July 31, 2025 • 34 mins
Roxanne Derhodge welcomes Erin Kruger to discuss her journey in real estate and her leadership philosophy. Erin shares insights on team dynamics, focusing on motivation, culture, and accountability. The conversation covers strategies for navigating difficult conversations and optimizing team performance. Erin emphasizes the importance of cultivating appreciation and a supportive environment within teams. She shares insights from her book on resilience and growth, offering advice to her younger self and defining what success means to her. The episode wraps up with Erin's thoughts on effective team building, a mention of Roxanne's ROR course, and a reminder to subscribe.
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(00:01):
Welcome to Authentic Living with Roxanne, aplace where we have conscious conversations
about things that really matter in our lives.
And now here's your host, Roxanne Durhaj.
(00:40):
Hi, everyone.
It's Roxanne Durhoch.
Thanks for tuning in again to Authentic Livingwith Roxanne.
Today, have a special guest, Erin Kruger, andshe's bringing expertise in leadership, but
from a different angle to my past guests.
So Erin is in real estate.
So Erin, thanks so much for coming on today.
Thank you so much for having me, Roxanne.
I really appreciate it.
(01:01):
So I'm gonna tell you a little bit about Erin,but it's not gonna do it any justice, in that
you can read all about the amazing things she'sdone.
But she's Erin's a nationally recognized leaderin real estate.
And I was saying to Erin way back when rightout of my undergrad, I went back in into real
estate.
It didn't last very long.
And she works you know, she's ranked number 14in the nation, which I think is a pretty
(01:24):
impressive thing.
And she's, you know, done things like manageteams.
She's over $2,000,000,000 in transactions.
Like, how amazing is that?
And net nearly 225,000,000 in sales in 2024.
Pretty, pretty impressive numbers.
And just so excited to talk to you aboutleadership because I know when you're starting
(01:46):
off as a solopreneur in real estate, it's onething, but you've gone on and expanded onto
teams.
Just curious to talk a lot about that.
And, of course, she's written a book, which weneed to check try to delve into as much as
possible about capture the culture.
Erin, so tell me, did you grow up wanting to bein real estate?
Did you come from a real estate background andfamily or community?
(02:10):
No, actually I grew up with a farm family.
I'm from Penn, a small town right outside ofPhiladelphia and we had an Angus cattle farm.
So I learned what hard work is early on.
But I was, my pathway was in advertising andmarketing.
And I never thought that I would be going intoreal estate, but that's how life is, right?
It kind of brings you kind of some twists andturns.
(02:31):
And one day I worked for a boss, a leader thatI would say is probably the very opposite of
myself.
And he was the type of person where he wouldtake a completely calm company and he would
turn it upside down with just walking into aroom and leave in total chaos and cause a lot
(02:51):
of stress and things like that.
And it just wasn't the type of culture that Iwanted to be part of.
And one day he asked me to plagiarize acustomer, a competitor's commercial.
And I was writing the commercials at the time.
And I said, no, I can do something better.
And I was in my young 20s and he says, no, I'mgoing to give you your holiday bonus early.
You're going to do it.
And I said, actually, I'm not going to do it.
(03:12):
You're going have my resignation by the end ofthe day.
Because at the end of the day, you only haveyour name.
And so I walked down the hallway and he said tome, Aaron, what are you going to go do?
And I said, I'm going go into real estate.
And he left.
And six years later, I ran into him and hesays, Aaron, I'm seeing your signs everywhere.
I feel like I'm responsible for this.
(03:33):
And I said, oh, you are.
Great seeing you.
And I walked away.
At that point, I was number one in Tennessee asa solo agent and 14 in the country.
And I took that success as an independent agentto growing a team because I had to out of
necessity.
And I needed good people who did things in asimilar fashion of, you know, processes and
(03:54):
systems that I do things so we could be betterand be able to really facilitate all the
clientele that I was being able to bring on andservice them.
It's been a I've worked for, you know, prior tobeing in real estate, I worked and did a whole
bunch of corporate different entities from adagencies to working for small businesses,
negotiating deals with Nickelodeon, Marvel, allof those things.
(04:17):
And I learned a lot.
The most important thing that I think I learnedwas not what not to do as a leader.
I think it's just as important as what to do asa leader.
And so when I started to build my own team, Irealized, number one, I I didn't have a
pathway.
I didn't have a methodology.
(04:37):
And I if I needed to have any kind of semblanceof success and order and staying power, I
really needed to get some things together andreally figure out where I wanted to be as a
team leader and an entrepreneur.
And most importantly, the people who entrust meand come on my team, where do they want to be?
(04:58):
So I can ultimately help them reach their goalsto be their best self.
Because if they become their best self, theyare happier, they stay, they're loyal, they
love what they do, they love the people they'reworking with, and their performance is 10x a
team that may be the same size that doesn'thave a great culture.
(05:19):
And so that's what I focus on in Capture theCulture.
So obviously this leader, he was instrumentalin starting your path of understanding what
leadership should not be.
So what was some of the core fundamental thingsthat you learned about leading relatively
early?
I I would say in real estate, you have to be aself starter.
(05:41):
But what did you learn about you?
Because it's kinda hard when you're juststarting off and, yes, you have business
contacts to clear you're coming from corporate,but you still have to build that that, I'm
gonna say, the book of business where peoplekinda now can shift over from seeing you in a
different environment to real estate.
So what kind of things did you rely on tostart, you know, selling real estate and
(06:02):
relying on those skills?
Well, I mean, I think, you know, to startbuilding a business, I moved to Nashville, and
I did not know one person.
So, I essentially had two corporate positionsin Nashville within probably two years of being
in Nashville.
And I didn't really have a big book ofbusiness, right, when I decided to make this
(06:24):
huge leap into real estate.
But I believed in myself and I always was I wasnever, you know, a stranger to hard work.
And so I ended up paying for leads so I could,you know, get my basically cut my teeth, if you
will, on converting.
And I think that's a very powerful skill ifyou're able to convert, whether you're in the
grocery store line and you hear somebodytalking about real estate or if they're on the
(06:46):
phone or they come into an open house, whateverit is.
So I ended up doing that and I had a lot ofsuccess.
And I made those clients that I converted intolifelong clients.
I called them my water closet, like watercooler ninjas.
You know, they hear somebody in their officethat is looking to buy or sell and they
immediately say, I don't know who you'recurrently working with but you need to work
with Erin.
(07:07):
Let me get her on the phone and connect youright now.
And so I ended up having these amazing clientsthat were fighting for me every day to bring
more clients my way.
And what I realized early on working with allof these corporate structures and seeing things
how I didn't want to build a team or have aculture, I realized really quickly that people
(07:28):
don't leave businesses.
They leave cultures.
And I think that if people understand that,they would put more accountability into
themselves as leaders, but they would put moreemphasis on the heartbeat of their team.
I think there's so many managers that are outthere that have no idea what's going on in
(07:49):
their business.
They look at the bottom line and they see thatthings look pretty good.
And they don't know what's going on with theirteam members.
And it could be the complete opposite of whatthat manager, CEO, or team lead is thinking.
And unless you have a pulse on your team andyou know what's going on with them, you know
(08:09):
what their why is, you're never gonna be ableto reach the full potential of the company.
It's so interesting because in my work, I talkabout core essentials.
So there's five core essential areas, and ofwhich connection is one of them.
Right?
And, you know, we talk a little bit about in inreal estate, there's pressure, like we're
talking about the market and things like that.
(08:31):
But you have to stay in value alignment whenyou're in an you have to know the person and
know their like, to your point, their why.
So what if, like, one when you're building yourteam, and let's say, you know, you've got a
good compilation, but some one person's kindathey're kinda going in opposite direction based
on what they had shared with you when you hiredthem.
(08:53):
Well, how do you kind of approach that personto kind of I'm gonna use the word motivate or
incentivize them to tap into what you know theyhave?
Absolutely.
I think the first thing I start with is that,you know, to be on my team and my business, we
get inquiries all the time to join our team.
And we're very selective of who we bring on theteam.
(09:14):
And we have a really big rigorous hiringprocess, which I can talk about later.
But, you know, for me to hire somebody on theteam, I truly believe in them.
I truly believe in them.
At the end of the day, somebody can have allthe potential in the world.
But if they don't put the work behind it, allit is is potential, right?
And so for me, I think it's about belief of ateam member.
(09:37):
So if I see somebody kind of going off therails, maybe kind of having a little bit of an
attitude problem, maybe their work issuffering, maybe they're not being able to do
what they're doing, maybe they're kind of beinga rotten apple and their negativity is maybe
starting to affect other team members.
Right?
I will sit down with them and I will come froma place of empathy.
And I will say to them, I believe in you.
(10:00):
I chose you.
What's going on?
Talk to me.
And I want them to be very vulnerable because Ifeel as though I'm a vulnerable leader too.
I really want to know what's going on withthem.
Because if I know what's going on with them, wecan create a pathway to fix them and get them
on the right path.
If they choose to be vulnerable at that pointand open up to me about what is really the real
(10:21):
reason behind it, we're gonna craft a thirty toforty five day plan to get them back on the
right track.
Right?
It's gonna hold them accountable.
It's gonna be written down, and it's gonna be apathway to get there.
It's up to them if they're going to take thesteps to do it.
Okay?
If they choose the latter approach, is notbeing very vulnerable, not opening up about it,
(10:42):
kind of still having that negativity or thatclosed mindedness of it, then I simply say, you
know, I think you're a wonderful person.
Yeah.
I
don't think this is the team for you.
Unfortunately, we're going to have to go ourseparate ways.
And so I give everybody the opportunity.
But if they don't take the opportunity forchange, then I have no other ability than to
(11:04):
let them go.
And a lot of so I have part of my team is adminstaff, W-two employees.
The other half are ten ninety nine contractors,right?
And so you have to be very careful on how youapproach those conversations.
But I truly believe if you come to them withempathy and understanding, at the end of the
day, I'm not going to let somebody's negativityaffect the work and the mindset of other people
(11:30):
that are headed in the right direction, thatare positive, that believe that tomorrow is
going to be a better day if today's a littlesticky, right?
I want people that have a really good need tobe better tomorrow than they are today in my
business.
And if they're not following kind of that kindof pathway that we've all committed to on the
front end, then this is just not the place forthem.
(11:53):
So, you know, you talked about some corefundamental things, right, which is fitting in
feeling like you belong, being vulnerable.
These are all things that I think oftenoftentimes in leadership, it's kinda like, you
know, if I'm too vulnerable, then am I gonnacreate the space of accountability?
So tell share with us how you in thatsituation, I often say it's not soft skills at
(12:15):
all.
It's actually pretty tough, tough skills thatyou have to go through.
How do you support someone but still keep themaccountable along with that plan that you're
talking about?
How do you do have a path that you kind of doyou do check ins?
Do you do certain things?
Do you suggest coaching?
What kinds of things do you do with your staff?
Yeah.
So we are, as a team, we are committed, wealways say this, we're committed to being
(12:39):
better tomorrow than we are today.
If I set somebody up on a PIP, which is thethirty to forty five day performance
improvement plan, there are going to be actionitems that they have to count, that they have
to hit in order to still stay on the team.
And it is very clearly outlined.
And everyone says on my team, you always knowwhere you stand with me.
(12:59):
There's no gray area.
You're going to know it's black or white withme.
And I feel as though if I give you theopportunity and we spend time and we create
this pathway, if you're not hitting thosebenchmarks, I'm going to have a very direct
conversation, right?
And at the end of the day, my job is to be acoach and to coach them up and to make sure
(13:20):
that they're doing it.
But they have to want it.
If you don't want it, I can't want it for you.
And I think as leaders, as managers, we have torealize when the other person doesn't want it
anymore, Okay?
And that's when you have to cut ties.
There are times when I put somebody on a PIPand I think we've had a really good
conversation, we've done this pathway, and twoand a half weeks in, I'm not seeing any
(13:43):
improvement.
Okay?
And you need to know when to to walk away.
Right?
You need to know when to cut the ties.
And it's okay to cut it early and to say, youknow what?
We were on this plan, but I haven't seen anyimprovement.
And that's not what you committed.
And unfortunately, I think we're just not theteam for you right now.
And that's a again, another hard thing that alot of managers to have those hard
(14:08):
conversations.
Right?
And to sometimes come to the, you know, thereality that some people just aren't a right
fit for whatever reason.
And maybe they didn't have the I would say mostpeople can get through a a forty five minute
interview or whatever being able to keep it alltogether and tell you what, read the room,
those types of things.
But within that, like, you know, whether it'sninety days or whatever that you're have them
(14:30):
on probation, what starts to happen is if theperson's intention is not in alignment with
what the values are of your company, then itsurely slowly starts to kinda show its cracks.
And then you're gonna support them.
Like you said, you put them on a performanceevaluation plan, and they're still showing it
to you.
At that point, you have to have those toughconversations.
And I can tell you in health and wellnessstrategy when I was an executive and we would
(14:54):
manage a lot, you know, East Of Norththroughout Canada and The US as well and into
Europe.
That was the biggest concern that we found withmanagers.
And what they would do is they wouldn't go totheir HR and I don't know if you have a
consulting firm that you have internally or ifyou consult with another firm.
So what would happen is we would oftentimesfeel these calls, There were managers that
(15:16):
could kinda hide, and they didn't know how tohave those conversations.
But maybe they'd been there, say, sometimesthirty years.
And they didn't wanna go internally to saytheir directors or whoever because they were
afraid that they would be viewed as incompetentbecause they'd kinda shift around to be able to
(15:37):
manage without having to have those toughconversations.
So the fact that you're saying that you havethose relatively early is pretty amazing.
Now if there's leaders listening and they'resaying, well, you know, Erin, we're successful
ish, and our tube is working okay.
I know there's a little bit of let's use theword nepotism or a little bit of favoritism,
(16:02):
and maybe we haven't dealt with everythingideally on our teams.
And what kind of a guidance would you give thatleader around thinking through a strategy to
optimize the potential on that team?
So first of all, I think that jealousy,nepotism, some negativity that could be on the
(16:22):
team can be fixed with community.
And what I mean by that is being able to pullthe teams together and do different events and
different things.
And whether it's lunches or dinners or drinksor happy hour or in my team, we do all of
(16:42):
those.
I have an all female team.
And so we'll do maybe like a spa day or we'lldo something where every if we hit our goals at
the end of the year, I will take them away on atrip.
And, you know, I learned a long time ago thatappreciation matters so much.
Not everybody's love language, so to speak, atwork is money.
(17:03):
You have to know as their manager, what is Isit a conversation to say, I don't know how you
do what you do, but you just knocked it out ofthe park.
That moment can be so meaningful to that personif you know that that's what that person needs.
But if you're not paying attention to thepeople around you and what their motivation
(17:24):
factor is, their love language on how they feelthat they're appreciated, you are going to miss
the boat.
And so I remember many years ago, about twelveyears ago, it was the first time I had a team
and it was the holidays and I wanted to dosomething special.
We had definitely hit our goals.
And I wanted nobody around me, especially inreal estate, had taken their real estate team
(17:46):
on a trip.
But I wanted to do something.
I wanted to take them all to Tulum on an allexpense paid trip.
Absolutely.
Nice.
And I remember taking them into the conferenceroom, and I put a little bag in front of each
one of them.
And inside was a monogrammed leather passport.
And when you opened up the passport, itbasically had a little printout of an all
expense paid trip to Tulum, had the dates.
(18:07):
And I, as a team lead, I was expecting thatwhen I said, thank you so much for working so
hard, I want to tell you how much I appreciateyou.
And I think it's time for us to have funtogether and really get to know each other on a
completely different level.
And please open up your gifts.
(18:29):
And they opened it up, and they looked at thethey saw the fact that they're going to Tulum.
And I expected as a team leader, a little bitof dancing, a little bit of, like, high fives,
people screaming.
And what I saw when I looked around the tablewere tears.
Nobody had taken the time to appreciate themlike that.
They were speechless, absolutely speechless.
(18:52):
And what I learned on this trip is that it wasthe best money that any team lead manager could
have spent because husbands weren't a part ofthe equation.
It was a girl's trip.
We were down there.
We were bonding on a different level.
We understood people.
Everybody's so different.
I mean, I have people that are 23 to 62 on myteam.
And everybody's a different personality.
(19:13):
But if you understand where somebody is, you'regonna have an appreciation of where they are.
And being a good manager is about even the factof when you're doing your seats on the
airplane, making sure that people that maybearen't the besties in the workplace are sitting
next to each other so they can get anunderstanding of the person next to each other.
And I think that is the mind of somebody who isnot just a great manager, but a great person
(19:41):
that can bring teams together and lift them up.
And I think that when you do that with yourteam, I'll tell you what, my team members come
back from that trip and they are ready to go.
They are loyal.
They are recharged.
They are ready to sell real estate.
They are ready to serve their clients, andthey're very positive and thankful.
And I think that people take time to appreciatetheir teams.
(20:01):
And it doesn't have to be grand gestures like atrip like I can do.
A lot of people can't do that with economicthings.
But take somebody out to dinner, go and do, youknow, an escape game or do something or maybe
even have a contest at work or something thatgets community going.
Community, when people feel a part ofsomething, they and if they're a part of
(20:23):
something great, they don't wanna leave it.
Absolutely.
Because everybody wants to be seen.
Everyone wants to be seen.
Right?
Everybody wants to feel that specialness.
And likewise, I've ran several teams in mycareer as well in corporate, and it was
something silly.
Mine is simple compared to yours.
So I ran a team, and they had some, I'm gonnasay, less than desirable leadership two two
(20:45):
iterations before me in a row.
And then there was me, and I was a newer gradjust kind of, you know but I thought, well, I'm
a good person.
I can lead.
I'm just gonna show them that trust is allthose things, and they were not very happy.
But what it took was just trying to I rememberwalking into offices and being inadvertently,
(21:06):
not not directly, but what are you doing here?
What what do you want?
And and then I would say, I'm I'm just tryingto get to figure out who you are and what
you're all about and how you work.
And I would say probably for about two yearsstraight of running this team of 15, it was a
constant pushback.
And I think the second Christmas, I did was itwas an outpatient clinic.
(21:30):
It was something so simple, not like yourTulum.
Something really simple with the colors of yourunit and it was red.
I put red on it and I put their names and I putoutpatient clinic.
I think it must have cost me like, to yourpoint, doesn't have to be money, like $10 a
shirt or something to get it embroidered withtheir name.
(21:51):
Was, it was like a shift, like a massivepathing of the sea because all of a sudden they
felt connected, they felt validated.
We went out to a beautiful dinner together andthey had all their they were talking to each
other.
Ones that would not have talked or barelytalked to each other.
I was like, wow.
This can't, I mean, mind you, taking a bit ofwork.
(22:13):
But to your point though, that sense that youare you are the you truly are the glue as the
manager.
And, you know, when I talk a lot about my RORprocess, I talk about the importance about who
you are and you living in in alignment so thatyou're making decisions the same.
(22:34):
And I know, you know, sometimes when leadersget stressed, they sometimes make decisions
that maybe go off a bit a bit of a path, but toreally kinda stay connected to themselves so
the true essence of who you who Erin is iscoming out regardless if where you're stressed
or if a child is sick or if so, you're goingthrough something, which puts you under a lot
(22:55):
more pressure, but the value of that is, youknow, tenfold.
You know?
Absolutely.
I couldn't agree more.
I think people are seeking appreciation.
They're seeking understanding.
And I think that if you can really understandwho your team is and what they want, man,
(23:15):
they'll work so hard for you.
The results will just flourish.
If somebody isn't in town because they've got adeath in the family and another team member
needs to pick up the slack, They're there.
No questions asked.
And that is a true definition of a team.
And so we're and that's what you want to do isstop this whole individual.
Everyone's on their own island doing their ownthing and thinking as a well oiled team for the
(23:39):
common vision of the company and the endresults of what the goals are.
I think that also starts with the fact that youhave to bring them in.
You have to take the veil off and you have tosay these are what our goals are as a company.
This is what I need from each one of you.
I have and then I sit down with each of my teammembers and I go over goals because I need to
know where their goals are to be able to pushthem to be able to like get the best out of
(24:01):
them.
I have people that have started with me wheretheir goals were so low, I look back now, and I
actually keep them on record.
So ten years before I can pull it up, and I cansay, do you remember when your goal was $50,000
a year and now you're making $500,000?
Way to go.
(24:23):
Way to change your life.
I'm so proud you.
I'm so proud of you.
And those are the conversations that you have,but you have to take moments because they will
realize it.
They will recognize it.
And they will be loyal and they will staythere.
But don't be surprised when the confidence isso is built up because that's what you do.
You empower.
(24:43):
You give confidence.
And eventually, their wings might fly.
And that's okay.
Right.
And not to and really to take it personallybecause you've invested and you've co created
the space that person has realized and createdsuccess.
So don't be upset.
Recognize that people come for differentreasons.
And if you've helped create that success, wishthem well.
(25:05):
And because pasts often circle back in someway.
Now, Erin, tell us a bit about the book.
What made you wanna write the book?
And what would people we've had an amazingconversation already so far about how you think
and how you run things within yourself as aleader, but and also your teams.
But what kinds of things will people learn inthe book when they buy it?
(25:26):
Capture the culture.
I was never meant to be an author.
I never thought about writing a book.
I was doing a pretty large speaking engagementand a publisher was in the room and approached
me about writing a book and telling my story.
This is half business book and half mybackground to tell people about difficult days
don't define you, what you do with them does.
(25:47):
It's about resiliency, and we spoke about thatearlier today before we hopped on.
I, at 21 years old, had lost my parents in acar accident.
Oh my goodness.
Eldest.
There was a lot in my story, but what thattragedy taught me was to be grateful of the
twenty one years that I had with the mostamazing immigrants.
(26:07):
There's a lot of people that don't have that.
And I was being very thankful for them tomaking my sister and I both independent women.
We miss them every single day, but we carrythem with us through those moments.
And I remember that moment going back to whenmy boss asked me to plagiarize a competitor's
commercial.
And I said no.
I also felt two hands on my shoulder.
(26:29):
And I know without a shadow of a doubt it wasmy parents saying that's my girl.
And so there are moments that I learned throughthe tragedy of that.
And one is when you're in the middle of thetragedy, no matter and everybody goes through
it, death, divorce, sometime or other, youknow, sometimes you just have to take a breath
and just be in that moment.
(26:50):
But don't live there forever.
This is a chapter in the book of life.
And you've got to turn the page.
And what I always say is keep moving forward.
Keep moving forward.
It will get better.
It will get better.
And so a lot of those things that I learnedearly on, making decisions fairly fast,
(27:11):
following my gut, being in a state ofgratefulness, and having a positive outlook
that better days are ahead, has really allowedme to be a good leader with my team.
And I make mistakes.
There's a chapter in that book that talks aboutall the mistakes that I've made along the way.
But I am committed to being better.
(27:35):
When I'm wrong, I'm the first person to say I'mwrong to a team member, and I'm so sorry.
I know it's fascinating because we didn't talkabout your background, you know, and myself as
a psychologist.
You know, resilience is what I talk about andthe importance of awareness and just learning
about yourself and spending time in that spaceand learning how to breathe and to recognize
(28:00):
when someone's triggering you and all thosethings that all of us as human beings, it makes
us better people.
But ultimately, it makes you a better youunderstand what your path has been and what how
it's helped define you and when you've falteredand those types of things.
And ultimately, when you've done that awarenesswork, then you're able to kind of tap in to
(28:22):
potentially some things that people may beshowing you.
It may not be the same parallel, but you couldsay, I've been through things, not the same
things, but I'm here for you.
And that's such powerful tool when you can openup that vulnerable space, but and then people
really respect because then they go, wow.
I didn't know Erin went through that.
That's pretty amazing because oftentimes peoplesee the end result that's on the stage like I
(28:45):
speak and train, And then my background hasbeen less than ideal, but ultimately that
doesn't define, like you said, you.
Unfortunately, losing parents so young are thethings that I had experienced by the time I was
that age as well.
Now, I would like you to define what is successfor Erin Kruger?
(29:06):
What is success?
You know, there is a quote by Ralph WaldoEmerson, and I talk about this in the book.
It basically says, if you have changed oneperson's life, that is the definition of
success.
Yeah.
And you know, when my dad had passed away,listening to all the people speak at the
funeral, gosh, I was like, oh my gosh, howsuccessful.
(29:29):
He wasn't a corporate guy, he was a farmer.
You know, to hear how he's changed so manypeople's lives was just so magical to me.
And it made me have a different outlook on whatsuccess is.
From the corporate stance, I've hit almost allmy goals that I have set out.
Now it's new goals, right?
And so what gives me the biggest fulfillment asa boss, as a manager, is now seeing the 12
(29:53):
women who work with me and for me every singleday reach their goals.
There have been women that have entered my doorwith $50 in their bank account, that now have
investment properties and have are paying fortheir kids to go to school, you know, own
homes.
And that is very fulfilling to see women beingtheir true potential that they never saw for
(30:18):
themselves.
But they got with a group that saw it andhelped them get there with their hard work.
And I think as a leader, that has shown me thatthe definition of success is so much greater
than my own success because it's about otherpeople.
Absolutely amazing, amazing.
(30:39):
So one last question.
And this one, think I would have a sense of howyou would answer.
What would you tell your 20 year old self ifyou met for coffee?
What would you tell her?
Wow.
So 20, 21 is when the accident happened.
So I would say, I would say to my 20 year oldself, it's going to be a bumpy road, but it's
(31:03):
going to be a beautiful one at the end.
And I think that's the biggest thing.
It's gonna get better.
It's gonna get better.
Get a little emotional too,
but Of course.
This is a yes.
This is amazing that you can share.
And how many young people have been through somany things by that age.
And, you know, and to be able to for you to beable to inspire them with your story, I I think
(31:26):
it's a gift that you're giving them all there.
Thank you.
How how fortunate the people around you or thepeople that you might impact with this book or
any stages that you go on to to tell to tellthat story.
So any last words?
This has been really truly inspirational tohear what you've created.
Any last words you wanna leave for leaders outthere or for people that are just listening to
(31:49):
your story?
Any last words?
You know, there's one saying on my team.
We don't like any negative Nellies or negativeNathans, you know, that kind of bring down the
momentum of the team.
And sometimes we say to them, Some days aredirt, but most days are diamonds.
And if we focus on that, our perspectivechanges.
I love that.
(32:09):
I've never heard that before.
I love it.
Love it.
And that was something that you came up with?
Actually, one of my team members, one manyyears ago came up and with her southern drawl
she said some dyes are dirt and some dyes arediamonds.
And I was like, yes, That is exactly the truth.
So it's even better with the drawl.
Exactly.
Exactly.
And so we just we have said that over and overagain.
(32:31):
And one year for Christmas, I ended up givingthe girl some diamond bracelets because I said,
never forget that you are strong, you arebrilliant, and you are very precious to me.
Well, thank you so much for sharing your wisdomtoday.
It's been amazing.
So what am I what am I taking away?
I think that what I'm taking away is you arethe gift of those you impact around you, and
(32:56):
remember that always.
And obviously, like Erin said, even if you willimpact one person, that's more because there's
generations associated with that person thatyou would have touched that person in so many
ways.
What I'd like to say is thank you again, Erin.
And for everyone listening, my ROR course isrunning in September, and it's filling up
(33:18):
quickly with life coaching.
So if you're interested, please reach out tofind out more and what's involved, but we
started September.
If you're interested, let me know.
Go to Roxanne at roxannedurhodge.com.
Again, Erin, thanks so much for your time.
And for everybody, thanks for hanging out withus.
If you love hearing podcasts and stories likeErin said are amazing, please subscribe to the
(33:40):
podcast so it'll end up in your inbox andyou'll know when it's coming out.
Take care, everyone.
Thanks again, and we'll talk to you soon.
Bye bye.
Thanks for tuning in to Authentic Living withRoxanne, creating the space for positive,
(34:00):
healthy change.
Roxanne is a keynote speaker, psychotherapist,and coach.
To work with Roxanne, visitroxannederhaj.com/blueprint.
We'll see you next time on Authentic Livingwith Roxanne.
Welcome to Authentic Living with Roxanne, aplace where we have conscious conversations
about things that really matter in our lives.
And now here's your host, Roxanne Durhaj.
(00:40):
Hi, everyone.
It's Roxanne Durhoch.
Thanks for tuning in again to Authentic Livingwith Roxanne.
Today, have a special guest, Erin Kruger, andshe's bringing expertise in leadership, but
from a different angle to my past guests.
So Erin is in real estate.
So Erin, thanks so much for coming on today.
Thank you so much for having me, Roxanne.
I really appreciate it.
(01:01):
So I'm gonna tell you a little bit about Erin,but it's not gonna do it any justice, in that
you can read all about the amazing things she'sdone.
But she's Erin's a nationally recognized leaderin real estate.
And I was saying to Erin way back when rightout of my undergrad, I went back in into real
estate.
It didn't last very long.
And she works you know, she's ranked number 14in the nation, which I think is a pretty
(01:24):
impressive thing.
And she's, you know, done things like manageteams.
She's over $2,000,000,000 in transactions.
Like, how amazing is that?
And net nearly 225,000,000 in sales in 2024.
Pretty, pretty impressive numbers.
And just so excited to talk to you aboutleadership because I know when you're starting
(01:46):
off as a solopreneur in real estate, it's onething, but you've gone on and expanded onto
teams.
Just curious to talk a lot about that.
And, of course, she's written a book, which weneed to check try to delve into as much as
possible about capture the culture.
Erin, so tell me, did you grow up wanting to bein real estate?
Did you come from a real estate background andfamily or community?
(02:10):
No, actually I grew up with a farm family.
I'm from Penn, a small town right outside ofPhiladelphia and we had an Angus cattle farm.
So I learned what hard work is early on.
But I was, my pathway was in advertising andmarketing.
And I never thought that I would be going intoreal estate, but that's how life is, right?
It kind of brings you kind of some twists andturns.
(02:31):
And one day I worked for a boss, a leader thatI would say is probably the very opposite of
myself.
And he was the type of person where he wouldtake a completely calm company and he would
turn it upside down with just walking into aroom and leave in total chaos and cause a lot
(02:51):
of stress and things like that.
And it just wasn't the type of culture that Iwanted to be part of.
And one day he asked me to plagiarize acustomer, a competitor's commercial.
And I was writing the commercials at the time.
And I said, no, I can do something better.
And I was in my young 20s and he says, no, I'mgoing to give you your holiday bonus early.
You're going to do it.
And I said, actually, I'm not going to do it.
(03:12):
You're going have my resignation by the end ofthe day.
Because at the end of the day, you only haveyour name.
And so I walked down the hallway and he said tome, Aaron, what are you going to go do?
And I said, I'm going go into real estate.
And he left.
And six years later, I ran into him and hesays, Aaron, I'm seeing your signs everywhere.
I feel like I'm responsible for this.
(03:33):
And I said, oh, you are.
Great seeing you.
And I walked away.
At that point, I was number one in Tennessee asa solo agent and 14 in the country.
And I took that success as an independent agentto growing a team because I had to out of
necessity.
And I needed good people who did things in asimilar fashion of, you know, processes and
(03:54):
systems that I do things so we could be betterand be able to really facilitate all the
clientele that I was being able to bring on andservice them.
It's been a I've worked for, you know, prior tobeing in real estate, I worked and did a whole
bunch of corporate different entities from adagencies to working for small businesses,
negotiating deals with Nickelodeon, Marvel, allof those things.
(04:17):
And I learned a lot.
The most important thing that I think I learnedwas not what not to do as a leader.
I think it's just as important as what to do asa leader.
And so when I started to build my own team, Irealized, number one, I I didn't have a
pathway.
I didn't have a methodology.
(04:37):
And I if I needed to have any kind of semblanceof success and order and staying power, I
really needed to get some things together andreally figure out where I wanted to be as a
team leader and an entrepreneur.
And most importantly, the people who entrust meand come on my team, where do they want to be?
(04:58):
So I can ultimately help them reach their goalsto be their best self.
Because if they become their best self, theyare happier, they stay, they're loyal, they
love what they do, they love the people they'reworking with, and their performance is 10x a
team that may be the same size that doesn'thave a great culture.
(05:19):
And so that's what I focus on in Capture theCulture.
So obviously this leader, he was instrumentalin starting your path of understanding what
leadership should not be.
So what was some of the core fundamental thingsthat you learned about leading relatively
early?
I I would say in real estate, you have to be aself starter.
(05:41):
But what did you learn about you?
Because it's kinda hard when you're juststarting off and, yes, you have business
contacts to clear you're coming from corporate,but you still have to build that that, I'm
gonna say, the book of business where peoplekinda now can shift over from seeing you in a
different environment to real estate.
So what kind of things did you rely on tostart, you know, selling real estate and
(06:02):
relying on those skills?
Well, I mean, I think, you know, to startbuilding a business, I moved to Nashville, and
I did not know one person.
So, I essentially had two corporate positionsin Nashville within probably two years of being
in Nashville.
And I didn't really have a big book ofbusiness, right, when I decided to make this
(06:24):
huge leap into real estate.
But I believed in myself and I always was I wasnever, you know, a stranger to hard work.
And so I ended up paying for leads so I could,you know, get my basically cut my teeth, if you
will, on converting.
And I think that's a very powerful skill ifyou're able to convert, whether you're in the
grocery store line and you hear somebodytalking about real estate or if they're on the
(06:46):
phone or they come into an open house, whateverit is.
So I ended up doing that and I had a lot ofsuccess.
And I made those clients that I converted intolifelong clients.
I called them my water closet, like watercooler ninjas.
You know, they hear somebody in their officethat is looking to buy or sell and they
immediately say, I don't know who you'recurrently working with but you need to work
with Erin.
(07:07):
Let me get her on the phone and connect youright now.
And so I ended up having these amazing clientsthat were fighting for me every day to bring
more clients my way.
And what I realized early on working with allof these corporate structures and seeing things
how I didn't want to build a team or have aculture, I realized really quickly that people
(07:28):
don't leave businesses.
They leave cultures.
And I think that if people understand that,they would put more accountability into
themselves as leaders, but they would put moreemphasis on the heartbeat of their team.
I think there's so many managers that are outthere that have no idea what's going on in
(07:49):
their business.
They look at the bottom line and they see thatthings look pretty good.
And they don't know what's going on with theirteam members.
And it could be the complete opposite of whatthat manager, CEO, or team lead is thinking.
And unless you have a pulse on your team andyou know what's going on with them, you know
(08:09):
what their why is, you're never gonna be ableto reach the full potential of the company.
It's so interesting because in my work, I talkabout core essentials.
So there's five core essential areas, and ofwhich connection is one of them.
Right?
And, you know, we talk a little bit about in inreal estate, there's pressure, like we're
talking about the market and things like that.
(08:31):
But you have to stay in value alignment whenyou're in an you have to know the person and
know their like, to your point, their why.
So what if, like, one when you're building yourteam, and let's say, you know, you've got a
good compilation, but some one person's kindathey're kinda going in opposite direction based
on what they had shared with you when you hiredthem.
(08:53):
Well, how do you kind of approach that personto kind of I'm gonna use the word motivate or
incentivize them to tap into what you know theyhave?
Absolutely.
I think the first thing I start with is that,you know, to be on my team and my business, we
get inquiries all the time to join our team.
And we're very selective of who we bring on theteam.
(09:14):
And we have a really big rigorous hiringprocess, which I can talk about later.
But, you know, for me to hire somebody on theteam, I truly believe in them.
I truly believe in them.
At the end of the day, somebody can have allthe potential in the world.
But if they don't put the work behind it, allit is is potential, right?
And so for me, I think it's about belief of ateam member.
(09:37):
So if I see somebody kind of going off therails, maybe kind of having a little bit of an
attitude problem, maybe their work issuffering, maybe they're not being able to do
what they're doing, maybe they're kind of beinga rotten apple and their negativity is maybe
starting to affect other team members.
Right?
I will sit down with them and I will come froma place of empathy.
And I will say to them, I believe in you.
(10:00):
I chose you.
What's going on?
Talk to me.
And I want them to be very vulnerable because Ifeel as though I'm a vulnerable leader too.
I really want to know what's going on withthem.
Because if I know what's going on with them, wecan create a pathway to fix them and get them
on the right path.
If they choose to be vulnerable at that pointand open up to me about what is really the real
(10:21):
reason behind it, we're gonna craft a thirty toforty five day plan to get them back on the
right track.
Right?
It's gonna hold them accountable.
It's gonna be written down, and it's gonna be apathway to get there.
It's up to them if they're going to take thesteps to do it.
Okay?
If they choose the latter approach, is notbeing very vulnerable, not opening up about it,
(10:42):
kind of still having that negativity or thatclosed mindedness of it, then I simply say, you
know, I think you're a wonderful person.
Yeah.
I
don't think this is the team for you.
Unfortunately, we're going to have to go ourseparate ways.
And so I give everybody the opportunity.
But if they don't take the opportunity forchange, then I have no other ability than to
(11:04):
let them go.
And a lot of so I have part of my team is adminstaff, W-two employees.
The other half are ten ninety nine contractors,right?
And so you have to be very careful on how youapproach those conversations.
But I truly believe if you come to them withempathy and understanding, at the end of the
day, I'm not going to let somebody's negativityaffect the work and the mindset of other people
(11:30):
that are headed in the right direction, thatare positive, that believe that tomorrow is
going to be a better day if today's a littlesticky, right?
I want people that have a really good need tobe better tomorrow than they are today in my
business.
And if they're not following kind of that kindof pathway that we've all committed to on the
front end, then this is just not the place forthem.
(11:53):
So, you know, you talked about some corefundamental things, right, which is fitting in
feeling like you belong, being vulnerable.
These are all things that I think oftenoftentimes in leadership, it's kinda like, you
know, if I'm too vulnerable, then am I gonnacreate the space of accountability?
So tell share with us how you in thatsituation, I often say it's not soft skills at
(12:15):
all.
It's actually pretty tough, tough skills thatyou have to go through.
How do you support someone but still keep themaccountable along with that plan that you're
talking about?
How do you do have a path that you kind of doyou do check ins?
Do you do certain things?
Do you suggest coaching?
What kinds of things do you do with your staff?
Yeah.
So we are, as a team, we are committed, wealways say this, we're committed to being
(12:39):
better tomorrow than we are today.
If I set somebody up on a PIP, which is thethirty to forty five day performance
improvement plan, there are going to be actionitems that they have to count, that they have
to hit in order to still stay on the team.
And it is very clearly outlined.
And everyone says on my team, you always knowwhere you stand with me.
(12:59):
There's no gray area.
You're going to know it's black or white withme.
And I feel as though if I give you theopportunity and we spend time and we create
this pathway, if you're not hitting thosebenchmarks, I'm going to have a very direct
conversation, right?
And at the end of the day, my job is to be acoach and to coach them up and to make sure
(13:20):
that they're doing it.
But they have to want it.
If you don't want it, I can't want it for you.
And I think as leaders, as managers, we have torealize when the other person doesn't want it
anymore, Okay?
And that's when you have to cut ties.
There are times when I put somebody on a PIPand I think we've had a really good
conversation, we've done this pathway, and twoand a half weeks in, I'm not seeing any
(13:43):
improvement.
Okay?
And you need to know when to to walk away.
Right?
You need to know when to cut the ties.
And it's okay to cut it early and to say, youknow what?
We were on this plan, but I haven't seen anyimprovement.
And that's not what you committed.
And unfortunately, I think we're just not theteam for you right now.
And that's a again, another hard thing that alot of managers to have those hard
(14:08):
conversations.
Right?
And to sometimes come to the, you know, thereality that some people just aren't a right
fit for whatever reason.
And maybe they didn't have the I would say mostpeople can get through a a forty five minute
interview or whatever being able to keep it alltogether and tell you what, read the room,
those types of things.
But within that, like, you know, whether it'sninety days or whatever that you're have them
(14:30):
on probation, what starts to happen is if theperson's intention is not in alignment with
what the values are of your company, then itsurely slowly starts to kinda show its cracks.
And then you're gonna support them.
Like you said, you put them on a performanceevaluation plan, and they're still showing it
to you.
At that point, you have to have those toughconversations.
And I can tell you in health and wellnessstrategy when I was an executive and we would
(14:54):
manage a lot, you know, East Of Norththroughout Canada and The US as well and into
Europe.
That was the biggest concern that we found withmanagers.
And what they would do is they wouldn't go totheir HR and I don't know if you have a
consulting firm that you have internally or ifyou consult with another firm.
So what would happen is we would oftentimesfeel these calls, There were managers that
(15:16):
could kinda hide, and they didn't know how tohave those conversations.
But maybe they'd been there, say, sometimesthirty years.
And they didn't wanna go internally to saytheir directors or whoever because they were
afraid that they would be viewed as incompetentbecause they'd kinda shift around to be able to
(15:37):
manage without having to have those toughconversations.
So the fact that you're saying that you havethose relatively early is pretty amazing.
Now if there's leaders listening and they'resaying, well, you know, Erin, we're successful
ish, and our tube is working okay.
I know there's a little bit of let's use theword nepotism or a little bit of favoritism,
(16:02):
and maybe we haven't dealt with everythingideally on our teams.
And what kind of a guidance would you give thatleader around thinking through a strategy to
optimize the potential on that team?
So first of all, I think that jealousy,nepotism, some negativity that could be on the
(16:22):
team can be fixed with community.
And what I mean by that is being able to pullthe teams together and do different events and
different things.
And whether it's lunches or dinners or drinksor happy hour or in my team, we do all of
(16:42):
those.
I have an all female team.
And so we'll do maybe like a spa day or we'lldo something where every if we hit our goals at
the end of the year, I will take them away on atrip.
And, you know, I learned a long time ago thatappreciation matters so much.
Not everybody's love language, so to speak, atwork is money.
(17:03):
You have to know as their manager, what is Isit a conversation to say, I don't know how you
do what you do, but you just knocked it out ofthe park.
That moment can be so meaningful to that personif you know that that's what that person needs.
But if you're not paying attention to thepeople around you and what their motivation
(17:24):
factor is, their love language on how they feelthat they're appreciated, you are going to miss
the boat.
And so I remember many years ago, about twelveyears ago, it was the first time I had a team
and it was the holidays and I wanted to dosomething special.
We had definitely hit our goals.
And I wanted nobody around me, especially inreal estate, had taken their real estate team
(17:46):
on a trip.
But I wanted to do something.
I wanted to take them all to Tulum on an allexpense paid trip.
Absolutely.
Nice.
And I remember taking them into the conferenceroom, and I put a little bag in front of each
one of them.
And inside was a monogrammed leather passport.
And when you opened up the passport, itbasically had a little printout of an all
expense paid trip to Tulum, had the dates.
(18:07):
And I, as a team lead, I was expecting thatwhen I said, thank you so much for working so
hard, I want to tell you how much I appreciateyou.
And I think it's time for us to have funtogether and really get to know each other on a
completely different level.
And please open up your gifts.
(18:29):
And they opened it up, and they looked at thethey saw the fact that they're going to Tulum.
And I expected as a team leader, a little bitof dancing, a little bit of, like, high fives,
people screaming.
And what I saw when I looked around the tablewere tears.
Nobody had taken the time to appreciate themlike that.
They were speechless, absolutely speechless.
(18:52):
And what I learned on this trip is that it wasthe best money that any team lead manager could
have spent because husbands weren't a part ofthe equation.
It was a girl's trip.
We were down there.
We were bonding on a different level.
We understood people.
Everybody's so different.
I mean, I have people that are 23 to 62 on myteam.
And everybody's a different personality.
(19:13):
But if you understand where somebody is, you'regonna have an appreciation of where they are.
And being a good manager is about even the factof when you're doing your seats on the
airplane, making sure that people that maybearen't the besties in the workplace are sitting
next to each other so they can get anunderstanding of the person next to each other.
And I think that is the mind of somebody who isnot just a great manager, but a great person
(19:41):
that can bring teams together and lift them up.
And I think that when you do that with yourteam, I'll tell you what, my team members come
back from that trip and they are ready to go.
They are loyal.
They are recharged.
They are ready to sell real estate.
They are ready to serve their clients, andthey're very positive and thankful.
And I think that people take time to appreciatetheir teams.
(20:01):
And it doesn't have to be grand gestures like atrip like I can do.
A lot of people can't do that with economicthings.
But take somebody out to dinner, go and do, youknow, an escape game or do something or maybe
even have a contest at work or something thatgets community going.
Community, when people feel a part ofsomething, they and if they're a part of
(20:23):
something great, they don't wanna leave it.
Absolutely.
Because everybody wants to be seen.
Everyone wants to be seen.
Right?
Everybody wants to feel that specialness.
And likewise, I've ran several teams in mycareer as well in corporate, and it was
something silly.
Mine is simple compared to yours.
So I ran a team, and they had some, I'm gonnasay, less than desirable leadership two two
(20:45):
iterations before me in a row.
And then there was me, and I was a newer gradjust kind of, you know but I thought, well, I'm
a good person.
I can lead.
I'm just gonna show them that trust is allthose things, and they were not very happy.
But what it took was just trying to I rememberwalking into offices and being inadvertently,
(21:06):
not not directly, but what are you doing here?
What what do you want?
And and then I would say, I'm I'm just tryingto get to figure out who you are and what
you're all about and how you work.
And I would say probably for about two yearsstraight of running this team of 15, it was a
constant pushback.
And I think the second Christmas, I did was itwas an outpatient clinic.
(21:30):
It was something so simple, not like yourTulum.
Something really simple with the colors of yourunit and it was red.
I put red on it and I put their names and I putoutpatient clinic.
I think it must have cost me like, to yourpoint, doesn't have to be money, like $10 a
shirt or something to get it embroidered withtheir name.
(21:51):
Was, it was like a shift, like a massivepathing of the sea because all of a sudden they
felt connected, they felt validated.
We went out to a beautiful dinner together andthey had all their they were talking to each
other.
Ones that would not have talked or barelytalked to each other.
I was like, wow.
This can't, I mean, mind you, taking a bit ofwork.
(22:13):
But to your point though, that sense that youare you are the you truly are the glue as the
manager.
And, you know, when I talk a lot about my RORprocess, I talk about the importance about who
you are and you living in in alignment so thatyou're making decisions the same.
(22:34):
And I know, you know, sometimes when leadersget stressed, they sometimes make decisions
that maybe go off a bit a bit of a path, but toreally kinda stay connected to themselves so
the true essence of who you who Erin is iscoming out regardless if where you're stressed
or if a child is sick or if so, you're goingthrough something, which puts you under a lot
(22:55):
more pressure, but the value of that is, youknow, tenfold.
You know?
Absolutely.
I couldn't agree more.
I think people are seeking appreciation.
They're seeking understanding.
And I think that if you can really understandwho your team is and what they want, man,
(23:15):
they'll work so hard for you.
The results will just flourish.
If somebody isn't in town because they've got adeath in the family and another team member
needs to pick up the slack, They're there.
No questions asked.
And that is a true definition of a team.
And so we're and that's what you want to do isstop this whole individual.
Everyone's on their own island doing their ownthing and thinking as a well oiled team for the
(23:39):
common vision of the company and the endresults of what the goals are.
I think that also starts with the fact that youhave to bring them in.
You have to take the veil off and you have tosay these are what our goals are as a company.
This is what I need from each one of you.
I have and then I sit down with each of my teammembers and I go over goals because I need to
know where their goals are to be able to pushthem to be able to like get the best out of
(24:01):
them.
I have people that have started with me wheretheir goals were so low, I look back now, and I
actually keep them on record.
So ten years before I can pull it up, and I cansay, do you remember when your goal was $50,000
a year and now you're making $500,000?
Way to go.
(24:23):
Way to change your life.
I'm so proud you.
I'm so proud of you.
And those are the conversations that you have,but you have to take moments because they will
realize it.
They will recognize it.
And they will be loyal and they will staythere.
But don't be surprised when the confidence isso is built up because that's what you do.
You empower.
(24:43):
You give confidence.
And eventually, their wings might fly.
And that's okay.
Right.
And not to and really to take it personallybecause you've invested and you've co created
the space that person has realized and createdsuccess.
So don't be upset.
Recognize that people come for differentreasons.
And if you've helped create that success, wishthem well.
(25:05):
And because pasts often circle back in someway.
Now, Erin, tell us a bit about the book.
What made you wanna write the book?
And what would people we've had an amazingconversation already so far about how you think
and how you run things within yourself as aleader, but and also your teams.
But what kinds of things will people learn inthe book when they buy it?
(25:26):
Capture the culture.
I was never meant to be an author.
I never thought about writing a book.
I was doing a pretty large speaking engagementand a publisher was in the room and approached
me about writing a book and telling my story.
This is half business book and half mybackground to tell people about difficult days
don't define you, what you do with them does.
(25:47):
It's about resiliency, and we spoke about thatearlier today before we hopped on.
I, at 21 years old, had lost my parents in acar accident.
Oh my goodness.
Eldest.
There was a lot in my story, but what thattragedy taught me was to be grateful of the
twenty one years that I had with the mostamazing immigrants.
(26:07):
There's a lot of people that don't have that.
And I was being very thankful for them tomaking my sister and I both independent women.
We miss them every single day, but we carrythem with us through those moments.
And I remember that moment going back to whenmy boss asked me to plagiarize a competitor's
commercial.
And I said no.
I also felt two hands on my shoulder.
(26:29):
And I know without a shadow of a doubt it wasmy parents saying that's my girl.
And so there are moments that I learned throughthe tragedy of that.
And one is when you're in the middle of thetragedy, no matter and everybody goes through
it, death, divorce, sometime or other, youknow, sometimes you just have to take a breath
and just be in that moment.
(26:50):
But don't live there forever.
This is a chapter in the book of life.
And you've got to turn the page.
And what I always say is keep moving forward.
Keep moving forward.
It will get better.
It will get better.
And so a lot of those things that I learnedearly on, making decisions fairly fast,
(27:11):
following my gut, being in a state ofgratefulness, and having a positive outlook
that better days are ahead, has really allowedme to be a good leader with my team.
And I make mistakes.
There's a chapter in that book that talks aboutall the mistakes that I've made along the way.
But I am committed to being better.
(27:35):
When I'm wrong, I'm the first person to say I'mwrong to a team member, and I'm so sorry.
I know it's fascinating because we didn't talkabout your background, you know, and myself as
a psychologist.
You know, resilience is what I talk about andthe importance of awareness and just learning
about yourself and spending time in that spaceand learning how to breathe and to recognize
(28:00):
when someone's triggering you and all thosethings that all of us as human beings, it makes
us better people.
But ultimately, it makes you a better youunderstand what your path has been and what how
it's helped define you and when you've falteredand those types of things.
And ultimately, when you've done that awarenesswork, then you're able to kind of tap in to
(28:22):
potentially some things that people may beshowing you.
It may not be the same parallel, but you couldsay, I've been through things, not the same
things, but I'm here for you.
And that's such powerful tool when you can openup that vulnerable space, but and then people
really respect because then they go, wow.
I didn't know Erin went through that.
That's pretty amazing because oftentimes peoplesee the end result that's on the stage like I
(28:45):
speak and train, And then my background hasbeen less than ideal, but ultimately that
doesn't define, like you said, you.
Unfortunately, losing parents so young are thethings that I had experienced by the time I was
that age as well.
Now, I would like you to define what is successfor Erin Kruger?
(29:06):
What is success?
You know, there is a quote by Ralph WaldoEmerson, and I talk about this in the book.
It basically says, if you have changed oneperson's life, that is the definition of
success.
Yeah.
And you know, when my dad had passed away,listening to all the people speak at the
funeral, gosh, I was like, oh my gosh, howsuccessful.
(29:29):
He wasn't a corporate guy, he was a farmer.
You know, to hear how he's changed so manypeople's lives was just so magical to me.
And it made me have a different outlook on whatsuccess is.
From the corporate stance, I've hit almost allmy goals that I have set out.
Now it's new goals, right?
And so what gives me the biggest fulfillment asa boss, as a manager, is now seeing the 12
(29:53):
women who work with me and for me every singleday reach their goals.
There have been women that have entered my doorwith $50 in their bank account, that now have
investment properties and have are paying fortheir kids to go to school, you know, own
homes.
And that is very fulfilling to see women beingtheir true potential that they never saw for
(30:18):
themselves.
But they got with a group that saw it andhelped them get there with their hard work.
And I think as a leader, that has shown me thatthe definition of success is so much greater
than my own success because it's about otherpeople.
Absolutely amazing, amazing.
(30:39):
So one last question.
And this one, think I would have a sense of howyou would answer.
What would you tell your 20 year old self ifyou met for coffee?
What would you tell her?
Wow.
So 20, 21 is when the accident happened.
So I would say, I would say to my 20 year oldself, it's going to be a bumpy road, but it's
(31:03):
going to be a beautiful one at the end.
And I think that's the biggest thing.
It's gonna get better.
It's gonna get better.
Get a little emotional too,
but Of course.
This is a yes.
This is amazing that you can share.
And how many young people have been through somany things by that age.
And, you know, and to be able to for you to beable to inspire them with your story, I I think
(31:26):
it's a gift that you're giving them all there.
Thank you.
How how fortunate the people around you or thepeople that you might impact with this book or
any stages that you go on to to tell to tellthat story.
So any last words?
This has been really truly inspirational tohear what you've created.
Any last words you wanna leave for leaders outthere or for people that are just listening to
(31:49):
your story?
Any last words?
You know, there's one saying on my team.
We don't like any negative Nellies or negativeNathans, you know, that kind of bring down the
momentum of the team.
And sometimes we say to them, Some days aredirt, but most days are diamonds.
And if we focus on that, our perspectivechanges.
I love that.
(32:09):
I've never heard that before.
I love it.
Love it.
And that was something that you came up with?
Actually, one of my team members, one manyyears ago came up and with her southern drawl
she said some dyes are dirt and some dyes arediamonds.
And I was like, yes, That is exactly the truth.
So it's even better with the drawl.
Exactly.
Exactly.
And so we just we have said that over and overagain.
(32:31):
And one year for Christmas, I ended up givingthe girl some diamond bracelets because I said,
never forget that you are strong, you arebrilliant, and you are very precious to me.
Well, thank you so much for sharing your wisdomtoday.
It's been amazing.
So what am I what am I taking away?
I think that what I'm taking away is you arethe gift of those you impact around you, and
(32:56):
remember that always.
And obviously, like Erin said, even if you willimpact one person, that's more because there's
generations associated with that person thatyou would have touched that person in so many
ways.
What I'd like to say is thank you again, Erin.
And for everyone listening, my ROR course isrunning in September, and it's filling up
(33:18):
quickly with life coaching.
So if you're interested, please reach out tofind out more and what's involved, but we
started September.
If you're interested, let me know.
Go to Roxanne at roxannedurhodge.com.
Again, Erin, thanks so much for your time.
And for everybody, thanks for hanging out withus.
If you love hearing podcasts and stories likeErin said are amazing, please subscribe to the
(33:40):
podcast so it'll end up in your inbox andyou'll know when it's coming out.
Take care, everyone.
Thanks again, and we'll talk to you soon.
Bye bye.
Thanks for tuning in to Authentic Living withRoxanne, creating the space for positive,
(34:00):
healthy change.
Roxanne is a keynote speaker, psychotherapist,and coach.
To work with Roxanne, visitroxannederhaj.com/blueprint.
We'll see you next time on Authentic Livingwith Roxanne.
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