The other day, I chose to be brutally honest with a “coach” who was trying to pitch me.

I have had countless coaches try to “help” me make my YouTube videos better. And while I don’t doubt that they can help me do exactly what they say they can do, I still don’t think they can move the needle for me.

You see, it is because they want me to look like the model they have in their head. They want to manipulate me (my content) to resemble other successful content. What they fail to realize is, that being different is the reason why I have found success.

You are not going to get what you want unless you give what they want.

That is how the world works. I don’t know why real estate agents and content creators like to think any other way. When you aren’t being genuinely helpful people can see right through you. They smell you, and you repel them.

When we create content, it is said to be doing one of two things. Attracting our “target audience” (I like to think of this person as my dream client), or pushing them away (repelling, turning off).

This is the most important thing we need to remember about our content. Content does so much we cannot see. It tells a second story that can only be felt.

What second story does your content tell?

My content tells people that I am not perfect, and I am okay with not being perfect, as long as there is value in that rawness.

My content tells people I am professional, and I care about certain things over other things.

My content tells people that I care about them by not holding anything back.

My content tells people that I am honest to the point of almost being too honest.

My content tells people what my values are. Family.

My content tells people I am real, which is the common thread between them and me. This allows me to relate to almost everyone.

What can someone else teach me about being myself that I don’t already know?

The cool thing about showing up as you is that you know exactly how to do it. You don’t have to think, but you do need to know your content.

So, my advice for someone just starting out with video or in real estate?

My Advice for the Newbies

Be yourself. Show up as you.
If you aren’t professional, you are not going to attract people who will treat you professionally.
Only talk about what you know. If you don’t know anything, you can start there.
If you don’t know anything, then show something. (As a real estate agent you can document your city, neighborhoods, restaurants, retail spaces, and exactly what life looks like where you live.)
Be real. Be human.
Place yourself in your dream clients' shoes. What questions can you answer?
Document over create.
More is more. More is the fastest way to the top. More is the fastest way to gain experience.
Don’t fall for the Bernie Madoffs of the coaching world. — I beg you to hire a coach with undeniable and accessible social proof that they are doing exactly what they are teaching you how to do. Screenshots and proclamations of how much money they have made should not persuade you to do business with them. These people are master manipulators. If it seems too good to be true, it is.
Find a role model and mentor, but don’t worship them.

And why should you take advice from me? Well, I grew my business from nothing, in an area of town, where I knew no one. My story is a little embarrassing, but I was newly divorced, pregnant, and raising five kids with a partner that traveled, as a brand new real estate agent in an industry I knew nothing about.

I started hustling because I didn’t have any other choice. I used Craigslist as the foundation of my grassroots marketing, and the leads flew in. I was handling a hundred at a time. All leasing leads. (I get tried just thinking about it. Lol.) I got my experience fast. I was the “yes man” who helped anyone and everyone, including all of the agents in my office.

I made $10k in the last three months of 2015. This allowed us to finally buy a couch. Lincoln was born in January. That year I made $50k. The next year a little shy of $100k. Then I found Yelp. The next year a little shy of $200k. I still didn’t have full-time childcare. That next year I made a little shy of $300k. Then I found YouTube. That year I made about $500k. Then I started to get serious about blogging and social media. The next year $800k. Then I hit my stride with my omnipresence. The following year over $900k. (Gross commissions, with a little rounding for simplicity’s sake.)

I do not share these numbers to brag, but to paint a picture. And this picture isn’t for me. It is for you. I want to help you.

I have a lot of free information out there. I have my podcast, my blog, my YouTube, and my Instagram, plus I am creating a course right now, “How to Conquer Google in Baby Steps”. You can find it here. It is being designed for real estate agents, but anyone can use it. I can teach you how to build your legacy. That is my promise to you.

I hope to meet you, hear your story, and change your life.

Love ya lots. Hugs, Jo.