Overworked. Stretched too thin. Struggling to balance it all.
This was how Lindsay Herrell of Escondido, Calif., felt when she signed up for a Buffini & Company real estate coach back in 2015. As a former lawyer, Herrell was quite familiar with the effects of an unbalanced work and family life—and what happens when you let it get out of hand.
“Real estate can be a 24/7-type business, and my personality is not very good at saying no to things,” Herrell said. “I was finding myself just putting business before family again.”
As a mom of three children, finding that family balance was important to Herrell. That’s why right away, her real estate coach helped her prioritize boundaries.
“She established these little systems during that first call that put really amazing boundaries in my life, so I could be very present for my family and very fulfilled by that,” Herrell said. “Then, when I was working, I could be very present in my business and for my clients.”
During this time, Herrell was expecting her third child. The structures suggested by her coach helped her do something she had been unable to do before—take a planned maternity leave from her business. She spent time with her now-complete family without scrambling to manage her real estate business, and she even closed a few deals.
“While I was on maternity leave, the leads were still rolling in, and I actually earned Agent of the Month at my firm because of the deals I had put together before I had my daughter,” Herrell said.
Another huge win for Herrell with One2One Coaching™ was the introduction of her annual client party. A people person at heart, Herrell has always loved that Buffini & Company systems include several client appreciation events. She had always dreamed of hosting an Easter egg hunt and brunch for all the families in her database. Within her first year of coaching, this became a reality.
“We actually planned that first client appreciation party, and I hosted it when I was about seven months pregnant,” Herrell shared. “We had about 100 people there—it was a huge success.”
Since joining One2One Coaching, Herrell’s gross commission numbers have more than doubled. She has reduced expenses by 35 percent and nearly cut her working hours in half while still growing her real estate team. Herrell describes the guidance of her coach as a critical part of her success.
” is the oxygen to my business, and I cannot live without it,” Herrell said. ” really keeps that fire lit in me to work toward something I look forward to.”
Today, Herrell has boundaries in place that allow her to grow her business while enjoying time with her husband and kids, Remy, 10, Blithe, 7, and Loula, 4. Herrell views her life as a work in progress, with the influence of One2One Coaching providing more balance and a stronger sense of fulfillment in both her family and real estate career.
“It’s so empowering to have the business I do and to be able to provide for my family and do things with my family that, when we were getting started, I never even thought were a possibility,” Herrell said. “At the end of the day, it’s so empowering for me to show my kids that you have options. You can be in control with the right systems in place.”
Want to skyrocket your own production and improve your work life balance? See what Buffini & Company One2One Coaching can help you achieve with a complimentary business consultation.
After nearly 5 years as a Realtor and achieving a top 1% top producer level at the brokerage I work for and coming from working with world wide known global brands in Europe, I too have found a wall of trying to balance my life.
My state of constantly being in that red zone of heightened awareness of any pitfall or opportunity in a business that demands my time 24/7 is pushing into a serious issues of poor sleep, poor eating wellness and ability to cope at times.
I read your article with much interest.I also listened with great intent to Brians recent podcast on anxiety and stress from a couple of weeks ago.
Its comforting to hear that its a common trait n others in our industry.
Thank you for sharing and identifying a huge problem and side effect of our daily struggle to provide please and service everyone who is faintly interested in buying or selling a home.