THESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR TEACHING
Do you ever look around and think to yourself, "wow, these really are the days?" Well, I do. Pretty much every day, too. At heart, I'm a dreamer. You know, the type that wants to change the world. But you know what is better than dreams? Making them reality. My journey has been a series of making my dreams a reality, and even with the stumbles - I wouldn't change a thing.
I grew up in Southampton, NY where I am self-described "Yankee-born and Sooner-bred." What's that? Well, even though I was born in New York, I've always thought of myself as a misplaced Southerner at heart. My dad was raised in small-town Oklahoma and instilled in me a love for cowboy boots, Oklahoma Sooner football, good BBQ, and country music. At an early age, it became clear that New York was not going to be my forever home, so I set out determined to find my home.
I moved to Norman, OK after high school where I attended the University of Oklahoma and my love affair with the south grew deeper. Then, in 2008, I packed up my cowboy boots and moved to Washington, DC where I attended grad school at George Washington University, launched my real estate career, and most importantly - adopted my dog, Sydney.
When I launched my real estate career, I knew about 20 people in Washington, DC - none of whom could afford to buy a home. Some of whom didn't want to buy a home because of a lifestyle decision. I didn't have a sphere, I had hustle. I committed myself to building a brand, a career, and a business. I committed to becoming a sponge, which has made all the difference. From the knowledge and skills that I gained simply by approaching the business with an open mind, I was able to build a thriving real estate business. I was able to service clients that other agents may not have by simply saying "how can I help?" Still, my big "a-ha" moment was when I realized that you're never really done learning or growing. I continue to attend events, network with agents around the country, and grow as a person and as a professional.
In October 2014, I moved to Raleigh, NC on a leap of faith to join Go Realty where I became the Director of the Go School of Real Estate - an innovative real estate school offering pre-licensing, post-licensing, and continuing education as well as next level training for our industry. My team built the Go School with a fresh approach to providing a better, more desirable real estate education experience pulled at both my heart and my mind. Why didn't something like this exist? I had to know. The lessons I learned at the Go School were nothing short of life-changing. So were the life events that happened during my time there! I met my lovely wife, Lynn there and became a step-mom to two wonderful kids, Sunni (9) and Ryland (8).
My approach toward training and coaching was transformed. My commitment and desire to listen to students served me well and helped me do what I love - create something where nothing had existed before. I've learned that when you get a track record of creating something where nothing existed before that you'll never have to hunt for a job again, you will create your own. However, the biggest lesson that I learned is that these boots still have a lot of miles left in them. I'm really just getting started.
My work at the Go School and with Go Realty uncovered my passion, love, and affinity for training and coaching. During my time at Go, I worked with new agents to help them launch their careers; launched a training program called "Level Up" for mid-level producers, which was designed to propel them into thriving sales agents; and worked with top-producers to help them continue to build and maintain a consistent, predictable business.
In September 2016, I branched out and began coaching agents - something my heart is committed to. I did what all head coaches are tasked with - I helped agents perform better. I worked with agents to help them strategize, plan, generate, convert, and execute. I worked with the leadership to help ensure they were all are delivering for their players, the agents. And, I helped craft our actions as a company to put our best work out there. My journey has taught me a lot about growing something that you believe in, so, in July 2017, I decided to do something I believed in...launch Compass South Consulting.
My passion for training, coaching, and consulting combined with my desire to help other companies grow their vision was the fuel behind this dream of mine. It wasn't soon after I launched Compass South that I realized that great business translates across industries and that many of the fundamentals that I taught real estate agents applied tenfold to other industries, so expanding outside of just real estate became a natural progression for me. Now, I work with companies all around the country to help them train their people on how to launch successful careers and thrive while doing it. For me, every day manages to be a dream come true. Pretty cool, huh?