Have you ever noticed that when we really care about something, we stop caring how we look to others?

Run, Forrest, Run!

I (Ramey) ran track in high school. Senior year, I was competing in the 1,600 and 4x800 but had been begging my coach to let me run the 4x400. If you know me, you know I don’t speak up unless I believe strongly in something - and I believed I belonged in that race. The 4x400 had been deemed “Showtime” by the previous year’s team. Always the final event. Always electric. Often run under the lights.

My coach didn’t think I had the footspeed to compete in that short of a race given that I was considered a distance runner, not a sprinter. I worked hard and was competitive in my other events, but not ‘fast’. Eventually, after much badgering, he gave in and let me run the third leg - the one typically given to the slow guy. But I didn’t care. I just wanted my shot.

When I got the baton, we were 10 - 15 meters behind. By the backstretch, I was gaining. With 100 meters to go, I passed my guy (the other team’s slow guy 😂). I was laboring down the home stretch, form unraveling, breathing fire. A girl I liked was in the stands, and I distinctly remember thinking how goofy I must’ve looked. But I didn’t care. I wanted that spot. I wanted to prove it.

We ended up winning the race and after, my coach came over and said, “hell of an effort, you’re on that damn thing from here on out.”

And in a rare moment of cockiness, I just smiled and said, “I told you I could do it.” Must’ve been the runner’s high getting the best of me.

Bet I Can Throw a Football over them Mountains

I know, I know, “Cool story, Ramey. What’s next—a breakdown of your junior varsity football stats? Stick to the permits Uncle Rico.”

Fair. But here’s what I learned from that time in my life:

1. If you’ve been putting in the work, it’s okay to advocate for yourself.
Sometimes you have to ask for the baton. I’m introverted by nature, so proactively reaching out to people I may not know or know well (a key activity to a successful brokerage career, by the way) is not high on my strengths list. Putting in the work gives me the confidence to make those calls and ask for business (advocate for myself), knowing I have the ability to execute.

2. When you get your shot, make the most of it.
It might be your only lap to prove it. We don’t win every pitch. Nobody does. But we’re always going to put our best foot forward in pursuit of business where we know we’re a good fit for the client. Whether we’re chosen or not is out of our hands. What we do control is how much effort we put into it.

3. When you care deeply about something, you stop caring how you look.
You stop worrying about who’s watching and just go. I’ve definitely felt self-conscious on many occasions throughout the years, but here’s the thing - if someone has the time to watch and critique you, they probably don’t have as much going on as you do. Cue the obligatory, overused but still relevant, The Man in the Arena.

Do or do not. There is no try.

As I’ve gotten older, I realize those same timeless lessons show up again and again.

Making a phone call I don’t want to make. Pitching for a listing I’m unsure we’ll win. Reaching out to a prospect who seems out of my league. Advocating for a property I believe in even if others don’t see it yet.

You won’t always feel ready. You won’t always look smooth. But if you know what you’re chasing - and why - it gets easier to run your race, ugly home stretch race face be damned.

I’d love to hear - what’s your ‘Showtime’? Bonus points if you know the movie quotes in the sub headers…

Ramey

(602) 228-3638

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