Chris –
So first off, I’ve been wanting to do this with you guys, Probably from the day that we all sat at that Mexican restaurant, we probably sat me and you sat. Well, first off, I sat there for 4 hours. You sat there for 3 hours. You sat there for 2 hours. I think as we were we sat there for a long time just kind of talking about how do we try to put a deal together to figure this out.

00:00:23:10 – 00:00:46:22
Speaker 1
And if we could partner and I know I wish I knew what I knew now about the amount of success that you guys had because I didn’t really understand the depth of it. I mean, when we met that day, I didn’t even know that you were the president coming in. The president elect for 2024. I’m not rep I had I didn’t even know you were like in the I think we kind of started talking about, but I had no idea.

00:00:46:23 – 00:01:14:19
Speaker 1
Right. So so what I started to realize is the amount of success that you guys have had together as a brother and sister team. So I’m here today with Nora Aguirre and Juan Aguirre, both are partnered on the team at Century 21 Americana. And then Juan, you guys did this brilliant strategy where you you went branched off, learn how to do the lending side after being in real estate and real estate investing.

00:01:14:21 – 00:01:39:21
Speaker 1
And now you handle all the deals for the family. And so, you know, as as a family business. But what I what I am what’s remarkable with what you guys are doing is that at a time when affordability is at an all time high, rates are affordability, I should say, is at an all time worse. Rates are at an all time high and the market is just probably one of the hardest markets we’ve seen in a long time.

00:01:39:21 – 00:02:06:21
Speaker 1
You both continue to thrive in your business. I look at the amount of leads you’re touching and it’s just insane. So when affordability kind of trickles down a little bit and starts to become within the American dream becomes a grasp, you guys are going to make a significant run for it and you already are. I mean, I just see Juan, I don’t know if you know this, but Juan, every month is the highest productive loan officer we have.

00:02:06:24 – 00:02:28:19
Speaker 1
Period. He is by far doing more applications than anyone else. And so when we look at that, we were like, we’ve got to talk because there’s a success that you’ve had here. And for anyone listening to the Breakthrough podcast, you know that this podcast isn’t about necessarily just a success, but it’s all about everything that it took to get there.

00:02:28:22 – 00:02:52:13
Speaker 1
You’re Latinos, you’re successful, you come from a family of immigrants, people who, you know, made this country what it is, and you’ve now become a voice in the community for people that are, you know, in the same situation and helping them find ways to to become homeowners. So I just let me start with just kind of giving that background and thank you guys for coming today.

00:02:52:15 – 00:02:53:21
Speaker 2
No, no, my pleasure.

00:02:53:29 – 00:02:55:26
Speaker 3
Thank you for having us, Chris.

00:02:55:28 – 00:03:02:29
Speaker 2
Whenever Juan wants to talk, I’ll let him talk because, you know, we’re often on camera or whatever, and he says that I steal his thunder.

00:03:02:29 – 00:03:09:10
Speaker 1
So just there will be no thunder to be stole today because one and one is coming out today. This is this is going to be his day.

00:03:09:12 – 00:03:15:08
Speaker 3
What you just did, you just talked a lot.

00:03:15:10 – 00:03:39:10
Speaker 2
Yes. So, I mean, I don’t know what you want to say. I didn’t know. I didn’t know, Chris. I didn’t know that. But, you know, he’s one of your he’s one of the highest producing as far as on the loan depot. So I didn’t know. I didn’t know. I mean, we strive pretty hard. We work really hard. I think that’s one of the biggest things is that we’ve we’ve been in a in a difficult niche for I mean, since we’ve been in business.

00:03:39:10 – 00:03:57:14
Speaker 2
And so now that the market is where it is, that it’s tough, I feel that that’s this is where really our true colors really get to shine because we understand how hard it is. You know, we’ve been in this market for a long time where our customers don’t necessarily have all the tools. All the information always have credit challenges.

00:03:57:21 – 00:04:28:28
Speaker 2
Affordability is always a challenge for them. And we’ve made a niche of working with first time homebuyers. So they’ve always they’ve always been struggle, especially when we cater to kind of our minority buyers, right? So we’ve been in this and that’s actually the reason why Juan became a loan officer, because we absolutely needed more options. We needed kind of a system and we had a vision always on how we wanted our customers to be taking care of.

00:04:29:03 – 00:04:57:21
Speaker 2
And so we always knew that our customers needed more time. We knew they needed to be nurtured, they needed to be educated. We needed to help them, you know, with credit questions. We needed to remind them of their commitment to buying because it’s life is hard. And when you’re trying to make ends meet, you know, sometimes buying a house ends up going to the back of the list, although it should be one of the most important things for you and your family.

00:04:57:23 – 00:05:19:06
Speaker 2
It goes to the back because you’re dealing with other issues. You’re dealing with, you know, family problems. You’re dealing maybe with health issues with work. Right. And so buying a house is a luxury for many people, and they will leave it to the end of the list. So for us, it was really obvious that we needed to be there, constantly reminding them of what they told us they wanted to do.

00:05:19:06 – 00:05:40:15
Speaker 2
Right. They wanted to buy, but obstacles get in the way and we’re just constantly there, nurturing and reminding. So we felt that it was it was hard to get partners in the lending space. The really wanted that, though. We’re really ready for that commitment. I think that’s what we spoke about did, is that we’re very committed to our to launch.

00:05:40:17 – 00:06:01:18
Speaker 2
We’re very grateful for the business we have today and really for the opportunity to grow our also our wealth through real estate that we want to. This is a way of us giving back to our to our clients that keep on bringing us more business, to keep on bringing their family and their friends is making sure that we’re always giving them more.

00:06:01:21 – 00:06:27:12
Speaker 2
We’re giving them the more than they they even know they need. And in this market, we know that those that are that the continue to to bring in business and the opportunity for growth are those that are providing more than what has been asked of them. And it’s not easy it’s not easy to be, you know, a lender that provides all of these resources because sometimes financially, you know, it’s you’re not there, you’re not really you know, you’re going through so many I mean, opps.

00:06:27:12 – 00:06:28:16
Speaker 2
I know that on one.

00:06:28:16 – 00:06:31:01
Speaker 3
Side, financially, sometimes it doesn’t make sense.

00:06:31:04 – 00:06:48:25
Speaker 1
It doesn’t make sense sometimes. But, you know, like right now especially but I mean, like we were doing the math on a deal the other day where we were looking at just the the median income of or the average income for it for Phenix. And then could you buy a house and were there houses available for that amount?

00:06:48:25 – 00:07:05:19
Speaker 1
And it was like such a small it’s like nothing I even want to recommend. But if you were like really dead set on getting a house, there’s a couple out there for you, right? And but, but sometimes it just doesn’t make sense. And we understand about putting somebody on a path to homeownership is really what the big picture is about.

00:07:05:19 – 00:07:26:03
Speaker 1
So you said something yesterday that that I latched on to. So you were speaking at an event in Phenix, Arizona, and you said that there was a point where your parents, you were making a certain amount of money. I think you said like 60 grand, and your parents were like, you’ve made it like you have. You’ve crossed over the threshold of what our family’s capable of doing.

00:07:26:03 – 00:07:50:06
Speaker 1
And by celebrating it. But something in you said that’s not enough. And not only did you create a path of homeownership for yourself, but then you started saying, okay, let’s invest. Let’s get into, you know, apartments, multifamily, and why don’t I talk about it all the time about how he underwrites deals, how he’s looking for deals and how you try to scale that.

00:07:50:09 – 00:08:15:08
Speaker 1
But I think it doesn’t stop with just home ownership. And I think the people that know you and follow you and watch your YouTubes and watch everything they’re looking at and saying, that’s the destination. You’ve now removed the box that they’re living in. Because for me, I’m very similar to you guys in the sense that, you know, my dad sold tires for a living, so he was on his feet like, you know, 14 hours a day just hustling.

00:08:15:08 – 00:08:35:00
Speaker 1
Right? Like selling tires. And and when I think about that, he just works from Monday through Saturday and never took a day off. Just was always, always there. And his behaviors I, I were ingrained in me so he would get home if he had a drink. I had a drink if he if he got home and watch TV.

00:08:35:00 – 00:08:58:07
Speaker 1
And that’s what he did. That’s what I did when I started growing. Then I realized my behaviors and my habits are going to dictate how I behave in business and whether or not I’m going to be able to break out of it. So what you guys do is you’ve now created visibility to the Latino population and really just millennials in general, that they can now look at themselves and say, if they can do it, I can do it.

00:08:58:15 – 00:09:17:21
Speaker 1
And that’s really who we want to connect with, is that individual that’s in the community saying, how did they do it? So you created like a YouTube channel, you’re on the radio, you know, what is that messaging that you’re using to capture all the leads that you’re doing? Like when you go on there, what is your intent to get somebody to pick up the phone and call you?

00:09:17:23 – 00:09:42:21
Speaker 2
Yeah, I would say that pretty much the idea here is that if you’re renting and you’re going through all the steps in the motions to be a renter, you can easily also go through the motions and the steps to become a homeowner. And then I’m really just hitting them with parts of the statistics that are out there for people that are owning versus renting, but also the emotions, the feelings.

00:09:42:23 – 00:10:06:20
Speaker 2
You know, I remember the you know, I was I mentioned it yesterday, but I was in college. I wanted to be a social worker because I was going to be the biggest, you know, the biggest contribution for my family, I felt. And so I remember one of the sociology, I believe in college. It was so interesting that, you know, no, it was actually sociology because there was study the study of, you know, your society and etc..

00:10:06:27 – 00:10:33:29
Speaker 2
And they did an exercise at the college and they were like, okay, everybody, all the students stand in one straight line. And I’m going to ask you guys a question. And the question I’m going to tell you, take two steps forward, one step forward, one step backward, etc., etc.. Right. I remember that exercise so clearly because it said, okay, growing up, if you, you know, grew up with a computer in your home doing one step forward, if you grew up with your your parents graduating high school, take one step forward.

00:10:34:06 – 00:10:40:07
Speaker 2
If you grew up, you know, if you’re a minority, take one step backward. If you are, you take backward. And in.

00:10:40:11 – 00:10:42:00
Speaker 3
The back of the room pretty.

00:10:42:02 – 00:11:01:01
Speaker 2
Fast. If you were if you rent and it was crazy, if you if your parents owned their home, they didn’t say rent. But if your parents owned their home, take a step forward. And I remember it so clearly. And for me it was just like, these are these it’s a reality. So at the end of the exercise, it was like, see where you really are?

00:11:01:01 – 00:11:07:16
Speaker 2
And those are the advantages that you already have like out the gate, right, Kind of because of your parents?

00:11:07:16 – 00:11:08:10
Speaker 1
Yes, absolutely.

00:11:08:12 – 00:11:30:08
Speaker 2
Where you grew up or how you were brought up. And so for me, it was just so interesting. And I wasn’t I wasn’t necessarily a realtor at that time. It was just like one of my first classes. But I remember how owning a computer, how your parents have, you know, having an education, how owning your own property, all were steps forward for your for, you know, for you.

00:11:30:11 – 00:11:32:22
Speaker 2
So I go through those motions.

00:11:32:22 – 00:11:44:08
Speaker 3
I think there’s a silver lining to that, because now we, you know, now looking back is at the same time, it was also the reason why we’re doing everything that we’re doing. Hunger didn’t have those advantages, right?

00:11:44:11 – 00:11:45:11
Speaker 2
Absolutely.

00:11:45:13 – 00:11:55:13
Speaker 3
So definitely a silver lining to that. There is. And I think that’s what pushed us because we were always felt like we’re the underdog in every situation.

00:11:55:14 – 00:12:14:04
Speaker 1
Do you still feel like that, like today, to this day, when you walk into rooms, do you feel like there’s a chip on your shoulder every now and again? Like people you know, you walked into yesterday, You don’t go to the events very often, right? So you walk into that room yesterday, you automatically get the sense that people don’t understand the level of success that you’ve had so far.

00:12:14:04 – 00:12:16:26
Speaker 1
Do you do you feel that that that that chip on your shoulder?

00:12:16:26 – 00:12:40:18
Speaker 3
I honestly think that I don’t you know, I think there’s going to be, you know, different levels of rooms that you walk into. But for the most part, you know, I think that we’ve, you know, realized that as long as we were really hard, like the way we have, we’re going to be just fine. You know, we’re just going to be fine in just any you know, in most rooms we’re going to do okay.

00:12:40:20 – 00:12:43:20
Speaker 3
But I think starting out, that wasn’t the case for sure.

00:12:43:23 – 00:13:01:20
Speaker 1
I feel it all the time. Like I feel like, you know, I don’t know why, but I feel like the way we came up or the way that I came up, I could speak for myself on it, but I feel like there’s a proof there. I have to prove something a lot of times. And so but I love that the but I do see it with you.

00:13:01:20 – 00:13:06:19
Speaker 1
The amount of confidence that you have it. It does crack me up because we had a.

00:13:06:21 – 00:13:16:05
Speaker 2
100%. Chris I’ll tell you that when you ask him that question, it’s like, no, he always thinks he’s always highly confident over like.

00:13:16:06 – 00:13:28:25
Speaker 3
I think I think it’s just a situation that I’m super competitive. So it’s like if you put me in a you know, a like in my mind, I have to win, right? Yeah. That’s, I think where the confidence comes from.

00:13:28:27 – 00:13:39:29
Speaker 1
But that’s it. But that’s how I wonder where that comes from. Like, not everybody approaches life like that that I have to win. I start off with I suck, you know, like, and then I got to talk myself. There’s a conversation and there’s.

00:13:40:01 – 00:14:00:06
Speaker 3
Trust me, you know, there’s rooms where I’m like, shit, I, I do sag, but I know that, you know, as long as I’m willing to to fight, that’s it. And do the work and I’ll be fine. Right? So every time that we we’ve done that, especially when when we do it together, we always do it. So I always have that that mindset.

00:14:00:09 – 00:14:06:16
Speaker 2
But but see he he does I do not right. I’m we’re completely different in that way and I just.

00:14:06:16 – 00:14:08:17
Speaker 3
I tell just get over it.

00:14:08:20 – 00:14:12:16
Speaker 2
Yeah he’s he’s always and I think that’s one thing but you.

00:14:12:16 – 00:14:14:02
Speaker 1
Need that but you do need.

00:14:14:02 – 00:14:37:22
Speaker 2
That and it’s a great combination because and I and let’s talk about like if we go back to our family, I think that we have we have our families, right. Our foundation, like my mom’s side of the family, they’re highly competent people. Like just natural. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have anything. They just they walk some, they walk in a room and they just feel like they’re the most handsome, the most like.

00:14:37:23 – 00:14:53:02
Speaker 2
Right. They’re the toughest. And it’s just natural. And we’ve talked about this. We’re like, it’s crazy. Like, yeah, we may not have nothing, but we’re just standing tall and very, you know, and it’s just comes from that, right? For me, it’s, it’s, it’s the same. And I think it’s because I’m very aware and I.

00:14:53:09 – 00:14:57:01
Speaker 3
It has to do with they’re a little crazy so I think.

00:14:57:03 – 00:15:01:01
Speaker 1
That’s a little bit but hey but it helps right Like it helps yeah.

00:15:01:06 – 00:15:02:21
Speaker 2
And he grew up you know.

00:15:02:21 – 00:15:04:23
Speaker 3
I grew I grew up around my uncles and then when.

00:15:04:26 – 00:15:10:15
Speaker 2
He grew up around them, just showing up like, it doesn’t matter if you have nothing, you’re just he’s showing up and he just thinks he’s the hottest thing and.

00:15:10:15 – 00:15:13:06
Speaker 1
Yeah, okay, good. Yeah. And I love this.

00:15:13:06 – 00:15:30:15
Speaker 2
Yeah. And for, for myself, it’s a little different because, you know, since I was little, I was very aware, like, there’s people that they’re way intelligent and be, you know. S All right. Like, so when we both Juan and I, we’re born in Mexico, so our parents brought us here young. I mean, Juan was pretty much a newborn.

00:15:30:15 – 00:15:37:07
Speaker 2
I was six, seven years old. And ESL is, you know, a real thing. So you’re in these classes and on top of it, you’re.

00:15:37:07 – 00:15:38:15
Speaker 3
Definitely remember that.

00:15:38:18 – 00:15:57:08
Speaker 2
You’re definitely not you know, you’re not you’re not going to the best schools in the city. You’re going to schools where, you know, everyone’s just kind of trying to survive. Like you mentioned something yesterday, which is really awesome. You know, like I understood like we like my disadvantages and I needed to learn how to survive. Like, I love it.

00:15:57:09 – 00:16:02:03
Speaker 4
I love how you didn’t say the disadvantages. I said, But yes, I do know you don’t like.

00:16:02:05 – 00:16:24:07
Speaker 2
It’s not like, Yeah, right. Yeah, that’s really cool. Yeah, it’s really cool. And so the disadvantage is that you had you were very aware and you understood like you needed to kind of like, Yeah, kind of offset or like do double or do this to kind of offset that. So it’s very real. Like it’s a survival. Even though you’re young, you’re, you’re like, What do I need to do?

00:16:24:07 – 00:16:45:26
Speaker 2
So for me, I just kind of wanted to like, pick up. I wanted to, you know, be out of those classes in a way, but I didn’t get the education that I really should have that I feel today that I should have received. I, you know, even today. So when I walk into certain rooms or when I speak English and then also Spanish, we can talk, we can kind of unload that as well.

00:16:45:26 – 00:16:51:26
Speaker 2
When I speak English, it’s like I have a lot of insecurities around how I manage the, you know, the English language.

00:16:51:28 – 00:16:55:15
Speaker 1
How I do you think in Spanish first or, you know, in English, and.

00:16:55:17 – 00:16:56:11
Speaker 3
The things that I.

00:16:56:11 – 00:16:58:16
Speaker 2
Think, I think in English, but you don’t.

00:16:58:18 – 00:16:59:15
Speaker 3
You’re in both world.

00:16:59:15 – 00:17:14:24
Speaker 2
You’re in both world. And you weren’t in the best. You were, you know, you didn’t go to the best school, you weren’t educated. And so for our parents, our parents just felt proud, which I think one of the biggest things that we talk about, which is really interesting, because I think there’s parents that are really hard on you and that’s why you, our parents, were like always, just.

00:17:14:27 – 00:17:16:24
Speaker 3
As long as you graduate high school.

00:17:16:24 – 00:17:17:16
Speaker 1
Like, yeah, that.

00:17:17:16 – 00:17:20:12
Speaker 3
It was like, just don’t do drugs or, you know.

00:17:20:14 – 00:17:20:24
Speaker 1
Yeah.

00:17:20:27 – 00:17:48:21
Speaker 2
Yeah, pregnant. My parents is like, don’t get pregnant, graduate high school. And we’re like, they’re proud of you. Yes. They’re just happy. Like the bar was so low. My mom and my dad, which is wonderful today, right? The bar is low. They loved us. And I think that’s one of the biggest things that we still have today is that we were we had that kind of guaranteed love in a way where they just kind of felt like as long as we stayed out of trouble, you know, they were going to be okay with like they were we were going to get that right check.

00:17:48:23 – 00:18:01:13
Speaker 2
What is it that we were going to get off? We’ve made our parents proud. And so for me, it was just like, okay, so I don’t need to go to like these elevated classes or like strive to do that. So and what I’m saying with that is, So.

00:18:01:13 – 00:18:09:27
Speaker 3
Why do you think that we that we strived for more? I remember my dad always tells me it’s like you just get an easy job, like just get elected where you.

00:18:09:27 – 00:18:18:26
Speaker 1
Know, where did that come from. That’s that’s the question. Like, do you know do you remember the time where you were? Either of you like the moment where you were like, I mean.

00:18:18:29 – 00:18:20:07
Speaker 3
I don’t know, but I don’t know if you wanted.

00:18:20:09 – 00:18:22:00
Speaker 2
Yeah. You sure? You sure?

00:18:22:02 – 00:18:42:21
Speaker 3
So for me, I think it was. I mean, we never I want to say we never really had any, like, real needs growing up came where it’s like, you know, what do we need today? Or, you know, we don’t have clothes, but we, you know, growing in America, you, you know, you watch other kids, watch other people like, you know, they have a different lifestyle.

00:18:42:24 – 00:18:45:26
Speaker 2
They have more they have a different access to different lifestyle.

00:18:45:26 – 00:19:03:09
Speaker 3
And for us, it was just like, you know, we kind of know our parents because we always been very conscious, right, about. Absolutely. Yeah. You know, our parents work hard. Like my dad made like four or $5 an hour working at a golf course. And so we were conscious of like, yeah, where the hell where the hell are they going to get the money?

00:19:03:11 – 00:19:10:13
Speaker 3
I want, like, you know, something that caused, you know, has a certain price tag on, like, shit that my dad’s not going even if I like.

00:19:10:15 – 00:19:11:05
Speaker 1
yeah.

00:19:11:07 – 00:19:16:27
Speaker 3
There will still be like, Yeah, you’re crazy. We’re not going to give you that. But we wouldn’t even ask because.

00:19:17:00 – 00:19:17:06
Speaker 2
We.

00:19:17:06 – 00:19:25:03
Speaker 3
Didn’t really put him in that situation because we were always very conscious of the reality, right? So I think some.

00:19:25:03 – 00:19:29:01
Speaker 1
Money was always a thing in your household. Like, do you understood it as a kid? Like.

00:19:29:03 – 00:19:31:26
Speaker 3
You know, Nora had a job since you were like 14.

00:19:31:29 – 00:19:32:16
Speaker 2
13 years.

00:19:32:16 – 00:19:33:16
Speaker 1
Old? Wow.

00:19:33:18 – 00:19:36:14
Speaker 3
So like working at the Flea, the flea market.

00:19:36:16 – 00:19:38:00
Speaker 1
The flame idea he.

00:19:38:02 – 00:19:39:13
Speaker 2
Followed, you were like, not. Yeah, I.

00:19:39:13 – 00:19:40:09
Speaker 3
Was like, Fucking do.

00:19:40:09 – 00:19:46:18
Speaker 1
You remember the culture? Like, I grew up in flea markets, too. My parents had had a had a shop at one that did. I know, but there was like a whole.

00:19:46:18 – 00:19:48:08
Speaker 3
Like you got paid like ten bucks.

00:19:48:08 – 00:20:01:27
Speaker 1
The nachos there, you know, they did they have a concession stand where you can get like now man, that just goes like that. There is a whole it’s almost like just one step up from being a carny, you know, like a working carnivals, like as the flea markets, you know, But the my.

00:20:01:27 – 00:20:23:19
Speaker 2
Gosh, what there amazing vacation. Yes. I’ll tell. Yes, they were there in some incarnations for like for somebody that’s a hustler. And that might have been that might have been part of like what you’re like. Juan says. So my parents, like, I remember wearing like, again, when you’re growing up and going to school, you’re aware that you can’t wear that type of clothes because your parents can’t afford it.

00:20:23:25 – 00:20:38:11
Speaker 2
So I remember like I have a picture when I was like in sixth, seventh grade and I was like, in this in this school where, you know, if you were in the crowd, you were dressed up. Yeah. Because, you know, you can kind of defend your territory. But I remember wearing like a full pink. Now it’s cool, right?

00:20:38:11 – 00:20:44:08
Speaker 2
Like a full pink sweat sweatsuit. So I’m like, I want that my parents were able to buy me at Wal Mart right?

00:20:44:11 – 00:20:46:15
Speaker 3
I don’t remember, but it must have been ugly.

00:20:46:17 – 00:21:03:09
Speaker 2
Yeah. So he was. It was terrible. But. But, but that’s what they can afford. It never like I was never ashamed of what they what they could provide. But I knew that if I could put in a little bit of my work, like I would, I wouldn’t want to ask them and put them in that position. So I was going to go work for it.

00:21:03:09 – 00:21:24:21
Speaker 1
But if you if you think about that, though, like, if you think about your, you know, your son, the the amount of pressure to go and work at the age of 13. Yeah. Like, you know, my daughter is, you know, like when she was the well my oldest is when she was 13. There’s no way I could have let her out into the world to go work.

00:21:24:21 – 00:21:43:28
Speaker 1
Right. But for me, I wanted that hustle. Like I wanted my own money. Everything was always like I wanted money for the same reason. And I do remember the day that it hit me. And this is this is a funny story, but I had a girlfriend who we broke up. She started dating some like older guy that was just old enough to work, and he got her a Dooney Hamburg purse.

00:21:44:01 – 00:22:00:11
Speaker 1
And like, I was like, You know what? I went and figured out how much they were on. I was like, How does somebody this age get that kind of money to buy a Dooney Bourke purse? Right? So I was like, I got to go get a job like that was there. And then from there it’s and, and, and I’ve been working ever since.

00:22:00:11 – 00:22:24:18
Speaker 1
But I do think that whatever it was, right, like we just wanted to be at a level that was beyond our parents, what they can do. And that breakthrough is is is a big deal for a lot of people. So for people that are listening, you know, one of the things and Nora, I think you have a really good way to explain this you know better than than most being in rooms like you just interviewed.

00:22:24:25 – 00:22:47:13
Speaker 1
Barbara Corcoran Yeah, right. So by the way, that was my favorite of the entire, the entire event. But when you’re leading up into that, there’s got to be a sense of nervousness because you’re, you’re dealing with, you know, one of the world’s, you know, most financially stable women in the world. And she’s allowing you to sit right next.

00:22:47:13 – 00:22:52:17
Speaker 1
I mean I’m sure she was paid, but like but you get to go and you were selected by to to go in and do this right.

00:22:52:24 – 00:22:54:12
Speaker 2
By no reps leadership. Absolutely.

00:22:54:19 – 00:23:11:19
Speaker 1
So then leading up to that, I would be so riddled with nerves on on going into that. So you’ve been in rooms with so many people and then you realize there’s got to be a moment that still, even though there’s nerves, that you’re like, you know what? They still put on their shoes the same way I do. They still do the same.

00:23:11:19 – 00:23:32:09
Speaker 1
And when you talk to them, they’re really down to earth people. But what do you attribute that to like and how do you manage getting into rooms and networking? Because you’re the president of non rep, because people see what you’re doing and what you’re about to do and and people are recognizing you as a leader in the industry.

00:23:32:12 – 00:23:35:00
Speaker 1
What do you attribute all that to?

00:23:35:03 – 00:23:56:03
Speaker 2
So I will say that, you know, it’s through it’s through other people seeing, I would say, my potential possibly, you know, faster than I’ve seen it for my own self. Right. And so I think that’s a big a big thing where in a way they they’re they’re saying, no, you I think you can do it like I like something.

00:23:56:03 – 00:24:14:18
Speaker 2
There’s a connection. They like it. And for me, I’ll tell you I, I second guess myself so much so they didn’t like when I got that call for specifically for Barbara from our national team. Hey, Nora, we thought, you know, Barbara, you could be the moderator. I’m thinking. I’m like, okay. And I didn’t tell. I didn’t tell her.

00:24:14:18 – 00:24:32:10
Speaker 2
I was like, okay, you think? If you think so, then I guess, yes. Yeah, put me in. Right, put me in coach. But then after the after the call, I’m like, Holy hold on. Like what? I said, Yes. And now I have to prep for it. And now I have to do because like I said, I have my insecurities about my.

00:24:32:10 – 00:24:54:21
Speaker 2
Yes, I have my insecurities. Like for me it’s not easy to remember scripts. It’s not easy to do all these things. So I have to, you know, do double the work, if necessary to make sure that I am prepped right. And so for me, it’s a lot it’s been a lot of the people that have believed in me, not letting them down and doing what I need to do to be prepared for for them right.

00:24:54:23 – 00:25:05:00
Speaker 2
It’s been a big one. The other one is, you know, they’re letting me in the room. So clearly, hopefully somebody here that’s smarter than me made this decision. And I’m not going to mess it up.

00:25:05:05 – 00:25:25:08
Speaker 1
Wendy, how many time Sorry to interrupt, but how many times have you been in a room, whether it’s a dinner with really, you know, just remarkable people and wealthy people and they you’re sitting there and have an out-of-body experience. Like how the fact that I end up in this room, like, do you just I mean, tell me about a time when that’s happened like that.

00:25:25:10 – 00:25:26:14
Speaker 1
Can you think of one? Okay.

00:25:26:14 – 00:25:41:19
Speaker 2
Yes. It’s often, you know, I’m like and for me, it’s always the question of there’s a reason why I’m here. Yes. I need to know why I’m here. Like, I’m so I’m picking up. As you know, I’m very you know, I allies and I observe a lot. So I’m sitting in there and then I’m like, what am I contributing?

00:25:41:19 – 00:26:03:24
Speaker 2
Because I always feel that way that if I’m here, it’s because I’m supposed to contribute in some way. So why am I here? Because, you know, it’s a good point. Absolutely. You know, wealthy people are people that, you know, value their time tremendously. You know, it’s important. You know, they’re going to have dinner. They’re going to sit around people that they, you know, either can, you know, be mentored by can do business with, can grow.

00:26:03:29 – 00:26:25:11
Speaker 2
So I’m like, why am I here? And and many times what I’ve, you know, understood is that I’m here because I bring a real and raw perspective on, you know, what my Latino families are dealing with. And I’m very open and I’m not shy about putting everything on the table. I’m very transparent. I’m so, you know, what? What do we need to do, Right?

00:26:25:11 – 00:26:41:27
Speaker 2
What do we need to do? And so sometimes that’s that’s it’s refreshing to some of these folks to really get that right, because at the end of the day, it’s like, I’m going to tell you how it is I care about how I look, you know, in front of your eyes. But I also care about my passion and my mission more than than looking good, Right?

00:26:42:00 – 00:26:54:13
Speaker 2
Good point I will make. You know, I’m willing and I think that’s another thing, too. And I talked about that with one, like, I’m willing to make a fool of myself in a way. Like even if I’m put on stage and I’m like, and I mess up, I’m okay with that.

00:26:54:13 – 00:26:57:14
Speaker 1
That, that that’s a long road, though. That is a long road. Yeah.

00:26:57:14 – 00:27:11:28
Speaker 2
That, you know, it’s I’m not going to say it doesn’t hurt because I’m like there’s been moments where I’m like, I totally screwed that up. Like, we’re in. I’m going to in a room, in a table, and I’m like, Why or why? How did that come out? Why did that come out? Like, I shouldn’t have said that, but I’m okay.

00:27:11:28 – 00:27:37:04
Speaker 2
Do I’m okay. I don’t beat myself up to the point where I’m like, I’m never like, I’m ashamed. Yeah, I’m okay. Like, if I make a complete fool of myself, I’m okay with that. And I think that’s part of the reason why I’ve been able to just continue to navigate through being around people that I honestly, I don’t know why I’m there or I am completely insecure on why I’m there and because I’m okay with making it for myself.

00:27:37:04 – 00:27:53:13
Speaker 2
At the end of the day, I say, you know, from my end, and I think we say that, you know, in our family it’s like the end of the day. I know that I have the core already there, which is my family’s admiration and love. So even if I if I make a complete fool of myself, we still have anyone I still have that amazing.

00:27:53:13 – 00:28:14:28
Speaker 2
We’re going to laugh. We’re going to laugh about it tomorrow. And. And that’s it. That’s fine. Right? Because we for us, we’re very clear on why we’re doing this. We’re very clear on why we continue to step up and raise our hand to do more, because financially, you know, you could say, well, we could have gone a different direction and just grown financially more.

00:28:15:00 – 00:28:37:02
Speaker 2
But we continue to put ourselves out there and, you know, like for myself, kind of in the spotlight, take on more responsibilities and be in positions that are very uncomfortable because we have a mission. We want to really represent our minorities. We want to represent our underserved community because we we truly feel that that’s why we have what we have.

00:28:37:03 – 00:28:53:22
Speaker 1
You’re the blueprint. I mean, you are the blueprint. If I was if I was growing up today and I came across what you guys were doing, I would I would say, I need to be in the room with you guys. I need to figure out what you’re doing. So that I could, you know, learn from you. And I think that’s that’s essentially who we’re trying to touch.

00:28:53:22 – 00:29:12:11
Speaker 1
You know, as you guys are growing your business, you’re starting to move in a different markets. You’re starting to grow. And not only on the loan side, but on the real estate side that feels along side. And so, you know, anybody that’s listening, that’s trying to get in the room with powerful people to learn how to overcome those things that are holding you back, these are the folks to talk to.

00:29:12:11 – 00:29:34:02
Speaker 1
And so at the end of it, I’ll I’ll, you know, connect to you guys and show you how you can get a hold of them. But one of the things that, you know, we all like who we are as individuals stems back from how we were brought up. And one of the most remarkable things about Juan is that he has a resilience with him that unlike anybody I’ve ever seen.

00:29:34:02 – 00:29:56:20
Speaker 1
So my role is to make sure that loans move through smoothly. And if there’s an issue that I remove the barrier out of the way as fast as possible to get everybody back on the road to getting more business, like I believe that loan officers live in between to to and he’s an exception to this but into two emotions you’re either ultra confident or you have anxiety.

00:29:56:20 – 00:30:14:00
Speaker 1
And if you have anxiety, you’re not selling. And so my job and as leaders jobs in the mortgage industry, if you’re not doing this, you need to you need to figure out ways to remove anxiety before there is anxiety. So we’re constantly looking and we try to keep one out of it. But when want. But I realize now how your office works.

00:30:14:00 – 00:30:28:06
Speaker 1
There is an issue. Juan’s right there. He already knows about it. Before I know about it, I’m like, Guys can you keep on out of it? Just tell me. Right. So then we can fix it if we want to. But he doesn’t. He doesn’t live his life in a in a in a mode of being upset. He’s like, Hey, heads up on this one.

00:30:28:06 – 00:30:54:09
Speaker 1
Can you guys fix it? Whereas maybe another ally would be like, my gosh, why is this happening? Like, there’s drama, But he is like the calming influence of always. And even when I don’t think it could be done, he’s like, It could be done and then we get it done. But where does that come from, Juan? Like for you, like because you I don’t know if you watch this and decided I’m an it’s a strategy or this is just how you are in life but you have always been a calming influence on how to resolve problems.

00:30:54:15 – 00:31:13:15
Speaker 3
Not always. I mean, it might come across like that, but I get upset probably 100%. But you know, I’m used to it. I know, I know. I have to keep on moving forward. We have to get the job done. So, you know, I can get upset, but I know in the next 5 seconds I have to, like, you know, regroup.

00:31:13:15 – 00:31:39:02
Speaker 3
Okay. Yeah, right. So I’m just used to going through the motions a lot quicker maybe than than a lot of people. But I’m just used to it like, you know, we’ve been in the industry for quite a bit. You know, a good colleague of mine, I know she’s going to watch this and he. Alfaro she used to do a lot of our loans and it was just me and Nora doing real estate.

00:31:39:02 – 00:31:56:25
Speaker 3
And we would she would do and most of our buyers, she would always come up with problems like, like and my I wouldn’t like I would get stressed out, you know, in going to try to see you know, figure out what. Yes. You know, if I could give her an idea or something like that. She’s she’s a she’s about as right.

00:31:56:25 – 00:32:10:12
Speaker 3
So it’s not like she needs too much. But sometimes she would get stressed out and I would just be like, just fix it. Like, I don’t want to if I just just fix it is fix it so they know me like they I think that’s what they they I don’t think it’s my nickname, but they’re like, no, it is.

00:32:10:14 – 00:32:11:23
Speaker 3
Here comes mister, Just fix it.

00:32:11:23 – 00:32:28:18
Speaker 1
It is Alfredo tell me he that you remind him of the guy from Saturday night Live. That’s like, just fix it. This is this. Fix it. Yeah, but but, but, but I was like, my God. Is that. Is it totally him? You know, because it is a refreshing piece. But I think that’s a good leader leadership trait that people don’t have.

00:32:28:18 – 00:32:40:24
Speaker 1
Like, you know, you can let exterior forces impact your internal process, right? So you don’t let that impact your business. And I think that that’s a really good trait to have. But yes.

00:32:40:26 – 00:32:58:23
Speaker 3
And I know they’re going to come back like I know there’s problems that they’re not going to be able to fix. Right. But that’s the mindset. Like for me, one of the most important things is mindset. Like, that’s everything. Like even me, like, you know, I’ll have my normals, like I’ll have my weeks or sometimes whole seasons where I’m like, just negative.

00:32:58:25 – 00:33:24:20
Speaker 3
Situation. And the only thing that gets me back is mindset. Like, you know, reading bugs or listening to stuff that get to me back on my on my mojo. But the mindset is the most important thing in, in my opinion, or probably one of the most important things. So I know as soon as I tell them like fix it, their mindset is going to switch to fixing it rather than coming up with excuses or figuring out ways it doesn’t work.

00:33:24:27 – 00:33:30:13
Speaker 3
So as soon as I tell them like, Hey, there’s no other option, you got to fix it, then their mindset has to switch.

00:33:30:13 – 00:33:31:07
Speaker 1
And switches.

00:33:31:13 – 00:33:58:29
Speaker 3
And you can ask Bianka like, you know, she’s she comes and she’s like often and, you know, like, you know, one and I’m like, just fix it. And she looks at me like, isn’t it your job to fix it? I’m like, No, just fix it. Like, you messed it up. You fix it, Then I know that there’s going to, you know, they might come back and I still have to get involved, but at least I want them to go through the process of trying to figure out how they could think differently to fix or overcome that issue that they’re.

00:33:58:29 – 00:33:59:10
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:33:59:10 – 00:34:19:02
Speaker 1
And by the way, there is it when I look at assistance and not to take anything away from anybody, but she is remarkable in how she puts a business case together to get a deal done. Like she, like takes us. Do you say fix it? I see the back end where it comes to me and she’s done an entire business case on explaining why we should do the deal.

00:34:19:05 – 00:34:35:18
Speaker 1
And I’m like, I’ll take it from here. Let me go. Let me go fight the fight, you know, and make this deal work. But I love what you guys have. And by the way, you know, I know she’s she’s family, but she really, really cares about what’s happening. And so let me ask this question because you said it.

00:34:35:18 – 00:34:48:11
Speaker 1
So when you’re in that space of the negativity and you’re in that mindset that you want to break out of, how does noir help you out of it?

00:34:48:13 – 00:35:07:05
Speaker 3
she does she okay. I know she’s I mean, she’s traveling 24 seven. Yeah. I just, you know, I’ve always kind of done my internal I like to I’m kind of like, I don’t want to say I’m a loner because I’m not, you know, but I like to do my internal process and just kind of kind of figure it out that way.

00:35:07:07 – 00:35:28:05
Speaker 3
And then there’s stuff, you know, like, you know, sometimes, you know, when it’s I don’t like to be like the person that is always like, you know, I can’t do this. Can, you know, my personality is completely opposite. But there has been situations and she does the same thing where it’s like, shit, I can, you know, and I go to her and we always like, you know, she always has the right response.

00:35:28:05 – 00:35:41:08
Speaker 3
And I’m like, okay, I kind of knew that. But like, sometimes you just need to hear it from your partner. And she’s done the same thing. But I think we were very used to like figuring our own, you know, our own issues out.

00:35:41:11 – 00:35:59:04
Speaker 2
Yeah. I mean, I would say I would say that the biggest thing that we have is, again, going back to that, that we know, like when when important decisions need to be made, like will go, you know, we’ll we’ll go and we can communicate like within two or 3 minutes. I mean, you got to I got to explain.

00:35:59:04 – 00:36:17:29
Speaker 2
So I’m the oldest. We’re about four or five years apart, and we’ve been he doesn’t like to say it like this, but we’ve been, like, inseparable our whole lives, right? Like, we’ve we’ve done so much together. We’re, you know, we have a very unique brother and sister. We’re so different. On top of that, like, my personality is completely different.

00:36:18:01 – 00:36:39:00
Speaker 2
He doesn’t want anything to do with the front, you know? Camera being anything. And I’m okay with that. And, you know, and he’s very good. He’s very good with being, like, you know, small circle a few people, which is the reason why we’ve been able to, as I think as a family, as as partners in business, we’ve been able to truly there’s a there’s a huge trust.

00:36:39:00 – 00:36:56:21
Speaker 2
Right? There’s a huge trust in the fact that, again, you know, whatever decision we make, good or bad things go well or things do not go well. We’re always going to have kind of, you know, our each other’s back in the sense of, you know, you made the best decision in that moment that you could. And yes.

00:36:56:23 – 00:36:59:09
Speaker 3
Even you didn’t. And it’s fine. We’ll fix it.

00:36:59:12 – 00:37:24:18
Speaker 2
We’ll fix it. Yeah, we’ll fix it in as family. We will always you know, we will always have that. And and I think as family as well, it’s not easy because I think his family, it’s been very tough where we’ve, you know, some of the partners actually that I had before he was my partner in real estate and things that we did like, they weren’t necessarily happy with the fact that, like we were so close in a way, or that I was kind of, you know, vouching for him because he has a completely different style.

00:37:24:18 – 00:37:38:16
Speaker 2
Like when he told me he wanted to be a real estate agent, he’s like, because his personality so different, he’s like, Yeah, I think I’m ready. I want to get my license. And I’m thinking in my head, I’m like, I don’t know if you’re going to make it, to be honest with you, because I don’t know. He doesn’t have the patience to be very patient.

00:37:38:16 – 00:37:44:22
Speaker 2
Like, let me. And so I was like, okay, well, he got his license. Like, we’ll see what happens, right?

00:37:44:24 – 00:37:51:10
Speaker 3
Yeah. If anybody meet me, they’ll they would never think that I can sell anything because it’s, you know, I have that very dry personality.

00:37:51:16 – 00:37:52:15
Speaker 2
Very dry, very dry.

00:37:52:16 – 00:37:54:02
Speaker 3
Goes sell me anything, you know.

00:37:54:03 – 00:37:55:03
Speaker 2
Absolutely. But.

00:37:55:06 – 00:37:56:02
Speaker 3
But I can.

00:37:56:04 – 00:37:58:14
Speaker 1
no, I know you can, but it’s clearly.

00:37:58:16 – 00:38:16:16
Speaker 2
To me, it’s not about selling. It’s more about when you understand something’s good for you, someone you’re able to help them understand and see all the different angles. And so what ended up happening through that, he got into the into the industry. He was an agent. You know, I was at that time, I didn’t have my own team, actually.

00:38:16:16 – 00:38:24:16
Speaker 2
I was leading someone else’s team and I was the main sales manager there. And so he came under those ranks kind of like at the same level as everyone else in the team.

00:38:24:22 – 00:38:25:21
Speaker 3
And I was just.

00:38:25:22 – 00:38:48:24
Speaker 2
Like an agent buyer’s agent. But he grabbed on to the fact that he just needed to outwork everyone and and that’s what he did. He did it, you know, very well. And so over the years then it was very clear that like, we both care that that’s when you mentioned Bianka. I think that’s one of the biggest things that we have in our team, is that everyone in our team absolutely is passionate and driven to help that first time homebuyer.

00:38:49:01 – 00:39:14:25
Speaker 2
And and the harder it’s it’s not good to say it that way because, of course we like people you know, when they’re ready to go credit is you know a hundred the incomes there. We obviously love to work with them but there’s something about working with a customer that is kind of like the underdog in a way, like when they could like no one else was going to take this amount of time, this amount of effort to really get them through the door to be yes owners.

00:39:14:28 – 00:39:37:07
Speaker 2
And for us, it almost feels like it’s like it’s a win when we’re able to do that and we’re able to really accomplish something that we know very few people would have been able to accomplish. And we can do it as a team. And we’re both we’re all celebrating at the closing, like when it’s that client that we know, like from our escort team or, you know, everyone celebrating like, my goodness.

00:39:37:09 – 00:39:47:29
Speaker 2
And all of a sudden we feel we’ve met. We met our challenge or we’ve met that and know all of a sudden come, you know, here comes another file, right? Or another customer with a very complex situation. And now we have.

00:39:47:29 – 00:39:48:19
Speaker 3
To.

00:39:48:21 – 00:39:52:12
Speaker 1
Every time I’ve come this week it is hard. Yeah.

00:39:52:12 – 00:40:01:19
Speaker 2
And we’ve never and we and we don’t say no. Like for us it would be very easy to say, we don’t want to focus on that or we want to. Just like for us it’s like, no, we want to dive all in the team.

00:40:01:21 – 00:40:27:24
Speaker 3
And I think we’re just used to that from the very onset, just, you know, you know, whatever you want to call it. We had to work the hard files because, you know, I was, you know, the bottom of the pecking order or whatever it is. Yeah. But I think that was always, you know, I think we were always that was our mindset to help, you know, if somebody didn’t want to help a certain I know because of whatever, like we were there.

00:40:27:27 – 00:40:37:22
Speaker 3
Okay, let’s, let’s see how we can fix it, figure it out. And that’s my mentality is like I look at stuff and I’m always looking at like, I don’t know how many.

00:40:37:22 – 00:40:51:13
Speaker 1
I mean, do you guys even have an idea of how many families you’ve helped that no one else would help that are in their own property now because of you stepping in to change their life? Like, do you have an idea like, you know, there’s thousands?

00:40:51:13 – 00:41:13:06
Speaker 3
Is it you know, I mean, I would I would say maybe hundreds families. We could we get like special situation? I would say, yeah. I mean, you know, there’s quite a few people that could probably say, you know, yeah, that, that team or that agent, you know, whether it be Nora or me, really made the difference between where I’m at right now and where I used to be and where I’m at right now.

00:41:13:09 – 00:41:36:29
Speaker 3
Absolutely. I think that’s the goal because, you know, part of you know, the you know, what you describe like growing up, like, you know, the going back to like the roots and, you know, hey, why are you doing this? Is aside from our parents, not, you know, having, you know, good paying jobs or, you know, anything like that.

00:41:37:01 – 00:41:58:10
Speaker 3
They were smart. They were smart enough to have purchased, you know, nothing crazy like what we have going on right now. But when the when it was the right time, they did make a they did make a move. And those moves, you know, did make a difference in our lifestyle that went in when we were growing up. But later on, you know, it definitely changed their financial life.

00:41:58:10 – 00:42:09:26
Speaker 3
Amazing. Yeah. And we didn’t think that that wasn’t even a possibility until we saw like, you know something? My dad’s refinancing one of his, you know, his first property cashing out like, I don’t remember, but it was.

00:42:09:26 – 00:42:11:28
Speaker 2
Like 175, 107, close to two.

00:42:11:28 – 00:42:28:24
Speaker 3
Hundred thousand, about that type of money. I wasn’t like, shit. Like, you can save. Like what? Like maybe a couple hundred dollars a month, You know, doing the math, like my dad makes X amount of dollars and this was like this guy could, you know, he might save $5 at the end of the month. And I was like, shit.

00:42:28:24 – 00:42:41:08
Speaker 3
You know, in in later on, you know, he was we were able to have a little bit of of the luxuries, you know, you know, when I was in high school and stuff like that. And it was all because of real estate.

00:42:41:11 – 00:42:42:21
Speaker 1
Because of real everything.

00:42:42:21 – 00:42:50:24
Speaker 3
And he made the right move. He was patient. You know, he you know, he just sat on stuff. And that made a big difference.

00:42:50:24 – 00:42:51:23
Speaker 1
You’re watching all of this?

00:42:51:28 – 00:43:20:24
Speaker 3
Yeah. Then when we started well, when I started my real estate career, she had already been in the industry, but she wasn’t really her mindset was not on investment of, you know, she was you know, she was being mentored to, like, stay focused on the sales and managing the sales team and stuff like that. But what I got in that was my mindset and definitely the the little capital that my dad had made a huge difference.

00:43:20:27 – 00:43:37:19
Speaker 3
You know, starting out because I went into it with no money. I was actually negative. I had, you know, credit card debt and all kinds of stuff. And so I never would have thought like, hey, I’m going to even have, you know, five or $10,000 to make an investment. But my dad did have a little bit.

00:43:37:21 – 00:43:38:11
Speaker 2
Yeah. You know.

00:43:38:15 – 00:43:52:28
Speaker 3
And, and so that, that made a big difference. So I think with the people that we help, like we see that it’s like it’s positive. Your situation looks dire right now, but really it may change that in a in a few years.

00:43:52:29 – 00:43:57:29
Speaker 1
Without a doubt. I mean that’s that’s what that’s where generational wealth comes in. It’s like equity. It’s yeah.

00:43:57:29 – 00:44:11:04
Speaker 3
That’s when we tell customers like, hey, you got to jump in. You know, it’s you know, you have to jump in and do it and in, in, in wait, you know, five, ten years down the road, you’re going to you should be in a way better situation than if you just read.

00:44:11:06 – 00:44:34:18
Speaker 1
I love it. How we doing on time? Forbes What? Where, what do we we have 10 minutes. Okay, So I want to jump in, no question, because I want to get this piece because it’s it’s really the the everything that this podcast is about. So tell me about your breakthrough moment and really, we we say this, you know, amongst ourselves, but I don’t say it enough.

00:44:34:21 – 00:45:06:07
Speaker 1
We don’t really care about the success. I mean, you’re here because you’re successful. We hear you. We’re all in the room together because we want to do more together. But I want to understand and I think what the audience wants to understand is what was it like in those moments in life? Or if you could pick a moment where your back was against the wall, it didn’t seem like there were any other options and you had to like reset the way you were thinking in order to break through to the next level, because you guys are seeing success that most people in this market are not seeing.

00:45:06:09 – 00:45:31:12
Speaker 1
You’re seeing success in a way that there are people exiting mortgage right now because because it is so hard and it is hard, don’t get me wrong. Like we’re we’re in a we’re in it to it, you know. But but you are seeing making it work. You are figuring out the ways to have. So tell me about a time where you guys back against the wall and it could be your story Nora or years while we can do both.

00:45:31:12 – 00:45:35:15
Speaker 1
But I am curious about the breakthrough moment for you.

00:45:35:18 – 00:45:36:29
Speaker 2
I don’t know. You want to start one?

00:45:37:01 – 00:46:02:24
Speaker 3
Yeah. For me, it’s very clear. You know, we’ve you know, I’ve had a lot of, I guess, breakthrough moments throughout our childhood and things like that. But, you know, growing up, like I said, things got a little bit better towards the end of my high school. And so, you know, things were fine. And that that kind of led me into like a different path after high school and stuff like that.

00:46:02:24 – 00:46:13:26
Speaker 3
So I wasn’t doing too well, right. Personally, I got into a little bit of trouble, things like that. So I was kind of like, you know, I kind of hit rock bottom when I was like around 2021. Right?

00:46:14:02 – 00:46:16:08
Speaker 1
Okay. What was that look like?

00:46:16:14 – 00:46:24:07
Speaker 2
You wanted to be an F and he wanted to be an FBI agent, just F, okay. Because he always nice day. He was like, you know, do that.

00:46:24:13 – 00:46:25:16
Speaker 3
I had watched a lot of movies.

00:46:25:16 – 00:46:28:11
Speaker 1
Yes. Yes. And now it would sentencing thing. Okay.

00:46:28:13 – 00:46:44:23
Speaker 2
He was going to join the military all of a sudden. He wasn’t able to do that because of the decisions he made and family. And everybody was like, we just we were we were obviously everybody was worried about our age. Right. Like I told, you were very close in a way. So everyone’s worried and he’s just not getting it.

00:46:44:23 – 00:46:51:02
Speaker 2
And he’s stuck in this thing, you know, at that age. Right. And so, yeah. So what what was the breakthrough?

00:46:51:02 – 00:47:15:13
Speaker 3
So the breakthrough was I mean, I had got my license, but I was still kind of in my, you know, my slump right at my license. You know, I would I would I would try. But it wasn’t like you know, I wasn’t doing too great first year and it was just there. It was just like, you know, I first I saw it like it was just a job, right?

00:47:15:16 – 00:47:40:24
Speaker 3
I was still trying to get my my degree online for college. So it was just you know, it was I was going through my thing, right? I met my wife and she got pregnant. So that completely changed my mindset. And it’s kind of like when Nora touches on with, you know, she’s not scared of making her or herself because she’s kind of in her mind.

00:47:40:24 – 00:47:52:04
Speaker 3
She’s, you know, advocating for other people. It’s not hurt. It’s not about her. So as soon as you know, I realized that my wife was pregnant, everything came back.

00:47:52:04 – 00:47:53:16
Speaker 1
It was not about you anymore.

00:47:53:19 – 00:48:01:28
Speaker 3
It wasn’t about me. Like the situation growing up. It’s not that I had a hard life, but I didn’t ever want any of my kids to be in the.

00:48:01:29 – 00:48:02:15
Speaker 1
Slump you were.

00:48:02:15 – 00:48:20:02
Speaker 3
In. To ever feel like the underdog or feel, you know, that they were in a situation where they were not equal, right? So I was like, I got to work. I just changed my whole mindset. You know, I’m you know, I used to be very like, no, I’m not going to do this. And like, I’m always I was always that situation.

00:48:20:03 – 00:48:27:17
Speaker 3
Like, I’m not going to, you know, do something for somebody else or I’m not going to you know, I had a big ego.

00:48:27:19 – 00:48:29:15
Speaker 1
You know, We all do. Yeah, that that does.

00:48:29:15 – 00:48:48:09
Speaker 3
And I had a big ego. So every time somebody told me something I didn’t like, I was just F-you, right? Yeah. That do something else. But yeah, as soon as that moment I was like, Shit, I’ll do whatever it takes. Like, I don’t care if anybody’s being an asshole, I’m just going to do whatever I need to do so I can, you know, get over the.

00:48:48:09 – 00:49:06:02
Speaker 1
Top. I mean, I mean, nor was it. I mean, you know, you’re not saying this, but I think if I’m hearing you right, like being able to see that. Naw. Was just a few steps ahead of where you where you were that you had a mentor in your sister that was like, okay, you know, like she’s already a realtor.

00:49:06:02 – 00:49:08:21
Speaker 1
So that’s a path that maybe I think it was an option.

00:49:08:21 – 00:49:10:13
Speaker 2
I wasn’t highly at that time. I it.

00:49:10:13 – 00:49:13:11
Speaker 3
Was, but I did see it, you know, obviously you were I.

00:49:13:11 – 00:49:14:15
Speaker 2
Definitely was highly successful.

00:49:14:15 – 00:49:17:21
Speaker 3
A step up from whatever the hell I was. I was.

00:49:17:23 – 00:49:21:18
Speaker 1
That’s what I’m saying. So even her, she’s like, I wasn’t doing great, but it was still better than where were.

00:49:21:24 – 00:49:38:00
Speaker 3
Yeah, you know, she’s always had a lot of potential. And like she said, sometimes, sometimes she can see it, right? So the way like I said, as soon as I found out my whole perspective was like, you know, I would be in the office, you know, it would be normal. I would stay in the office until 11 p.m..

00:49:38:00 – 00:49:44:01
Speaker 3
Right. And wake up, you know, seven, eight in the morning right. And I wouldn’t do that for anything.

00:49:44:07 – 00:49:45:06
Speaker 1
You had purpose.

00:49:45:06 – 00:50:03:18
Speaker 3
Like, I was always kind of like, you know, the slacker in high school, like, yes. Because, you know, I could get stuff done. So I was like, I’ll just show up. Like, I still can do that sometimes, if you can imagine with our employment, stuff like that. But like, I know I’ll go, you know, where Yeah. And I’ll, I’ll be able to do just enough because I’m, you know, I could, I can get stuff done.

00:50:03:22 – 00:50:07:07
Speaker 1
Yeah. Because, you know, you’re doing what matters.

00:50:07:09 – 00:50:28:22
Speaker 2
Sorry. Let me share a story. So my dad so got him a job. He was 16, 17 years old because my dad is a very hardworking and he’s at the what is playing golf, Right. The golf course. And so he’s like, we’re going to get you a job, you know, just looking to make some money. So he goes into the job and he’s like, because once Walk was like he like he has like a slow walk.

00:50:28:24 – 00:50:29:12
Speaker 2
Like he’s just.

00:50:29:12 – 00:50:34:15
Speaker 3
Like my clothes. And then so just like in the morning. So I’m just like half asleep.

00:50:34:15 – 00:50:39:00
Speaker 2
And so my dad’s like, my dad’s like, hey, you need to like when you go to work, like, pick up, walk.

00:50:39:00 – 00:50:39:26
Speaker 1
With purpose, pick.

00:50:39:27 – 00:50:55:02
Speaker 2
Up your pace and you wouldn’t care. And so everybody at his job, at my dad’s job, would be telling my dad, making fun of him, like, you’re so your son. Like your son like, you know, what is going on here? Like he’s not going to amount to like, what are you doing? Like, he’s yeah, you need to, like, push him along.

00:50:55:02 – 00:50:57:26
Speaker 2
And so it was funny because we talk about that today.

00:50:57:28 – 00:51:04:24
Speaker 3
Because I was just like, yeah, not worried about the, you know, the job because I had my in my mind, I had like different goals. Right?

00:51:04:24 – 00:51:10:14
Speaker 1
So it’s amazing when you’re that young. It’s like, I know I’m not going to do this. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but this is an it kind of thing. Yeah.

00:51:10:16 – 00:51:29:09
Speaker 3
And it’s not a good mentality to have like that hurt that put me back in. That’s what I tell everybody that, you know, that works works with those words for us, whatever. And I tell them all that story all the time. Like, you know, having that slacker mentality of like, you know, you don’t need to try as hard as everybody else.

00:51:29:12 – 00:51:30:22
Speaker 3
It it doesn’t work.

00:51:30:22 – 00:51:33:18
Speaker 1
It’s an ego thing. I mean, it truly is. Yeah.

00:51:33:18 – 00:51:39:07
Speaker 3
And like I said, literally that one situation that I told you completely changed, changed.

00:51:39:10 – 00:51:39:29
Speaker 1
I felt bad.

00:51:39:29 – 00:52:00:12
Speaker 3
Once I experienced. I’m like shit. Like I was a fucking idiot. I hope having that mindset before this because you know, there’s jobs that you have to try the hardest and even, you know, and I think that’s also like an excuse, like a lot of stuff that like you think that, okay, maybe I’m not going to be able to, you know, achieve this.

00:52:00:16 – 00:52:24:21
Speaker 3
You just it’s easier for you to be like, yeah, like, I don’t want to do it anyways, right? But when you get into the, into the hard work of it, you see what other people you know in, in, you know, with, with Nora being my partner, it’s like now there’s, there’s commitment, there’s all this stuff and as soon as I change that mentality, I kind of sound like, you know, I saw all the potential that we had together that she had.

00:52:24:24 – 00:52:37:23
Speaker 3
So I immediately started, you know, we immediately started, you know, having more, you know, conversations about growing and masterminding like, hey, this is now was like, we’re not this is not what we need to do.

00:52:37:25 – 00:53:00:15
Speaker 1
You know, you can operate on a higher level. Yeah. So so I hope for you one and for them that your first born at some point here is this to know that they were the reason that your life change or that you changed your life because you know there’s always something that really shifted our mind and you know for you is that for me is very similar to my daughter.

00:53:00:15 – 00:53:19:24
Speaker 1
Like, you know, she was getting in a lot of trouble. And as soon as she got pregnant, I remember my wife calling me saying, you know, she’s pregnant, but she wasn’t happy. Right. And I was like, actually, I think that’s the best thing. By curbing her, I’m actually happy. And literally she just flipped and has been like, you know, is is doing really well now.

00:53:19:24 – 00:53:34:05
Speaker 1
But I think that sometimes when you start to care for other people before yourself, then it requires you to elevate, you know, how you operate. Yeah. So, Nora, tell us first, tell us your breakthrough story.

00:53:34:07 – 00:53:52:27
Speaker 2
Well, I mean, I can tell you a lot of different ones because I’ve had, you know, I’m the opposite, right? For me, it’s I’ve always tried so hard, right? I’m the firstborn. I’m the first granddaughter. And that means a lot in our family. Like, I had to kind of set the tone, set the pace. So I was always overachieving.

00:53:53:00 – 00:54:05:25
Speaker 2
I’m the one that, you know ended up like, telling my dad. And while I was growing, you know, while we were growing up, because I was older than Juan and my younger brother and I was like, Hey, I don’t want them to work as hard as I had to work. So cut him some slack, you know, like help him out a little bit more.

00:54:05:28 – 00:54:08:24
Speaker 2
So the idea was that I was always kind of like.

00:54:08:27 – 00:54:10:01
Speaker 3
The opposite of.

00:54:10:04 – 00:54:12:14
Speaker 2
Yeah, you were the opposite. You know.

00:54:12:17 – 00:54:14:14
Speaker 1
You heard.

00:54:14:16 – 00:54:19:03
Speaker 3
The opposite. Like you advising them. I kind of had the opposite advice.

00:54:19:04 – 00:54:34:13
Speaker 2
No, I was I still can ask him today. Like I was always like him. Then take it easy. And me wanting to contribute. Like I remember one of the biggest things that I wanted when I was like getting my own money, my own job, 13, 14 is I always wanted them to have good shoes like my little my baby brother, who was two, three years old.

00:54:34:19 – 00:54:40:21
Speaker 2
Like, so I would I would spend my money in buying them good, like buying them shoes because I know my parents couldn’t afford those so.

00:54:40:21 – 00:54:42:19
Speaker 1
They couldn’t be rolling around and throwing at the.

00:54:42:19 – 00:54:58:22
Speaker 2
Time, you know? So I was kind of like wanting them to have a better life than me. So in a way, I was like that third parent. He doesn’t see it that way. But, you know, that kind of was my feeling throughout. And so I’ve had that pressure that, you know, of of, of needing to do something and being someone.

00:54:58:22 – 00:55:16:16
Speaker 2
Right. Always. And so through that you put yourself and you’re constantly going through breakthroughs, I would say. But I’ll tell you the biggest and when I really said enough is enough in the sense of like, I’m going to go for bigger things because for me I just wanted to kind of have a good lifestyle, simple, you know, modest.

00:55:16:18 – 00:55:38:08
Speaker 2
It was when when I saw my son, you know, my son’s six, seven years old and. You know, I’m a very loyal person, so I’ll stay somewhere, you know, and I’m into something for a very long time. So at that time, I had been, you know, committed to kind of this team where I was managing. And the idea there was, you know, I could get I could stay here for a long time.

00:55:38:08 – 00:55:59:06
Speaker 2
I was, you know, is a good kind of routine. And and all of a sudden I was just feeling like there was a growth. But none of that growth, none of that growth was really for you. For me. Right. And so and it was fine. But then I was I was fine with it. And then I started kind of in some negotiations back and forth with my role.

00:55:59:06 – 00:56:13:01
Speaker 2
At that time, I was just noticing like, gosh, I’m getting kind of like the short end of the stick here. And then I was kind of like, you know, just feeling like that over and over. It was like, today and then tomorrow I’m like, No, it was like over time that I was kind of feeling that way.

00:56:13:01 – 00:56:18:21
Speaker 2
And so and I remember, you know, and I was working super hard because I’m a hard worker opposite of Juan in.

00:56:18:23 – 00:56:19:01
Speaker 3
I was.

00:56:19:02 – 00:56:36:03
Speaker 2
Working too. Yeah. Today he is. But at the time for me, it’s like, I’ll go somewhere and I’ll go, yes, I’ll go above and beyond always. Like if you tell me to be here till five, I’ll be here later all you know. So at that time I’m like, I’m going above and beyond my mind. My son is young, my family, like we’re our family’s growing.

00:56:36:03 – 00:56:52:19
Speaker 2
I’m dedicating a lot of time to this and I’m just like, gosh, So I’m evaluating my thing. Like, how do I like what? What do I need to do here? There’s a message here. I mean, like, I’m feeling a little uncomfortable, right? So I think that’s another thing, like when your body when your something tells, Yes, it’s time to.

00:56:52:19 – 00:56:53:04
Speaker 1
Listen, hear.

00:56:53:04 – 00:57:11:23
Speaker 2
Something. So I was like, there’s something. So I remember the tipping point was for me, I was like driving. And I was I’m always, always in a rush to like, point to the next thing, like I’m getting my son to school, then I’m going back to the office or I’m doing this. And then my son was riding with me because I decided to take him into a like, pay for private school that was far from our house.

00:57:11:28 – 00:57:31:15
Speaker 2
And so the drive was long. And I’m sitting there and I’m like opening just the conversation. I’m like, But right, that’s like, Papi. So tell me, you know, I wanted him to just talk. He’s six. And so tell me, because at quality, it’s about quality, not quantity, right? That’s what all I had with him. So I asked him, I was like, So tell me if somebody was to ask you today to describe your your mom and your dad.

00:57:31:23 – 00:57:47:19
Speaker 2
Can you do that for me? Right. And so he’s like, I’m so and I’m getting emotional already because at that time he started saying, yeah, he’s crazy. Yeah. So that’s what you wanted. Chris Gosh, this is good.

00:57:47:19 – 00:57:48:16
Speaker 4
This is good.

00:57:48:16 – 00:57:49:07
Speaker 2
It’s terrible.

00:57:49:07 – 00:57:50:15
Speaker 4
Gosh, you’re good.

00:57:50:15 – 00:57:50:25
Speaker 1
You’re good.

00:57:50:25 – 00:58:16:23
Speaker 2
But the point is that at that time, he I asked him that question. He went on and on and talked about his daddy, my dad to fixing daddy, my dad. This is daddy, my dad’s dad, Daddy. And I was like, Awesome. So now he’s moving on to me. And he basically, you know, said, it’s working, mommy. And I was just like, my gosh, like, that hurts so much because there was like it was a one sentence response from him.

00:58:16:25 – 00:58:25:17
Speaker 2
So at that point I said, if I don’t have the guts to go, go after bigger and better things for myself.

00:58:25:19 – 00:58:26:25
Speaker 1
Can we get our tissue, please?

00:58:26:25 – 00:58:29:12
Speaker 2
So I have to at least do it for him.

00:58:29:19 – 00:58:30:18
Speaker 1
Yeah.

00:58:30:20 – 00:59:08:08
Speaker 2
Because at that time, Chris, I had already had already gotten some not so great news about family, about things, you know, that he was going to have to kind of go through in his life. And I said, I have to be stronger or I have to go for it for him. So again, our children, right, are children. And so so basically what I had to go for and make that decision because based on loyalty, the thing would have been I stay there or I do the same thing, or I continue kind of in someone else’s place.

00:59:08:08 – 00:59:28:17
Speaker 2
Since now my pace, I said, No, I have to go for this because of him, because of all the time I’ve been away and all the time I’m going to need to be away, right? To build something. It takes commitment. It takes sacrifice. It has to be worth it for him. Right. And so obviously, we are where we’re at today.

00:59:28:17 – 00:59:48:08
Speaker 2
He’s not 18, 19 years old. And I can tell you that from the age of. So that was six seven, right? It took me another four or five years. I went in it hard like that. When Juan tells you we want it hard, that’s when I said, hey, I’m, you know, I’m leaving. This is my step. He’s like, I’m obviously with you.

00:59:48:09 – 00:59:55:27
Speaker 2
Like, let’s go. And I was like, We’re going to right? We’re like, We’re going to work super hard. Like, we’re going to build this. I’ve been building someone else.

00:59:55:27 – 01:00:01:13
Speaker 3
I always had that, no doubt. You know, I did too. Obviously I knew Waitlisted where you.

01:00:01:13 – 01:00:03:18
Speaker 1
Saw her bigger than she saw herself.

01:00:03:18 – 01:00:25:28
Speaker 3
And like I said, exactly during that time, every time, you know, up to that moment, like I said, you know, I was never willing to be like, you’re not going to get one over me. You know, for me, it was always a negotiation, right? I’m not going to work harder than what you know, just because whatever. Right. But for her, you know, it was a situation of me, of me saying like, hey, I have to make a change in my life.

01:00:26:05 – 01:00:27:22
Speaker 2
Because we edit all the crying out.

01:00:27:22 – 01:00:35:02
Speaker 1
Now, that’s not going to happen. Sorry, that’s not that’s not happening. Yeah, now. But but thank you for being vulnerable with us. I mean, that’s a big deal.

01:00:35:04 – 01:00:59:28
Speaker 3
So for me, it was like, you know, it was it was kind of perfect because I needed to make the change. And I’m like, if I’m willing to get the short end of the stick for for somebody or feel like, you know, because sometimes, like, you know, her fight all the time, we fight and we started like I felt like she was you know, she was you know, I don’t want to say any bad words, but I was like all the time was like, you know, not like, you know, because I would do stuff.

01:00:59:28 – 01:01:03:22
Speaker 3
And then it was just a constant fighting situation.

01:01:03:25 – 01:01:20:04
Speaker 1
But let me just jump in with this real quickly. There is a candor that happens when you can’t divorce the other person. You guys are going to be brother and sister no matter what. So you’re treated differently If it’s a different worker, you can’t tell them what you would know, what you’re really thinking. You guys aren’t going anywhere, right?

01:01:20:04 – 01:01:43:22
Speaker 1
So when you remove that, that, that I can divorce you mentality, then the truth comes out and you almost have to appreciate that level of candor because you’re not going to get it anywhere else in life except for your sister. And then I tell my kids the, you know, the time like this, the relationship between brother and sister is so special because no one will know you better than your brother or your sister.

01:01:43:22 – 01:01:53:28
Speaker 1
And they’ll know things that you’re ashamed of. They’ll know things, everything, in a way that you know. And they still love you no matter what. So but you get emotional when she when she got emotional. Why is that?

01:01:54:00 – 01:02:07:03
Speaker 3
Because It’s it’s part of my family, too, you know. So Chris Chris.

01:02:07:06 – 01:02:08:07
Speaker 4
I didn’t know. I’m not doing it.

01:02:08:07 – 01:02:40:24
Speaker 1
Because I’m fucking with you. I’m just doing it because the reason why I wanted you guys to be on here is because there and as an outsider looking in, I had an out-of-body experience when we met for dinner that night that I was like, I wish I had y’all’s relationship, as you know, with my with my siblings. And so when I see what you guys have, I’m like, You guys don’t realize how special, how you guys have each other’s back is and how you’ve been able to grow a business and how proud your family has to be looking at what you guys are doing everyday.

01:02:40:24 – 01:02:55:27
Speaker 1
So today is about forcing you guys to take a moment, to just take a step back and say, We’ve been grinding us out. But you know, I appreciate you because you guys have something really special that you guys nobody could ever take that away from you guys.

01:02:55:29 – 01:03:22:25
Speaker 2
So no, no, Chris, the truth is, we’re super tough. Gosh, we’re super, super tough. And obviously what I can tell you is that, you know. Yeah. So when when when he’s telling his story about his breakthrough, what you know, what he left out of that is that, you know, this woman that came into his life became she’s a a partner, a partner for the rest of our family, you know.

01:03:22:25 – 01:03:38:19
Speaker 2
And so today he has three beautiful children that are, you know, that are part of the, you know, the blessings that I count in my life. And his wife, who’s my best friend that came in and said, you know what, let’s pick up whatever we need to pick up. Like, do we need where do we not where do I need to clean up or do I need to fix?

01:03:38:22 – 01:04:07:27
Speaker 2
How do I help you guys? How do I make your life easier? She’s a huge, huge partner. And so our family really has been blessed with everyone. You know, my husband is, you know, an amazing he’s been an amazing partner. And, you know, life is not easy. But like you said, when you the option is not divorce, you figure out everything else because you realize that, you know, whatever we’re dealing with today, it’s you know, we’re having a bad season about, you know, month of bad.

01:04:07:29 – 01:04:25:02
Speaker 2
It’s okay because I’ve seen you at your best and you are someone that I absolutely love and adore. And I would not give up. I would not give up anything for it. So with Juan, I can tell you that. Yeah. When I told them so basically at that moment I was like, okay, I was I was pissed really is what it was.

01:04:25:02 – 01:04:38:28
Speaker 2
Because I’m like, I can’t believe I can’t get the negotiation to go my way where I’ve worked so hard in this moment, you know, to be here. And the negotiations were just not like I was not getting, you know, what I needed at that time.

01:04:39:01 – 01:04:42:16
Speaker 3
For me, I was able to see it from the outside. She was a little bit more involved.

01:04:42:16 – 01:04:53:02
Speaker 2
Yeah, I was. I was more attached, more loyal, more emotional. And he was able to see and he’s like, No, let’s go. And that’s the whole the part of him not being, like, emotional. He’s he’s been that way his life.

01:04:53:04 – 01:04:56:11
Speaker 1
But you need that because that’s a yin and yang of the relationship.

01:04:56:11 – 01:05:10:12
Speaker 2
Yes. He’s like, no, I got that. So when he says we were working, we went out and we said, okay, now we have to build a inaugurate team. And he’s willing to build that. He doesn’t care about him. You know, it’s the it’s like, no. And he’s like, I’ll be your age.

01:05:10:15 – 01:05:23:10
Speaker 3
And that’s why I said it was it was perfect situation because it’s like I knew I had to make a difference in my life. So it was either that or go do it somewhere else. But I knew I had to like, hustle, work my ass off like I never.

01:05:23:12 – 01:05:24:03
Speaker 1
Did in your life.

01:05:24:10 – 01:05:49:22
Speaker 3
For anything else. And I decided to do it to build her up because I’m like, okay, if I’m going to do it for anybody, it would only be her, right? I wouldn’t do it for anybody else at that time. So so I just got and I didn’t care. There was a lot of shit that I was like a lot of, you know, it’s like, you know, I was like, one of those guys is like, use like me in the, in the minimalist and I’m like, I’m out, You’re done.

01:05:49:22 – 01:05:51:12
Speaker 1
But you can do that with your sister.

01:05:51:15 – 01:05:54:11
Speaker 3
You know? And I wanted to let you know.

01:05:54:11 – 01:05:55:13
Speaker 1
I maybe can.

01:05:55:15 – 01:06:13:15
Speaker 3
Just go do something else, but, but it was like I always, you know, I had something inside of me change and I was like, I’m I’m going to do whatever it takes. You know, I always had the mentality. It doesn’t work out in a year or two, then I’ll go from there. But right now I’m not going to care about anything.

01:06:13:15 – 01:06:27:20
Speaker 3
Now. I’m not going to care, you know, about what anybody thinks or says or whatever in or how they treat me. I’m just focused on, you know, making her a badass. And in.

01:06:27:22 – 01:06:28:00
Speaker 1
I love.

01:06:28:00 – 01:06:29:16
Speaker 3
That we achieved it, you know? I love.

01:06:29:16 – 01:06:47:23
Speaker 2
That. Yeah. It takes it again. It takes a lot of it takes that type of loyalty commitment. You know, at that time. And so we started off with just him and I and then a part time assistant, right, part time assistant. That time we’re like, we need somebody to do the paperwork because he doesn’t like paperwork. I don’t like paperwork.

01:06:48:00 – 01:06:53:02
Speaker 2
Like we need somebody to support us in that. And so we had a part time assistant and we went full throttle. And from there, I.

01:06:53:05 – 01:06:55:18
Speaker 3
Tell you, I don’t like anything that feels like I’m wasting my time.

01:06:55:21 – 01:06:57:06
Speaker 1
Yeah, I agree. I’m saying then.

01:06:57:12 – 01:07:10:18
Speaker 2
That the goal at that time was, you know, grow, grow, grow. And we just, you know, we just kept on, you know, I he wasn’t a partner at that time. He was kind of, like you said, working under my my team.

01:07:10:21 – 01:07:18:02
Speaker 3
But Nora had a big enough, you know, president like people knew her in the Yeah. You know, to where she was able to partner up with somebody.

01:07:18:02 – 01:07:19:03
Speaker 1
That would leverage it. Yeah.

01:07:19:04 – 01:07:35:12
Speaker 3
Yeah. Higher level. And it didn’t last too long because we you know like I said, Nora was always kind of had for years like, you know, you know, I don’t know what like I don’t want to speak for you, but it’s been like maybe we’re not like, we’re not smart enough.

01:07:35:12 – 01:07:39:24
Speaker 2
We’re not we’re not getting like I told you. Yeah, I’m always I still to this day, like, I’m like, what?

01:07:39:25 – 01:07:41:03
Speaker 3
And I was always telling her, like.

01:07:41:07 – 01:07:42:10
Speaker 2
It’s been a thing because.

01:07:42:17 – 01:07:45:15
Speaker 3
I was telling you, like, where are we doing it? How are we not good enough?

01:07:45:15 – 01:07:49:06
Speaker 1
But you need to hear that sometimes. Yeah, you need to hear that you’re doing everything.

01:07:49:14 – 01:08:12:08
Speaker 2
But it’s is is again through the roof where mine is not through the roof. Yeah. So when we’ve had those conversations he’s like, he’s like even before anything there’s been people like I’m like this is the conversations. my God, that person is so amazing. They’re this or that. Because I’m constantly evaluate. I’m like, this is he’s like, they’re not like, they’re not that much better than like, yeah, you have going on.

01:08:12:12 – 01:08:17:29
Speaker 2
I like how you don’t I said, I can’t believe you don’t say. He’s like, Yeah, no, I’m, I’m serious. Like, but you.

01:08:17:29 – 01:08:48:11
Speaker 1
Need that in your life. You need to have those people around you. Like you’re your entire success has been around, you know, embedded in a thought process of worthiness or lack thereof. And you still continue to break through. And so for those listening who, you know, are worried about getting on on video, because I can’t remember my lines or you’re worried about, you know, what other people are going to think if you get on stage bomb, if you’re worried about getting in a room with other people and selling yourself.

01:08:48:11 – 01:09:19:05
Speaker 1
At the end of the day, if you put those clients before those clients needs, before your own, amazing things will happen because you start to to perform for them versus you. And I think both of what you said is embedded there, There’s a lot of loyalty from from the family perspective, but there’s also a there’s a in both of your success stories, it’s really rooted in I don’t want to let my family down and therefore I’m putting them first.

01:09:19:05 – 01:09:29:21
Speaker 1
And it’s interesting you said it because I thought you were going to say after you you had that conversation with your son, you pulled back, but you actually just got smarter in how you approach the business.

01:09:29:21 – 01:09:50:00
Speaker 2
I was it was sad. I was absolutely at that moment that that’s all he knew and that I didn’t have financially, I wasn’t I didn’t feel I had anything, anything to hold on to, anything that I can any sort of security that I can give him. I didn’t think that, you know, I had really made an impact. Like at that moment, I worked hard, but that’s all I had.

01:09:50:06 – 01:10:07:08
Speaker 2
I didn’t have, you know, huge investments. Maybe at that time I had already bought a house, a rental or this and that, and I was like, my goodness. Like, this is what he’s going to remember. Like, his mom worked to that to and there’s very little to show for it, and I didn’t want that. So that’s why and.

01:10:07:08 – 01:10:08:11
Speaker 3
I think it did make a difference.

01:10:08:12 – 01:10:10:22
Speaker 2
It made a tremendous difference because it was out.

01:10:10:24 – 01:10:24:03
Speaker 3
Right before he went to college. I am probably not the same question, but you had a conversation station that was probably in comparison to that question when you asked him when he will see you and his response was way different.

01:10:24:04 – 01:10:26:08
Speaker 2
100 And that’s what I wanted to do is, yes.

01:10:26:11 – 01:10:26:24
Speaker 1
I want to hear.

01:10:26:24 – 01:10:48:15
Speaker 2
That at that time, his response was that and then that’s what I’m saying. It took me 4 to 5 years of us working, hustling together and doing everything still, you know, through a lot of time away, a lot of, you know, prices that were being paid. But I knew that when I when he became a teenager, so like around 1213 that I wanted more time, freedom of time.

01:10:48:18 – 01:11:10:02
Speaker 2
And so when you’re financially in a position, you were able to kind of, you know, have that. So at that, at that age, I was very intentional about my time with him. At the age of 12, 13, I began to focus on giving him experiences. And so we traveled a lot. I took a lot of time away from, you know, the business.

01:11:10:02 – 01:11:21:09
Speaker 2
But again, I’m very intentional. I’m there, and then when I’m out, I’m out. I’m with him. And so we began to travel. I sent him to summer camp, you know, in Cancun, because I wanted him to really.

01:11:21:13 – 01:11:25:27
Speaker 3
You knew you didn’t have to work every minute of your.

01:11:25:29 – 01:11:44:17
Speaker 2
Life. Yeah. And I by that time, we had already invested. We started up an investment company with Juan and I and my father. And my father was. It’s amazing. He was. What is it? The financial backing company. Because so it was everybody stages because it wasn’t our money we didn’t have.

01:11:44:20 – 01:12:03:08
Speaker 1
You were using you were using your underwriting skills on deals and finding deals with his money, backing, which is the way which is the way investment company should work. Like in the beginning, it’s like somebody has the money, somebody has the hustle to go find the deal. Somebody has the the ability to underwrite the deal and then post deal.

01:12:03:08 – 01:12:07:11
Speaker 1
It’s like everything afterwards. So like that, that’s like the most perfect situation.

01:12:07:12 – 01:12:13:05
Speaker 2
We brought that we brought we, we started that company up, you know what it was it like 2013, 20?

01:12:13:06 – 01:12:17:25
Speaker 3
To be honest with you, I didn’t really know what I was doing. 20 I didn’t start knowing how to underwrite stuff.

01:12:17:28 – 01:12:23:25
Speaker 2
Yeah. And every time it was, we were like, at that time, you’re just like, we we know we have some cash, which we know there’s I.

01:12:23:25 – 01:12:32:18
Speaker 3
Know it’s one of my mistakes that for the same reason that I’m, you know, sometimes she says that I’m way overly confident. I think I’m just what I need to be in most cases.

01:12:32:21 – 01:12:34:26
Speaker 1
You have to. Yeah.

01:12:34:28 – 01:12:45:16
Speaker 3
But that also, I think, has, you know, probably been a mistake because I’ve never taken any type of mentorship or like, you know, should in, you know, most people that.

01:12:45:18 – 01:12:46:06
Speaker 2
You read a lot of.

01:12:46:06 – 01:12:47:15
Speaker 3
Books do read a lot of.

01:12:47:15 – 01:13:11:20
Speaker 2
Books. He reads a lot. So the goal at that time is that we started that investment company, my dad funding it. And then Juan, we started focusing on his time being spent on investing and thinking more about that. So we intentionally like took him away from some of the stuff in the real estate side. So the family again, really seen everyone’s true colors and abilities saying, you’re really good at that.

01:13:11:26 – 01:13:25:15
Speaker 2
And my dad and I both said, he’s really good at making decisions because he’s not emotional. And we’ve I’ve already had a failure in my life. I had lost everything. And my dad’s very you could call him, He’s he has super, super, super.

01:13:25:15 – 01:13:27:04
Speaker 1
Conservative. So you need all of that. Yes.

01:13:27:04 – 01:13:47:11
Speaker 2
So, yeah. So my my dad, I would have would have not put deals together if it was up to us because we are conservative, because Juan hasn’t really lost, you know, lost in that way. Like he wasn’t in the recession that way because he had just started up. But he did, you know, see, he was able to take decisions and take risks when we would have said no to the deal, he said yes.

01:13:47:11 – 01:14:09:28
Speaker 1
So I got to ask you, I starting around, but I got to ask two questions. One, and then we got to close out because we’re way over time. But so the first question is, if you don’t mind, you don’t have to disclose number. But I want to ballpark do you guys, if you take that that company that you that you have, that real estate company and you just look at that you guys have of dollars in real estate.

01:14:10:00 – 01:14:28:29
Speaker 1
Yeah. Yeah. Don’t be afraid of that. Yeah. Yeah. You’re, you’re successful and I think that that’s what because in any and anything that I knew about you wasn’t until he and I went a little bit deeper to understand that you guys are doing some pretty significant thing, multi-unit properties stuff that people want to be involved. I want to be in the apartment game.

01:14:28:29 – 01:14:41:05
Speaker 1
You guys are already there. You’re you’re investing in places that you know that a lot of people don’t even know is a really good opportunity. The second thing is tell me what your son said the second time you asked.

01:14:41:07 – 01:15:01:05
Speaker 2
So yes. So after investing in pouring into it, you know, I asked him, I said, so what is it all you know, So, Papi, you know, if you had to describe, like, what is your you know, and the truth is, the reason the question comes out is because I’ve always said I’ve told him, I said, Papi, you know, I just want to say that I’m sorry because I know when you were little, I wasn’t there.

01:15:01:05 – 01:15:19:24
Speaker 2
Right. And that hurts a lot. She’s like, mom, you know? So he would look at me. He’s six four. So he looks down on me, hugs me, and he’s a hugger. He’s, you know, he’s a very sweet, sweet person. And so he’s a mom. You don’t have to apologize for absolutely anything. You know, you were there the whole time.

01:15:20:01 – 01:15:42:27
Speaker 2
And if you weren’t there, you made sure that I was with the right people that were taking care of me. I was around love and I’m lucky. He’s like, You don’t understand how lucky I am. So obviously, for me, full circle. Full circle. You know, he’s such a grateful human being. He takes nothing for granted as far as what our life is.

01:15:42:29 – 01:16:08:22
Speaker 2
But he understands that he lives a different life than I’ve lived. He understands that, you know, he’s been able to travel and he’s very grateful for it. So for me, the goal was that he really got he’s he’s already at the age that he’s seen. He’s been able to see, you know, what our family has been able to create, what the opportunities are, what the prices have been, because he knows he doesn’t get it, because he doesn’t come from a place of I’m going to blame you in a way.

01:16:08:24 – 01:16:28:09
Speaker 2
But, you know, he knows that I wasn’t there for a long time, you know, all those years. And he has a heart you know, he has a hard life, you know, ahead of himself with certain things. And he’s okay with it because he always says he’s like the biggest blessing that I have is the family. You just don’t understand how blessed I feel.

01:16:28:09 – 01:16:31:05
Speaker 2
So don’t apologize for anything. He just stops me right away.

01:16:31:12 – 01:17:13:02
Speaker 1
So. Well, first off, I love that he even the he has the same sort of gratitude and you know that that you would expect or that you would want. But I will tell you, you don’t realize it. But you have a remarkable family. You have a remarkable family dynamic. You guys are ultra successful for a reason. But I don’t know that I’ve ever said this when I’ve done a podcast, but I’m looking at Fabio because I don’t know Fabio I’ve ever said this, but I am just like, you know, so humbled that you guys allowed me to hear your story, that you allow that you trusted me enough to come in and share some vulnerability

01:17:13:02 – 01:17:33:26
Speaker 1
and be emotional about it. So thank you for allowing me in the room with you guys and not just with the podcast, but, you know, you being out here, you’re here because you’re supporting chapter and it means a lot to me. And the fact that, you know, you trusted me, Juan, to go on this journey together. And I’m excited to see what we build from it.

01:17:33:26 – 01:17:56:07
Speaker 1
But I know that there’s major opportunities. So if you’re listening to this podcast, first off, like and subscribe, because I really want to get the word out on what we’re doing. And the only way to do that is by your feedback. DME If you have you want to hear a certain podcast or maybe you want to be on it, but follow Nora Guerra.

01:17:56:07 – 01:18:00:12
Speaker 1
You could find her on Instagram. And is that your handle? Nora Get a.

01:18:00:14 – 01:18:00:25
Speaker 2
Team.

01:18:00:26 – 01:18:01:20
Speaker 1
Nora Get a team.

01:18:01:26 – 01:18:02:10
Speaker 2
Gary Team.

01:18:02:13 – 01:18:08:01
Speaker 1
You’re not going to find one on there. Do you have an Instagram? Yeah, Yeah. Okay.

01:18:08:03 – 01:18:09:12
Speaker 3
No, he don’t mind me.

01:18:09:14 – 01:18:12:06
Speaker 2
He does have an Instagram. He has a name digging.

01:18:12:09 – 01:18:15:12
Speaker 1
Yes, I have. I do have I do.

01:18:15:14 – 01:18:19:11
Speaker 2
Post as from 19 1985.

01:18:19:14 – 01:18:41:24
Speaker 1
So but no, I really appreciate you guys being here. And you know, you look for them on YouTube, look for Nora created a team everywhere on social because she’s doing an amazing job. I’m so proud of the work that you’re doing, not just for yourselves, but for Latinos across the country on who you’re serving. And I appreciate you guys being on the podcast today.

01:18:41:27 – 01:18:42:12
Speaker 1
Absolutely.

01:18:42:18 – 01:18:53:00
Speaker 2
Thank you, Chris. I think you opened up the space actually from yesterday because I know you were really vulnerable yesterday as well. So I do appreciate that. So, yeah, you kind of open up that space so that today we also kind of be.

01:18:53:06 – 01:18:53:24
Speaker 1
Thank you.

01:18:53:26 – 01:18:57:03
Speaker 2
Ross. Thank you. No, it takes an amazing person.

01:18:57:05 – 01:18:57:18
Speaker 1
my gosh.

01:18:57:18 – 01:19:01:04
Speaker 2
Thank you. Like, allow this space to kind of open. So thank you.

01:19:01:06 – 01:19:02:02
Speaker 1
I appreciate you I.

01:19:02:02 – 01:19:06:19
Speaker 3
Want to thank you, too. It was thank you for asking what I was expecting. And that’s a good thing.

01:19:06:27 – 01:19:12:27
Speaker 1
Thank you, bro. I appreciate that, man. He came in before you came in. He was making fun of me for crying yesterday.

01:19:12:29 – 01:19:17:19
Speaker 4
He left before he got here. He literally made a jab at it.

01:19:17:21 – 01:19:27:19
Speaker 2
Hey. And then look. Look at this. I don’t you know, I have seen that maybe a number a handful of times in my life. Maybe. Yeah, less than a half. Like it’s just So.

01:19:27:21 – 01:19:28:19
Speaker 1
Thank you guys for doing.

01:19:28:19 – 01:19:29:23
Speaker 2
It. I definitely need the recording.

01:19:29:29 – 01:19:32:07
Speaker 1
Yes, we got for the family. Thank you, guys.