Early on when I started real estate investing, I cold-called a gentleman who was also an investor. One of his properties had ended up in the local foreclosure classifieds.

The call did not go well.

He was bitter, abrasive, and challenged my script and my questions. At the time, I took it personally and felt discouraged. I questioned whether I belonged in this space at all.

Later, with some distance and growth, I realized a few important things.

First, people often act out of character when they’re in a hard season. What felt like hostility was likely frustration, stress, or fatigue spilling over.

Second, a script is called a script for a reason. If you’re using one from a well-known investor, chances are many others are too. Scripts aren’t meant to be recited perfectly. They’re meant to be practiced, refined, and made your own. Without repetition, they can sound cold and robotic. That call exposed exactly where I needed growth.

I didn’t get the deal.

But I led with respect and love anyway.

Looking back, that conversation wasn’t there to reward me... It was there to shape me. It helped clarify the kind of investor and person I wanted to become. Whether he realized it or not, he gave me something more valuable than a contract.

He gave me an opportunity to learn, grow, and serve.

Sometimes the real wins aren’t the deals you close - they’re the lessons that prepare you for the ones you will.