Defining Success: Lessons from Lisa Copeland's Entrepreneurial Journey
The discussion engages with the profound journey of Lisa Copeland, founder of the Lioness Movement, who dedicates her efforts to empowering women in their pursuit of faith, wealth, and purposeful leadership. At the core of our dialogue lies the notion that true success is not merely a reflection of external achievements, but rather an internal evolution that necessitates resilience and grit. Lisa shares her transformative experiences, including pivotal moments that propelled her into the realm of entrepreneurship, underscoring the vital importance of aligning one's purpose with their actions. We delve into the intricacies of navigating challenges within the professional landscape, particularly emphasizing the significance of trust and integrity in building enduring partnerships. As we explore the complexities of the real estate market, we ascertain that success in any field is contingent upon the clarity of one’s purpose and the determination to overcome adversities along the way. Adam Marburger's engaging dialogue with Lisa Copeland on the Humans that Build podcast offers a compelling exploration of her journey as an entrepreneur and advocate for women empowerment. As the founder of the Lioness Movement, Lisa dedicates her efforts to uplifting women, guiding them toward financial independence and purposeful leadership. The episode is marked by personal storytelling, with Lisa reflecting on her transformative experiences in the automotive industry and her subsequent entrepreneurial ventures. A pivotal moment in her life, when her son faced a life-threatening incident, catalyzed her shift away from a demanding career, ultimately leading to her focus on her family and a more fulfilling professional path. Throughout their conversation, Lisa and Adam delve into the challenges and triumphs intrinsic to entrepreneurship, highlighting the grit and resilience necessary for success. Lisa articulates the importance of understanding one’s purpose as an essential driver for achievement and fulfillment. She shares invaluable insights into her experiences navigating a traditionally male-dominated industry, emphasizing the significance of mentorship and representation in catalyzing change. The dialogue further underscores the necessity of fostering supportive environments for aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly women, who face unique barriers in their professional journeys. Listeners are invited to reflect on their definitions of success, as both hosts articulate their perspectives on what it means to lead a fulfilling life. The episode transcends mere entrepreneurial advice, presenting a heartfelt message about the importance of autonomy, personal agency, and the impact of one’s choices on the broader community. Ultimately, Lisa’s journey serves as an inspiration, illustrating how individuals can harness their experiences to uplift others and create meaningful change in their lives and the lives of those around them.
Takeaways:
- The essence of entrepreneurship is rooted in the internal development of the individual prior to external achievements.
- Lisa Copeland's journey exemplifies the importance of overcoming personal adversities to emerge as a leader in any industry.
- Success in business requires a clear understanding of one's purpose and the willingness to sacrifice for it.
- Building trust in partnerships is crucial for sustaining long-term success and integrity in business endeavors.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Lioness Movement
- Fiat
- Dodge
- Glenn Lundy
- Grant Cardone
- Elena Cardone
- University of Mary Hard and Baylor
- Crushing Mediocrity
- Cardone Veterans
Transcript
This is Adam Marburger.
Speaker A:And this is humans that build real conversations with real people.
Speaker A:Not just about what they've built in the world, but what had to be built inside them first.
Speaker A:No hype, no shortcuts.
Speaker A:Just humans doing the work.
Speaker A:Humans that build.
Speaker A:Real people.
Speaker A:Real work.
Speaker A:Welcome back to another episode of Humans that Build.
Speaker A:I've got a very special guest today.
Speaker A:Let me give her the best introduction that I possibly can.
Speaker A:So Lisa Copeland is a founder of the Lioness Movement, empowering women to rise in faith, build wealth, and lead with purpose.
Speaker A:Lisa Copeland, welcome to Humans to Build.
Speaker A:How are you?
Speaker B:I'm great, Adam.
Speaker B:How are you?
Speaker A:I'm good.
Speaker A:I'm surviving.
Speaker A:Still playing in the automotive arena.
Speaker A:You escaped it.
Speaker B:You.
Speaker A:Hey, do you miss automotive?
Speaker A:Is there any chance you're gonna come back soon and hang out with us?
Speaker B:No, but, you know, I did get asked.
Speaker B:I'm super excited.
Speaker B:I'm gonna be one of the keynote speakers for Women in Automotive in July.
Speaker B:So all the girls came down to Austin to visit me and we had dinner and it was just like, you know, so I love the people.
Speaker B:I love the people.
Speaker B:People like you and Glenn Lundy and all my friends from automotive that will always be friends.
Speaker B:You know, we all went through a lot together, so.
Speaker B:But to actually do the job every day like you guys do, no, no, it's hard.
Speaker B:Super hard.
Speaker A:It is hard.
Speaker A:But, you know, you've been a serial entrepreneur.
Speaker A:You've done a lot of things in a lot of verticals.
Speaker A:Would you say that the automotive industry prepared you for where you are potentially today?
Speaker A:Do you think it kind of helped you get to ultimately where you are?
Speaker B:Yeah, a couple reasons.
Speaker B:You know, I say this with love, and I won't offend anybody this time because Fiat's gone, but if you can sell a Fiat, you can sell anything, right?
Speaker B:And, you know, and I make big connections.
Speaker B:Like, I met you when I met Glenn Lundy and I met Grant Cardone, who I'm still working with Grant and Elena today.
Speaker B:And, you know, so I met the most incredible humans in the automotive industry.
Speaker B:So it was hard.
Speaker B:We worked hard, we played hard.
Speaker B:So I don't regret it, but I don't ever, ever, ever see myself going back.
Speaker A:I'm curious.
Speaker A:I don't think I've ever asked you this question.
Speaker A:When was that kind of like, aha moment you had or, oh, yeah, moment that you knew you were going to be just an absolute boss in entrepreneurship?
Speaker A:Like, what age were you?
Speaker A:Where were you?
Speaker A:What were you doing?
Speaker A:I just kind of want to Know all that.
Speaker A:Like, when did you say I'm a freaking badass?
Speaker A:Like, when was that?
Speaker B:Well, I don't know that I did I ever said it, but I know I still remember when I made the decision.
Speaker B:So I was doing mortgages.
Speaker B:I had left the auto industry the first time because my son had almost died.
Speaker B:He had choked on an earring.
Speaker B:He was two years old.
Speaker B:He had choked on an earring.
Speaker B:And it was on Thanksgiving night.
Speaker B:And if we would not have been home, you know, we had a live in nanny.
Speaker B:She wouldn't have handled it.
Speaker B:She wouldn't have.
Speaker B:My son would not be here today, I'm convinced.
Speaker B:And I went to work the next day and I told my boss that was Friday after Thanksgiving.
Speaker B:So it's a big day in automotive retail.
Speaker B:I was an F and I manager.
Speaker B:And I said, I'm quitting.
Speaker B:And he was like, what?
Speaker B:And I'm like, my son almost died last night.
Speaker B:If this is not a sign from God that I need to be home to take care of him and not work six days a week until 8:00 and 9:00 clock every single night, nothing is.
Speaker B:And he's like, how are you going to pay your bills?
Speaker B:I'm like, I don't know.
Speaker B:Like, I didn't know because when I say we had no money, we had no money.
Speaker B:My husband was selling cars at the time.
Speaker B:So I was an F and I manager.
Speaker B:My husband was selling cars.
Speaker B:My son was 2 years old.
Speaker B:We were living paycheck to paycheck.
Speaker B:Like, talk about a leap of faith.
Speaker B:And that dealer ended up calling my husband and offering him a job, offering him my job to go into F and I.
Speaker B:So that was to help me.
Speaker B:So that was good.
Speaker B:So that that steadied out our income and so I started doing mortgages.
Speaker B:And so I stayed home for a couple months.
Speaker B:I'm like, okay, this really isn't very much fun staying home all the time, but what can I do from home where I can be in control, where I'm not working every night, I'm working every weekend.
Speaker B:And this friend of ours, mutual friend of mine, and my husband said, well, you've been in finance, you've been in F and I, maybe you should write mortgages.
Speaker B:And I'm like, okay, well how much money can you.
Speaker B:And I was like, you can make how much doing mortgages?
Speaker B:Which was a lot more than F and I, by the way.
Speaker B:And so I did it for about six months and I talked to my dad about it and my dad said, how much do they Pay you.
Speaker B:And I told him.
Speaker B:And it was about 100 basis points, right?
Speaker B:So one, one point.
Speaker B:So if you do $100,000 loan, you make $1,000.
Speaker B:But I knew the company was making three points.
Speaker B:So of the three points, I got a point and they got two points.
Speaker B:I'm like, my customer, my work, my effort, and they're getting 2/3 of the money.
Speaker B:So my dad and I were talking, he was still alive then, and he goes, what would it take to start your own mortgage company?
Speaker B:So I was about to turn 30 years old.
Speaker B:I was 29.
Speaker B:And I was like, I don't know, but I'll find out.
Speaker B:And I did.
Speaker B:And I started like on my 30th birthday, I started my first company.
Speaker B:So it was a long answer to a short question, but just to kind of give you context that sometimes once you do something and you figure out like, wait a minute, why am I doing this for someone else?
Speaker B:And that's what I did.
Speaker B:And so I became a real entrepreneur on my 30th birthday and I've never looked back.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's, it's funny, I didn't become a full time entrepreneur until I was 37.
Speaker A:And now when I look back on that.
Speaker A:Lisa, I don't know about you, but I'm unemployable.
Speaker A:Like somewhat of an HR nightmare.
Speaker A:I don't think I could take orders from anyone in the dealership anymore.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker B:I'm totally unemployable.
Speaker B:I know that.
Speaker B:I know that for a fact, you know, and I'm okay with that.
Speaker B:You know, I like to be somebody who is a good employer, but I am unemployable, you know, because I'm just cranky.
Speaker B:It's like, what do you mean?
Speaker B:No, I'm not walking in somewhere at 8 o' clock in the morning and I'm not gonna stay till 6 o'.
Speaker B:Clock.
Speaker B:Like, I'm not gonna do any of that.
Speaker B:Like I'm gon live life on my terms.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And on the flip side though, too, though, a lot of people ask me, what is success to you?
Speaker A:And success, there's only way I define it is I'm going to do what I want, when I want, wherever I want, with whoever I want.
Speaker A:Those are kind of my things.
Speaker A:Like I want to control time, that success to me.
Speaker A:But what you're talking about, like, you know, us being unemployable, you know, not wanting to work till 6, but there's still a lot of darkness behind the scenes and there's grit and there's grind that nobody ever sees.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:And that stuff's years.
Speaker A:Like, a lot of people see me now to scent, you know, I sold part of the company and I'm not on the plane every single week anymore.
Speaker A:I had to sell my soul to get here today.
Speaker A:But I'm still working, you know, I'm still working, but I'm just not working till 9 o' clock every single night, you know?
Speaker B:And then, you know, I look at our mutual friend Grant Card out.
Speaker B:I mean, like, the guy's a billionaire and he's still working every day, grinding and then some.
Speaker B:Like, he works on the weekends.
Speaker B:I'll be talking to Elena and I'll be like, what are you guys doing?
Speaker B:Oh, Grant's doing a seminar this week.
Speaker B:And I'm like, God, when does he stop?
Speaker B:But I think he's great.
Speaker A:You can't outwork him.
Speaker A:I, I, you know what?
Speaker A:Grant Cardone, yeah, he's half robot, half human.
Speaker A:The guy's not, there's something he's, he's, yeah, but he pushes all of us to do more.
Speaker A:So I'm going to do something kind of random here.
Speaker A:I like to do this with my guest.
Speaker A:So I'm going to ask you, like, a couple of short sentences and I want short responses and then we'll kind of build off of this kind of fun.
Speaker A:All right, so think about this.
Speaker A:When you, when you.
Speaker A:I hit a wall.
Speaker A:So I hit the wall.
Speaker B:When I hit the wall, when I don't stop and do something for myself, like I hit the wall.
Speaker B:When, when, you know, I just go and I go and I go.
Speaker B:And I'll be honest, Adam.
Speaker B:Like, I don't, I'm sitting here.
Speaker B:Like, I don't hit the wall that often because I'm very good at regulating.
Speaker B:Like, when I'm done, like, when I'm done, I'm done.
Speaker B:I walk away.
Speaker B:But anytime I have hit the wall, it's because like, like I know I should stop and I just keep pushing.
Speaker B:And that, that you don't, you know, you don't get the peak performance out of anybody.
Speaker B:When, when, when to your words, when they've hit the wall, you know, that is the time to stop.
Speaker B:When your mind goes, okay, I got nothing else to say.
Speaker B:I got nothing else.
Speaker B:Like, I got, it's time to stop, walk away, rest, work out, you know, go drink a glass of wine, walk away and, you know, and give yourself 12 hours.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:So as you started dabbling in success, you smelt it, you felt it.
Speaker A:The dollars were Starting to come into your bank account.
Speaker A:What was the first thing you changed in your life?
Speaker A:What was something that you changed as you started seeing the success?
Speaker B:I changed working for someone else.
Speaker B:Like, when I started seeing success, I said, okay, I'm never gonna work for somebody else again.
Speaker B:Like, so I think when I told you When I was 30, I made my first million dollars.
Speaker B:When I was 30 years old, my first year in the company, I paid myself over a million dollars.
Speaker B:And I was like, wow, okay.
Speaker B:And so, so I had other friends that were kind of doing what I was doing and they went out and they bought million, 2 million, 3 million dollar houses.
Speaker B:I didn't do that.
Speaker B:I had a very nice house, but I didn't go out and go get house poor, you know, I did have a nice car.
Speaker B:I always have a nice car.
Speaker B:It's a thing with me.
Speaker B:But, but, you know, but I, I didn't go make all the purchases that some of my friends were at the time.
Speaker B:The young entrepreneurs like us, they're out going crazy.
Speaker B:And I just, I didn't do it.
Speaker B:You know, I put the money in the bank, I banked the money, I bought some other real estate so I could start doing some cash flow stuff.
Speaker B:So, you know, okay, I love it.
Speaker A:So this statement here is, I love this one.
Speaker A:Now I don't blank.
Speaker A:So now I don't, Now I don't
Speaker B:hang out with people I do not align with or that I don't like, love it.
Speaker A:And the second part to this is I always,
Speaker B:I always do what I love and love what I do and the people I do it with.
Speaker B:Like, I will not compromise ever on anything, whether it's a lunch with somebody, if it's anything, anything, even, even a customer, even a client.
Speaker B:Like, if I fundamentally think we're not going to get along, life's too short.
Speaker B:I don't, I don't have to do any of it anymore.
Speaker B:So, you know, I've gotten myself to the point where I work with who I want to work with, I'm friends with who I want to be friends with.
Speaker A:I recently, I'm still a work in progress on that, but I wrote down on my board the word no.
Speaker A:This year I'm going to use the word no more than ever before.
Speaker A:I mean, even just last week, I had a couple local entrepreneurs, they're up and coming.
Speaker A:I love them, they love me and they want me to be in a small mastermind.
Speaker A:And I had to say no because it isn't aligned with my schedule.
Speaker A:And I'm already In two masterminds.
Speaker A:And as much as I wanted to say yes, I just had to say no.
Speaker A:And I'm starting to learn that now.
Speaker A:It's like you can't please everyone all the time.
Speaker A:You end up in a life of misery if you're always trying to please everyone else.
Speaker A:And I'm just, I'm a work in progress, Lisa.
Speaker A:I'm starting to learn this.
Speaker B:Some advice I would give you.
Speaker B:So I just started.
Speaker B:I'm an adjunct professor at University of Mary Hard and Baylor.
Speaker B:They reached out to me and they had read my book, my first book, Crushing Mediocrity.
Speaker B:And they said, we want to create a college course around your book.
Speaker B:And we've never done it before.
Speaker B:We've never brought in a business person, a layperson or whatever, and co taught a class.
Speaker B:And I co teach with a, with a PhD, one of the top professors in the business school.
Speaker B:And that knocks out my like, purpose thing, right?
Speaker B:Like, so I do it for an hour a week.
Speaker B:I have nothing to gain from it whatsoever.
Speaker B:But I like these students so much.
Speaker B:Like, that is my one hour a week of give back.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:Like, I mean, I feel like what I do matters and I feel like it aligns with my purpose.
Speaker B:So I don't mind taking an hour or two if it aligns with my purpose.
Speaker B:But to your point, people always want to get with me.
Speaker B:Can I buy you lunch?
Speaker B:Can I buy.
Speaker B:No, I'm sorry.
Speaker B:It just doesn't work like that anymore in my life.
Speaker B:And it's not that I don't want to help somebody or help you.
Speaker B:I don't have the bandwidth.
Speaker B:Bandwidth when it matters.
Speaker B:So, you know, maybe, you know, you just do one.
Speaker B:Who knows?
Speaker B:Adam, you're still a young guy.
Speaker B:You'll still figure it out.
Speaker B:But it does make sense to do some things like that if it aligns with your purpose.
Speaker B:And my purpose is to help these young people change the culture.
Speaker A:Speaking of young people, that's the question I want to ask you.
Speaker A:So you got a young and upcoming entrepreneur.
Speaker A:They're in a plateau setback.
Speaker A:They're kind of stuck.
Speaker A:You can use the word stuck.
Speaker A:What would you tell them?
Speaker A:What would you say to them?
Speaker B:You know, I would really have them go back and look at what they're doing and why they're doing it.
Speaker B:People get stuck sometimes because what they do isn't big enough.
Speaker B:It doesn't matter.
Speaker B:It's not.
Speaker B:It isn't.
Speaker B:It is.
Speaker B:I just taught this to my students today, right?
Speaker B:Like mediocrity is, is, is when you're not willing to make a sacrifice.
Speaker B:And, you know, success is sacrifice.
Speaker B:Any way you cut the mustard.
Speaker B:I mean, even both of mine in your stages right now, there's still some sacrifice, success.
Speaker B:But when people get stuck, you know, I mean, I really like to take them back to the beginning.
Speaker B:And just like we talked about in the book, crushing mediocrity, step one to crushing mediocrity, to rise above the status quo, to get unstuck, is number one.
Speaker B:Number one is you got to define your purpose.
Speaker B:Do you believe that what you do matters?
Speaker B:Because if you can get your head around that, you believe.
Speaker B:Like example, I've got 900 agents on my team.
Speaker B:I sell real estate.
Speaker B:But I don't go out with that.
Speaker B:I go out with the fact that I help families build generational wealth in real estate.
Speaker B:I help 900 entrepreneurs take their game, take their business to the next level.
Speaker B:I fundamentally believe that if they work with myself and Elena Cardone, that they're going to learn more about business, they're going to learn more how to sell, how to 10x, how to do better.
Speaker B:So when somebody is annoying me because they're not listening to us, you know, I mean, I always take them back to their purpose.
Speaker B:I'm like, why, why?
Speaker B:Why do you do what you do?
Speaker B:Like, doing what we do is not easy, but if your purpose is big enough, then you say, oh, God, okay, so what I do is because I help families build generational wealth and real estate, you know, and so it just, it takes me back to what I do is right.
Speaker B:And I think to when I was a car dealer, you know, I wanted to revolutionize the auto industry by hiring minorities, women, and millennials.
Speaker B:That's when I met you.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:So that was critical to me.
Speaker B:So the days I wanted to quit, and there were many of them, and I was like, what am I going to show all these young people that work for me if I quit?
Speaker B:If I walk away now, what do I show in industry?
Speaker B:And what do I show these people that I've been out there going, we're going to revolutionize it.
Speaker B:We're the anti car dealer.
Speaker B:So your purpose keeps you in the game when you want to quit.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker B:Long answer, short question.
Speaker A:Love it.
Speaker A:There's two words, though, that have stuck with me ever since I started.
Speaker A:I would jump on your morning show.
Speaker A:I would follow you online.
Speaker A:But the word when I think of Lisa Copeland, I think fierce.
Speaker A:I think you're probably one of the fiercest women that have ever walked the planet.
Speaker A:And you've given Me, some non negotiables.
Speaker A:Just by one thing, I take the word unapologetic.
Speaker A:I live my life unapologetically now, and I learned that from watching you.
Speaker A:So I want to give you some kudos for that.
Speaker A:But I do want to ask some questions.
Speaker A:Let's get into some business.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So where did your foundational leadership come from?
Speaker A:Along the way you met some great leaders, some pretty bad ones, I'm sure.
Speaker A:And I'm sure you learned as much from the bad as the good.
Speaker A:But could you share some stories of some folks that really molded you into the individual that you really are?
Speaker B:You know, I really, I think about back when at the dealerships, I really appreciated the team at Fiat, the leadership team at Fiat.
Speaker B:Tim Kuniskis, who's now, I think the head of Dodge, or was recently, you know, Todd Stewart, who was my business center director.
Speaker B:Like, I had the most incredible mentors and people that supported me when I was in the automotive industry.
Speaker B:And they all worked for the factory.
Speaker B:Like, they were my guys.
Speaker B:Like, if I needed something, you know, if I was a cheerleader, they would cheer me on, they would get me cars, they'd get me the money I needed for advertising.
Speaker B:You know, they arranged the bet, Tim Kaniskis arranged the bet between, you know, he and I for us to break the world sales record.
Speaker B:I think everyone needs, everyone needs a hero.
Speaker B:And they were my heroes.
Speaker B:They were my heroes.
Speaker B:And it was good to have that because you also have your enemies along the way.
Speaker B:And nobody wanted to see, I shouldn't say nobody.
Speaker B:There was a lot of people who didn't want to see us do what we did.
Speaker B:And so I needed those heroes.
Speaker B:I needed those people.
Speaker B:And I believe that I went as far as I did in the auto industry because of those guys.
Speaker B:And, you know, Rob Andrews, Todd Stewart, Tim Kaniskis, those were the three that I hope someday that they'll watch this.
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean, so you being a strong woman in automotive, what, barriers, women, mentors.
Speaker B:Have you noticed that?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So what barriers did you have to break?
Speaker A:I mean, what, like just even on the show floor level, what were some of those barriers that you had to break through?
Speaker A:Because, you know, you were a female, I'm sure you dealt with some of
Speaker B:that stuff, you know, not really.
Speaker B:You know, the guys were good.
Speaker B:I will tell you.
Speaker B:You know, the other dealers were good.
Speaker B:The guys I was on the National Dealer Council, they were really good to me.
Speaker B:The factory guys were really good to me.
Speaker B:You know, sometimes I think women put barriers on themselves and I will when someone listens to this.
Speaker B:But I do think that they go in thinking, okay, well, I'm a woman, so I'm gonna have barriers and people.
Speaker B:And, you know, I just went in and I did the same job as guys do, and.
Speaker B:And I tried not to make it a thing that I was a woman, and they, you know, and whatever.
Speaker B:But I was intentional about two things.
Speaker B:Number one, to hire more women so I could bring women into the auto industry.
Speaker B:That was a big thing to me.
Speaker B:And then I know that women don't go farther in the automotive industry is because they.
Speaker B:You have to see it to be it.
Speaker B:So, you know, they needed to see somebody sitting in my seat.
Speaker B:They needed to see somebody who owned a dealership, Right?
Speaker B:They needed to see someone who ran a dealership so that they knew they could do it.
Speaker B:Because if you think about you walk into a dealership today, I know Liza Borges, she's amazing, fantastic.
Speaker B:But there aren't many Lizas out there.
Speaker B:So you're right.
Speaker B:It's all guy general managers, guy dealer principals.
Speaker B:And so a girl walks in there and she's selling cars.
Speaker B:She's like, okay, this must be as far as I can go.
Speaker B:Or I guess my only other spot to go to is the accounting office, right?
Speaker B:Because I don't see me sitting on that desk.
Speaker B:I don't see me.
Speaker B:I'm probably in the F and I office.
Speaker B:F and I is pretty big with women, but, you know, but they think that that's about as far as they can go.
Speaker B:So you have to see it to be it.
Speaker A:Okay, so I want to know.
Speaker A:I want to talk about empire building.
Speaker A:We're going to get into real estate here in a minute.
Speaker A:So how does empire building with integrity look like?
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So it's like I live one of those lives where I don't know how far I want to go, but I'll probably be dead and still working, if you know what I mean.
Speaker A:Like, I just.
Speaker A:It's build.
Speaker A:It's built.
Speaker A:I'm building empires, but along the way, I want to do it the right way with the right people.
Speaker A:And not everybody has that same mindset.
Speaker A:But what does that mean to you?
Speaker A:Because you are building something special.
Speaker A:How do we do that with integrity?
Speaker B:You know, you just do what you say, and, you know, you just have to do what you tell people you're going to do.
Speaker B:And the one thing people ask me all the time about partnering with Elena Cardone, they're like, what's it like working with her?
Speaker B:I'm like, she's Freaking amazing.
Speaker B:She's never told me something that she will do or commitment and not follow through with it.
Speaker B:So now I can trust that in her, right?
Speaker B:So, you know, so there's a partnership where we have an incredible trust of each other because our word is our bond.
Speaker B:Not only are we like best friends, but our word is our bond on the deals that we do.
Speaker B:And I think that's just incredible.
Speaker B:I haven't always had that with people.
Speaker B:So when that breaks down, then you don't have trust.
Speaker B:And when you don't have trust, then you're not going to go build an empire.
Speaker B:You know, Elena says in the book build an empire, she says, find the ones you trust and build an empire.
Speaker B:That's, that's, that's a quote from Elena, from her book.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker B:Find the ones you trust and build an empire.
Speaker B:So I have finally found the ones I trust and now we're building the empire.
Speaker A:So as you're building this empire though, you know, you as a leader, what kind of, what are some things that still kind of test you, you know, the day to day people?
Speaker B:Are you kidding me?
Speaker B:People don't change.
Speaker B:People in the automotive industry, people in the real estate industry, title and mortgage, it's like, oh my God, everybod.
Speaker B:I mean, it's people.
Speaker B:And people will always disappoint you.
Speaker B:And so, you know, you, you know, I actually have a pretty low bar for people, to be honest.
Speaker B:And then that way I just don't walk away furious.
Speaker B:I have a very high bar for my partners because I know who they are and I know what I can expect of them and I trust them.
Speaker B:But the rest of the people that are within, let's just for fun, we call it the empire because, you know, that's what we're trying to do.
Speaker B:But I have a pretty low bar for those people because I've learned in 30 years in business, they're always going to let you down.
Speaker B:It's always going to happen.
Speaker B:It's inevitable.
Speaker B:So you can't fire everybody.
Speaker B:You can't just blow through people, right?
Speaker B:So depending on what position they're in, and you know, there's the inner circle, the middle circle, and the outer circle.
Speaker B:When it comes to our work partners, right, the inner circle are the leaders.
Speaker B:Those are what I call my generals.
Speaker B:And I got a really high bar for them and I've got a big trust with them.
Speaker B:If they ever break it, I'm devastated and I'm mad all in one.
Speaker B:Then I've got the outer people.
Speaker B:Those would Be like the people on the team.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And, you know, I have the bar.
Speaker B:If there was a 1 to 10, I have it set at about 6 for them because I know that they're out there every day hustling, just trying to make stuff happen.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:They got a really hard job and a really hard economy.
Speaker B:And so I know with them, my job isn't to hold them to the highest level.
Speaker B:My job is to kind of hold up the empire with them.
Speaker B:So to support them, to give them what they need, support.
Speaker B:And then we've got our lower tiered people.
Speaker B:And those would be people that would be like vendors and things like that.
Speaker B:And, you know, and those are people that I have no control over.
Speaker B:They're in my orbit, unfortunately, because I have to have them to do business.
Speaker B:But I. I can't control them.
Speaker B:So I do not let them ruin my day because I know for a fact that they're going to let me down.
Speaker B:I just know it's happening.
Speaker A:So I. I love the fact that you're so madly in love with the real estate industry.
Speaker A:And I kind of want to switch gears and talk about real estate.
Speaker A:We'll kind of end this talk on real estate.
Speaker A:We'll get away from the car business because the real estate.
Speaker A:I love the real estate industry.
Speaker A:To be honest, I wouldn't have been able to left.
Speaker A:I would have never have left retail if I didn't have real estate.
Speaker A:It's the only thing that kept me going.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:Now then you'd be my client.
Speaker A:I just hear there's.
Speaker A:What?
Speaker A:Let me ask you.
Speaker A:This is real estate for everyone?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So do you think everyone should be investing in real estate at some point?
Speaker B:Good question.
Speaker B:I think everyone should own real estate.
Speaker B:I don't think everyone should be a landlord.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:You know, you have to have a pretty thick skin to be a landlord, because again, people will always disappoint you and they won't pay you and they'll tear up your house and they'll move out overnight and they'll move in all their cousins.
Speaker B:Like, just.
Speaker B:There's so many stories like.
Speaker B:And I know that that's happened to you.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker A:So we're talking about the real estate.
Speaker A:You're saying that, you know, people mess up your house?
Speaker A:Squat.
Speaker A:Sometimes.
Speaker A:Sometimes.
Speaker A:And I know in the state of Illinois, tenants have more rights than the owners.
Speaker A:Just full disclosure.
Speaker B:We need to get you invested in Texas, because in Texas they don't pay you for 30 days.
Speaker B:And you can go up there and evict them.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:We need to talk about that.
Speaker A:So let me ask you this.
Speaker A:How does.
Speaker A:How does someone that has some interest in real estate.
Speaker A:Let's start with maybe just on the investing side.
Speaker A:Let's not.
Speaker A:Let's not say, let's go be a licensed real estate agent at this point.
Speaker A:But somebody's like, oh, I maybe want a rental house, or maybe I want to flip a house, or what would you say to that young individual that's interested in that?
Speaker B:Find a good real estate agent.
Speaker B:Like, find a great agent.
Speaker B:You know, I mean, you may be able to do some of this on your own at some point, but there's a lot of value in a great agent.
Speaker B:You know, one that's got a great track record.
Speaker B:You can look them up.
Speaker B:You can see that they've actually sold houses, they've got good reviews.
Speaker B:You know, people who have worked with them personally find an agent and, you know, start there.
Speaker B:I would always say that.
Speaker A:Yeah, I would love that.
Speaker A:And I've always sold a house.
Speaker B:I think back to when I was in the.
Speaker B:I mean, I never bought or sold a house when I was in the auto industry without having an agent.
Speaker B:I never tried to do it myself.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:And I always say to, you know, having some folks that are handy in your back pocket.
Speaker A:Where I've struggled here, Lisa, my biggest struggles have my.
Speaker A:I've had some great agents.
Speaker A:My struggles are my teams, my construction teams that, you know, they get paid on Tuesday, and you don't see them till next Tuesday.
Speaker A:And now you're behind on this job.
Speaker A:And that.
Speaker A:That's where I've had the biggest struggle is getting your team lined up.
Speaker A:You know, there's.
Speaker A:There's nothing worse.
Speaker A:So tell me a little bit.
Speaker A:Let's talk about your company that you're running.
Speaker A:Let's talk a little bit about your company, the market you're in, some of the deals that you're doing.
Speaker A:What.
Speaker A: What's coming up in: Speaker A:Let's.
Speaker A:Let's hear a little bit about that.
Speaker B:So we.
Speaker B:We.
Speaker B:We ran over a billion dollars.
Speaker B:Total sales.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:2025.
Speaker B: But in: Speaker B:So, okay, you know, we, you know, we went back a little bit.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:But I just saw a new stat that came out today.
Speaker B:80% of realtors that have to have a real estate license only sold.
Speaker B:Sold four houses or less last year.
Speaker B:So there's only 20 of the people doing 100 of the business.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:You know, so I'm.
Speaker B:I look at that stat, and I'm like, okay, My team's doing great.
Speaker B:I just got in my top 30 and you'll see it in the next couple days.
Speaker B:Go up on my social media.
Speaker B:I said the company, send it into me because I'm going to make such a big deal with them.
Speaker B:And like my top guys did.
Speaker B:My two top guys each did over $60 million in transactions.
Speaker B:A lot of real estate.
Speaker B:I mean just think like that would be 60 houses at a million bucks a piece.
Speaker A:That is insane.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker A:That's a nice living.
Speaker A:It's a very nice living.
Speaker A:Helping people with their needs.
Speaker B:Take, take 3% of 60 million and you know, oh yeah, I'll have to call them this next year to borrow money.
Speaker B:But yeah, they're crushing it.
Speaker B:They're killing it.
Speaker B:So like even in a down market.
Speaker B:But you know, one of them is a, is a.
Speaker B:And I love him.
Speaker B:His name's Tony Glenn and he is.
Speaker B:I met him through Grant Cardone.
Speaker B:He's on the Cardone team.
Speaker B:He actually runs Cardone Veterans, which is one of our, our offshoots.
Speaker B:He is the most, no bs, get it done guy, no excuses, former military guy, drill sergeant.
Speaker B:Literally.
Speaker B:He's no joke, you know, and, and I see him a few times a year and he just says, hey, I don't let the market dictate success.
Speaker B:I tell the market how it's going to happen.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And he did 65 million and that's 600 million to him.
Speaker B:It's about a million 8 in income.
Speaker A:My goodness gracious.
Speaker A:So what do you.
Speaker B:Army drill sergeant, what do you.
Speaker A:What do you think the market's going to look like this year?
Speaker A:I mean, what are you.
Speaker B:I think it's going to be better.
Speaker B:I think it's going to be better.
Speaker B:We have some things going for us.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:We've got.
Speaker B:Gas is lower.
Speaker B:That puts a little.
Speaker B:Few more money, which gives consumer confidence.
Speaker B:Interest rates have come down.
Speaker B: owest that they've been since: Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And even if they're not like that much lower, it gets it into people's heads that things are going to be okay.
Speaker B:So the problem is, and where we're going to.
Speaker B:It's going to take a minute to balance this thing out is that we've got so much inventory on the market.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:So we're still sitting in a long day cycle to sell because people have so many flipping choices like, and that's, that's a struggle.
Speaker B:I've got some big beautiful homes listed and typically like, you know, they would go under contract in the first couple weeks now, people like, well, I want to see this one and that one and the six over there.
Speaker B:And there's like, oh, my God.
Speaker B:So you know what would normally take 30 days to sell?
Speaker B:Takes 90 days to sell.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Setting expectations, you know, I mean, you
Speaker A:let your buyer know up front.
Speaker A:You're letting your sellers know up front.
Speaker A:It's communications, everything, you know.
Speaker B:And you know this from the auto industry.
Speaker B:We're all in the used car business.
Speaker B:Data doesn't lie.
Speaker B:Yeah, we show the data.
Speaker B:Here's the data.
Speaker B:And so if you can stomach the 90 to 120 days, possibly 180 day sales cycle, then sell your house, because
Speaker A:there's a but for every seat.
Speaker A:That's what we used to say in the car business.
Speaker A:There's somebody out there, you know, listen, I've always learned.
Speaker A:Yeah, I've always learned to listen to my realtor.
Speaker A:You know, there's a reason y' all are asking for a price reduction.
Speaker A:There's a reason you want us to entertain.
Speaker A:And back in the day, I used to be so strong headed and I thought I was the pro and I really wasn't.
Speaker A:I'd listen to my real estate agent.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:Good job, Adam.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Well, I'm gonna land the plane on this.
Speaker A:Lisa.
Speaker A:I just.
Speaker A:I'm glad that we got to spend a half an hour together.
Speaker A:I miss you.
Speaker A:I miss seeing you.
Speaker A:You've done so much for me.
Speaker A:You're doing so much.
Speaker A:I know here you're helping and motivating, inspiring.
Speaker A:Not just young women and women to be beasts, but you're doing a lot for us men as well.
Speaker A:So hats off to you.
Speaker A:It's been an honor and a pleasure to spend time.
Speaker A:How do people find you?
Speaker A:What's the easiest way for people to get a hold of you?
Speaker B:Where's that channel, you know, Instagram, eallisa Copeland or lisacopeland.com?
Speaker A:awesome.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:Well, we appreciate you all for tuning in to another episode of Humans that Build.
Speaker A:The name of the game is to get better today than we were yesterday for a more promising tomorrow.
Speaker A:That's what we're here to do, my friends.
Speaker A:You guys have a blessed day.
Speaker A:Humans that build.
Speaker A:Real people, real work.
Speaker A:See you next time.
Speaker A:It.
