Charting Her Own Course for Success through Working by Referral
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Janell Schmittling was down and out in her business and personal life when she discovered Buffini & Company and was inspired to take control of her own destiny.
Like may real estate agents without a system, Janell’s business was sporadic. “I was lucky to have one sale a month,” she says. “I had no systems in place and most of the time I didn’t know what I should be doing, even when I was at the office.” Although she tried to court FSBOs and follow up with online leads, nothing seemed to be working and, as a result, her confidence suffered. Since her business was inconsistent, she struggled financially, professionally and in her personal life. “I never felt like I had a reason to go to work,” she says. “I didn’t feel comfortable around successful Realtors so I didn’t include myself in events, which also lead me to feeling lonely and depressed. Being self-conscious with myself also affected my marriage as I hated being unable to contribute to our family’s finances.”
Finding motivation to change
She knew she had to make a change. Then, one night when she couldn’t sleep, she decided to take control of her situation. “I got up and Googled ‘real estate coaching programs’,” she said. “I came across the Buffini & Company website and started watching all the success videos.” She was particularly struck by the story of Ben Andrews. Inspired, she signed up for Peak Producers. “At that time I didn’t even have the extra money to be spending, but I knew something had to change for myself,” she says.
Janell was not only struggling in business; her personal life was experiencing a rough patch as well. “I was struggling in my life; my marriage was on the verge of divorce, my husband was an alcoholic and we were broke and behind on bills. I saw the success stories and knew I had to find a way to get myself and my kids out of the mess my life was in,” she explains.
While Janell was getting her business back on track, her husband was flying off the rails. He rolled his vehicle in the interstate while he was under the influence of alcohol. “To this day, I don’t know how he didn’t kill himself or anyone else. Looking back now, I know it was a God thing,” she explains. Her husband moved out soon after and Janell was scared of losing her home. Peak Producers helped her triple her business—she sold 36 homes in the first year as a result of the training. Not only did this strengthen her business, it also strengthened her resolve to keep her husband at bay until he got sober. “He finally admitted he had a drinking problem and got help for himself,” she says.
Becoming her own Success Story
Following Peak Producers, she continued using Referral Maker CRM and began to see results in the first year. The system told her what she needed to do each day. In addition to the daily activities, she also hosted two client parties and a pie party. “I would come into the office each morning and look at who I needed to call or who I needed to Pop-By,” she explains. “In no time, my business took off and my confidence has changed.” Her income increased from $45,000 before taking the training to $118,000.
Riding the wave of great results and increased confidence, she signed up for One2One Coaching and doubled her business, selling 67 homes and becoming ranked #12 in her real estate board. She also more than doubled her income; after a full year of Coaching, her net income grew to $282,000 with an average GCI of more than $300,000.
She also attended her first MasterMind Summit in 2016. At MasterMind, she was inspired by the stories of other members. “I was blown away by how friendly everyone was and willing to share their stories, challenges or ideas. I love how sitting around other successful people inspires me and pushes me to be the best I can be,” she says. She’s also connected with other members on Facebook and over the phone to share encouragement and experiences.
By the end of her second year in coaching, she had closed 76 transactions and moved up to the #11 spot in her real estate board. However, the best news may be that her personal life has turned around. “My husband has been in recovery now and has been sober over 2 ½ years. He ended up moving home and the difference in our family and kids’ lives is something that I will forever be grateful for,” she explains. “I strongly feel without the Buffini program, I wouldn’t have been able to make the changes in myself that I needed. I had enabled my husband for years and when I finally was able to take control of my actions and finances, it helped him hit his rock bottom and get help. When I say that the Buffini program not only changed my business, but also my life, it is an understatement.”
Inspiring others to achieve success
She also enjoys her business more now. “I have more friends because I’ve become friends with a lot of my clients and have really enjoyed being able to give back to others. I enjoy taking people to lunch and doing special things for them that they’re not expecting. Seeing others smile and having others open up to me has really changed me as a person,” she says.
“I’ve learned so much from this program and have developed many new friendships with Buffini agents and have taken control of my life and my destiny,” she says. “I’ve had multiple agents, even from different brokerages reach out to me and I’ve shared what helped me succeed. I know so many people who have now signed up for the Buffini program.”
Her business is thriving. She’s hired an assistant and two buyer’s agents. Additionally, her office named her Agent of the Year for two years in a row. “My income has increased 10 times what it was before starting the Buffini program,” she says.
What she enjoys most is sharing her story with others to inspire and motivate them to persevere through their struggles. “I used to think everyone had it together and I was the only one struggling, but when you get down on other people’s level and start treating them as you would want to be treated; you learn that a lot of people are struggling with different things. I’ve had so many of my clients open up to me and my relationships are 100 percent stronger,” she explains. “It became more than just selling houses and making money.”
