The Zero Out Protocol: A New Standard for Accountability

Steven L Burch (00:01.838)
That's all I know. Surveys done.

Ashley (00:04.847)
Yeah, you could do that.

Steven L Burch (00:06.599)
Thank you.

Ashley (00:09.643)
one of those. Good, how are you?

Steven L Burch (00:10.002)
Sorry.

Steven L Burch (00:19.154)
No, I'm

Ashley (00:23.65)
having a hard time following it because it came through like I think that messages came through backwards. That took me a hot minute.

Steven L Burch (00:32.53)
No, like, it was funny because I told Brandon this morning, I was like, she's like a fucking puppy of like, yes, she like her coming up to me and like she knew she was in trouble and then trying to, you know, sweeten up to me or whatever. And then this morning, he sending me that. And then we went further than that. And I was like, I'm not sending all that shit. But basically, like I told her, I mean, I think in that one, I said to her, was like, you know, thank you for sharing this. I too, I'm taking your shit.

like personally and like she finally admitted later on she was like yeah I'm sorry like I'm in bitch mode or something like that and then I just put my head down and you know and I can't accept help and you know I appreciate everything that you're doing blah blah blah blah and then I wrote back like essentially like this is like I understand we're friends but this is our business and yes like I take ownership I continue to tell you that over and over like I

You you shouldn't be working like this. You shouldn't be all over. So like, this is not a you issue. But if you're not going to be a part of the solution, that means you're part of the problem. And if you're in my way and being part of the problem, you already know what's gonna happen next.

Ashley (01:48.491)
percent.

Steven L Burch (01:49.581)
She was like, no, I totally understand. I mean, it was this big old thing, you know, further on it. She was like, in two months, you know, I know all this is going to be great. You know, we're going to look back at this and we'll have real life things that we can share of how difficult it is to change and realize how far deep in the ships you are. And I was like, yeah, well, I hope so. Because I, in the last three weeks, I've worked every single day to include the fourth. Like I've worked.

many many many many hours. I have many things ready to go but you're holding me back. So Monday alone I was there from 6 30 to 10 o'clock at night working on shit. So if you don't think that I'm working and trying and you're sadly mistaken I said but you're not there to help with anything. And she's like well I can't work late because I have an anxious bullshit excuse. He can come to the fucking office but whatever.

She's like, mean, I can come in early. Like I'm not going to make a commitment of I'm gonna come in early or not. Like on any sort of day. No, do your fucking job. And so yes, I made her delete all of my one-on-ones on her calendar that we have pre-scheduled for the next two months. And this is after we had a good conversation and she didn't do it because she was like, no, I really liked those. Nope, don't fucking care. I went in there on her calendar and deleted them. And I was like, look, like,

Ashley (02:51.554)
happen.

Steven L Burch (03:14.704)
I'm not spending full days with you doing things, coming up with processes, and then you're the one not. It takes me a week for it to come back and you're still not implementing shit at all. no, I'm not wasting my time on you with that. All schedules. And she was like, I spell schedule when I want you and when I need you and I'm going to tell you what you're going to do.

Ashley (03:29.377)
so

Ashley (03:38.733)
So do you think it's just too much work for her? Or is it she's not organized, she's not doing it?

Steven L Burch (03:39.634)
So.

Steven L Burch (03:45.298)
organized. She's not organized. does not. 230, think 250 minutes a lot like and then I get it for one person like totally get it.

Ashley (03:48.267)
And how many properties do you have right now?

Ashley (03:56.606)
not be organized with 230 properties.

Steven L Burch (03:59.506)
Correct like and like it's stupid shit that she's doing in Was it Monday right now when I like yeah, literally like

wrath I about heads were about to roll like and I was not having it and then yesterday

No, the day before. Or maybe it was yesterday. Whenever it was. Tuesday, because that's when Kim had to go and show.

So Ryan and I got into it Monday, that's why we were there till 10. And then.

Tuesday, Kim went to Abilene to show a property in, let's say,

Steven L Burch (04:50.546)
845 in the morning. Shawnee made a comment about like she has an application on the property she's going to show. There is stuff back and forth. And Shawnee basically was like, you go ahead and show or reach out to them to see if they still want to review it or you know, look at the property. 30 minutes later. She approves an applicant. Without telling anybody.

sent Kim to Abilene to go show the property. So we're talking like 9 15 in the morning, right? The showing wasn't until 11 or 11 30. And so like everybody was gone and I started looking through the file and I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Why did we send somebody 35 minutes away to go show for 30 minutes to drive back another 35 minutes? And then we didn't tell anybody about it.

So then I started going further into the file. She approved them without proper income, without rental verification to come back whatsoever. So I went to Kim and I was like, I need you to look at this because I'm trying really hard after last night not to lose my fucking mind. But am I wrong? Like it's been a while since I went through applications, but you do math and it's not adding.

And we don't have a piece of paper that we're required to have, so she just approved this and that isn't a fair housing violation alone right there. And so Kim was going through it. We only had one bank statement. And we're supposed to have. I said three by our policy is six, which that means to change, but nonetheless only one. And we don't have the rental verification back. So when I.

brought Ryan in on it and I was like, I'm not picking on her. I want you to look at this. He did very well with it. He just sat there and then he was like, how would you like me to follow up with you guys on this? Well, thank you for taking it, but you're gonna talk to her. So then he pulled me in his office later and he was like, so I'm not taking sides, but we do have the rental verification back. And I was like, where? He came in at 1230.

Ashley (07:17.608)
That was before the environment.

Steven L Burch (07:18.138)
And that's after the approval, which that's a requirement of ours. so he was like, well, you like we have it. I said, okay, income. Like if I overlooked it and I did not see that on there. And so like he was trying to basically say like, if fair housing, we have everything, we're good. And I still said, no, that's not right. Everything's timestamped. Like that's not okay.

so like we went through and he was like, I'll talk to her. So I found like, because he kept on saying like, well, the, we received the,

the landlord verification, it's not in our log. We can't see timestamp. And I happy ass logged into her fucking email. And I was like, yep, at 1230, whatever it was. And he was like, where did you find that? And I said, I searched her fucking email. So like he talked to her or whatever. In my mind, like I should have made it very clear that she should be written up for that. That's not acceptable. I did not say that because

Like he thinks that I'm being really hard on her. So she made, you know, all these different things, like excuses, blah, blah, blah. And I mean, from what he said to me, he basically was like, like, like you're at a point with Steven of you're about to go to no return. And. Yep. And so like, I mean, what he's I mean, from what he said, if he actually did it like was way better than what he normally would.

Ashley (08:50.114)
or get off the pot.

Steven L Burch (08:58.898)
But then yes, Shane the little snaps and little shit that she did and then this morning I was like, alright bitch like I'm gonna I'm gonna bring this around real quick to you of You may think that she said this is my my business I don't think she necessarily meant like my business like hurt but no ma'am. This is my business This is my this is your job your career

but my business, my company. So let's not get it twisted. We need to make sure that you know the roles and who is who. Because yes, it's hard that we are friends, but also like I am your boss.

Ashley (09:38.369)
Do think you need to take her like off-site and have a conversation with her?

Steven L Burch (09:44.53)
I mean, yeah, I could. When we meet, like we're not around, like she's over in Manhattan with me. So make me out of the office, like totally help.

Ashley (09:55.235)
Like you go to lunch somewhere or something. So there's no buffer of office and like have a come to Jesus talk with her.

Steven L Burch (09:58.866)
I

Steven L Burch (10:07.73)
I'm not opposed to it whatsoever. So I don't know like it's just been wild of just the things of that have been happening in

I yeah, and and I honestly can't say that like this, these policies and these things were 100 % structured. Right? Like I can't say that it was 100%. But again, in my mind, like when things happen, like we figure out a solution, we implement something to be able to correct it and move forward. You know, just very simple chunking it away versus like this huge ass fucking project that we have going.

Ashley (10:19.82)
What changed in the last year? Got missed.

Steven L Burch (10:49.102)
but it is scary, to see, you know, people have been in the office way more now that I'm there. at least from

Ashley (11:02.145)
That's helpful for everyone, it really is.

Steven L Burch (11:05.862)
Yep. And you know, with the processes that we're coming through and the systems and tech and stuff that Brandon's helping build out, like it's removing the excuses. It's removing the skipping of steps. And I think that's why she's been so resistant of like, can you get her to use count, countly? Like it's simple.

Yeah, click, yeah, type like it's not difficult. And so until yesterday, I finally got hurt going. And I think after Ryan talked to her and after our other discussions, like I think it's finally going. But I told Ryan, I was like, you're not you're not even like enforcing and helping like I'm doing this, creating this and pushing this out to you guys and you're not even doing it. So fuck you for.

thinking that you're helping, because you're not, you're sitting behind.

Ashley (12:06.784)
I think some of it does come back to the friend part and then enabling and letting things slide.

Steven L Burch (12:14.034)
But if you look, I mean, he is an enabler. Look what he does for his family and his mom. Like that's his natural instinct. Yeah.

Ashley (12:18.003)
That's what saying, that's what he does. He takes the path of least resistance, I think.

Steven L Burch (12:25.17)
I'm spearheading everything and they all know like

Ashley (12:29.993)
I mean, but it is, mean, at the end of the day, like you have a business to run, you have proceeds to make, and if they're in your way, then, I for a person.

Steven L Burch (12:40.578)
And Ryan was like, well, we can't afford to lose Shani. And I said, fuck and watch. We can't afford for her to continue to the way that she is. So what's the middle? I'm trying to give you the middle, but you're not jumping on board. So there's only that the ship is tipping.

So.

Ashley (13:02.224)
take her out because I'm gonna guess that there's probably like

everything else that's gone on. think she's probably wrapping that into self pity party, if you will.

Steven L Burch (13:14.332)
Yep. And then the people that she was with this last weekend are extremely negative. like they were the they were part of that big group of, know, who Ryan is hanging out with and everything. And so I can see her or excuse me, trying inventing to them and then them getting into it as well. And like, it's almost like the way that I think of it is like

Ashley (13:19.931)
No.

downward spiral.

Steven L Burch (13:42.342)
when you see the movies that the kids go away from, you know, to their parents' house split, you know, like mom's house and mom lets them do whatever. And then dad is like, right, whatever. Yeah. Like it's like re-correcting the habits and everything else. And you have to have a few days to acclimate. So, yeah, what's new in your world?

Ashley (13:49.307)
That was a bad stretch.

Ashley (14:05.285)
Bye.

Busy, things are really busy. Yeah, I mean, I had to have a conversation with the girls that Tuesday, just about, we can't keep on making mistakes. And then I reminded them that they are both on a 90 day review for a wage increase. And if we're continuing to make mistakes, but then yesterday, I think I told you this. So Megan has a whole subdivision listed.

Steven L Burch (14:36.21)
Mm-hmm.

Ashley (14:36.795)
And we do them. So we normally did land at 4%. That's just always been our standard. But the minimum is 1500. So when you get some of these smaller lots, 4 % doesn't even get you. So I do 1500 as a minimum. So she has all of her like 30 lot listings that way. And for whatever reason, these lots are sound like hotcakes, which is fine. So Jessica ordered the title wrong. So she ordered it with 4 % instead of 1500. So closing statements came out. Megan caught that they were wrong.

Title company didn't acknowledge the email that they caught. then over the month, nobody looked for finalized closing statements. Everyone went to closing. It closed under the 4%. So it was a $600 difference. But then Cheryl, the title company said that she'd pay for it. And I was like, it's not just your mistake. And I was like, it's just as much Jessica's mistake and Megan's mistake for not asking for finalized closing statements.

I wasn't in yesterday and then Megan and Jessica talked and so Jessica said she talked to me and that I wanted her to reach out to the seller and then she said she wouldn't. So then I had her come in the exchange. She's like, I'm not reaching out to the seller. And I was like, you are. And I was like, he signed a listing contract for $1,500. And was like, and she said, well, Sherrilyn, I was like, no, no, no, we're not playing the blame game. was like, did you ask for final life closing statements?

Well, no, but she should have updated them. And I was like, but even if she would have updated them, she should have sent finalized for final approval. So everyone's in the wrong. And I was like, just cause in the wrong year, in the wrong just, and let's say this guy is like a billionaire. I was like, I was like, it's tough, but you have to start having these conversations. And I'm telling you right now, this is the best situation to learn with $600. If that had happened on a actual single family home, we're talking about two or $3,000. And if the seller wouldn't have, I'd be asking for that out of your pocket. So.

I like, these are conversations you're going to have all the time. And I was like, you have to get in the comfort of having difficult conversations. She was like, no, no, no. And I was like, I mean, you need to do it before you leave for Hodag tomorrow. So then she drafted an email and sent it to Jessica for approval. Jessica forwarded to me. And then I wrote back and I was like, this is not an email conversation. This is a phone conversation. And then she emailed last night that he'd be dropping off a truck tomorrow.

Steven L Burch (17:01.404)
Good. And when I was there, that was the whole discussion about land and everything, too. Right.

Ashley (17:08.595)
Yeah, for whatever reason, just gets people effed up.

Steven L Burch (17:12.7)
Yeah. Wild.

Ashley (17:15.502)
So, all right, you have to have, I told her like, you make mistakes. Like I've told this story before that seller told me that the water heater was owned, it was rented. Guess who paid for a water heater? I did. You know, and I was like, so this, and I was like, again, this is like the smallest type of mistake you could have. And I was like, it's no different than somebody missing a home warranty for $825 on closing statements. So, then I went back to Maritza and Jessica and.

had them. like, if you guys don't figure this out, if this happens again, we're going back to paper checklists. So either you can update your online. So maybe it needs to be home warranty ordered. And then the next tab is confirmation number received. Because if you don't check it, then it's not on there. And then there should be a tab for preliminary closing statements received, finalized closing statements received. I think they're getting it.

Ashley (18:18.836)
But it is just, it's tough. It's the onward like.

Steven L Burch (18:25.266)
Thanks.

Ashley (18:27.667)
I like hamster wheel.

Steven L Burch (18:31.021)
I understand.

Ashley (18:32.18)
Right. But anyway, looking forward to going away for a couple of days.

Steven L Burch (18:38.841)
one of you is gone.

Ashley (18:40.756)
after my home inspection and then I have my hair appointment and then we're going to after that. Am I supposed to rain tomorrow?

Steven L Burch (18:45.394)
Good. I think we're supposed to get storms all weekend.

Ashley (18:52.915)
Yeah, which will be interesting because then we obviously won't golf tomorrow. figure that out. And then that brew fest that we're supposed to be on Saturday. That will also be interesting if it's raining. Why is it on the weekends it rains?

Steven L Burch (19:07.122)
Come on, Sky Daddy.

Ashley (19:08.243)
Yeah. Right. Yeah. And then I just had like strange offers and just, I don't, I literally told Spun when we were at golf last night, was like, I just don't like people that bad. And then I said, I refrained that. was like, okay, well, I mean, I don't like energy sucking negative. just, have zero tolerance for it. And like when they call and they're an asshole, like another agent on the phone, I'm like, I don't have time for this. Like this guy last night was like,

Well, why is there a lawnmower in the garage? I was like, what? is there a lawnmower on a vacant property? And I was like, I mean, the seller has to come back and mow the lawn. So that's why there's a lawnmower there. so they're including it with the sale. And I was like, I did not say that. I told you that it's there. So the seller comes back once a week and mobile. What do you fucking do? Wrote in the offer lawnmower included.

on this is a discount broker, which this is a new one. They guarantee you 1 % back of their commission to the buyer.

Steven L Burch (20:14.29)
is not illegal.

Ashley (20:15.373)
I thought so, but no, went to their page or whatever and it says it on the page, 1 % guaranteed back to the buyer.

Ashley (20:26.265)
Interesting,

Steven L Burch (20:26.61)
Interesting. I think that's, I'm confident that's a legal.

Ashley (20:30.873)
I thought so. was like, so when you told me that I was like, I want no part of that. So that better not be addressed in this offer in any way situation and it will not be addressed on the closing statements. You can take care of that with your seller afterwards.

there was something else with that. that other girl, the that wanted me to coach her.

Steven L Burch (20:51.973)
huh.

Ashley (20:53.787)
told me that I must be mistaken and not understand that I do have the ability to tell her if there is an offer with a home sale contingency. I was like, I am pretty sure that is an ethical violation. She literally said in her text message, if the other offer doesn't have a home sale, then my buyer would offer more. So then if I'm representing the seller, why would I tell you?

the offer on the table has a home sale so that your buyer offers less.

Ashley (21:30.916)
I'm confused.

Steven L Burch (21:33.031)
I think for me the response was like, can we get the statute for that for me please?

Ashley (21:38.457)
Now I wanted to call the legal hotline and like, can you reference which exact bill statute this is? Cause there are a of other people that have told me that like, like I'll be like, I'm interested in it. I'm going to write an offer. we just got one, but it has a home sale. I'm like, I cannot believe you just told me that. I mean, thank you. I will use that for negotiating purposes, but you should not have told me that.

Steven L Burch (21:58.642)
Totally agree.

Ashley (21:59.92)
It's like I was talking to Charles yesterday. I feel like the real estate 101 have gone out the door.

Steven L Burch (22:06.396)
Mm-hmm.

Ashley (22:07.704)
And I don't know, or we're going, especially now I feel like there's, I should pull our numbers, but it was like, I was trying to figure out Connie's numbers and I printed the page. I think there was two pages of agents that had one to three transactions.

Ashley (22:30.128)
Of course they have no idea what they're doing.

Steven L Burch (22:32.722)
They have no clue. No fucking clue.

Ashley (22:35.794)
No, don't. Connie sent me an email. I don't know if I told her that. She just asked like a whole bunch of follow up questions. I Stephanie's maybe thinking that she's at 80 20, which we never discussed 80 20. We discussed 70 30. I pulled her numbers right now and she's like.

$50,000 away from 7030. So then I just wrote an email that needs to get to 8020 is four and a half, five and a half. can't remember. I told her that I'd be willing to honor 7030 for her for six months to get her into.

all things next home or whatever. She said she was talking to Sharon this week, so.

Steven L Burch (23:16.978)
committed.

Ashley (23:22.449)
both of them. But my understanding is their franchise agreement expires in November.

Steven L Burch (23:27.74)
Well, I mean, they're gonna fight July, August, September, Yeah, I mean, that's pretty freaking quick.

Ashley (23:34.489)
Yeah, so pretty much that.

Steven L Burch (23:38.268)
What do you want to talk about?

Ashley (23:43.876)
thing.

Ashley (23:49.337)
What do you feel like, Susan?

Steven L Burch (23:52.786)
Ooooo

Ashley (23:53.711)
Caitlin has a very cute reel, by the way. That is about our podcast. you're in it. I mean, you're in it, but you're not in it. Your name is in it.

Steven L Burch (24:04.722)
How's she feeling?

Ashley (24:08.207)
You're feeling good, right? You haven't been about your headache. Yeah. Are you done with your medication? Yeah. Yeah. Super lucky.

Steven L Burch (24:20.7)
Yeah, for sure.

Steven L Burch (24:30.482)
Looking at some of my things on my screen.

Ashley (24:33.997)
My little badass notepad here says for today, do not shrink back from something you desire because it's too risky. Just being alive is risky.

Steven L Burch (24:46.642)
Tschüss!

Steven L Burch (24:50.482)
That's the fucking truth dude.

Steven L Burch (25:04.86)
Brendan, do we have anything on?

Steven L Burch (25:14.716)
list.

Ashley (25:18.093)
I think that has been like a hot topic at your office meetings.

Steven L Burch (25:27.206)
we talk about on...

Steven L Burch (25:39.41)
So, buyer's cold feet was one of them.

Ashley (25:47.081)
they feel like there's been a lot of that.

Steven L Burch (25:49.83)
Yeah, because uneducated agents, but I say use that for your advantage in your negotiations.

Ashley (26:01.451)
I still think we're having a lot of sellers that are being told that they have to pay fixed person. A lot.

Steven L Burch (26:09.266)
think we are too.

Ashley (26:15.307)
And then when we explain it to them, they're like,

Steven L Burch (26:21.394)
Actually Sabrina just posted that I think in Blink today.

Ashley (26:25.47)
yeah.

Ashley (26:28.821)
I think I your dream was coming next week,

Steven L Burch (26:32.086)
good.

Steven L Burch (26:35.782)
That would be good. Do you think that the new group or that other group is actually going to show up since it's that point?

Ashley (26:43.061)
group.

Steven L Burch (26:44.21)
It was in third group that.

Ashley (26:46.099)
select? No, I don't think they will.

Ashley (26:51.371)
cars as friends.

Steven L Burch (26:53.116)
Mm-hmm.

Steven L Burch (26:58.322)
What about final walkthroughs? We've had the morning of the...

Ashley (27:04.553)
Yeah, I had a buyer skip one last week.

Steven L Burch (27:08.287)
That's fun. I think we might have talked about fun or fun walkthroughs, didn't we?

Ashley (27:12.211)
I think we have.

Steven L Burch (27:17.062)
living by your calendar.

Ashley (27:20.137)
I I live off my calendar.

Steven L Burch (27:49.67)
I'm making everybody do zero out in the morning and before they leave zero out, like they have to before they can even before they start their day, they have to make sure that all of the like they read all of the new notifications get caught up in their email, like getting into a rhythm, a cadence of workflow.

Ashley (28:13.066)
So I thought that.

Ashley (28:20.863)
ready.

Steven L Burch (28:22.962)
super people.

Ashley (28:26.867)
Welcome back to the Leading That Lane podcast. I'm Ashley Frederick. We're here with Stephen Birch. And Stephen has a term you just told me that it's called a zero out protocol.

Steven L Burch (28:40.402)
Yeah, zero out. So we've implemented like making sure before you even start the day or leave for the day of work, this is for our office staff, making sure that they're zeroing out all of their inboxes. I'm not asking for a 100 % resolution, right? Like it doesn't mean that you have to make sure that everything is 100 % resolved.

But I think that we have a disconnect in the industry and customer service in general, that just giving a response is still positive, even if you don't have an answer for them yet. Just simply acknowledging them that, yeah, hey, I've been in meetings all day and I haven't gotten to it. I see it. I'll get back with you tomorrow. You know, like something of a simple acknowledgement. And so I know that

Ashley (29:20.541)
None at

Steven L Burch (29:34.95)
you're obviously extremely busy and we talk about this all the time, like how in the world do you keep up with it? And I know that sometimes it feels overwhelming, but what we do is a cadence, right? Like a rhythm, getting people into our team into the same rhythm of, know, on the 15th, this is what we do, on the 18th, this is what we do. And so if we can start chunking things away, it's a little bit easier.

Do you do anything like that to keep yourself in either in the office setting, personal setting or transactional?

Ashley (30:07.622)
Yeah, so think you are pretty particular about no long email list. I used to have you know a thousand unread emails and On one of my airplane rides. I was like I am going to zero out this email And I've kept up with it. So that's been one thing for me I think it's not only like the zeroing out but it's the You know delegating part of it. So you're you know, nothing with it delegate it

do it right away, right? I that that's been important. I think we might have talked about it last time, but I am using that fixer AI, where almost, yeah, almost auto-response, you know, and I just changed some verbages or whatnot. So that's helped me in the fact of a lot of times I would read the email, I'm gonna come back to it later, and then I forgot.

Steven L Burch (30:47.186)
I really like

Ashley (31:01.114)
where that has already drafted a response to me and I'll be honest, seen a draft in my inbox. I don't know why, but it like puts me off of a, on a curve ball. I can't see the draft part. So when I see that, like I'm trying to zero out the draft, which the AI created. So that has probably helped me be a little bit more accountable for those emails, but it's the same thing. So I try to zero out like in the morning and at night. So I want my email box to be zero when I start the day and then.

By seven o'clock, I'm trying to zero it out. I think where I have done well in the past, but I've been struggling lately is I need to do the same thing with text messages. And it's not so much it's the zeroing out, but it's more or less just going back to the last 24 hours. So, you know, people have to remember that sometimes those text messages come through while you're driving. So I saw it or it came through on the phone when you're in a meeting, et cetera. And I have all intentions of getting back to it and then.

Another phone call comes in and another phone call comes in. I do like on my Android. There will be like a, if it's gone like two days, it bumps it back up. I don't know if that's same on iPhones, but it'll say like two days ago, do you want to resend? So that's been helpful. Like I sent a seller, a potential seller a text like two days ago, which is strange. They didn't get back to me. So it got me alert this morning. They didn't write back.

I wish it would give me an alert that I didn't write back to someone. So it's just when someone doesn't respond to mine, it gives that alert. I'm going to have to maybe talk to Android and see if they can figure out one that if I haven't responded for 24 hours. But I've also, excuse me, prepped some of my clients as well. Like if you haven't heard from me in 24 hours, please send me another message because either it got missed or I in my brain and out.

Uh, so I think that there's that part of it too, is the communication part of making sure like, think someone sent me one on the fourth and I was just not really online on the fourth. then she messaged me like the day after and I was like, thank God you re sent me a message because I completely forgot. But I think there has to be some grace with it too. But if my thought is that if you just spend five morning, five minutes in the morning, look back through your text messages, just go back to the day before and see if there are any that you missed. the best part too is right. can schedule so you can.

Steven L Burch (33:05.138)
you

Ashley (33:24.899)
Maybe you decide to look at it at five o'clock in the morning and can schedule them all for eight so that you got back to people. But I think that that is just a way to not feel so overwhelmed because I think when people see, you know, 35 emails, you start to just almost turn off or 35 missed calls or you know what mean? That like, it's just a daunting task that I think people then try to avoid.

Steven L Burch (33:47.846)
Yeah. And I think that's with anything, you know, not just emails, like any task in general, it's finding what works for you, what systems or tech or whatever it's going to be. But I think that the difficult part is really when you have a team that you're all working together for the same common goal. If we allow everybody to only work towards their brain and they don't have the same systemized

settings and the same cadence and rhythm on what we're working on. Like we're not going anywhere. We're going everywhere all in different directions all at the same time. And it kind of creates that chaos. It does create that chaos. So, you know, for us that zero out gives us grounding in the morning. And so as a team level, being able to say, you know, if there's any confusion in the inbox of who does this go to or is this mine or how do I do this?

we already had that predetermined time so that we don't get that overwhelming feeling when the phones really start ringing and the inquiries really start coming in all over the place. you I think that even looking back at my transactions that I did when I was selling, for me, maybe it's just my ADHD brain that like I already know that I'm gonna be all over the place. So I have to schedule these things and live by my calendar. And I think one of my favorite phrases is like consult my calendar.

I have to make sure that I can solve my calendar for freaking everything. So, you know, Mondays were when I followed up with all my sellers and providing them the feedback over the showings over the weekend or the open house, right? On Wednesdays, I'm doing a check in with all of my files to see what I mean and I'm working on it. And on Fridays, I'm actually talking to the other agents to see what I need from them. So then the next week when I start this over again.

I'm making sure that I'm on top of my stuff. I dropped so many different things when I was sold because I didn't have a system. I forgot about the termite or the home inspection or whatever it is, right? So I had to be disciplined and schedule my future self, tell me what to do. And then that morning when I opened up my computer, cool, this is what I have to do. I have to think about it. And I wouldn't allow myself for those excuses. So tricking myself on how to be able to work.

Ashley (36:07.101)
And I think I just listened to a podcast about creating a SOPs for pretty much everything that you do, which right like chat GPT can definitely do that. as simple as that, like I want Mondays to be my follow up with sellers. Can you schedule the what does this look like over 30 minutes? Right. And then that GPT creates it for you. So it's almost like all of these systems that you're having, you know, if you were to create a standard of practice to hold yourself accountable.

Right. So you've created a standard of practice. So pretend you hired someone or whatever. They'd follow that. But I think that sometimes if you put it in those terms, you can hold yourself to like, I'm not following that system. I'm not doing that step by step. And that's maybe why it's working. But then when you get in these patterns, I that's also where you have like less room for interruptions because this is your time. Right. So I have that on my like Monday morning follow up with sellers and buyers and that

But I always say to like, I'm flexible, right? It's there, but let's say something else. But I move it so that doesn't get, um, you know, forgotten, but calendars are extremely important. I think, and I know that some people have paper. Some people have, um, you know, digital for me, I like on the digital that it'll pop up like 10 minutes before like yesterday was at a lunch and it was like one 20 and I'm like, Oh my God, I have to be somewhere in. You know, um, had I not to have that in there, I might've been late for it, right?

Steven L Burch (37:26.561)
Hahaha.

Ashley (37:32.037)
with good time advice, but even yesterday I had to put in my calendar an hour block to pack. like, I literally had to put it in there so I would go home and pack and then go back to other appointments. So mean, that's how dedicated I try to be to my calendar.

Steven L Burch (37:50.002)
It's wild. Like, and I think, you know, the first I was not a scheduler at all. I couldn't really do it like, you know, because we don't know. And I think that we try to tell ourselves the excuse of, this is real estate. You know, every day is completely different. While that is true, I'm here for it. I understand. But you need to be able to prepare for when the day is so wild, when there is so many dumpster fires all over the place that you have to go and put out. Like if you only chase the fire.

That's all you're gonna do is just literally be a firefighter and putting out fires. But if you can control your schedule and your the things of your knowns that you have to do, you know that you have different deadlines. You know that you have different tasks that have to be accomplished. And if those are predetermined and scheduled, the dumpster fires are way easier to run to and put out. And because you're so much more intentional with your time and not being stuck, you know, so I like to look at I'm not a computer programmer.

Ashley (38:23.547)
Thank

Steven L Burch (38:49.176)
at all, I don't know the first thing about computer programming, how to do it. I understand the concept of it, right? Like computer programmers, they write code to be able to run a function, right? And if there's ever any sort of disruption or the code throws an error, then that programmer goes back and fixes the code of wherever the error was thrown. That's just like the SOP.

Right? That's being able to say, okay, where I'm writing the code, I'm writing an SOP. Where at in this process did we run into turbulence? Where was the friction? Where did we drop the ball? Now, since we have it right now, we can clearly identify, well, I missed it here. I missed this deadline. Okay. So now what is the solution to be able to correct that code, that SOP, so that next time that that code runs for that program, we're not going to run into that same issue, that same hiccup.

So I really try to put it into those terms, again, not that I'm trying to be a coder, but if you live your life by a code and you know that the non-negotiables, the normal things that you have to do have to be consistent, things are gonna be so much easier to be able to identify, correct, grow, and scale your company versus if you have nothing right now, you have no code, well, no shit, nothing is working for you because there's no standard of practice.

Ashley (40:15.701)
Yeah, I think it's just a good fact of systems, right? And so like we have certain things here that staff meets on on a Thursday to prep for the next week, right? And these are like non negotiable. So if something happens that day, they have to either move it to the afternoon, they have to move to Friday morning, but those are meetings that are required to keep the ball rolling. And I think a lot of times it's easy to like, don't have to meet this week, or we can meet next time or whatnot. And then I think every time you miss

It gets that much farther, like out of control and then it's harder to come back. So think it's holding true to your calendar. And like for me, one thing is like our office meeting and I get that every now and then things come up, but it is an expectation to be here. So when someone says they scheduled a showing during our 45 minute meeting, it's like a no go for me because that should be like an actual appointment. Like that office meeting should be just as important as the showing you're going to. So.

Pretend you had another showing, would tell your client, I'm not available at nine, but I'm available at 10. So we worked on that and a very well attended meeting. But I think that that's what you have to remember too is we can't bend on every request that comes through. have to hold tight to your calendar because otherwise that's when other people are managing your calendar and your time and you're not.

Steven L Burch (41:34.034)
And I think that's the big thing there too. And you know, as a leader, when I hear that and when people say, I had the showing versus the meeting. So that tells me that you're putting me down as a priority. And I understand that clients and appointments are definitely important. That's what pays the bills. That's why we're in business. But then later on I can see other choices that you're making versus taking that lead or whatnot. And so I think to me, it's like, then

goes into this whole spiral effect of like, and they put me down, I'm not a priority is really what they just told me or walking in late with Starbucks. Why didn't you bring me Starbucks? Right? Like, the line was busy. The line at Starbucks is always busy. And why don't you go to the local coffee shop instead? And next time, if you're going to be late, why don't you bring it for everybody? Since you were already there. I just think it's like when you can start pushing back and being able to hold true to those expectations and standards.

when you start allowing the people to be flexible or not holding them to it, what is going to happen then in a transaction? The expectation, the contract is written, it's black, white. And so since you allowed that flexibility and you're not holding them accountable, it only makes me think what's going to happen in the transaction now because they're used to getting away and bending the rules or finding the loophole of how to be able to

take in, know, give them an inch and take a mile. I just don't feel that like it's a non-negotiable. Your calendar is non-negotiable. The expectations are non-negotiable and life happens. get it. But that's where it goes back to the communication aspect of things.

Ashley (43:16.688)
I think people are just so afraid to give on their calendar. And that's taken me a long time too, but I have found that like when you give too much, like that's when you have burnout, that's when you make mistakes, you know, and as tough it is, is, know, sometimes you just have to tell someone like, unfortunately I'm not available. I'm really sorry, you know, but also like we work in a tight knit group that if someone is adamant, I will just say like, I'll try to find you another agent. But, uh, you know, like for me it's golf, like we golf on, on Wednesday.

nights, it's my one thing and sometimes I'll get somebody that wants to join that evening and I'm not willing to give it was in my calendar. It's in my head. It's another appointment. and, and if that's the situation, we look for another time where we find someone else to help you. And I think just being able to know your own worth to not just keep on giving in to people is the other part of it.

Steven L Burch (44:05.808)
And let's be real, the person on the other side does not know what type of appointment it is. No, like it's already in your calendar. I already have something on my calendar. You're not lying. I already have something there's another engagement. Like it is what it is. And we try to appease so much. and I think that that's what happens a lot of times is that we're, we think that we're trying to help and we're doing well.

Ashley (44:10.832)
I don't need to know.

Steven L Burch (44:33.382)
by providing great service because we can drop everything that we're doing to run in, go and show, or go and do this appointment, or whatever the case may be. But in reality, what we did is we just made whatever task at hand, just like the meeting, not a priority, and it's gonna get dropped. And what if there's information that you're supposed to be retaining from that meeting? what if that report that you're supposed to have done has everything in the future for the next three months?

Ashley (44:48.665)
Mm-hmm.

Steven L Burch (45:03.13)
together that you're supposed to catch like it really throws everything through a loop if you don't have the cadence if you don't have it living by your calendar and I don't care if it's a full day block or if it's you know a task oriented or if it's whatever as long as things are getting done I'm here for it and but the more and more people that you involve into the the transaction or into the task and to the whatever more people into your team

the more chaos, confusion, friction, inconsistencies you're gonna have. It's just, that's part of the formula.

Ashley (45:41.484)
Well, and I think the other thing that I like to encourage people to do is I think we think that something's going to take a long time. Like this is going to take a long time. And I've said it before, but like, this is where the timer method comes in, you know, for me. So I had someone that said that they were really struggling with social media and I was like, literally five minutes, five minutes in the morning. Do your happy birthdays, acknowledge some other people. If you want to post something, you know, at the five minutes you're done. You know, and the same thing is like for me, I'm psychotic about my kitchen island.

can't leave the house with it full. Feels like it's going to take half hour, right? I set the timer for 10 minutes and I'm normally done before the timer goes off. So it's just these little, you know, if you need to set a timer for 10 minutes to go back to your emails, even in the of the day, like 10 minutes, going to turn my phone over, close my door, get through all my emails, get whatever I can do in 10 minutes, just gets you that much farther ahead of the day.

Steven L Burch (46:33.522)
Yeah, Atomic Habit is a great book to read, right? It talks about the, you know, in the compound effect, being able to marry these things with other habits that you already are doing. So if you are already in the habit of, you when you get to the office to go and make coffee, great. Either put checking, zeroing out your email before coffee, and then you can reward yourself with coffee or right after, because you're already getting up.

and make it the first thing that when you do when you sit down with your cup of coffee is to go through and zero that out. There's little tricks and ways to be able to help yourself develop these positive habits and continuing them all the way through. But yeah, you're you're. It's wild how some people just go with the flow. I used to be one of those people all the time, and I also know that.

That's why, you know, like when we go on vacation, right? I want to do nothing. I want to plan nothing at all because every day, everything that I do is always about the consistency and the checklist and the calendar and scheduling. So I need those times to not do anything either, but I could not imagine doing that anymore. I wouldn't, I would have no hair and all gray beard completely.

look like freaking bald Santa couldn't do it. So.

Ashley (47:59.987)
Yeah. I mean, it comes after time, think that that's like a new, like you're so excited, but that's just so much quicker to a burnout is when you're just kind of flailing, if you will. So working on structure, working on the zeroing out, giving yourself some time, making timers, using, you know, the apps that are available for you for your calendar and to-do lists, Asana, those types of things, like make those systems work for you.

Steven L Burch (48:26.514)
And stop trying to, my phrase that I've been saying the last month or so is stop taking a square and trying to fit it in a circle. Like if it's not working, it's okay. That's fine. But let's stop banging our head against the wall trying to make it work. Let's find something better or that will actually fit and work for everybody. But also don't be a new shiny object and never truly implement anything. And now you have all these app subscriptions and nothing's working for you.

Ashley (48:36.552)
Bye bye.

Steven L Burch (48:55.986)
You're working on all apps. yeah, get your shit together. You got this. I'm talking to myself, right? Cool. Well, great combo as always. If you have a topic or you would like to be a guest, please reach out to us. We would love to have you and I hope to have you next time.

Ashley (49:01.512)
.

Ashley (49:05.768)
Yeah.