🟢 My 2024 in Review - And the Digital Toolkit That Helped Me Survive

2024 was a whirlwind year for me, with big wins, tough transitions, and life lessons that stretched me in ways I NEVER expected.

As I write this, I want to share a recap of my journey with you: the successes and the struggles on the one hand, but also the tools, books, and podcasts that were there for me as my personal knowledge arsenal. They helped me pivot and fuel my energy for 2025.

Here’s a peek at what this year brought: walking away from managing a powerhouse team, taking a hard but necessary sabbatical, and facing personal challenges.

Make sure to scroll all the way through to the bottom. You’ll find my favorite books and podcasts for this year!

Mega Team Magic

2024 began with a bang. I doubled down on performance.

10 years of building growth. 60+ agents. Staff. $450MM/year in sales volume.

I recruited and onboarded, launched automation, opened a new office, rolled out new lead sources, trimmed costs, and streamlined operations. Anyone who has been there knows the drill.

We had a kickass staff, high-performing agents, tried-and-tested best practices, and a way to conduct real estate.

Tools that stand out for me from that time:

• Improvement that made us unstoppable: Elena Kee and Kee Technology automated the follow-up boss (FUB) and client follow-up.

• The book that helped me level up as a leader: Starting the day early, taking personal time before anything else with time to exercise, learn, and manifest what you want. Robin Sharma: “5 AM Club” 

Walking Away to Sabbathical

After years of building, growing, and grinding, I made the bold and abrupt choice to step back.

Walking away wasn’t easy—but it was necessary.

I felt I was responsible for everyone else, but I was responsible for myself.

After stepping out, I questioned if I was relevant in any other way than what I used to be.

What helped me with this transition?:

• Walks with the dogs: I started walking daily with our border collies, mostly 2-5 miles/day. Walks are a triple threat! 1. exercise, 2. taking care of the dogs, 3. listening content.

• Losing weight: I used Noom to shed 20 lbs. I’m forever grateful for what I learned from using Noom.

• Business contacts: I talked with numerous acquaintances to understand what they were up to. I was reminded of how important managing your personal brand is and how I had neglected that part for many years.

Sometimes, stepping away is the only way forward. Thank you to everyone who helped with this!

Facing the Storm

This year brought personal challenges I wasn’t prepared for.

Supporting a partner through substance abuse and health battles tested everything—my patience, resilience, and capacity to show up.

What helped me?

• Walks with the dogs!

• HIIT running: I have listened to Rhonda Patrick for years. Here’s one of her latest episodes on High-Intensity Interval Training.

• Books: I mainly listened to books during my walks and runs. I listened to Joseph Nguyen over and over and over again. The link is below. He has a couple of books published. I also listened to Breanna Wiest, all the books, several times.

 Full Force Ahead with Calm Agent

As the year winds down, I’m stepping into 2025 with renewed energy and a new tool belt.

For the last several months, I’ve been researching ways for AI to improve the efficiency of real estate agent work.

Here are two of the Podcasts and Newsletters fueling me right now:

• Superhuman AI Podcast and Newsletter: These guys are no-nonsense and useful but not too heavy to digest. This episode about Content Diet, for example, is pure gold! Their newsletter keeps me informed about everything AI.

• The Calum Johnson Show: Calum engages in honest and detailed discussions with guests, exploring their decision-making processes, challenges faced, and strategies for success.

Happy New Year! Stay Calm ❤️