The Sunday Setup
Your permission to stop being all things to all people
It is impossible to run a media company, be a data and market expert, remain ever-present in your community, and maintain a healthy and happy personal life.
This truth haunts real estate professionals who try to do it all. It feels as if you’re always failing at something - at least it did for me.
Every week, I hear the undercurrent of “do more.” The industry pushes agents to master every role, but this approach leads to burnout and mediocrity. I explored this challenge in depth on this week's podcast.
The solution isn't working harder—it's working smarter through self-awareness.
Understanding your "voice" (whether you're a nurturer, guardian, connector, or pioneer) reveals your natural strengths and the unique value you bring to clients.
More importantly, it guides how you could leverage your marketing efforts.
Learning to align your business and marketing with your authentic voice, is a game changer. This is why the first law in IBRE work is the Law of Authenticity. Nurturers excel at building deep, lasting relationships and should focus their marketing on care and connection. Guardians thrive on data and process, making their marketing about expertise and proven systems. Connectors naturally expand networks, so their marketing should highlight community and relationships. Pioneers drive the idea of winning, with marketing that emphasizes vision and possibilities.
The real magic happens when you stop trying to be everything and start embracing who you are. This means delegating tasks that don't match your strengths, investing in partnerships that complement your weaknesses, and creating marketing that speaks your client’s voice. Answer the private problems they’re asking, and you’ll never have to call them - they’ll call you.
Success in real estate isn't about mastering every role—it's about mastering (and marketing) your role and building a support system for the rest. When you operate and market authentically, you attract clients who value your specific strengths, creating a more sustainable and fulfilling business.
Action Steps for This Week:
Order and read "The Five Voices" by Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram to discover your dominant voice (and why the others matter so much).
To increase your chances of consistency, reflect on what activities give you energy. Review your marketing plan. Do the two align?
Notice where your natural strengths helped (or could have helped) a client. What was the problem? How did your strengths serve them or solve the problem? Write it down using full and complete sentences (no bullet points). This will help create better self-awareness and design a better marketing plan.
The Five Laws of IBRE
1. The Law of Authenticity: Success comes from claiming who you truly are
2. The Law of Business Evolution: You are not an employee—you're a business owner
3. The Law of Value First: Know and honor your unique value
4. The Law of Boundaries and Bravery: Create clear rules of engagement
5. The Law of Guide Evolution: Transform from selling to solving
Knowing who you are, whether that's through 5 Voices, Myers-Briggs etc is life changing! I will never forget the sense of relief when I finally nailed who I am and my brain said yep - that's what you were born to do.
I will also give a shout out to the process in the 5 Voices book for figuring out "your voice." It's not full of psychological mumbo jumbo. It uses colors to make it so easy. Get the book - you can figure out your voice in a couple of hours.