Ever wondered how a simple pause could be your secret weapon in communication? We discuss the magic of well-timed beats in public speaking, and Marc draws a fascinating parallel to music, showing how silence can amplify your message. Our guest, Craig Lerch, shares a life-changing lesson from his mentor on the power of listening more and speaking less.
Get ready for a fun twist on the real estate industry as we discuss evolving identities and playful nicknames. Craig, lovingly known as the "ROG" (Real Estate Opportunity, outstanding Out of the Box Over the Top, old Guy), reveals his journey of accepting this moniker and how it reshaped his social media game. We dive into the importance of authenticity, pushing boundaries, and the transformative power of coaching that reignited Craig's passion for his career.
Lastly, we explore the future of real estate, moving from traditional offices to dynamic, virtual environments. Craig talks about his game-changing transition to eXp Realty, a cloud-based company with a global reach, enabling him to build teams across states and countries. We also delve into how the pandemic has redefined sales and coaching practices, the critical role of setting routines, and our ambitious vision of expanding to 1,000 global agents by 2027, all while maintaining a balance between professional ambitions and personal fulfillment.
About Craig Lerch:
Craig Lerch is an Associate Broker, 2 X Icon Exp Realty Internationally and Regional Expansion Leader. Selling home in the area for over 35 years, over 4000 transactions involved in the Philadelphia and suburbs, is the ROG in social media (standing for the Real Estate "Opportunity, Outstanding, Out of the box, Over the top, Old " Guy! If your not having fun, then why do it!! 2024 is the year to Grow and Glow!
Connect with Craig:
craiglerch.com
linkedin.com/in/craiglerchrealtor
instagram.com/real_estate_old_guy
facebook.com/craiglerch.realestate
youtube.com/@craiglerchphiladelphiarealtor
tiktok.com/@real_estate_old_guy
This episode is brought to you by Craig Lerch, Exp Realty Luxury, your go-to expert in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Go to craiglerch.com to learn more.
📅 New episodes every Wednesday—hit “Subscribe” now!
💬 Love the show? Let us know! Leave a quick rating & review here—your feedback helps us grow!
📲 Stay connected with Marc Bernstein:
➡️ Follow on Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook
🎤 Got a success story worth sharing?
We’re always looking for visionary founders to feature! Apply here to be a guest on the Founders' Forum Radio Show & Podcast.
📩 Join our email list here so you never miss an episode.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Announcer (00:00):
The following programming is sponsored by Marc
J Bernstein.
The views expressed do notnecessarily reflect the views of
this station, its management orBeasley Media Group.
Marc Bernstein (00:07):
Have a nice speed.
Announcer (00:08):
Entrepreneur, author and financial consultant, Marc
Bernstein helps high-performingentrepreneurial business owners
create a vision for the futureand follow through on their
goals and intentions.
Ang Onorato is a businessgrowth strategist who blends
psychology and business togetherto create conscious leaders and
business owners who impact theworld.
Founders Forum is a radio showpodcast sharing the real stories
(00:32):
behind entrepreneurship asfounders discover more about
themselves, while providingvaluable lessons and some fun
and entertainment for you.
Now here's Marc and Ang.
Marc Bernstein (00:43):
Good morning America.
How are you?
We are at one.
I will tell you that we areactually on hiatus from the
radio right now, so you'll belistening to the show a little
bit later, and whether it's onpodcast or whether it's on WWDB
radio out of Philadelphia,pennsylvania, and so I am in
sunny Florida.
(01:04):
I know Ann just headed toFlorida tonight and we do have a
guest today out of Pennsylvanianamed Craig Lerch, who I'll
introduce in a moment, but inthe meantime let me reintroduce
you to Ang Onorato, who has athought for the day, and we'll
take it from there and see wherethe show goes today.
Ang Onorato (01:22):
Yes, good morning.
It's good to be back onrecording, but back with
everybody.
And you know, Marc, I sharedwith you offline that I just
came from a two-day trainingprogram in public speaking, and
it's amazing.
We can talk about that a littlebit later if there's time.
But one thing that popped up forme yesterday was a concept that
was taught and it reminded meabout how important context is
(01:46):
when we're working in ourbusinesses or we're having
communication with other people.
And they taught a concept abouta beat, and for me, when I think
of the word beat, I think ofbeing upbeat, moving, going, you
know, related to music, thingsof that nature.
But I learned yesterday that abeat in the world of performing
(02:06):
so if you're on stage giving aspeech, giving a play that a
beat is actually a pause andit's super powerful when you can
use it effectively.
And so it got me thinking abouthow important, when I'm working
with my executive coachingclients, how sometimes just
shifting the context of a wordor a thought process or a story,
that we tell ourselves howimpactful that can be.
(02:28):
So it got me really thinkingand I think it's a really good
topic for today and as we talk alittle bit further with Craig.
So, love, I know you're amusician, so I'd love to hear
your take on on this concept ofof a beat.
Marc Bernstein (02:40):
Well, I think I have to absorb beat as a pause
to shift context.
So I think the idea they need toadjust to that.
But I was just reading a musicthing the other day and I forget
who it was from, but it was aguitarist that might have even
been.
Might have been Jeff Beck, butthe importance of silence, you
(03:01):
know, and how, some of the most.
And it was somebody talkingabout George Harrison, who was a
great guitarist for the Beatlesbut wasn't always considered
one of the greatest guitarists.
But this other great guitaristmight've been Jeff Beck said
what's great about GeorgeHarrison is how he knows when
not to play, and that's that'sthe way I translate the music
(03:22):
part, and I think that's true inspeaking as well.
I know that's not exactly whatyou're saying, but that pause,
even in music, can change thecontext of what's going to
happen next, and it certainlycan do that.
I can see how it can do that inthinking and or speaking.
Craig, who has a lot ofthoughts on a lot of things.
You have any thoughts on that?
Craig Lerch (03:43):
I have a.
I've been taught a long timeago by a, by a very wealthy
gentleman who came to thiscountry and built up to be a
billionaire, and when I wasearly in the business he taught
me says you have two ears andone mouth.
Use them in proportion.
And most of us are moving sofast we're not letting somebody
(04:07):
else finish their conversationbecause we want to interrupt
them, because we want to getwhat's in our mind.
But if we take a moment, slowdown, sit back, it's like the
race car drivers in the movieFord versus Ferrari.
They say that when you're atthat 200 miles an hour, flying
like this, the body and thedriver becomes part of the metal
(04:29):
and the metal just goes andit's really just floating
through the air.
So having that moment of comingback actually puts you in that
moment of slowing things downand you're absorbing it versus
just shelling it off.
So yes, I believe in it 100%and thank you, ang, for bringing
(04:50):
that up again.
Marc Bernstein (04:52):
So I love that because we just took a
conversation about context andwe all spoke about it with
slightly different context,which is kind of cool if you
think about what's going onthere.
So let's move on with today'sshow.
Let me introduce Craig Lerch.
This is one of the mostexciting intros I've had in a
while.
So Craig is known around thePhiladelphia area as selling a
(05:14):
lot of homes over 4,000transactions in his career in
the Philadelphia Pennsylvaniaarea and suburbs and he is the
ROG in social media.
Now here's what ROG stands forReal Estate Opportunity,
outstanding Out of the Box Overthe Top, old Guy.
And Craig's motto is if you'renot having fun, then why do it?
(05:39):
And he also says 2024, thecurrent year, is the year to
grow and glow, which I love.
So, fred, let's talk about thatROG thing when did that come
from?
And then let's get into yourstory.
Craig Lerch (05:56):
I don't know about you guys, but I never did social
media until three years ago.
I watched everybody else do it.
I'm like I'm not getting onthere and dancing, I'm not
getting on there and cooking andI'm not doing that, and my kids
were like dad, there isdefinitely no way you are
getting on social media.
So, in the process of that, inthe process of all that and
(06:18):
we'll get into later on aboutrevamping and where it's going I
had to make this step because Iwas smashing my old way of
doing business and was going todo business in a new way, in a
new spot, and I wascollaborating with the new
agents in this company of the XPthat I'm with and we were away
on a retreat and all these youngguys were around and they're
(06:39):
like dude, you're like the OG ofreal estate.
You've been around forever.
Now I'm an SOB.
I'm a son of a broker.
I was born in the business.
I worked for my dad's companyfor years, then I had my own
brokers for my brother,christopher, for years and then
a couple years ago Itransitioned out into the
company we'll talk about in alittle bit.
But the biggest thing is theseguys are like oh my God, you're
(07:01):
like the OG.
And I'm like the biggest thingis, these guys are like oh my
God, you're like the OG and I'mlike I'm not an OG and a
gangster.
They're like no, you're an oldreal estate guy.
I'm like all right, I can dealwith that.
And they're like where are youfrom?
I said Philly and they're likePhilly, so you're going to be
the pog.
I was like I ain't a pog,what's a pog?
Of a sudden they're like one ofthe girls goes you're like a
(07:22):
daddy of real estate.
I was like I'm definitely notbeing that.
So now I'm not going to be adog.
So then one of the guy goesyou're going to be the ROG, the
real estate old guy, and we'regoing to make you get a picture
with your arms crossed like inthe Godfather.
You know what I mean and we'regoing to.
That's the way to do it.
Well, this whole thing cameabout and that's kind of where
my logo came from, that's kindof the feel that it came.
(07:43):
These young guys who were intheir 20s named me and it's
flown and I'm having an absoluteball with it.
It started with the old guy andthen Pete Middleton, a good
friend of mine in our companysaid dude, you're far from the
old guy, you're like theout-of-the-box opportunity guy.
So then we started to just addall the O's to the ROG.
(08:04):
But in social media it's realestate.
Old guy, it's funny.
Marc Bernstein (08:08):
You're really not the ROG, you're the ROOG.
Craig Lerch (08:12):
Look, I don't know what it means.
I call it the ROG, but what'sfun about this is there's a lot,
a lot of agents that have beenin business a long time, that
I'm friends with guys and gals,no-transcript and I'm actually
(08:32):
going to start having some funand giving a monthly award away,
I think, for the ROG, theOutstanding Old Gal, whatever it
might be.
So, like I said, if it's notfun, why do it?
Marc Bernstein (08:42):
Well, I told you we met.
I can connect to that becauseI'm the guy in my company.
I'm the resident old guy there.
So you know, I'm the guy thatdoes all the social media.
Other guys do it theold-fashioned way.
So I guess I'm the fogfinancial if you think about
that.
Craig Lerch (08:59):
So anyway, this is a lot of fun.
The biggest thing with socialmedia don't work.
The biggest thing is it's alsoabout life.
It's about making your ownmemes.
Stop living everybody else'smemes on social media.
Make your own.
Do you?
Stay in your lane?
Be you.
Don't be somebody else, butpush the button.
If you aren't pushing a buttonon life, it's like not pushing a
(09:23):
button on your social media orpushing the gas pedal in your
car, whatever it may be.
Push the button and just getout of your own way.
Just do it.
Have fun.
Stop being in judgment.
I love it.
Ang Onorato (09:35):
I just want to say one quick thing on that, craig,
I think I'm the cog.
I'm the coaching old girl in mygroup.
So, I think we all have amoniker now, but I just want to
say real quick that I was one ofthose people too that consumed
so much social media but neverwanted to be creating it or in
front of it, and I had to shiftthat mindset too into all I'm
(09:55):
doing is serving and supportingothers, and if I do that, then I
don't think of it like socialmedia right.
It's a serve and support, and Ilove that push the button.
I'm going to remember thatanalogy.
Marc Bernstein (10:05):
So if anyone out there is is listening to the
podcast, which you will be, orthe radio show, take notes
because there's going to be somany good things coming out of
Craig's mouth that you don'twant to miss them.
I'm telling, every time I talkto him I get more great little
isms that he comes up withgrowing.
I love that, Craig, tell usyour story.
(10:26):
So obviously you're an SOB.
Son of a broker, you grew up inthe real estate business and
now you're evolving intosomething else.
Craig Lerch (10:34):
Tell us how that's where you're going and how
that's come about you know,about five years ago, and I'm
going to be dead honest thisreal estate business is full
contact.
It is a full contact sport.
But real estate is a product.
Real estate is a widget.
It's something that I, you know.
I didn't choose to sell it.
(10:56):
How many people wake up whenthey're born and say, oh, by the
way, I'm going to be a realestate agent?
Nobody, but I can tell you mydad did.
My dad woke up and said you'regoing to be a real estate agent
Nobody, but I can tell you mydad did.
My dad welcomed me and saidyou're going to be a real estate
broker, my sister's going to bea real estate broker, my
brother's going to be a realestate broker.
So the bottom line comes downto it is that is kind of where
we're reinventing it.
I got bored, I was gettingbitter, I was getting stale and
(11:20):
what I wanted to do was figureout what's my next step.
And a good friend of mine,brian Moses, who was actually a
destiny coach with Tony Robbinsand stuff, said dude, you got to
get a coach, you've been out ofbeing coached for a while,
because I coach a lot of peoplein real estate.
I said I don't need a realestate coach, he goes.
No, you're going to go to mycoach, who was actually the
(11:45):
opening guy for Tony Robbins.
Tommy Schaaf.
He trains financial advisors.
We talked about him before onMLS sales.
So I called him and I said dude, I want to get into your
training.
And he said I don't train realestate agents.
I said I don't mind, I want toget my mindset right.
All right, and their mindset iswhere I was.
I was like stuck.
I was in a funk.
I was like I didn't know what Iwanted to do.
(12:07):
I know I know real estate.
I wanted to continue with it,but I wanted to get to a new
level.
So he goes okay, this is thedeal.
You're going to come into myfinancial training class.
I'm not going to teach you thereal estate, I'm going to teach
you to practice.
It's two days a week, two hoursat a time.
You have to be in it 52 weeks.
You're only allowed to missthree times.
If you miss three times, youget thrown out.
And, by the way, it's X amountof dollars, all right, over
(12:28):
$20,000 to do the job.
Okay, and you don't get themoney back if you miss the three
classes.
So I went through the thing andas we came to our final review,
we were realizing that I learneda lot, but I also figured out
three other things while I wasthere One main thing and three
others I learned my funnels.
(12:51):
The funnels are the things inlife that I'm going to focus on.
It was change lives, make moneyand have fun.
Changing lives was going to beworking with buyers, sellers,
negotiating contracts, holdingdoors for ladies, people,
letting people pull out in front, buying random acts of lunch
(13:11):
for people and walking outanonymously, walking into a
bakery shop and dropping ahundred hour bill and saying run
the tab until it goes and leaveand not ever say who you are.
Okay, working with other realestate agents.
There's 4,000 transactions inhere in my brain, this gray
matter, and it's eight inches ofbig head that there's
information that I wanted toshare.
The other thing was make money.
(13:33):
If you're not making money,you're going to be homeless and
I'm sorry if it's blunt, butguess what you got to make money
or you can't fund your meansand your future.
And then if it's not not fun,why are you going to do it if
it's painful?
So bottom line comes downthere's change lives, make money
and have fun.
Those were the funnels.
The last thing we figured outwas okay, how can I get that to
(13:54):
another level?
And the level came fromself-searching.
Tommy said to me what do youthink your number one problem is
?
I wrote my zip code down.
He wrote the word snow globedown and he goes.
It's the same and we've talkedabout he goes.
They're almost the same thing.
I was.
I have so much energy and somuch knowledge and so much
growth I still want to do after35 years in a business, at 55
(14:18):
years old, he goes.
You get a self, you get a smashyour snow globe.
You get to start gonna startover and revamp.
So I'm gonna challenge anybodywho's in an uncomfortable
position.
Take a snow globe.
Think about yourself living init for 35 years, for 10 years,
15 years.
You ultimately the water startsevaporating, the color starts
changing and if you were a fishin there, you'd start eating and
(14:39):
defecating in there and you'dstart drinking your own
pollution.
And what do you do?
You end up dying.
So what did we do?
We smashed the snow globe anddecided that I've got to get
outside of my zip code and I'vegot to get into a national
vision.
But what is that?
And that was in real estate.
It was the XP Realty.
That's why I went there with noboundaries and we can talk-.
Marc Bernstein (15:01):
That is a great place to take a quick break.
We're going to take a oneminute break for commercial
Craig and I got a lot morequestions for you, so we'll be
right back.
Announcer (15:15):
Ready to elevate your real estate experience.
Whether you're buying yourfirst home, seeking that dream
luxury residence or aiming toexpand your investment portfolio
, Craig Lerch, exp Realty Luxury, is your go-to expert.
With 36 years of unparalleledexpertise in the Philadelphia
(15:35):
area and beyond, craig isdedicated to transforming lives
through real estate.
Don't settle for just anyone.
Choose the expert who knows,from Philly to the shore and
everywhere worldwide.
Call or text Craig Lerch todayat 267-214-7728 and start your
(15:57):
journey to real estate success.
Nothing too big or too small,we sell it all First-time
homebuyers trading up downsizingand luxury real estate.
Marc Bernstein (16:15):
TJ.
Go right back into it.
You're on.
Okay, just want to make surewe're ready to report.
You're on, you can start.
Ang Onorato (16:32):
Okay great.
Marc Bernstein (16:33):
Okay, we're back on Founders Forum.
Greg, you just said a lot andyou talked about a new direction
.
Two questions you mentionedsome challenges you had in real
estate and, like you said, it'snot easy, it's a full body
contact.
I think you said and it is a,you know, I know it's a tough
(16:55):
profession, I know a lot ofpeople in it.
So there's the obviouschallenges, but what kind of
challenges did you face?
You were stuck.
I'm not.
I want to say that sounds likethe, the primary one, anything
else and what it.
What strengths did you have toovercome that and where are you
headed from here?
Craig Lerch (17:17):
the challenges that we face.
A lot of them are self-imposedand some are market imposed.
Right, if you're a chameleon,you can change with any market,
and I had done that.
I mean being from the late 80s.
I had been the up and downs ofthe the 90s into there.
I got in the business when theinterest rates were 14.9 percent
, you know.
(17:38):
So I didn't know any different.
I just know how to help peoplelive in a house.
You have seven ways, sevenplaces you can live, and we've
had that discussion.
You can own your own home, youcan rent your own home, you can
do three hots in a cot in themilitary and if you've served in
the military, thank you toeverybody in your family who has
and you.
You can be in prison, which youreally don't want to be.
(17:59):
All right.
You could be homeless where youdon't want to be, and All right
.
You could be homeless where youdon't want to be and you could
be dead, and those are reallythe places that you're going to
end up, or living on the cot insomebody's house and being a
squatter.
So choose to own a house, andthat's one of the biggest dreams
people have and that's what Iwanted to achieve.
But it's not easy because youhave a lot of outside influx.
(18:22):
You have interest rates, youhave wars, you have pandemics,
you have all those things theaverage agent burns out after
five years.
The average agent does lessthan four transactions in a year
.
Granted, some guys might bedoing four $100 million deals,
so what?
That's fine.
But when you're consistentlychurning over a hundred and some
(18:45):
transactions a year, it willburn you out and it will
distract you and it does takeaway from your family life.
If you're a Pop-Tart, thechallenges are keeping your line
in business.
Don't have it as a job.
Have it as a business.
If it's a job, you're going tobe a Pop-Tart're just going to
be jumping around.
You are a business.
You're running a businesswithin a business, helping
(19:07):
people meet their dreams.
And that is where it goes fromtransactional to transitional
into building your next step.
And that was one of my biggestchallenges.
I got bored being in a smallspot.
I wanted to be around, moreenergy, I wanted to see more
things, I wanted to help morepeople.
I wanted to touch markets indifferent places.
Marc Bernstein (19:27):
That was one of my biggest champions so and I
think I I know where you'regoing.
So let's talk about whereyou're going and how you're, how
you're meeting those challengesokay.
Craig Lerch (19:37):
So when we went through the, when we went
through the coaching, and Ismashed my um, my, uh, my uh,
what do you my?
What do you call it?
Ang Onorato (19:45):
Snow globe.
Craig Lerch (19:46):
I lost the word there, Got in a cold a sec,
Smashed the snow globe.
It's part of being an OG.
Yeah right, Tommy said, who'salso friends with Brian Moses,
who's been a longtime friend ofmine for 30 years in the real
estate business.
He says Craig, why don't youcome look at eXp?
Well, I looked at it five yearsago and then I re-looked at it
again this time and the reason Iliked changing and remember I
(20:10):
was my own broker.
I was a broker of fivedifferent companies, multiple
states, for other friends, allthat stuff, so I had my own
company.
Announcer (20:18):
You're an entrepreneur, which was.
Craig Lerch (20:20):
Lerch Associates Realty.
I had a huge ego trip.
My name was on a sign that and50 cents will get you a cup of
coffee, but it wasn't giving memy dream of what I wanted to do,
which was change more lives.
I couldn't do it just in my zipcode function, which means you
(20:44):
stay in your little zone andthis is where you're at.
All the other real estatecompanies in the country are
franchises, are broken intoregions, zones, territory,
offices, blah, blah, blah.
Exp Realty is the onlycloud-based, worldwide
fastest-growing agent-centric,stock-traded on NASDAQ real
estate company with noboundaries.
(21:05):
It went from being my snowglobe, no matter what real
estate company I went to, tobeing my blue ocean that I can
be in multiple places.
I've got teams in Florida, I'vegot teams in San Diego.
I've got teams in New Jersey.
I can now be licensed in thosestates or not be licensed in
those states and have teams orother agents that I'm working in
(21:28):
conjunction with.
That has my own littlebrokerage in my snow globe.
I couldn't do.
I've got a teammate in Ibiza,Spain.
Now.
I could never have done that,never have done that.
So it gave me the tools to gooutside there and to create
equity and wealth in a companythat's traded on NASDAQ and also
(21:50):
the fastest growing.
I'm going to call it the Uberof real estate.
You have everybody else overhere and then you have them.
There's another couple ofcompanies that are out there
that are chasing it.
When you've got 90,000 agentsin 10 years and it's growing
with no debt and all growth,it's a good chase.
I'd rather be on the front line.
Marc Bernstein (22:09):
I know Ang has a question for you about what
you're building, and it'samazing how time flies on the
show.
We have seven minutes left, sowe're going to be efficient and
we're going to talk through this.
So, ange, go ahead.
Ang Onorato (22:22):
Yeah, so, yeah.
So, craig, you answered alittle bit of one question, or
actually opened a door into oneof the questions I really have,
which is I think any industryreally needs to be responding to
the globalization.
It's bricks and mortar, it'skind of, you know, it's
typically thought of.
You have to be in that space,in that region, and obviously
(22:48):
you just mentioned how you'rekind of taking that to the next
level.
But beyond this, beyond thesort of geographic you know,
reach is larger for you.
Now, what other ways are youthinking of or doing things that
are bringing you into thefuture of work?
So how are you buildingcultures, keeping them engaged,
connected, if they are virtual,how do you kind of build a
(23:11):
culture and sort of get preparedfor even what's beyond this?
What's next?
I'll be?
Craig Lerch (23:14):
honest.
Covid taught us a lot of things.
You can take it as a negative,but it costs a lot of things.
If you're in the, if you'resitting behind a desk and you're
supposed to be in sales andmeeting people, you're not
making money.
You need to be out seeingpeople.
So, no matter where you are,it's coaching and helping them.
Do that.
Majority of all the real estatebrokers or coaches and all that
(23:36):
stuff that are in the brick andmortar in those spots are not
outselling.
They don't know what's going on.
So, where people that areworking with me, I'm in the
field.
I'm not competing against them,I'm helping them.
I'm in collaboration, I'mgiving, I'm living in abundance.
I'm not living in fear.
Where, in a lot of companies,you're living in fear like, oh,
it's my little squirrel.
(23:56):
So what I'm trying to do isjust develop a mindset, develop
a collaboration that as one ship, the tide rises.
All ships will rise.
We do zooms weekly, we domastermind calls, we talk on the
phone, we do face times.
There, it's there, thetechnology is there.
Unfortunately, we're taught oh,we got to sit in a boardroom,
(24:17):
at a board table, and listen tothis.
That's called accountability tothe managers to prove that
you're doing accountability.
Accountability is really in thenumbers and what you want to be
.
Be what you want to be, notwhat somebody else wants to be.
You want to sell four houses ina year?
Do it in one month.
Take 11 months off.
Why kill yourself for a year?
You know what I'm saying.
It's your choice.
Got to have a plan, though.
You got to have a routine plan,and you know that from coaching
(24:39):
.
Without a plan, you're notgoing anywhere, and if your
mentors aren't teaching you aplan and helping you establish
that, you're not going around.
So that's what I do and that'swhere I'm expanding, because I'm
also having fun.
And remember, your organizationonly runs as fast as the lead
horse, and my goal is to reallyrun fast at 58 years old and let
all these young guys try tocatch me.
Marc Bernstein (25:05):
I love'm sorry.
Craig Lerch (25:05):
I live life in 90 day segments.
So my world can't get thatmessed up.
In 90 days it's either going togo really great or really bad,
but no matter what it is, Istart over every 90 days and get
at it.
Ang Onorato (25:17):
That's a great point too, Greg, because it
keeps you present moment focusedtoo, which I think a lot of us
kind of get.
You know we forget howimportant that is.
Yeah, Sorry, Marc, Go ahead.
Marc Bernstein (25:26):
That's okay.
So let's talk about 1290 daysegments.
So, if we look out, if thiswere 2027, this date in 2027,
three years from now and you'relooking back, craig, this is
what you just said is a perfectlead into this.
What is your vision?
What does your life look like?
That could be your, yourbusiness, that could be
personally, that could beprofessionally.
(25:48):
What would have to happenduring that three year period
for you to believe that that wasa successful time in your life?
Craig Lerch (25:54):
First of all, there's a great book Be your
Future Self.
Now I love it, dr BenjaminHartley OK.
Marc Bernstein (26:00):
And, by the way, he partners with Dan Sullivan,
who's the guy that created thequestion I just asked you.
Craig Lerch (26:06):
Exactly that, dan Sullivan.
That's kind of where that camefrom, that 90-day thing.
So where do I see myself?
Experiencing the best that lifehas to offer and exhausting it
with enthusiasm and energy.
That is me.
That is my mantra of where Iwant to go and what I want to do
.
And how am I going to do that?
(26:27):
I'm going to have a minimum1,000 agents across the United
States and the world in the realestate industry that I'm
helping change their lives tohave a better focus of their
legacy, their wealth, theirequity in owning a company.
Ours is the only company youcan own on the stock market,
(26:48):
okay, and having freedom of noboundaries.
You can be licensed in multiplestates.
So, a minimum of a thousandagents.
I'm going to be selling to thepeople and working with the
clients that I want in mymarketplace.
Still, I am expanding.
Matter of fact, today I justsigned up for my Florida class.
I know my family.
I have a lot of people, a lotof family down there.
(27:09):
I'm going to be doing morebusiness down there.
I'm licensed at the beaches inNew Jersey.
So, yeah, I'm never going tostop learning and I'm going to
have the freedom to change lives, make money and have fun,
because the more money I make,the more I can get back to my
community too, because I live inabundance, like I had said, and
I'm going to have fun with myfamily.
I'm creating a legacy for themto be able to do fun things that
(27:33):
I didn't do in the beginning,and also for my grandkids.
Who knows?
I might have some kids met andsome of my Corey Cole or Casey
married.
I might have grandkids, andthat's only what god gives me,
and lynda and I are excitedeither way.
But one thing we are not doingis we are not sitting to let
grass grow under our feet at ourage, because you don't know
(27:54):
when your last day is going tobe.
That's why this is the year ofgrow and glow.
Light it up.
I I am the fire.
The fire is in me and I am thefire.
Marc Bernstein (28:04):
I love it.
You are the fire and uh, andyou have, I know, one question
and then I have a quick closingquestion and we got to do all
that in about a minute.
Ang Onorato (28:13):
Yeah, so just a quick follow-up to that.
I mean, you talked about Craiglegacy.
Talk to us about that.
Other than how you're living it.
What do you want to leavebehind as you look back in the
rear view mirror?
Craig Lerch (28:25):
I want to help people that didn't believe that
they could have financialfreedom.
Have financial freedom, notjust my kids that EXP is one of
the only real estate companiesthat, as I'm building a business
and I leave this world, thatthey get they can inherit it as
long as they're licensed, sothey can run my business still
and go without, without being abroker, without having to be
across state lines, is numberone.
And also the agents buildingagents that don't know what
(28:48):
they're doing now that will bestruggling and having them
financially freedom too.
So that's what I want to doChange all of that in an
industry that it doesn't exist.
Marc Bernstein (28:59):
Love it.
Craig, I know you're a littlebit of a music fan.
Craig Lerch (29:11):
What's your favorite song?
My last fun question you'regonna think I'm a little crazy
here jennifer lopez, let's getloud.
All in all, in when I wouldspeak with my producer, mike
reed uh, you always use that.
When I used to come on thestage, I've been in front of two
to four thousand people at atime 100 people, whatever it
might be.
That is my go to.
I come into my office everymorning.
I play that video of her onstage playing let's get loud.
I crank it up and I dance likenobody's watching in my office.
Marc Bernstein (29:35):
Perfect song for you.
By the way, you know, I'mreading Angelo Cataldi's book, a
fun book called Loud.
You know which is describes himso, and I think it's a great
way to describe yourself.
I love it.
There you go, greg.
Great show.
I knew it would be fun.
It was a lot of fun having youhere today.
Appreciate you.
Appreciate you, ange Everybodythat's listening.
Announcer (30:01):
Thanks for listening to Founders Forum and we'll see
you again next week.
The following programming is sponsored by Marc
J Bernstein.
The views expressed do notnecessarily reflect the views of
this station, its management orBeasley Media Group.
Marc Bernstein (00:07):
Have a nice speed.
Announcer (00:08):
Entrepreneur, author and financial consultant, Marc
Bernstein helps high-performingentrepreneurial business owners
create a vision for the futureand follow through on their
goals and intentions.
Ang Onorato is a businessgrowth strategist who blends
psychology and business togetherto create conscious leaders and
business owners who impact theworld.
Founders Forum is a radio showpodcast sharing the real stories
(00:32):
behind entrepreneurship asfounders discover more about
themselves, while providingvaluable lessons and some fun
and entertainment for you.
Now here's Marc and Ang.
Marc Bernstein (00:43):
Good morning America.
How are you?
We are at one.
I will tell you that we areactually on hiatus from the
radio right now, so you'll belistening to the show a little
bit later, and whether it's onpodcast or whether it's on WWDB
radio out of Philadelphia,pennsylvania, and so I am in
sunny Florida.
(01:04):
I know Ann just headed toFlorida tonight and we do have a
guest today out of Pennsylvanianamed Craig Lerch, who I'll
introduce in a moment, but inthe meantime let me reintroduce
you to Ang Onorato, who has athought for the day, and we'll
take it from there and see wherethe show goes today.
Ang Onorato (01:22):
Yes, good morning.
It's good to be back onrecording, but back with
everybody.
And you know, Marc, I sharedwith you offline that I just
came from a two-day trainingprogram in public speaking, and
it's amazing.
We can talk about that a littlebit later if there's time.
But one thing that popped up forme yesterday was a concept that
was taught and it reminded meabout how important context is
(01:46):
when we're working in ourbusinesses or we're having
communication with other people.
And they taught a concept abouta beat, and for me, when I think
of the word beat, I think ofbeing upbeat, moving, going, you
know, related to music, thingsof that nature.
But I learned yesterday that abeat in the world of performing
(02:06):
so if you're on stage giving aspeech, giving a play that a
beat is actually a pause andit's super powerful when you can
use it effectively.
And so it got me thinking abouthow important, when I'm working
with my executive coachingclients, how sometimes just
shifting the context of a wordor a thought process or a story,
that we tell ourselves howimpactful that can be.
(02:28):
So it got me really thinkingand I think it's a really good
topic for today and as we talk alittle bit further with Craig.
So, love, I know you're amusician, so I'd love to hear
your take on on this concept ofof a beat.
Marc Bernstein (02:40):
Well, I think I have to absorb beat as a pause
to shift context.
So I think the idea they need toadjust to that.
But I was just reading a musicthing the other day and I forget
who it was from, but it was aguitarist that might have even
been.
Might have been Jeff Beck, butthe importance of silence, you
(03:01):
know, and how, some of the most.
And it was somebody talkingabout George Harrison, who was a
great guitarist for the Beatlesbut wasn't always considered
one of the greatest guitarists.
But this other great guitaristmight've been Jeff Beck said
what's great about GeorgeHarrison is how he knows when
not to play, and that's that'sthe way I translate the music
(03:22):
part, and I think that's true inspeaking as well.
I know that's not exactly whatyou're saying, but that pause,
even in music, can change thecontext of what's going to
happen next, and it certainlycan do that.
I can see how it can do that inthinking and or speaking.
Craig, who has a lot ofthoughts on a lot of things.
You have any thoughts on that?
Craig Lerch (03:43):
I have a.
I've been taught a long timeago by a, by a very wealthy
gentleman who came to thiscountry and built up to be a
billionaire, and when I wasearly in the business he taught
me says you have two ears andone mouth.
Use them in proportion.
And most of us are moving sofast we're not letting somebody
(04:07):
else finish their conversationbecause we want to interrupt
them, because we want to getwhat's in our mind.
But if we take a moment, slowdown, sit back, it's like the
race car drivers in the movieFord versus Ferrari.
They say that when you're atthat 200 miles an hour, flying
like this, the body and thedriver becomes part of the metal
(04:29):
and the metal just goes andit's really just floating
through the air.
So having that moment of comingback actually puts you in that
moment of slowing things downand you're absorbing it versus
just shelling it off.
So yes, I believe in it 100%and thank you, ang, for bringing
(04:50):
that up again.
Marc Bernstein (04:52):
So I love that because we just took a
conversation about context andwe all spoke about it with
slightly different context,which is kind of cool if you
think about what's going onthere.
So let's move on with today'sshow.
Let me introduce Craig Lerch.
This is one of the mostexciting intros I've had in a
while.
So Craig is known around thePhiladelphia area as selling a
(05:14):
lot of homes over 4,000transactions in his career in
the Philadelphia Pennsylvaniaarea and suburbs and he is the
ROG in social media.
Now here's what ROG stands forReal Estate Opportunity,
outstanding Out of the Box Overthe Top, old Guy.
And Craig's motto is if you'renot having fun, then why do it?
(05:39):
And he also says 2024, thecurrent year, is the year to
grow and glow, which I love.
So, fred, let's talk about thatROG thing when did that come
from?
And then let's get into yourstory.
Craig Lerch (05:56):
I don't know about you guys, but I never did social
media until three years ago.
I watched everybody else do it.
I'm like I'm not getting onthere and dancing, I'm not
getting on there and cooking andI'm not doing that, and my kids
were like dad, there isdefinitely no way you are
getting on social media.
So, in the process of that, inthe process of all that and
(06:18):
we'll get into later on aboutrevamping and where it's going I
had to make this step because Iwas smashing my old way of
doing business and was going todo business in a new way, in a
new spot, and I wascollaborating with the new
agents in this company of the XPthat I'm with and we were away
on a retreat and all these youngguys were around and they're
(06:39):
like dude, you're like the OG ofreal estate.
You've been around forever.
Now I'm an SOB.
I'm a son of a broker.
I was born in the business.
I worked for my dad's companyfor years, then I had my own
brokers for my brother,christopher, for years and then
a couple years ago Itransitioned out into the
company we'll talk about in alittle bit.
But the biggest thing is theseguys are like oh my God, you're
(07:01):
like the OG.
And I'm like the biggest thingis, these guys are like oh my
God, you're like the OG and I'mlike I'm not an OG and a
gangster.
They're like no, you're an oldreal estate guy.
I'm like all right, I can dealwith that.
And they're like where are youfrom?
I said Philly and they're likePhilly, so you're going to be
the pog.
I was like I ain't a pog,what's a pog?
Of a sudden they're like one ofthe girls goes you're like a
(07:22):
daddy of real estate.
I was like I'm definitely notbeing that.
So now I'm not going to be adog.
So then one of the guy goesyou're going to be the ROG, the
real estate old guy, and we'regoing to make you get a picture
with your arms crossed like inthe Godfather.
You know what I mean and we'regoing to.
That's the way to do it.
Well, this whole thing cameabout and that's kind of where
my logo came from, that's kindof the feel that it came.
(07:43):
These young guys who were intheir 20s named me and it's
flown and I'm having an absoluteball with it.
It started with the old guy andthen Pete Middleton, a good
friend of mine in our companysaid dude, you're far from the
old guy, you're like theout-of-the-box opportunity guy.
So then we started to just addall the O's to the ROG.
(08:04):
But in social media it's realestate.
Old guy, it's funny.
Marc Bernstein (08:08):
You're really not the ROG, you're the ROOG.
Craig Lerch (08:12):
Look, I don't know what it means.
I call it the ROG, but what'sfun about this is there's a lot,
a lot of agents that have beenin business a long time, that
I'm friends with guys and gals,no-transcript and I'm actually
(08:32):
going to start having some funand giving a monthly award away,
I think, for the ROG, theOutstanding Old Gal, whatever it
might be.
So, like I said, if it's notfun, why do it?
Marc Bernstein (08:42):
Well, I told you we met.
I can connect to that becauseI'm the guy in my company.
I'm the resident old guy there.
So you know, I'm the guy thatdoes all the social media.
Other guys do it theold-fashioned way.
So I guess I'm the fogfinancial if you think about
that.
Craig Lerch (08:59):
So anyway, this is a lot of fun.
The biggest thing with socialmedia don't work.
The biggest thing is it's alsoabout life.
It's about making your ownmemes.
Stop living everybody else'smemes on social media.
Make your own.
Do you?
Stay in your lane?
Be you.
Don't be somebody else, butpush the button.
If you aren't pushing a buttonon life, it's like not pushing a
(09:23):
button on your social media orpushing the gas pedal in your
car, whatever it may be.
Push the button and just getout of your own way.
Just do it.
Have fun.
Stop being in judgment.
I love it.
Ang Onorato (09:35):
I just want to say one quick thing on that, craig,
I think I'm the cog.
I'm the coaching old girl in mygroup.
So, I think we all have amoniker now, but I just want to
say real quick that I was one ofthose people too that consumed
so much social media but neverwanted to be creating it or in
front of it, and I had to shiftthat mindset too into all I'm
(09:55):
doing is serving and supportingothers, and if I do that, then I
don't think of it like socialmedia right.
It's a serve and support, and Ilove that push the button.
I'm going to remember thatanalogy.
Marc Bernstein (10:05):
So if anyone out there is is listening to the
podcast, which you will be, orthe radio show, take notes
because there's going to be somany good things coming out of
Craig's mouth that you don'twant to miss them.
I'm telling, every time I talkto him I get more great little
isms that he comes up withgrowing.
I love that, Craig, tell usyour story.
(10:26):
So obviously you're an SOB.
Son of a broker, you grew up inthe real estate business and
now you're evolving intosomething else.
Craig Lerch (10:34):
Tell us how that's where you're going and how
that's come about you know,about five years ago, and I'm
going to be dead honest thisreal estate business is full
contact.
It is a full contact sport.
But real estate is a product.
Real estate is a widget.
It's something that I, you know.
I didn't choose to sell it.
(10:56):
How many people wake up whenthey're born and say, oh, by the
way, I'm going to be a realestate agent?
Nobody, but I can tell you mydad did.
My dad woke up and said you'regoing to be a real estate agent
Nobody, but I can tell you mydad did.
My dad welcomed me and saidyou're going to be a real estate
broker, my sister's going to bea real estate broker, my
brother's going to be a realestate broker.
So the bottom line comes downto it is that is kind of where
we're reinventing it.
I got bored, I was gettingbitter, I was getting stale and
(11:20):
what I wanted to do was figureout what's my next step.
And a good friend of mine,brian Moses, who was actually a
destiny coach with Tony Robbinsand stuff, said dude, you got to
get a coach, you've been out ofbeing coached for a while,
because I coach a lot of peoplein real estate.
I said I don't need a realestate coach, he goes.
No, you're going to go to mycoach, who was actually the
(11:45):
opening guy for Tony Robbins.
Tommy Schaaf.
He trains financial advisors.
We talked about him before onMLS sales.
So I called him and I said dude, I want to get into your
training.
And he said I don't train realestate agents.
I said I don't mind, I want toget my mindset right.
All right, and their mindset iswhere I was.
I was like stuck.
I was in a funk.
I was like I didn't know what Iwanted to do.
(12:07):
I know I know real estate.
I wanted to continue with it,but I wanted to get to a new
level.
So he goes okay, this is thedeal.
You're going to come into myfinancial training class.
I'm not going to teach you thereal estate, I'm going to teach
you to practice.
It's two days a week, two hoursat a time.
You have to be in it 52 weeks.
You're only allowed to missthree times.
If you miss three times, youget thrown out.
And, by the way, it's X amountof dollars, all right, over
(12:28):
$20,000 to do the job.
Okay, and you don't get themoney back if you miss the three
classes.
So I went through the thing andas we came to our final review,
we were realizing that I learneda lot, but I also figured out
three other things while I wasthere One main thing and three
others I learned my funnels.
(12:51):
The funnels are the things inlife that I'm going to focus on.
It was change lives, make moneyand have fun.
Changing lives was going to beworking with buyers, sellers,
negotiating contracts, holdingdoors for ladies, people,
letting people pull out in front, buying random acts of lunch
(13:11):
for people and walking outanonymously, walking into a
bakery shop and dropping ahundred hour bill and saying run
the tab until it goes and leaveand not ever say who you are.
Okay, working with other realestate agents.
There's 4,000 transactions inhere in my brain, this gray
matter, and it's eight inches ofbig head that there's
information that I wanted toshare.
The other thing was make money.
(13:33):
If you're not making money,you're going to be homeless and
I'm sorry if it's blunt, butguess what you got to make money
or you can't fund your meansand your future.
And then if it's not not fun,why are you going to do it if
it's painful?
So bottom line comes downthere's change lives, make money
and have fun.
Those were the funnels.
The last thing we figured outwas okay, how can I get that to
(13:54):
another level?
And the level came fromself-searching.
Tommy said to me what do youthink your number one problem is
?
I wrote my zip code down.
He wrote the word snow globedown and he goes.
It's the same and we've talkedabout he goes.
They're almost the same thing.
I was.
I have so much energy and somuch knowledge and so much
growth I still want to do after35 years in a business, at 55
(14:18):
years old, he goes.
You get a self, you get a smashyour snow globe.
You get to start gonna startover and revamp.
So I'm gonna challenge anybodywho's in an uncomfortable
position.
Take a snow globe.
Think about yourself living init for 35 years, for 10 years,
15 years.
You ultimately the water startsevaporating, the color starts
changing and if you were a fishin there, you'd start eating and
(14:39):
defecating in there and you'dstart drinking your own
pollution.
And what do you do?
You end up dying.
So what did we do?
We smashed the snow globe anddecided that I've got to get
outside of my zip code and I'vegot to get into a national
vision.
But what is that?
And that was in real estate.
It was the XP Realty.
That's why I went there with noboundaries and we can talk-.
Marc Bernstein (15:01):
That is a great place to take a quick break.
We're going to take a oneminute break for commercial
Craig and I got a lot morequestions for you, so we'll be
right back.
Announcer (15:15):
Ready to elevate your real estate experience.
Whether you're buying yourfirst home, seeking that dream
luxury residence or aiming toexpand your investment portfolio
, Craig Lerch, exp Realty Luxury, is your go-to expert.
With 36 years of unparalleledexpertise in the Philadelphia
(15:35):
area and beyond, craig isdedicated to transforming lives
through real estate.
Don't settle for just anyone.
Choose the expert who knows,from Philly to the shore and
everywhere worldwide.
Call or text Craig Lerch todayat 267-214-7728 and start your
(15:57):
journey to real estate success.
Nothing too big or too small,we sell it all First-time
homebuyers trading up downsizingand luxury real estate.
Marc Bernstein (16:15):
TJ.
Go right back into it.
You're on.
Okay, just want to make surewe're ready to report.
You're on, you can start.
Ang Onorato (16:32):
Okay great.
Marc Bernstein (16:33):
Okay, we're back on Founders Forum.
Greg, you just said a lot andyou talked about a new direction
.
Two questions you mentionedsome challenges you had in real
estate and, like you said, it'snot easy, it's a full body
contact.
I think you said and it is a,you know, I know it's a tough
(16:55):
profession, I know a lot ofpeople in it.
So there's the obviouschallenges, but what kind of
challenges did you face?
You were stuck.
I'm not.
I want to say that sounds likethe, the primary one, anything
else and what it.
What strengths did you have toovercome that and where are you
headed from here?
Craig Lerch (17:17):
the challenges that we face.
A lot of them are self-imposedand some are market imposed.
Right, if you're a chameleon,you can change with any market,
and I had done that.
I mean being from the late 80s.
I had been the up and downs ofthe the 90s into there.
I got in the business when theinterest rates were 14.9 percent
, you know.
(17:38):
So I didn't know any different.
I just know how to help peoplelive in a house.
You have seven ways, sevenplaces you can live, and we've
had that discussion.
You can own your own home, youcan rent your own home, you can
do three hots in a cot in themilitary and if you've served in
the military, thank you toeverybody in your family who has
and you.
You can be in prison, which youreally don't want to be.
(17:59):
All right.
You could be homeless where youdon't want to be, and All right
.
You could be homeless where youdon't want to be and you could
be dead, and those are reallythe places that you're going to
end up, or living on the cot insomebody's house and being a
squatter.
So choose to own a house, andthat's one of the biggest dreams
people have and that's what Iwanted to achieve.
But it's not easy because youhave a lot of outside influx.
(18:22):
You have interest rates, youhave wars, you have pandemics,
you have all those things theaverage agent burns out after
five years.
The average agent does lessthan four transactions in a year
.
Granted, some guys might bedoing four $100 million deals,
so what?
That's fine.
But when you're consistentlychurning over a hundred and some
(18:45):
transactions a year, it willburn you out and it will
distract you and it does takeaway from your family life.
If you're a Pop-Tart, thechallenges are keeping your line
in business.
Don't have it as a job.
Have it as a business.
If it's a job, you're going tobe a Pop-Tart're just going to
be jumping around.
You are a business.
You're running a businesswithin a business, helping
(19:07):
people meet their dreams.
And that is where it goes fromtransactional to transitional
into building your next step.
And that was one of my biggestchallenges.
I got bored being in a smallspot.
I wanted to be around, moreenergy, I wanted to see more
things, I wanted to help morepeople.
I wanted to touch markets indifferent places.
Marc Bernstein (19:27):
That was one of my biggest champions so and I
think I I know where you'regoing.
So let's talk about whereyou're going and how you're, how
you're meeting those challengesokay.
Craig Lerch (19:37):
So when we went through the, when we went
through the coaching, and Ismashed my um, my, uh, my uh,
what do you my?
What do you call it?
Ang Onorato (19:45):
Snow globe.
Craig Lerch (19:46):
I lost the word there, Got in a cold a sec,
Smashed the snow globe.
It's part of being an OG.
Yeah right, Tommy said, who'salso friends with Brian Moses,
who's been a longtime friend ofmine for 30 years in the real
estate business.
He says Craig, why don't youcome look at eXp?
Well, I looked at it five yearsago and then I re-looked at it
again this time and the reason Iliked changing and remember I
(20:10):
was my own broker.
I was a broker of fivedifferent companies, multiple
states, for other friends, allthat stuff, so I had my own
company.
Announcer (20:18):
You're an entrepreneur, which was.
Craig Lerch (20:20):
Lerch Associates Realty.
I had a huge ego trip.
My name was on a sign that and50 cents will get you a cup of
coffee, but it wasn't giving memy dream of what I wanted to do,
which was change more lives.
I couldn't do it just in my zipcode function, which means you
(20:44):
stay in your little zone andthis is where you're at.
All the other real estatecompanies in the country are
franchises, are broken intoregions, zones, territory,
offices, blah, blah, blah.
Exp Realty is the onlycloud-based, worldwide
fastest-growing agent-centric,stock-traded on NASDAQ real
estate company with noboundaries.
(21:05):
It went from being my snowglobe, no matter what real
estate company I went to, tobeing my blue ocean that I can
be in multiple places.
I've got teams in Florida, I'vegot teams in San Diego.
I've got teams in New Jersey.
I can now be licensed in thosestates or not be licensed in
those states and have teams orother agents that I'm working in
(21:28):
conjunction with.
That has my own littlebrokerage in my snow globe.
I couldn't do.
I've got a teammate in Ibiza,Spain.
Now.
I could never have done that,never have done that.
So it gave me the tools to gooutside there and to create
equity and wealth in a companythat's traded on NASDAQ and also
(21:50):
the fastest growing.
I'm going to call it the Uberof real estate.
You have everybody else overhere and then you have them.
There's another couple ofcompanies that are out there
that are chasing it.
When you've got 90,000 agentsin 10 years and it's growing
with no debt and all growth,it's a good chase.
I'd rather be on the front line.
Marc Bernstein (22:09):
I know Ang has a question for you about what
you're building, and it'samazing how time flies on the
show.
We have seven minutes left, sowe're going to be efficient and
we're going to talk through this.
So, ange, go ahead.
Ang Onorato (22:22):
Yeah, so, yeah.
So, craig, you answered alittle bit of one question, or
actually opened a door into oneof the questions I really have,
which is I think any industryreally needs to be responding to
the globalization.
It's bricks and mortar, it'skind of, you know, it's
typically thought of.
You have to be in that space,in that region, and obviously
(22:48):
you just mentioned how you'rekind of taking that to the next
level.
But beyond this, beyond thesort of geographic you know,
reach is larger for you.
Now, what other ways are youthinking of or doing things that
are bringing you into thefuture of work?
So how are you buildingcultures, keeping them engaged,
connected, if they are virtual,how do you kind of build a
(23:11):
culture and sort of get preparedfor even what's beyond this?
What's next?
I'll be?
Craig Lerch (23:14):
honest.
Covid taught us a lot of things.
You can take it as a negative,but it costs a lot of things.
If you're in the, if you'resitting behind a desk and you're
supposed to be in sales andmeeting people, you're not
making money.
You need to be out seeingpeople.
So, no matter where you are,it's coaching and helping them.
Do that.
Majority of all the real estatebrokers or coaches and all that
(23:36):
stuff that are in the brick andmortar in those spots are not
outselling.
They don't know what's going on.
So, where people that areworking with me, I'm in the
field.
I'm not competing against them,I'm helping them.
I'm in collaboration, I'mgiving, I'm living in abundance.
I'm not living in fear.
Where, in a lot of companies,you're living in fear like, oh,
it's my little squirrel.
(23:56):
So what I'm trying to do isjust develop a mindset, develop
a collaboration that as one ship, the tide rises.
All ships will rise.
We do zooms weekly, we domastermind calls, we talk on the
phone, we do face times.
There, it's there, thetechnology is there.
Unfortunately, we're taught oh,we got to sit in a boardroom,
(24:17):
at a board table, and listen tothis.
That's called accountability tothe managers to prove that
you're doing accountability.
Accountability is really in thenumbers and what you want to be
.
Be what you want to be, notwhat somebody else wants to be.
You want to sell four houses ina year?
Do it in one month.
Take 11 months off.
Why kill yourself for a year?
You know what I'm saying.
It's your choice.
Got to have a plan, though.
You got to have a routine plan,and you know that from coaching
(24:39):
.
Without a plan, you're notgoing anywhere, and if your
mentors aren't teaching you aplan and helping you establish
that, you're not going around.
So that's what I do and that'swhere I'm expanding, because I'm
also having fun.
And remember, your organizationonly runs as fast as the lead
horse, and my goal is to reallyrun fast at 58 years old and let
all these young guys try tocatch me.
Marc Bernstein (25:05):
I love'm sorry.
Craig Lerch (25:05):
I live life in 90 day segments.
So my world can't get thatmessed up.
In 90 days it's either going togo really great or really bad,
but no matter what it is, Istart over every 90 days and get
at it.
Ang Onorato (25:17):
That's a great point too, Greg, because it
keeps you present moment focusedtoo, which I think a lot of us
kind of get.
You know we forget howimportant that is.
Yeah, Sorry, Marc, Go ahead.
Marc Bernstein (25:26):
That's okay.
So let's talk about 1290 daysegments.
So, if we look out, if thiswere 2027, this date in 2027,
three years from now and you'relooking back, craig, this is
what you just said is a perfectlead into this.
What is your vision?
What does your life look like?
That could be your, yourbusiness, that could be
personally, that could beprofessionally.
(25:48):
What would have to happenduring that three year period
for you to believe that that wasa successful time in your life?
Craig Lerch (25:54):
First of all, there's a great book Be your
Future Self.
Now I love it, dr BenjaminHartley OK.
Marc Bernstein (26:00):
And, by the way, he partners with Dan Sullivan,
who's the guy that created thequestion I just asked you.
Craig Lerch (26:06):
Exactly that, dan Sullivan.
That's kind of where that camefrom, that 90-day thing.
So where do I see myself?
Experiencing the best that lifehas to offer and exhausting it
with enthusiasm and energy.
That is me.
That is my mantra of where Iwant to go and what I want to do
.
And how am I going to do that?
(26:27):
I'm going to have a minimum1,000 agents across the United
States and the world in the realestate industry that I'm
helping change their lives tohave a better focus of their
legacy, their wealth, theirequity in owning a company.
Ours is the only company youcan own on the stock market,
(26:48):
okay, and having freedom of noboundaries.
You can be licensed in multiplestates.
So, a minimum of a thousandagents.
I'm going to be selling to thepeople and working with the
clients that I want in mymarketplace.
Still, I am expanding.
Matter of fact, today I justsigned up for my Florida class.
I know my family.
I have a lot of people, a lotof family down there.
(27:09):
I'm going to be doing morebusiness down there.
I'm licensed at the beaches inNew Jersey.
So, yeah, I'm never going tostop learning and I'm going to
have the freedom to change lives, make money and have fun,
because the more money I make,the more I can get back to my
community too, because I live inabundance, like I had said, and
I'm going to have fun with myfamily.
I'm creating a legacy for themto be able to do fun things that
(27:33):
I didn't do in the beginning,and also for my grandkids.
Who knows?
I might have some kids met andsome of my Corey Cole or Casey
married.
I might have grandkids, andthat's only what god gives me,
and lynda and I are excitedeither way.
But one thing we are not doingis we are not sitting to let
grass grow under our feet at ourage, because you don't know
(27:54):
when your last day is going tobe.
That's why this is the year ofgrow and glow.
Light it up.
I I am the fire.
The fire is in me and I am thefire.
Marc Bernstein (28:04):
I love it.
You are the fire and uh, andyou have, I know, one question
and then I have a quick closingquestion and we got to do all
that in about a minute.
Ang Onorato (28:13):
Yeah, so just a quick follow-up to that.
I mean, you talked about Craiglegacy.
Talk to us about that.
Other than how you're living it.
What do you want to leavebehind as you look back in the
rear view mirror?
Craig Lerch (28:25):
I want to help people that didn't believe that
they could have financialfreedom.
Have financial freedom, notjust my kids that EXP is one of
the only real estate companiesthat, as I'm building a business
and I leave this world, thatthey get they can inherit it as
long as they're licensed, sothey can run my business still
and go without, without being abroker, without having to be
across state lines, is numberone.
And also the agents buildingagents that don't know what
(28:48):
they're doing now that will bestruggling and having them
financially freedom too.
So that's what I want to doChange all of that in an
industry that it doesn't exist.
Marc Bernstein (28:59):
Love it.
Craig, I know you're a littlebit of a music fan.
Craig Lerch (29:11):
What's your favorite song?
My last fun question you'regonna think I'm a little crazy
here jennifer lopez, let's getloud.
All in all, in when I wouldspeak with my producer, mike
reed uh, you always use that.
When I used to come on thestage, I've been in front of two
to four thousand people at atime 100 people, whatever it
might be.
That is my go to.
I come into my office everymorning.
I play that video of her onstage playing let's get loud.
I crank it up and I dance likenobody's watching in my office.
Marc Bernstein (29:35):
Perfect song for you.
By the way, you know, I'mreading Angelo Cataldi's book, a
fun book called Loud.
You know which is describes himso, and I think it's a great
way to describe yourself.
I love it.
There you go, greg.
Great show.
I knew it would be fun.
It was a lot of fun having youhere today.
Appreciate you.
Appreciate you, ange Everybodythat's listening.
Announcer (30:01):
Thanks for listening to Founders Forum and we'll see
you again next week.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.