Why Most People Freeze in Q4

Steven L Burch (00:00)
All right, welcome to the Leading Lane podcast. I'm actually really super stoked about this one because we just got back from Wisconsin, Marshfield. We drove all the way back and when we were up there, we went to go celebrate Ashley and Stephanie and the entire company for Next Home Hub City for the Small Business of the Year award. So congrats.

Ashley (00:26)
Thank you.

Steven L Burch (00:26)
I'm tired

from driving and sitting in a car for 11 hours, but it's well worth it. But tell me what, first of all, what is the Small Business of the Year award, and then what does it mean to you?

Ashley (00:38)
Sure. So our chamber is responsible for selecting both firm of the year and small business of the year. So small business of the year is 50 or less employees. Firm of year is 50 or more employees. What they really look for as far as the criteria is economic impact, signs of growth, involvement in the community, and you have to be in business for at least five years before you can be acknowledged.

They've been doing that for probably like 40 plus years. So, I think for me, it's humbling that people recognize what we're doing. I think that's always part of it is, you know, we try to be as involved in the community as possible. We try to give back as much as possible. ⁓ and you just always wonder like, are people actually recognizing what you're doing or appreciating what you're doing? I think sometimes we as entrepreneurs and givers,

sometimes feel that like lack of appreciation. think a lot of people forget to say thank you. So I think

Steven L Burch (01:42)
Check.

Ashley (01:44)
to have, you know, there's a committee that votes on it, or typically probably five or six businesses that are submitted and then they pick from that. So I think the fact that, you know, other people in the community, ⁓ you know, whatever the votes were that they wanted to move forward with selecting us, you know, means a lot. And that was in January that we were selected. So we've kind of had

Stuff throughout the year as far as recognition. then, uh, this was their first time doing a combined dinner with the firm of the year and the small business of the year. think it went great. You know, for me, it, um, also means a lot for people that are coming to support us. So obviously you and, uh, Ryan, you know, my sister and other family and friends that made time out of their schedule to support such a achievement was a lot, but it's fun to get dressed up, fun to celebrate, um, where we have started, where we've been, what we've experienced, uh,

Steven L Burch (02:18)
Thank

Ashley (02:39)
It's been a wild ride for five and a half years, you know, and we've kind of talked about before starting basically a brokerage and a global pandemic was not on the Bingo card, along with many other things that have really tested, you know, us as leaders, as business owners, as realtors. It's not easy. There's a lot of things that come up. think just knowing like the steadfast and staying true to who you are pays off.

Steven L Burch (03:09)
I mean, it's the constant grind.

And I think that, you know, we talk about all the time being in rural America and Midwest and just the challenges that each of us, you know, have to see. so being able to see that those challenges, those hurdles that we've always have overcome, it is nice to have a little bit of recognition and it's great to celebrate. You know, it's fun to watch all of your agents and your staff and

Stephanie and all the family and friends that were there to be able to cheer you guys on and just be able to have a little bit of time to be able to celebrate. And I think that's super important for no matter if it's the small business of the year or as an independent agent or I mean, just you as an individual, making sure that you take time to celebrate and stop and reflect to see how long you've been going at it and how much you have overcome over the years.

And sometimes, you know, you may be in the rut of the stuff right now, but it doesn't mean that you need to stay there and freeze and be complacent. So constantly pushing on. And when we first started this, I said, you know, hey, I want to, let's talk about your small business of the year award. And you said, you know how much I love talking about myself being sarcastic.

But isn't it great, like, as much as we're not talking about yourself in this, like, it's you and you're leading all of the people, and you and Stephanie are doing all of the heavy lifting and the visionaries and being able to, you know, take a whole group of people on this journey with you. But it does reflect on you, and you do need to talk about yourself.

But why do you think it is a challenge? know we kind of hit on this topic a little bit, but why do you think it's a challenge and we steer away from even one of the talking about an award that you've received for the entire company?

Ashley (05:09)
Yeah, think, you know, sometimes ⁓ I feel like, right, because you're the owner or the leader that people look at you and they don't realize that it's the whole team, which I do understand we lead the whole team. We're time consuming and take a lot of fuel as well to build people up to that next level. So, you know, I always just want to make sure that ⁓ the other agents and staff don't get overlooked. ⁓ But I think it's also just, you know, we don't necessarily

do all of that work to be recognized. Like I said, it's very nice to be recognized, but I think it's also because other, and again, not that we care what other people think, but some people are not kind. Some people say not nice things when you receive awards or get recognition. So I think it's always just walking, you know, working past that too. know, I can't help it the more I think about it. I mean, we are a little...

Steven L Burch (05:41)
Thanks

Okay.

Ashley (06:06)
loud, if you will. ⁓ our orange colors are, hard to miss at events. ⁓ but in the same sense, you know, like yesterday, like doing a tech talk of, you know, our Western where like, we do have fun, like we do have a good time. There's no reason why we can't promote that. And I think about other people that don't work in those environments and don't have that type of fun. So I think it's just, you know, I always want to make sure it doesn't get it.

Steven L Burch (06:12)
Mm-hmm.

All

Ashley (06:35)
doesn't get skewed one way or another and that we're still looking at the whole picture.

Steven L Burch (06:39)
Yeah, I mean, really, think it goes to to say, because one of the slides that you had up there were the people that, you know, I think you said were a part of your journey, right? And they may not be in the industry any longer, may not be with the company any longer. But you still took time to recognize those individuals that were part of the story and the journey for you guys. And I think that shows the

type of leadership that you guys have as far as, the spotlight is on you, but really that's really where the leadership comes into play. You turn around and make sure that that spotlight shined on not only just the people that you had there currently on your ⁓ company roster, but also the people that once were a part of the company and no longer are. I think that shows tremendous leadership.

Ashley (07:24)
I think that.

Thank you. mean, I think that, you know, when you think about like growing a company, starting with two people ⁓ and, know, yeah, agents have, you know, retired, several of them retired, got out of real estate, a lot of it, you know, admin work, like moved away and moved to different states, types of things. But when you're developing at such a fast pace, it's all those people's inputs, right? Like they all had some.

Steven L Burch (07:51)
Yeah.

Ashley (07:53)
some idea or we do this, have you tried this, right? Cause they were maybe new to the industry or new to ⁓ Marshfield. So I think that like, those are all pieces of who we are today. And so I know that not a lot of people maybe would have recognized ⁓ people that even they let go. ⁓ But I still say like they're a part of who we were obviously our more our main focus is on who our people are currently. But yes, I do believe you have to pay homage to people that have helped you to get to where you are.

Steven L Burch (07:57)
Right. Yeah.

And, you know, I think that too, for me, it was very eye opening. Uh, he made a comment earlier about, don't know if people are really watching or really see you, but we all always say that, yeah, everybody's always watching the amount of people that came up to us, to Ryan and I, um, and said, Oh my God, it was, I don't want to say weird as in a bad way. It was, uh,

Ashley (08:42)
I'm like little celebrity.

Steven L Burch (08:50)
Humbling for sure. I definitely have to get better at the small talk and like, ⁓ you know, the conversations like that. Cause it comes out of nowhere. People are, you know, came up to us, but I think it just goes to show that no matter if it's you there on the local level, me from afar, people are watching. People do want to know and learn, you know, from you. And there's multiple people that said, you know, like I'm not in real estate and you know, if it's something, a topic that's not.

Ashley (09:08)
you

Steven L Burch (09:18)
doesn't resonate with me, then I can jump on to the next one and that's okay. But I think it's so important to be able to see here Ashley is that the amount of people that you and I, we, the amount of people's lives that we touch from the people that we work with us, their family, the ones that are no longer working with us, and even the people within our community, even the people that are quiet and don't say anything, don't like anything, you still are making an impact.

multiple lives throughout the entire day. ⁓ and I think it's, it's hard to see it in the moment and the frustrations and when, you know, we're trying to stomp out fires and shit, hitting the fan or whatever is happening to really realize. And yeah, like my gosh, there's always something that's going on, but it makes me feel good. Not in the manner that I'm getting praise. So similar to what you're saying, like I'm not doing this. I'm not doing the podcast.

Ashley (10:03)
building.

Steven L Burch (10:17)
be a mini celebrity, that's not it. But the goal here is just to impact one life, right? That's it. And if people enjoy learning or listening to us, that's all that matters. And I think it's breaking it down when those dumpster fires happen, realizing and humbling and saying, it's okay, because the real thing that matters is what I'm doing and being very intentional. And these other things really are not that big of a dumpster fire.

Ashley (10:47)
Well, I think you and I talk a little bit about, you know, we obviously share like on the podcast, which so people listen to, but we could probably both do a little bit better job of like sharing things on social media because I do think people are looking for a light, if you will, or they're looking for, I haven't always felt I'm not the only one that feels this way or people are also struggling and they're still, you know, making it. sent out my newsletter yesterday and

I didn't lead it, but, and you know, it, it in there more or less like, had we not started five and a half years ago, like where would we be today? And that actually makes me cringe as to where we would be today. Cause you know, I'm more than likely wouldn't have you and Ryan. We wouldn't be doing this. It wouldn't be impacting people. Who knows if I'd be in real estate anymore. Cause that was where it was headed. ⁓ you know, so I just encouraged people, like if you're on the fence about something, like just do it. Like what's the worst thing that can happen.

Steven L Burch (11:24)
Right. Thank

Ashley (11:46)
I think you'd appreciate this. I ran into a friend yesterday and she,

Steven L Burch (11:52)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Ashley (11:52)
you know, remind her of like, I don't know, like our podcasts come out about like clips come out and some things it's from a while ago and sometimes I'm like, Oh yeah, we did talk about that. But she did just say like how the unstuck or get like when you're stuck, like podcasts that we did like meant a lot and how she feels like she's stuck and

How do you get unstuck? know, and she's, I'm obviously still trying to figure that out. And I think that all of us go through those phases

of being stuck somewhere and it's, actually part of the process. think you have to be stuck for a little bit because then that's when you realize things need to change or aren't going to change or what you're putting your time and effort into maybe, you know, isn't worth it. And I encouraged her to find three things to say no to ⁓ between now and the end of the year, as far as projects or whatnot.

Steven L Burch (12:35)
Nine.

Ashley (12:42)
Even some other things that I'm going to reach back out to her. was telling me like, after I thought about them, like, I think they're happening for a reason. Like I think that they're happening

Steven L Burch (12:48)
Amen.

Ashley (12:50)
so that she can spend time elsewhere. And I think that's hard for sometimes people to just think about giving up projects you've worked really hard on or, you know, people that you've spent a lot of time with. know that that's difficult. I've had a lot of that change in my life. People that thought would be around forever and, know, just found our separate ways. And sometimes that's strange and weird, but I always.

realize that I'm making room for people that are where I'm at today.

Steven L Burch (13:15)
And I think it goes back to you have to serve your purpose.

Right. But let that be the five and a half years ago when you started the company. Yes, it's difficult to leave a company that you've already been with and have, you know, the name recognition and everything, but it didn't serve your purpose anymore. didn't align with you as who you are and who you're growing to. And that's okay. And so I think it's the continuation of continuing to realign and reevaluate not only yourself, but it's the people around you.

And they have the choice. can either level up with you, or you can let them go and release and let them, right? Like you kind of have to do that. And, you know, even the people that you're no longer with your company, they still serve the purpose. You still learn from them. still, you still got out of them. And then they got out of you as well. Right? Like it was still a mutual ⁓ relationship, but doesn't mean there needs to be ill feelings or spite or

anything else that comes along with it. It's constantly pushing forward. And, you know, I was talking to one of my friends last night and we were talking about, you know, being either fight or flight, right? And the third is you freeze and freeze, I think, is really where you are stuck because you don't know what to do. You don't want to fight. You don't want to.

fight out of there either. so it's, you just kind of do nothing and it's a little bit easier. So you don't have to make those difficult decisions. And like getting the suck is really the, the freeze and trust me, there's been multiple times I wanted to just curl up and not do a damn thing and freeze and maybe everything else will pass. But when you have those moments, you just can't give up. can't stop because or else we wouldn't be here where we are right now. I mean, that goes all the way around.

There's the butterfly effect.

Ashley (15:20)
What do you think about a podcast, right? That's funny that you say that. we, September was obviously Real Care Safety Month, so we ended it out with having the police give a presentation on Tuesday. And ⁓ it was about a little bit more so like shooter situations, which

Steven L Burch (15:23)
Yeah.

And then.

Ashley (15:46)
It does really make me think like we go to sports games, we go to these big crowds and like, know, ⁓ making sure you're aware of your surroundings. And I do think we all need to work on that. ⁓ But one thing they talked about was, you know, or or free. And I thought he made a good point in that ⁓ we probably don't do as much fight or flight anymore because we're not in those true situations. Like you think about a caveman like

Steven L Burch (15:54)
.

Mm-hmm.

Ashley (16:13)
their fight or flight was to literally like live or die. We don't really get put in those situations anymore. So like our flight and fight is decreased. And so now the freeze has taken over a lot of people. So I think that it's interesting that we're talking about it, like, literally not like in your in your personal life, but in these situations, there's been just more

Steven L Burch (16:16)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Ashley (16:35)
and more freezing. So they gave an example. mean, it's unfortunate, but you remember that

nightclub in Orlando that had a fire and they showed the diagram of how like people were trying to get out and everyone just tried to go out the front entry like the door that they came in. And it showed like where people died and it was like 19 people died like in the stairwell like in that well of just waiting to get out the front door. Or

Steven L Burch (16:44)
Yep. Mm-hmm.

Ashley (17:03)
in all reality like there were like windows along the side there was back doors but everyone just took the one

Steven L Burch (17:05)
Try. Mm-hmm.

Ashley (17:10)
path that they knew instead of trying to go out the separate means. made like putting that into reference makes you really think about knowing your surroundings, but also not getting stuck in the fighter, like right. They froze instead of trying to fight that through. So the really good presentation and made you think a lot about like what you're doing, where you're going and how to be prepared for things. ⁓ but I do think, you know, we have gotten

to a point where maybe we're easy to just freeze. It's easy to go into a

social media, um, I don't know, time suck if you will. Um, right. Like sometimes I think that's people spend their freezes is just going to be like empty minded and whatnot. And I think you can do that to a point, but you have to recognize that that's not healthy either. And sometimes it's just a matter of one for a walk outside or like I did last night, left my phone at the

Steven L Burch (17:47)
Okay. Okay.

Ashley (18:03)
house, went for a walk. Like you just have to be able to try to recognize when you're maybe not in the right frame of mind and what you can do to get out of that.

Steven L Burch (18:12)
And I mean, it's a constant battle. It's a constant learning and all of these lessons can be applied to anything, right? Like anything, aspects of life. But really, I think the moral of the story with this is just keep going, just keep swimming, right? Like finding Nemo, just keep swimming and don't stop.

and continue to move forward. You don't know what the opportunities that are right in front of you of you being able to say yes, but also you being able to say no, what that's going to lead to. But making sure that's always your moral compass and what serves you and what you are after, that you are constantly aligned with those actions and those decisions that you're moving forward with.

Ashley (18:57)
Yeah, I mean, you referenced it as far as like going into quarter four, right? right here, we're at the beginning of quarter four and a lot of people put the brakes on, if you will, where, you encouraged people yesterday to not do that. So tell me how many actual working days we have, like 50 some.

Steven L Burch (19:13)
me.

Yeah, there's like 57 some working days between now and the end of ⁓ 2025, right? Or October 2 today recording this. And so, I mean, that's not a lot. And then let's think of how many of the holidays that you have. And, you know, I don't know about you, but typically before Thanksgiving, I take a couple days to prepare and get everything together. Same thing with Christmas, right? And then you have the time between Christmas.

Excuse me, Christmas and New Year's like really weird.

Ashley (19:47)
It's holiday plugins,

there's all the other stuff.

Steven L Burch (19:51)
So there's not a lot of time. And I think the typical person, ⁓ you know, I wrote in specifically about real estate, but the typical person slows down and they're like, it's my, it's busy with all of these things. And, know, not that we're not, but to me, those are the distractions. Those are the excuses. And really, if you get tied in and sucked into all of those different excuses and you don't see that.

You know, you have a prime opportunity right here in front of you while everybody else is distracted. This is the time to put your foot on the gas and press go and go as quickly as you can and as efficiently as you can. And you may not be getting a whole bunch of business for say right now, but this is where the processes and the systems and leaning in the tools and tech and taking some projects to work on to make you way more efficient. And so the way that I look at it, like.

Q4 for me is really the brand new year for me. And so I want to make sure that when Q1 New Year's hits for everybody else, I'm already operating in Q2 versus their Q1. I want to be that far ahead of everybody else in thinking. And, you know, it's gotten me in trouble before as far as realizing I need to slow down and be present for today. But also, I think that's a superpower of being not being

sucked in and tied in like everybody else tries to give themselves excuses and give them a reason why they're not busy and productive right now because of the holiday season. That's, I think that's a piss poor excuse.

Ashley (21:28)
Yeah, I mean, think it's right. What you put into it is what you get out of it.

Steven L Burch (21:34)
100%. 100%. Cool. Well, congrats on your award. Super freaking proud of you. was really glad that we were able to spend time with you and the rest of the team and celebrate you guys. And I appreciate everybody listening into the podcast and all the, the fan girls out there that I met. Thank you for continuing to listen and give feedback and all of that good fun stuff. So thank you all.