If there was ever an antithesis to my life, to my belief system, it would be “settling.”

I physically pains to me to watch people settle.

If my kids ever “settle,” I will have failed in all that I stand for. 

There is no limit to human potential. 

From the recent research I did, and talked about in Ep. 51, the #1 and 2 things that people would like to fix in their business/life, is “Impact” – They don’t feel like they’re living up to their potential, and “Purpose” – They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

Which is why, when I receive stories like the one below, I am inspired to continue to put in the long hours to write, create content, and produce the Podcast.

I can’t tell you how many agents have traveled his same path – but until their eyes open, and those feelings become convictions, nothing will change.

The letter you read below is a turning point, similar to the decision he made 15 years ago.

New beginnings are possible.

But not without a new belief system, which doesn’t typically come until you actively choose to de-link and disconnect, putting distance between you, your old ways, the people or influences dragging your down, and the new ones that can lift you up.

It’s a long letter. But this gets to the point I made in Ep. 51, which we expanded on in Episode 52 – the power of Culture.

The TGP has their culture. And we have ours!

As Tony Hsieh says, founder of Zappos, “Culture is your brand.”

Hey Ryan,


Well, I’ve been screwing up…


Let me tell you a little about me before I get going… There is a lot more to my “story” than what I am going to get into here, but I wanted to give you something so you have an idea of who I am.

When I was a teenager I wasn’t exactly the best of kids… I ran around with the wrong crowd and did a lot of stupid things I wasn’t proud of… fast forward a few years to, when I was 20, I was still doing a lot of the same shit. Well I started to do a lot more thinking and came to the realization that if I keep on this path I was going to end up in jail. I always had something in me that wanted to help people but I never acted on it. I did a lot of taking but not much giving.

Well, around that time I had a buddy that started volunteering for a Fire Department, he told me about it and said I should join. The next week I went to one of the meetings, met all the guys, and signed up. I was a Fireman! And, I told myself I was going to do whatever it takes to make this my profession. I wanted to be a “Protector!”

The next day I decided to “delink and disconnect.” I told myself “I’m fucking done!” That day I decided to change my future. I stopped hanging out with the negative influencers that I surrounded myself with for all those years leading up to this. I continued to commit to doing what I needed to do, went to the Fire Academy, EMT, Paramedic School, multiple applications and interviews to various departments, multiple failures… low and behold a few years later I got hired on as a Full Time Career Firefighter!

The day I decided “enough was enough” was over 15 years ago.


Let’s fast forward to today… about 5 years ago I decided to get my real estate license because I wanted to have something to fall back on in case something were to happen to me at the FD and I could no longer do the job. I figured “If I could just sell a few homes a year it would be a nice bonus to my current income.” Being a public servant isn’t exactly the highest paying job. So I got my license and met up with the first broker I was contacted by, EXIT Realty. Day one… I meet with the broker… the dude hands me a book he wrote… tells me all about the glory that is EXIT realty… talks about my commission split and how I can also earn money by bringing new agents and so on and so on… This started to sound really good. I remember thinking this dude wrote a book, so he must be legit. The guy showed me around and told me to let him know if I needed anything.

Well after 1 year with no sales and no real help or guidance, I came across “the red book,” and after reading about KW I thought “this is where I need to be.” They claimed to have training, education, resources, everything an agent needed to be successful. So what happens… I switch brokers and jumped on the KW bandwagon. They have this month-long program called “Ignite” that they make all the new agents go through. Because of my shift work at the FD it took about 3 months for me to get through all the classes. This is where I was first introduced to scripts and presentations. Right off the bat I was like “this is bullshit.” I didn’t like the whole be a “great salesperson” crap! It all seemed so fake. All I had to do was call everyone in my “sphere of influence” and say the magic words and boom my business will take off. In other words just call everyone you know and beg and pester them about how you are in this wonderful industry called Real Estate and that if they happen to know anyone who is buying or selling, please oh please call me… Fuck that! I’m not going to beg for business… I grew up never asking for handouts… If you wanted something you go out, work hard, and get it.

It didn’t take long for me to realize there were a ton of incompetent, self-interested, “low-information,” agents at this “Market Center.” This is what I was being surrounded by, and, being from the FD, this was not an environment I was used to. I come from a position of trust, authority, and integrity. Now I’m being told to be a “salesperson” and “fake it till you make it.” So after the whole “Ignite” thing, I pretty much said screw it. I’ll do my own thing. I’ll figure it out on my own. I did a few deals here and there… no big deal… I wanted more but I didn’t really know how to get the business. So what do I do? I join a “Team.” That’s where the leads are… at least that’s what they told me. So I’m on a team, get a few deals here and there and I never really learn how to create my own business, just depending on leads to come in from our team leader.


So last spring I come across a “Webinar” from TGP and it’s a sales pitch for this 90 day listing boss boot camp. So I’m watching this deal and I’m thinking… yeah, this dude has the answers I’m looking for… With a small investment I can follow this program and I can be “The Listing Boss!” WTF was I thinking… guess I didn’t really know any better. So I get going with this program and it starts out ok, setting goals, figuring out my “why,” following programs… and then it gets to lead generation, scripts, presentations… it’s the same shit! Say this and learn these objections, every no is closer to a yes, call and pester Expireds and FSBOs. Have a Guarantee… Build a team and hire more agents… Damn it! Is this really how I have to build my business? So I started calling Expireds and FSBOs, No… No… No… No… No… over and over again… I thought this is stupid… this is not who I am. But wait… it gets better.


About a week after I finished the “boot camp,” having nothing for results… I come across this 3-day Strategic Marketing Masters “Seminar.” Where they go over being “strategic” and “having value” and on and on and on… Once again I was thinking… these guys have the answer… So I make the “investment” and buy into the program… Shit!


I think this is about the time I first heard of the “Agent Marketing Syndicate.” But when I went to the site and entered my info, I got an email saying you are not taking any applicants or something to that effect and I would be contacted when things change.

So I thought okay, cool…

Then a few months later I received an email about it, being a while since you’ve been in touch, and how that’s about to change, the protector series, the podcast…(So I have been a fan for a while!)

Anyways I digested everything you put out there and I kept finding myself thinking “I like the way this guy thinks!”

I started to listen to all the podcast and I think it was in the first few episodes where you talk about Abraham and TGP. I remember listening to that and telling myself… Fuck, he is talking about the program I am in. I was already starting to doubt the program because although the calls were interesting… Listening to Abraham every other week, he gets repetitive and a lot of what he was saying was either over my head or was just not feasible without having some huge marketing budget. So I stuck with the program a few more months. I ended up calling the company and told them I am not getting anything from the SMM program and I want out. Well, what do you know, they had the solution… group coaching… They would put me with a coach that would give me all the tools I needed and I would learn exactly what to do to build my business the right way. Not like all those “AFA’s” out there. So, here I go again, sucked into TGP.


All the while I am listening to your podcast every week, read the book, I even filled out an application for the Social Superheroes program. Which when I got the large package, I was impressed! I read through it all and was like, I need to get on this!

Everything I wanted my business to be you were hitting spot on… I found myself reading through the packet and saying Yes…Yes…Yes…this is awesome… exactly what I want… So why did I not sign up??? The Guru Party… I had already committed to the coaching program and I was like… Hmm how am I going to afford this… I can’t go spend more money on another program… even though deep down I knew I should do this… so I went the easy route and kept with the coaching… 6 Months later… more scripts… more presentations… more bullshit that didn’t resonate with my core and who I am… but I said I am going to do this, kept telling myself all I have to do is improve my skills, follow the program, and it will get better… Stupid me!

So what did I get from all this??? One expensive ass lesson on everything the guru party is about, and how, no matter how hard I try to tell myself “I can do this,” this is not me… this is not who I am or want to be… I am not a fucking salesperson!!! It’s sad that I kept listening to your podcast every week, and every week I found myself agreeing with you, but yet I continued to try TGPs way…


Well, a few days ago, I said “I’m done!” Enough is enough and it’s time to “delink and disconnect!” Just like when I was a teenager running with the wrong crowd and doing stupid shit… if I continued down this path of the guru party… it would lead me to a life of shit and continuing to lie to myself, trying to convince myself that I am something I am not.

I can say the one good thing I have from this experience with the guru party is Clarity! I know that I am more than that… there is no “easy way,” but I’m good with that… It’s in times of challenge that I thrive and I look forward to following my purpose.

I look forward to crafting messages, writing, telling stories, and living up to my true potential all while keeping the values that are important to me. I feel that I am a natural protector and I know I’ve got work to do, but I look forward to the challenge! I have started to re-listen to all the podcast, dissecting your book, studding all the references you mention, taking copious notes, and I look forward to phase 2 and what’s next!


Guess I went a little long on the letter. I had originally planned to write to say thanks for what you do and that I am grateful for being part of this, but then I found myself just typing away.


Anyways thanks for everything Ryan, talk to you later my man!

Here’s the funny thing: 

This is a firefighter, who I’m sure has risked his life to save another, and to the TGP, he’s just another failure who doesn’t have what it takes to be successful in real estate. 

As a Protector, he’ll always have a home here.

In the P/SS Program in fact, we have former Firemen, EMT personnel, police officers, even an active member of SWAT. As I’ve said before, “The Culture you create. Dictates the Character of the person your attract.” 

My man, thank you for your letter (you know who you are). Just sharing it and having others read it, has inspired many… 

See you on the next Podcast. From all of us, there’s more work to be done.

Talk soon,
-RYAN

Ryan Fletcher
Author, Defeat Mega-Agents
Editor-in-Chief, Broken Industry (print magazine)
Founder and CEO, Agent Marketing Syndicate.com
Creator, Protector/Social Superhero Program – by application only. Wait list. Extremely Difficult. 12-Month minimum commitment.

PS: Make sure to subscribe to the Podcast too. It’s free, of course! If you’re already a fan of the show and loyal listener, please, let me hear from you. Head over to iTunes, leave us a review. Then send me an email with your review, attached. Every 5th review is placed into a drawing to win a FREE Agent Marketing Syndicate® T-Shirt.

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