From Professional Hockey to 1000 VA to 200 Deals in 2022

Bob LaChance: Hey,

Steve Trang: everybody. Thank you for joining us for today's episode of Real Estate Disruptors. Today, we've got my good friend Bob LaChance with Reva Global, and Bob flew in from Hartford, Connecticut to share how he went from playing professional hockey to having a thousand VAs under management to 200 deals in 2022. Now I am on a mission to create a 100 millionaires. The information on the show is enough to help you become a millionaire in the next five to seven years.

If you'll take consistent action, you will become one. Recently, I've been hearing a lot of people say things like my acquisition guys aren't buying deep enough or my dismal guys just can't sell our deals anymore. If you're hearing things like this and you wanted to get better, text leaders to 33777, and the show is brought to you by our sister company, Investor Lift. Get access to over 2,000,000 cash buyers across the country. Go to investorlift.com, put in disruptors to get 10% off.

And if you get value today, please tag it from below. Share this episode right now. That way we can all grow together. And we do have part in the disruption tomorrow and certainty talks on Friday. This is a live show, so please ask your questions for Bob to answer.

You ready? I'm ready. Alright. You might wanna put the mic a little bit

Bob: closer. Closer. There you go. Is that better?

Steve: Yep. Good stuff. So what was your life like before you got into real estate?

Bob: My life, what was it like? Well, I played professional hockey like we talked about Mhmm. Said at the beginning for eight years. Four years here in The US, four years in Europe, and, so it was, you know, hectic. Every year, you're trying to fight for another contract.

Mhmm. So, you know, we talked a little bit about this. You know, sports is a lot like business. Yeah. Each day, you're you're trying to get a contract.

You're trying to score a goal. You're trying to stay in the lineup. You're trying to get on the first line. You just keep trying and trying and moving forward, trying to win a championship. It's kind of the same stuff with Oh, is it

Steve: grind to get better?

Bob: It's a grind every single day, but that's the beauty of it. Right? I mean, what else would you do besides grind?

Steve: Right. So there's really no days off.

Bob: Zero days off. I mean, even the summertime, you you're you're running, you're exercising, you're skating, you're just looking to get better because

Steve: you're not eating horribly?

Bob: Not eating more everything. The you look at it and and I look at it as, you know, your competition's gonna beat you. Mhmm. So you have to 100% keep going.

Steve: I mean, how much is on your mind that someone else is coming for your roster spot?

Bob: Every day.

Steve: Every day.

Bob: Every single day. Same thing with with our real estate business. Right? In the VA business and the real estate businesses, someone's gonna take that deal. Right?

They're gonna have you have thirty, forty, fifty thousand dollar check sitting there, and someone could go be take could take it. Same exact thing.

Steve: You know, one of the things I have, I preach leadership a lot, you know, from a business, this and that. And one of the reasons why is that even though I'm helping everyone around me

Bob: Mhmm.

Steve: There's this productive paranoia where, like, they're also, like, guiding for your spot. So I always need to get better because if I'm not, and they don't and and they no longer see me as a vehicle for them getting better, why wouldn't they go do this on their own?

Bob: You gotta level up too. Always get better.

Steve: Constantly level up. Talk to me about grit. Right? Because, like, I play basketball, and basketball's fun. Right?

Yep. And I was never that great, but, you know, I I was always passionate about it. But in basketball, you know, there are some, like, devastating injuries. Mhmm.

Bob: But you

Steve: don't really get as many bumps and bruises. Hockey's pretty physical. I mean, talk to me about, like, recovery and grit and what it takes, like, the the mental fortitude.

Bob: Well, I think, like you said, I mean, it is mindset. A lot of it's mindset because, you know, we're playing three games in three nights sometimes, and that's Really? You know, you get beat up. You get really, really beat up. First night, yeah, you're alright, but you don't really sleep sleep that well that night.

Next game, you're getting beat up. You you block a shot in the ankle. Your ankle's swollen. You gotta ice it up. Every game we go in the cold tank, you know, you pull a groin or you tweak a groin or or a knee, jump in a cold tank.

And I don't know if you've ever jumped in

Steve: a coal tank. Cold I've done

Bob: ice baths. But I get oh, it's it is cold. So every day you gotta do that, and that's that's a mental grind. Mhmm. And just the mental you know, you you think about the game, mentally, not only physically, but mentally.

We're talking about, you know, these guys getting called up Mhmm. From different organizations, from different levels, trying to take your job every single day.

Steve: Yeah.

Bob: And you're playing against the same type of guys. So they're gunning for you because they're looking to get better. They're looking to get called up or or stay where they're at. So it's it's doesn't end. It's just a grind.

It's the grit every day.

Steve: Does it ever feel like a job?

Bob: 100. It was a job.

Steve: It was a job.

Bob: You know, 100%. And, you know, is there a

Steve: point where, like like, hockey was a passion and then it no longer was a passion?

Bob: Toward towards the end of my career. As to probably the last two years, I started looking at it saying, you know what? You you get you get tired towards the end. You know, the summertime, you're not working as hard. You're kinda saying, alright.

I know the end is near. Mhmm. And, you know, you're not lifting as hard. You're not running as hard. You kinda know it's coming to an end, so your your mind starts changing a little bit.

And that's what that's exactly what happened to me. I knew, you know, for me, I had my first kid. I was married, and, I'm looking to say, what's gonna happen next? What's gonna be the next step? So, that is that's real in any athlete.

And I I don't know if you know this, but I have a podcast called Pucks to Properties. Yeah. And, and the mission there is to to help any athlete. Right now, we focus on, hockey players because life after the transition is very, very difficult. You go through kind of a a depression or a lull, however you wanna look at it and

Steve: Well, loss of identity.

Bob: Law. Bingo. That's exactly what it is. It's Yeah. Loss of identity.

Your whole identity growing up is hockey. It's all you have, and you're trying to say what's next.

Steve: Well, you know, I I'm kinda curious right now with a lot of this uncertainty we're experiencing in our real estate market. There are people that are getting, shut out. Right? Like, there are people that, have identified as a real estate investor, a wholesaler, a flipper, whatever, and business has changed a lot in the last six months. And if you're no longer actively wholesaling or flipping, you might lose your identity.

Mhmm. Right? So, like, what are some things you're, giving people that maybe have lost their identity or maybe lost some hope?

Bob: Yeah. I would I would say just set a goal. I mean, a lot of it's looking back at sports. It's it's setting goals. If I'd first start with a long term goal and then back it into your short term goals.

The individual, especially, we're talking about, I think it's gonna be really important to to see who your competition is. So if you're struggling as an investor and it's it's it's your company, I I would start looking at maybe some competitors because if you start losing your identity, maybe you go work for them as an acquisition specialist, or maybe you could work for them as a a dispo until you ride the wave Yeah. WAVO. I think that's important something to look at for for individuals that are struggling.

Steve: Got it. And then as far as the, you know, the the overarching message for the the former hockey players that are getting in the real estate, like, what is what what are you telling them to help them transition their identity?

Bob: Yeah. It the best thing is start working with a team. When you start doing, you know, the lone wolf thing, it gets very, very difficult.

Steve: Especially right now.

Bob: Yeah. And I always say, you you know, you need a mentor, you need coaches, you need a coaching in my opinion, coaching program because coaching is the one hundred percent first thing you should always always do is get a coach or mentor.

Steve: Yeah. You know, I was talking to, I was talking to Kong when we were in down Tampa, SCG, and, you know, recording video content, whatever. And one of the things that, you know, I kinda talked about was, like, there's a reason why schooling exists.

Bob: Mhmm.

Steve: Right? Like, did you, like, try to figure out algebra on your own?

Bob: Yeah. No. You tried

Steve: to figure out geography on your own?

Bob: No.

Steve: No. Right? Like, there was, like, here's how we figured out algebra. Here's how we figured out geography. Now, obviously, business is different, but, you know, this idea that I'm just gonna figure this on my own, and I don't need anybody's help Right.

Is insane.

Bob: It's it makes no sense to me now. I mean, there's a lot of content, of course, we know online,

Steve: but

Bob: there's no set. So, obviously, I don't know if everybody knows this, but we're part of your your program. Right? Obviously, your sales, training. And the one thing that you do very well is you put it in order how you're gonna work each call.

Mhmm. And I think that's really important for anything. You have a mentor. How do you know how to run a business? If you're a wholesaler, yeah, you you know, you got you gotta learn how to market.

You gotta learn how to negotiate. Right? And you gotta learn how to sell. Yeah. Really, I mean, that's really wholesaling in a nutshell.

But if you don't have a map on how to do it, you're gonna be floundering. And if you're you flounder you can flounder for two, three, four years and instead of getting a coach right away.

Steve: Right. I mean, you got sales, marketing, financing, hiring Yep. Managing, payroll.

Bob: That's a lot of stuff right there. Right.

Steve: Just a few things along the way. So we had Dean Rogers on the show, previously, and one thing we talked about was the importance of practice. Right? Mhmm. Because there's so many people that like to wing it.

Yeah. So how much time did you practice? Using three days to three nights. How much time were you practicing in hockey?

Bob: Oh, probably six days a week. Yeah. And pretty much what you do is you practice probably about two hours a day, and then you'd also work out. So it's not just

Steve: Practice six hours Yeah. And then work out Off ice. And then game night.

Bob: Yep. And, also, you have, like you said, you know, you have your health involved in that. You have to you know, you're eating right, you're drinking right, etcetera. And the seasons are long. You're playing 80 plus games in a year.

So that starts getting long. But I'll tell you one thing. It was great for me. I would never ever I had to go back. I would do the same exact thing, you know, every single day.

Steve: And one thing that's fascinating that he shared, and we've heard this where you listen to interviews with Kobe Bryant and this and that. Right? But something you hear from the greats, you don't hear from everybody else. It's like practice should be harder than game day. Yep.

Was that your experience in hockey?

Bob: That was. We hit we would battle because we're you know, like I said, we started that before. We we're talking a little bit about someone who's taking their job. Every single day, somebody's taking their job. My daughter and my son are going through this right now.

I a 15 year old daughter plays plays a prep school, and she's battling to to be in the top three lines. Mhmm. And just the stuff that we get to teach her on a daily basis is stuff that we went through. Yeah. So it's really nice, you know, for me personally to be able to give back to her to say, hey.

Listen. You gotta work hard. You gotta be the hardest working player out there. You have to, you know, work hard on this person, and we're going through each person. And it's it's very good for her to see in that type of light.

You gotta have great you gotta work ethic, but it starts in practice. Because if it doesn't start in practice, you're not gonna play in the game.

Steve: Yeah. One of the things I I remember, hearing some time ago. Right? Like, going to play golf, and you're working on your on your form on on the driving range. Right?

We're we're golf. Yep. And the the line I heard was like, if you didn't have it if you didn't bring it with you, you're not gonna find it here. That's right. So what made you then I mean, you had this this hockey career.

What made you get into real estate?

Bob: Well, first of all, I dropped out of school, when I was a senior in college. I didn't drop out. I signed a professional contract, so I didn't really drop out. But I left before I got my college degree. And then, you know, towards the end of my career, I started investing in courses and reading books, etcetera.

And there's one, one course that I bought gentleman by the name of David David Wysnick. I believe he's an attorney, but it was all about real estate, but nothing specific. Mhmm. And, you know, I started looking at that, and I started, you know, looking and doing a lot of research on, the individuals that make the most amount of money. And everything you know, you hear this a lot.

Everything kept, you know, pointing towards real estate, real estate, real estate. I was like, alright. I don't wanna be, you know, I don't wanna be own number one. Meaning, I think it was thought it was time for me to, jump out of my own. You know, I've had coaches.

I've had general managers. I've had everyone, telling me what to do all the time. I'm like, yeah. You know what? Now I think I wanna go on my own.

Yeah. So my decision for me was pretty easy because, I mean, my transition was not easy, but my decision was easy at the beginning.

Steve: Yeah. So let's talk about the transition. Yep. What was difficult about the transition?

Bob: It was when you're a lone wolf, when you're when you're part of a team for all of your life, literally all of your life and you go out on your own, it's scary. I didn't know anything about real estate. There's I didn't have a coaching program. I didn't have a mentor. I had nothing.

I had that literally, that course that I bought.

Steve: And that's just for context here. What year was this? This is 2004. 2004. Right?

Yep. We didn't have as much. YouTube didn't exist yet.

Bob: Nothing.

Steve: Alright. I'm not sure podcasting existed yet.

Bob: No. There were local Rio groups. No podcasting.

Steve: Local Rio groups.

Bob: Local Rio groups.

Steve: Yeah. So Okay.

Bob: Yep. So I joined my local Rio group. I actually my the first deal I actually did, I was farming areas, you know, driving around neighborhoods, and every sign I would see. There's whether it's an agent or a we buy house sign, I'd pick up the phone. Again, I I knew nothing about anything.

I was I was literally following this course. Mhmm. And, one house was listed. I picked up the phone. It was kinda dilapidated house.

Called the agent. The agent said, alright. The property is listed for $1.85, you know, set up a showing. End up offering a $145,000, and they accepted it.

Steve: And I

Bob: was like, uh-oh. What do I do next? Mhmm. I had no contractors. I thought I was a rehabber.

Right? Yeah. Really did. I had no contract. I had no I don't know contractors.

I had, you know, some money put away, but no financing. So I had to find that literally contractors and financing right away. I end up flipping that property, made $32,000.

Steve: Nice. So did very well. Flip your first deal.

Bob: I was. Took about two months. Mhmm. First, it took a month to rehab the property, and then next month to sell. So it's pretty good.

Yeah. But I also realized I had zero systems. Mhmm. Looked in the mirror. I'm like, alright.

What do I do next? I've I don't even know businesses. I I do not know how to run a business. I came from a locker room. So I Yeah.

Again, no mentors. So I joined a local real estate investment association. So Got

Steve: it. But you looked like you were taking actions. You took a course Mhmm. Or you bought a course. Yep.

You took action. Still had no idea what you were doing, but didn't use step one.

Bob: Correct. Action. And that's what I always said. You know, I think it was, you know, we talked about this. It's what's the first thing that you'd ever tell somebody to do?

It's, you know, when you learn something, you have to implement it and take action because if you don't, you know, if you're sitting, you're you're gonna be procrastinating for the rest of your life.

Steve: Right. Yep. Yeah. Someone, again, going back to Colin's thing. You know, he's asking me, like, what are the three things you gotta do?

Right? So take action, learn from somebody, and keep doing it. Yep. That's it. It's really good advice.

There's there's you don't Very good. There's not much more you have to do that.

Bob: That's it.

Steve: What would happen if you didn't close that deal?

Bob: I would have stayed in real estate. Yeah. So right right after that happened, I actually joined my local group, and, I saw a preforeclosure speaker speak.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: And guess what? I wasn't a rehabber anymore. I was a short sales specialist. I bought their course. And then, after that event, I asked everybody in the group.

I said, who's the top short sale guy in Connecticut? And they all pointed to a gentleman by the name of Pat Precourt.

Steve: Oh, Pat Precourt.

Bob: Yep. Pat. Yeah. I had

Steve: no idea he was that active.

Bob: Yep. He was. He was my business partner for ten years. And, so I got in. I went up to him.

I said, Pat, listen. I'm not looking for a job. I'm just learn or I'm looking to join a team. And he said, hey. You know what?

I'm looking to, you know, build up my acquisition team. I'm looking for a door knocker. And I'm like, sure. I had no idea what that meant. But, literally so on Monday, he gave me a list of preforeclosure properties, and I door knock with a script.

Not really much training at the beginning, and I door knock from 10AM to 3PM every Monday through Friday for a

Steve: year. Wow. Yep. To learn the business. Consistency.

Bob: Yep. To learn the business. My my whole thought process was, alright. If this doesn't work out, at least I'm gonna learn the business from ground up.

Steve: Gotcha. And that's, again, like, pretty consistent advice with what we told some people. Right? Like, how do I get started? Well, we don't know.

Like, go work with somebody.

Bob: Correct.

Steve: Go take action. Do what they tell you to do. And from there, you get to learn for free Right. On their dime. Right?

And you're gonna get paid along the way.

Bob: Yep. That's exactly that was my that was my mindset as well. Yep.

Steve: Yep. Okay. So, you did your first deal, and then you joined the Ria, and then you worked for Patrick.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: And then how long did that continue?

Bob: So after the first year, we became partners.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: And then we started a a, short sale coaching program with a group down in Florida.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: That was 2000 right. 2005. Yeah. Then in 2007, we got approached by our buddies from Fortune Millers. Mhmm.

They weren't Fortune Millers before. We were flipping properties with

Steve: Yeah.

Bob: My buddies, Stan Merrill, Paul, and and Conrad. And, so I would have Stan call me all the time. Hey. We gotta deal with, with Bank of America because now I was negotiating short sales at the time. So Yeah.

After one year, I was door knocking, then I found a door knocker, and then I was negotiating short sales with banks. And then 2007, while we're, you know, doing short sales, they were they created a wholesale course and a rehab course, and they decided the next step is to start a coaching program. And they said, you know, Bob and Pat, I know you guys are running a a coaching program right now. We wanna get in that space. Do you guys wanna be partners?

Yeah. So we shook hands and said, yeah. Let's let's, let's partner. Start this.

Steve: This. Was this you're talking about, you know, short sale guys down in in Florida. Is this Chris McLaughlin or is this No.

Bob: No. Chris is my good buddy. No. This was, Ryan, Angie, and Claude.

Steve: Got it. Yep. Got it. Okay. So, you're doing short sales.

You're negotiating short sales, and then you get your other buddies who say, hey. Let's do this thing. It wasn't Fortune Builders. Let's do this thing together, and that became Correct. Fortune Builders.

Correct.

Bob: Yeah. They I mean, they had the LLC, but in their mind, it was Fortune Builders, but it wasn't Fortune Builders yet.

Steve: Yeah.

Bob: But, anyway, Chris was, I I remember back in the day seeing his videos online. He was absolutely hilarious in the short sale world. But yeah. So that that ended up being Fortune Builders.

Steve: Okay. So, talk to me about that journey. Like, so you're one of the founders? You're

Bob: So we are a Handshake founder. So they so it was those three guys and Pat and I. Mhmm. So our job was to create the coaching program behind the scenes.

Steve: So Create the materials that they're selling.

Bob: Yep. And then they obviously they added in into the materials on top of it. Mhmm. But my main job was to build up the coaches. So I had to recruit, find them, and build up the coaching program from ground up on the coaching side.

Steve: Gotcha. Now Fortune Builders, I believe, is one of the very few organizations that escaped unscathed from the FTC. Yep. Right? But they do have a little bit of a bad rep from some of the other people within the industry.

So then what would you say to people that had, like, a bad experience or don't, you know, don't look so fondly onto FortuneBuilders?

Bob: So you hear here's what I mean. I I know those guys very well. Mhmm. Some of the greatest guys in the world. And and and here's the way I look at real estate education.

Education. I've been involved in a long time. I look at it as you could have a a gentleman like you Mhmm. And then somebody that's different over here. We will give you the same program and give it to you, and you're gonna be successful because you'll take action.

Yeah. They'll give it to that other person, and they'll they won't take action, but they're gonna be a victim. Mhmm. So in in we're in a victim society, unfortunately. Right?

We've become that. Yeah. And I've coached thousands and thousands and thousands of individuals where, you know, you'll have the same person, but one person will take act action, the other person won't.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: And then one person will will be crying and fall. It's just for me, you know, I work my butt off all the time, especially in sports and in business where, but when you start seeing that, it starts kinda you know, it's not the it's not the right thing to do, but it is what it is.

Steve: You know? I was one of those guys that thought coaching was, like, a waste of money. Right? That was a scam. And I I had to hire a coach in 2010 because I had no options left.

Right? I started in 2007. I had no options left. Like, I had to hire a coach because if it didn't if it didn't work with coaching, then for sure, like, I'm going back to the the corporate world. Yep.

And I remember I hired a coach, and that coach was a thousand bucks a month at that time, which for me was a lot of money. Right? Like, it was something I put on my credit card, you know, like, because I needed to make this work. You know? I I just did not want to go back to getting a job.

And I remember it was a thousand bucks a month, and we went back to go implement what we learned Yep. Right from the conference as well as the support materials they gave us after the conference. Right? And we came back four months later, and they put us a round table for everyone that was in the coaching program, like the newer batch. Right?

This is the, you know, this group of people that signed up for coaching at this seminar. And I wanna say there's about eight of us. And I'm looking around the table. Right? Out of the eight people, they ask, like, you know, what did you learn?

What did you implement? What have you executed? And what have been your results so far? Where are you struggling? Right?

Just typical Yeah. Coaching questions. Right? And looking around the table, there was eight of us. I was the only one that took

Bob: action. Yeah.

Steve: Right? And I just was just sitting there in disbelief, and I was looking around. I was like, are you guys, like, really rich? Because, like, for me, a thousand bucks a month Right. Is a significant amount of money.

Yep. I'm not gonna spend a thousand bucks a month and not do anything with that information.

Bob: That's that's what I'm saying. You're you're a different person than the other end of other seven individuals.

Steve: Yeah. So, at which point did you go from working with Fortune Builders to, launching a VA company?

Bob: Yeah. It's funny. So, ever since from 2007 to, you know, 2000 let's let's say all those years, probably about five, six, seven years, I was always asking Pat. I'm like, Pat, there's gotta be there's gotta be a product. There's gotta be a service because when you're working with all these students, you know, when you give them homework assignments or action items and they don't take action because of life got in the way or they're working part time, they're working full time.

I was always looking for some sort of product or service out there to help. Yeah. And, 2013, I got introduced to what a virtual assistant was.

Steve: Mhmm. And I'm

Bob: like, I think this is it. Yeah. And then, 2014, one of my coaches that I brought on as a fortune builders coach was doing a presentation on virtual assistants on how he used them in his business. And I'm like, boom. There it is.

There's a business. Yeah. So that's when the the light bulb went off, and then I launched my first company in 2014.

Steve: That's awesome. Yeah. I remember when I first hired my I think it was, like, 2010, 2011. It was, like, my out desk. Right?

Yep. Yep. And you just kinda see, like, this this, whole other industry of people just working overseas in off hours.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: Right? So you launched you said it was '2 2014?

Bob: So 2014. Yeah. And it was I mean, like you said, it was it was very common in the real estate agent space, but there was nowhere to be found in the investor space.

Steve: Right. Yep. Yeah. So what was it like launching that business? Because, you know, you already did the the real estate side, and it's working for you.

What was it like launching this other agency?

Bob: You know what? I had a business partner back then, like we talked about before, and I like working with teams. Like, I like working with people. I just for me, it's so we divided and conquered. And so part part of the business I was taking care of, part of the business he was taking care of.

He was flying back and forth from from The Philippines. We were actually working with my Outdesk at the beginning. Mhmm. So it it was a really good way for us to understand and learn the business and how it works. You know, it is not the easiest to start a business in another country as you you're aware of.

But it was for me, it was really interesting and the stuff that you learn along the way that you pick up. You know, I lived in Europe for a while, so I wasn't afraid to, you know, spread my wings, if you will. But the the lessons that we learned at the beginning, allowed us to be successful over time.

Steve: I watched a video you guys have posted. I wanna say it was about a week ago. It was pretty cool. Right? You're, like, your first, company event since COVID.

Bob: Yeah. You saw you saw that?

Steve: I saw that video. It was pretty cool. Right? And, like, your people are so happy Yep. And thrilled to be working in the company, which I think is, like, the best thing.

Right? Like Yeah. The people are happy. That's the most important thing because now you know you're doing a good job.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: So, I've had private conversations with other people that own VAs VA companies. Right? And the the conversation goes something along these lines, and I'd like to get your perspective here. Right? You got wholesalers, you get realtors, and you have these other industries.

Bob: Mhmm.

Steve: Right? Realtors are crazy. We've kinda, like, you know, I think beaten that, horse to death on the show. But he said it was easier to have a realtor with a longer term, retention

Bob: Okay.

Steve: Than wholesalers because he in his experience, wholesalers tend to be less focused and all over the place.

Bob: Gotcha.

Steve: What has been your experience?

Bob: Well, it's funny. I the the way the way that was presented is actually funny. You know what? Real estate investors so I'll I'll break it down this way. We have real estate investors.

You know, the the groups we're all part of. Right?

Steve: Almost, like, fifty fifty Mavericks. Yeah. You're a maverick or something else, but that's like

Bob: But they'll get advice. Right? They'll get advice, and without thinking, they'll make a decision.

Steve: Yeah. So

Bob: it's like, well, you should cut costs. So then they fire half their staff. Right? Yeah. Whereas an agent, they're, you know, slow and steady Mhmm.

Over time.

Steve: You know,

Bob: if they're a top producing agent, then they're using their virtual assistant exactly like they want them, you know, they keep them. But, you know, real estate investors are typically they make decisions just like that. And then Yeah.

Steve: Well, in the Colby, we call it quick starts.

Bob: Yep. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And then then you realize a lot of a lot of clients like that will come back after, like, oh, I probably shouldn't have done that because now I have to actually cold call or I have to actually do the text message

Steve: or I have to do that.

Bob: Yep. So that's you know, I I find the same thing.

Steve: You find the same thing as well? So in 2014, starting it, you know, you've got YouTube, but you don't have Instagram. You don't have Facebook as a marketing tool necessarily.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: How did you grow a business in the investor world on VAs? Because it's it might not I don't think it was an easy sell at that time. Right.

Bob: It was mostly going to to masterminds and events, setting up booths. So at that time, it was it was more, boots on the ground, if you will. Right? It's going to collective g collective genius has been huge for my business.

Steve: Gotcha. Any challenges as far as building the agency? Or what I mean, any what challenges come to mind?

Bob: What challenges. You You know, it's getting the word out there. Just like anything else, when there's when there's more competition out there, you get that. You know, you'll have one individual speak to say, hey. You could get a $2 virtual assistant.

I'm like and that that drives me nuts because I'm like, really? Show me where you could get a $2 virtual assistant. And if you could, could they speak English? Could they articulate? Like, what are you getting?

You know, I've seen even at some of these masterminds, I've seen individuals, you know, speak on virtual assistants. Oh, I got a $3 VA. I'm like, really? I mean, you know, so you see the same thing I do a lot of times, but I would say that's one of the the challenges that you're always going against, just like anything else, price. Right?

Steve: To the bottom.

Bob: Yep. It's a race

Steve: to the bottom. Bottom.

Bob: But you get what you pay for.

Steve: Yeah. And there's constantly, you know, I think, it seems like every every other day, there's a new VA company that's sprouting.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: So, like, how do you stay ahead of them, or how do you ensure, client retention?

Bob: You know, it's consistency and it's referral based. A lot of a lot of stuff that you do. And we do we're doing a lot more Instagram, so we're we're out in front all the time. And I think once you hit in the virtual assistant world, once you hit a certain level, you know, you could always build off it because you have a foundation. You have a base.

Whereas the newer individuals don't understand. Just like Holston. Right? They don't understand that you're not gonna make money until you hit a certain level. Mhmm.

And then you gotta build off of that. So Right. It's it's kinda like what, what Frank Kava said. You gotta know your numbers. Right?

What's your bottom line?

Steve: Yeah. And then getting to a thousand is no small feat. Nope. Right? So, you know, like, is it similar, like, I guess, putting it for myself.

Right? Going from, like, yourself to your first hire, that's a that's a milestone. Right? And then to, like, five employees is a milestone. And then, like, 10 is, like, another, like because now you gotta have people in between.

Right? You got layers now. Yep. Building a thousand, like like, how many layers? Like, how complicated is all that?

Bob: So, you know, it's it's not that bad because it's the same kind of concept. So you have whatever ratio you have. We have a client service manager, which is a manager over you know, we have a manager over a virtual assistant and their client. Mhmm. So there's always a ratio.

So if it's one manager for every 30 pairs. Right? I know different companies work different. Ours are like one manager for 26 pairs.

Steve: Got it.

Bob: That's the way we do. We also have I think one of the most important things for us is we diversified as well, where we we have a big footprint on the medical division as well. So we have real estate med, and I think I think the best thing to do for any virtual assistant company, and I'm very transparent when I say, you know that, it's to always look at different lines of businesses or verticals because, you know, it it's three legged stool. If you're it's kinda like real estate. If you're only focused on wholesaling and the economy changes, you're gonna be in a tough spot.

Steve: Yeah. Definitely. So I think there was another question I was gonna ask. So you you mentioned you partnered with Pat Precourt. Yep.

And the guy seems to be, like, the guy when it comes to mindset. Yep. Right? What lessons have you learned from him?

Bob: You know, he's taught me a lot. One of the things one of the lessons even at the beginning, was and this is not on the mindset side, but it's more of on the process side. You said that you have to document every single thing you do, because you have to look at, you know, whether it's a year, two years, three years, you have to document everything like you're gonna sell it. Right? And this is he started back in 2004.

It's the first thing he taught me. I'm like, alright. And I had no idea. Like, I I was so green. I had no idea.

So that's one of the first things. And and I've never met, someone who is more mentally tough than that guy.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: He's he's very, very mentally strong, mentally tough guy. Again, he was my first mentor. He taught me everything in business. So

Steve: Yeah. Oh, and that was gonna be the next question is who mentored you along the way?

Bob: Yeah. So Pat did. And then, you know, obviously, Thane Merrell along the way and and Paul and all those guys. I think that was a huge benefit for for us and for me personally. I literally got an MBA every time we had managers meetings.

When those guys moved to, San Diego, we'd have these, you know, the with these quarterly managers meetings. They were incredible because I, you know, again, came from the locker room. I didn't get any of this stuff. And when I was exposed to that, just, you know, light bulb went on and just Yeah. You get to see things in a different light.

Steve: What are some of your, biggest victories?

Bob: Biggest victories? We're talking about sports or we're talking about anything. Obviously, kids is one of them, of course.

Steve: Well, definitely life. Right? Life and business.

Bob: I would say we won a national championship in college here in university back in 1995. That was pretty cool.

Steve: It was, where'd you go?

Bob: Boston University.

Steve: Boston. Okay.

Bob: So they

Steve: got a pretty good program.

Bob: Yeah. Yeah.

Steve: So frozen four

Bob: Frozen four.

Steve: And you won the championship. That's pretty awesome.

Bob: Actually, one of the biggest lessons, if you ask me what my biggest lesson was, it was probably losing nine one in in the finals the year before on ESPN. You wanna get embarrassed, so the year after that, we beat everyone by four goals. But if that never happened, you know, we probably wouldn't have been, you know, we wouldn't have been as focused.

Steve: So what'd that do to you guys? So you lost nine one Nine one. In the finals?

Bob: In the finals in '94. Yep. Okay. One of the most on on national on ESPN is pretty pretty embarrassing. But, in retrospect, I mean, it's probably the best thing that ever happened.

Steve: So what did what lessons did you take from that?

Bob: Focus. You know, focus and preparation, I think, is important. You know, we come in the next year. We literally had blinders on. No one's gonna beat us.

We're gonna be we're gonna be the best of the best. I think we're top two in the nation all year, and, yeah, we won every every, tournament we're in and, beat everyone by four goals all the way through.

Steve: So it was just really the principle of no distractions.

Bob: Correct.

Steve: Right? Like like, hey. What about no. There's one there's one clear goal. And I think that's one of the really, great advantages in sports at least.

Right? Is, like, we start off the year is very rarely is like, man, I hope we make the playoffs. Right? Yeah.

Bob: And it

Steve: was, I hope I make the playoffs. Well, you're probably not a very good team.

Bob: Right.

Steve: Right? But, like, everyone is like, I want the win I wanna win a ring. I wanna bring home the trophy there so that. Yep. And everything is geared towards that.

It's like Alabama. Right? It's one singular goal. Yep. So we don't have that in in business.

I mean, you've got multiple businesses. Yep. Right? I actually had a a a launch with Jason Medley. Right?

Founder of Collective Genius. He's like, you know what? You want me to tell you what your problem is? It's like

Bob: You're saying, oh, what? A lot?

Steve: Alright. Let's go. Right? He's like, you don't focus. Like, it's not wrong.

Yep. Right? Yep. So but in sports, you got one singular focus. So for you, I mean, how many businesses do you have?

Alright. I'll start with that ask the first question. How many businesses do you have?

Bob: The main main two right now is obviously our real estate business and my business. Okay.

Steve: So how do you ensure both both companies are going into the same target?

Bob: I think you have to have a good team great team members, I should say. You know, Adam divides my business partner in real estate. He leads the ship on that side of it. He's got focus at that ex hockey guy too. So his his focus is, you know, he wants to be as big or better than anybody else.

And you look at the top guys like New Western. Right? Of course, they're way up there. But if you set a focus, you know, and you hit halfway, you're pretty successful. Yeah.

Right? So you set goals like that. My RVA side, one of the, you know, one of the, the goals that we had is to hit a thousand VAs. Mhmm. And we hit that this year, which is phenomenal.

Steve: That is phenomenal.

Bob: And if you set that goal and you keep going, you just I mean, I mean, you know that. In in in any type of individual that has goals, it's once you hit it, it's kinda like, You know? You you hit it and you just keep going. What's next? What's next?

Steve: Yep. So you talked about winning a championship. What what about some other victories you wanna brag about?

Bob: Obviously, one of them is, you know, the event we just ran in The Philippines. That was our our annual event. We had, I think, around 600 of our virtual assistants there out of the thousand. So it was phenomenal, phenomenal event. And just sitting back, you know, sometimes you you take things for granted of the hard work that you've done.

You know, my wife runs the medical division we have. You know, George is our director of The Philippines. We just our team is just phenomenal. It's just we we got to do a charity event over there. We did a support event with about, I think, a 100 of our support members, and then we had around 600 of the team members total come together, on the next day.

So just sitting back, that is a huge, huge win on on that side of it. Also on the real estate side, we were set, to hopefully hit 240 I think about 45 deals this year if everything goes well. I know we're we're in what day we're in right now, so we might hit that number too. So

Steve: That that is phenomenal. Yep. When did you know real estate was gonna be your thing?

Bob: After the first deal.

Steve: After the first deal? Yep. Yep. How did that feel?

Bob: It felt good, obviously, to you know, when anyone deposits that first check Mhmm. It felt great. But it was also scary as well because I had no systems. I had no process. I didn't know anything.

You know? And I and, again, I was shiny object guy too. I, you know, I was fortunate enough to to have a, a preforeclosure speaker speak because if it was a rehabber, guess what? I would have jumped into rehabbing. I would have gone anywhere.

Right? But I was fortunate because I met Pat, and then that kinda, you know, led me down to the path where now, you know, I have a successful real estate partner here, successful, you know, virtual assistant company as well.

Steve: Yeah. And then so somewhere along the way, you're right. You you said, you know, 240 something deals this year.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: Let's talk about your business. Right? So you this is a business you've continued since you you transitioned in 2005. Like, you never, like, took the Yeah. I off your real estate.

Bob: No. We did. I did 100%. So, well, we did probably, I don't even know, a thousand plus short sale transactions because negotiating with banks and all kind of good stuff. And then the market hit.

Specifically did, you know, coaching and some deals within, you know, 2,007 and 2014. So I was, you know, lending money, doing some other stuff. Did a couple rehabs myself, some wholesale deals. And then, as I, you know, I don't know if you you know the story, but Adam was, also working for me. Adam is my real estate business partner, and he was working for my Riva company Mhmm.

As a salesperson. And then, funny story. One day, I went to a business partner breakup, flew to The Philippines, saved my business, and, I come back. And Adam's like, hey. Can we talk?

I'm like, sure. And I'm like, oh, no. So he's sitting back. I think it was his birthday. Right?

It was Dan's birthday, and I didn't know it was his birthday at the time. And, he goes, Bob, I think I should I want 50% of your company. And I go, what? He goes, yep. I like I go, dude, with all due respect, I literally was in The Philippines for I didn't sleep at all for one full week, and he hits me at this.

I'm like, dude, you you gotta leave. So I fired him from my VA company. And then but I I always knew, man, he had that grit. He had that something where people can't you you can't teach us stuff. Mhmm.

So I get a letter in the mail from from, from Adam, and and it said, you know, a bunch of stuff. I'm sorry. Hey. You know? Yeah.

I look at you as my mentor. I wanna thank you. I never would have gotten where I am. Blah blah blah. And he goes, one day, we're gonna be business partners.

Mhmm. I'm like, alright. And then a week later, deals that I gave him about two months prior, he pays me off. Mhmm. And I'm like, that's integrity.

Steve: Yeah.

Bob: Right? So fast forward, I think I don't know when we became partners, but we should start doing some deals together. Started driving leads from our VAs, same thing. And then, 2018, I think we started a partnership again. Yeah.

Steve: So certainly helps having VAs

Bob: Yep. Absolutely.

Steve: To help you run your business.

Bob: 100%.

Steve: Alright. You gotta kinda have in your back pocket already. Yep. So you restarted in 2018. Pretty much.

Yeah.

Bob: We really ramped it up.

Steve: And ramped it up in 2018. Yep. So right now, you know, you're talking about doing, you know, a couple 100 deals for a lot of people that are listening to the show. What what are some, you know, insight? Like, what are some of the key things that helped you guys grow your business to a level where you're doing 200 deals?

Bob: I think you gotta you gotta look at everything as a department. Mhmm. Right? You, you know, whether you have an acquisition guy, you gotta start separating tasks because, yeah, we could we could do them all ourselves. But if you start looking at things, the really the way they should be run, you know, what we did is you know, Adam is incredible on the phone.

He's probably the best sales for him. You know that. He's very, very good, very he's got great. He's got, you know, that tenacity to do that. But he also is is very good at teaching.

You know, stuff we learn from you that we, you know, relate and and and give it to our sales guys. Right?

Steve: Right.

Bob: But one thing we did very well too is we would get bottlenecked, and we'd try to do everything with three or four guys.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: And then we added a TC. We started adding, more acquisition individuals. We got a, you know, two right. So right now, I'll just give you a makeup of what we have. We have eight acquisition guys.

We have a TC, two dispo. We have Adam is probably gonna correct me and add more. We got a office manager that also helps TC. Mhmm. And then, obviously, we have, seven VAs texting, seven VAs calling, and then two following up.

Steve: Got it. And then so that's that's the organization right now. Yep. You guys are, in I already know somebody answered these questions, but I still have to ask anyway if anyone is listening. Right?

What markets are you guys in?

Bob: So we actually I don't know if you do know this, but we what we're doing is we're pulling back in our own markets. Mhmm. So we were in this this year. We were in Toledo. We were in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina because we were doing a lot of work with funds too.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: So and that's I know you talk about that on on this, podcast, and, obviously, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts. What we're doing now is really focusing on our backyard. Mhmm.

Steve: I

Bob: know you talk about this a lot of times in your on your podcast is going deeper in your own market.

Steve: Right.

Bob: So that's what we're gonna do. But we have the ability to to go wherever we want if if we need to, if we look at our data and say, hey. You know what? We wanna really ramp it up and and, get our deal count up higher.

Steve: Yep. And then, you were talking about, you know, cold calling and texting. Mhmm. Is that your primary marketing channel?

Bob: So we do cold calling, texting, and direct mail. Those are three primary.

Steve: And then who are you primarily targeting?

Bob: We actually don't tar we don't have targeted lists.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: So I so we pull lists. I don't know. We probably pulled about a 100,000 records. We're going multifamily. We're going single single family, three plus years owned.

Yeah. That's really it.

Steve: So that's great. I love this. Right? Yep. So, you know, we've dialed back on marketing.

And, you know, right now, the message out there is, like, double down marketing. Everyone's pulling back, now it's time to double down. We pulled back marketing. Right? Because for me, it was more important to survive this winter because we know how long this winter is

Bob: Yeah.

Steve: Than it is to, you know, like, keep going hard with this uncertain market. Sometime ago, it was myself, Jesse Burrell, who owns Batch, leads, and then, Jared Vidal is another, big time player in our market. I was like, a couple years ago, we literally pulled a list of everybody in Phoenix, right, in the Maricopa County. We pulled every record. If they own the property for four years or more, it didn't matter if it was manufactured home, condo, whatever.

Every single homeowner, we pull that list and we skip traced it. And so, like, yeah, we can continue to spend money on marketing, and we are spending a little bit of money on marketing. But we literally have almost every homeowner in the Phoenix market. We just keep calling them

Bob: Yep.

Steve: Over and over again, and that turns into deals. Right. Right? 100%. That's exactly what you guys do.

Bob: That's exactly what we do.

Steve: Yep. So there's no need to overthink it.

Bob: There's that's that's exactly what I said. No need to overthink it. Just take it's taking actions. It's inconsistency. Right?

Steve: Inconsistency. So, you know, having the the VAs in your back pocket, you know, for someone that's listening, like, how would what are some things you guys have your VAs do?

Bob: So on the cold calling, texting side, I mean, it's it's very easy. I think we've talked about this before, but you're pulling a list, you're uploading it to whatever dialer you're gonna use. They just have to consistently call, consistently call. And also listen to your calls. I think it's very important to tweak your script every once in a while.

Steve: Mhmm. Right?

Bob: And I know we talk about that in your training a lot. It's just one small tweak will make you so much money every single year. Same thing out of texting. Right? So we're texting.

You know, we we we've done a a really good job of updating some of our scripts because once you text them and then they answer, also picking up the phone, calling to really prescreen because, you know, you could get with text messaging, you could get a 100 leads, but, you know, 90 of them aren't aren't

Steve: good. Alright.

Bob: Right? Because it's what we identify as what a lead is. And our team, you know, our team does a really good job at home of giving us feedback saying, hey. Can we tweak the script? Because these are the type of leads that we're getting.

This is what's coming in. So Yeah. Then we go back to our team, and then we tweak the script a little bit and and analyze it from there.

Steve: That's really smart. So, a lot of times we recommend listening to the calls to kinda see, like, you know, where things they can improve. But you're also doing this for quality control as far as what the text message is saying. Correct.

Bob: And, you know, the best way to do is get feedback from your acquisition team.

Steve: Right. Guys in the front lines.

Bob: Exactly right.

Steve: Yep. What else I mean, because you have a whole agency. Yep. What services does Riva offer to, an investor?

Bob: So everything I mean, we have property managers that are, you know, tenants, tenant renewal, tenant screening, main lines, taking calls in from both, from both tenants and homeowners Mhmm. And a bunch of other stuff, obviously, on the property management side, agents, anything from TC work to, prospecting, for us as well, cold calling, appointment setting, TC work. We had social media management. I use virtual assistants for a podcast as well. We have clients that have marketing, marketing businesses.

We have, flooring companies. We have, roofing companies. So there's a lot of different kind of mediums that we do.

Steve: So, basically, it was an administrative task.

Bob: Yep. Or anything on the phone.

Steve: Anything on the phone?

Bob: Yep. Anything at all.

Steve: Reva can handle it.

Bob: Yep. Absolutely.

Steve: Gotcha. Very cool. And, you know, we connected, through Collective Genius. I've got this nice shiny belt here in case you guys haven't seen this yet.

Bob: That's a win right there.

Steve: That's it.

Bob: I have not gotten one of those yet, so I'm I'm a little jealous.

Steve: Yeah. Well, I was getting pretty frustrated, you know, that whole thing with achievement addiction. Like, I haven't won the belt yet. So we finally won the belt. So we connected to Collective Genius.

Yeah. Right? So you talked about the importance of mentorship

Bob: Mhmm.

Steve: Earlier, but, you know, we also we connected through a mastermind. So you wanna talk about, like, the value that you see within a mastermind?

Bob: Absolutely. I think I think everybody should join one, my opinion. You see, you know, you you see everyone that's in different stages of their businesses. And in a mastermind, a lot of people are open with some of their challenges. Right?

Like, we talked a little bit about, hey. I have a tough time, not jumping on this opportunity. Mhmm. Guess what? At a mastermind, you could talk to somebody else that said, hey.

Listen. You gotta stay focused. You gotta focus on the one thing. That's one of the things that we did in our real estate business is, you know, we talked to to Oliver Seiler, and he said, hey. Listen.

You gotta get extremely focused on that one thing. You can't do 10 things. And that's one of the things that Adam and I came back home, and we're like, yep. You know what? You gotta focus on one thing.

You don't get that unless you're part of a mastermind. Mhmm. You know, you see speakers speaking, like, you'll you'll deliver one speech and Frank will talk about something else. You know, Adam's got something else. But if you take one thing away out of any mastermind and you you implement it, I mean, it could be game changing for anybody.

Steve: Absolutely. And then we also connected through, family mastermind. So what's really cool was not this year because of hurricane Ian.

Bob: That's right.

Steve: Right? But the year before, you know, we got to hang out. It was me, you, Chris, and, there was another person. I remember, we're all in the van together. Yep.

But, we had a lot of fun, but, you know, talk about why you're in Family Mastermind.

Bob: You know what? There's just a lot of individuals from from the coaching space, from every different types of space, service providers, operators, and it's just again, it's your network. It's you know, we're here in in, Arizona. Right? Now I get to get to call you over in Arizona.

There's a lot of other individuals all over, whether it's Tampa, whether it's Vegas. We're just talking about Ryan. Right? He's in Vegas now. So you get to meet other individuals that could help you in your businesses because, you know, a lot of us have multiple businesses.

Steve: Let's see. So let's go and jump into the audience question. So I see a lot of people here, so this is awesome. Let's see. Pull this up.

Alright. So, we got, option b. So Scott, Willie from Reba Goldblatt has been following me for at least three years. He is a follow-up gangster. So

Bob: Call her back then. Call Willie back.

Steve: Come on, Scott. So on YouTube, Smilansky. I'm definitely butchering that name. What books can you give credit to when it comes to your mindset?

Bob: Mindset? I would just say mindset books. I would say one of the books that I've gifted a lot is, is not a mindset book, but it's more of a a a book about reason why I started my VA company and and a company. It's, it's, Darren Hardy about compound effect.

Steve: Compound effect. Yeah.

Bob: So I I would I would say that one, mindset books. I don't know. Do you have any?

Steve: Trying to think of it. You know? As far as mindset, you know, I'm sure David Goggins. Right? Was it That's

Bob: what can't hurt me. I actually just listened to that audio. I I I don't consider if I listen to books on audio, I really don't consider them reading a book, but that one is actually really good. So and Jocko will, Willink is, stream ownership. That's a good one.

Steve: Yeah. So, you know, the irony of, of, you know, you can't hurt me or you can't break me or whatever that book, I couldn't finish that book. I just couldn't. You know? And I don't know.

This could be maybe my head's just too big. You know? Like, I don't need someone to tell me to to to pursue or to, to, be not unrelenting because Right. You already are. I'm I'm already unrelenting.

Right? I'm already taking action. I'm already action. I'm already biased towards taking action. My problem is not take more action.

My my problem is how do I take less action?

Bob: So maybe you should write a book called hurt me.

Steve: There you go. There was another one. I I I think it was, like, Angela Duckworth. She wrote the book grit.

Bob: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I actually read that book as well.

Steve: Yeah. So, I I was able to I've read some great snippets from it. I haven't actually, picked out a book. It's one on my ever growing list of books There

Bob: it is. Perfect.

Steve: To read. So definitely check out. So David Goggins I'm I'm saying these books I haven't read. Right? David Goggins, You Can't Hurt Me and, and Grit.

And then, on Instagram, Dean Rogers says, Bob is the main

Bob: Dean, what's up, buddy? How are you?

Steve: So military might on YouTube. How did you establish and scale a VA business in The Philippines? So, you know, if we were to dial it back, you know, if someone were to go start a VA business today, what are the first two or three things they would have to do to build a VA business?

Bob: Yeah. You gotta make sure that you're structured correctly, in The Philippines first and foremost with LLCs and things like that. And you have to have the right team. So both here, obviously, on the on the sales side of it, in a in the operation side

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: In The Philippines or anywhere. If it's Mexico or wherever you're gonna go, you have to have you have to have a boots on the ground that's gonna help you there.

Steve: Mhmm. So boots on the ground and then up, and then sales out here. How would you find boots on the ground in The Philippines?

Bob: You start with getting your first virtual assistant Yeah. And finding the best talent and then building from there.

Steve: So, Upwork. Right? That's Yep. Yep. Because it used to be, like like, oDesk, and then there's other

Bob: oDesk, Upwork. Yeah.

Steve: Yeah. And they all kinda merge in in the Upwork. Like, how do you I mean, how do you find your first quality VA? Because I tried Upwork some time ago. Mhmm.

Yep. Right? And it was a disaster. Yeah.

Bob: You got it. I mean, you're gonna have to so this is why and this is why I'm in business because, you know, you have to go through hundreds of applications to get one person.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: So that would that's what I recommend. Go through hundreds of applications to find that one person, and, you know, the first person may not work out. Just keep going. Don't quit. If that's something you really wanna do, just don't quit and just keep going, and you'll find the right person.

Steve: Yeah. And I look at, you know, we talk about how do you find, quality people. Yep. And we all just think that we're naturally able to just find quality people. And in my experience, you have to hire well, you have to screen a lot of people

Bob: Yep.

Steve: To find the people that qualify for an interview. And then for an interview, you gotta qualify them to see if you can invite them to the company. But it doesn't stop there. It's still a numbers game. Right?

You can hire 10 people.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: Three of them are gonna be great.

Bob: Oh, 100%.

Steve: Right? So it's just it's a numbers game like everything else.

Bob: I think a referral I you know, I think we talked about this too. It's referrals are the best. Mhmm. I think so for you, if you, you know, you you you wanna do that, I would look for referrals as well.

Steve: Yep. That's a great great point. And then, how long did it take? Same guy. How long did it take to scale to a thousand?

Bob: Started in 2014.

Steve: So just eight short years.

Bob: Yep. Eight short years.

Steve: Yeah. How difficult would it be for a new investor to outsource VAs to The Philippines or setting up a new VA in in in The Philippines?

Bob: So you're saying how how long would it take it to get set up?

Steve: How difficult would it be for a new investor to outsource VAs to The Philippines or setting up a new VA business? I get so I guess you're saying you have to get certified, right, or not certified, but you have to create an organization. Like, I imagine you have an

Bob: old VAs wanna help him start a VA company since this is what he's asking.

Steve: It's it's sounding like there's to an extent. But, like, do you start like, do you, you create LLC here. Right? Yep. Do you create LLC in The Philippines?

Yes. So they have LLCs in The Philippines? Gotcha. And then another one from, the other person. Anything you can credit or give tips to when it comes to negotiating your deals with sellers?

Bob: I mean, yeah. I would say get your, get Steve's sales training. I mean, that's what I would say because we we follow your sales training to a t.

Steve: Yeah.

Bob: Right? So that's if you're gonna go on your own I mean, the beauty of what you have in your sales training is you have I don't know how many how many, you know, clients like me you have on there and and Adam.

Steve: 50 plus. Yeah.

Bob: Yeah. 50 plus. So they every we all give feedback, and we're gonna we're gonna get the better answer because once an industry changes, your answer's gonna change.

Steve: Yeah.

Bob: Right? And so today's answer that we're gonna give you, whoever whoever asked that question, it may change tomorrow. So being in being part of an organization like yours Mhmm. Sales organization and and getting the collaborative answers, that's really that's the best answer I could give.

Steve: Yeah. And, you know, like, that has been, like, the single greatest, benefit, for me as as a trainer is in work with the best in the country. Yep. The answers evolve, and periodically will just come onto, just by happenstance, a better answer.

Bob: Right.

Steve: And this is the new standard. Yep. But now everyone has the new standard. Yeah. Right.

Bob: And and guess what? Your answer is gonna change for your exit strategy.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: Right? It's gonna change a little bit. So,

Steve: Yeah. So we were talking yesterday. Right? Like, hey. You know, how do we, pitch innovations now?

Yep. Right? We talked about innovations in the past, but how do we pitch innovations today versus how we were pitching it six months ago? All different. Yep.

And then Alex Saenz. Thank you, Alex. I love Steve, so appreciate that. And then what are the top marketing channels you're using VAs for? So we already talked about a moment ago, but you wanna say it again?

Bob: So we do a bunch of cold calling. We do a bunch of text messaging. We also do direct mail. I know other people are using virtual assistance for some PPC, whether they're gonna take inbound calls or prescreen calls. But those are the main main channels that we use them, and we also use them obviously for branding, for social media posting, etcetera.

Steve: So we were talking, Jason Lewis and I.

Bob: Mhmm.

Steve: Alright. When we have a a perspective on VAs taking leads from PPC. Yep.

Bob: I I would much rather have your acquisition person because they're expensive. So I agree with you.

Steve: Yeah. If you're gonna spend a lot of money, right, to get someone to call you, You want to have your top sales guy taking the call

Bob: Agreed a 100%.

Steve: Not your Yep. VA.

Bob: Not your VA.

Steve: I agree. Are you guys focused predominantly, in The Philippines? You guys don't do anything in South America?

Bob: Right now, no, we don't.

Steve: Okay. It's all in The or around The Philippines. So, here's been my experience. I love to get your perspective on this.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: So when we hire a fill a VA in The Philippines Mhmm. And then a VA in Central America or, or South America, what we found in our experience is that in The Philippines, they are more consistent.

Bob: Mhmm.

Steve: Right? Except for, like, weather outages. Yeah. They're consistent. Right?

They're showing up. Yep. But they're not as great on the phones. Mhmm. Right?

But if we get someone from Central Or South America, they're better on the phones. Right? Culturally, they're more on the same page as Americans.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: But, man, they have way more issues showing up on time for work.

Bob: Yeah.

Steve: Have you found that?

Bob: So I have not tested South America in a long time.

Steve: Okay.

Bob: But I just do know for you're exactly right. And and I look at our business, consistency is king. So if you have somebody show up to work, if you have somebody dial all day long, somebody text all day long, and it's consistently done, you're gonna win over time rather than hoping somebody comes in. Right? It's like it's like your top acquisition guy.

He only comes in half the time. He's taking a desk space against somebody else, a desk spot Right. Over somebody else where you could actually get someone in there that's gonna be consistent. And over time, that person that's consistent is gonna make make you way more money.

Steve: Yeah. Consistency will always win in the long run. Let's see here. How many on YouTube about how many cold calls can a VA make per day?

Bob: It all depends if you're part time, full time. It depends if you're doing manual dialing or you're using a dialer. Mhmm. So on average, just go from 400 to 700, I'll just say.

Steve: Yeah. And that's been our experience as well. About, about

Bob: 400, 600, maybe. Yeah.

Steve: 400 to 600.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: We've had VAs go higher. You know what what always scares me when I see a high a high number is that they might have gone for against protocol

Bob: Yeah.

Steve: From a triple line

Bob: to, like They're hammering your data too.

Steve: Yeah. Or hammering your data, and you get more, like, people to answer that we didn't talk to you. So, like, it always we always throttle the upper lip. We wanna we have a baseline Yep. But we also have a a a throttle on the upper side.

Bob: I I agree, and that is a misconception. A lot of people, well, it's, I have one vehicle a thousand dials a day. I'm like, no. That shouldn't you should not do that because you're gonna burn data and your, you know, all of the your ratios are gonna change. It's just a bunch of stuff that could be a negative on that side of it too.

Steve: Yeah. And I haven't tested this myself, but I've heard people say, you know, doing a single line dialer, even though you're not hitting as many dials, number of quality conversations actually doesn't even change. Yep. Have you found that to be the same thing?

Bob: To be the same. Yeah.

Steve: Yeah. Yep. Let's see here. But, guys, you know, keep asking your questions, for Bob to answer, and we'll definitely get back to the questions in in a moment. So how does how does your day look right now balancing multiple businesses?

Bob: Yeah. So, typically, I probably get the office about, well, Monday is my first meeting starts at 8AM. And then 8AM. 8AM. Yep.

Eastern Standard Time. 8AM. So I have my sales meet sales call, 8AM. I typically do all my virtual assistant stuff Mhmm. In the morning time.

So probably, you know, from eight to eleven. And then rest of the day is real estate stuff. But I'm doing podcasts, pretty often. And, but, yeah, I mean, I work a lot. So I have my phone on me all the time just like you.

I mean, I love working. Adam and I is my real estate business partner. We talk probably 9,000 times a day even if we're, you know, we're not in the office together. So, yeah, I mean, that's usually what I do. That's how I structure it.

My my VA stuff more in the morning time and then, real estate stuff towards the afternoon.

Steve: Yeah. And that makes a lot of sense because you don't really have as many VA fires in the morning. Right. Correct. But we have a lot of real estate fires in in the afternoon.

Yes. That's exactly right. I've noticed they start somewhere around 10:30 to lunch, and then they last the whole day. Yep. Right?

It's like a Tesla. Like, they don't like, the fire just doesn't go out. So what freedom has, you know, having these businesses, allowed you?

Bob: What freedoms? You know, for me, I have three kids that play hockey. I coach I coached all my kids growing up. And

Steve: Oh, really?

Bob: One of the things that I, I mean, obviously, I'm here. My kids both of my kids have have games today, which kinda you know, during the week, they usually don't have games, and now they're in prep school, so they have games on Wednesday. But it's having the ability to either coach them or, you know, coach them in practice or or see them all the time. So that's the freedom for me personally how what business does for me.

Steve: So, I've heard hockey. There's two things with hockey. A, really expensive to have your kids in hockey.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: And then, b, it is not like, hey. I'm interested in hockey. Like, if you're doing hockey, it is a commitment.

Bob: Yes and yes. So it is expensive, and it is a commitment. But you you know what I find? Hockey people are great. They're they just have that mentality of of they got a lot of of of the business mentality.

Mhmm. Like, they it it's a commitment. You set goals. You're there to win. It's not everyone gets a trophy.

It's you know, there's one trophy. That's it. You don't win it. You know, that and that's more of the old age thinking, but I you know, the newer age, the newer parents coming up, not as much, but, the way I coach, I coach the way, you know, we were brought up.

Steve: Yeah. You know, a story I've shared before was that, you know, when I was in first grade, you know, six years old, we had, you know, this field competition, this and that. And, one of the things was who can make it across the field the fastest with, an egg on their spoon? You know? Yeah.

Just these silly games. And I totally cheated. You know? I put my thumb on the spoon.

Bob: Yeah. So I just say thumb on the spoon.

Steve: Totally cheated and got caught. Right? Like, these they're not dumb. Right? Yep.

Six years old, you think you can get away with anything. Right? So I got I got caught. And I remember afterwards and this is not that long ago. I mean, this is a long time ago, but it did I don't think this is the trophy participation trophy error yet, but this is the beginning of it.

Bob: Yeah.

Steve: I remember they gave me a blue ribbon. Right? I got caught cheating. Like, not only did I lose, I just got disqualified. And they gave me a blue ribbon.

And I asked them, like, why did I get a blue ribbon? And they're like, everyone gets a blue ribbon. Right? And right after they walked away, I threw it in the trash. Right?

He's like, what the heck?

Bob: Well done. I would've done the same.

Steve: What is this, rewarding me, for cheating nonsense. Right? So going back to this, three kids in hockey, like, what kind of time commitment is this after hours?

Bob: So well, now it's a lot less because my my oldest I got 18, 15, and 13 now. I the only one I coach now

Steve: But before But before,

Bob: it was that. Sometimes I coach you four days a week and and games, so probably six days a week.

Steve: Yeah. Were you running practices too? I was running practices. You're running practices after school

Bob: Yep.

Steve: And then coaching the games.

Bob: Exactly.

Steve: I mean, like, this is probably, like, you're eating, sleeping, breathing, everything.

Bob: Everything on top of but it was good. It was after school. So practice will start maybe 05:00 earliest and then, some probably three, four days a week there and then, weekends. So for me, it was it's all it's it's the best. It's just

Steve: the way it was.

Bob: Yeah. Yep.

Steve: So and I'm asking these questions. Right? Because there are people that are gonna be listening that, you know, may have multiple business ventures. Mhmm. And they're trying to balance a family.

Yep. So what advice do you have for them?

Bob: You make it work. To be honest, you gotta divide and conquer. You got a husband or a wife or even if you're a single parent, you make it work. There's people there that could help you. You get rides from friends.

But there's always a way you'll do anything for your kids. You'll make sure you make it work. And if it's something that you're passionate about, no matter what, you'll find you'll find a way.

Steve: Alright. Make it a priority. Yep. Alright. Let's see here.

Jared, what are the processes of a VA workload? I guess, going back to VA is, like, what are they responsible for? I mean, are they, in a nine to five, five days a week? Like, how do how what's their workload like?

Bob: So we have a so we offer part time, full time, whether it's four times, or four hours a week or four hours a day, sorry, or eight hours a day, five days a week. So it's the it's whatever task you want them to do. So for let's if you want a cold caller, they're gonna start for us. They start typically at 9AM, and then they'll end at six. Yeah.

So that's what we have them do.

Steve: And then what kind of real estate training are you giving your VAs?

Bob: We're doing phone handling, soft skill training, how to text message, how to build buyers lists, you know, laundry list of stuff. Yep. And

Steve: then are there any KPIs that you hold your your, VAs accountable to?

Bob: Well, every day, they send an end to day report so we know how many text message or cold calls they do. I don't I haven't really looked at them, to be honest with you, in a long time. We just know how many leads we get, and we're getting a lot of leads in, and and our sales floor is happy. I talk to Adam often, and I say, hey. Do we need to ramp it up?

He's like, no. We're good because our acquisition guys are either, you know, have enough leads or not. So that's the way I do it. I should have better KPIs, to be honest with you, but I I every time I talk to Adam and say, hey. Are we good?

Are we good? Should we add in more? Should we pull it back?

Steve: Yeah. But, you know, for the VAs that for people that are hiring VAs Mhmm. Really, it's their KPIs. Right? The the client's KPIs Yep.

The VAs are held accountable to.

Bob: And, also, you could look at it as, you know, whatever kind of tool you use. Right? If it's if it's cold calling, I'll give you that that you're gonna call four to 600 dials a day as an example. So there's a KPI for you. You wanna look at what the connect rate is, how many times they actually connect, and then how many of those connect rates turn to a we call them ITS's interest to sell.

Mhmm. So look at those three numbers. That's what I would do. Same thing on the on the text message side because different platforms will allow you to text more Mhmm. Or less because that's changing on a daily basis.

Steve: It's absolutely changing Yeah. On a daily basis. Actually, why we stopped texting, you know, might not have been the right decision, but, man, it it really felt like, you know, when you go to, like, Chuck E. Cheese. Right?

And you got, like, the you got a whack a mole.

Bob: Whack a mole. Yeah.

Steve: Yeah. I mean, it's it it turned into it totally turned into, like it's just like every day, we're trying to figure out how to gain the system.

Bob: Yeah. Yeah.

Steve: I'll tell

Bob: you what. For us, techs have been phenomenal. Phenomenal.

Steve: Well, I hear it's getting better because more and more people are getting out of it.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: So what is your why? What keeps you moving?

Bob: You know, obviously, there's family there. But aside from that, I would I would say, you know what? You know, for for me on the VA side, you know, one of our missions is obviously to help, bring on more and more Filipinos people because individuals because of what we could offer their families. And that's you know? And just coming from our event has been you know, it's just incredible.

So if anyone could watch that video, I don't know. I'll post it somewhere. Just watch. It's really cool, really heart heartfelt, and you get to see the smiles. And and here's the thing.

If you help one person, one person that works for you, look at how many other individuals you help. Mhmm. Right? They have maybe they're taking care of their mother, their father, their brothers, their sisters. So that's a lot.

You know, in The Philippines, it's very family oriented. And just by helping one person, it spreads and helps a lot of people. On the real estate side, it's, setting goals. You know, working with Adam on a daily basis, he's motivating, inspiring, and just, you know, when you when you work as a team to try to hit goals, there's nothing better. You know?

And it just keeps you going. And and, you know, once you hit a you know, it's kinda funny. I never even fathom, closing a 100 deals in a year. No joke. And and all of a sudden, now we're at 200.

Mhmm. Now we're looking to go to three, four hundred. So it's once you hit that that that that goal, you know, it's kinda like, alright. That's it. How do you wanna go next?

You wanna go next? So I think on the real estate side, it's just just keep going hitting those goals.

Steve: Yeah. I love what you said there because, you know, we had one VA, and she bought a home. Right? And Oh, yeah. When she bought a home, it it's not for her Mhmm.

Her whole family. Right? She's not even married. Right? It's for her whole family.

Bob: Yeah. And and we actually keep those stats too.

Steve: Yeah.

Bob: How many people get credit cards? How many how many of our individuals get car loans, get houses? So it's really cool. So every we actually had a a Wednesday call. We have our HR and HR call, and, we cover all those statistics.

Pretty cool.

Steve: That those are really that's how we know you care. Right? Like Yeah. That's really awesome. And one of the other thing too in, we haven't done it this year, but, you know, in, like, years where we've done really, really well is, the in The Philippines, right, like, it's not unusual for some companies to give, like, their, a full month of salary as a as a Christmas bonus.

Have you guys ever done anything like that?

Bob: The bigger it gets tough. It's very difficult. Yeah. Because the margins, you know, it's it's a margin business, and it's very, very, very difficult to do that.

Steve: Yeah. What is your biggest struggle today?

Bob: Bigger struggle today, I would have to say so on the roof, I talk about real estate side. We're looking to grow. Mhmm. And it's, getting the right people. You know, here stateside, if you look at hiring someone local, we're in Connecticut, and it's different than hiring in Florida.

It's different than hiring in maybe Arizona. I don't know. But it's it's really getting the right people. What we've done a good job and we continue to do a good job of is we're looking for ex military, ex athletes. That's who we wanna fill our floor with.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: And those are the eight individuals that we have right now.

Steve: Yeah.

Bob: We that's what we look to to bring on. So like everybody else, I think we talked about this. It's it's bringing in the right right people.

Steve: Yep. You know, you you mentioned, earlier on the show we're talking about, you know, everyone says, hey. We got cut back expenses, and everyone cuts back expenses. I remember, our VA, our top VA, she had to take a personal day.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: Not for herself, but because how many of her family members got laid off. Right? And this is early this year, you know, like, as the recession kinda started affecting more and more people. Mhmm. Like, the first place people that go were their VAs.

Did you experience that?

Bob: At the beginning, it's kinda like COVID. Right? So same thing. People would just, you know, investors will start getting rid of and and just getting rid of their VAs. I saw it take a little dip.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: But we were also kinda we're we're we're kinda even and out. Right? So I saw it at the beginning, and now it's starting to go back up.

Steve: Yep. How do you stay motivated?

Bob: How do I stay motivated? Well, when you have a thousand VAs, you got no choice, or a thousand individual families that, you're helping, you know, to to be successful in the feed every day. I think that is that's something that, unless you didn't have a heartbeat, you wouldn't be able to go. But I think for me, that's an extremely motivating factor on that side of it. And it's also like a a real estate company too.

You have individuals, salespeople, dispo, TC. Everyone profits from the hard work that you do, by the leads that you drive, the VAs drive. And I think it's just if you look at other people first before you look at yourself, I think that in the end, that's it's gonna help you personally out tenfold.

Steve: And how do you measure success?

Bob: You know what? It changes every year. Every year every every year you get older, it changes. Maybe it's you know, for me, I think success is we have two kids that are in prep school right now.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: I think that's success. Every time they do well in hockey, I feel like I I win too. It's not my success, but it's it's their success. About business wise, I think, you know, when you set a team goal and everyone reaches it Mhmm. That to me is success.

I don't think there's any, you know, there's no for me, it's there's no individual success because, you know, you you you look at every business, and and I look at both of my businesses. You're only as good as your team. You're only as good as, you know, their output. They're only as good as, you know, their leadership. So I think it's that's the best way I could learn that.

Steve: It's something that we talked about. Like, your team can only go as far as you can lead them.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: And you can only go as far as your team can help you. Correct. Yeah. Brutus Empire, wants to know, what is your average margin per deal right now?

Bob: So we're around and Adam can maybe correct me on that. I think we're around $20,000, give or take a thousand dollars. And that that could change tomorrow because we got some big deals. We got some smaller deals that average out. So around $20,000.

I know we were up a little higher than that a little while ago. Mhmm. And again but I don't know exactly. I gotta ask Adam.

Steve: So one thing that we kinda, see right on the on the sales calls on the sales training calls that we do in the mornings is that it seems to be that because you guys are going through multiple markets. It seems to be the Northeast seems to be a lot less patient on the phones.

Bob: Oh, yeah. 100%. It's

Steve: unbelievable. You know, but then you guys expand, you know, to the South and this and that. Did Did you notice conversations became more pleasant? Like, what was you guys expecting?

Bob: Thousand percent. 1,000. People in the Northeast, it's like it's kinda like when you when you go up to them and you say hi, they're like, what's your angle? Right? People down south, it's, you know, the real, oh, how are you?

Really nice to talk to you. Have a nice meeting you. Blah blah blah. You know? Thank you, please.

Yeah. Northeast, it's just they're they're rougher, but I love it.

Steve: Is it the bitter cold weather? Like, what Oh my.

Bob: It's fritz of about 18 degrees right now, so it is bitter cold weather. But I just think it's just a different mentality. It's, it's city life. You know? Boston people.

You got New York people. Let's you know, we're a mix there in Connecticut.

Steve: Mhmm. So you

Bob: deal with just different type of individuals, and, I personally like it because there's grit. Mhmm. Right? If you learn how to sell to anyone in the Northeast, you could go anywhere in the country.

Steve: I see, guys, the the level of difficulty is just a little bit higher.

Bob: Oh, it's high. It is it is higher.

Steve: Yeah. Any tips for dealing with someone that's a strong personality in the Northeast?

Bob: You gotta find commonality. Mhmm. You gotta find some sort of commonality. Right? If if they have kids, you gotta talk kids.

They have dogs or pets, talk pets. Right? It's it's I think that's finding that commonality quick.

Steve: So, PB Lacks. Right? If they wanna work with one of your VAs, do they get to start do they get to interview them before starting with it?

Bob: Yep. We put you on three interviews. We'll do PI as well, victim index. You guys

Steve: do PI for IVAs?

Bob: Yep. That's

Steve: pretty cool.

Bob: Yeah. So, yeah.

Steve: I imagine that bill's gonna be pretty expensive.

Bob: It's it's up there.

Steve: We have the base package.

Bob: Yeah.

Steve: And then Jared is, what what criteria do you look for when employing a new VA? So I guess maybe on the on Areeva Global, but then if you're looking to hire a VA, what are some criteria? So from two

Bob: a Yeah. So I would I would look at the PI or disc profiling or whatever and, look what their resume is.

Steve: Yeah.

Bob: Do they have experience? If you want someone on the phone, make sure they have experience on the phone, or their PI or disc shows that they have the ability to do that. I mean, a week ago, this could be an hour conversation

Steve: with them. Profiles.

Bob: Personality profiles, etcetera.

Steve: So if I was looking to hire a VA and I saw that they're really analytical

Bob: Mhmm.

Steve: For cold calling.

Bob: No. No. Yeah. Don't hire them. You want them for bookkeeping or, you know, posting online, etcetera.

Steve: But you

Bob: wanna make sure that they have the right profile.

Steve: Really, we're talking about screening of VA is no different than screening a candidate to work in an organization.

Bob: 100%.

Steve: Gotcha. Alright. And then, what is your superpower?

Bob: I would probably say building teams and culture. I enjoy that. I think that's, for me, is is the best part of anything. It's because, you know, when you like going to work or you love going to work, it's it's not work anymore. Mhmm.

It's you have the right individuals, you have the right team that you're talking to every day. It's just that's that's happiness. That's that's fun rather than, you know, rather than looking at it the other way. I think it's like, for me, I would say that's my superpower.

Steve: So if I was to ask Adam, what would he say?

Bob: I don't know. I think he'd probably say the same thing.

Steve: Yeah? Yeah. What if I talk to Pat?

Bob: Jeez. I don't know. It's been a long time. He'd probably say, team. Team?

Working as a team.

Steve: That was the fourth person when we were out in Tampa.

Bob: Is that you Chris and Pat? That's right. That's right. That's what it was.

Steve: I knew that was a fourth person.

Bob: We keep talking long tears right in front of our face. So it's funny.

Steve: How did you learn, your greatest lesson?

Bob: Probably, I'd have to give it to my parents. You know? The way we grew up is kinda a lot of times the way we the way we are now. And, you know, my father was always coached me in in, in sports, and it was always about team. It wasn't about you know, it doesn't matter if my brother was the best player on the team or I was the best player on the team.

It's it's a team effort.

Steve: Mhmm. Were you always in Connecticut? I

Bob: was born in Mass, but I was just born there, and I've lived in Connecticut all my life.

Steve: Gotcha. Do you know so are we talking about PI? What is your profile?

Bob: Maverick.

Steve: Maverick. Yep. Right? Like every other wholesaler is here. Right?

Bob: That's right.

Steve: So how did you balance the, the Maverick with team? Because Maverick and team are not necessarily aligned.

Bob: Actually surprised I was a Maverick, and I did it twice, and I was a Maverick. I don't know. Maybe I'm I I have no idea. It's just, for me, it's I always look at a team first,

Steve: to be

Bob: honest with you. So I don't know why I would I I I got

Steve: well, it's not that they're necessarily mutually exclusive. I think Mavericks just have to lead the team. Yeah. Right? But what part about it surprised you?

Bob: I don't know. I just, you know, I don't I look at it as as no matter what. I look at it as I look how am I gonna benefit you first?

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: Right? So I guess that's leadership Yeah. If you really if you really, boil it down. But if you look at something, like, when I'm sitting here, I'm like, alright. How how could I benefit you?

I'm on your show. What does that look for you? And in the end, you know, you end up getting what you want in the end. But it's it's but you have to it's gotta be sincere. It's not it can't be BS.

Can't be like, hey, Steve. Like, how could I, you know, how could I serve you first? Like, a lot of people when they say that they're they're enough. Angle. Yeah.

There's an angle to it. Yeah. I think if you if you cut the the angles out of it and you're really sincere about it, then it

Steve: it's a win win always. Yeah. Was there anything on your profile that surprised you?

Bob: I don't think so.

Steve: Yeah. I don't

Bob: think so.

Steve: So which failure did you learn the most from?

Bob: I would have to say the nine one loss. Actually, there was another loss too. We lost a hundred and fifth. This is with Pat. When Pat and I are business partners back in 2005, we got a, can't miss deal.

You know? You know, one of those? Can't miss deal.

Steve: It's not a

Bob: new one. But you need

Steve: to go right now.

Bob: Today. Yeah. Right now. We need to put a $150,000 nonrefundable, gone hard right away on a knockdown rebuild in Greenwich, Connecticut. Mhmm.

Guess what happened?

Steve: It was not that good deal?

Bob: No. We couldn't get our money back. We actually hired a a a Greenwich attorney for $450 an hour. Mhmm. We're in $10,000 deep in that.

We had to cut and run and, lost $150. But the lesson to that, was shiny object syndrome. Mhmm. And there's no there there's never a can't miss deal. All that is BS.

Don't listen to that.

Steve: What was the red flags on that one?

Bob: For me, I was so new at it. I knew nothing was going on. I'd you know, I'm I'm a short sale investor. I did one rehab. Why would I ever get involved in a knockdown rebuild right down the street of Regis Philbin in Greenwich, Connecticut?

I should never. So, you know, there's a lot of red flags because What was

Steve: wrong with the deal? Why didn't it why didn't that pencil out?

Bob: There were a lot of permits that, you know, didn't get fixed out for a knockdown rebuild. A lot was too small. We had a modular house going in, etcetera, etcetera.

Steve: So Lots of reasons why.

Bob: Yeah. And and, again, I knew nothing about this because this is not my industry.

Steve: Yeah. That's one of the lessons I've learned, is, if you have to move quick like, if you have to move quick, it's not meant to be.

Bob: Yeah. And then don't get caught up in it. Don't let your heart beat so fast. Like, oh my god. I'm I'm gonna make a million dollars because you won't.

Steve: Right. Not to say it'll never happen, but if I were to bet, you're losing money.

Bob: That's exactly right.

Steve: And then you said, what was the book you gifted more than any other?

Bob: Compound effect.

Steve: Compound effect.

Bob: Darren Hardy. Yep.

Steve: Yeah. I'm a giant Darren Hardy fanboy, so definitely appreciate that. So, Ala Bumani, timely question. How do I get in contact with your team?

Bob: Cool. Yeah. Just, you could check us out at, revaglobal, revaglobal,.com.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: And, set up a strategy session or check us out. We're on Instagram and Facebook and all that kind of good stuff.

Steve: Yep. And then, I'm analytical. This is Justin on Facebook. I'm analytical. I'm trying to get started in wholesaling on acquisition side.

Am I going against the grain? Yeah.

Bob: I mean, analytical acquisition, you definitely are. But does that mean you can't be successful? No. No. If you actually take action and good thing about you is alright.

And I'm gonna give you a plug, Steve, is if you're analytical and you follow a process, you may be better off than the non analytical that won't follow the process. So that's a positive I would I would take, and I would also you have to, probably jump into a coaching program like yours, Steve, and surround yourself with other individuals that are maybe a different type of personality that will help push you.

Steve: Absolutely. I think that's a wonderful answer because are you going against the grain? Absolutely going against the grain. Does that mean you it won't work? A 100% no.

Correct. Right? Like, we all get to create our own destiny. Right? Like, we had, David Richter here yesterday.

We recorded a special show, and he talked about how, like, this is from, I think, crucial conversations is that we're all holding the pen, and we get to write our own destiny. Yep. Right? I like it. Don't let anyone tell you you can't do anything.

You may have a harder time getting hired

Bob: Yeah.

Steve: As an acquisition rep, right, being analytical. But don't let anyone tell you you can't do it because if you look at my disc, no one will hire me. As a matter of fact, you know, our good friends, Phil Green and Eric guys, and they, I asked, hey. Can you just do me a favor? Can you just act it like, send me the assessments as if you're gonna hire me

Bob: Yep.

Steve: And then help me review it. And they looked at it, and they laughed and, like, yeah, we would never hire you. True. Right?

Bob: It is a 100% it's funny. The the first time I ever spoke in front of anyone, it was in front of 350 people. This is, it was back in 2007, 2008. And I and I was scared, you know, what list? Created a short sale course and, Than couldn't go, Pat couldn't go, and they're like, hey.

You're next. I'm like, what are you talking about? So if I could do that, that was not my that was none of my profile back then. So if I could do it, you could do it.

Steve: Right. Absolutely. So, I want you to, think about what you wanna leave the listeners with Yeah. While I make a couple of quick announcements. Guys, if you get value today, please like, subscribe, share, comment, whatever we can do to help the algorithms push our material to help more people.

Like, I am very genuine. I'm very serious when I say we're trying to create a 100 millionaires. We do have our, sales master class. Check it out. We're gonna be, there's 50% off through the rest of the year.

Reach out to my team to find out more about that. And then we do have Benson Juarez coming out next week. And he's gonna be talking about how some other investors are finding access to deals, with little to no marketing cost. So, last thoughts, what would you like to leave everybody with?

Bob: I would say, you know, in we're in a changing market, and I think there's opportunity. I mean, I know there's opportunity because there's gonna be a lot of individuals that'll be falling out of the business. Mhmm. And I would say, you know, coming right after Christmas, after the New Year, I would double down. I would jump in two feet.

I would build my team. I would expand rather than pull back, in my opinion. Again, this is exactly what we're doing because I think there's gonna be a lot of opportunity. And if you're brand new, I would definitely definitely definitely say hire coach, mentor, get training because that's the only thing that's gonna keep you in front of in front of the pack ahead of everybody else.

Steve: Yeah. You know what? I didn't even ask this question. I should've asked you earlier. How much is going through the 2,007 times gonna help you this time?

Bob: Oh, it's huge. I mean, it's you know, for me, it's kinda funny. Adam, you know, Adam has not gone through that, so he doesn't he doesn't know that, but it it's kinda funny. So going from from, mastermind to mastermind, you see the individuals that have never felt have never got beat up like we did back in the day. Yeah.

And, you know, for us old timers, I'd like to say old timer. I'm not old, but, it's kinda funny how we don't get emotionally messed up anymore after that. Back in the day, you just you know?

Steve: You already been through this.

Bob: They've already been through this. They want to be miserable. And we've already you know, I've been looking at this for a long time. You know, Adam and I have done a good job of of putting putting away reserves.

Steve: Mhmm.

Bob: So in every business, you should have been thinking about, hey. Put away reserves for six months, maybe a year to make sure that you could keep keep the ship going.

Steve: Yeah. Be easy selling.

Bob: Yep.

Steve: Yeah. Because one of the things that, Jason shared, you know, on stage, in his opening. Right? Like, some of you guys are 33 years old, and you're like, what the heck is going on? Yeah.

Some of you guys are 53 years old, and you guys are excited.

Bob: That's exactly right.

Steve: So if someone wants to get ahold of you again one more time, how do they get ahold of you?

Bob: You could go to our website, Reva Global, r e v a global dot com. We're also on, like I said, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etcetera.

Steve: Alright. Perfect. Thank you very much. Thanks, Bob.

Bob: Very much. Thanks for having me.

Steve: I see you guys all next week.