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From Side Gig to Real Estate Surge: The Story Behind Galen Walter & Haven Realty Team · Epic Entrepreneurs

• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: Hi, everyone.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to this week's episode of Epic Entrepreneurs.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: I am Cliff McRae with Action Coach Business Growth Partners, where we work with local business owners to turn big ideas into real scalable growth.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: Today I'm excited to be joined by Galen Walter, Haven Realty Team.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_01: How are you, Galen?
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, what's up, Cliff?
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: I am good.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for having me today.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: We're certainly excited to have you.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: So let's go ahead and jump right in.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: So for those of you who may not know it yet, who is Galen Walter and what is Haven Realty Team?
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: So that's um that's it's a long question.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's about a 42-year-old question on that one, man.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: I actually got into real estate kind of by, I don't want to say accident, because you can't just get your real estate license by accident.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: But I got it almost as just a like a second form of of income and really to be on a referral basis more than anything.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: But I mean, I have a a history in in sales and entrepreneurship.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: So it kind of uh took on a life of its own.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Because I really I got licensed um the summer before COVID hit, right?
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't know about anybody that had anything to do with real estate knows what happened when COVID hit, you know, interest rates, all that whole thing.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: And it really just kind of, you know, I don't want to say right place at the right time, you know, because there's a lot more that goes into, you know, making things work and and having success.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: But a big part of, you know, success for me is, you know, being there at the right time, you know.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: So that it kind of really took off, took off from there.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, man, I think that was, you know, a big part of of my success was just, you know, showing up.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: So take us back to the very beginning.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what made you say, yep, I'm doing this, I'm starting this business?
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: So it was kind of, I mean, like I said before, it wasn't necessarily going to be a business at the start of it.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but then once I got licensed, I connected with a group of people.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's big for me, right?
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's none of it is done alone.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: You know, sometimes like I I I'll I'll say this, I'll I'll see people that I deem successful, and like I'll I'll look at it, I'm like, oh, they've they did that.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: They made that on their own.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: And then, you know, then I realized it was a lot more that went into that.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I got I got licensed in real estate and I was already, you know, successful to a certain degree in in other areas of my life.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: It wasn't, you know, getting into real estate was, you know, a secondary, um, a secondary thing for me.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: So having that success and that foundation beforehand was a was an advantage, right?
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: Like I'm not gonna diminish diminish that at all.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: But connecting with people that were in real estate that were, you know, not even necessarily successful in real estate, you know.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: They were, you know, hungry, you know, like I tend to be.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: They were hungry for success.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: They were, you know, above average intelligence.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: Some of them were absolutely crazy and unhinged, right?
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: But I think you'll find that in in any industry.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: But they were they were hungry for success.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I and I I ran with those people.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: I built, you know, I built business with some of those people, um, I collaborated with those people, um, and I surrounded myself with, you know, people that were trying to do the same thing that I was, which is, you know, be successful, but also be, you know, happy and have fun along the way.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, totally understand.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: So then, you know, and this is all hypothetical.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_01: If you had to start again from absolute scratch, no brand, no clients, no safety net even, what would you do differently the second time?
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: Oh man.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Hmm.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Cliff, I got a question for you.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, go ahead.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: Can I curse on this podcast?
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, just minor, minor curse books, nothing crazy.
• 4:36
  unknown: All right.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: I'll try, I'll try to keep it to nothing, but uh just wanted to just want to know the the ground rules on that.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: Man, so starting over from the beginning.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: If I'm and now, so in in this scenario, am I completely redoing it of what I would want to do different or or correct?
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: You gotta honestly, I would and this and this was a tough one because, right, because COVID was also, you know, kicking into full effects less than a year after I got licensed, right?
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but network more, be more involved with with people and and associations and you know, programs in the real estate space.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: I I I have a background in e-commerce sales, right?
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: So it's easier for me to fall into a virtual space when it comes to any type of business.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: It just can't that comes, you know, second nature.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: But I wish I would have been able to network more.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: And again, COVID kind of took, you know, made that a little bit more complicated in that first year or so.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I also didn't lean into it.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I feel like, you know, that could have been very beneficial, uh, but it all worked out how it's supposed to work out, you know.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I definitely understand.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: So what would you say is a lesson you learned the hard way as a business owner that no one really prepares you for?
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: Oh man.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: Couple a couple of them.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: Of you know, not necessarily, you know, not necessarily having to reinvent the wheel in a lot of these situations.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I sometimes I overcomplicate things, you know.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: I overcomplicate things.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: I don't use, you know, systems that are already in place and are functioning well.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: And that's not to say there's there's some systems that are completely broken, but people just use them, you know, even though they're broken, right?
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um, when I say systems, I mean software, you know, sure you've experienced this, you know, just with you know, the stuff that you're doing in your daily life.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm not saying like just suck it up and and you know, grin and bear it and use whatever systems are in place, but some stuff, you know, it's it's there for a reason, right?
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't need to overcomplicate it.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: The other one, man, you know, I think it's something that almost any entrepreneur falls into, at least the ones that I've talked to and the ones that are successful, is taxes.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: Taxes, man.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that's that is that's the big one that especially, you know, if you're self-employed, especially for the first time.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean, I've been self-employed to some degree or another for, you know, well over a decade.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, I fell into it as well.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you gotta make sure you're prepared for taxes.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, that's a good piece of advice because, you know, you you can't really run that business if your pet taxes are really behind, right?
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_01: So definitely understand that.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: So be honest.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you know, are you naturally more of an entrepreneur or an employee at heart and why?
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: Man, I mean, as of right now, I I hate to say this, but like I don't know if I could ever be an employee.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if I could ever be a good employee again.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope like, I hope this doesn't come to like haunt me, like, you know, like five years from now.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like I, you know, I decided I decide I I want to work for somebody and they're like, wait a minute, you you said in this podcast in 2026 that you would not be not be a good employee.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: But from a traditional standpoint, like I don't I don't think I could I could ever be.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, sometimes I have this, like, man, I I like I I have this, I don't want to call it a fantasy because it's it's more of like a reverse fantasy of this situation where I, you know, I work at you know, A B C factory, and I, you know, I know exactly what I'm gonna make every single, you know, two-week pay period, and I have 10 days of vacation days and I don't have to answer emails, you know, and I show up, I do my job, and I clock out.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: And like, I know, I know I'd probably be, I'd, I'd, you know, I don't want to be too dramatic, but I I'd probably lose my mind, you know, after, you know, a month of that and and not want to.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: But it's almost like something I I think about when there's so much going on in my in my life as with that comes along with self-employment, right?
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: Because I have the flexibility to do whatever I want, but there's a ton of stuff that needs to get done, and I'm the one that needs to do it.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: But then again, I'm here talking with you on a you know, Tuesday at uh three o'clock, and I have that availability and flexibility.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: So short answer is no, I don't I don't think I'd ever be able to work for somebody in a traditional sense.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh-oh.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: Hey Cliff, are you there?
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_01: Did I lose you, Gaiden?
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: I think I think I lost you.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_01: There you go.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: There we go.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know what happened there.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what I'm saying.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: Were you able to hear me here now?
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I heard the first part.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um then it cut out.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: What did we get to?
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: It says it's still it says it was still recording locally.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: So I mean Okay.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it says it that's what it just popped up.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so it said it it took it took all that in.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_01: So I think we just keep going.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_01: No, it said it saved it locally, so we're good.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: Nice.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I just wasn't able to hear it.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: All right, perfect.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_01: So so how would how do you personally handle stepping away from the business, like vacations, downtime, and plugging in the evenings, so on and so forth?
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: That is uh that's a that's a good question, man.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I I have I'm I'm in a much better place right now.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: I've I've had some rough years, you know, on you know, that balance, right?
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, the work life balance.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I feel like, again, going back to like self-employment versus employment, that's you know, almost an unfair comparison, at least in in my in my eyes, right?
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: Because work-life balance, you know, when you're self-employed, like, you know, for me, work kind of infiltrates a majority of my life, you know, having that, those connections with people, you know, even when I'm in my, you know, if you want to call it free time or or downtime or whatever, that's it's it's part of it, you know, it's you're I'm well, what's that saying?
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: Like I I work all the time, so I don't have to work at any time, you know?
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: But I mean, it's been a challenge, man, especially when there's where there's people that are reaching out to you and essentially, you know, they're not saying this directly, but they're saying, hey, I want to talk with you or get your attention or, you know, or have you do something that in turn is going to make me a significant amount of money, right?
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I say when I say me, I'm talking about myself.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: So it's hard to turn that off, especially when there's like a, you know, a social or financial incentive at the end of that, whether it just be a simple connection or or that.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: But I've tried to find a balance like like earlier today, I mean, this is probably two hours ago, a buddy of mine texted me and he said, he said, Hey, I'm thinking about buying my first investment property.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: I'm thinking about buying my first investment property.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure where to start.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: I've never, I've never done this before other than owning my my own personal home.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I immediately texted him back and I said, I said, you just figured out the cheat code of how to get me to respond to you immediately, right?
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: Like, tell me that you want to buy a house and I'm gonna respond to you immediately.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: But I told him, I was like, but today I'm slammed, man.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: Like I have to go pick up my son after, after this and take him to do a couple activities.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, I am absolutely slammed, man.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: Can we, you know, can we talk tomorrow?
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like at one o'clock.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: One o'clock, I'm good to talk and can have some time to actually sit down.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: In the past, I would have tried to book a call with him, you know, sometime tonight in between an activity with my son, and it would be, I wouldn't be able to pay full attention to him, and I wouldn't be able to pay full attention to my son, and I would just be torn into multiple directions all at once.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I guess really, you know, determining what's a a now priority and what's a tomorrow priority.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: And then also really determining if something is even something I want to be involved in or want to have in my life.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I think that's one of the more important things to have.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: Am I am I just doing this to feel busy, you know, to look busy?
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: Or am I is this actually something that's gonna be a benefit to me, but also where I can be a benefit to somebody else?
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: So hope that makes sense.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_01: Basically you're saying work, work smarter, not harder, right?
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_01: So work on stuff that's actually really gonna progress things rather than just working on everything and everything being kind of a hey, like a crossfire, right?
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_01: Or a big fire that you have to get into.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: I have to do it right now.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_01: But it's like, no, I don't have to necessarily do it right now.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: I can maybe wait till tomorrow.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe wait till next day, right?
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, or or not at all.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean, and it's and that's a you know, that's a tricky one though, because the way that I've built success is by, you know, at the beginning, when there's not a lot going on, if somebody's just starting off, right?
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: Like, like they're not gonna say, you know, they're not gonna say, hey man, I know you want to buy a house, but can you wait until tomorrow?
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, if I'm sitting there and I have, you know, not as much going on and more time than money and everything else, like, like, man, I'm gonna, I'm gonna pick that up.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know, if you if this would have been a text I received, you know, six years ago, like we're talking now, you know?
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so yeah.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, when you're building a team, you know, of employees, what traits matter more to you than what's on someone's resume?
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: Oh man, really, it's gonna come down to so this isn't necessarily like like HR hiring advice, right?
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: Like the first, the first thing is I need to like you, right?
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, agreed.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I need I need to like you because most likely that's going to mean other people are going to like you as well.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I I don't, you know, I I don't want you to be, you know, have all the all the knowledge and none of the personality, right?
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_00: That'll probably be that'll probably be a good trait for, you know, an accountant or something, you know, of that nature.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: My accountant friends are gonna be upset that I said that.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: But like I want to like you.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to be able to, you know, understand new concepts and be trainable, right?
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: Like, not think that you know what you don't know and what you you shouldn't know.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: But I know there's a lot of people out there that are kind of cocky to a certain extent and you know self-inflicted, think they know what they don't know, or you know, or actually believe that they know stuff that they they don't actually know.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, those those are, you know, adaptability, trainable, and likable, I think are the the big ones for me.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: No, I I I totally agree with that likable part.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, that's that's a little bit more underrated than I I feel like it should be because you know, we spend more time at work than we do with our loved ones.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: So if I don't enjoy being around you, I I don't understand what's the point.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: Like that does that make sense?
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_01: Like if I don't if I can't stand you and I'm gonna be around you more than I am with my own family, then I don't, you know, that just doesn't seem like a great environment for me to be in, be in all day, every day.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: So that's always my thing.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I I've killed very lucrative, successful business partnerships over that, man.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, this is not bringing it financially, it's a it's it's a positive, but it's not bringing the value to my my day-to-day life that I want.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I've I've you know, I've walked away and severed ties from situations like that.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, definitely agree with that.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_01: So, what's one thing you do intentionally to keep your workplace positive, motivated, and productive, you know, especially during stressful times?
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: So, I mean, my my workspace is a little is a little different because it's virtual from a big perspective, right?
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: Like I I have a physical office, but I don't know.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's more just used to have a physical office, get mail and and and whatnot.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, some of the agents stop in there from time to time, but I don't, you know, require it.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: So really mine is more of a virtual perspective of staying in touch on a, you know, not an overbearing basis, but a almost more of a social connection basis.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: So everybody knows what's going on with the other, you know, the other agents and the other team members and and and fostering that, you know.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: And for the most part, you know, it's it's self-engaging, you know.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: Once you set it up and create that environment, the, you know, the team members will will take it on themselves to, you know, to take care of themselves.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: But I still try to stay as active as possible.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't necessarily know if that answers your question because it, you know, it's more of a brick and mortar type of question.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, okay, okay.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I like that.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, now we're gonna head into what's called the quick fire round.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so basically how this works is I'm going to I'm going to say one word and then you just tell me the first thing, the first idea that comes to your mind when you hear about that word when it comes to running your business.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: Does that make sense?
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_01: All right, all right.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_01: So the first word is education.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_00: Education.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_00: Man?
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_00: So hold on.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: Am I supposed to am I supposed to hit you with one word response?
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_01: No, you can you can go into it.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: Man, I mean, from a real estate perspective.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_00: I don't man, I I know, I know a lot of people that are incredibly smart, but not educated from a traditional sense.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: I, you know, I I think education is important, especially continuing education in the field that we're in.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: But a lot of people go into real estate because they're not, you know, they're not good at traditional education.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: You know, so I think education is great.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's a little overrated if you're going to be going into to real estate.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: That being said, there's a bunch of dummies that got their real estate license, man.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of scary, if I'm being completely honest.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't know if that's the rapid fire answer you wanted, but that's the one I'm giving.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: Uh oh.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: Did I lose you?
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: Clip.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_01: There you go.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_01: You're back.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_01: There you go.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_01: Man, that's I don't know what's going on.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_01: Next word is planning.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_01: Planning.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I'm gonna I'm gonna pause here.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: This is planning.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, really, I'm I'm gonna counter planning with adaptability, right?
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: I see a lot of people get completely strung up on what the plan is going to be and what it should be, and miss a ton of opportunity.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: Not to say that planning isn't important, right?
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: Like there needs to be somewhat of a roadmap, but I think in in in real estate and in a lot of life, adaptability is equally, if not more, important.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: I like that.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: Inspiration.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: Oh man.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: I I've I'll I'll speak personally.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_00: I like if I'm not inspired to do something, I'm not going to do it.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: I think that, you know, it's a big part of the reason I I've been successful in real estate is because I am genuinely inspired by it.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um it's exciting, it's fun for me.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's not I mean, there's some stressful times and it's you know, it's it it is a job, it's a career, but man, if something isn't inspiring me, why why am I doing it?
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: You know?
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, totally agree.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: Commitment.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: Commitment.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: Man, I'm I'm drawing a blank on this one.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'm drawing a blank.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe we can come back to it or scrub it out.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, okay.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: Discipline.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: Oh man, I feel like this is the the opposite of of inspiration, right?
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_00: Like the inspiration, you know, can can get me started and sometimes keep me going, but the discipline in the middle, um, especially when it's the boring stuff, right?
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: It's not like the fun and exciting and new stuff or or the very end where's the there's the payoff.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um but that the discipline in the middle.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: I I think for me, like the discipline comes from the repetition, the repetition of doing something, you know, multiple times until I become, you know, I don't want to say good at it necessarily, but become it becomes second nature.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: And just showing up even when I don't want to, you know, even when it's not exciting and it's not necessarily fun.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_00: And then the last word is execution.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: Man, I'm going straight morbid on that one.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: Execution.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: Can I ask Cliff, are these the same words you use on every single episode?
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_01: No, because I actually could, I actually took a couple out because they didn't, they don't quite apply.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_00: So execution.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I I get I guess on this one, right?
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_00: Uh a big, a big part of where I've I don't want to say I haven't had success, is where I I overthink or overplan something to the point where I've missed the opportunity to execute on it, right?
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: I think for me is finding that, you know, I don't want to say happy medium, but an above average product, right?
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: That I can actually put out whatever that product is, right?
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: Like wherever I'm working on like, you know, a new marketing plan or something, you know, a new, you know, buyer presentation, something along those lines.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: But like executing before the time has passed for it to happen is a is a big one for me.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_00: You know, not over planning something to the point where it it it no longer has a life.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_01: No, I feel like that's good words.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_01: That's good words.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_01: So and and I want you to be as candid as you can on this next uh next answer here.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: You know, if a business owner and and you know, even specifically, a small business owner is listening to the podcast right now today and feels stuck or overwhelmed or, you know, just kind of out of place, what's a big piece of advice you'd want them to hear from you today?
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_01: Or what advice would you give them?
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: Man, this might not be like the advice because like I said, I I've been self-employed to some degree or another for well over a decade at this point.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: And it like if it if you're so I'll speak from my my own experience, right?
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_00: I've started businesses where I've been sometimes multiple years into them, where I've either come to the realization or from a personal standpoint or from the bank account standpoint, where I'm like, this isn't either the business that I want to be involved in, and I because I don't have that passion behind it, or this isn't the business that I can be involved in from a cash flow perspective, right?
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like I have the passion, but the the business model isn't there.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I mean, I don't mean to be defeatist on this one, but like learn when to cut your losses, you know, because I've been in those situations where it hasn't been either the right time, the right business, or or my I didn't have the right mentality on it.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_00: And looking back, I realize that the next right business was it was right there, but I couldn't see it because I was so consumed in trying to make something out of a business that wasn't meant to meant to survive.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope that doesn't come across as like, you know, pessimistic or defeatist.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_00: But I guess really, in in regards to your question, like make sure this is a business that you want to be in and that, you know, has the legs to survive.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_00: Hope that came across appropriately.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, no, I got it.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_01: Good, good.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: So what's next for the Haven Realty team?
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what should people be excited about?
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_01: What's coming up next?
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_00: So, man, this is an interesting time, right?
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_00: Because I'm, you know, we're we're talking about entrepreneurship on this one.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I've built my team out in North Carolina, right?
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_00: I've built my I've built my business up here in South Florida as well.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_00: And can I can I ask, Cliff, when is this going to be released?
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_01: It'll actually be the last week of February.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, perfect.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I asked that because I'm I'm in a transition right now of joining up with another, you know, national group.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um because I've I was sitting there looking back at at the last, you know, the last couple of of years and the you know, the last six months or so.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I realized there was a lot of things that I didn't enjoy about my business, but that were completely necessary parts of business just in general.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I know it's ironic based off of, you know, what type of podcast this is and what we've been talking about, but I'm aligning myself with a larger national group of agents that can provide a lot of the I'd say the support and the education that don't necessarily fill me, right?
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_00: That that don't fulfill me.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: So, but that's not actually happening until later this month.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: So that's why I just wanted to make sure that this wasn't gonna be um coming out before I officially announce that that part of my my business world, you know?
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I understand.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_01: So, and finally, what's the best way for someone to connect with you or contact you in case they want to?
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, you can you can hit me up on Instagram, you can go to GalenWalter.com.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm pretty much on on all the socials.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um I have a pretty unique name, so I'm I'm easy to find for for good or for bad, you know?
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_00: So uh yeah, Galen Walter underscore Instagram is probably the best uh the best way to to hit me up.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, or I imagine you can drop my phone number in there for me as well.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_01: All right, perfect.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Galen, this has been fantastic.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thank you so much for sharing your story, your perspective, and the real behind the scenes of building a business.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_01: Really appreciate you coming on the podcast today.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, of course, Cliff.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_00: It was awesome.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_00: Appreciate it, man.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, thank you.