My Life After The Summit

Where will you be in one year and 4 months?

Is that a random question?

I used to think I always knew where I would be. I mean, I set goals every year: SMART goals, short-term, mid-range, long term. I am all over the goal setting. But sometimes there are little things that will nudge your life onto a completely different path, still going in the same general direction, but not at all how you pictured it. That was what happened to me at the end of March 2012.

I went to the BiggerPockets Summit excited to meet like minded people, learn from them, and super charge my business. I met so many folks who were more than eager to tell me anything I wanted to know. They sat with me at the bar long into the night after the sessions ended, telling me their highs and their lows and the nuts and bolts of both.

One such person was a rehabber from Hotlanta, J. Scott. (He told us he meant to go by Scott, that J. was just his first initial, but he'll always be J. Scott to me) He definitely has the heart of a teacher. He has a website where he publishes ALL of the details of ALL of his rehabs and will give you any help that you ask for. One thing he told me after one of his presentations was to go and get my real estate license, that it will help my business. As an investor, I thought that was the worst thing ever. I couldn't stand agents and this guy thought I should become one.

Well, it stuck in my head for the next couple of days and by the time I made it back home to Arkansas, I had enrolled at a local school to become a Real Estate Agent. The school was fairly easy as I was already familiar with much of real estate. One thing I was surprised with was the amount of scrutiny and oversight that agents have to deal with. How the fear of lawsuits was so deeply instilled that it was no wonder I had such a hard time dealing with agents as an investor. It was easy to see how most agents would be terrified of doing anything creatively.

The next step was to find a home for my real estate license. I had interviewed with several companies and was becoming dismayed. I felt that I would have to just "pay my dues" for two years until I could take my broker test and open my own business. Then I found Keller Williams.

By far, KW is one of the best things that has happened to me. Not to turn this into a KW love fest, but the energy and philosophy was so similar to mine, I immediately felt at home. I started there in June of last year, just two months after the Summit. Now, after a little more than a year of following KW's models and systems, I have a successful residential business that has allowed me start anew as one of the first agents in our new KW Commercial Division here in Little Rock, AR.

Just to be clear, I didn't do this all by myself. I constantly had help and I continue to have help. Our first commercial properties have all been referrals from some heavy hitters in our company and the head of our division has a consulting business that has a track record for finding investors for multi-million dollar deals.

So, this is where I find myself one year and 4 plus months after the BP Summit. In the right place at the right time. The path is and has been very different from the one I planned, the short term goals are completely changed. However, I am still headed to the same destination. All because I was nudged onto this path by one good comment, from one great guy, at one amazing Summit.