#27 RE Prospecting - It's all about connection

Hi ,

I remember sitting in my car before a listing appointment years ago, heart racing, mind scattered. I hadn't prepared. I hadn't centered myself. I walked in feeling like I was already behind. The appointment didn't go well, and honestly, it wasn't because I didn't know my stuff. It was because I wasn't present. I wasn't grounded. That experience taught me something I now share with every agent I coach: how you start your morning determines how you show up for the people who need you most.

This is why I created the MARVEL morning routine. It's not about being perfect or adding more to your already full plate. It's about giving yourself a few minutes to breathe, to affirm who you're becoming, to visualize where you're headed. When I meditate, even for three minutes, I'm not trying to achieve enlightenment. I'm just trying to quiet the noise long enough to hear what actually matters. When I visualize, I ask myself: What can I do today to work on this? Where do I want to be three months from now? Those questions change your perspective on what you focus on.

Tomorrow morning, before you check your phone, sit quietly for three minutes. Breathe in and out. Ask yourself one question: what kind of agent do I want to be today? That's it. Start there. The rest will follow.

Now, on to 2026. Stop chasing the shiny thing… We spend so much time chasing strangers that we forget about the people who already know us, trust us, and want to hear from us. I used to think prospecting meant online leads, cold calls, open houses, and door knocking exclusively. And look, those have their place. But the real gold? It's in the relationships you've already built but stopped nurturing.

That's why the first number in my 520.111 system is five. Five people you know but haven't talked to in sixty days. Not leads. Not prospects. People. Maybe it's the couple you helped two years ago. Maybe it's your neighbor who always waves but you never actually talk to. Maybe it's your old college roommate. The point isn't to pitch them. The point is to reconnect. To show up without an agenda. When you text someone just to say you were thinking about them, something shifts. They remember you're a real person, not just a business card.

If you can do this right now, please write down five names. People you genuinely care about but haven't reached out to recently. Text one of them today. No ask. No agenda. Just connection.

Or write them a handwritten note to say hello. I still write handwritten notes. I know, crazy, right? People look at me like I'm nuts sometimes. We live in a world of instant messages, automated emails, and AI-generated everything. Why would I spend time putting pen to paper? Because that's exactly the point. Everyone else stopped doing it.

When you send a handwritten note to someone,  maybe thanking them for their time, or telling them they inspired you, or just acknowledging something they did,  you're doing something radical. You're being human in a world that's forgotten how. I include this in the 520.111 because it matters. One handwritten note per day to someone you talked to recently. It takes three minutes. But the impression it leaves? That lasts. People keep those notes. They stick them on their fridge. They tell their friends about the agent who actually cared enough to write by hand.

Think about someone you spoke with this week who made an impact on you. Grab a card, write two sentences of genuine appreciation, and mail it. That small act of intention will set you apart more than any marketing campaign ever could.

As some of you might have guessed from seeing me show up on all social platforms, emails, stages, etc., I struggle with turning off. There's always another email. Another idea. Another thing I could be doing for Lab Coat Agents, A Brilliant Tribe, or Y Realty. My brain doesn't naturally want to stop. And for years, I wore that like a badge of honor. Until I realized it was costing me the very thing I was working so hard for: presence with my family.

That's why the PREPARE evening routine ends with Embrace. It's the hardest one for me. Embrace means accepting that the day is done. What I did is what I did. There's no more I can squeeze out of it. When I truly embrace the evening, I can look my kids in the eye. I can be there, not just physically, but actually there. The business will be fine. The emails will wait. But these moments with the people I love? They won't.

At a set time, put your phone in another room. Tell yourself out loud: the day is done. Then be fully present with whoever is in front of you. That's the real work.

Anyway, I'm excited about 2026. You'll be getting a set of emails next week from me about coaching and how we can work closer together. Please be on the lookout for those midweek. In the meantime, go serve someone today.


Many blessings,