, and it's like, wait, stop. How did you get to hear? Trust the process, go talk to people. Yep, you know, follow up. Who can you call right now to follow up with that you haven't talked to for six months? Exactly. That said, hey, you know what, we're just not ready today.

SPEAKER_01 49:48

Yeah. Okay, cool. Cool. Well, you know where to find me.

SPEAKER_00 49:51

Yeah, and it's it's that thing where it's like, but that's such the mental calisthenic where I'll talk to people and say, There's some times where I wish I had the mentality to be able to just go to work.

SPEAKER_01 50:01

Yeah, you know, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 50:02

It's like I just can't do it.

SPEAKER_02 50:03

I can't do it.

SPEAKER_00 50:04

I'm not a good employee.

SPEAKER_02 50:05

I've never worked a nine to five, and I don't plan on it.

SPEAKER_00 50:09

God bless the people that can. And and and I will throw this in right now. And if Christine listens to this, we talk about this all the time. So my fiance, Christine and I, we talk about it. She is probably the most amazing employee you could ever wish to have because she is she takes everything personally, good and bad. Yeah, she will run a business like it is her own, and all she cares about is the bottom line and making sure the money's coming in the door, making sure people I mean, she gets frustrated when you know you get to work and you clock in and then you hang up your jacket. It's like, wait a second, hang up your jacket, then clock in. You know, it's like those types of things. Yeah, and there are those people, and God bless them, we need them in our life.

SPEAKER_02 50:52

Yeah, yeah. I know they they help. I know one specifically where I'm like, I know this agent wouldn't function if he didn't have her. So exactly.

SPEAKER_00 50:59

And I will tell you that is not me. Like I it I can remember, I've pretty much worked out of the house, out of out of my house for the majority of my career. Now I have an office for the business and and different things like that, but the majority of my career I've worked out of the house. There was a time where I worked in an office in Tempe, and we had little cubicles, and it was like my first real experience of actually having to go to an office because of the company I'd just gone to work for. And the way they had the cubicle set up was so your back was to the entrance of the cubicle, and your monitors were facing that so the manager could walk by and see what you're doing. Yeah, and it drove me crazy. It's like I am here to work.

SPEAKER_02 51:45

Yeah, I don't need to be micromanaged.

SPEAKER_00 51:47

I don't yeah, I don't need you to come and check on me. I don't need you to, you know.

SPEAKER_02 51:52

Yeah, I'm the same way.

SPEAKER_00 51:54

Give me a job and leave me alone, you know.

SPEAKER_02 51:56

Let me do my thing. I know what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_00 51:58

So I think that's why, like, for me, I like I'm good, but it freaks me out. Yeah, there are times where it's like, holy crap. So, you know, obviously, and and the market, you know, you there's things you can control, and then there's things you absolutely cannot control. Yep. What's the best thing a homeowner can do? Or let's say not a homeowner, let's say somebody wants to come to you, they're the first-time home buyer. What is the number one best thing they could do to get themselves prepared to buy?

SPEAKER_02 52:28

I would say sit down with your professionals. You want to sit down with a real estate agent and you want to sit down with a lender. The lender is gonna sit there and tell you pretty much exactly what you need to do in the next six to twelve months to purchase a home if you can't already purchase a home. A lot of times home buyers don't even realize that they are already capable of purchasing a home, but they just haven't done their research on the different loan programs or the assistant programs or whatever it is. Because we don't the thing is good real estate agents don't want you to be house poor. If you're not ready to buy a home, we're not forcing you to buy a home. So I'd say that's the number one thing. I just had this conversation actually with somebody yesterday who is knows they're not ready to buy a home, but they also haven't talked to a real estate professional in over five and a half years. So he's like, I know from what they said five years ago that I'm not where I need to be. And there are a lot of programs out there now that require 0% down to buy a home or 3.5% down to buy a home. So I say that's the number one thing. I we don't care if you're ready to buy today, but let's get you set up so you know exactly what you need to be doing to buy in six months, or to buy in 12 months, or to buy like whenever you're feeling comfortable with buying. Yeah. So just setting up and actually being prepared to do that. Because I mean, we even have people are like, well, I can't buy because my credit's so bad. I have a debt assistant company that I send people to left and right because they're just gonna go get their credit fixed and then they're gonna be ready to buy a home.

SPEAKER_04 53:48

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_02 53:49

So like we have the resources to also help you get to that point. It's just about close mouths, don't get fed. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:54

So yeah, yeah. Well, and I think projecting my thought on other people, those ignorant people out there. I I think one of it, I mean, number one, I think we are told to never talk to anybody about our money situations, right? Yeah. And I'm broad brushing. So a lot of people kind of hold those cards really close to the best. Yep. And then the other thing is there's this perception of if you don't have 10% down, you can't buy a home. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 54:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:26

And you sit in, and I think about I mean, my stepdaughter and her boyfriend just bought a house in September, I think, in East Mesa. But we were they were in a one-bedroom apartment, and I feel like they're more than their mortgage.

SPEAKER_02 54:41

Yeah. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 54:42

And I'm like, there's gotta be a way.

SPEAKER_02 54:45

Yeah, and that's the thing. Like there is, and the the biggest thing I like to preach to people is the equity part of it. Because you're paying somebody else's mortgage, you're helping somebody else have generational wealth, and to me, that's sickening. Yeah, it actually like makes me sick to my stomach thinking that there are people out there who I know can afford a mortgage because they're paying more for their rent than they would a mortgage, and they're just not willing to take the step to see what it would take to do that.

SPEAKER_04 55:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 55:10

And then they go listen to their uncle's brother's, sister's child, whatever it may be, who hasn't sold a house in 15 years and thinks the market's the exact same.

SPEAKER_04 55:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 55:18

So I'd say that's just like the number one thing. Talk to somebody who's currently in the business and then see what the next steps are. Cause at the end of the day, like I know my heart and how I want people, especially the ones around me, I know where I want them to be, and I want them to be able to build that equity.

SPEAKER_04 55:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 55:34

And so I'm gonna be so transparent with them on when I think is a good time to buy, when I think it's not a good time to buy, if I think they should buy. And I think that's just getting in front of the people to actually have those conversations with.

unknown 55:45

Huge.

SPEAKER_00 55:46

Do you have, I mean, uh as a real estate agent, I would assume you have people in your pocket that you work very closely with that can help people kind of all the way.

SPEAKER_02 55:57

I do, I do, I do. Um, I have a whole list of I call it my vendors list, and I vet all my I call them actually my power partners, and I vet all of my power partners. I don't want to work with people that don't want to work with me or that I don't want to work with. And so why would I want my client to work with that same person kind of thing? So over the years, I mean it's I've still done a lot of trial and error with different people in my pocket, but I've gotten into a really good spot where I know now like the power partners that I do have, if there isn't somebody I have, I know I can go hit them up and I bet you they have somebody who's just as good that they I can send to this person.

SPEAKER_04 56:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 56:27

So we do like it's and it's it's a small world. I mean, this business is a small, very small business. Everybody knows everybody, and so we know who good, bad, great, all the things.

SPEAKER_00 56:38

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Golf. You've only been playing four years, which surprises me.

SPEAKER_01 56:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 56:46

Must be the softball thing.

SPEAKER_02 56:47

Something, something.

SPEAKER_00 56:49

Maybe it's in your blood.

SPEAKER_02 56:50

I'm a visual learner.

SPEAKER_00 56:51

Yeah, but it seems like it's more than just a game for you. Talk to me about how golf has helped you maybe through the last four years, maybe build your business. Yeah. Has it has it helped you?

SPEAKER_02 57:02

Golf has honestly kind of changed my life, and I hope my brother doesn't hear that because he's like, I told you to start playing. So, I mean, if it wasn't for the golf course, that's where I met all my friends when I first moved to Arizona. So I don't know what I'd be doing if it wasn't for Octave golf course to begin with. And then starting to play more has allowed me to get closer to a lot of these people that I met at the golf course because now I can actually go have those one-on-ones conversations with them, get to know them better. And then I joined a ladies league who have been so welcoming. And I actually put on a wine tasting for them a couple weeks ago and got three leads from it. There's only 10 of us there. And then with the golf tournament, I think golf has really just given me more of a I mean, this is ties into real estate as well. It's given me a platform to use. It's given me like something that I can focus on that I know I love to do. And the best advice I've ever gotten when it comes to real estate is do what you love to do, go where you love to go, and the people that you want to work with you are gonna be there.

SPEAKER_04 57:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:58

Because you guys are gonna match. And that's kind of where golf came in is I I might suck at golf some days, but I love it. I love being outside. I hate being inside, being on a computer. I'm a relational person, I don't want to sit there and cold call every single day. And so it has really just changed the way I do business. And the hard part is it is slower building because it is. I mean, I'm on a four-hour round with three other people who they might not be looking.

SPEAKER_00 58:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 58:25

So the next week when I go off, who knows? Maybe that those they are.

unknown 58:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 58:29

So yeah, it really is.

SPEAKER_00 58:30

But you never know when somebody like my worst right. I always say I'm the worst salesperson in the world because I'm just relationship. Like I just want to be your friend. I'm like a little stupid lap puppy. Exactly for little retrievers. Be nice to me. Yeah, exactly. I just want to be friends.

SPEAKER_01 58:43

Yeah. Just be friends. Just be friends, please.

SPEAKER_00 58:45

And I don't, I hate asking people for business, right? I hate propositioning people for business. But I feel like, at least in my brain, I hope that it may not be you that ever says, Hey, Yon, I need insurance. I may never say, Hey, Brett, I need a house. But there may be a time when somebody's like, God, I'm looking looking to buy a house. I'm like, you know what? I know a couple of really good realist realtors.

SPEAKER_04 59:10

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 59:10

Because I feel like just like with insurance agents, realtors are the same, we're not right for everybody. Right. You know, I'm gonna clash with some people, I'm gonna do really good with some people. Yeah, and then there's gonna be that middle ground somewhere that, and whatever. Yep, you know.

SPEAKER_01 59:24

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 59:25

So I always like to say, hey, you know what? You're looking to buy a house. I know here's a couple people. Yeah, vet them. Yep, you know, have conversations.

SPEAKER_01 59:33

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 59:33

You're not married to any one of them until you think, yeah. Until you actually pick.

SPEAKER_02 59:38

Yeah, exactly. I actually that's one of the first things that we were taught coming into real estate is have three lenders. Because not everybody's gonna be each other's cup of tea. Have three lenders, have three inspection companies. Because then also, if say this lender really screws up and that comes back on you, technically, if that's the only person you send them.

SPEAKER_04 59:55

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 59:56

Whereas you gave them three options and you chose that. Sorry.

SPEAKER_04 59:59

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:00

But I mean, but another example, I have a one of my good friends, she has somebody in her life that is her real estate agent. And I know that and I respect that. I'm not gonna be mad at her for using her. But I also know that she, if she runs into somebody who is looking to buy herself, she's probably gonna think of me first versus her real estate agent.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:18

And that's something that I you have to keep that in mind and why it's so important to not burn any bridges.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:23

What's almost more important than for her to use you.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:26

Because now it's like, okay, well, I could get the one. Or I can get five. Or I could get five or six or ten or whatever it is.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:33

You know, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:34

So that's that's cool.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:35

Yeah, it's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:36

If if somebody was listening to the podcast right now and they were and they were either thinking about getting into real estate or they've been in real estate for a while, what's some advice that you would give them besides don't do it?

SPEAKER_02 1:00:48

Don't do it. No, I would say be moldable. Real estate is a forever-changing business, and being in it only the few years I've had, it's already changed so much. And I think this actually this year will be the highest amount of agents retiring. And I think that's because of how much it is changing and how it is switching kind of to social media and AI and all of that. So I would say learn as much as you can before getting into it and while you're into it, be moldable, and if you decide to get into it, go full force.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:24

Yeah. So has there been anybody in your path, in the real estate path that has helped you, I mean, along the way? Your Keller Williams is out here. I'm with Keller Williams. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:34

Yeah, actually, I have he's turned into one of my best friends. Actually, I met him. We have what's called Mega Camp, and this is gonna make his his ego bigger than it already is. But he I met him in Mega Camp. He's actually the GM of one of my brokerages and and part investor as well. And when I first met him, we just clicked and we were able to roll ideas off each other, and I was able to just vent to him and kind of build that relationship, and that was two and a half years ago. And since then, I know it doesn't matter what time of day it is, it doesn't matter what I'm doing, I can call him and say, I need help. I don't know what I'm doing. This can you tell me that I'm a good agent? Can you like just he gives me the affirmations I need, he helps, he's brilliant when it comes to real estate, and he's probably been my biggest one that's kept me chugging along. I have quite a few others. I mean, my productivity coach getting into real estate, she was huge for me. Another, an old team leader, he's been huge for me. And these are all people that see all the potential in me as well. So it's super fun for me to listen to them kind of like, you know, you do have this, like you can do this. And then of course, I just have the greatest support system ever.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:37

So that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:38

Yeah, I'm very blessed.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:40

Where do you go from here? What what what is what is the big grand plan for Brett?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:46

Yeah, as of right now, we are just taking it one day at a time. When it comes to real estate, I do see, I mean, I will continue to leverage my real estate business and help those around me when it comes to the nonprofit. But I do eventually want to have my own team. I want people, I want to be able to build other people up and help them get to a level that I know so many agents are capable of getting to, but just don't have the right mentorship to get there. But I think right now we're we're on the Brett train. We are we're rooting for Brett and we're just gonna keep chugging along. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:19

If you could go back and visit your eighth grade self who got line drived in the ribs, was it eighth grade?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:27

Yep. I got it right. It's going in, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:30

And you could give her some advice that you think would help you today. What would that advice be?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:37

Oof, that's kind of deep. I would tell her that she's gonna be okay. I tell her that anything, any struggle that comes, she's she's gonna get through it. She's made it through 100% of all her problems, and it's just gonna shape her and turn her into the most amazing human. So that's what I would tell her.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:53

Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:54

One more question. Okay. Anybody sitting on the fence of making a very big decision, do you have advice?

SPEAKER_02 1:04:03

Make a pros and cons list. I'm a list girl. Write it down, look over it, and me being a Christian, pray about it, journal about it. I I don't even want to tell you to ask your friends and family because that sometimes can get messy in your head, but find one or two close friends or family that you know you can trust and can listen to their advice, get that, write that down too, pray about it some more, and then go cross off pros and cons and just do your pros and cons list. I'd say that's the best thing ever.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:31

So anything else we need to know about Brett?

SPEAKER_02 1:04:33

I don't know. I think I think we covered quite a bit.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:36

Well, hey, I appreciate you coming on. Thank you for sharing both about all in. Yes. Um, and that was all in all in empoweringfutures.com.com or org. We'll find out. And then how do people find you for real estate?

SPEAKER_02 1:04:52

Yeah, Instagram's gonna be the easiest one. It's at move with Brett and B-R-E-T-T, two Ts. And yes, the boy's name.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:58

Just like the guy spells it.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:59

Yep, George Brett, Brett Favre. I'm just better than Brett Favre. So just remember that. But yeah, Instagram's gonna be the easiest thing. Who's your football team? Broncos.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:08

Oh, I forgot.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:09

Definitely. And Bowie Trust. All the I love my Colorado teams. I love them. But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:16

Uh well, hey, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:18

Yes, thank you. I appreciate this.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:19

Yeah, and we will we'll link in your bio uh when you get we get you on the podcast, both um all in and your real estate stuff so people can find you on the on the website. I do have a gift for you. Everybody who comes on gets a gift.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:33

We love presents.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:34

Um that is for you. Thank you. Um you get a challenge coin, you've accepted the challenge, and you went above and beyond, and so I appreciate that. And then now we've been enjoying a drink, so you get a customized tumbler. Is that a tumbler? I don't know if that is a whiskey glass.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:50

Yeah, I'd say a whiskey glass.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:52

Um, but it's it it has Brett with two T's on the back.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:55

Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:56

Yeah, so your yours in the box is uh super cool. Nice to you, Roxane Calligraphy does those for us.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:03

Well, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:04

Thank you very much. I appreciate it. And uh look forward to getting to know you and we'll get out on the golf course sometime.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:10

We'll have to actually see how bad I am.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:12

Well, hey, you can see how bad I am.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:14

That'll be great.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:15

Anyways, awesome.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:16

Well, thank you. Thank you. All right. This is Brett Johnson, and I went above and beyond.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:22

Lunch mobs buzzing ideas in the air. Authentic connections, the kind that heals from Palm Springs, the pine top grace. A PM's network spans every place. Above our network. We're going above and beyond, reaching new eyes. In networking realms, scaling the eyes from mixers to gulf. Our spirits unite.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:06

APN's the beacon, our guiding light.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:15

So here's to APN where dreams align. In every connection, a chance to shine. Above and beyond, we'll always drive. In APN's network, we truly thrive.