Building a Genuine Personal Brand on LinkedIn

Hey, what's up? This is Jeff Zimfer, your host of the Mortgage Marketing Radio podcast. Thank you for tuning in once again. A quick favor to ask of you if you've been listening for some time. I'd love to reach more people with our podcast and in the show notes here down below is a link for you to leave a review of the podcast. So just go ahead and tap that link where it says, leave a review and it'll take you over to a site where you can leave us your feedback on how you are liking the podcast and getting value. What's like your one big idea? How long have you been listening to it? Just let us know. Leave us a podcast review there. I'd appreciate it. And what I'm going to be doing is I'm going to be browsing those people who leave a review and I'm going to be shouting them out so that could be you on the podcast and then you're going to be DMing me where you can get some free swag. Bring in the swag back, t-shirts and all that fun stuff. So go ahead and tap that podcast review. Leave us a review. We appreciate it. Before I get into these weeks, this week's episode, I wanted to tell you about our latest win of the week. As you know, we're in a challenging market. There's a what we call I've heard this phrase the other day. It's not a housing recession. It's a transaction recession. So we're going to have a decrease of transactions for a period of time. So the question is, what do you do? Well, I think what I'm seeing the most successful people do out there right now is continue to grab market share, right? Go into the market, increase awareness, increase engagement, grab conversations, because you know, conversations leads to contracts. So my quick win of the week from one of our mortgage marketing pro, my agent classes members is Janelle Davis. What's up Janelle? She hosted our winning strategies for buyers, agent class, which we help agents navigate the post NAR world and help them deliver their value proposition more effectively to buyers so that buyers choose them. And Janelle hosted this class just yesterday, as I'm recording this, 33 agents attended huge hit. And she took two unsolicited calendar appointments, three email responses from the automated email that goes out saying yes, we'd like to work with you. And she hasn't even gotten back to her desk yet. So good. So good. Guys, now's the time. Land grab market share agents are hungry. You can be that lighthouse. You can help guide them. This is what we help you do. Learn more. Go to mortgage marketing.pro. Check out the other success stories there. Grab a call with me. We'll see if you're at right fit for us. And we are the right fit for you. Mortgage marketing.pro. Okay, special guest. I am thrilled to bring to you this week, who's become a fast friend. I'm talking about Raquel, Rocky, Boris. She is the self proclaimed queen of goofiness, brand strategist speaker, creator at the rock, the boat show. She's all about youth empowerment and bridging the generational gap. And we have a really cool, just authentic conversation about, right? What it means to be real on authentic and to be transparent to be you and to give yourself permission to be you. What does a personal brand mean in this world? How do you show up? Well, online, right? How do you build an audience and a following? And how do you make an impact in the difference out there? So we're going to put links to everything Raquel does in the show notes. We'll link to her link in her YouTube channel and all the good stuff. So without further ado, let's get into this week's show. Raquel, welcome to the show. Thank you for having me. Who is Raquel? Raquel Boris and what is she all about? What do you want to tell the listeners? Who are you? What do you want to do? Loaded question, Jeff, because I know, right? I'm going to be 49 next month. And I'm already and I get it right in there. And I've been going to therapy every single week for five months now. And I'm really trying to figure out who I am. Oh, awesome. Besides of me, I think that's something that as we get older, like I don't want to be labeled or put in a box like there's so many wonderful facets to me. So to try to explain like who I am is kind of difficult. I'm not going to lie. Well, then, then let's do this. Let's take a page. No, I know. Right. And by the way, I appreciate that. That's we're going to have a great conversation. Um, let's then take a page. Let's break this down. If I was to go to your LinkedIn, we're going to share links to all your stuff for people who want to follow you. But, um, by the way, should I call you Rocky? You can. I get rock. I can. Or Rocky. You do. Do you have a preference? Oh, it depends on. Do we? Are we comfortable enough with each other? I can call you Rocky. Yes. Yes. Okay. All right. I may, I may do that. Um, but according to your LinkedIn profile, you are the queen of goofiness, a brand strategist, a speaker, creator at the rock, the boat show youth, empowerment, bridging the generational gap. You're right. That is a varied. That is a lot going on. Yeah. Right. You're out of characters on. I tell people I'm kind of like a walking oxymoron a lot of times because, you know, someone who loves sports, loves football, but then I love going to the symphony and, you know, love my hip hop, but I love classical music. You know, I can, I love being goofy, but I can be, you know, serious and I like to get deep. Um, yeah. So that's kind of like, all right. So I love what you said on your YouTube channel, rock the boat, our, that's our AK, by the way, rock the boat. We can link that up as well. Q, sorry, sorry, see my energy drinks is kicking in. Call number five today. Um, what are they? What is that whole? It's like, it's a letter. It sounds like what it isn't. But what you say in there is like, there are no interview questions. We hit record and see what the conversation takes us and that's what we're doing here today. So on that note, you just mentioned you dig some rap. You dig some symphony, right? Yes. Now it makes me curious, who's your shortlist for rap? Cause I'm like, you know, I got a 20 year old and a 22 year old. And of course they've introduced me to the world of rap. Yes. You, you have, do you have to go to shortlist? It's funny because I have a 23 and 20 year old and they have exposed me to the recent rap, which I'm not a big fan of. I love my 90s. I love my Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre. Oh, gee, baby. Yeah. Yeah. West Coast East Coast rivalry. Yeah, West Coast kind of gal just, I guess, being the name from San Diego, it makes sense, right? Two Pock Biggie Smalls. Yeah. Yeah. So I actually got to witness two Pock at a hotel in Beverly Hills just two weeks before, really? Yeah. Yeah. It was, but I was like, you called in for questioning? No, but I was like, no, growing, when he walked into the lobby, I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm like, gosh, it's two Pock. That's cool. That's cool. Yeah. So I get super excited when it's the 90s. Yeah. So Spotify has an awesome playlist, which is like West Coast rap. I think is one of them. There's a lot of playlists in Spotify just as a tip for anybody who might want to check out some of that. Oh, gee. It's kind of cool. So my, my son turned me on to Travis Scott. And by the way, my son does the audio bumper for this podcast intro music, just FYI, I was saying as we're talking about him. That's his, he's in music production right now for his career in college. So cool. Right, which is why I had him do it, right? Yeah. And so he turned me on to Travis Scott. And I knew of Kanye and all that stuff. And this is some of the board, you know, even though Kanye has been around a long time. But like Travis Scott, do you know of him at all? Of course. I do. I have some of his songs on my like. So to me, I understand what you're saying. And everybody right now is like, what the hell is going on? They're talking about rap on mortgage marketing radio. Yeah, we are. Because there's no notes, right? This is one of those awesome condos. But trust me, hang with us. And this is going to lead to an amazing. Yeah. But I feel like you just mentioned, you know, mortgage marketing, you know, it's, I have interest in 90s rap, which helps my kind of creativity. It helps me create content and helps with my marketing. So I think it let's know. Okay. I like that. I like that. Thanks for like tying that back in, right? Maybe I should let you lead the show right now. Okay. So and that's a good segue back into like you being a brand strategist. I'm trying to bring up your LinkedIn again. I don't know what happened to it. But identify when you hear the word personal brand, what, what, how do you quantify or what does that mean to you personal branding? To me, it's just you. It's who you are. But you're putting yourself out there online so people can. So that persona, I guess you will. So that would be let's carry this from the conversation about rap. Does that mean like if you're, you're on your Instagram, whatever, and you want to, are you going to share like one of the songs you like from Snoop Dogg or whatever or just let people know that, hey, you're a, you're an old school rap fan. I mean, I'm not going to maybe tell you, but I might use the music on some of my girls. Okay. Or if I in my car sometimes, or I'm listening to something, I'll screenshot the song. Oh, right. That's what I mean. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, but get an idea of like, oh, that's what she's listening to. Right. A lot of times it starts a conversation. And that's what you want. Okay. Um, all right. So what is it that you ex, what do you do, recal? You're the external brand communications manager at New American Funding. Yes. Okay. Uh-huh. So I was just promoted to that role and that role was a created for me. And I think that's something that's, I don't talk a lot about in the, in the space that I'm forging my own path. Like, I think people forget that you have the ability to do that even in a maybe industry or a space that you didn't think there be any room for you. And I started out in the mortgage industry, not knowing where it was going to take me. You know, usually you're like, oh, you're going to be a loan originator and everyone assume that because I'm a people person, but I didn't want to originate loans. So I essentially just created my own path. And here nine years later, brand, you know, external brand communications manager that was created for me as well. Just being that it encompasses what I love to do, which is the social media content creation. I love going to conferences and networking and building relationships. I love collaborating. I love, I just like being someone that is out there trying to make a positive impact in any possible way I can. So if it's in the mortgage industry, what better way to do that than to kind of be someone that's out there educating the population on home ownership, but in a fun way. And in a way where, you know, I love to empower you. So what better way to do that than power them financially and empower them in a way where, you know, everything doesn't seem so daunting to them. So I think it's kind of cool that I've become kind of this like I almost say that I'm like a conduit to like the mortgage industry and then just like the everyday person. Because even though I've been in the industry for nine years, I have my NMLS. I still feel like I'm your everyday consumer that's still trying to figure it out, learn. And so I just kind of think about how would I want to consume content or how would I want to learn about something. And for me, it's I want to learn about it in like a fun way, a way that's relatable, a way that connects with the emotionally. And so I pretty much do all this very intuitively, Jeff, like I'm not someone that studied marketing or social media or any of or especially if we look at your major, which was art history, right? History. Wow. And I'm an artist like I grew up in an artistic family like my mom's an artist, my great aunt. So it's kind of cool that I get to be like creativity in this capacity. And it just goes to show that you just never know where you like life and your career can take you because there's careers that we don't even know are going to exist yet. You know, down the road, like when I came into mortgage, we know whenever I spoke on personal brandy, right, right, like having a brand or you know, having an online presence to help promote your company or what you do, like that didn't exist. You know, TikTok was hadn't even started yet. Instagram was just in the picture phase. Right. Oh, my gosh. Geez. I have this job. You just nine years ago, people would have been like, what? That's crazy. You know, the old saying, oh, you just aged yourself. Like, yeah, I did. I used to reference the other day. And that was my wife asked me. She was like, she didn't know the reference. I said, goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are. Do you know that one? Cause I'm 48. I don't know what that means. I got, I got a decade on you. I'm a decade older. Decade plus one. Anyway, that's a, for anybody who knows what that reference is, DM me on Facebook. And you get a free shirt and a call with me. How's that? Oh, my God. I'm gonna have to Google it. But you got a call. I just need to get you a shirt. No, what I was going to say was when you gave that reference of when Instagram started with just pictures and image, like that flashed in my brain for a second of like remembering what that, and that feels so long ago. You know what I mean? To where Instagram is today. Exactly. Even when I got on LinkedIn, I just celebrated my 10 year anniversary with LinkedIn. When I got on, it was completely different too. Like, what did he get you? What did Mr. LinkedIn get you? I didn't get me anything, but I was part of their content creator program. So I do have a LinkedIn creator sweatshirt. It's a really nice hoodie. And I know thanking me for creating content. People love swag. The thing is I never would have thought that LinkedIn would have been the social media platform that's the one that I've thrived the most and the one that I love the most. Like, back in the day, I would have never said, oh, this professional platform would be my favorite because I don't look at myself as some very polished professional professional person. So for it to be the one platform that I recognize the most and follow the most, it's really quite funny. Well, okay, now we're going to dig deep. So people who are listening and you stuck with it, this is it's getting juicy. So do you think you need to be polished and professional on LinkedIn? You don't, but what I have acknowledged is that you do have to respect your community, your following your network. I feel like there's a level of respect there where it's not that I have to be polished or professional, but I have to put myself out there in a way where it's acknowledging what the platform is and what it is that I'm trying to do. So there is a consciousness there of like, okay, do you have to at least honor what LinkedIn is all about? But that makes sense. What is it all about? I danced to Millie Vanille too. On LinkedIn? Yeah, but it was a full circle moment because I had posted five years ago around the same time, dancing to Millie Vanille. I was working for a different mortgage company. The president had requested Millie Vanille because I was doing like a fun Friday thing. And I remember somebody was like really mean, reposted that post and said something nasty. And then I had to delete it. And then it almost got me off of LinkedIn, but then Michael Hammond, without even knowing anything, made a post about me the next day, how people should follow me. So then I stayed on. So it was this whole thing, but it really was like I was questioning myself of like, oh my gosh, am I doing something wrong? And so I did the, so Scott actually, Scott Parsons was like, you know what? I dare you to like post again, dancing to Millie Vanille tomorrow because it's Friday and just kind of have it be a full circle moment. And I did that. That was just several weeks ago. Well, it makes me really curious. So I'm sure people are like, okay, so that makes no sense. But it was, it was me trying to show that you have to be able to be 100% who you are and be very authentic in order for people to really want to like connect with you and follow you and get to know you. And so it was, it would be like a disservice to people if I wasn't showing that side of me. But there's still a side of me that it can be like I said, can be serious, can we know? Of course, at the right time. Be that person. But at the same time, I have to show that side of me too. And it's that side of me, to be honest, Jeff, that has gotten people to follow me. I had a couple people on that post message me separately and said, I think it was that particular post that got me to follow you because you were just fun and different and you were doing something completely different on the end. And it wanted me to get to know you. So it just goes to show you that that side of me was really what drew people in. Which makes the point of the question I asked, which is do you think you need to be all serious and polished to be on LinkedIn? Answer no. You can do Millie Vanille skits and grow your following. Yeah. But that, but the respect part was the fact that I grew my following and I got them to trust me and and understand what I was doing and understand my journey so that when I was posting goofy stuff, they understood where it was coming from. They knew that I was still taking the platform seriously and taking what I do seriously. Okay. So that's what I tell people, like if you're going to jump on LinkedIn, for instance, and you've been on Instagram and TikTok all this time, you have to understand, like, the audience is a little different. So maybe don't like Sully start doing crazy TikTok Instagram stuff at first because people might be like, wait, wrong platform. Like too soon. Right? Yeah, too. Exactly. Too soon. And I think that's where I'm trying to like. Okay. This is a good. I love this. Let's let's double click as they say and go deeper on this. I think I just aged myself again. But let's let's before you be Sully or reveal your goofy side, right? You have to establish some presence and credibility and maybe some engagement points. Okay. So what would those look like for those that are looking to establish that first? Like what would be is this more of the more traditional useful educational type content? Well, it doesn't not, it's not necessarily that you have to put out this useful educational content. It's just sharing who you are. But in a way that is genuine, right? Like there are people that are getting our newer on LinkedIn. And I love that they're also kind of being very transparent about the fact that this is like they're starting their social media journey. And how are they transparent? Are they saying it? Yeah, I tell people to say that. It's funny how many loan officers or just people in general that I have. They're like, well, what do I say? I'm like just be honest, say that this is your very first video. So I've had people on there that were inspired to post a video and do a video. And they'll say in their video, I was inspired by Raquel to just do it. And this is my first time. And I love it because usually the engagement and the comments are people like, oh my gosh, you did great. Keep going. Like good for you. Like there's that support. Right. The rooting for you. I'm like, people are going to want to root for you. Right. So be honest about it. If it's your first video, like who cares? Let people know. I mean, you got to start somewhere. What I'm looking at your videos right now. You're your threat of posts. And trying to net an incredible journey and of itself. Is there a balance that you lean in on video versus images on Instagram's a little bit unique too in terms of the content. So we're talking about LinkedIn specifically. But I don't know that I've done here actually quite a while. So let's continue to lead with this. Yeah. Video LinkedIn is leaning more towards video two. If you see their format, they just kind of now have they were beta testing it for a while. I got to beta test it. Now it looks like I think it's for everybody where it is like a talk tick-tock Instagram real feed now on LinkedIn. Right. So obviously they want more video on there because video it's easier to connect with your audience than with the picture. And that's why I do video because I feel like the way I speak my mannerisms, my laugh, just kind of like my personality comes through video, not a picture. Right. And that's why I do that. And I mean, because I understand that like I get it. You know, like I understand that I'm good on video. So that's why I continue to do it. So you lean in. It's just fun for me. Right. Oh, so was there a time where it was uncomfortable and maybe a little bit. The first video I ever did in 2018, my ex-husband and my kids made so much fun. I mean, when I went over to my exes that day and I had done a video promoting Nara if I think in the president, she's like, just do a video. And I'm like, all right. So I even said like because of Sarah Rodriguez, I'm doing this video. But like the angle and I was so stiff and I thought I had to be this like polished professional person. So it didn't come across authentic to the people that knew me. They were like mom. That was so cringy. So awkward. And it took a while for me to get comfortable in front of my phone. It did. That's true for everybody. I had this like idea of what I was supposed to look like. Ah, see that was the thing. It was more of like, oh, if I'm doing video, then I got to sound like I'm a keynote speaker. And I'm in an audience of 500 people. Right. That was thinking. Now I'm like, who cares? Okay. So in regards to your content or I'm wondering if you have any type of strategy or do you just like go in the moment and press record and upload or what do you do? Yeah, I'm more in the moment kind of gal. Like I'm someone that almost likes to do everything the opposite way or not necessarily opposite, but not do what everybody else is doing to prove to people that you can do it your way and still be successful at it and still gain a following and still have an impact. So I do that on purpose. So when there was a point in time where everybody was so like set on like what are the best times to post the best days? And you know, and then there are people were tagging everyone in their mother. Like a lot of people still do that. Like I never was that person. I always posted in real time because I wanted people to really get a sense of like, oh, she was just at this event or she just had this moment and she wants to share it with us right now because like it's fresh in her mind. And so that's why I do that. So and nothing's curated. I don't schedule anything. I do everything myself. Like I tell people all the time I'm a one woman show. Like it really is all me editing the videos. Everything. Do you edit on your mobile phone? I do everything on my mobile phone. All right. So just I have to fill in the gap here. What are you using for your phone video recording apps? In shot is my favorite app. And I've been using it for years. And I got a premium account from the beginning and it's worth it. It's really not that expensive. And they keep adding features. So they added captions. So now you can add captions. They added all these other features as well that they're just always evolving. And they have everything that you can think of. Music. The last video I did, the little dueling in the background. That was in shot. The way you can split your videos. It's really easy on in shot too. That was something that I didn't know until like recently. And I was like, how did I not know this up until now? That was a game changer. And was there? I assume a learning curve of learning how to use an app like in shot? Yeah. I'm still like I said, I didn't know anything about the split videos until recently. And that has changed everything for me because it is it's helped me with just my time. Because I'm not like editing the video separately and then putting them together. If that makes sense, like you're able to split, like you can even delete them. Because it's so good to have like on like a half a second. Yeah. So those are the type of things that I had to kind of just figure out over time. There's an arm. Did you have to this is what I find for me on this content journey is that I had to start to train my brain to create awareness for content capture opportunities. That makes sense. For example, last night I was out at the Phantom Blue Hotel here in Las Vegas, which is this new swanky hotel. There's a whole story behind it. No, but it's a really it's the most luxurious hotel that has recently opened on the street. Anyway, it's beautiful inside. Really? I had a view of it from my room. Oh, you did. The summit. Yeah. I can see like the pool area. It looked super fancy. It's super fancy, super luxurious. It's sat vacant for 15 years, half built because the developer went bankrupt and all this stuff. So there's this long story behind it. And of course, it's a it's a well-known like local story here. But the point is this is I was there last night and I was I've got to this point now where I can walk into a place like that. And I'll most times remember to look for content capture opportunities. And in that hotel, there are several of them because it's so beautiful and artwork and this and that and the architecture. I'm wondering so that was a struggle for me like because I would walk around like a moron like forever, not even thinking like, dude, this is content. Why don't you capture? Did you have to kind of like learn that new, you know? Yeah. Yeah. And now I'm like obsessed. Now I'm that person like my mom makes fun of me all the time because years ago, like we'd go somewhere and I'm like, mom, take a picture of me inside of this. I'm like, I walk around and constantly thinking about how to create content. It's it's really kind of crazy at this point. Yeah. And I'll even tell people like, I remember I went walking the other day and my mom's neighborhood and there were these two guys that were doing like, would work for a home. And it was really cool what they were doing. And no one was recording it. And I was like, Hey, guys, like, why aren't you recording this? Like, this is like beautiful. You're doing this like, it was like a custom, a wood board or something for a kitchen. And they're like, yeah, we know we night, we got to get on social media. I'm like, you're missing out. I'm like, because I'm videoing this right now. And I'm talking about how you guys should be getting on social media. And if I had you, I would attack you guys. And they're like, yeah, we just, we yeah, we're trying to think, you know, yeah, like I'm thinking, oh my goodness, you guys are overthinking. I'm like, you know, and then you've got me. I'm like, I would have recorded this for you and given it to you. And then you guys could have posted it. So yeah, I'm that person that's even thinking about other people. So there's, there's two sides of that coin when I think about that. There's one I was someplace recently. I mean, I think I saw, I saw it at the gym probably where now, you know, you got people in the gym with their tripod and they're like recording themselves for their fitness video or whatever. And that's like interesting. But then there's the other side, I don't know if you've heard this example or joke where it's like, you know, one day the aliens are going to come down or whatever and see everybody holding their phones and doing all these selfies and stuff to be like, what is going on with that planet? You know, and I will tell you though, Jeff, that still embarrasses me. I will not pull my phone out when there's people around and I'm in public. I rarely ever do that. Like, I know there's a lot of people like Sue Wood or she's really good at the airport and videos there walking around. I'm embarrassed to do that. Like I still get super self conscious when it comes to that because when I see other people do that, it makes me feel uncomfortable so that I'm like, why am I going to do that? I want anybody else to. So it's my own thing. Like I rarely will take selfies. Yeah. Yeah. There's certain things I still have, I still have a line. Yeah. But people think that like I don't have any boundaries and I cross all lines. I'm like, no, there's still certain things that I just don't feel comfortable doing. It is an age thing though. Like because I have a niece who's in like 26 and like they have no problem taking selfies at nauseam wherever the hell they are. Oh yeah. I'll see women like doing crazy stuff and we're like walking by and I was like, so no, see that would, I mean, like you, there's an account on Instagram that I follow. It's called influencers in the wide. Yeah. Oh yeah. It's great. Larry is the things that people will do and not care. Yeah. And for me, yeah, I still have an issue with that. It's an age demographic thing I think. We are just a little bit more reluctant to do that. At least that's my unscientific being around younger people. I'll be in the card talking to my phone all the time. Sure. Sure. In public is a little different. Okay. All right. So then what do you advise for people? Because I think that's a constant, you know, we've talked about a couple of things here. One, we have to learn and train ourselves to be aware of like these content opportunities. And then second, I think what, what is a content opportunity, if you will? I mean, I talk about contents everywhere. It really is because I feel like there's a learning lesson in everything. Any kind of conversation that I have, a lot of times it's conversations that I have with just everyday people that's content for me because it's more relatable too. Like that's how I think about it too. I'm like, how can I have people relate to what I'm saying? So that's why I'm not someone that really curates my videos and has them edited, has everything kind of like super polished because that to me is like for a lot of people out of reach that they can't do that. So that's why I try to kind of just walk the walk as opposed to talk about it. I'll just do videos with no makeup on or filter like in the moment. And I do that on purpose to give permission for people to do the same because I feel like they won't do it unless they see other people do it, right? Like this right now. This is a content opportunity for people who can't see. I'm away from the mic because I'm taking a photo, right? But the photos didn't let damn face. You're like, but it was a selfie incident. I'm like, what the hell? I can't even, like, oh my god. Yeah. So like, if I'm getting ready for a Zoom call or on a Zoom, I'll take a scene or a behind the scene. Anything just to kind of have something out there because that's another thing too is you do want to train the algorithm for the platforms that you're on to know that you're posting and to push your content out. So there are little things to little nuances like that as well that are important. So think about that, right? You listening right now behind the scenes. You're prepping for calls. You're doing a prequel. You're going out to a realtor meeting, an open house, a broker preview. Like I'm thinking of all the things. Maybe you are, or maybe you're on a Zoom like you and I right now and I just snap that photo. Yeah. Like there are a lot of content opportunities when you think about it that people want to, it's weird. They want to like get these insights into your day. Like what do you do? Do I love that? Well, yeah. I mean, it doesn't that that's more intriguing to me, Jeff, when I'm scrolling through my feed. If there's a curated video, I most likely will not stop, but if I suddenly see a video of someone in their car. Really? In the moment with a baseball cap, I'm more inclined to want to hear what they have to say because I know it in the moment and it's raw and there's something about that rawness and being in the moment that is intriguing to me and that I want to hear because that's like people's true kind of genuine moments and to me that's what that attracts me. And this, remember, this is me. There are some people that are the opposite. And that's okay, but those are the type of people that I don't really want on my feed or really attract. I mean, yeah, right. It's okay. Like I'm honoring what it is that I like. There you go. That's the key to the content out that I like. So if someone likes polished content and likes that professional look, then they're most likely going to create that. And that's okay. Well, I think that's a really good point there to double click on, which is like you got to be true to yourself. You know, be true to your school. Like it's got to resonate with you. You can't fake it and be all polished, which is why this just popped into my head. Like when I was at the mastermind summit, like I can't wear a, I don't want to say can't. I am less me if I'm going to go present a keynote or something from in front of a room. If I'm wearing a blazer or a sport coat, I feel confined and trapped. And like I can't be free and be me, right? So I don't know if that that that's a parallel, but it's a similar example of like you got to be you. You can't like fake it. Yeah. Why all those people like have the backward hat game. Yeah, there's a lot of guys that are looking like that these days. And it's because that's who they are. They're going to be walking around like that. Like I mean, there's plenty of times where I come to work and I have a baseball cap or I do videos with baseball caps because I love to wear a baseball cap. And that's a lot of what I trust like every day. So I'm not going to not do videos. You wearing your two pack cap. Is that what you're wearing? No, I have, they're all, they're all like a sports teams, wherever they're going to kind of buy it. Padres, Dodgers, Angels. What? You can't do Padres and Dodgers. I can do what I want. Damn it. Well, because I'm not, because I don't, I don't have a baseball team. So when it comes to football, apparently you have two of them. Really? Yeah. Yeah. So when it comes to football, you won't find me buying ball caps from other football teams. Baseball, I don't care. Is that your sport baseball? You like baseball? That's all it's all good. Oh, sorry. Football is your sport. Chargers. Yeah, but yeah, I'm so loyal to the chargers that you'll never see me wearing like they went to LA. Like that was the biggest, like ridiculous thing of like why not friggin build a new stadium city of San Diego, you know? Jack Murphy. I know, believe me. Qualcomm. Yeah, I went to games at Jack Murphy and Qualcomm. It's a matter of fact, it was the one. Yeah, but I love my sport. I know, but see, I took my kids to a game at must have been Qualcomm because Jack Murphy's a long time ago, but Qualcomm stadium. Yeah. My kids were, this is going back 10 years. So now you know, my kids are like 10 or 12 back then. And I take them to their first NFL game and what happens? Three rows in front of us, a fight breaks out between these two drunk guys. And then we're on a way to the restroom. Some dudes thrown up in the trash can, you know? I'm like, welcome to your first NFL experience, kids. This is American professional football. God, I love it. I just, I'm a big fan of athletics. So I'm that person that's watching, like when it's the World Cup. Yeah. I love tennis. So I watch all the, all the tournaments, the Grand Slams. I, you know, yeah, World Series. I just, I appreciate sports. Yeah. So the, and didn't the World Cup. Is that happening? What was the game last night? The US got right now. You're peeing. That's what it was. European or US is out. They lost last night. Yeah. I know that because I was at the hotel. But um, okay. So be yourself. Um, capture content in the moment. Don't overthink it or overproduce it. Um, yeah. Just be. Well, I just think in, well, yeah. I mean, Jeff once again, like intuitively, I feel like that's where we're going. Our younger generations want more of that type of content. That's what they relate to. I mean, they're the ones that are literally changing the landscape. So I, you have kids that age, I have kids that age too. So I see it with my kids. I see that what they consume is completely different than what we, you know, we would consume and completely different than what a lot of us put out there. So that's why for me, I'm kind of also taking notes from what my kids are doing and saying and reacting and, and so forth. And, and, and they are just so different than I was at that age, so different. And so it's like having to kind of evolve in so many ways. Evolve as a parent. Yeah. You know, just the way a parent has evolved in the last 10 years because of social media. And, you know, in TikTok. So for me, that's why with rock the boat, it's so important because I want to bridge that gap, that generational gap and hear what they have to say so that we can relate more to them and understand where they're coming from. Because, you know, that's the same thing too. With as a content creator, a marketer, mortgage, home ownership, all of those things, you've got to understand the future generations and how to speak to them. And, uh, yeah. So I think it just all relates to one another. And so for, yeah, let's, let's talk about this briefly, rock the boat. Link in the show notes to your YouTube channel, rock the boat. What prompted this? Why did you create this? What's the genesis of it? I've always loved kids. I always thought I was going to be a teacher in some capacity. So I've always had just affinity for, for the youth. There's something about them that just like the innocence and the playfulness and all of that. And I love that because it gets, you know, I get to kind of be that kid when I'm around them. And there's something about that that I just love. And just being a mother of two kids that are going through COVID, going through social media, seeing the, how it was affecting them mentally, especially my daughter and her friends, because as a female, as a teenager, you know, it's different. Just like the whole body image and the filters and everything. And then you had COVID and then the someone that has had suffered from depression and I did try to take my life when I was at UCLA. So like, I feel there are so many things that I could like relate to these kids. And so I wanted to showcase of like, hey, first of all, we got to listen to what they have to say because they're our future. We have to pay attention. Secondly, we have to bridge that gap if we are going to try to help them and have them actually want to listen to what we have to say. Then we have to be able to kind of get to that level where they trust us. And they feel like we actually care what they have to say. And also, if there was a level there of like, we're not that different. Like, we might be different generations, but at the core of it, we all want to feel seen, heard and valued. And that's essentially what like, I wanted to show the world. And from it, I just learned so much about our youth. And I just also learned about how we still are so much the same. And so that's why like, even as as a parent, understanding too that they're more transparent, they're more vulnerable because they have a camera that they can share all of their feelings, and they're hearing other people's feelings. So then they want their parent to kind of be that that as well. And that's what I found like, at least with my own kids. They love that I'm very open and transparent with them and vulnerable because now they feel like they can really trust me, and they tell me everything. Like my daughter, she opens, like she's 20 years old, a 20-year-old, a 20-year-old never told me anything. My daughter pretty much tells me everything. And she does it because she really feels like she can trust me. And I'm creating a safe space for her to where she can share. And I'm not going to judge her. I'm not going to get upset. You know, none of those things. And because of that, we have, I have great relationships with my kids. And at the end of the day, as a parent, that's what I want. I want to have a good relationship with my kids. I want my kids to know that they can come to me no matter what, that I love them unconditionally. All of the things that I feel like all kids want. And if you can give that to them, then it's like, you're not going to, at least with me, we don't have like these crazy issues happening. Just you're normal every day, you know, growing up. Situations. This is I'm asking for of personal interest. Do you think that, you know, the younger generation, like I use this term, you know, it's not exactly failure to launch, but remember that movie failure to launch with Matthew McConaughey? I think it was the one. Jeez, come on. Where's your, where's your look? All these things, these amazing gems I'm dropping here. People listening right now remember failure to launch. It's about this dude who doesn't grow up and he's not mature enough to have a real, you don't call a woman a wife, whatever. What's her, what's her name was in it? Goldie Hans' daughter. Kate Upton, is that her name? I can't remember. Okay, Hudson. Yeah. Point is this. Like, do you talk to these younger people more obviously than I do? But I kind of see it as well in my own like kid circle is like the speed at which we engaged in different activities, whether that's dating, whether that's jobs, whether that's moving out. It seems to me they're a little bit slow on that launch path comparatively or slower than like your age group, my age group. What do you, what do you say to that? No, I agree. I agree it's slower, but I feel like I think it's kind of it's slower because they're not experiencing life like we did. So like they're not going through I think like the stages and the phases that we did. So it's like more difficult for them to like keep going if they haven't even experienced. What does that mean though? Does that mean they're removed from them? They're seeing them virtually online and not actually living it. Yeah, I feel like a lot of them are removed from it because they're not, they don't, you know, social media has allowed them to create relationships without meeting people in person. And there's something to be said about having the experiences with other people or in the moment. And I think because they're not having that, that that is also in a way kind of like, it's like an obstacle I think in so many ways. So if we're like, oh, you should be like this in the in the workspace. This is what they weren't able to do that when they were younger and they're schooling because of COVID. Then how do you expect them to kind of like they're missing a gear. There's a certain way in the workplace. They're missing a gear. Like we could shoot like a little like are there stuck like in that, you know, that girl or they're trying with the. It doesn't fall in. Yeah, it doesn't fall in. Yeah, like I think they're having difficulty in that way. And a lot of it is not their fault. Like and that's another thing too. I'm like, we can't like put all this blame on that. No, it's just a culture and that's what they're, you know, I mean, yeah. So I think that's another thing too is that having more empathy and compassion for what they're experiencing because I've had kids tell me we have so much information and it's so overwhelming. And I don't know what's good or bad. And so it's almost like they're like asking for help like, Hey, we need guidance or at least like help us figure this out because a lot of us were kind of left with all this information and we don't know what to do with it. Yeah, a lot of it's not accurate. And so that's why exactly. So even with loan officers, a lot of the loan officers that I work with have been in this industry for 20 plus years. And so I tell them like, you have a responsibility to put yourself out there and put out the right information because you're allowing other people that don't to put it out there. And then you have the, you know, our younger generations think that that's what it's supposed to be like when you're been in it for 20 plus years, like you know what you're doing. You're the expert. So you should be out there explaining how things should work. You should be out there guiding them, you know, all of those things. And I think when I explain it to them that way, they're kind of more inclined to try because they're like, yeah, I do have a responsibility to share the right impression. I like that. I think that's something people can sink their teeth into in that you have a responsibility, a duty, a fiscal responsibility, right? Kind of fiduciary use that word of like to educate. That's why like your involvement with first home IQ, right? As an ambassador. Oh my. Yeah. That makes a lot of sense for those who don't know what first home IQ is. We'll link it up the show notes. But what do you want to quickly say about first home IQ if you don't mind? Yeah. Well, Dave and Kristen, who a lot of people who are in the same house, you know, they started this nonprofit where it's, yeah, where it's geared towards educating the Gen Z generate, you know, the younger generations on financial literacy and home ownership and get them in a position to where they can understand so that when these high schoolers are getting their first job, then they're already being responsible with their money and putting it, you know, in places that could help them grow, invest and so forth, right? Because we have, we also live in a society where the emphasis is on the clothing, the what you're driving, the handbags, you know, all of those things. And, you know, obviously we're older, so we're a wiser. We understand like, if I could go back and not buy the extra amount of clothes and shoes and handbags and have that money, like I would, but, you know, you just don't know. So that's where I feel like, yeah, once again, we have a responsibility to be like, hey, we've lived through that experience and if we could go back, we would focus more on doing this and explain to them what that this is, right? Because our parents, I think we're like, they were really good about telling us that we should save and budget and what credit cards they're like. And so for me, if we can start doing that, you know, when they're younger, I think they'll thank us for us because they'll be like, oh, wow, okay. Yeah, you were right. You know, I should have, like, now I have a home. Agreed. Agreed. Because, you know, I listen to you. Wow. And so that's why I think it's really important and I just love anything that empowers your youth and you can empower youth by helping them feel empowered financially. Yeah. And maybe that's a jumping off point for some people about content and strategy and creation is, you know, let's just face it for STEM home buyers, next gen, all that stuff coming up. And if you're looking for an avatar or some audience to identify with, and if that audience speaks to you of this younger population and you do want to be, right, take that responsibility to help guide. I mean, you're not going to reach everybody. But I mean, if you just over the course of your career help change the impact, the lives of a few hundred or whatever, maybe a thousand or so, depending on how much you want to do business-wise, like that can be pretty impactful. Maybe that gives you some motivation or purpose behind finally getting active with your content. Yeah. Yeah. That's that's how I feel. Like it's just having that responsibility to help. And that's how you can help. You know, not just give up. Because I think that's another thing too is a lot of people just kind of give up. I'm like, don't, don't give up on them. They crave that guidance. They really do want the knowledge. They want to understand. And, you know, a lot of them, you know, they're their parents age. Yeah. So it's like right now. Okay. Maybe their parents aren't doing it. Then you can do it. Well, listen, I'm keeping an eye on the clock. And I know your hourly is expensive. So I'm afraid of the invoice I'm going to get. So this has been a really, yeah, really, I'm just wondering though, like if you have any predictions for this year's Super Bowl. And like who you live in California, you said, Chargers, is it Rams also? No, just Chargers. Oh, well, forget it. They're not going to be in it. I do know Sean McVeigh on the Rams. Yeah. I'm just excited to see what Harval does. Okay. It's a new team this year really is. And obviously, it'll take a couple seasons for them to get in the rhythm. But I'm really excited to see like what happens. And I'm going to go to a couple of games for sure. I'm going to drive up there and and root along and so far, right? So far stadium. I'll be disappointed. But so far. Yeah. So they share the stadium with the Rams. A technically is a rant. I've not been there yet. It's a beautiful. Yeah. I know. Sounds I definitely want to go for sure. And it's and it's worth getting the VIP tickets, the VIP section because it's not that expensive and you get a separate entrance like, you know, private bathrooms to get the food there and you're closer to the to the field. Oh, all right. Little insider tip. If you're there to see a team that's like, you know, I don't know who your team is, but if your team happens to be playing the charge, I feel like I can see over my shoulder. Let's see here. I can't. I know. See that. See that red hat over there? Yeah, but it's a little bit blurry. It says SF on it. Oh, okay. You're a minor span. Hey, you know what? I mean, they're legit. Well, I was rooting for them last season. I have a relative relative on the team. So over them. Oh, you do. Well, my I went to school with Ryan Lynch and his brother's John. Oh, yeah. I met John and I'll never forget. Yeah. So they're great family. Super cool people here. Tori Pines. And so Ryan and I went to school together and I'll never forget when he told me that his brother was was drafted to the Buccaneers from Stanford. Like and at that time, the Buccaneers, you know, yeah, terrible. Right. And they had their like little, you know, crazy, um, which I'm gonna call it, um, mascot logo thing. Yeah, the mascot. Yeah, was forgot socially corrected. But yeah, and then to see him worries at now, like I'm really happy for him because they're a great family. That's fantastic. Okay. So listeners who want to connect with you, LinkedIn is going to be your primary social platform, although we'll link up your Instagram as well as your cool conversation with young peeps on rock the boat. Yes, because I do want to have I want to get that backup started to Scott. I'm Scott Parsons. I'm going to have his daughter on and I do want to like, yeah, start doing it again. So if anybody, if you got young kids, you want them to be on Rock Hell's show, rock the boat on YouTube, connect with her. Yeah, please. It's the space for candid conversations with amazing kids. It is. And they loved it. And like, and I've had so many parents tell me after like, you really helped our child with their confidence or, you know, you really kind of spark something in them. And, and so that, well, I hope you spark something in our listeners today. Not only do we have fun, we talked about rap. We talked about old movies and quotes and football and it's been I told you see the blank would just cut no notes. And I told you too. I'm like, that's why I couldn't explain like who I was because I'm kind of well, I think anybody who follows you is going to be glad they did. It'll be inspiring. It'll be entertaining and impactful. It's all the above. So, Rock Hell, thank you so much for being here. Well, thank you. You bet listeners, you know what to do if you like this episode. Hey, there's a link somewhere a tap it in the show notes to leave us a review. And we appreciate that. We'll see you on the next one. Bye for now.