#WHOSNEXT

#WHOSNEXT has become a saying that we live by at Pemberton Homes. You’ve probably seen me use it or our agents around social media. Here’s the back story.

Growing up in MN, we would often combine social gatherings with something outdoors, such as hanging out in the woods, goofing around, and building bonfires. In the cold winters, the wood could be wet, bitter, or buried in dirt, making it hard to light and burn. We’d use anything we could find for kindling- newspaper, leftover bags from the grocery store, gasoline, lighter fluid, leaves, alcohol, you name it.

We had several different tips and tricks to get the fire started and the fire had to be good. You cannot have a bonfire party without a bonfire. Otherwise, you’re just sitting in the woods cold.

As the bonfire master, my job was to make sure we had one rolling at all times. I had no other choice but to succeed. Letting your friends down just was not an option. I learned it’s hard to get a fire started, but it’s easy to keep one going as long as you have the wood to keep it going.

In real estate, it’s the same way. It’s really difficult to get your business off the ground but it’s not hard to maintain once you do as long as you still do the activities consistently. You need to occasionally toss a log on the fire to keep it burning hot. Same thing in real estate. The things that got you there will keep you going as long as you do not stop feeding it.

The problem is so many don’t get the fire started burning big enough. They see a flame and then take a break, they sell 2-3 in a month and say, "Oh my gosh, I'm rich!" Then comes a new car, a vacation, ego, or just losing sight of what you need to do next, and soon enough, your fire is out.

This is why you see massive swings in agents’, teams’, and brokers’ businesses. They stop building.

This leads to the inevitable rollercoaster ride of ups and downs and no real consistency because they didn’t fully commit in the first place, or worse, they quit. Just because you built a successful fire today doesn’t mean you automatically will tomorrow. The key is recognizing what works to keep the fire burning versus getting distracted by what doesn’t matter. If you lose sight of what matters most, your fire can burn out and FAST.

Agents will come to me and ask what they can do to sell more or advance in life and my answer is always the same: Do the work that matters and do it consistently. Not for one week, one month, or one year, but do it always. Never lose sight of what got you there and never stop trying to build your fire.

The next time you feel like you’re at the top, realize it’s time to get back in the trenches.

That’s why we have embedded #WHOSNEXT to our culture at Pemberton Homes. It keeps the mindset on who is the next person we can help and how can we do it. What is the next activity we need to complete and how consistent can we be?

Nowadays, I feel a deep obligation to ensure those around me succeed just as I did when I built the backyard bonfire. My goal is to lead by example and keep agents focused on what’s most important.

If you never stop building your fire will always burn bright. #WHOSNEXT