Beth Matthews, on Living a Life you Design

Beth Matthews is a real estate professional, founder, and owner of Envision Real Estate in Buffalo, New York. She's a distinguished leader who believes in creating a positive work culture for her team, while achieving ambitious sales goals. She leads by example and is also committed to lifting other women entrepreneurs.

She took a break and disconnected from work for a weekend to explore what truly makes her happy. She came away with 4 Pillars... Four areas of her life and work that she truly values. Naming and claiming these Pillars gave her the permission she needed to say "No" to those things that weren't really of service. And to restructure her business, team, and life to be in alignment. Saying "No" to those things really opened her business and her life to allow more abundance and greater service for others.

Through this process, she also shares how to set aside outside expectations and pressures... How we can live a life that we design rather than one that we think is expected of us.

If you feel any of the pressures Beth and I talk about, consider chatting with someone with experience in working through these obstacles. I'd be honored to have a chat with you to help you find your joy and discover what's next. You can contact me through my website or social media sites. 

Beth also shares some fun and ummmm... surprising stories from the real estate world. 

To connect with Beth:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/envisionrealestatewny/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/envisionrealestate1

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuI6pDusoZyJ-uKNEsPO2dg

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@envisionrealestate

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-matthews-9335a139/

Website: www.seeingyouhome.com

Website: https://letsgetitbooked.com/beth-matthews/

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Transcript

Beth Matthews

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:00:38] Speaker: Beth Matthews is a real estate professional and owner of Envision Real Estate in Buffalo, New York. She's a distinguished leader who believes in creating a positive work culture for her team while achieving ambitious sales goals. She leads by example and is also committed to lifting other women entrepreneurs.

[00:00:55] She took a break and disconnected from work for a weekend to explore what truly makes her happy. She came away with four pillars, four areas of her life and work that she truly values. Naming and claiming these pillars gave her the permission she needed to say no to the things that weren't really of service, and to restructure her business, team, and life to be in alignment.

[00:01:16] Saying no to those things really opened her business and her life to allow more abundance and greater service for others. Through this process, she also shares how to set aside outside expectations and pressures, how we can live a life that we design rather than one that we think is expected of us. If you feel any of the pressures Beth and I talk about, consider chatting with someone with experience in working through these obstacles.

[00:01:40] I'd be honored to have a chat with you and help you find your joy and discover what's next. You can contact me through my website or social media sites. Beth also shares some fun and surprising stories from the real estate world. I hope you enjoy today's episode. Here is Beth Matthews. 

[00:01:59] Penny Fitzgerald: Hi Beth. 

[00:02:03] Beth Matthews: Hi Penny. How are you? I'm good. How are you? Great. Thank you. Good. It's 

[00:02:08] Penny Fitzgerald: nice to 

[00:02:08] Beth Matthews: meet you. Nice to meet you too. I was reading the description of the podcast, like a week or two ago and I was like, Oh my gosh, this is so up my alley. What a great concept. 

[00:02:20] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, thank you. Thank you. Yeah. I, um, I just want to tell women's stories and lift you up and, um, support each other and, um, yeah, have a fun time doing cocktails.

[00:02:29] Yeah. Why not? Yeah. Well, tell us a little bit about you. 

[00:02:36] Beth Matthews: Sure. So, um, I jokingly say I'm a reformed drug dealer legally. I was in the pharmaceutical sales field for several years and, um, the corporate environment wasn't my, uh, cup of tea. So I had dabbled in real estate when I was completing my bachelor's degree, really just as something to do to make a little bit of money while I was finishing school.

[00:02:59] Um, and then I being pulled back to it. So I ended up returning to the industry in 2008...2009. which was not an ideal time because the market was really difficult. Yeah. Um, but I pleaded with my husband at the time and I said, just give me two years. If I can't replace my income and not disrupt our lifestyle, I'll give up the dream, but I have to at least try and I figured if I could make it when the market was down, then I'd have longevity.

[00:03:29] So here I am whenever 15 years later and I think approved my point. 

[00:03:33] Penny Fitzgerald: That's fantastic. Congratulations. So, and you're in Buffalo, right? In the Northwest New York, 

[00:03:42] Beth Matthews: upstate New York. Uh, good old Buffalo. Yeah. Love the community. I just don't like winter, which I know is very intuitive. 

[00:03:51] Penny Fitzgerald: Same. 

[00:03:51] Beth Matthews: Yeah. Where are you located Penny?

[00:03:53] Penny Fitzgerald: Well, I'm in Iowa for summers and grew up here and like you, I'm not, the older I get, the less I like cold and snow. 

[00:04:01] Beth Matthews: Yeah. 

[00:04:03] Penny Fitzgerald: So we bought a place in Sarasota, Florida about seven years ago. 

[00:04:08] Beth Matthews: Nice. 

[00:04:08] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. And so we get there when we, when we can, and I'm there more often than my husband, cause he's still, his work, requires him to be here during, he's a, works with farmers.

[00:04:18] So he'll be here during planting and harvest seasons. But, um, like in the winter months, he can be down there for a few weeks. Anyway, he can be down there with me. So 

[00:04:26] Beth Matthews: it's, you have the flexibility to, 

[00:04:28] Penny Fitzgerald: yes, 

[00:04:30] Beth Matthews: beautiful. I, um, I'm about three years behind you. My youngest is a freshman in high school. And I've been counting down winters in Buffalo since she was little, so.

[00:04:41] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh my gosh. Yeah. Well, that's an exciting time though, to see them in there. 

[00:04:47] Beth Matthews: One that's a freshman in college, well, actually just finished her freshman. She got home Friday and it's a freshman in high school. 

[00:04:54] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, good for you. Those are fun. That's fun. Fun. Um, exciting. And, um, also a little, uh, stressful maybe?

[00:05:02] Beth Matthews: Yeah. Everyone's like, Oh, are you so excited to have Ava home for the summer? And I'm like, I don't know. Talk to me in a week, like separately for a year. And, um, you know, she has a level of independence now that is hard for me to enforce, you know, the curfews and things. And so I'm like, I don't know. We'll see how it goes. 

[00:05:20] Penny Fitzgerald: It's different. It's kind of, yeah. Navigating that, the changes through all of that. I call those my gin years. 

[00:05:28] Beth Matthews: Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes. Yeah. How many children do you have? 

[00:05:31] Penny Fitzgerald: Uh, we have two boys. Um, okay. And they are now adults and both living on their own. Very successful. And we're just. And they're super fun to hang out with, you know, they're, they're very, um, fun people and, um, gosh, we're, we're very fortunate.

[00:05:47] I think we have, um, one with a family in, uh, Rolling Meadows, just outside of Chicago, one of the suburbs and the others in Mumbai, India. 

[00:05:56] Beth Matthews: Wow. 

[00:05:57] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Yeah. So, um, we'll see him this summer though. So I'm really excited to see him. He teaches school in an American Academy there in Mumbai. So yeah, we get to see them.

[00:06:07] Yeah. 

[00:06:08] Beth Matthews: Yeah. I like my kids as they get older too. Yes. It's fun to hang out with. And you know, they, they need you when they're little, but they need you in a different manner as they get older. 

[00:06:17] Penny Fitzgerald: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Navigating all that. And for them too, you know, they're learning their way and finding their path.

[00:06:26] So yeah, So you, um, you're a realtor now and have been doing this for around 15 years or so, you said, do you specialize in 15 

[00:06:36] Beth Matthews: years? 

[00:06:37] Penny Fitzgerald: Cool. Cool. Do you have a certain niche that you work with Tell us a little bit more about your practice Yeah. So 

[00:06:42] Beth Matthews: I, um, I grew a team. I essentially, my business got to a point where independently I couldn't manage the workload.

[00:06:49] So I was either going to have to take on less clients or offer a lower level of service. And neither of those was really an option for me. So I started to leverage and bring in some people to support me. Um, and then it was kind of a training and mentorship. So they got a lot of on the job training that way.

[00:07:05] Okay. And over time I ended up going independent and actually running my own brokerage. The broker I was with was acquired by a big company and it started to feel a little corporate to me again. So I needed to venture out on my own. Um, and then just recently I made the decision to contract to more of a team dynamic and align with a new broker.

[00:07:26] Um, largely because the marketplace is shifting and there's a, you know, there's a lot in the news about the National Association of Realtors and lawsuits, and I'm like, that's not why I got into this. You know, I don't want to deal with all the legalities and liabilities and even some of the operational stuff isn't really my, My specialty and what I love to do.

[00:07:46] So I was fortunate. I was looking at some options and I found a brokerage that I felt was really aligned with me. And so it's, um, it's been a, it's been a journey, but it's been a lot of fun because I think through that process, I really had to become honest with myself about. what I enjoy, what I don't enjoy.

[00:08:05] You know, sometimes there's some ego involved, like I'm the owner of this business. And then six years in, I was like, I don't even care. Doesn't even sound like it's as much fun. And it forced me to get back to my roots. 

[00:08:18] Penny Fitzgerald: Well, what does bring you the most joy? What do you love the most about it?

[00:08:21] Beth Matthews: So I have a great coach and one of the things he had me do is to actually disconnect for a weekend and do a lot of, um, reflection, visualization and say, when, when were you happiest? Try to find four focus areas in your life that you want to focus on. So I love working with buyers and sellers. I still love meeting clients and helping make the deal and get them through that, that phase of life, which is usually prompting somebody to move.

[00:08:46] Um, I love training and developing agents. I love my family and creating memories with them. So I want to be. travel with them and then I need to focus more on my own health and well being because that definitely took a backseat to Everybody and everything else for a number of years. Yeah So, um, I I've now designed my life and my calendar around those four pillars And I work very hard to say no to anything that doesn't fit in those four pillars 

[00:09:12] Penny Fitzgerald: That's amazing.

[00:09:13] I, that's so, I think so common for women, especially we take on a lot and don't say no to enough things. You have to take care of yourself first so that you can take care of others. 

[00:09:25] Beth Matthews: Yeah, and 

[00:09:26] Penny Fitzgerald: that you can be present. Wow. Good for you. Congratulations on that too. That's amazing 

[00:09:31] Beth Matthews: Yeah, and it was interesting that I felt like I almost needed somebody to give me permission to do that Which if you know me, I'm usually more of a beg for forgiveness than ask for permission type But you do you start to kind of take on this identity of what people expect of you, uh huh a very hard time separating Who I truly was and what I truly wanted from the role that I played, the title that I had, the expectations of, of the people around me.

[00:09:57] And, um, you know, I, somebody gave me permission to be a little bit selfish. 

[00:10:02] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. And really that was selfless to do that. Yeah. 

[00:10:06] Beth Matthews: And, um, I think everybody's happier, you know, for some people, no longer the right fit for them. And they got to move on and, and find the path that makes sense for them. And well, that, um, I'm still in alignment with, we're thriving and having fun at work and my family's happy because there was a period of time where my fiance is like, I've actually forgotten what it's like to see you smile or hear you laugh.

[00:10:31] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, wow. 

[00:10:34] Beth Matthews: Yeah, 

[00:10:35] Penny Fitzgerald: that hit you. 

[00:10:36] Beth Matthews: Yeah, it did. 

[00:10:37] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. And how hard was it to unplug? 

[00:10:40] Beth Matthews: Very. 

[00:10:42] Penny Fitzgerald: I 

[00:10:44] Beth Matthews: gave the same advice to a friend recently and I said, it will be the hardest thing you do is to learn to sit with yourself. 

[00:10:50] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, wow. 

[00:10:51] Beth Matthews: I think a lot of times we use, um, you know, busy is sometimes busy is very legitimate, but a lot of times busy is a crutch.

[00:10:59] Busy is a crutch to avoid some of the fundamental or foundational things that are going on that we don't want to have to address. 

[00:11:07] Penny Fitzgerald: Well, and busy keeps you from remembering. Like if you don't, like most of us, I think we, we have a dream We want to make an impact in the world.

[00:11:17] And things get in the way life gets in the way, you know, you just take on other things and then you get to a point where, okay, now I'm so busy that I don't remember what it was that, that lifted me up or that, that I wanted to do, what impact did I want to make and then, you know, keeping busy keeps, keeps me busy.

[00:11:36] You don't have to think about it. 

[00:11:38] Beth Matthews: Yep. You don't have to realize. 

[00:11:39] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. You don't have to realize that. Oh, I haven't done that yet. 

[00:11:43] Beth Matthews: I'd say it's kind of like, um, kicking up dust, right? Cause then you don't really pay attention to all the things that are going on around it. And then the dust settles and you're either left with some realizations or you just kick up dust again, which I was definitely guilty of kicking up dust with some of the fundamental things.

[00:12:00] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. And good for you that you're doing it now. Well, and no time is too late. Agreed. Yeah. 

[00:12:07] Beth Matthews: Um, my, my father is, you know, very influential in my life and I remember having a conversation with him. And saying, I just don't want to feel like I'm taking steps backwards and he's like, it's not backwards. If it's what's right for you, people change businesses, change industries, change.

[00:12:26] He's like, and it's the people that end up in a tough spot because they don't want to make the necessary changes for what's coming, whether it's personal or professional and then they're behind the 8 ball. So it's like, you can't look at it. Like, you're taking a step back when ultimately you're taking steps towards your goals.

[00:12:44] Penny Fitzgerald: Right, right, and then the next thing will come into focus and be more clear. You're able to take steps towards that. 

[00:12:51] Beth Matthews: Yep. 

[00:12:52] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh my gosh. 

[00:12:53] Beth Matthews: It's definitely been my experience. When I learned to let go of a lot of these things, I felt like all of a sudden there was, you know, a lot more abundance, you know, really striving towards became a lot more clear.

[00:13:05] And then a lot of the people in my world just started showing up at a higher level and, and it's, um, never ceases to amaze me, even though I've been through that phenomenon a few times. It's You know, letting go of what doesn't serve you, create space for the things that do. 

[00:13:19] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. The things that were hiding in plain sight.

[00:13:23] Wow. Yeah. So what are you, um, what are you working towards or what, what has made itself clear to you now? What are you going forward toward? 

[00:13:33] Beth Matthews: And so I've re engaged back into the business and for a while I was out of production because I was more of the, I'm still a leader, but I'm now leading by example.

[00:13:43] And I find that the agents that are on my team. Are thriving because of it, because, you know, a lot of times we, we learn from those around us, but we learn by watching what they do. So, I realized that when I stopped just telling them what to do and showed them the right way to do it, they're all thriving, which is great.

[00:14:01] And then I've, um, I've been doing some speaking engagements around the country because I really love the training and development aspect. And I found that I can have the biggest impact if I go outside my immediate borders and, um, and the way things work now with Zooms and everything else. There's so much accessibility to help people.

[00:14:24] Um, and I remember what it was like getting into the business. It's a very interesting industry because my competition today could be my ally tomorrow when it comes time to try to make a transaction work. And, uh, but it's, it's a little bit guarded, um, where nobody in my office when I first joined wanted to know my name.

[00:14:45] When I was very, when I was a brand new agent, kind of said, well, there's such a high turnover that we didn't pay attention to anything. And that's, there was around for 6 months or more. And when I started building my own team, I decided that I didn't want to take that approach. I wanted everybody to feel welcome.

[00:15:02] But that also comes with, um, there's a standard to be in our world. You know, we operate at a very high level and, um, and it's okay if you're, you know, a little bit more of a hobbyist, but it doesn't fit our model. So by getting back into alignment with what my standards are, um, I find that I'm attracting the right people.

[00:15:19] And then even beyond, you know, Western New York, um, I, I have a tendency to go to a conference and just Find people that are operating at the same level and learning and growing together and sharing information with each other. And it's fun again. 

[00:15:36] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. That has to be fun in my, in my book. It has to be fun.

[00:15:41] Beth Matthews: Yeah. 

[00:15:42] Penny Fitzgerald: Well, and I've, I've heard too, that you're the, the sum of the five people you hang around with most. So that's super important to be around to, to create that standard. And then to have it around you, everyone elevates, I believe. 

[00:15:56] Beth Matthews: 100%. And it's something I've become very cognizant of in the last probably six months as I've traveled.

[00:16:03] Um, I joke now, I'm like, I get on a plane to be around my friends, but it's so uplifting in so many ways because I'm, I'm surrounded by people that are showing me what's possible. 

[00:16:14] Penny Fitzgerald: Yes. The vision and, and the accountability. 

[00:16:18] Beth Matthews: Yes. Yep. And, um, they're all, we're all cheering for each other. There's no animosity or scarcity mindedness, you know, they're the first ones to cheer me on and vice versa.

[00:16:31] And, and there's a level of, um, openness and vulnerability that I can share with them because there's no judgment. They're like, yeah, we went through that and here's how we got through it. Or here's how you avoid the next step of our next pain point. Um, and I find that as I continue down this path, I'm attracting a lot more of those people.

[00:16:52] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, that's great. Wow. What, what would you, um, suggest or what, what advice would you give to a new agent that wants to follow in your footsteps? 

[00:17:05] Beth Matthews: Um, I think any new agent needs to understand that this is still a job and I don't mean that in a bad way, but I think a lot of people are like, well, I'm going to get my real estate license because nobody's going to tell me when I have to be in the office.

[00:17:19] And when I don't, um, we are all independent contractors. So that's very much true. I can't, I cannot tell you. when to show up and when not to and hold you to that. Um, but part time efforts will yield part time results. And also there's a lot of different models of brokerage team and a few things in between that I think, uh, sometimes new people get really fixated on what their commission split is going to be with their brokerage.

[00:17:47] And I encourage them to look at the denominator because it may offer you a high a higher split, But if you're not receiving any value in return, um, you really do need a higher level of support when you're first getting started. And, um, I'm guilty of that. You know, I, I'm speaking from experience from going to the brokerage that promised me, you know, the, the top dollar, but really what that meant was a I independently was responsible for all of my training, all of my education, all of, and I really didn't have any guidance.

[00:18:19] So various models, they work for different people at different stages of their career. But I do think for a brand new person, they need to find somebody that can offer a high degree of training and mentorship. 

[00:18:31] Penny Fitzgerald: Right. Yeah. There, well, you gained some of that with experience, but how do you, yeah, as a new person, how would you find that without Exactly.

[00:18:41] Exactly. Yeah. That's so true. What you were saying that, um, I used to tell my team that your hours are flexible, but not optional. 

[00:18:48] Beth Matthews: Yes. I love that. 

[00:18:50] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. You'll find when it works for you and your family, but, um, you've got to put in your time and find the right connections and build some partnerships.

[00:18:59] Beth Matthews: Yes. Yeah. And the partnerships are valuable. You know, I, I've operated very independently for a good portion of my career and I realized that I was making things harder on myself than I needed to. I have people out there that you can get in alignment with who are going to show you the way, um, let you learn from their missteps.

[00:19:21] And, um, now I get to pay it forward. 

[00:19:23] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, that's great. Yeah, I think in any industry, you have to build the relationships and those are what's going tosustain you. They're going to encourage you and support you lift you up and you can pay it forward. 

[00:19:36] Beth Matthews: That's the goal. 

[00:19:38] Penny Fitzgerald: Nice. All right. So are you, you're licensed in New York then, of course, but are you able to sell in other states or are you, are you focused mainly on New York or are you growing in other areas?

[00:19:50] Beth Matthews: So, right now, I am focused on New York and it's interesting because I am licensed across the state, but the Western New York or upstate New York market is. Very different than downstate Manhattan, so I don't venture a, it's a very long drive and b, it's a completely different environment in terms of how their process works.

[00:20:09] Um, but my objective, the brokerage that I'm with is licensed across all of the United States and most of Canada, so I do have the option to. expand. So my next step is likely to, my intention is to get licensed in the state of Arizona. I'm looking forward to not spending winters in Buffalo. Yes. My oldest daughter is in college out there and I've made a few trips and I like the area very much.

[00:20:37] So, um, ideally I'll get to when the market's quiet in Buffalo is when there's a lot of snow and we're a very seasonal market. So then I can hop on a plane and, and operate out of a warm climate and then return in time for our busy season and our summers, which are beautiful. 

[00:20:53] Penny Fitzgerald: That sounds like a perfect plan.

[00:20:56] Beth Matthews: Yeah, it sounds like a plan you have, Penny. 

[00:20:58] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah, exactly. I love it. Yeah. And, and that we can make our own choices there. I'm just, I feel so. grateful for 

[00:21:08] Beth Matthews: that. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, um, I joke now, like I'm completely unemployable after being self employed for so long. Could you imagine having to go back into a more traditional environment?

[00:21:21] And yes, he said many times I work longer hours, but it doesn't feel like it because it is my terms. 

[00:21:29] Penny Fitzgerald: Exactly. Our terms and we're working with people we choose to work with. We're having fun along the way. 

[00:21:35] Beth Matthews: Yes. 

[00:21:37] Penny Fitzgerald: Absolutely. I just saw on your social media that you were recently in Scottsdale. Did I see that you had a speaking engagement there or you won an award?

[00:21:45] Um, I was 

[00:21:46] Beth Matthews: with a group of women. Uh, there is a group that I'm a part of called She Inc., and it's not all real estate professionals, although there's a healthy number of us. And it's, um, high achieving women that are all supporting each other and learning everything from how to be more mindful and healthy to how to generate wealth.

[00:22:05] Penny Fitzgerald: Um, and it was just, it was a blast. You know, I think sometimes we all say it can be lonely, but Actually, when you end up, you know, kind of evolving beyond a group of friends that you previously had, that when you put yourself in rooms with people that are all doing things that you strive for, or that you can help with, um, it's, it's magic. You can never have too many friends either. 

[00:22:32] Beth Matthews: No, no. And, uh, yeah, these women are great and it's interesting to me. All, most of us were meeting for the first time that weekend and without a shadow of a doubt, I've, I've generated some lifelong friendships from, and, uh, being with like minded women. Oh, 

[00:22:48] Penny Fitzgerald: that's so important.

[00:22:49] Yeah. It's powerful. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I feel like I, you have friends that you've had for life, but they may be in a different place in the moment. Yeah. And I, you know, I think that happens so commonly. I think some of us have, you know, have grown, have had children and our kids parents become our friends.

[00:23:13] And then, um, yeah, you, you get back to, uh, like who you hung out with in high school, who you had friends with in college and reconnect with some of them. And some of the friends you've had through businesses and yeah, they're all important in different, in different ways and lift you up in different ways.

[00:23:31] Beth Matthews: Absolutely. And I think sometimes we put a lot of, um, negative pressure on maintaining the friendships. to the caliber that they were, but the reality is grow and evolve. And, um, I can honestly say that there are people that have been really important in my life that we may not be as close today. Um, but that's okay because I was on a path and they were on a path and I still have nothing but love for them.

[00:23:56] Absolutely. That, you know, but sometimes the outside perception is, Oh, well, you used to be so close, what happened? And it's like, well, life 

[00:24:06] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Yeah. And they, it doesn't negate the friendship that you had or doesn't diminish that in any way. It's just, um, a different season of our lives that are, 

[00:24:17] Beth Matthews: yeah, 

[00:24:18] Penny Fitzgerald: yeah, absolutely. Well, what, what things have I not asked you that you 

[00:24:27] Beth Matthews: Oh, wow. Well, um, we haven't talked about our favorite drinks yet. 

[00:24:31] Penny Fitzgerald: No, of course not.

[00:24:33] Yeah, we'll get to that for sure. 

[00:24:36] Beth Matthews: Um, you know, I think one of the things that I've been sharing a lot and we talked about it early on is, you know, to really take a step back. And not be so focused on what the expectations of you are. I said, for a period of time, I felt like I was playing the role of myself rather than really being myself.

[00:24:57] It, it felt funky. Like I went from a place of truly loving what I do and loving the people that I was doing it with for a number of years. And then all of a sudden I was having the Sunday night scaries. Like I didn't remember like the last time I dreaded a Monday morning and um, it was hard. It was hard to come to terms with that.

[00:25:20] And there was a point in time that I considered just walking away from the business and turning it over to somebody else. Um, but I feel very fortunate that I had the courage to talk to people and talk to somebody, like I said, my coach who gave me such profound advice. advice that, um, I think regardless of where you are in life or what industry you're in, uh, it's important to take a step back and make sure that you're actually living your life by your design and not the expectations of those around you.

[00:25:51] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, wow. How did you come to terms with that? I mean, how did you realize that I need to talk to somebody or I need a coach or I need, I need to figure this out? What, what drove you to that? 

[00:26:01] Beth Matthews: It really stemmed from the Sunday evening, like pit in my stomach. Yeah. I'm fortunate that really hadn't struggled with, you know, like any type of anxiousness in the past.

[00:26:13] And I'm like, what is this feeling? Why is my heart racing? Why am I not sleeping well? Um, and then even, you know, when I think the people that are around you the most, they start to see things shift and change and, um, I was, I was just not happy. And my fiance said it and my daughters noticed it and they're like, mom, what's going on?

[00:26:34] And there were a lot of days and I'm like, I don't, I feel like I can't get out of bed today or I don't want to work today. And, um, just through like, you know, a moment of working with my real estate coach, who, who has become a very dear friend. And we were kind of analyzing some of the data. And I think I made an off the cuff comment, like, you know, I don't even care.

[00:26:55] I don't even know if I want to do this. Anymore. And he's like, okay, let's unpack that. Yeah. And that's all it stemmed from was this, this feeling in my gut that something wasn't right. And I wasn't sure what it was. And so I think sometimes our 1st reaction is to retreat. Is to blow everything up and through that conversation, he helped me realize that, you know, it's not going to be an overnight fix, but you don't have to retreat and you don't have to blow it up.

[00:27:26] There's ways to start to correct the path. And, and I think, you know, probably, my gosh, it's been several months. It's been nearly a year of kind of, um, unraveling some things and having some really honest conversations with those. In my, you know, in my organization and just saying, guys, I haven't been happy.

[00:27:48] Um, I haven't been showing up for you as the leader that I should because of these reasons. And I really need to get back into alignment with why I started in this industry to begin with, which was to change lives and elevate the industry and operate at a higher level. And and so that's what we're going to do.

[00:28:05] And, um, I also had to come to terms with the fact that that wasn't going to be everybody's journey and you hate to see people leave, but I also didn't want anybody to go through the feelings that I was going through that if this wasn't the right place for them with the direction I was taking things, um, I just said, I love you and I want to see you win.

[00:28:24] So how can I help you do that? 

[00:28:27] Penny Fitzgerald: You know, sometimes it takes a good mentor, a good friend to see that in in us. You know, we feel like something's wrong for God's sakes. Listen to your body, you know, I mean the clear signs I had some of those same symptoms in, um, when I was in corporate, so I feel you. 

[00:28:44] Beth Matthews: No, 

[00:28:46] Penny Fitzgerald: it doesn't.

[00:28:47] It doesn't yeah. Headaches every Sunday night. All those things like listen, listen to your body. If there's somebody listening out there that has that there's, yeah, go talk to somebody, please. Yeah. Somebody that can help you unpack that and go, go through, you know, do the work to figure out, you know, what is going to make you happy.

[00:29:06] And I think a lot of people feel stuck, you know, because you're. You have this successful career or you have this, this thing that is supporting your family. And then how do you, well, it would be selfish of me to go look for help or to get outside of this thing that's paying me. Yeah. But you know, like you were talking about before, you have to readjust sometimes and sometimes it feels like a step back or in your mind, you're, you're, that's what you're calling it is a step back when really it's not.

[00:29:36] It's, you know, It's an, it's an overview. It's a drone level view of what's happening so that you can make the adjustments and move yourself forward and be happy. 

[00:29:46] Beth Matthews: Yeah. It's, it might be a short term sacrifice, but it's for a longer term gain. 

[00:29:51] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And it's, it's not a selfish thing to be happy because the happiness comes first.

[00:30:00] I feel like you're, when you're in a place where you are whole. That's when you start making the, the shifts in what you're doing, if you're happy, you're making, you're moving towards something that's going to continue to pay you and to be, you know, supporting your family and 

[00:30:19] Beth Matthews: people feel that energy. Oh, absolutely.

[00:30:23] To become, I became very honest. I was like, okay, now that I understand it and can articulate it, I was like, I'm owning it. I'm taking full ownership of these feelings and I'm not going to be behind, behind a title or a mask of like, you know, I got this because I didn't and I needed to be honest about that.

[00:30:43] Penny Fitzgerald: It takes the power away from the fear when you name it, claim it. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Wow. That I'm just, I'm feeling all your feels. 

[00:30:55] Beth Matthews: Well, that's nice. Like regardless of industry, 

[00:30:58] Penny Fitzgerald: you 

[00:30:58] Beth Matthews: know, whether you're in the workforce, whether you're at home, like there's, I think at various stages of life, we all kind of have these moments where it's time to take a step back and make sure that the path that we started on is the path that we want to continue on.

[00:31:14] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. And that's authentic to you. The path that Yeah. Cause it will call to you. It will, it will become. obvious and yeah, it's getting from point A to point B, but they're, it's more like point A to point G. I 

[00:31:31] Beth Matthews: feel like there's a lot of twists and turns and detours and winding roads along the way and that's okay.

[00:31:37] Yeah. The long stretch of highway gets boring after a while. 

[00:31:40] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Yeah. Right. Exactly. Yeah. You want to see the sites and be, um, surprised along the way. And yeah, For anyone listening to this, I want to encourage you guys to, to think outside the drink outside the bottle, I guess.

[00:32:00] Yeah. Find a new cocktail. Yeah. Cause it does, I mean, it's scary, right? I mean, stepping out of that comfort zone and what, you know, and where do you start and. You know, you can, you can find a coach that is, Aligned with what you wanna do, or you can read some books or start journaling or go online and search for people that you know.

[00:32:26] A lot of us coaches out there on YouTube and having podcasts, 

[00:32:32] Beth Matthews: all of the above are valuable. Yes, I'm an avid reader and I say all the time, I think a book is the, the most generous gift that somebody will take their knowledge and expertise and package it and share it for $20. 

[00:32:45] Penny Fitzgerald: I love that. That's a great way to look at it.

[00:32:48] And it's so true. And there's something for everyone. Yes. So, um, let's do talk about those cocktails.

[00:33:01] What, what is your favorite? 

[00:33:03] Beth Matthews: I am a red wine drinker. Oh, that's my girl. Stems back to my, uh, my ex husband was active duty army. And so he was deployed for a good portion of. the first few years we were married and I was, um, incredibly fortunate to find a group of strong women and we supported each other and still close with several of them.

[00:33:25] But my best friend in the world to this day to somebody that I met at 21, 22 years old, had a ritual of every Thursday night we'd get together and we'd watch Desperate Housewives and we'd share wine. I love it. I love it. It has forever been my go to, um, I, it's, I don't drink as much as I used to just in terms of alcohol in general.

[00:33:50] And I've found like, I love the ritual of certain things. So I'll grab an NAB mocktail, but yet nothing replaces the real thing when it comes to a nice, a nice bottle of wine. Um, so that's more of the nostalgia. And, um, Recently, I have been introduced to Aperol Spritz, which is great. Oh, it's my 

[00:34:15] Penny Fitzgerald: summer go to.

[00:34:17] Beth Matthews: Fantastic. And it's, I actually had my first one in Paris. So different level of nostalgia, but I took my oldest daughter to Paris as her 18th birthday slash high school graduation gift. And in Europe, the drinking age is. whatever. So it was kind of interesting to be sitting in this cafe patio, um, and watch the Parisians walk by and share an Aperol spritz.

[00:34:43] And it was one of those moments that I looked around and said, this is a pinch me moment and something that I'll remember forever. 

[00:34:49] Penny Fitzgerald: Fantastic. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah. They, it brings so much, so many memories when you're sharing a good glass of wine or a cocktail with a, you know, family member, friend. Yeah.

[00:35:00] fabulous location. 

[00:35:02] Beth Matthews: And if you're not enjoying the company, you just keep drinking and then you. 

[00:35:07] Penny Fitzgerald: You're a problem solver.

[00:35:12] Absolutely. Yes. Absolutely. So what's your, what's your favorite red? Do you have a favorite? 

[00:35:19] Beth Matthews: So a kind of an old reliable is I am a cabernet drinker normally, and um, I'm a big fan of Justin Cabernet because I find it's, it's a nice price point that I don't feel like I have to save it for a special occasion.

[00:35:33] Although somebody said to me recently, stop saving the best bottles for the special occasion. Like that, those should be the ones that you just enjoy period. And I was like, okay, I can get behind that. So Justin's probably my go to, but Penny, I feel like you have a few that you could recommend to me. 

[00:35:50] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, absolutely.

[00:35:51] Yeah. And Cabernets from all over the world are. You know, there you have lots of different regions to, to draw from. Yeah. Well, and you know, like your friend said, you don't have to wait for a special occasion, but I, I have my, I, you know, my wines that I drink like my Tuesday wines. Yeah. Yeah. And then something a little more elevated when you have a friend come over.

[00:36:14] Um, but it's fun. It's you with Justin. I feel like that's your house wine. You could call that your house wine and it's elevated already. Yeah. And people will 

[00:36:26] Beth Matthews: enjoy the ritual. We do a date night at home once a week to have a nice meal and a glass of wine and just sit and catch up and see where we're at.

[00:36:35] And in our lives, um, it's one of my most favorite things to do. 

[00:36:40] Penny Fitzgerald: Mm hmm. That's also important to stay connected, you know, and to have that ritual and to share a glass of wine while you're chatting and catching up. That's amazing. I heard another coach, I'm talking about having money dates and they open a glass or open a bottle of wine and have a glass of wine.

[00:36:59] They talk about Financially, what do we want to do this week and what, where do we want to go and what do we want to save and what do we want to spend on? And it's just this casual conversation that they have rather than, uh, making it a thing, making it a big thing. And then their children are seeing that and they're not afraid to talk about money.

[00:37:19] Beth Matthews: That's amazing. Yeah. 

[00:37:21] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. I, I don't know if, how, how did, did you grow up in a household that was pretty open about, um, money matters? Not me either. 

[00:37:29] Beth Matthews: No, no. And I think it's interesting. Um, you know, my parents both worked outside of the home and we were in an upper middle class family. area with great schools, but I think I realized somewhere around middle school that, um, it was a stretch for my parents to have us there.

[00:37:47] Like we didn't have a lot of discretion. There weren't really vacations and family trips. Um, but I, but I never felt it meaning like they never felt the stress of money. Um, But it's largely probably because it just wasn't talked about. I'm sure there was definitely stressful moments with, with money with my family, but it was more like realizing that some of the people around me, um, We're doing things or taking, you know, driving new cars and things like that.

[00:38:14] Um, but honestly, I'm appreciative that those things weren't handed to me. Uh, I, I did a whole like proposal to my father with a financial plan on how I could afford my first car. 

[00:38:26] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, wow. That's great. 

[00:38:28] Beth Matthews: Yeah. 

[00:38:29] Penny Fitzgerald: So 

[00:38:29] Beth Matthews: it taught me a lot about. looking at the money without really attaching to it, which was probably maybe not a lesson that they intended for, but it did.

[00:38:41] And, you know, I, I like nice things, um, but I also like to work for them. So I think having really honest conversation, there's been times through growing a business and, and having, you know, going through a divorce and things contracting that I've literally had to look at my daughters and say, um, no, we can't afford to do that this week.

[00:39:00] And it's okay to say that or bring them into the conversation. Like, yeah, your pizza tonight, then we're not going to be able to go to the movies on Friday. 

[00:39:08] Penny Fitzgerald: Exactly. 

[00:39:10] Beth Matthews: Yeah. So it really wasn't talked about, but I was definitely instilled with working towards what I wanted. 

[00:39:16] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Was, was that your father's idea or yours up to, to show him the financial plan?

[00:39:23] Beth Matthews: It was my idea, but I knew my dad, my dad is a businessman at heart. And so, um, the only way I was really going to get his attention to take this seriously was if I really had a plan. And I don't know that my plan was spectacular. I, I don't recall all of the details of it. Um, but I'm, I think he appreciated the thought process to then turn around and say, Okay.

[00:39:49] Um, and he did help me get the car, but I paid for the car. 

[00:39:54] Penny Fitzgerald: Wow. That's great. I'm sure he was impressed. You know, I'm sure he was like, Oh yeah, that's my girl. 

[00:40:02] Beth Matthews: So I figured out what his hot buttons were pretty early on. Yeah. My mom, I love her to death, but she's a little more like emotionally driven. Like she doesn't need that.

[00:40:12] And I was like, but you know, I was working, I was involved in my school. So it was getting to a point where I think they were like, it would be kind of nice if she had a car so that we didn't have to worry about getting 

[00:40:24] Penny Fitzgerald: her. Yes. Yeah, there comes a point. 

[00:40:26] Beth Matthews: Yeah, sure. With your boys and I know with my girls, I'm like, okay, I'm ready for you to drive.

[00:40:34] Penny Fitzgerald: Mm hmm. Yeah. And I remember with, with the boys, they, when they're in trouble, when they're grounded, so are we. 

[00:40:43] Beth Matthews: Yeah, I'd be so upset if they put me in a position that I had to ground them because they ruined all of our weekends. 

[00:40:49] Penny Fitzgerald: I know, now I can't go play golf with my friends.

[00:40:55] Beth Matthews: It's so true and we, I think it's a perspective that you get when you become a parent. Yeah, absolutely. I'm like, why are my parents so mean? Yeah. Oh, they were suffering too. Exactly. Yeah. 

[00:41:09] Penny Fitzgerald: Wow. Yeah. 

[00:41:10] Beth Matthews: The idea, I think that's. So profound, um, because too many times you wait for something to become a heightened experience before you address it, or if it becomes a regular conversation, then it, it mitigates any of the, you know, animosity that can stem from the alternative.

[00:41:28] Penny Fitzgerald: Exactly. It takes the emotion right out of it. And it brings your power back. So you can. you know, really address anything and talk about what you want, what your hopes and dreams and work together towards something rather than putting out a fire when it becomes a fire. 

[00:41:43] Beth Matthews: Definitely. Yeah. And I think everything just starts with awareness.

[00:41:46] So even like down and figuring out where your money's going, how you're spending. I know I've done that exercise in the past where it's like, okay, really keep track of what you're spending. And it's, I think it's going to be interesting as we've converted to almost a cashless society to see. if that level of discipline continues with the generations, because I still try to take cash out of the bank and use cash so I can be cognizant of things.

[00:42:12] I realized that like my, my daughters don't really have a concept of what that like. 

[00:42:17] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Yeah. I heard some, a friend talking about that recently too. And she, she uses envelopes for everything. She keeps her, her money in different envelopes and one is for entertainment and one is for. you know, lunches. I mean, it's very systemized, but yeah, I, I'm not quite that.

[00:42:36] Um, 

[00:42:37] Beth Matthews: she's got me 

[00:42:38] Penny Fitzgerald: disciplined. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I, yeah. I love the idea of a date night though, to be able to, you know, talk about it with your partner and figure it all out. 

[00:42:48] Beth Matthews: Yeah. 

[00:42:50] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. It was Kate Northrup. If anybody's listening, wants to hear more, she's she's amazing, but yeah. What else would you like to tell everyone, Beth?

[00:43:00] I'm, This has been fabulous. I want to hear more. 

[00:43:05] Beth Matthews: I don't know. Um, I don't know that I have anything really profound to be honest with you, Penny. I honestly, like when we started chatting, I kind of forgot that this was a podcast. I'm like, Oh, I'm just getting to know somebody. Which is good for you because that, that makes it a lot easier.

[00:43:20] I'm just, I'm grateful to be in the space that I'm in today and I take the approach that if my openness and honesty help somebody else realize that maybe they're in that same place, um, yeah, forget all the titles and forget the expectations because I've, I've done it all. And I think there's a lot of people that.

[00:43:40] from the outside looking in really helped me at a certain standard or a higher regard. Not that I haven't accomplished a lot and I've worked hard for many things in my life and I'll continue to, um, but it felt kind of nice to, to shed that skin and, and come out of almost like a rebirth of, okay, now I'm back and, um, clear on my path for now, but that's likely going to change again in the future.

[00:44:04] So it is okay. 

[00:44:06] Penny Fitzgerald: Exactly. Yeah. We put so much pressure on ourselves for. Oh, yeah. Trying to maintain that level or trying to put out, well, look at social media, you know, we, a lot of people get on there and aren't really themselves on social media. And 

[00:44:23] Beth Matthews: it's something that I think, um, I think it's part of why the real estate industry is under attack candidly.

[00:44:29] You know, there's been a lot in the news about, uh, the lawsuits with the National Association of Realtors and, and all of the ancillary suits that have spun off from that. And, you know, I don't, I'm not going to speak to like whether I think it's warranted or not. It is what it is. But I do think that, um, one of the challenges is that in the real estate industry, we're all posing with the sold sign and handing over the keys and smiles.

[00:44:54] And that's great. That is the objective, but we don't tell the story of what it takes to get there. Right. And there's so much involved. And I think that's true with any industry that just because we make it look easy doesn't mean that it was. Yeah, that's not everyone's experience. Um, so 1 of the things that I've been encouraging my agents to do is tell the real story, tell the, the challenges, tell about the deal that fell apart, you know, show the, the home that is, you know, has, you know, A whole bunch of stuff in it from a hoarder, or I joke because we had an agent recently post a home that he walked through and all of a sudden he's showing the house and it's in the, it's in the city of Buffalo and all of a sudden a chicken runs through.

[00:45:35] I mean, these are like, this is the house stuff that really happened. And, um, I think it's so important to tell the real story. Absolutely. I think there's going to be a whole movement. Yes. We love our highlight reels, but I feel like there's a movement coming towards authenticity. 

[00:45:53] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, as it should be, you know, cause that's fun too.

[00:45:55] I mean, it's frightening if you're, if you're in that situation and you're like, Oh, how do you handle that? Yeah. Oh my gosh. That's fun. So do you have any fun stories to share from your experience? 

[00:46:10] Beth Matthews: Yes. I, one of these days I'll write a book and it may not be most, uh, you profound in terms of life altering, but it'll be entertaining.

[00:46:19] Penny Fitzgerald: That's good. We need to be. 

[00:46:21] Beth Matthews: There's been several, um, back when I was showing houses in the military town, a lot of times somebody would have to relocate. Thank you. Their, their duty changed, but they wouldn't have any equity or enough equity in the house for it to make sense to sell. So a lot of times the homes that we went into had tenants in them and a lot of the tenants were young soldiers.

[00:46:44] And so, there was a day that I was showing a property to a family with two young children, and we had all the approvals and everybody's, you know, the house will be vacant. So, And we walked in and there was a young man who was disrobed, sound asleep in the middle of the living room. Oh no. He clearly had too much red wine the night before.

[00:47:07] Oh ha ha. I could try to like, you know, get over the shock and awe, but also shelter the children. I was like, 

[00:47:16] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, it was a family? I 

[00:47:18] Beth Matthews: knew about this one. Oh yeah. Nobody tells you about this when you're getting your real estate license. Um, so that, that was fun. And it's been many years, but that is very vivid in my memory.

[00:47:31] Penny Fitzgerald: You can't forget, you can't unsee it. 

[00:47:34] Beth Matthews: No. How do I give feedback to the agent about this? You know, like I really didn't get a chance to see the house because we were caught off guard by the naked gentleman in the middle of the house passed out on the floor. 

[00:47:49] Penny Fitzgerald: And also thank you for your service. He never woke up either.

[00:47:54] Oh my gosh. He was breathing wasn't he? Yes. 

[00:48:00] Beth Matthews: Yeah, because we got a call later I got a call later from the agent so apologetic. Oh yeah, he had forgotten that there was of course, 

[00:48:07] Penny Fitzgerald: yeah, yeah. young, young man. 

[00:48:11] Beth Matthews: There's, I mean, stories of going to show a house and like falling down the stairs or, you know, it's just life stuff that happens.

[00:48:20] And you learn, you learn to laugh. Yeah. Otherwise, what are you going to do? 

[00:48:26] Penny Fitzgerald: Exactly. Exactly. A number 

[00:48:28] Beth Matthews: of times that a key wouldn't work, that I've climbed through windows. Yeah, it's the, um, the realistic side of real estate versus selling sunsets and a million things I've never seen. You know, those, those aren't fun, but, um, let's just say that I've put on some work boots to traipse through a house.

[00:48:54] Yeah. 

[00:48:54] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh my gosh. It's fun memories when you can look back and laugh at them. 

[00:48:58] Beth Matthews: Yeah. And it's always a great story to tell. 

[00:49:01] Penny Fitzgerald: Absolutely. Yeah. 

[00:49:03] Beth Matthews: Plenty of those stories. And one of these days we'll do a, we'll do a book. It'll be an entire compilation of the, the real estate realities. 

[00:49:12] Penny Fitzgerald: That'll be fun. Well, and it's not only the life things that are the, you know, the funny things to look back on, but then also the, the

[00:49:21] I'm not sure what to call it. The, the stuff that you go through like, the loan falls through or, or, you know. Another buyer comes in and swoops it out from under the,the other buyer. 

[00:49:32] Beth Matthews: A lot of managing emotions for yourself and for your clients.

[00:49:37] And I think sometimes people miss that most people when they make the decision to buy or sell a house, it's because of a life event. And sometimes those life events are very positive, babies, um, graduations, and sometimes they're not. Sometimes it's death and divorce. And so there's, um, there's a lot of emotion that gets tied into these transactions that, um, I've, I've learned to always put the people first.

[00:50:04] because they're, regardless of the house, they're going through something positive or negative. Um, and that's served me well because I think people realize that they have a true advocate in me when I'm willing to put the house and the transaction second to their needs. And I've been through the process myself, 12 times now.

[00:50:25] military experience and then just being an occupational hazard that you move a lot when you have a real estate license because you see it. Oh, that's a 

[00:50:33] Penny Fitzgerald: nice one. Yeah, 

[00:50:34] Beth Matthews: I know that I know the aggravation and the emotions that can go along with that process. So I try to be very cognizant of that. 

[00:50:42] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah, I think that's great piece of advice for any industry.

[00:50:46] Always put the people first. 

[00:50:48] Beth Matthews: Yeah. 

[00:50:49] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. 

[00:50:49] Beth Matthews: And it's not always easy. And, you know, especially when you were trying to console somebody that things didn't go their way. And we're, we're feeling a certain level of disappointment. But I heard a term recently since the five minute funeral, like I have five minutes to mourn this transaction and then I have to get it together and be the advocate for my client that they need me to be.

[00:51:12] Penny Fitzgerald: That's great. That's another good piece of advice for anyone. 

[00:51:16] Beth Matthews: Five minute funeral. 

[00:51:17] Penny Fitzgerald: That's it. Yep. Pity. Party of one. 

[00:51:21] Beth Matthews: How quickly can you drink a bottle of wine? 

[00:51:24] Penny Fitzgerald: Challenge accepted.

[00:51:29] You're not going to savor it. Yeah. Well, and as a new agent, if you're a new agent coming out, that the emotions I'm sure would be more difficult as well. Cause you're. you're building relationships from the ground up. Yeah. You don't have them established yet. So finding someone, you know, finding the people you're going to work with.

[00:51:50] Beth Matthews: It's a really, um, takes a mentally strong individual to get into the industry, in my opinion, because there's very little instant gratification, um, through the industry, but especially when you're getting started, you will put in a fair amount of work before you really start to reap the benefits. And I think that's true of Entrepreneurship in general, you know, there, there's a bit of delayed gratification and if you can come to terms with that, then you likely succeed because then things start to spiral and snowball and you gain some momentum.

[00:52:25] But it's, it's a challenge when you're first getting started and you don't know what you don't know. 

[00:52:31] Penny Fitzgerald: Right. Right. And sometimes that's a good thing. 

[00:52:34] Beth Matthews: It is. Yeah. You don't have any bad habits to break. Right. A lot of, um, younger people get into the industry, which I think is fantastic. I think we can credit all of the reality, reality, quote unquote, TV shows for anything.

[00:52:48] I think it's drawn awareness to real estate as a career option. Uh, but those individuals have a unique set of challenges because most people in their immediate network are also their age and may not be in a position to do that. position that they're buying or selling. So they have to kind of piggyback off of somebody that's got the experience that can help them along 

[00:53:08] Penny Fitzgerald: the way.

[00:53:08] Exactly. Yeah. And, and be willing to start from that ground level and 

[00:53:13] Beth Matthews: put 

[00:53:13] Penny Fitzgerald: in the effort. 

[00:53:14] Beth Matthews: Yeah. Yeah. We prepare people, you know, our objective is to get a new agent into production within 90 days. Um, but being in New York state, we're an attorney state and our closings still take about 60 days from that point.

[00:53:27] So we prepare them at all. you're going to work and likely not receive your first paycheck for six 

[00:53:33] Penny Fitzgerald: months. 

[00:53:34] Beth Matthews: That 

[00:53:35] Penny Fitzgerald: is, it's hard for anyone to be able to sustain their, where they're at. Yeah, you have to, if you have a plan, you just have to have a plan. 

[00:53:46] Beth Matthews: So managing expectations. 

[00:53:49] Penny Fitzgerald: Always. Very good. Beth, thank you so much.

[00:53:54] This has been super fun. 

[00:53:56] Beth Matthews: Yeah. And one of these days we'll meet up, but we'll meet up in Florida. It's beautiful 

[00:54:02] Penny Fitzgerald: right now. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. I wouldn't mind meeting up in Phoenix either someday. So 

[00:54:11] Beth Matthews: not in the summer though. Cause I did do the drop off August and 120 degrees is hot. Even if it is dry heat, even 

[00:54:20] Penny Fitzgerald: There's only so much you can take.

[00:54:21] Yeah. 

[00:54:23] Beth Matthews: Thank you so much, Penny. This has been a lot of fun. Thank you, Beth. 

[00:54:26] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah, it's great to meet you. I'm looking forward to meeting you in person someday. 

[00:54:31] Beth Matthews: Absolutely. Take care. 

[00:54:32] Penny Fitzgerald: You too. Cheers.