Why $100K Doesn't Feel Like Enough Anymore

Summary

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The Brian Buffini Show: Why $100K Doesn't Feel Like Enough Anymore

Host: Brian Buffini
Date: June 2, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into why earning $100,000—once a benchmark of financial “success”—no longer feels sufficient for many Americans. Brian Buffini examines the impact of inflation on everyday life, explains the macroeconomic forces at play, and offers practical advice on how to not only cope but thrive despite rising costs. With his trademark Irish wit and no-nonsense delivery, Buffini blends perspective, research, personal stories, and actionable strategies to help listeners adapt and prosper.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Erosion of $100K’s Buying Power

• Inflation’s Real Impact:
  • Over the last decade, prices are up nearly 40%. What cost $100K in 2015 now requires $140K to maintain the same standard of living ([00:00]).
  • Earning $100K now is the equivalent of earning about $72K ten years ago.
• Essential Costs Rising Most:
  • The most significant price increases have hit unavoidable expenses like housing, groceries, and utilities—making it impossible to simply "cut back" ([00:41]).
  • Buffini: "Same number, smaller life."

Notable Quote

“If your income didn’t grow by about 40% over the last decade, you didn’t stand still. You fell behind.”
—Brian Buffini ([01:02])

Understanding Inflation

• Fundamentals of Inflation:
  • "Too much money chasing too few goods" ([02:00])
  • Pandemic example: Government handed out stimulus money while supply chains broke down, leading to higher prices on essentials and luxuries alike.
  • Anecdote: Buffini’s family trip to Lake Tahoe during COVID, seeing long lines for jet ski rentals fueled by “Covid money” ([03:29]).
  • Both US political parties continue high levels of spending, regardless of ideology ([05:05]).
• Current Situation:
  • The US spends $7 trillion annually, taking in $5 trillion in taxes, producing a $2 trillion annual deficit; interest on national debt rivals military spending ([05:36]).

Notable Quote

“The second largest expense as a country after the US military is our interest payments on debt. That’s how much we spend, which is why inflation will be a constant.”
—Brian Buffini ([05:55])

How To Beat Inflation

Brian Buffini outlines his "blueprint" for thriving despite inflation:

1. Out-Invest Inflation

   • Over 40 years, inflation averaged 2.5–2.6%.
   • S&P 500’s average return in the same period: 10.5%.
   • Housing and real estate returns are also strong over time.
   • Problem: Only 60% of Americans invest in the stock market, leading to widening wealth gaps ([07:18]).

2. Increase Your Income

   • Bring more value to the hour (“You don’t get paid for the hour; you get paid for the value you bring to the hour.” —Jim Rohn, [08:01]).
   • Invest in skills, especially those relevant to emerging fields (e.g., AI training).
   • "Anybody not investing in AI training right now is guilty of malpractice. You’re basically dooming yourself as if you’re illiterate.” ([09:21])
   • Focus on quality and personal service to stand out, as AI alone can't meet human needs fully.

3. Increase Your Production

   • The biggest earners follow the system and consistently do the most activities ([09:58]).
   • “The people who do the activities, do the work, actually follow the system. Those are the folks who are earning the most.” ([10:01])

4. Control What’s Going Out

   • Make a budget and track spending; Buffini refers listeners to episode 6 for deep budgeting strategies ([10:22]).

Notable Quote

“Inflation is, I believe, the toughest of all adversaries you’ll face monetarily. But if you follow this blueprint, you’ll actually build yourself a fortune.”
—Brian Buffini ([10:45])

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Demystifying Inflation — The Broader View

• Simplified Analogy:

  • Money supply dictates overall inflation; "When the US government prints money... if they make the money as common as a stone, the diamond loses its value." ([12:50])
  • Government borrows and spends more than it collects; pays back debt with “cheaper” dollars due to inflation.
  • Inflation operates as a “secret tax,” eroding buying power while making it easier for the government to repay debt ([14:45]).

• Compounding Effect:

  • New “lower” annual inflation rates stack on top of previously higher increases. Small percentage increases after a major spike still worsen the problem ([16:02]).

Notable Quote

“Warren Buffett says... ‘The only thing that ever gives me pause is inflation.’”
—Brian Buffini ([15:36])

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Asset Classes for Protecting Wealth

• Gold vs. Bitcoin Debate:
  • Gold offers “fear-based” security, but only a 4–5% return over four decades—less than stocks or real estate ([18:07]).
  • Bitcoin is attractive for those wanting to “catch up” fast, but highly volatile and not backed by intrinsic value ([18:36]).

Notable Quotes

"Gold is a fear-based investment... Bitcoin gives the promise of this — ‘I don't feel like I can get ahead, so I'll do bitcoin.’ There are people who’ve made fortunes... and people who’ve lost fortunes, and that will continue."
—Brian Buffini ([18:18], [18:40])

"When I buy shares, I’m buying ownership of a company... when I buy real estate, it’s a physical asset. The blockchain... in itself has no intrinsic value."
—Brian Buffini ([19:27])

• Online Gambling:
  • Cites the troubling rise in online gambling among young men: "Single women are buying real estate at four times the rate of single men... a lot of young fellows are bitcoining it and online gambling." ([20:53])
  • Encourages listeners to be students, research themselves, and be disciplined.

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Live Audience Q&A — “Coach Em Up” ([22:10])

Topic: Transitioning from Producer to Team Leader

Guest: Kelly Larini, Chilliwack, British Columbia
Scenario: Highly successful agent (35–42 annual transactions, $750K avg. sale price), forming a small team, wants to transition smoothly and measure success.

• Buffini’s Framework:
  • Ideal team size: 5 or fewer. “When it comes to teams, more isn’t always more.”
  • Key metric: “I gross is what I net.” ([25:12])
  • Personal experience: Million-dollar producer with a net of $1.2M due to efficient team structure ([25:13]).
  • Advice: Clear job descriptions, structured training (e.g., “100 Days to Greatness”), lean on coaching, expect a 3-year transition period.
  • "You’re going from pilot to co-pilot: that’s the hardest transition." ([27:32])
  • Assess team members with practical training and see who steps up.
  • Give yourself grace; goal is to work with the clients you choose and maintain earnings with more flexibility.

Notable Quotes

“The biggest transition is from salesperson who’s totally counted on by customers to having a team you can trust.”
—Brian Buffini ([28:25])

“By the time you’re 65, we’re going to have you netting what you gross and having a team that allows you to work with who you want, when you want.”
—Brian Buffini ([28:34])

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Memorable Moments

• Personal Story:
  Pandemic-era family vacation and the surprising effect of “Covid money” on consumer behavior ([03:29]).
• Mic-Drop Lines:
  • “Same number, smaller life.” ([00:41])
  • “Inflation is the single greatest killer to your family's financial well-being.” ([00:00])
  • “Anybody not investing in AI training right now is guilty of malpractice.” ([09:21])
• Relatable Advice:
  Buffini emphasizes the importance of controlling your response: “You can’t control prices, but you can control how you respond.” ([01:24])

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Key Timestamps

• 00:00–02:20: Introduction, inflation’s impact on $100K.
• 02:20–05:55: What is inflation, government spending, pandemic example.
• 05:55–10:00: The inevitability of inflation, Buffini’s blueprint for beating it.
• 10:01–11:00: Digging deeper: invest, produce, budget.
• 12:50–16:02: Macro view: money supply, debt, compounding inflation.
• 17:56–21:30: Audience Q&A — gold vs. bitcoin, real estate, and gambling.
• 22:10–28:43: “Coach Em Up” segment: building and leading a real estate team.

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Conclusion

Buffini’s message is both sobering and empowering: while inflation and economic shifts are realities outside individual control, personal decisions about investment, income generation, and spending are crucial levers. Through intentional action, self-improvement, and adopting proven strategies, anyone can safeguard—and even grow—their financial position, no matter where the economy heads.

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Transcript

[A]

Give me a minute and I'll tell you why. Inflation is the single greatest killer to your family's financial well being. You know, 100 grand isn't what it used to be. Ten years ago, six figures meant you made it. Today, it often just means you're just getting by. Inflation has quietly done its job over the past decade. Prices are up nearly 40%. That means what cost 100 grand in 2015 now takes about $140,000 to maintain the same lifestyle. Flip that around. If you're earning 100 grand today, it's like making about 72 grand back then. And here's why it feels even worse. The biggest increases hit the things you can't actually avoid. Housing, groceries, utilities. All the essentials, not the stuff you can cut back on. So even if your income went up, your buying power has gone down. That's the shift people feel but can't actually explain. Same number, smaller life. So here's the takeaway. If your income didn't grow by about 40% over the last decade, you didn't stand still. You fell behind. 100 grand didn't grow. It actually shrank. Top of the morning to you. I'm Brian Buffini. You can't control the economy, and you can't stop prices from rising. And most people feel it in the same everyday ways. The grocery bill that's higher than expected, the gas tank that costs more every week. The sense that your money just doesn't stretch like it used to. But here's what you can control, how you respond. And in times like this, the people who stay ahead aren't lucky. They're intentional. They make clear decisions about what's going out, and they find ways to increase what's. What's coming in. And they also commit to building something that grows over time. So today, in my blueprint, we're going to walk through a simple practical game plan to help you do exactly that. Take control, stay proactive, and position yourself to win, even when everything around you is getting more expensive. Why doesn't 100 grand feel like you've made it anymore? $100,000 today would have the same purchasing power in 2000 as $55,000 or $70,000 in.05 or 75 in 2010, $80,000 in 2015, or $87,000 just five years ago. So what is inflation? It's too much money chasing too few goods. We saw an example of this during the pandemic when all the shipping stopped. Remember seeing the images of the tankers off the coast of Long beach and they couldn't land them and they couldn't unload them, while at the same time the government was sending money to people, more money infused, fewer goods available. A great example of this again, during a pandemic. You know, six kids all sitting at home. And we've always been regular vacation goers. Well, California was in almost a lockdown state. So what did I do? Chartered a plane and flew the family to Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Beautiful place. So we get out there, it's the middle of the pandemic. Nevada's laws were a bit looser than California. So we're staying at this resort, which was great, and we go down one day to the lake and we had reserved jet skis for us all to ride. So we go down, I see the guy who I set this up with, he's got our jet skis all lined up while I'm standing there talking to him. I looked to the right and there was a line of people, a line of people like I've never seen in my life. It went on for about a mile. And I said to him, what is that? And he turned to me and he said, ah, that's Covid money right there, Mr. V. People were taking their money. They'd gotten to sustain themselves during COVID and they were jumping on buying jet skis. They were going to Vegas, they were going to places, to the casinos and they spent that money. And so guess what? You had a ton of people with money in hand spending on things they wanted to do that weren't exactly advancing their fortune. So all that money they were spending, it was 750 bucks for a half hour to rent a jet ski. So unfortunately, the world we live in today, we actually have two political parties both fully committed to spending. No matter who you back in the race, we take in $5 trillion a year in taxation and we spend 7 trillion every year. We have a $2 trillion deficit every year. And that's why we have about 39 trillion in debt, which costs a trillion dollars in interest payments every year. It's our second largest expense as a country after the US military. Now think about how big the US military, millions of people, tons of equipment in 160 countries and its neck and neck at expenditures with the interest payments on our debt. So no matter what they say, inflation will be a constant. So if you're not too depressed by now and you're willing to keep watching, here's a few tips on how you can beat inflation. Here's the first most important step. In order of importance, you've got to out invest inflation. Inflation over the past 40 years has averaged between 2.5 and 2.6%. Now, I know it's been a little higher lately, but the fact of the matter is that's the rate over 40 years. The average rate of return on the S&P 500 during the same 40 years is 10.5%. So you can greatly outperform inflation. Housing and homes, investing in real estate, same thing. So the most basic investment on the stock market can outperform inflation in the long run. The problem is only 60% of Americans have any money in the stock market at all. So what does that mean? There will be an in greater separation between the haves and the have nots in the years to come, because that's what the outcome of inflation always is. The second thing you got to do is increase your income. My mentor Jim Rohn used to say, you don't get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour. You know, over the past 30 years, I've had over 4,000 employees at Buffini and Company. One day this young guy walks up to me and he says, well, I think I'm leaving because that's all you pay here at Buffini and Company. And I was gracious and I listened to him. But then I also kind of straightened him out a little bit, and I said, no, that's all we pay you. Some people at Buffini Co. Are making a lot more money than you are. And he said, well, how come? I said, because they've increased their value to the company, so I have to increase my value to them. Benjamin Franklin said, an investment in knowledge pays the best interest. And so that's what you got to do. Invest it in your head, invest it in yourself. So you really got to develop your skills. I'll give you an example. Right now, Buffini and Company. Right now we're known as the core fundamental company. Doing the right thing for the right reasons, building relationships, calls and notes, and popeyes. Buffini Co. Right now is undergoing a major remodel using AI. It's everywhere. Now, we're not abdicating to AI. You still need people to sit on these different projects who really know what they're doing, know the customer, and know how to kind of refine and edit. But I will say this. Anybody not investing in AI training right now is guilty of malpractice. You're basically dooming yourself as if you're illiterate. Michael thorne at Buffini Co. Who's been training AI all over North America for us over the last year and his class has been very well received. Well, what he's teaching today compared to what he was teaching just 12 months ago is a reason this is an ongoing program. It's like a 180 degree difference. The technology is changing so fast, the tools are becoming so available so fast and the efficiencies are growing exponentially every day. I would also encourage you to focus on increasing your quality and your service. That's something I don't think AI can do. Listening for wants and needs, customizing your presentations and really meeting the needs of your customers. Boy, that's where you really get to excel. And when you get referrals is when you put that little bit of flourish on top. The mints on the pillows, the extra popeyes, the move in date where you cook a home cooked meal for them or you find out the the drinks and the foods that family likes the most. There's so many cool things you can do. In fact, in our ultimate year real estate, we have our seasons of Duplicare that just went live. And if you get a chance to check that out, it'll give you idea after idea on how to kind of exceed your customers expectations. The last thing I would say is that you got to increase your production. You know, here's the dirty little secret from the biggest coaching and training company in North America. The people who do the most activities, generate the most leads and make the most sales. Here it is. The people who do the activities, do the work, actually follow the system. Those are the folks who are earning the most. So you got to do that. So you got to make sure you invest in yourself and then go do the work. And then lastly you got to control what's going out. You got to make a budget. So much I have to say on this, I mean I could teach on this all day. In fact I've taught on this many times. And so rather than take all our time today on this program, go to the brianbafinishow.com again and then you can search budget. In fact it'll pull up episode six of this brand new show where you'll be able to watch it on YouTube and it'll really get into the details for you. So the bottom line is this. Inflation is brutal to deal with and it's a constant. You've got to invest in the market, you've got to invest in yourself and you got to control your expenditures. Inflation is I believe, the toughest of all adversaries you'll face monetarily. But if you follow this blueprint, you'll actually build yourself a fortune.

[B]

All right, Mr. B. Inflation. Everybody understands when they go to the grocery store, but not many of us understand it on a larger scale as you do. So can you explain it to us?

[A]

Well, I went to school on inflation because I had to understand, like, how am I going to be as an immigrant trying to get ahead a wife and six kids now a bushel of grandkids? How do I get ahead for my family? And then ultimately, how do I communicate to an industry that I become one of the leaders of an industry where I can look out for the welfare of my clients and so help people. So when I know this is stuff people need, then I go on the deep dive. I do have a bit of a background. My schooling in college was to be an accountant. So I understand numbers. And so I can read a data book or a readout and so on, so forth. So let me kind of put the dynamic on it. I talked about it in the blueprint. It's when too much money is chasing too few goods. Ultimately, all inflation. Again, people have been so politicized that you can't even say these things. As you can tell, I'm at the stage of my life. I don't care. I don't care if the Democrats or Republicans hate me. I just want to help people. It is 100% about the money supply. So when the US government prints money, like that beautiful engagement ring you have on your finger, that's very, very valuable, because diamonds are rarer than stones. So if they make the money as common as a stone, the diamond loses its value. You follow? So all inflation is printing money, okay? And they print money when they have economic blocks that they reach that they can't move or manipulate the currencies or the markets. So in order to take the pressure off, they print money. So, for example, the U.S. government takes in $5 trillion a year in taxes and spends 7 trillion. So what do I do? What do I like $2 trillion, kind of a big number. So what do they do? They can't go to Citibank and get a credit card. What do they do? They print more money. And they do it in the form of. And the treasury bills. So it's like, okay, we promise to pay you this interest. You buy US Currency. All right, so what happens? So every year right now, we borrow $2 trillion more than we spend. And that's why I've become apolitical on all fronts, because nobody's interested in addressing that subject. They're going to keep spending more money. The debt is 39 trillion. It's going to continue to grow. The interest on it's a trillion a year. So what does this mean? Well, it means in order to that money supply, the inflation rate grows and so things cost more money. So for example, you know, we had a kind of a. I'm always embarrassed about it. Like we had the greatest time in our family's life during COVID right? You and Adam were doing the broadcast. We had 180,000 people tuning in from our home and we were doing bts, the music band and we were eating Korean food every night. We had the whole family together. And it was, you know, it was one of the greatest times of our family's life. Unfortunately, that became a catalyst for the government to print a ton of money and for there be a shrinkage of goods and services. So since 2020, the inflation rate in the United States accumulatively, you won't see this printed anywhere. You have to really look for it even on ChatGPT is 25%. So here's what that means. The government borrows the money people from all over the world and business, banks and businesses, and everybody buys these treasury bonds and then they pay it back with dollars that are worth less. So it's actually in the government's best interest. It's actually like a tax. It's the secret tax is inflation. So for example, I borrow $100 from you, and then here comes inflation. I'm now paying you back. The future value of that money is 75 bucks. So the US government gets to use inflation as a way to pay less future dollars for the money you pay today. And that's why at the heart of it all, they'll try to outgrow us, outgrow the economy. That'll never, you'll never get ahead of that until you cut the debt. End of story. So that's why we heard terms like no, inflation is transitory bs. Complete bs. And I called it out at the time in our bold predictions that hundreds of thousands of people have seen. So here's the way it works. 2000 to 2025, up 25%. Well, now we're in 2006. You go, oh, inflation's controlled. It's only 2.5%. It's two and a half percent on top of the 25% for the previous five years. So people go, well, it's not that bad. Oh, our guys are doing great. It's only 2% inflation, it's 2% on top of the 25. This is six years is all we're talking about. So what happens is the value of your dollar, the value of your diamond, keeps going down. Why? Because they keep printing the money. So what does that mean to the average person? It means your money every year is worth less than the money you had before. What you're able to. I go into the store with 100 bucks. Five years ago, it was like 125 bucks. You follow me?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So your money doesn't go as far. Everything costs more. And when people get giddy and excited about low inflation numbers, remember those low inflation numbers are on top of all the inflation that came before it. Warren Buffett talks about the world's greatest investor. In my mind, he said, I was never scared about wars. I was never scared about recessions. He says, that's not what gives me pause. The only thing that ever gives me pause is inflation. So you gotta invest and your money has to grow at a higher rate than the inflation rate. And so what happens there is there will be a greater widening between the haves and the have nots, which I hate because I was certainly a have not. I was raised in a have not. I came from a have not country, and I became a have. But I have great empathy and encouragement, and my passion is to help people who are have nots to become haves. But that's going to continue to separate, and inflation will be the thing and is the thing that's causing that separation. And that's what you'll see more and more. Like in New York, they just elected a guy named Mamdani who's an avowed socialist, which is contrary to the American philosophy. But he's like, I'm going to control your rent. I'm going to give you a free grocery store. We're going to, you know, do all kinds of social services for you. And people are like, well, I'm not getting ahead. Why wouldn't I do that? I can't buy a house. Why wouldn't I do that? My rent's out of control. Why wouldn't I do that? It's just there's serious consequences to that. That's been proven all over the world. So I think you're going to see more and more of that. I'm not in control of that. I'm not running for office. So what can I do for me, my family, and anybody who watches is try to pave out a path for people so that they can invest and grow and beat inflation so that they can do better than what the inflation's going to do to damage them. It's never going away. They're never going to really address the problems. It will never happen. You hope that sometimes it's better than others and all you can do is like, for me and my house, I'll serve the Lord. For me and my house, I'm gonna invest, I'm gonna grow. And then as a business, we wanna help coach people so they can take control of their finances, control of their business, and invest in such a way that they can beat the inflation. So I know it's slightly depressing to hear this stuff. It's just truth and no one wants to talk about it. It's not politically expedient for anybody. But it's why it feels so tough right now. Because it is tough. Because everything just went up by so much. And so it's hard to get ahead. It's very hard to be affordable. You gotta be smart, save your money, invest it to grow. And it's gotta grow at a higher rate than inflation.

[B]

My generation is talking about bitcoin while yours is talking about buying gold. What's your take on that?

[A]

Easy on the my generation, by the way there. Hey, you know, there's no doubt older people are talking about gold. And it's always, hey, when things are disruptive, you buy gold. And I love the William Devaney commercials, you know, when he's talking about the coins. I love him as an actor. He was great in space cowboys. That's fantastic. But gold is typically a laggard. Over the past four to 40 years, it's anywhere from 4 to 5% return. S&P 500 is about 10 and a half percent return. Real estate's about 9% return, sometimes 10. So gold is, it's, it's a fear based investment. Oh, everything goes to hell in the handbasket. You do gold. The opposite side of that is bitcoin. And I would actually for, say for young men, online gambling. So bitcoin gives the promise of this. I don't feel like I can get ahead. I'm saving my few books. I saved 400 books this month and I need 20 times that to be able to get a house or a hundred times that to be able to get a house. So I can't feel like I'm not getting ahead. And by the way, we're on the phones and by the way, sometimes we want the shortcut. So I'll do bitcoin. And there are people who have made Fortunes on bitcoin. And there are people who have lost fortunes with bitcoin and that will continue. And people call me old fashioned or this and any other what is the intrinsic value of a bitcoin? And there's all kinds of discussions about that. I know there's some very wise investors have said, I wouldn't give you a dollar for all the bitcoin in the world. I just don't like the fact that it's not connected to an intrinsic value. When I buy shares, I'm buying ownership of a company and that company has earnings. When I buy real estate, it's a physical asset. And a piece of real estate, it has a deed, it has a title, it has dirt, it has buildings, it's physical. The blockchain. And the blockchain has brought great innovation along with it in itself has no intrinsic value. People do it, God bless them. I know a young man who made a fortune. I also know a young man who lost his fortune. And I also will say this. Online gambling, it's 18 to 32 year old men is about 90% of it. In 2000 it was 5 billion a year. By 2025 it was 150 billion a year. It's going to touch over 200 billion this year. All the major sports, ESPN, all that, no gambling. Absolutely. If you caught gambling, you'd be banned for life. We cannot have sports teams in Vegas. As soon as all the major sports franchises, major league baseball, NBA, football, hockey, as soon as they got a piece of the action. Now it's brought to you by DraftKings. And so because they're making money at it. And again, conspiracy theory. No, just look, open your eyes. So I feel bad like single women are buying real estate at four times the rate of single men. And a lot of young fellows are bitcoining it and online gambling and the young ladies are saving their money and buying houses. So I understand all the asset classes I've just given my opinion go. And here's the thing, I would just say this. I'm not looking for anybody to believe a single word I said or to follow my example. What I'm encouraging people, I hopefully will challenge their thinking to make sure they go and study it themselves. See if I'm full of garbage or see if there's some truth to it or seek it out. Just oh, my buddy's buying bitcoin. Well, why don't your buddy just give you a tip on a horse and so go and be reasonable because it's too hard to earn. It's too easy to lose. And as we talked about, inflation's not in your favor. The taxation is not in your favor. You got to really take control of your own finances. So become a student, see what it's about. Understand what it's about. You got to beat inflation. And you know, for me, I'd say this, if somebody came to me and said, bitcoin or gambling on horses, I'd say go for the horses because at least you can have fun.

[B]

Well, I think we might need to think about changing the segment to ask Professor B. Great time to go get our audience questions for Coach Em Up.

[A]

Okay. Welcome to Coach Em up. We're at in Kaanapali on the island of Maui getting ready for our peak experience event. And some of our all time greatest members are joining me for Coach Em up today we got Kelly from Canada. Kelly, tell them where you are so they can send you referrals.

[B]

I'm Kelly Larini from Chilliwack, British Columbia, not too far from Vancouver.

[A]

Beautiful part of the world. Beautiful.

[B]

We love it.

[A]

All right, you're on Coach Em up live. Girl. So what question do you have that I could help you with?

[B]

Well, I have a small new team.

[A]

Okay. And how many people?

[B]

Three.

[A]

Awesome.

[B]

All licensed.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And just having a bit of a transition problem with really shifting from being just a producer to team leader.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

And, you know, just figuring out what I have to do to get there and then how do I measure success?

[A]

Great. So the good news is it's a well worn path for me and Vafini and company. So we got you, girl. Right. We had a flight yesterday coming over and there was a lot of turbulence and I was able to sit next to a gal and let her know it's going to be okay. And she goes, are you a pilot? And I said, no, I'm a realtor. I've been through worse than this. She went, oh. So first and foremost, how long you been in the business?

[B]

38 years.

[A]

38 years? Yeah. What kind of volume do you do yourself a year typically?

[B]

Well, generally 35 to 42 ends.

[A]

Okay, fantastic. Right. So beautiful producer. Very nice. Average sales price, where would your average sales price fall up there?

[B]

About 750.

[A]

750. Beautiful. And I love about. So here you are, super good producer. So what was the idea behind starting this team? What led you to this?

[B]

Well, I'm 63 years old this year. I don't really have any intention of retiring.

[A]

Good.

[B]

But I would like a different pace to my life. My husband's just retired so we were planning for this. So a little bit more time to

[A]

me, perhaps you could do a deal where over time, you're able to have people step up, take some of the transactions off your plate, provide a unit that still keeps you in the game and also provides some ancillary revenue.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Well, that's the dream. And so it starts out as a nightmare, and. But it becomes a dream. So let me just share with you this. I had a team in San Diego. I had one of the first teams in all of real estate. In fact, my broker, who loved me, had to. The corporate is part of a major franchise, asked me to leave because they didn't have rules for it in 1992. That's how old I am. So let me share with you the ultimate vision for a team. I believe that 90% of teams should be 5 or less perfect. So people are always like, oh. And because when as Realtors, we're always like, more is more. Right. 50 transactions is better than 40, and 60 is better than 50. Well, when it comes to teams, that's not the case. So I came up with a concept in 1992 that served me very well, which was this. Everything is. I gross is what I net.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So. And I ended up by 1994, I did a million one in commissions, and I netted a million, too. So based on the production of the team, we pay for the office expenses, their expenses, and I netted 100,000.

[B]

You're right. That is the dream.

[A]

So now it's not easy to get there. The good news is, because. Who's your coach at Buffini Company?

[B]

Julie Fasson. I know.

[A]

The great one.

[B]

I know.

[A]

So Julie's helped many, many people like you. And so what we do is we're going to help you first get clear on your job description. There's a transition period because you think like an agent. You're a really good agent, and you've been doing this for decades. And it's very frustrating to watch people struggle with something that comes so easy to you.

[B]

True.

[A]

And so that's why the training is key, like getting him involved. It's okay. You know, the reason we built, like, the ultimate year in real estate with the blitzes, 100 days to greatness, those kinds of things. It's crucial that you lean into that stuff because you don't have the time or the energy or even the capacity to teach it, because you're still selling.

[B]

I am.

[A]

What happens is you keep building it up. You lean into the training, you lean into the coaching, and Then we have now specific programs, 14 leaders. Okay. So what to do, how to do it, the size, the scope, how to hand off a lead, how to transition a lead, all those kinds of things. The ultimate goal is this. It's going to take you three years.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And four to five is the ideal number.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Now, of the three you have, maybe one or two are going to be the winners. They're probably not all home runners and you just have to get past that because you want them all to make it.

[B]

Yeah, that's true.

[A]

And you give them your heart, you give them an opportunity. We have a little free program we're going to give you, which is called real estate, the referral way, which is 30 day kind of win the day program. And you give it to each one of your team. And if they won't do that stuff, the working by referral stuff over 30 days, probably not happening. So have you done any training with them? Have you used any of our training with them?

[B]

Oh, yes. Yeah. Everybody's done 100 days of greatness. We're going to be moving on to doing the essentials in the fall. You know, we're, of course, we're on team coaching calls. It's not that Julie isn't there for the support, but I still thought it's still, still a question of just the, the actual steps and then how do you know when you got there?

[A]

But. Right.

[B]

Give me a good idea.

[A]

I have. And the other piece is this. The single biggest change is this. You're going from me, the pilot to the co pilot.

[B]

Right.

[A]

That's the hardest transition. Yeah. And I don't know if you. My kids are big Star wars fans, but it's like, I'll take them myself. So you're used to doing it yourself.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You're used to taking care of yourself. So here's my encouragement to you. We're going to help you transition. We're going to help you find who's a winner, who can start to. Who'd be the most likely of the three you have right now, who'd be most likely? You don't have to answer this to hand one of your leads off to.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And as you start to do that, like you're out here right now, you're in Maui, your team's functioning. Someone's got to be taking care of your business, right?

[B]

There is someone.

[A]

And people are going to step up and you'll see who. And over time, you'll learn to trust it. The biggest person we have to work with is you. The biggest transition is from salesperson who's totally counted on by their customers to have this team that you can trust.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that's really where it's at. So you're in a great spot. You're a fabulous producer, you have a beautiful business. It's going to take us a couple of years. Give yourself a little grace.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And by the time you're 65, we're going to have you netting what you gross and having a team that allows you to work with who you want to work with and when you want to work with them. Okay?

[B]

Brilliant, brilliant.