Stay Paid Podcast

It took David Alvarado five attempts to pass his insurance exam and get his license, but once he did, he made a cool $4,500 in his first month. Easy peasy, he thought, but after that first month he couldn’t close a sale. In his interview, David tells the story of his rise, fall, and resurrection in the insurance industry, including the decision that turned his career around and enabled him—at age 24—to buy a new Lexus and a $400,000 home. It was a decision we’re all capable of making. Be sure to check out our show notes at staypaidpodcast.com for more in-depth information and added details not included in the episode. Connect | Resources Instagram: therealdavidalvarado LinkedIn: David Alvarado Website: Alite Financial Professionals   0:00     Introduction 1:54     David’s backstory 5:01     Reality check     8:58     Turning point 11:01   You’re one decision away 12:22   Thoughts on prospecting 15:48   Shorten the learning curve 19:15   Thoughts on scripts 21:03   How to attract and keep talent 27:43   David’s words to live by 31:43   Action Item

At one time or another, we’ve all heard the voice inside our heads that diminishes our confidence and tells us we can’t before we even try. The difference between being able to push forward in spite of your doubts instead of succumbing to them is finding your courage—and knowing how to silence that voice. In today’s Silver Dollar episode, we take a closer look at self-doubt—what it is and what it can do—and offer some behaviors you can practice to hush your self-defeating thoughts. Be sure to check out our show notes at staypaidpodcast.com for more in-depth information and added details not included in the episode. Connect | Resources A networking event is one situation where our confidence can waver and our self-doubt can take over. See our blog post, Arrive and Thrive: Networking Event Tips to Put You at Ease, and its accompanying free resource, Small Talk/Networking Scripts, that will help you to prepare for your next networking event.   0:00     Introduction 1:07     Your younger self would be proud 1:45     What you say to yourself matters 2:56     The Dunning-Kruger Effect 4:20     When in doubt, be pragmatic 5:21     Even the most accomplished feel doubt 6:18     Thoughts on Imposter Syndrome 7:09     Authenticity is a superpower 8:09     7 actions to mitigate self-doubt 9:24     Keep the promises you make to yourself 10:57   Action Item

Representing nearly 50 years of combined real estate experience in three different markets, Lauren Rocco, Jamie Tulak, and Tara McCarthy—the founders of the Girls with Grit Collective—share their advice for success in what is promising to be a very interesting year in real estate. You’ll discover the hottest niches agents should target in 2023, why old leads you haven’t touched in at least two years are going to be your best source of new business, why you absolutely must stop calling it a “shifting market” and what to call it instead, why client events are the girls #1 recommendation for generating new leads, and how to dominate your local market and become “5-mile famous.” Be sure to check out our show notes at staypaidpodcast.com for more in-depth information and added details not included in the episode. Connect | Resources Website: Girls with Grit Collective Private Facebook group: Girls with Grit Collective Facebook event page: 2023 Girls with Grit Rhinestone Cowgirl Conference 0:00     Introduction 2:26     Business biographies 7:13     The 3-part mission of Girls with Grit 11:55   4 hot real estate niches in 2023     14:33   Tips for your messaging 18:02   Strategies for keeping in front of audience 20:20   CRM of preference 23:28   Lead gen: being 5-mile famous 25:33   The issue with online leads 26:46   Lead gen: client events 30:03   How do you get started after relocating? 33:40   Girls with Grit conference 35:52   Action Item

No one can predict with certainty which Instagram reels are going to take off. Even so, the insiders at Instagram have identified four production tips that will give your videos an edge over others. In this episode, we discuss these tips, along with a few of our own, in detail with examples to help illustrate how to implement them. Listen to discover two ways you can make your Instagram reels more relatable to your audience, four tips you should be using to make creating reels easier (including one that will encourage Instagram to promote yours), and more hacks and tools we use at Stay Paid to improve our production quality that you can easily use to popularize your reels too. Be sure to check out our show notes at staypaidpodcast.com for more in-depth information and added details not included in the episode. Connect | Resources Check out our reels and model what works! Instagram: @staypaidpodcast TikTok: @staypaid_podcast To add captions to your reels, try captions.ai   0:00     Introduction 1:14     Instagram’s Professional Dashboard 1:52     Tip 1: Create reels that are uniquely you 3:46     Tip 2: Be relatable 4:48     Tip 3: Keep it simple 5:10     Extra tip: Use trending audio 6:25     Tip 3: Keep it simple (continued) 7:12     Extra tip: Develop attention-grabbing hooks 8:48     Tip 4: Add text to your reels 11:22   Consistency builds trust 12:30   Action Item

Erin Botsford is the founder and CEO of The Advisor Authority and the developer of the Elite Advisor Success System. As an advisor, she has been named to every category of Barron’s Top 100, and she’s the author of Seven Figure Firm: How to Build a Financial Services Business that Grows Itself. Our conversation with Erin focuses on two topics: her strategies for attracting prospects< and what she does to close every deal at the initial meeting. The first involves fully understanding and communicating her value proposition. (There’s a huge lesson here.) The second involves “disturbing” those at the table. Be sure to check out our show notes at staypaidpodcast.com for more in-depth information and added details not included in the episode. Connect | Resources Get your free copy of Erin’s book, Seven Figure Firm: How to Build a Financial Services Business that Grows Itself, at com Register for webinar: com/unforgettablewebinar

Jumping off the numerous studies that have shown how practicing gratitude positively affects feelings of happiness and improves our physical health, today’s Silver Dollar episode is about how you can shift your focus from lamenting about what you may lack to being grateful for what you do have. We offer four ways you can think deeply about all that is good in your life—no matter how hard it may seem in the moment. Be sure to check out our show notes at staypaidpodcast.com for more in-depth information and added details not included in the episode. Connect | Resources Article: “Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier” Book: The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) Purchase Stay Paid swag   We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for ReminderMedia to earn a small fee by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Michael Snow is a managing broker with Pearson Smith Realty in northern Virginia. He’s a masterful prospector and spends most of his time coaching approximately 1,000 agents on how to attract and find new leads. We asked him to share with us what he’s telling them as they head into 2023. Listen to Michael’s interview to find out the three-part plan for success that he has all his agents implement, understand why he is an enthusiastic fan of hosting open houses and how you can approach agents to run theirs, and discover the necessary steps to getting the maximum ROI from online leads. Be sure to check out our show notes at staypaidpodcast.com for more in-depth information and added details not included in the episode. Connect | Resources Reach out to Michael via email: snow@pearsonsmithrealty.com   0:00     Introduction 2:18     Michael’s backstory 6:24     #1: Define categories of lead generation     7:33     #2: Write a detailed business plan 8:45     #3: Create a detailed schedule 10:46   Figuring out your daily activity 14:24   Thoughts on hosting open houses 16:08   Asking agents to host their open house 18:49   Generate multiple touchpoints with events 21:37   The expectation when calling online leads 25:21   Anecdotes about closing rates 28:15   Action Item

Steve Guilfoile is one of the best relationship builders we’ve ever met. About a year ago, he and his business partner, Shane Shafer, talked with us about how they successfully built AffordaCare Insurance by providing value to potential customers before ever asking for their business. But as with every business, there were bumps along the way. Listen to Steve’s interview to discover why focusing on your goal may not be the best approach to reaching it (and what you should focus on instead), find a new way to think about and integrate failure into your processes, and hear some of the best advice for 2023 that will help you determine your priorities. Be sure to check out our show notes at staypaidpodcast.com for more in-depth information and added details not included in the episode. Connect | Resources The Power of One More: The Ultimate Guide to Happiness and Success   We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for ReminderMedia to earn a small fee by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.   0:00     Introduction 1:48     Mindset and motivation 3:27     Breaking goals into parts | Incremental progress 6:30     Failure is an inevitable part of the game 8:47     Just do one more     10:36   Reading vs. doing 12:44   Success leaves clues | Don’t reinvent the wheel 13:37   Advice to agents moving into 2023 15:54   Action Item

Whether you listen to Sherri Somers for the video marketing strategy she used to launch her career as an insurance agent, the advice she gives her coaching students on finding their purpose, or the unique perspective she has as a woman and mom working in the insurance industry, you will walk away inspired by her story, energy, and resolve. Listen to her interview to find out the video marketing strategy she utilizes to save her time and attract rather than chase prospects, learn about her straightforward approach to discovering your “why” and defining your brand, and understand the advantages of remaining true to your authentic self. Be sure to check out our show notes at staypaidpodcast.com for more in-depth information and added details not included in the episode. Connect | Resources Website: joinsherri.com 0:00     Introduction 1:51     Sherri’s backstory 6:53     Look for evidence of success 9:06     Time-saving approach to video marketing 11:15   Being a woman in the insurance industry 14:00   Video strategy: authenticity, pain points, promotion 16:58   Disrupting the insurance industry for women 18:29   Finding your motivating purpose (WON method) 22:52   Action Item

We understand that coming up with what to say in your emails to clients isn’t always easy. That’s why in this week’s Silver Dollar episode of Stay Paid, we encourage you to think about your emails as small chunks of useful information from which you already have stockpiles to choose. We also share five ways to approach these topics and turn them into must-read emails your clients will want to pore over, use, and save. Be sure to check out our show notes at staypaidpodcast.com for more in-depth information and added details not included in the episode. Connect | Resources FREE: Best Practices for Email Marketing. Done well, email can be the cornerstone of a digital marketing strategy that generates leads and builds relationships. Click the link to print this handy guide of nine email tips and hang it in your workspace. 0:00     Introduction 0:31     Email and content marketing 1:57     Email #1: market and industry updates 4:52     Email #2: local events and community news 6:40     Email #3: “The Ask;” types of solicitations 10:31   Email #4: branding 13:24   Email #5: thank you; types 16:07   Action Item