Louisa's Journal - The Sky is the Limit!!!

I join with everyone else in saying, I am so glad to see you back!

Sorry that I missed all the fun and excitement of the Edge this year. I am planning to make it next year for sure!

Karen

MARKETING, MARKETING, MARKETING

I've been working on the details of rehabbing a couple properties lately, and meeting with my agent (and now wholesale partner) a few times a week to carve a marketing approach and action plan to crank up the volume on getting deals. While I'm driving the approach, the literature, the action plan and our focus, he's the manpower on it and doing a killer job. Literally, it is like he fell from the sky as a HUGE blessing. I am so grateful.

After attending the Edge, I remembered why I had stopped bandit signs. And why frankly, I had stopped a lot of marketing. IT WORKS!!!! And the past couple years, with little tiny people that I am responsible for, I was afraid of "taking on too much" (as I was already there!) and already had more than my share of properties to work with on the MLS with Matt's 25:1 strategy consistently in play.

But The Edge reminded me of my drive, of my why, and REALLY fired me up to realize, why am I limiting myself? Why am I standing in my own way? And another realization ----Why do I have to do it ALL BY MYSELF? So, I can't handle all the calls that come in w/ a crying baby in the background. Why can't I start building a team of people, systems, etc...to do it?

So returning home and calling my agent who has always wanted to turn his successful RE business to the investor side, made me quickly realize...let's DO this!!!

So here we are...

Driving for Dollars
My agent/wholesale partner is like a personality magnet, and went driving for dollars dropping our little handwritten yellow notes (or seemingly handwritten from the perfect local printer who matches ink color). He ended up knocking on the doors, talking to people, making notes if they were renters to look up their owners later, handing them business cards w/ our $500 referral on the back and talking that up like crazy. He got 2 on-the-spot referrals of potential houses, and well, I was just amazed at how much great overall response he had. He's going to do it a few times a week in our target neighborhoods.

Craigslist
Agent scoured Craigslist for an hour this afternoon after we met and called 11 sellers, and got a hold of 10 of them. Seriously? The odds! We have a few potential offers to make today from new leads from driving for dollars, and bandit signs. Appointments set for tomorrow.

Out of state seller yellow letter campaign going out this weekend.

Postcards being printed for landlords that have had evictions - to go out early next week.

50 Bandit Signs going up this weekend (it was 20 last weekend so I'm thrilled for the increase)

More shared Google doc Excel sheets for tracking sellers, follow up with sellers, eviction listings, call conversion (how many calls made today, how many of those calls REACHED the person, and how many offers will be made today) ----I think that is my FAVORITE sheet!

ODesk being used to get Virtual Assistants to help with pulling leads from Craigslist (FSBO, I Buy Houses ads we post, For Rents), daily evictions from our county, and anything else we can think of to video train people to help do to prep agent's morning with plenty of leads/calls to make.

LOTS Of ACTIVITY ---but the main thing, is we're focused on talking to sellers, meeting sellers and making offers. If something ADMIN is slowing the process down ---we're setting it aside, and making sellers, appointments with sellers and OFFERS the priority. At least 50% to 75% of his day is spent on the direct action that creates money in this business.

I am so blessed to be working with someone who is as passionate as I am about getting it done YESTERDAY! I don't think I have ever worked with anyone more responsive, on the ball, action-oriented and just has PURE DRIVE to do this! I love that I'm up late working RE and I'll get a google shared doc update from him at 11pm.

You can teach ALMOST everything, but you can't teach passion, drive, motivation...you have WANT to learn, WANT to improve, WANT to take action and WANT and BELIEVE in SUCCESS! SO AWESOME that someone else I'm working with on RE gets this like so many amazing people on this site!

Car Magnets
So I've known about these for awhile, but I just was never willing to go do it. I have forgotten what silly reason why. I buy houses and know a ton of other people I need to buy houses for, so why the heck not? Do I want to increase my business or do I want to feel comfortable? So other than realizing that I probably now need to take the car into the shop to fix the dent in the back corner from backing into our other car in the driveway last month (I mean, who is going to take me seriously that I buy houses if I can't even fix my car!) ...I mentioned the car magnets to my husband, and he said, "oh, you can't do that"..."what do you mean?"..."no, literally, you can't do that...car magnets won't stick on the Prius." What?! Yes, so the car body/doors are not made of whatever they need to be made of for magnets to stick like most cars. So, now, something I've never wanted to do before is now the one thing I want...as if my previous attitude of not wanting to do them makes me think of my previous "I don't want it badly enough" self. Just watch. Next month, I'll probably have the whole car painted. Kidding. Maybe. I'm still going to get car magnets for our other car, the one my husband drives. He won't love it, but the only reason I might get away with it, is he actually drives my car from before we got married (2-door Honda Coupe...love it!) and I drive his because I drive the kids around more and we need 4 doors. And he might even like it when one of those car magnets pays for his next truck (and more!)

HAPPY RE EVERYONE!
Louisa

Oh, we missed YOU!!!!

Can't wait to hang with you next year! I missed last year and hated that, so I know the feeling!

You are quite the DG-networker I hear working deals across the country. GO YOU!

Thrilled for your latest successes and soon to be w/ Cathy B too And speaking of points, 10,000+ whoa! You are going to catch Joe soon!!!! AMAZING!

Smooches,
Louisa

Agent just added some columns to our previous "call conversion sheet" which has really turned into a quick summary "daily action sheet" which calculates the days most important focus - calls, sellers, and offers.

Thought I would share the columns on this sheet, as at the end of the day, THIS is what is most important part of our business ---driving to get these numbers UP!

Column headers which each have just one number captured under each category to summarize the day:
Date
Calls Attempted
Spoke w/ Someone
How many making offers on from today's calls
Business Cards handed out
Meetings Set up w/ Motivated Sellers
Actual Meetings w/ Sellers
Actual Offers Made (Verbal or Written)
Offers Accepted
Closings

That is an action packed post! It just shows why successful people are successful!
And I love the idea of the car magnets on hubby's car! Lol! (I know Karen has her magnets... can't remember exactly what she said, something about girls with magnets rock? I'm sure she'll pop in soon and tell us

I love your positive, energetic attitude; always finding a way to solve problems, and looking at obstacles as silly things?! You are rocking it girl!!!

Cool girls wear car magnets!

Which reminds me...I need to order new ones with my East Coast phone number!

Karen

If no one knows your there your business will have no clients.

Loved your marketing post

We have had those crazy car magnets for about 3 months now and they WORK! We have people honk at us while we are driving to pull over to give us information about their houses, people roll down their windows to talk to us at red lights, in parking lots... The key for us to get their information don't just give them ours. That way we can proactively connect with them and not wait and hope they call us.

Great to hear your Agent is so ON BOARD. We have finally found one as well and they have been the only one who could provide us with the cash buyers list that has the buyers names on it. They are also going to be our A Player property mangers so a double whammy for us! It is a blessing to meet and be connected with such great people. AND they refer us to other GREAT like minded people who help us grow and build our business as needed.

This business is GREAT and we love it more everyday

Thank you all for your comments!

VALERIE ---you are the best! Thanks for your encouragement ))) Your post made me smile and smile and smile some more!

KAREN ---I'm going to love the car magnets, I just know it. The other day I seriously thought it was funny that I didn't want them before...I was trying to remember why. I guess I had just gotten married before and still had a "single" person mindset...like it was going to be hard to explain dating or something, who knows?! My agent/now investing partner was like "sure, I'll do car magnets during the week" (he's a single guy...I'm assuming he is thinking the weekend would be embarrassing). My husband didn't even flinch about them on his car. He actually suggested that I get stickers for the Prius since magnets won't stick. REALLY?! Stickers that will leave marks? He laughed...we both hate our Prius, so I guess it didn't matter...(it's an old one and a color we dislike, but we paid cash and it has saved his former driving commute many a $$). So I'm off to find stickers! Way too much info for you for your car magnets comment...but glad to hear you love them!!

MELISSA ---Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate the kind words. And so glad to hear the car magnets are rocking for you! So great on the agent, yes? Wow, perfect....property managers too...congrats on your diamond agents!!! I haven't commented yet, but I will I'm so impressed by your journal. You are burning it up! See you soon (AM!)

have so many questions you are paralyzed? Even though I have a lot going on, it's like I'm back to the early stages where you get analysis paralysis...it's just on completely different issues. I'm just overwhelmed at the moment and don't know where to begin to tackle all my questions/issues. AHHHHHH!!!

I'm still trying to wear too many hats at once (weighing the pros/cons of interns or no interns...I just don't have time to "develop" them other than hey, here's a bandit sign, and I don't feel like that is fair so I'm leaning towards no)... and getting other people on the team (foreman, bookkeeper, virtual assistant --already on board) and even though my agent/now-investing partner on non-MLS deals, is truly amazing, and taking a big chunk out of my work load, we are trying so hard to bring it to the next level, that there is so much to do and so little time! We met today and I just laughed when after we had already gone through a TON of leads/offers/action we are going to get done, he said he was going to do the 30-hr study course for becoming a broker tonight with the one hour test that accompanies it. In one night. On a Friday night, no less. It was just funny. I feel like we're both killing it, but super exhausted. He's getting his brokers license to be a broker for the property management company we're starting.

I have to remember it is a marathon and not a sprint. But I want it so badly....like yesterday!!!!

Sorry this is a non-detailed post. I'm swimming in craziness, and can't seem to articulate in even a few bullets all that is going on.

Off to a good night's sleep...
Louisa

What id like to say is in this video id like to share.

Titled "It comes to you"

Youtube: http(space)://ww(space)w.youtube.co(space)m/watch?v=54CW(space)ENOfqn8

Delete the spaces. ^^ (Spam)

If you like this, you'll LOVE LOVE LOVE ALL his other videos.

Visit his youtube channel 'Thecrimsoncircle".

Much Love & LET THE ANSWERS COME TO YOU,

Denni

Thank you for stopping by and for your encouragement. I appreciate it! And appreciate the video.

Sometimes the patience it takes to put all that action out there, and wait for the answers is difficult, but it all happens in time and in the right time Just hard to see when you are chasing so hard sometimes. It's always good to take the occasional step back. It's just hard to see it when you're entrenched in it.

Thanks for chiming in and getting me to remember it does take that step away, or at least to "stop chasing" it all for a moment to breath, and to let the rest come to you.

Good advice.

Appreciate it!
Louisa

So, I feel like my next leap is a scary one. But a necessary one. For me, it's as scary as the feeling of getting that first house under contract. But I realized over the weekend, that I have to take another leap of faith in my business, that in order to grow, I must go "all in". I don't mean that I'm not putting my full effort into my business already. I mean, that I have to have so much faith that it is going to grow even though I'm not swimming in new deals at the moment (working on current rehabs, but need new deals) that I'm still going to reach out and hire the team that will make some important aspects happen going forward. That if I don't reach out now and get resumes, or put Craigslist ads out, and start interviewing and getting the rest of my "A" team in place, I will be drowning in admin and trying to catch a breath, when it all starts popping.

"If you build it, they will come."

I have to remember I have nothing to lose by posting a Craigslist ad. That I'm drowning in the "what if nots" and not reveling in the "it will happens" instead.

I can either sit and be where I've been, or I can go after where I will be.

If I'm not willing to take the leap of faith, then my vision for my future is not clear enough, and my why is not strong enough. Part of my leap, is that I have to declare to these upcoming people I interview, why I need them, and what I am building. It's weird but a "fear of failure" is literally stopping me, and while I'm super confident, it is this next level that I have to "declare" will happen that makes me nervous in addition to the funds to run it all. But if you're not nervous...if butterflies are not churning, then you're not growing, right?

What I realized this weekend is, what is worse....doing things I've always done in the same way I've done it (this got me depressed this weekend), or JUMPING and taking that leap of faith, so that I will grow my business? The latter is scary but necessary.

I'm done figuring out the "how" and I'm just going to jump. In the meantime, I've got a business to build and people to hire, and the "how" will come to me. The deals will flow in and pay for itself.

While I've been moving on my rehabs, and taking action on finding deals, I've not been moving on the above. And I'm not going to sit on it any longer. My biggest leap in quite a while is happening right now.
Louisa

God Bless all the people and families in Oklahoma. I can't imagine how scary that must have been for everyone involved and those precious children. Just wanted to take a moment to say how much my heart hurts for them. And how I pray for the healing of those that were injured and for peace among those who lost family today.

Puts everything in perspective...we are so blessed to be here. And so blessed to have the opportunity to make a difference each day.

Thoughts and prayers go out to them!
Louisa

Louisa, Jump!

I'm about 10 lightyears behind you but I'm still feeling your PAIN! Sometimes I'm so overwhelmed because what I'm doing IS NOT working. For example, I"m trying to break into a higher priced, more stable market within Indianapolis and my offers are getting rejected left and right. What was working on the low end housing isn't working now and I'm suffering, too, from paralysis by analysis. There are SO MANY great ideas to get this changed around (you've listed so many of them in other posts) and I've talked to you and several other successful investors about tips and tricks to use but I'm still not making things come to fruition. Anyway, I'm just rambling to let you know that I feel your pain!

Let's get this done!! ONE STEP AT A TIME. One thing off the to-do list before the next. One foot in front of the other

Kristin

Louisa, its not a jump for you its a small step up because you are almost there already. Keep focussed and check off each step you take on your path to freedom. I have all the faith in the world in you that you will accomplish your goal in the end. talk to ya again one day soon my friend.
And my heart goes out to all those people effected by that storm also. so very sad.
Never EVER give up!!!

Richie

Cathy ---thank you I'm jumping. Especially today. Thanks for the note!!

Kristin ---I needed that. The one foot in front of the other thing today seriously helped. I've just been plowing ahead checking off those lists...baby steps. And let the "how" come to me....it is still arriving at a later point...lol, but I'm doing my best to let go of the control and just take action, and then see how the puzzle will fall in place. You are taking so much action, you are going to see those deals start cranking like crazy. Excited for you. Thank you for your post!

Richie ---Thanks for your encouragement and your faith in me! It helps to know those closest are behind you. I miss you! Thanks for your post!!! Always love hearing from you. Feel like you are my "class year" on here, you know? (hope that makes sense!)

So, the way I feel each night before I go to bed is like I'm going to bed without finishing my homework I literally have a sinking feeling that I'm going to get in trouble for not finishing my ultra-ambitious to-do list.

My little tiny ones keep me SOOO busy...my husband and I were talking about that tonight ---that if we're not working, cleaning, mowing, bathing kids, feeding kids, playing with kids, getting kids to sleep...if we're actually relaxing we feel guilty. There's more work to do.

But my sinking feeling is not about life/family...it's all about real estate and what I have left on my plate to do each day. And it’s not sinking ---it’s just I want to pull 2 all-nighters, and I might get caught up with all I have to do.

Baby steps.

Tonight, I'm going to post 2 more Craigslist ads before I turn in, and it's almost midnight.

But I’m glad to say I have foreman resumes coming in to manage jobs, and bandit sign folks coming in as well that can start this weekend. I decided to hire a team of bandit sign people ----we've been doing 50 signs for the last few weeks, and I'll continue this for another month, but by month 2, I want to ramp up to 150 signs. We need more volume and I’m ready to go out there and get it!! NOW!

Firing off ads for a bookkeeper and an assistant ---to handle some RE assistance + property management duties for the new property mgmt company.

Super excited about both of these.

2 rehabs are in full swing now. Had closing yesterday on 2nd one. More soon on these.

More tomorrow!

=D

Louisa,

I have been reading through your journal and wow you are amazing. The energy and enthusiasm is incredible. It has been great getting to know you more and to share success with each other.

I love what you wrote in your post above:
I'm done figuring out the "how" and I'm just going to jump. In the meantime, I've got a business to build and people to hire, and the "how" will come to me. The deals will flow in and pay for itself.

that is exactly how I'm feeling right now as well. My business is at a plateau and I need to get to the next level. Like you said I just need to jump into it.

I have struggled giving up responsibilities to others, it is difficult for me, but I know it is necessary.

Thank you for your honest feelings, because they are real and help me with my determination to achieve my dreams as well

Thank you

mikessler

Louisa,

before you go to bed, you need to focus on the things that you DID accomplish that day, not the things that you didn't get to... Your list of the day or week is a tentative list, but if you remember Dean's advice about writing things on a yellow pad in columns (the things that are important to get to, the things that you would like to get to, etc.)and those items that you did not check off, you move them to the next page...

You are doing amazing things every day!!!
Val

I agree with Val even though it isn't easy. You have to praise yourself my friend....
Look at you go! I am so proud of you. Woot Woot!!!
Dont you thin that knowing your husband/partner is supports what you are doing is helping motivate you? I do. You are amazing

It was great to meet you at the EDGE this year. You are taking off and really making things happen again. Love your determination. Keep it up.

Bruce

It is fun to look back to the beginning...

The market was certainly different in 2009, but the taking action part was still the same...sometimes it's fun to crawl back to when this was all brand new for me. Miss this site!

It would be great if Facebook groups had more capabilities like blogs / journals / topics. Maybe they will evolve to develop these things!

To anyone reading or beginning their journal and their accountability here...all the best to your success!

If you believe you can, you can. If you believe you can't, you can't. So believe you CAN! The tools are here!

Cheers to your success!
Louisa

I miss them, too, Louisa.

When Dean started the new site, he killed this one. Very sad.

Karen

I heard on Dean's webinar after the Edge that he has a new site to take the place of this one coming out any day now, have you heard that?

I haven't heard anything, but I don't follow very much anymore.

This site used to be great. A lot of REI talk and goal setting. It's dead now. The Facebook page is a lot of swell little sayings and no REI talk.Seems like Joe is the only one that posts Real Estate stuff on there.

Jack, let me know if something new comes along.

Hope all is well and miss you guys!
Michael