00:06hey guys it's Michael Valdez how are you
00:10welcome to the new podcast real estate
00:14Mastery with Michael Valdez I am
00:17incredibly humbled to be back I've had a
00:20rather long Hiatus as I was saying in
00:23some of my pre videos it's probably been
00:25about six months or so and I got to tell
00:28you I have have been just incredibly
00:31humbled by many of you that said we we
00:35we want your your voice back we want you
00:39back just to sort of talk about these
00:41interesting guests that I have you know
00:43the real estate market has now been a
00:46little bit different of late a lot of
00:48changes buyer commission lawsuits a lot
00:52of things happening with our different
00:55organizations a lot of leadership
00:56changes a lot of things going on and
00:59there's a lot of noise in our industry
01:02and so I wanted to come back I wanted to
01:05quiet the noise I wanted to be able to
01:08have a conversation with leaders in our
01:11industry in a true conversation how this
01:13can actually help your business help you
01:17really it's now the time where all of
01:20the the cream Rises to the top as they
01:22say where the top people that have the
01:26skill set that have the the the the
01:30behind how they can build their business
01:34I always say that greatness happens in
01:36down markets so this is actually the
01:38best time in my opinion to be in our
01:40business and so that's the reason I'm
01:43back and I want to start this very very
01:47first podcast with an incredibly dear
01:50friend of mine this is going to be so
01:53exciting to have the opportunity to talk
01:55with Miss Elizabeth Riley and I'm going
01:59to invite Elizabeth to join me on the
02:02show now Elizabeth how are
02:06you I love the fact that this kickoff
02:10podcast happens with none only than Miss
02:14Elizabeth Riley how are you doing today
02:16I love that you're back oh I I I'm great
02:20I'm doing great I love seeing you I love
02:22your energy I love your leadership and
02:25and we need more Michael so I'm glad to
02:27see that you're you're back and you
02:29haven't gone anywhere we've had a lot of
02:31interactions and as a company we've been
02:33able to see you a lot but you your voice
02:35needs to be heard and told and so yes
02:37this is awesome and I gotta tell you
02:39you're one of the people that lobbied
02:41the strongest for me to come back on on
02:44air as we say and back into the social
02:47channels and making sure that what we're
02:50talking about is there to help all of
02:53the agents that are in our industry and
02:56as I was saying in the beginning you
03:00our industry is in a little bit of crazy
03:03influx you know there's a lot a lot
03:06going on and we're going to jump into
03:08all those things but I want to start
03:11with reminding people how you got
03:14started in this crazy business for the
03:18four or five people that don't know who
03:19Elizabeth Riley is tell us that
03:23story it's always funny where you know
03:26looking back hindsight's always a gift
03:28it's 2020 and and you don't realize
03:30where your path is going to lead you and
03:33just you ask questions why so that was
03:37me back in almost 19 years ago now in
03:39Georgia my husband and I were investors
03:42and my CPA said one of you has to get
03:44your license and I was doing something I
03:47love to do I love to travel I love
03:50sports I was working for a a famous
03:52tennis player and we were doing really
03:54cool corporate events around major
03:56sporting events so literally when I was
03:58having this meeting I was about to leave
04:00for Greece for the Greece Olympics and
04:02so real estate didn't sound too sexy at
04:04that moment I'm not going to lie and I
04:07said no I'm not interested in getting my
04:08license no thank you and my husband had
04:10a corporate job he had the stability he
04:13had the benefits and he looked at me he
04:15like I think you're getting your license
04:17so you know when you're told you have to
04:19do something sometimes you just don't go
04:21with the most grateful heart and that
04:23was totally me but what I realized is
04:26okay I'm going to embrace this be what
04:27it is and I got into real estate dat uh
04:30early 2004 2005 and just started
04:35realizing I get to work with people I
04:37want to work with I get to work with
04:38people that that I like and that like me
04:41and that know me and trust me and it
04:43doesn't really seem like a job so I
04:44built my real estate business in Georgia
04:46uh at the time I didn't have any
04:48children and uh built that up and in
04:512008 you just talked about really
04:52challenging markets yeah 2008 for those
04:55of th those people that have been in
04:57real estate for a while that was a
04:59challenge in market for so many reasons
05:01in Atlanta Georgia we were doing lots of
05:03short sales and foreclosures and lots of
05:06stress right you take on the stress of
05:07the industry but you if you're like me I
05:09take on the stress of my clients and I'm
05:10always trying to find my Solutions and
05:12it wasn't fun for anybody and at that
05:15time we were also transferred to Austin
05:16Texas so not only were we transferred in
05:19a down Market but I didn't know anybody
05:21here and people I met said you're crazy
05:24for getting in the real estate business
05:25don't you know the Market's horrible I
05:26was like actually I came from a really
05:28bad Market this opportunity you know
05:30people are still buying and selling
05:32people are still needing to move people
05:33are still needing my services I just
05:36need to meet those people and and I
05:37needed to meet people for you for me for
05:40my son at the time and I just started
05:43with the basics got back to the basics I
05:44didn't listen to the noise I didn't
05:47listen to the negativity because that
05:49was just a distraction so built my
05:52business here in Texas in Austin Texas
05:53in 2014 I was the number one real estate
05:56uh agent in my Market Center of 650
05:58agents not because I followed my numbers
06:00or because I chased this financial goal
06:03but because I truly believed if you
06:05treat your clients like you're one and
06:06only the business is going to come you
06:08build that relationship it's going to
06:10build the business and that's what I did
06:12and but I realized it was a hamster will
06:15and it was just one more transaction and
06:17I wasn't really able to serve in a in a
06:21bigger way I didn't know what that
06:22looked like but I just knew that I
06:24wasn't there and I wasn't I was
06:27complacent and when you're complacent
06:29just you're not growing I it's so true
06:32oh God it's so true but here's what's so
06:36interesting first of all you felt like
06:38you drew the Short Straw and you're the
06:40one that go gets license right and look
06:43at what you've built and it's incredible
06:44and something you said to me just now
06:47was incredible perspective right when
06:50you sort of said I was forced into this
06:53and then I realized that I was just
06:55helping my friends and it became really
06:57really cool so perspective is important
07:00in 2008 I was selling real estate too
07:03and I got to tell you 2008 was actually
07:06the best year I ever had in real estate
07:09where a lot of people are are just sort
07:11of saying well a lot of our our friends
07:13got out of the business because they
07:15just couldn't handle it right and then a
07:17lot of other folks were saying this is
07:19the worst thing ever because it because
07:22it was but perspective is what changed I
07:26was in banking before I got into real
07:28estate and so what I saw was opportunity
07:31and so I was selling real estate in
07:33Miami and there was something called
07:35vulture funds back then and these were
07:38private funds that were going in and
07:42purchasing bulk properties at a
07:45discounted rate to hold on to and So I
07:49responded with one of these funds that I
07:51was actually working with directly and
07:54sold so much real estate that year that
07:56I had to hire two other assistants and
08:00increase my team and it was incredible
08:03and so it's the idea of perspective and
08:05you said 2008 there's a lot of greatness
08:09that happens in down
08:11markets like WeChat like Airbnb and of
08:15course exp all started back then so
08:20trying all those companies were were
08:22trying to fix an issue that they saw
08:26merging from again it's opport
08:29and I think a lot of people no matter
08:31what the industry is they put their head
08:32in the sand and they freeze and they
08:35don't know what to do and then there's
08:36those people that are saying okay well
08:39what could we do to make this better
08:40this didn't work or we see a hole here
08:43or you know Glenn Sanford always says if
08:46it's not broke break it right I love
08:49that how can you always move the the
08:51needle forward and so I I in anything
08:54I've done any of those moves I've made
08:56and again looking back I look at it as
08:58opportunity where most most of the
08:59people think I'm crazy or most of the
09:02people think well that's a horrible idea
09:03and I do seek wise counsel and I've had
09:05people in my life say do not do this and
09:08then I've had other people that say yes
09:09we actually align with you we understand
09:11and it works out really well but you've
09:13got to do it for the right reasons in
09:14your authentic self if you're just doing
09:17it for the wrong reasons I don't think
09:18things play out the way they're supposed
09:20to you know something like right now
09:23when you start looking at the craziness
09:26that's happening in our industry right
09:28now to me it's the greatest gift because
09:32if everyone look if it was three years
09:34ago and everyone is is is placing an a a
09:38a home on the market in the morning and
09:40by lunch you've got seven offers you're
09:42not going to think about what can you do
09:44to be better because you're just busy
09:46doing you're reactive you're reactive
09:50right now when there's a pause is when
09:52greatness happens when there's an
09:54opportunity to look at things when
09:56there's an opportunity to be in
09:57community when there's an opportunity
09:59for for incredible things to happen for
10:03the next stage everything is cyclical
10:05our real estate industry is cyclical
10:08everything happens in Cycles right so
10:10this is just part of the cycle now it
10:12depends on what you do in that phase of
10:13the cycle to see how you end up when
10:16that cycle is through right absolutely
10:20let's start talking about something that
10:22you do we start thinking about you know
10:25agents that are in this industry and
10:28most of the agents have a mentality of
10:31this is mine these are my listings don't
10:33don't don't look over my shoulder I
10:35can't tell you what's going on of course
10:37I'm not going to share anything with you
10:38are you crazy you're my competitor you
10:41did something which I thought was really
10:43interesting when you start talking about
10:45things of community and I love the
10:48acronym too which was aha like an aha
10:51moment and for those of you that don't
10:53know aha stands for agents helping
10:56agents tell me what the hell that was
10:59and why you even did it in the first
11:02place well I I tell people all the time
11:05don't compare your chapter one to my
11:07chapter 20 yeah and what happens is I
11:11struggled getting into the business in
11:13Georgia I mean I had people that that I
11:16surrounded myself with that were helpful
11:18but the reality is as a new agent not
11:20really knowing what you're doing you're
11:21struggling and you're trying to recreate
11:23the wheel when you shouldn't recreate
11:25the wheel same thing in 2008 here I just
11:28had to figure it out and create the will
11:30what I've recognized though is I used to
11:33be in what I thought was a collaborative
11:35environment and it really wasn't what
11:36you're talking about is scarcity mindset
11:39that's people are afraid to share
11:41anything or open anything for a fear
11:42that they're going to lose by you
11:44winning and it's and if you step back
11:46and say well what happens if we all win
11:49what happens if we all lift each others
11:51each other as we climb what happens then
11:53and so aha really came out of that
11:55moment we were starting to do production
11:57masterminds because I'm a top agent but
12:01I learned things from newer agents you
12:03know I'm a big fish in some circles I'm
12:05a little fish in other circles I never
12:07want to be the biggest fish if I'm the
12:09biggest fish in the pond I need to move
12:11ponds that's right so what happened is I
12:13wanted to create that environment where
12:15we had all sorts of sizes of fishes
12:17coming together and bringing in their
12:19their Brilliance and their experience
12:21and their winds and their failures
12:25because you can learn so much about
12:28failures and I'm constantly failing
12:30forward and so aha Club was really all
12:32of us coming together it was production
12:34focused it was Community it was
12:37collaborative it was opening up our
12:38playbooks truly truly opening up our
12:40playbooks not just saying oh we all open
12:43our playbooks we're all one Kumbaya
12:45because that really wasn't what what was
12:46happening in the background and so I
12:49wanted to Buck that Trend if you will
12:52and come from from a place of abundance
12:55and share what I have because here's the
12:57reality I'm in Austin Texas there's I
12:59don't know 20,000 agents the likelihood
13:02of me having the same database as the
13:05next person it slim to none so what
13:09happens if we all help each other it
13:10makes us better as agents it makes us
13:12better as a company it makes us better
13:14as a community it makes us better as an
13:16industry because Michael I don't know if
13:18you know this or not our industry does
13:22best reputation that's I know I know so
13:26what aha was was was F fixing all of
13:30these different things and what we saw
13:32happen is we're consist by the way it's
13:33all about consistency consistently
13:35meeting every week I mean every month
13:37consistently sharing consistently having
13:40real topics real issues real
13:43conversations and that's what we did and
13:45so we've done that for years every
13:47single month here's the cool thing
13:49people started understanding around the
13:51globe around the nation what we were
13:52doing and they'd say hey what are you
13:54doing can we do that too please
13:56absolutely it's called R&D rip off and
13:59right I love to rip off and duplicate
14:01why recreate the will we all win
14:03together so now there's aha clubs all
14:05over the country I go speak at some
14:08other people come and speak but it's
14:10real relevant information and it's just
14:13elevating all of us in whatever we need
14:15because success is going to look
14:16different for each and every one you
14:18know that that's amazing I really love
14:21that because it's that spirit that then
14:23becomes contagious and then becomes a
14:25movement right much like what what Glenn
14:27Sanford did here and so it's that whole
14:30idea that you start with a great idea
14:33and then it gets duplicated and it gets
14:35shared and you touch more people and
14:38that's exciting but I want to T touch on
14:41something again that you're that you're
14:43talking about here it's almost like a
14:45laboratory right you're coming in and
14:47you're sharing your wins but also your
14:49failures and I think there's greater
14:52lessons in the failures right it's it's
14:55it's though Thomas Edison always said I
14:57didn't fail 10,000 times I found 10,000
15:00times it didn't work until he invented
15:03the light bulb and so talk to me about
15:06some of those failures what was the
15:09greatest lesson you've learned from one
15:12failures oh my gosh there's so many
15:15lessons I fail all the time I fail daily
15:17I have four children my children will
15:18definitely tell you how much I fail on a
15:20daily basis um but but it's okay to fail
15:24because Perfection Perfection was my
15:26enemy and I've learned that a long time
15:28ago it's I had to be perfect I had to be
15:31put up that put up that wall so it
15:33looked like everything was done and
15:34everything's crumbling behind and what
15:37good is that it adds stress it adds
15:40anxiety it just you're not being your
15:42your best self you're not being your
15:43authentic self and when I realize okay I
15:45just need to be who I am and that's
15:48great and and people are learning from
15:49the failures I had more people reaching
15:51out to me saying thank you for sharing
15:53that because I can relate and that
15:56helped me change this in this way but if
15:59I'm just saying Oh yay there I am I did
16:01another sale I did another listing and
16:03yay whato was me nobody's going to learn
16:05the path to get there so I fail all the
16:10don't if I disappoint a
16:12client right what can I learn from that
16:15how can I learn from that how can I make
16:17sure that doesn't happen moving forward
16:18if I if I lose a listing why did I lose
16:20that listing I'm not going to point the
16:22finger saying oh well you know what they
16:24just missed out no what could I have
16:27done retrace my steps how can I have
16:29been better when I'm having a
16:30conversation with somebody that doesn't
16:32go well what can I learn from that I I
16:34look at things as opportunity and
16:36learning envir or learning opportunities
16:38and and just what can I what can I not
16:42only personally learn but what what can
16:43I share with other people from Agents to
16:46my marriage to my friendships to my
16:48children uh I think on the other side a
16:51failure is growth and if you're not
16:52failing you're not growing and you know
16:55what's the point you know I there's
16:58there's something wonderful nuggets
16:59there when you started saying I realized
17:02that Perfection was my
17:05enemy it's it's a horrible thing first
17:08of all it doesn't exist right it's
17:10something that is all about again what
17:13we talked about earlier perspective
17:15right so everyone has a different
17:16perspective of what Perfection is and so
17:20it becomes a NeverEnding goal that you
17:23could reach so when you get Perfection
17:27away first it's like what does it mean
17:29what the hell does Perfection mean right
17:32so like first of all it would be so
17:33boring if somebody was perfect well and
17:36nobody nobody's perfect so who say what
17:38per yeah it's like we all beat ourselves
17:42up right it's like no no no I can't do
17:44that until it's perfect you'll never do
17:46it right you'll never do it you have to
17:50start just doing anything motion is what
17:55creates success you don't have have to
17:58have the right path yet you just have to
18:03path and I learned a long time ago to
18:05surround myself with a board of
18:06directors a board of directors that's
18:08not a yes man kind of board of directors
18:10not a board of director that's not
18:12telling you what you want to hear what
18:13you want to what you should say and and
18:15just pleasing you because I recognized
18:18when I was doing this and I was putting
18:19that facade on uh not
18:23necessarily intentionally but it was
18:25happening it was pulling me away because
18:28it was it was adding separation because
18:30people were thinking that that they
18:32weren't worthy or they couldn't compete
18:34and I recognized I was like whoa whoa
18:35whoa why are you pulling back what
18:37happens when we all lift each other
18:39together and I always say comparison
18:41kills Joy because when we're comparing
18:43ourselves to each other we're not
18:45focusing on what our gifts are what our
18:47our skill sets are what what makes us
18:50great and what value we bring to the
18:51table now A friend of mine did tell me
18:53yesterday that had me going hm she said
18:56you know I've always tried to compare
18:58myself to you we had a real heart tohe
19:00heart and I recognized that it was
19:02affecting our relationship you didn't
19:04know that but I kept wanting to be like
19:07you and we're so completely opposite
19:09okay and she brings so amazing things to
19:12the table I bring other things to the
19:13table and we've been friends for I don't
19:15know 18 years a long time wow um and she
19:18said you've always said I've always
19:19heard you say comparison gives Joy but
19:21she goes what I realized the other day
19:22is actually comparison can bring joy as
19:25well she said because I had to do a
19:27mindset shift where I can compare myself
19:29to you and the things that you're doing
19:31a big in a big way and that can help me
19:33better who I am in the in the ways that
19:36that I excel at and I was like wow
19:37that's an interesting way to look at
19:39that yes comparison kills Joy if used in
19:41the wrong way but it also can bring joy
19:44when you're surrounding yourself with
19:46board of directors surrounding yourself
19:47with the people that really true want
19:49the be truly want the best for you and
19:50it's reciprocated nobody wants to be
19:52surrounded by takers that's right if
19:54you're giving and taking in
19:55relationships and conversations and and
19:57community unities that's where
19:59everybody's going to thrive but it's
20:01when you get involved with those
20:03environments that are the scarcity
20:04mindset the the people that are focused
20:07on well what do I gain from this or what
20:10can I win from this that's when nobody's
20:12winning in my opinion you know what I I
20:14love that and I think that that is
20:17comparison killing Joy I think that was
20:19an interesting um um uh talk track
20:23because to me what your friend was doing
20:26was admiring your skill sets right and I
20:30think that's a little bit different
20:31because admiration and comparison is is
20:34a little different and you know I was I
20:36I learned many many years ago and i'
20:39always stuck with me the reason that um
20:41that racehorses have blinders on is so
20:45they don't the left or see from the
20:47right they could only see straight ahead
20:49and so that allows them not to concern
20:53themselves with what's happening outside
20:55of their focal point and and that to me
20:59was a really huge lesson because it just
21:01didn't matter it didn't matter what
21:03other people were doing it only mattered
21:05what I was doing so to me it was the
21:08only competition was to better myself
21:11from what I did the day before and to
21:14learn from the failures that I had the
21:15day before and so that to me was the
21:19focal point of it but I loved your your
21:22your comparison of that but I also want
21:24to shift just a little bit on um talking
21:27about something that to me is is is is a
21:30great topic it's a big topic and I know
21:33it's something that's close to your
21:35heart I want to talk about Legacy you
21:37know you talked about the fact that you
21:38have four children that you're you've
21:41built a great business and you want to
21:44make sure that it it it it it it
21:47supersedes what your time on Earth is
21:50that it's lasting so tell me what Legacy
21:58Legacy can go in in so many different
22:00ways and and for me I didn't grow up
22:02with a lot so for me Legacy is not
22:04Financial right Legacy is creating and
22:07can I provide so much more for my kids
22:09than I than I had the opportunities
22:11absolutely and I don't I mean it's it's
22:13funny because my 18 year he just turned
22:1518 I'm still in denial on that Michael
22:17but um you know he's I'm providing
22:21education for them they're in a great
22:22school but in the school he's in they're
22:25all in brand new cars and fancy cars and
22:27my kid is driving around in a 2,000 Land
22:30Cruiser that has 365,000 miles on it and
22:33he asked me one day like why you could
22:36get me something else I was like I could
22:37but what I'm doing is I'm creating
22:39strong work ethic in my children not
22:42setting you know I want them to work
22:44hard I want them to appreciate I want
22:46them to understand that it's more than
22:48materialistic things it's more about
22:50things that are going to outlive them
22:51it's more about being creative and
22:53extending further down the road before
22:56be Beyond whatever you can imagine so
22:58for me Legacy I am you know my job I
23:01think is to make sure they have the best
23:03education possible so that they can be
23:04the best person that they need to be
23:07moving forward into adulthood into the
23:08community and be contributor
23:10contributors to society and then that
23:12outlives them and out lives them and
23:14outlives them and so that's why I try to
23:16be very very present that's why I try to
23:18create what I'm creating so that I have
23:20the time freedom and I have the
23:22financial freedom to be able to
23:25encourage them and support them in
23:26whatever that looks like because
23:28yes Financial that's fine but Legacy is
23:30going to look different for each of my
23:31kids and I just want them to have
23:33choices and so for me I would say Legacy
23:35is just creating more opportunities for
23:38choices and that's what I'm that's what
23:41I'm really working on doing Legacy
23:43equals choices I love that because that
23:46is a part of it of course it is you know
23:48it's it's where um remember what um what
23:52jerck Robbins used to say that you know
23:54your first Mountain that you climb is
23:56for you the second Mountain that you
23:59climb it's what you leave behind right
24:02and it's such a such a beautiful visual
24:04I remember the first time he said that
24:06it resonated with me so much in fact I
24:08remember when he first said that it's
24:10when I changed the name of my trust and
24:14it just used to be you know the Valdez
24:16trust and I changed it to adenia which
24:18means Legacy in Spanish and oh cool um
24:22so you know I've got everything that I
24:24own titled under the trust so I see it
24:26all the time and so it's a constant
24:29reminder for me that that's what's
24:32important is that second Mountain so um
24:36and you know I also love I know that you
24:38know it's it's like the bad thing about
24:41this is that you and I know each other
24:42so well I know you can talk for hours I
24:45love it it's also the fact you know the
24:46other bad thing is that we're live so
24:48you can't like not answer the question
24:51so here we go now Hot Seat um but I love
24:55the fact that you went full circle
24:58right you got into real estate because
25:01your husband had the corporate job and
25:04he was the one that was bringing in the
25:07money it was steady and you you couldn't
25:10risk it you you you had a newborn you
25:13couldn't risk it so you're the one that
25:15in your mind drew the Short Straw and
25:17here we are almost two decades later and
25:21something wonderful happened tell me
25:23what you did man that makes me feel
25:26really old when you say it like that
25:27well you said it I just repeated it I
25:30know I never really thought of it that
25:31way though golly I'm getting old Michael
25:33that's a crazy town um I mean my kid and
25:36it's so funny because my kids have grown
25:38grown up in the business too I I was
25:39getting my license Georgia when I was
25:41pregnant with my oldest it's like wow
25:42that's crazy um you know this all came
25:46from failure quite frankly so here's
25:50we'll be very very transparent my
25:51husband has been in Corporate America he
25:53was in corporate for 25 years he was
25:55before covid he was traveling
25:56internationally was gone all the time uh
26:00and I always used to say I'm a single
26:01mom with Benefits right because it was
26:03hard I'm I'm running a business I've got
26:05four children Here There and Everywhere
26:06now I do not do this all by myself I am
26:09not take I am not Superwoman by any
26:11means I have a lot of help but uh what
26:13we recognized was our family was
26:16fractured my husband did not have a
26:18relationship with our kids as my oldest
26:21was getting older my old I have a my
26:23oldest boy they had they hated each
26:26other and that is not what our life was
26:30intended to be and so when covid
26:32happened right so Co was actually a
26:35blessing in many ways as horrible as it
26:36was in a lot of ways it was blessing in
26:38so many different ways um and now I can
26:41look back and see why it was a blessing
26:42for our family but my husband traveled
26:44internationally but when Co happened
26:46there's no traveling but business is
26:48still trying to happen so what is he
26:49doing he's sitting in this office at
26:51three in the morning four in the morning
26:52on the phone with Dubai or South Africa
26:54and still our family was actually more
26:56fractured than it could have been when
26:58it could have been coming together while
26:59we're all under four walls and a roof
27:02yeah and uh I remember fast foring to
27:04that and I came in here one day I said
27:05why are you doing this and he said
27:06because I have to the the mindset I had
27:09before with real estate because I have
27:11to and I said why do you have to you
27:13don't have to do this and he goes well I
27:14have the benefits I have to do this I
27:16have the you know the health care I have
27:18all these other things and I looked at
27:21said what if I retired you because I
27:25have been very blessed in what I've done
27:27and he what are you talking about you're
27:28crazy and I said well what if I retired
27:30you because I just told you I have all
27:31the benefits I have all these things and
27:33I said well our company has healthc care
27:36would would you be open-minded right
27:38Phil Jones would you be open-minded to
27:42like let's just compare and he said sure
27:44let's let's do that so we compared we
27:46met with our health care with exp we
27:49looked at everything we had with his
27:50company and the health care we had at
27:53our company was better for our family of
27:55six than it was in his corporate job job
27:57so I asked him the question again what
27:59happens if I retire you he goes what
28:01would I do I my whole identity is tied
28:04into this right and that's the scary
28:07thing too Michael if you think about it
28:08when you're so comfortable yeah and
28:11there's fear fear stops you but when
28:13you're so comfortable there is no growth
28:15if you are just bored and complacent and
28:17un uninspired like what more can you be
28:20doing when you are excited about
28:23something again you find your passion
28:24whatever that is and I told him I said
28:26well you will do whatever you need to do
28:28to find your passion you will do
28:29whatever you need to do to build a
28:31relationship with our children because
28:32you are missing it and so we talked
28:35about it for a long time we talked to
28:36the kids and I retired him it was it'll
28:38be two it might be three years now I
28:41don't even know in May so I retired my
28:43husband from Corporate America after 25
28:46years because of what I've been able to
28:47build and create a legacy in a different
28:49way right so now the Legacy we have is
28:52my husband has a relationship with our
28:53children they are super tight they are
28:55super close he helps me
28:58me at at not in my business business but
29:01he helps me with the kids in the morning
29:02in the afternoon and homework and all
29:03these other things where I had gaps I
29:07wasn't able to do it all so now we can
29:09be a true partnership and come in
29:11together and so it came in from our
29:12family failing that is why this is so
29:16amazing to me now because so many great
29:18things can come out of failure but if we
29:21had just stayed on that that course and
29:22that hamster wheel I mean where would we
29:25be right now my family would be worse
29:26off than it was before so it's been
29:28truly a blessing and everybody's like oh
29:30you got to retire your husband because
29:31of this I'm like yeah but you need to
29:33understand the real intentions of why we
29:34were doing this and who knows what we're
29:37going to be able to do forward but uh
29:39it's been a blessing for our family and
29:40I'm incredibly incredibly grateful for
29:44the company for the people and for
29:47everybody else that has allowed that to
29:48happen for our family first of all thank
29:50you for being so vulnerable and sharing
29:53such a personal story because that's the
29:58lessons that people can extract from
30:01that is so beautiful when you start
30:03thinking of the fact that you know Wes
30:07who I also know for years now um working
30:12so hard and so diligently and creating
30:16what he built for your family and then
30:18you jumping in and creating what you
30:21built you guys were very well off and
30:25the most well yes and no though
30:27right yes and no there were some bad
30:29decisions we had made so all outward
30:31appearance yes yeah but then the most
30:34important thing for you guys which was
30:36your children yeah was what was
30:39suffering absolutely and then when you
30:42come together to make probably a really
30:45very very difficult decision and saying
30:49you know like like like I wrote down
30:53to and that's a really really really
30:57heavy Stone to push up a hill because I
31:01have to it's hard to find your passion
31:03when you have to do something when
31:05you're not excited about it where's the
31:07greatness come from that when you remove
31:10that that stone God the freedom that
31:14comes from that that's pretty damn
31:19amazing it's been fun that's a beautiful
31:22beautiful story tell me it's given me
31:25it's given me a lot of freedom and a
31:26bunch of different ways now now I'm
31:29actually growing in ways I never thought
31:31was possible either right so now he's
31:33finding his passion and I'm pivoting a
31:35little bit like I'm very I'm a real
31:37estate agent I love my clients I love my
31:39team I love everything that we do but
31:41now it's allowing me because of the
31:43freedom I have with him and the the the
31:46support I have with him right it's
31:47allowing me to do things in a bigger way
31:49that is pushing me quite frankly outside
31:51my comfort zone but again on the other
31:54side of discomfort and fear is growth
31:56and so who knows where it's going to
31:58take me and now I mean you and I've had
32:00these conversations a lot now I'm
32:01speaking on stages I never in a million
32:03years thought I had anything to share
32:05from the stage now it's allowing me to
32:07pour into people in a different way with
32:09aha clubs pour into people in a
32:10different way with masterminds and
32:13things like that that aren't so
32:16transactional yeah I can be much more
32:18relational and I think when that's
32:21freedom and when you start doing that
32:22that catscapes to everybody out
32:24everybody else outside of you and it the
32:27the sky's the limit and that's what I'm
32:28excited about well when you start sort
32:30of looking at the way that you so freely
32:33are sharing and teaching on this podcast
32:37right now it's a it's crazy to me that
32:39you thought no I could never be on a
32:41stage that's insane to me knowing you
32:44for so long and knowing what you've done
32:47with affecting other people so tell me
32:51this what's the best advice you've ever
32:57the best advice I've ever
33:02um I'm just G to share what first comes
33:04to my mind please do that was that was
33:07from my dad and this is gonna sound so
33:09silly but this was from my dad uh Grand
33:11my dad was military he was in the Navy
33:14uh and my dad would always tell me and
33:15this is probably why I am like I am a
33:17lot but he would tell me if you're on
33:18time you're five minutes late and so my
33:21whole life I have I mean I'm always
33:24early it drives me nuts because Wes is
33:26always late so I have to lie to him
33:28telling him now uh yeah we need to be
33:30there at one o'clock you know if we
33:31really have to be there at you know two
33:33so we're there on time but I know that's
33:35so silly but I just you know in my life
33:37meeting with people people's time is
33:39precious oh my God yes and it's a it's a
33:41it's a sign of respect right if I'm
33:44gonna be late to somebody how much do I
33:46value their time how much do I value
33:48their or respect them and quite frankly
33:50it works on the reverse because when
33:51people are super late with me it sets a
33:54tone already right it already sets what
33:56what I can expect moving forward so it's
33:58a good thing and it's a bad thing but I
34:00am I'm very punctual like I will stress
34:03out if I'm even going to be late but I
34:04think that's probably the best advice
34:06because that's what my whole life kind
34:07of surrounds with surrounds myself with
34:10being respectful of other people's time
34:12and really understanding those who
34:17mine um many many years ago so I was uh
34:2225 years old and I was the named the
34:25first um Ino director of Deutsche Bank
34:28in the United States so um over 30 years
34:30ago at this point now I really feel old
34:33so um I was you don't have to tell
34:36people that because you don't look like
34:37it it was the first director's meeting
34:40right so I was super excited and I was
34:42just trying to get off the the call with
34:45uh with a client of mine and I couldn't
34:47get off the call I couldn't get off the
34:48call finally got off the call I run run
34:50run to the meeting and it's a glass
34:52conference room and I see all the other
34:54directors in there and I open the door
34:56and the door's locked
34:57and so I'm like I'm knocking on the on
34:59on the wall and no one's looking up all
35:02these German Bankers right no one's
35:04looking up and I knock louder because of
35:07course they can't hear my knock it's a
35:08glass wall right in my mind and so I'm
35:11like no one's looking up and I'm like
35:14like like banging on the door finally
35:17they're all ignoring me I go back to to
35:19my office and I'm just doing other calls
35:22about an hour later I get a call from
35:24the managing director and he says
35:26Michael can you come to my office and
35:27I'm like sure so I like skipped to the
35:29office and I'm thinking that he's just
35:31going to to to congratulate me I'm
35:33making director right and he he does he
35:35starts that way and he says um I was
35:37surprised you weren't at your first
35:38director's meeting and I said of course
35:40I was there I was knocking on the door
35:42and the whole sort of thing and he says
35:43what time do meeting start and I said
35:45three o'clock and so he says what time
35:48were you there I said three o'clock and
35:51he said Michael had you been there at
35:523:00 the door would have been open and
35:54he said um don't ever be late again and
35:57it stuck with me so so hard because I
36:01needed the information that was in that
36:03meeting and nobody would give it to me
36:05and I actually was really grateful to
36:08that and so it was the greatest lesson
36:11ever but it was also how I ran my real
36:14estate team when I when I was selling
36:16and how I you know if somebody came late
36:19on my team to a to a meeting I would
36:22have meetings at 8:00 a.m. every morning
36:25in Miami could you imagine that people
36:26were sort of like you know if they were
36:28out if they were out the night before
36:29they were not ready at they they were
36:32not your F your it was like go home if
36:35you were there at if you were late it
36:37would be like forget it go home and
36:40that's how I ran my team and it was all
36:43about the fact that you had to look
36:46everything is infinite right money is
36:49infinite the air that you breathe is
36:50infinite the only thing that's finite is
36:53time right and it's how you use it
36:57that gives you everything else that's
36:59infinite well and and I love that you
37:02have that story too because I know it
37:03sounds like such a simple lesson but a
37:06great one it stuck with me since I was a
37:08child I had a meeting before we got to
37:10visit today and I will tell you I walked
37:12in a little coffee shop and I'm early
37:15okay I'm early and the person I was
37:17meeting with was earlier than me and it
37:20set a tone that I was like oh they're
37:23looking forward to meeting with me right
37:25they are prepared to be meeting with me
37:26and it it does it just sets it it sets
37:29the environment in a different way as
37:31opposed to them being frazzled and
37:32running and coming back and being on
37:34their phone and I'm sorry it just it it
37:36just sticks with me so that is something
37:38that is daily ingrained into me and I
37:40love that you have that lesson too
37:42because it does make sense it does I
37:44mean yeah it's lasted for over three
37:46decades that I've never known that story
37:48that's funny I can just picture you
37:50banging on this glass wall trying to get
37:53in this meeting but and and everyone
37:55else not looking up yeah yeah you know
37:57probably don't look at him I know you
37:59want to look at him don't
38:01look oh my gosh that's all right so tell
38:04tell our viewers and listeners your
38:07favorite Business book right
38:09now oh favorite book okay I'm gonna give
38:12you a business one but I'm gonna give
38:13you another one too please my favorite
38:16Business book is Leaders Eat
38:18Last uh I love Simon s uh anything that
38:23he writes I love him I love brne Brown I
38:25love Mel Robbins I love all of those
38:26leaders uh but I really resonate with
38:30Leaders Eat Last I am one of those
38:32leaders which for the longest time I
38:34didn't think I was a leader and here's
38:36the reality everybody's a leader in
38:38their own way right and I speak about
38:40this all the time I I love it when I go
38:41into a room and I'll say okay who who in
38:43here considers themselves a leader and
38:45no hands go up yeah like all right let's
38:48look at this a little differently who's
38:49a who's a mom who's a dad that's right
38:52who who is on the PTA who volunteers at
38:55a nonprofit who coaches a soccer team
38:57you see all these hands coming up right
38:59leadership's not a title it it shows up
39:02in every area of our life and so we need
39:04to all Embrace that we all are leaders
39:05in our own way I was never seeing myself
39:09as a leader because I thought it was a
39:10title I thought it was a box I had to
39:12check or somebody had to bestow that
39:15title on me right uh but what I
39:18recognized I lead differently I lead
39:21from back from behind I'm one of those I
39:24mean if you know the dis profile I'm a
39:25very high yes I lead from behind and
39:28that is a very different unique
39:30leadership style so when I came across
39:32Leaders Eat Last it clicked so that's my
39:35favorite business leadership book I
39:37would say uh I would say my other
39:39favorite book of all times is called die
39:41with zero by Bill Perkins and you might
39:43hear us talk about this quite a bit D
39:46wood zero was a book that a friend of
39:48mine challenged us to read and basic not
39:51basically he told us if you don't read
39:53this by Monday you're dead to me and he
39:55was one of those personalities that was
39:56serious we're like okay we're gonna read
39:58this book and it was because from the
40:01title you just think you know what it's
40:03about it was really the one of the main
40:05reasons that Catalyst us to retire West
40:08as well because it was talking about you
40:10work all your life to save to earn to
40:14then enjoy what happens when you get to
40:17the end of your life or to that point
40:19and you can't enjoy what happens if
40:20you're now too old to travel or you
40:23you're too sick to travel or your family
40:25is so fractur Ed this is what was really
40:27scary for me Michael your family is so
40:29fractured that they don't even want to
40:31be with you now you've got all of this
40:34time and money or whatever you're trying
40:36to earn yeah and now they're all in
40:39you've lost it you've lost the
40:41opportunities and so I'm very very very
40:43intentional I do lots of surprise trips
40:46I do lots of things that keep us
40:47together because it's not about the
40:48stuff but the book die with zero is one
40:52that I would absolutely recommend it
40:54changes your mindset in so many
40:57and it gave me a different pers
40:59perspective you know going back to
41:00perspective it gave me a different way
41:02of looking things looking at things
41:05showing me like this is what Society
41:07expects us to do this is what Society
41:10tells us we need to do and when you read
41:12that you're like no no no that's not
41:14what's best for us so D with zero is
41:16probably my other favorite book that I
41:18hands down recommend I love both of
41:20those books so those are good choices
41:23all right my last question for you and
41:25it wasn't what we discussed so this is
41:27always great but I'm going to go back to
41:30the homage of my old podcast and end
41:33with the question I always used to end
41:35with so okay in your book of life what
41:39is this chapter called and
41:43why that's a good question thank you
41:52um I'm trying to find the right
42:00oh that's I would say still wow and and
42:05being very trans me being very
42:06transparent again like I am so go go go
42:08go go I'm like into everything I'm doing
42:10everything I'm trying to help everybody
42:12um somebody told me the other day and I
42:15I don't know what book it's from but
42:16they say I'm an empath that I I take
42:19everybody's stress and everybody's
42:20worries and I try to come up with and
42:23that's what I do uh and that's just who
42:25I am but what I recognize
42:28is then I'm not operating at my best
42:31that I'm not able to give my best and so
42:34what I've realized the last couple weeks
42:36I've been really sitting with this a
42:38little struggling a little bit too
42:39because I don't sit still but what I've
42:42recognized I need to take a few step
42:44backs back to take a few steps forward
42:47and so in order to do that I need to be
42:49still so I have actually been taking
42:51things off of my plate reprioritizing
42:54some things trying to sit in the silence
42:58so yeah that's the name of my chapter
43:01right now still I love that one do you
43:03know that I um started doing something
43:07um a few weeks ago do you know the um
43:11grounding no where it's you're supposed
43:14to um basically connect with with the
43:18Earth again and so now I've gone out to
43:22my backyard and thankfully the weather
43:24in in Texas has been really nice the
43:26last couple of weeks and you're supposed
43:28to go you know bare feet and stop you
43:31know like be on the grass and connect
43:33with nature and it's supposed to reset
43:37yourself and I've got to tell you I've I
43:41I I have seen a difference just in the
43:42last two weeks and people do this
43:44practice for years and it's nothing it's
43:47101 15 minutes where you just reconnect
43:50with nature and be still you leave the
43:52phone in the house you don't do anything
43:54and there's there's a moment in that
43:57Stillness so I love the way that you use
43:59still there's a moment in that Stillness
44:04energizing yeah and it's I'm gonna it's
44:08called grounding called grounding yeah
44:11and it's amazing and there's there's a
44:14lot of books on it and I haven't jumped
44:15on the books yet but I I I like
44:18something about the whole practice
44:19appealed to me and it was um and it's
44:23because because you know you know what
44:25what our schedules are like and uh the
44:28fact that we're in every time zone sort
44:30of like you know makes my days super
44:33early and evenings somewhat late with uh
44:36with phone calls so taking that 105
44:39minute gift to yourself it's something
44:43that I'm certainly incorporating from
44:45now on and it's and you're seeing a
44:47difference I am I love that I am I am I
44:52well and here's what I want to say to
44:53you I mean I know this is your podcast
44:54and you get to answer you know you get
44:56to control the questions but I'm gonna
44:58take control for a moment because you
45:00know me and my personality I do want to
45:02stop and say thank you for you for a
45:05number of reasons yes you are my very
45:07good friend and I'm so grateful for that
45:08and again I wouldn't have had that
45:10opportunity if it weren't for this
45:12company if it weren't for the rooms and
45:13the conversations that we all have right
45:15and you realize who your people are and
45:17you realize who you're aligned with and
45:20I play well in the sandbox with
45:21everybody because that's what we do
45:23that's what we do as Leaders that's what
45:25we do as as real estate agents that's
45:27what we do with you know whatever hat
45:29we're wearing you have to play nice in
45:31the sandbox but then there are those
45:33people that you know you're in an
45:35alignment with and you know that you're
45:36going to do awesome things with and and
45:38you're one of those people for me so I
45:40just want to first and foremost say
45:42thank you for your friendship I'm so
45:43internally grateful for that but also
45:46for your leadership for your voice for
45:48your conviction for your authenticity we
45:51don't have a lot of leaders in our
45:54industry or any industry for that matter
45:58that are truly showing up in the way
46:00that you show up and I want you to know
46:03that it's recognized it's acknowledged
46:06you're seen you are so appreciated and I
46:09just want to say thank you for for being
46:11who you are for continuing to show up
46:13and I'm as your friend and as your your
46:16colleague I'm going to encourage you to
46:17continue to do that because more people
46:20need to know who Michael Valdez is as a
46:22person as a leader as a c level
46:26executive I don't care they just need to
46:28more need to know your voice and your
46:29authenticity and so I just want to thank
46:31you for being you and showing up in the
46:32way you do Elizabeth I I love you for
46:35those words thank you so so much and
46:38more than anything thank you for your
46:40encouragement for me to do this project
46:43again thank you for being my very first
46:45guest and thank you for how raw and you
46:50were in these um in this last 45 minutes
46:54in the idea that you shared so much that
46:57was personal that showed who you are as
47:01a person as a leader and your why and I
47:06think that there are so many people that
47:07listening to this that will connect to
47:09those parts of you parts of the story
47:13and I want to just thank you for
47:16spending the time with me and having
47:19this first podcast now be in the can as
47:22they say I love it well I just think if
47:26that everybody wins and I don't care how
47:29experienced you are whether you're
47:30you've been in the business 20 years 30
47:32years 40 years I don't care or you're
47:34brand new just getting your license I I
47:37just think there's so much opportunity
47:38for for everybody and uh it's so fun to
47:41watch people win uh so I I love that
47:44you're finally doing this again it's
47:46about time I'm looking forward to more
47:48of these conversations and will be and
47:50you know and I think what you just said
47:52is so important too it's the idea that
47:54this is an industry which gives many
47:58gifts and whether you're a day in or a
48:01decade in you've seen the gifts and this
48:05is something where if you hang in there
48:08if you cultivate if you do the right
48:10things if you do the right things from
48:12your heart you will succeed and this is
48:15an industry that serves you your family
48:18and your community very very well so
48:20Elizabeth Riley thank you again for
48:22being the first guest on real estate
48:24Mastery and and we will see you all very
48:27soon this will continue thank you
48:29Elizabeth see you soon
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