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Cold Calls? Nah—Send Postcards And Pray

• Courtney Twiss • Episode 65

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Ready to stop waiting for perfect timing and start making moves? We sit down with veteran agent Errikka Paiz, whose two-decade journey runs on service, planning, and a fierce commitment to aligning with the right people. From licensed assistant to trusted Coachella Valley expert, Errikka shows how long-haul growth happens when you pair clear goals with daily actions you can control.

We unpack the Paiz Plan—why unit-based goals beat income targets, how whiteboard tracking defeats overwhelm, and the exact cadence she uses to turn months into momentum. Errikka explains why she ditched cold calls for creative postcards that flood her phone with warm leads, and how honest resource audits help you double down on strengths and outsource the rest. Her growth season didn’t wait: a stage at Tom Ferry, a full-team ramp, and a brokerage switch collided at once. She credits faith, family support, and a prepared mind for turning opportunity into results.

Errikka also gets real about choosing a brokerage in 2024. Brick-and-mortar fees didn’t match a modern, mobile business, so she prioritized a network with culture, coaching, and scalable tools. The toughest step wasn’t the paperwork—it was the conversation to leave. Once she made the call, clarity surged, the holidays stayed joyful, and her pipeline kept moving. Now she’s aiming to help 55–60 families, launching a YouTube channel, and opening her playbook through webinars so agents nationwide can adopt what works.

If you’re an agent weighing a big leap—new systems, new team, new brokerage—this conversation offers a clear roadmap: set unit goals, map controllable actions, track wins, pick channels that fit you, and surround yourself with people who raise your ceiling. Listen, share with a colleague who needs courage, and subscribe for more agent-to-agent playbooks. If this helped you think bigger, leave a review and tell us your next move.

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SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it's like you should have. I was just hitting the button. So we're gonna we're gonna redo that. So is this your first podcast recording? Total version. You guys got me. We got to her first. So good. Okay. Won't be the last, I'm sure of it, after hearing her present yesterday. Welcome to Now Making Moves in Real Estate, episode 65. I'm your host, Michelle, aka the General, alongside my co-host, Bestie and business partner, C Twist. Today's guest is someone I've had the honor of calling a friend for over two years. And as of the first of this year, she's also a proud member of our now nation family. She's a successful real estate agent with over 19 years of experience serving the Coachella Valley, guiding clients through major live transitions with strategy, heart, and concierge level service. She's known for her honesty, sharp negotiation skills, and a deep commitment to treating every client's goals like her own. Please help us welcome Miss Erica Pies.

SPEAKER_00:

Woo! Welcome. Thank you. Well, I want a cool nickname too.

SPEAKER_01:

So okay. I think it needs to be related to your beautiful lipstick because every time I see you, you have your beautiful papa color. And I'm like, I need to go put red lipstick on. And then I don't because I never think to bring it with me. But we got to come up with a nickname. Well, I can okay, but we'll work on it to be continued. There's no doubt that amongst the three of us, we can come up with a dope nickname, like at all. And with the help of Chat GBT. That's just gonna say it might be how we've like solved all the world's problems when it comes to branding and names. But on a serious note, Erica, you've been in the real estate industry for quite some time. So take us back to the beginning and what first drew you into the industry.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I would like to genuinely say is that like most uh agents did not anticipate having a career in real estate. Um, it was as simple as uh moving to a new area and not really knowing anybody. And our agent, I knew he knew a lot of people. So when I was looking for a job, I basically told him, you know, a lot of people out here. I'm looking for a job. And I came from more of a corporate world in um the LA area for a law firm. And so obviously my mindset was a little bit different: smaller towns, smaller energy. I didn't really know how to connect because I felt like I was giving the wrong impression. So I just reached out to him and said, look, you know, a lot of people, do you mind, you know, putting out feelers for me if you know of anybody who's looking for a job, um, for someone who, you know, I'm looking for a job? And he says, he's like, Yeah, cool. And uh he asked me a couple questions and then he called me the next day and he says, Well, I talked to my wife, and we would actually like to offer you a job. And I was like, What? He's like, Yeah, he says, We saw how you handled things during the transaction. We know you're super organized. And he's like, You kept us in shape uh and on task. So we'd like to offer you a job. And I said, Well, doing what? And he said, basically working the files, keeping us organized. He said, but it comes with a condition. And I said, sure, what's that? And he says, you have to get your license. And I was like, well, what does that mean? And like, what's that gonna cost me? He's like, no, I'll pay for it. He says, I'll pay for it because I want you to be a licensed um assistant here in our office, and that's kind of how it started. It was in uh 2005, so 21 years ago. So it's been a minute, and yeah, so that's kind of how it started, and then it kind of transitioned into an era of people needing transaction coordinators because when the market shifted, a lot of agents they just couldn't afford to keep their assistance anymore. So they had to go on a profile business, and I kind of took it and ran with that. I had about seven agents I was doing business for, uh kind of burnt out, was a lot, and kind of went away. And then um, one of the agents, Mario, offered me a job. I didn't want to take it, but he said he was willing to name, he said to name his price and he'd be flexible with the work schedule because my priority at the time was just raising our our our daughters, being home with them. And so he that's kind of how it started. So I was with him for 11 and a half years as a licensed assistant, super top producing agent here in the valley. And um, it was amazing because I got like a lot of experience. I really learned a lot. I learned a lot of what to do and what I didn't want to do. You know, a little bit of both, and uh and it was good. And, you know, you reached a point where um actually it was the push my husband gave me. He says, you know, you're doing all of this for somebody else when you can be doing it for yourself. And I really just at the time honestly didn't have the confidence. I was always known as Mario's girl, and I didn't know if people would take me seriously in the role, and so I I did, I doubted myself and I actually um I did connect with Michelle while I was still Mario's girl a few years back. Um, and it was in that time that I had made the decision to transition and uh I gave Mario a year's notice uh that I was going to be leaving, and most people are shocked that I did that. Uh, but it was a good thing. The reality of it was is that I cared about him. We'd grown um uh really close and I wanted to make sure that his business did not get impacted by me leaving, and I wanted to make sure I left it in good hands. So we did that, and he um extended something to me that I thought was really great, and he said, Well, if you're gonna do this, he says, I want you to do it right. So he sent me to Tom Ferry Summit and I drank the Kool-Aid, uh, signed up for coaching and spent a whole year developing um my business plan to be an agent, a solo agent. And that's kind of how it started. So now we're three a little over three years into it, doing crazy things with some great people. And here I am.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I mean, here's the thing is like you just walked through your entire career over the span of 20 plus years. And I feel like just hearing your story is just a direct reflection on just success. I mean, you just leaned into the people that were mentoring you and trusting you. And when you doubted yourself, you just pushed yourself. And and I think that's a true testament of a rewarding and successful career career in real estate. So congratulations. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you. Yeah, I think the biggest thing is, you know, what I could recognize in the patterns is, you know, I've I've I'm grateful, I'm appreciative, and I can say this that, you know, I've been successful. Everyone has their own definition, but I'd like to consider myself um successful in in the decisions that we've made to get to this point. Um, but all of it, you know, I've always had a plan. Like plans can change, don't get me wrong. You don't have to stick with it. But having a plan and direction, it's huge. Like, and that, like looking back and just talking about it right now, every phase of it, there was always a plan involved that kept me motivated. And, you know, sometimes you don't always have the skill set, the opportunity, or even the resources. But having a plan, you get pretty creative when you know you got to be somewhere, right? You got to do something, you got to meet a goal. If you may not have all the tools, you kind of get end up becoming creative and reaching out or even getting out of your comfort zone because you're like, okay, yeah, I feel weird. But at one point I asked my aid, my real estate agent, hey, I I I'm looking for a job, right? Like, because what I was doing on Career Builder wasn't working. So that led to an opportunity. And, you know, just little by little, I think that's one thing I'm always looking for is I I my people. And, you know, just recently another big move for us and finding my people, and that that does that does make a big difference of you know, recognizing um your your ecosystem. It's really good.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, when you're talking about your planning, I'm curious, are you an annual planner? Do you come back to it every quarter? Are you like, I have it on the wall behind me because I can see all these like whiteboards and looks like metric-related items behind you? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So um, crazy enough. Okay, uh fun fact, I married my high school sweetheart. Uh, so we've been together for um 30 years and 31 this year. But the funny thing is, is that when we were 15 and 16, we started the Pies Plan. So this is like literally our whole life has been about plans. So we started the Pies Plan 30 years ago. And um, a couple of years ago, we kind of really got to the point of like, well, we kind of like checked all the boxes. So then we kind of had to regroup and and decide what's next for us. And so it's kind of one of those things where you have super long-term goals, but you also, you know, it's nice to have long-term goals, but if you don't have the plan in between with smaller goals, you kind of can get lost in that or it feels so far away because a lot of what we planned was based around our family and building our family and our girls. And so we're recent um empty nesters. So things kind of shifted. And part of the Pi's plan was, you know, we pay off our house and then we're gonna do this and do that. And then a year and a half ago, we came up with this really crazy thing where um Gus was helping me show one of my listings. He fell in love with the house, and 55 days later, we were moving into this house. So, like, we had a plan, and that was great, but we shifted, you know. But everything we worked towards to that moment allowed us to have the option to make that decision. But in between, there's a lot of other little goals. So, like, for example, I do have um annual goals production-wise, I definitely have units. Um, and the units are based not necessarily like I don't like to do like I'm gonna make this amount of money. Cause when you focus it on sales instead of service, it just feels different. And I really recognize that I get most satisfaction with the connections and the service that I provide to people. And when I focus on that, everything else just works out. So it's more about units and saying, like, hey, like this year, I want to help 55 people. I want to have uh help 55 families, right? So then that's what my goal is, and that's kind of what I keep on my board. So I split it up based on how many buyers and sellers, and I kind of just um generate a task list and a plan on how to achieve that on a monthly basis and sometimes even on a weekly basis. I do coaching that helps me stay on track. Like I have to have two, three listings by next Wednesday in order to stay where my where my goal lines are. So then now I know I have to, you know, kick in a little bit more, or you know, usually by April, my coach says, Hey, it looks like somebody needs some bigger goals because we're, you know, getting there a little bit faster. And so it's really good to have something always. So I do that with units, but I also do goals with projects. And so I have on this board here, I have like all my next clients, buyers and sellers, my goals, and then I keep track of what I accomplished too, because it's so easy for us to feel like, oh, I didn't get to this, I didn't get to that. But then I also keep track of what I did do, and that feels really good too, because on the days where you're like, oh my God, I can't believe I didn't get to this, I didn't get to that, but it's like, look at how much you've done already this month. So I'm a firm believer visually that you really need to keep track of what you're doing, good, bad, and different, and your progress. So that's kind of what happens on that whiteboard. I have a this week focus, today's focus, and then my elite goals, which um I'm in top very elite coaching. So my elite goals are based around um being true to what an elite agent is. And so part of that is like giving back, um, partnering with people. And so that's kind of taken off a little bit faster than I thought. I recently was a speaker at Elite Retreat, which is literally still mind-blowing to me that that happened. Um, but I had it in my, in my it, in my plan. I said, one day I am going to somehow get this, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and I want to share it with others. And I thought someday, right? And then like in December, out of nowhere, I get a phone call, like, okay, we'd like you to speak at Elite. And I'm thinking like next year, they're like, no, in three weeks. So that was kind of crazy. Yeah. Um, but having those goals, and what's really cool about it is that even though it seemed kind of crazy to pull it off, my mind was already there because I knew that that was something I wanted. And I like I'm just kind of the person I'll figure it out. But if it's already something that was in the back of my mind, I knew that I was going to be able to achieve it. I knew that's what I was striving for. If the timing changes, it's because that's what's just meant to be. Like that's that's the way I see it. And so then what happens? You just figure it out. Right. Yeah. So planning, yeah, because I mean you can't plan for everything, and especially in our business. Like we'll get a phone call that changes our day completely in a good way, right? Or even sometimes, you know, in a stressful way. But for the most part, we kind of have to have the week planned out so we know, you know, how am I going to have a check in 30 days? You know, we're a business at the end of the day, and we have to be self-motivated. So that for me is such a big deal, is just making sure you have a plan and how to get to like basically the plan can't always just be like, well, as generic as saying, well, I'm going to get five listings this month in order to do it. Well, what are the intentional things that I'm going to do to get those five listings? So being very specific about what's in that plan.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, because that you be specific about what you can actually control. How many people do you talk to when you go out and about in the day? Or, you know, I like that.

SPEAKER_00:

The resource. Yeah. Like knowing, I I think we chatter, I chatted about this yesterday on the webinars, resources, being honest about what your resources are financially, um, time-wise. Like a lot of people just throw things on their schedule and don't recognize there's only so many days in so many hours in the day, so many days in the week. So you have to be realistic of what you can accomplish in a good way, not just, you know, I know sometimes done is better than not done, but then be intentional about how you're spending that time and then be realistic about what your talents are. If you are horrible at making phone calls, don't spend your time making phone calls. Spend it on things you are good at, you know. I myself don't do cold calls. And everyone's like, what do you mean? Every agent does cold calls. And I'm like, I don't. I spend my time creating really cool postcards that get me to get the phone calls coming in. So that's where I spend my energy. Whereas most people would outsource that, but I'm really good at that. So I spend time on that once a week, coming up with ideas of what my mailers or postcards are gonna be because I know, like I just come up with these ideas and nobody else is gonna get it, like until it's in production. And so that's where I spend my time. Whereas there can be someone else who spends one hour every day making those calls and getting their appointments. Because in my mind, they called me. I got you. Like I, I like I you you call me and um I'm gonna be able to connect with you. And that's how that's how I work. But I use my resources to to initiate that phone call coming in. So it's just being really honest about that. Like, what can you actually do? You know, if you're not good at something, don't waste your time doing it, outsource it. Amen.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, here's the thing about um what I know just in my you know short time working with you, um, because we we have had a personal friendship, but we have pivoted and moved into a professional relationship. And so while I completely admire your ability to plan, organize, execute, do all the things with your your business, I also know that you're in a in a season of incredible growth. I mean, you literally went on the stage at Tom Ferry last month and then were asked to speak uh to a whole brokerage of almost 100 people yesterday. And you and I have had this conversation around what's coming and the things that you're doing. So while all of that is very exciting, you have a robust business that you need to protect and clients you need to serve, and your buyer's agent and your administrative team. So, how are you? Can you speak to how you're gonna harness and grow and and and all the things that we know are coming before you and your team and your family? Like it's so exciting. But you have commitment um to, and there's a lot of people, and what I want you to like, how I would like love for you to respond is I think a lot of people would just be like, I just don't know if I can do this, like the fear or like how is this gonna affect my family time and what tools and like you know, just be so caught up and not be able to harness it. And girl, you are like harnessing it in a way that is so fun to be a part of and just incredibly great to, I mean, just it's it's good stuff. But anyways, just speak to our our listeners about that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so a couple things with that. I mean, factors of your environment and who your people are, that's always going to be huge. So for me, I'm I'm super blessed. I have an amazing family, incredible supporters, my husband, and then our girls. Like our girls are both off to college, but they're also very much aware and super involved in uh the growth of the business and having, you know, their opinion matters to me and how I spend my time. Uh, because obviously I want to maximize still being around them and and also my husband. We're empty nesters, but I absolutely am still in love with my husband and love to do things with him and we enjoy spending time together. So it's a time of adapting. Um, he's been super amazing in all of this. Uh, he is beyond my number one fan. Uh, for many years, he was in law enforcement and I kind of just he had his his career and I kind of just nurtured in the background our family so that he can do what he needed to do. And so the roles have kind of shifted a little bit, where I kind of need him to step up and he's done it in a great way. And the best way I can describe it is that when you have that support, um, it really does give you the energy and the confidence to know that anything that's put forth in front of you, it's there for a reason. And you just have to, like I always say, figure it out, right? So with the plan. Um, in this particular case, a lot happened all at once. You were there, front row seat to see it all happen, switching brokerages, family in town, growing my team, and uh, you know, being uh, you know, the whole Tom Ferry thing and now being asked all of this stuff. But I'll say two things. This is where faith comes in huge for me, because I always feel like I'm guided by the Holy Spirit. And I think I mentioned this to you before, where when I get a lot put on my plate, it almost lights a fire of like this is this is what I'm supposed to do. I'm gonna do it. Like, I will figure this out. So you kind of find this within you. And I always have this visual of a lot of people who are afraid for the next step and the next step. And for me, what's held me back in the past has been always thinking it's about timing, like trusting the timing process. So it's like I imagine, like, think about this like you're standing in line for a turn to enter the double dutch, right? Like you've always been able to jump rope. One, you're fine, you have control over that, but suddenly there's two people in front of you. They each have a rope, they're all they're swinging them in opposite directions, and you have to figure out when you're supposed to go in there and not like make a complete complete idiot of yourself when trying to do it, right? You're like doing this little dance of like hovering back and forth. When do I do it? And so in that case, it's the same thing, it's timing, right? And so for me, as much as I make decisions based on saying, like, okay, I'm I'm looking for a pocket of time because I want to give it the best me. At the same time, when opportunities present themselves, I also recognize the timing in that. I wouldn't have it in front of me if it wasn't meant to be. And so then I just kind of embrace that and say, this is happening for a reason. Now, whether this is for an opportunity for me or it's An opportunity for me to give back either way, I'm gonna roll with it. And that my entire life has been about opportunity. Um, I come from super humble beginnings, and there were a lot of people that took time to to improve my path. And I genuinely feel that when I have these moments of like, oh my God, I have so much going on. My daughter needs this, my husband needs that, I gotta do this, I gotta be here, my team, my broker, all these things. You just suddenly feel like, oh my God, how am I going to do this? And it's literally, God, how am I gonna do this? And then you just kind of center yourself and say, I'm not gonna feel guilty about what I can't do right now, because sometimes it's okay to say, right now, like in a marriage, sometimes someone has to give a little bit more to one part of the relationship, right? So it's the same thing. Like right now, I am putting a lot of effort and energy into the ecosystem with helping other agents, and it's not a paying gig, right? So I also have to make sure that I'm balancing that with my clients who I, you know, have promised a certain level of service and they're the ones paying the bills at the end of the day, right? But I also recognize, and in true form, it comes back to us. I literally had a phone call yesterday from someone who was at my Tom Ferry uh elite presentation who wants to put a deal together. So it's like what I'm putting out into the universe and the ecosystem and the people around me, like I know that's gonna come back because she said as soon as she saw that the listing, she's not even from the area. She says, I pulled up the listing and I saw your name. And she says, I knew it was you. She says, I remember double R, double K, right? So she was like, Oh my God, I know her. She's fantastic. And she hasn't even seen the house, but she's already talking to her client about like, oh my God, I totally want to do business with this agent, right? So that to me is okay, it's it's it's bringing, it's coming back, it's full circle. It's these moments of, you know, the same way you reach out to me when you didn't have any expectation from me, right? You were just like, hey, I'm just, I'm just feeling your pulse, right? And then I knew that. Like I knew I had Michelle just really genuinely wanting to know how I'm doing, checking in on me. And then one day I reach back out to you, like, I'm ready and I need you in my life. I was like, What? We were like, Yes, I know. It was so funny because she's like, What? Like, wait, wait, like I think she thought she was getting pranked.

SPEAKER_01:

But to your point, I mean, the Lord puts us where we're all meant to be. So I we could have a whole conversation just on that, but facts are facts. Right. So, but let's talk about that too, because I know that I talked to Courtney and I talk to agents on the daily, right? Just like Erica, that have thriving businesses, that are with independent brokers, that are, you know, have that 90% split or 95% split that are been with them for, I mean, you're you were super committed while you did know you were gonna leave and you had a plan. We talk to agents every day. And they're happy and we're going like, dude, it could be so much better. You just don't know right in our minds. You know what I mean? So, what like what was it for you? I mean, I know what what what it was, but to to just share with our our listeners, what was it for you in that moment where you were like, I have to call Michelle?

SPEAKER_00:

So a couple things had happened. Um, obviously, I had mentioned that I had been with an agent for for many, many years, and we still worked together. Um, obviously, there was no financial exchange anymore, but we considered ourselves still very much teammates and did a lot of business together. And um, he was the reason why I was, and I and I will share, I had been with Remax for many, many years. I have great things to say about my time with them. Um, but I found myself the same way when I was doing business with Mario, he had a very traditional way of doing things, which worked for him for many, many years. And when I said that there was times where I noted of things I wanted to do and replicate from his business model, but there were also things that I felt were missing that I thought could bring value to it. It was kind of the same thing where I started to recognize that because I was in a position where my business was growing so fast, I kind of was just like head down, not really paying attention to the noise around me, including what I was or was not getting from my brokerage. Cause in my mind, I'm I'm successful, I'm doing well, the volume, the GCI is way more than I ever anticipated, right out the door. So it's like what's broke, what's not broke doesn't need to be fixed, right? So that was kind of my mentality, but it was happening so fast that I really didn't come up for air until about six months ago, where I was like, okay, my business is growing. And the same way that I planned for going into the business, I knew that I needed to reevaluate and come up with another plan for the next phase of the business, which was growing. Um, I'm not necessarily thinking like, oh, I'm trying to grow this huge empire of this huge team, but I wanted to have the tools and resources available to me in a way that I wanted to focus on my growth as a team leader, but I also wanted to be able to give them value from the perspective of who we were working with, who we were partnering with. And I recognized right away that I wasn't going to be able to sell them on the Remax brand because I wasn't even convinced myself. Right. So how do you sell that? Right. And, you know, when I recognize the the fees involved, because obviously we all are here to run a business and we do want to be cognizant of the money we're putting out. And at face value, when you know what the splits are, I had a really good split. However, there was a lot of additional fees and all of these things that that I just felt were starting to be like, I'm like, wait a minute, like, okay, I don't mind paying when there's value, right? When there's something that comes back at you and says, like, I I get it, like I this is contributing to that, and I'm benefiting from it. And then I started to recognize I'm like, I'm just literally giving my money away. Like that's that's how it felt. And so I didn't know where I was going yet, but I knew that I was going. So then I just started doing a bunch of research. And my initial motivation was because um the other agent that I was working with, he had suggested I meet with a certain company that he had met with and with the potential idea of him moving too. And he's and I said, Well, I go, that's they're not really on my radar. He says, I know that. He says, but you know me and you know my business so well. I value you and your opinion. I'd like you to meet with them with me so that you can tell me whether or not you think this is the right fit. So I was like, okay, this makes sense, you know, and I I I appreciated that he recognized that I was valuable to him in that situation. So I go and I listen to it. And I have at this point, I had already done research. So when he's telling me things, I was like kind of grilling him back on things of like, like, that's you're saying this now, but this really like it doesn't pencil out. Like I'm just gonna be completely transparent. So I was telling him that, and it was just kind of was one of those moments where I just realized I'm like, I cannot do a brick and mortar. I cannot do a brick and mortar. I'm like, I'm paying for a building that I don't need for my business. Like, I don't need that, and that's what I'm paying for. And I'm like, I started to recognize that. I'm like, I don't need that. Like, I need the resources that I need are not about a building, it's about the people. And I can find that in a different way. So I knew I knew that you guys were in the top two. I didn't tell Michelle to she knew there was a top two. This was like some of the craziest thing, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, I wasn't I was behind the scenes on all this. We were like, come on, pick up.

SPEAKER_00:

I know. I know, I know, I know. So it was just it was it was a couple of things. I mean, the reality of it is for me, like the same way I like to give back and just want to like um anything like rip off and duplicate. Like, why not? Like, why not? It like I enjoy seeing other people successful if I can contribute to that even better. But I also I never want to be the smartest person in the room. I also want to be around people that can motivate me, inspire me, help me to feel like I want to do that. I want to, you know, I want to achieve that, I want to have those same results. And I started to recognize that it wasn't about walking into a building and seeing those people. The same way my clients trust me, where I never meet them. We do Zoom calls, we do phone calls, text, WhatsApp, whatever. Like, I'm like, they trust me to do business this way. Why am I having such a hard time recognizing that I could do this with my brokerage? Like, like that was such a mind shift for me. I'm like, my I do it every day with my clients, never come into my office, you know. Why would I not be willing to do the same thing? So then I just started digging in a little bit deeper. It came down to the final two. And you know, I I will tell you, you did you did good, Michelle, that last weekend. I gotta tell you. So I told her that I was gonna make a decision over the weekend and let her know Monday. So I'm dying because we live in a rural area. So again, Acreage, we don't get deliveries out here. So she sends me a text like, Hey, did you get a delivery? And I'm like, no. And so then I check my I check my cameras. I'm like, well, someone drove by, but like I don't see anything.

SPEAKER_01:

So I Well, by the way, it's like Fort Knox because I saw a picture of the delivery and it's like a metal gate.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm like, Yes, I know residential, like it's known as the compound, but yes, it is um a little intimidating. So I walk around the property and I see like on this gate where like it's like a side, like a side entrance, right? We don't really ever use it, but it's a pedestrian and there's like a bag there. And I'm like, there's flowers sticking out of it. And I'm like, what? So I go and I look at it and I'm like, oh my god, this is so sweet. So she had sent me a super, super genuine, you know, some beautiful wildflowers, some tea, some calming tea, chocolate, who doesn't love chocolate to help me just really relax over the weekend while I made my decision. And she, I think she even texts, like, I feel like you've already made your decision, you're just really holding out on me or something. I think she sent me something like that. And I was like, no, I really, you know, I like the same way, like I just need to pray on it. I need to think about it. Like, even though I've made a business decision, then I kind of go into the spiritual and emotional part of it to make sure that this is what feels good inside, not just on paper. And so, yeah, that, but that was super sweet. And just, and you know, it's just another adding layer of like, these are my people. Like, like the first thing my my daughter said was like, you would totally do that. Like, that's a you move, mom. Like that was you, like to think about what would help for her through the weekend. And so then I was like, you know what, these are my people. Like I already knew Michelle was one of my people when we met um a few months back in person, right? It was like we had all these things in common, so many alignments, and it just felt so good and natural. But um, but yeah, so I I I made the move and you know, it was a really big step, not just because it's a new brokerage, but because, you know, I'm growing. I'm growing in a way that just feels like everyone keeps telling me, like, you don't understand, this is not normal, this is not normal. And I'm like, it's my normal though. Like, that's all I know, right? I don't know any different. And so that kind of for me was like knowing that this growth, this opportunity, all of this is happening. And I just feel like I'm it's happening now because I'm with the people that it's meant to be happening with. And that just feels so good to me that like this is it. This is this is what we're doing together, ladies. And it had to be now, not three years ago and when you first reached out to me. Like, I just wasn't ready for this to to to do what needed to be done. So it's timing, timing.

SPEAKER_01:

So you see why we named the organization now nation and the podcast now making moves in real estate, because that is what Courtney and I fundamentally believe is you know, when you're ready, make the move now.

SPEAKER_00:

Now it's now so and the irony of it it was was that my my date wasn't supposed to be till January one. And then I called her and I said, Look, I go, I know, I know this sounds crazy. I said, Chris, but I have family in town and you know literally craziness. I'm like, I know this sounds crazy. I said, but I need to move it up. She's like, when I'm like, in two days. I know. And she's like, she's like, yeah, sure. Let me see, let me see what I can do. But but you know what? That's just a testament to the organization because we cooled it off. We absolutely got it all figured out. It was done quickly, you know, it was it was an emotional um just burden that I was carrying with me that and I didn't want to have that through the holidays. I wanted to have just this just pure great feeling and energy because I was so excited about the move. And this is like the hard part, what like the timing with everybody, and they're like, okay, do I make the move now? Do I make the move now? It's the fear of the hard part that just really holds you back, right? And so in that part, the hardest part for me was not making the move, it was having the conversation with my broker, saying, like, hey, look, I'm I'm I'm moving on. And and it was rough. It was, it was rough, it was not what I expected. And I'm glad that I moved the timing on it because I'm like, you know what? I I was able to get through that while my family was in town. We just pushed right through it. We did a lot of things that made me just feel more confident about the decision that I was making. And, you know, you recognize people and who they are, not just in the good times with the bad times. And that was a really big testament for me in that move to make the decision to leave earlier and recognize that, you know, that that absolutely needed to be done before the holidays, and it was good. And I just came in on Jen, like it wasn't even January 1. I think it was like December 20th. And I'm like, let's go. Like I was just ready. And I'm like making deals during the holidays. Like we were just just so ready. Like it was like no more deals with you know, my other brokerage. We're just pushing forward. We're we're moving in a different direction with the right energy, and it was great. It was really, really good. And you know, like any different, you know, phase in your life, there's gonna be ups and downs with the changes. And I have to tell you, there really hasn't been any downs. There's been learning curves, you know, which, you know, as as we get older, they seem to feel a little curvier, you know, a little bit more challenging. Um, but nothing that we couldn't uh sort through. And I think it's been great. I'm really excited. And, you know, this is the energy and um connection that I'd even gotten from, you know, the upline in Now Nation has been phenomenal. Getting texts from everyone, my God, you guys killed it. Like I was so nervous about going on stage at Tom Ferry. Like, who wouldn't be nervous, right? Like first time ever, and I'm first time ever speaking like that, and I'm doing it at Tom Ferry, right? So, and I got all this love via text from so many people. And, you know, even the intro that I asked help for on, you guys were all there, you showed up, and and I feel it. I really, really do the energy, and it's good, it's good. And I'm I'm I'm hoping that I am gonna be able to do the same back into the now nation family and give back and be, you know, a contributor to other people growing as well. So good.

SPEAKER_01:

You already are. You already are before I before we wrap up, Courtney, did you want to say anything else before I the only thing I was thinking about as you were talking, you know, we have like Michelle said, we're talking to agents daily, and it's often conversations that we have with agents that we have for a long period of time since we've talked about the timing. And the one thing that we see in common is once you have made a mental shift and are you mentally know you're ready to make a decision, you have one foot out the door. And a lot of people think I'm gonna wait till a certain time to pull the band-aid off and to do it because you nailed it. It's because that conversation's difficult and nobody likes to have difficult conversations. But if you have one foot out the door mentally, your business is completely stalled, if not going backwards until you do it. That's exactly what I said do it. Move it up. That was great. I thought that was so great. You enjoyed your holiday. You were able to come into your move on a very positive, you know, with a meant positive clarity. And I think that's good for other agents to hear because it's it's true, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and I do. I think and you know, the the big the the elephant in the room is it it's a tough conversation to have, but I always say choose your hard, right? So a lot of people I I continuously hear that from so many people choose your heart. It's either a hard conversation or you're gonna remain in the hard situation. So which one is better, right? So for me, I was like, you know, I I went in with a mentality of I don't want this to be about I'm leaving you because you're not good enough. It's I I want this conversation to be about gratitude for the time I did spend here and recognizing that I've come to a point in in my career that I'm making a different decision. It's I I I couldn't tell you if it's better or not right now, but right now it's just a different decision. And I really wanted it to focus on that, you know, and it's it's trial and error. Some people, you know, they lead with emotion and they react that way. And other people's principles and and who they are and their character come out in those moments. And I'm I'm happy to say that, you know, um, who I am with my clients, who I am with my family, who I am in stressful situations is going to be constant and consistent. And that moment made me realize that I was not doing business with the person I thought I was doing business with. And that that was a little bit of a pill to swallow. But I think that that's what you just have to recognize. That conversation, no matter how close you are to that person, no matter whatever it is, like that is a tough conversation. It is, but the but the consequences of not having that conversation are even tougher. That's the way I saw it. And that's why I just said, you know what? I I knew I was done. I I couldn't just go in there one more day and act like I was fully invested in my business doing it there. So that's why I said, let's just move on.

SPEAKER_01:

And you did. And look at now. I mean, can we end on this? Like, what's next, Erica Pies? I mean, almost the entire year ahead of you. Look what all yeah, we're beginning of February. What is that were you?

SPEAKER_00:

A couple things. Um, obviously, my my goals are bigger this year. I want to help between 55 and 60 families. That's still the heart of what I do, is I love this business. Uh, but in addition to that, like I said, when opportunity calls, I'm I'm I'm gonna answer. And in this particular uh situation, you know, Michelle's been really, really great navigating this with me. But um, we did have a couple of, you know, people that seem to be really interested in my methods and what I'm doing as an agent and my growth. Um, I track everything and I document it so I have the data to back up that what I'm doing works. So we are definitely going to be doing a series of webinars and inviting more agents to log on and learn. And um, in addition to that, I'm launching my YouTube channel. Um, so I'm really excited about that. We just started that this week. We um we did a couple of videos. Yeah. Yeah, I know. So it's been a lot this week. Let's see. This week I recorded my first YouTube video. I had my first big time webinar, my first podcast. Like, let's just, you know, what else can we do this week, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Just, you know, the virginizing you and all the things. No, no. I feel I feel so experienced now, ladies.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you. You're welcome.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, for all of our listeners that listen to your um story, which by the way, you're a great storyteller. You told a wonderful story about your career. You told a wonderful story about your journey to joining Now Nation. Um, so for those that are listening that want to get in touch with you to learn more about you, learn more about your organization, learn more about um all the things that you're doing. Where can they find you?

SPEAKER_00:

So, as always, you can visit us at ericapies.com. Don't forget it is double R Double K. So you have to make sure. You're spelling it right, but at Realtor Erica on Instagram is a great way also to connect with me. Um, I'm gonna be launching a lot of new stuff and new content in the coming weeks, so I'm just really excited and look forward to connecting to a lot more people everywhere, like literally all over the country and beyond. I have I have people out of the country that reach out to me. So I'm I'm there for you.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh yeah, I don't know, Courtney. I mean, I see exp con stage, agreed. I see international growth. Yes. I see Cabo stage too. Cabo, I mean all the stages of EXP. Um, I see revenue share just organically happening. I I definitely do. We do. We, I mean, Courtney sees what I see for sure. Um, and we're just super blessed and grateful that you are with us and we will support you and everything um that you choose to do. And I can't wait to meet your family at some point. I know soon this summer for sure.

SPEAKER_00:

Come out to the compound.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, yeah, I might not come back. I want to see this compound. I'm gonna see this compound. We're coming down to you. There you go. You got it anytime. All right, thanks, Eric. I want to say one thing to our listeners. Our YouTube channel for this podcast has changed our title now. You can find us much more easily. It's just our now nation. Our now nation. And all of our episodes are on there, and of course, Erica's will be on there shortly. So make sure you subscribe and like it and share it with other realtors because we're always looking for other speakers or content that you guys want to hear. We will deliver. So just let us know. And follow all things twists, ask the general. Thanks, everybody.