What I'm Thinking and Working On

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Go check it out right now. Visit LOKestudy.com and download your free copy today. Happy New Year listeners. What's up? Jeff Zimphur, your humble host for another episode of the Mortgage Marketing Radio Podcast. I'm going to add you, chief truth teller here at Mortgage Marketing Radio. Got some truth for you here today. So glad you've tuned in. Hope your new year is off to a start. All right. So, quick reminder for those that aren't yet aware of it, hey, we've got a private Facebook group before podcast listeners only. You've heard me talking it up a lot lately and that's because we're going to be doing some big things in there coming the new year. I'm talking about live stream and webinars, special guests, ask me anything and all that kind of stuff. Definitely want to be a part of that. And really the reason behind that and why do I want to do that is because I want to find ways to connect to a more meaningful way with you, the listener, and of course, having a community or a group where we can all kind of get together and do that. That Facebook makes that easy in there and so that's the purpose behind it. So you want to go over to Facebook and type in the search bar mortgage marketing radio. There's a couple of questions I ask you to fill out because we want to make sure you are in the mortgage business and we've got the right people coming in there. So just go ahead and take 30 seconds and complete that little question there and we'll let you on in and now look for good things to come there on Facebook, mortgage marketing radio, the podcast group. All right. Transitioning. I've got a lot of my mind when I sit and record this. Here we are. The date I'm recording this is January 13th and I'm squeezing this in and there's been a lot of different things running through my mind on a lot of different projects, things that I've got my attention, things that I want to be intentional about versus just have good intentions. I talked about that on one of our recent private coaching calls because there's the difference. What do I mean by this? Real quick. So there's a difference between having good intentions, right? That's awesome. We want to have good intentions. Do the right thing, make the right choices, but oftentimes our good intentions don't necessarily show up or we don't follow through on those per se. And so are we being intentional is the real question. Good intentions. Yeah. We got them. What are we being intentional? And so as I think about that, right, with being intentional, it really deals with obviously, we've got, I think, I don't know how to say this, have some systems and process and find a way to be intentional and put, here's what I'm trying to say, to get stuff done, right? There's a lot I want to get done this year in terms of content and ideas and different things like that and things to do for you guys, our listeners and to add more value to you and to help you succeed at a higher level. Lots of things I want to do, right, and get done. But lately, just totally honest with you, lately over the past couple of weeks, I've really felt overwhelmed with the amount that I'm trying to take on. And so this isn't like a whining session or anything like that. It's just, hey, I don't often show up and let you know, what's on my heart and mind everyone I'm feeling and that's what is here today and stick with me though. There'll be some good takeaways and ah-hats from this before we wrap up. And I'm going to give you a chance to actually ask me a question. And I might actually feature your question live on the podcast. So why don't I cover that right now? If you want to ask me a question, I've set this thing up. It's called the speak pipe. And what it allows you to do is to, even right from your mobile phone, go to this web page, there'll be a link in the show notes too. But you go to ask Jeff anything, that's g-e-o-f-f, ask Jeff anything.com. You go there, you tap a button, and you record your question to me, right? So what is the question you've been wanting to ask, but maybe you haven't been able to? Now, of course, you can do that in our podcast group over at Facebook that I mentioned a moment ago, but also you could go there and love to hear your voice and I'd love to know who you are. And if I select your question, you're going to win some free, cool swag. You know, I'm thinking about bringing back t-shirts when I first started this podcast. By the way, this is the sixth year of the podcast. And in the early days, to grab some attention and to help get some reviews, I gave away a free t-shirt for every review. And so what I'm thinking about doing is for every question I get, I'm going to put people into a contest every single month and we're going to select a winner out of the questions that I get every single month from the podcast. And there you go, I just announced that and I put myself out there and I made a commitment for it. Didn't I? So ladies and gentlemen, you want to ask me anything? You go to ask Jeff, g-e-o-f-f, ask Jeff anything.com. Enter your question, tell me who you are, and you're going to get entered into drawing for a swag box of all kinds of cool stuff, including private time with me, a one-on-one session with me, you know, all kinds of other cool stuff to become about that. So how's that? Thank you, thank you very much, thank you, all right. So back to where I was headed with this conversation. I'm sure you have a lot of you want to get done too, right? And some of it's easier than other things. We all have something difficult, I'm sure we're trying to accomplish. And whatever that is, you're trying to launch an initiative, you're trying to hire somebody, you're trying to go to that next level in your business, you're trying to lose weight, finish a creative project, right? Stuff at home, personal stuff. We've lots of different tasks, right? And sometimes the thought of it can be overwhelming. And that's what I've been feeling is the quantity of things that I want to do. And then the various moving parts to go into getting those things done, which for me include hiring somebody, looking for somebody, you know, to help with certain projects. The thought of completing it, right, is very far down the road and challenging, right? It's the old light at the end of the tunnel, right? Hands you it. You ever felt like that? Maybe you're feeling that right now with your initiatives for this year. It could be around production, it could be around hiring, it could be around your team, your system, your process, right? Adding new referral partners. And so, you know, I do a fair amount of searching and looking for answers to how do highly productive people get this done? And yes, there's the conversation about delegating, outsourcing, hiring. That's cool and well and good, but that's not always an immediate solution, although definitely a viable one, that should be pursued for sure when possible, right? But anyway, so I've been doing some reading and I'm getting back to this reading that I've been wanting to do that I'm behind on and that's one of those areas I want to get a lot more done is I want to read more like I wanted these books and then they sit there or whatever. And that's because quite honestly, right now, I'm in a mode of actually GSD get shit done, right? And what that does is it drives or it pulls my attention towards those projects or tasks that I need to get done because they support the bigger vision. And so sometimes things need to get set aside. Well, another example, that is the amount of time I spend practicing or playing guitar, right? There are many a nights where I choose to work on a project versus go up and spend 45 minutes or an hour, flapping around on guitar, now in my deal world, that wouldn't be the case. But right now, right? Got goals, got things you got to want to do, you know, initiatives that want to get completed, including reading. I'd like to be able to read more so I can gain my own knowledge. And yet that gets in the way too of some of these projects. So but the one thing that I am going to be intentional about reading, I started this last year and got away from it. All right. So I'm in, I am an imperfect human being, I'm admitting to it right here right now. I'm imperfect. I don't know if you've ever set an intention and then it kind of got away from you. But the book that I'm coming back to is called The Daily Stoic, 366 Meditations, Wisdom, Perseverance and the Art of Living Written by Ryan Holiday. He's the number one bestselling author of the obstacle is the way. And I'm really, you know, every time I read this kind of stoicism, this stoic philosophy from, you know, people like Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus and people like that, right, these Greek and Roman philosophers. I don't know, there's just a ton of wisdom in there for me for sure. It's not the only source of wisdom. You can get wisdom from the Bible and other great books and stories and things like that. But this is one I'm just particularly drawn to for a variety of reasons which I don't need to get into here. But rather, I'd rather pass on to you a recent passage or lesson if you will or chapter. So in this particular book, The Daily Stoic, it's 366 Meditations, it's literally a meditation if you will for every day. Now by meditation, I don't mean you sit around and go, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, what I mean is it's a short little entry, right, a writing from these amazing philosophers from, you know, what, hundreds, thousands of years ago, anyway, so I was reading one of the newsletters I get and it was sharing about what do you do when you've got a lot to do, a lot to get done. And there was a reference to a gentleman named, they're named Rick Cohen, who is also on through the podcast, by the way, for The Daily Stoic, if you want to check that out. But Rich explained how he was able to consistently be so productive at such a high level. This guy, Rich Cohen has written nine books, many of them best sellers. And so this is, I wanted to share with you his approach to a big project. He approaches it like he's going on a cross country road trip. What that means is the way you deal with long road trips is you set yourself a minimum number of hours a day, no matter how you feel. Like if you got to drive 16 hours, right, you're like, okay, I'm all in on eight, I'm all in on 10. Like I remember when I drove cross country many, many years ago, I was living in Maine and I wanted to move from Maine to San Diego, not knowing a soul, but my soul purpose for going from Maine to San Diego was to work for Tony Robbins, which ultimately I did. And of course, this is the back in the day before the internet folks. So yeah, I know, boo, boo, boo, boo on me. There's a whole story about that, which I've told before I'm not going to get into right now. But anyway, driving across country, right, it took us six days. So you had to, you had to chunk that down, right, into different increments. But also, um, you had to be like, okay, man, we're going 10 hours today, right? That's it. That's our commitment. Even if you got tired or whatever, pull off, get coffee, do jumping jacks, open the window, right, sing songs, whatever it is, right? The point is that not much, right, when you think it's like, oh, I'm going to go six hours today. I'm going to go eight hours today. I'm going to go 10 hours today. I'm going to make my five calls today. I'm going to post one piece of content today, right? The point with this is that this concept of like, you feel like you're not doing much, right? This whole, I'm not doing much or it's just one post a day. It's just reading 15 pages a night. Well, that adds up, that adds up if you do it a lot. If you repeat that over and over again, so Marcus Aurelius, right, one of these wonderful philosophers from back in the day, great leader said, don't let your imagination be crushed by life as a whole. All you have to do, he said, is stick with the situation at hand, right, assembling your life action by action. No one, he says, can stop you from that. So think about this as you're looking out into 2022, I'm going to try and take this on and hopefully it works for me is use the metaphor of the road trip, right? It's a good one because the road forward, right, a brand new year, we're starting from this destination, excellence is a road, if you will, right, achieving certain goals is like being on a road, does that make sense, right? We're on the road to filling in the blank. I'm on the road to increasing my income. I'm on the road to, right, writing that book, I'm on the road to doubling my business. I'm on the road to launch that software, whatever it is, right? There's a road to being, right, from where you are to where you want to get to finishing that task or that project. How do you travel any road in steps, a certain number of miles or hours per day? So excellence then, right, or achieving completion is simply a matter of taking one small step than another than another in front of the other, like the old quote that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, right? But it doesn't end with the first step. It's the next, the next, the next, the next, right? The domino effect that keeps building on it, like, but here's the key, back to the idea with the road trip, hey man, we're going all in today, eight hours, 10 hours, even when you don't feel like it's like going to the, it's like being consistent with your workout, even when it doesn't feel like it's making much of a dent, like a friend of mine who has been sharing his weight loss journey with me and over the last year he's, you know, occasionally shared with me that he's hit the wall, hit the wall and like basically texting me saying, dude, what the hell, I've tried everything, right? And I can't drop, drop to get to that next level of weight, right? Or I don't feel like I'm making progress in this particular area. It can feel like you're not making much of a dent, right? But it is. You're getting closer. And too often we're putting unrealistic expectations on our progress. Like what's the old saying that most people overestimate what they can do in a year, but underestimate what they can do in a decade. It sounds like a long time, doesn't it, in this world of instinct gratification. Hey, I've been doing this podcast six years. This is the sixth year. If I look over my shoulder, if I turn my head around right now and look behind me and I look back at the last five years, it doesn't seem that far off. And I sure as heck didn't think I would get here. All I did was continue on the road. All I did was stay true to my commitment to the best I could of one episode a week. Did I always hit it? No, especially in the early days. Even now I still sometimes miss it. That's some of what I'm trying to get better control of in my life is, you know, control over consistency and projects and process and things like that. So there's this other philosopher Zeno. I'm just getting to know these guys, but anyway, this is what he meant when he said, you know, this eventually you'll arrive. Well being is realized by small steps, but it is no small thing. So I'm here to applaud you, encourage you. I'm that guy standing on the sidelines. You know, you ever see those marathons where you've got, you know, the people are coming through the crowds. They're handing out the cups of water. They're cheering. You're getting down. You're on your journey. I don't know where you're at. Maybe the, maybe the gun just went off. Maybe just got started. Maybe you're at the midway. Maybe you're tired, right? This is, I don't know where you're at, but hey, come back to this or just remember this when you're tired. Then you feel like you're not making progress. I'm cheering for you because I know you are making progress. If you're putting one foot in front of the other, then getting up the next day and doing it again, then obviously you guys know what I'm talking about, putting one foot in front of the other. I'm speaking metaphorically. Whatever that thing is that you're working towards that's pulling you. Keep going. Keep going. I'm cheering you. There's other people cheering you. I'm a fan of you. Okay? So, a quick reminder, by the way, if you want to ask me anything when it comes to marketing, social media, you know, growing your referral partner relationships, your mortgage business, mindset, whatever you've listened to a variety of these different episodes, I've interviewed over 200 of America's top producing originators, a lot of people that are highly skilled in digital marketing as well, marketing as a whole. Where do you need help? What's got you, right? Facing resistance. I'd like you to go and ask me anything. You go to ask Jeff anything, ASK, GE OFF, anything. Ask Jeff anything. That's where you can go tap a button and leave a question for me. And as you heard a few moments ago, if I feature your question live on air, you go into the monthly contest for winning a cool kick ass swag box. Trust me, it's going to be good. I'm definitely all about quality over quantity, so feel free to go there. Ask Jeff anything. All right. So one last thing, back to the book, the Daily Stoic, going to the book for today's date when I'm recording this January 13th. I love this so much. I actually remember reading this last year. And so it's a good reminder. But let me first read the writings, if you will. This is from the journal of Epictetus. And I wish I had a handy here for a quicker explanation of who this guy was because I'm not doing him justice in terms of explaining who Epictetus was. As a matter of fact, here's what I can do. See, this is how I, I'm going to look it up right now. He was a philosopher. Yay. Doesn't that tell you a lot? We're going to be going more onto this in the coming sessions as I start to do more of just you and I session. So he was a Greek Stoic philosopher born into slavery, lived in Rome until his birth. His banishment, he went through Greece for the rest of his teachings were written down and published by his student, Aryan in discourses and some of the Greek were and I can't pronounce. He taught philosophy as a way of life, not simply theoretical discipline. So this is one of his teachings that all external events are beyond our control. We should accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. However, individuals are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline. Yeah, this guy was born around 50 AD. Okay, so let me jump into the journal entry from today, January 13th, 2022, the Circle of Control. This is by Epictetus. We control our reasoned choice and all acts that depend on that moral will. It's not under our control are the body and any of its parts, our possessions, parents, siblings, children or country, anything with which we might associate. That's important enough that a bear is repeating, right? A wise person knows what's inside their circle of control and what is outside of it. And this is really simple, right? That's the good news. It's pretty easier to remember what's inside your control. According to the Stoics, the Circle of Control contains just one thing, your mind. That's it. Even your physical body isn't completely within the circle. Think about it, right? But for Bid, any of us could be struck with a physical illness or impairment at any moment, right? But if you look at this for the right mindset, it's actually good news. Why? Because it drastically reduces the amount of things you need to think about. There is clarity and simplicity. Well everyone else is running around with a list of responsibilities a mile long or in today's world, talking about the latest story around COVID or politics or conspiracy theories abiding. I don't know what comes across your feet and your circles, but that's what sometimes winds up tumbling in the mind. You can't get away from it today, right? The media, what's the price of gas, inflation, I mean, all these different things, we could write everything, all those things are out of our control. And we're not even responsible for them, right? Your one item list to be intentional about and to master is one thing, your choices. Your will and your mind. Technically, there's three things I know, but it sounded pretty dramatic when I said one thing, didn't it? You guys get the point. The only thing we can control is our mind. And then, right, the vines off the branch there of our mind is our choices and our will, our self will, our self control to do or not do, which all stems from the ability to control our mind. So what's the moral of story? The man guard at the door of your mind, protect it from people, places, sources that aim to chip away at the defenses you're building to control your mind, control your choices, control your will and those that see it otherwise. That's it, simply out of touch. So this was the message for today, you know, obviously on the next episode, we're going to be getting back to doing more interviews, but I'm also going to be coming to you guys with more lessons and more specific teaching and training. So I got another question for you right here, and this is where I want you to use, you know, get back to me. Let me know somehow, right? You can always email me podcast at mortgagemarketingradio.com. You can hop on Facebook or the socials and DM me, or of course, you can go to this new page that we've got, which allows you to leave me a voice message, which is ask Jeff Anything, G-E-O-F-F, ask Jeff anything. Here's my question for you. Hey, do you define this lesson valuable in these types of podcasts where I take this topic and kind of carve out something? And then B, would you be open to reading a newsletter? Now hold on, no one needs another newsletter or a average newsletter, right? But I've been, again, this comes back to what I've been thinking about how I want to level up my own value, my content strategy, serve on a higher level. And your feedback would help me in that. So my question is, would you be open to reading a marketing newsletter that's not these little snippets that are cute and like, you know, post three times a day and all that, are actually how to case studies, swipe files, actual mini workshop in every newsletter. And you know, a large focus of the content of the newsletter would be around this, again, the concept of the hybrid loan officer, whereas yes, the traditional referral database, pass clients, fair of influence type stuff, right? With use cases, examples, how to's in that. But also what I'm sensing, you guys tell me what I'm sensing is perhaps in the vein of this newsletter and how to information, there's a hunger or maybe a greater desire for how to when it comes to the opposite side of the hybrid, which is the digital, right? Social media. How do I show up on social? What's channel do I pick? How do I actually do a story, a real? I'm thinking about starting a YouTube channel. What do I need to know, right? Video. Okay, great. Everybody says video is king, short form, long form, how do I actually record? And not just the how to, but actual, right? Use cases that you can look at, right, a featured loan officer, look at their posts, look at the content that they posted, how they structured their hashtags, for example, you know, and actually see the screenshots of what they did so that you can translate that over to you, right? This whole idea of swipe and deploy actual swipe files. If there's copy in there, if there's messaging, if there's scripts or whatever, right? All that would be included. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in reading, please let me know. Let's reach out through the various channels, you know how to reach me. I'm pretty available. It's not like I'm hard to find on Instagram, on Facebook, email, podcast at Mortgage Marketing Radio, or lastly, of course, go to AskJeffAnything.govfaskJeffanything.com. With that said, I am challenged and also excited about what the New Year has in store for you and for me. In the ways that I mentioned earlier, in this podcast and the ability to actually get it all done and create more effective processes for getting that done, but also excited because I know it's going to be a great year. I know that because that's where my mindset is that it'll be a great year because I'll choose to make it a great year, regardless of what happens in the world, in my backyard, in the politics, in whatever the market. It's going to be a great year for a housing, for purchase housing, for sure. So go get it. Go get yours and let me know how it can help. Hope you've enjoyed this episode today. If you like it, reach out. Let me know. I'll see you in the next one. Bye for now. Hey, guys, what's up real quick? You've heard about the mortgage marketing pro membership before and I just want to quickly remind you of that you're in a place in your business where you simply need more purchased loans. You need to fill your pipeline with purchase business. Let's just face it, agents are still a solid pillar of business and sources of purchase business for you. Well, good news. Our mortgage marketing pro membership helps loan officers like you close more loans without the hassle of chasing agents or cold calling done for you agent classes, expert training videos, a marketing automation platform that automates the entire process for you, everything you need to build your personal brand in your local market, attract and convert agents into referral partners. Plus done for you proven marketing materials and plug and play content to make promoting your class, getting agents, butts and seats, partnering with affiliates, real easy, but that's not all. You'll also get access to our weekly mastermind calls with top LOs, authors, speakers and coaches to learn the best strategies to grow your business right now in today's market. And as an extra bonus for limited time for all new members, you'll get access to a database of 200 agents in your local market that have closed anywhere to from eight to 50 transactions in the last 12 months and we'll provide that list uploaded to our platform for you so you can get off to a fast start in reaching actually productive agents. So what are you waiting for? You can check out more at mortgagemarketing.pro, see more of the success stories there. And if you feel compelled to do so, book a call, we'll have a chat, we'll see if it's a fit. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your mortgage business to the next level right now. Head over to mortgagemarketing.pro.