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Welcome to Action Solves Everything, the show for those who want to stop overthinking and start producing. I'm your host, Alex Montagu, broker leader and founder of Lockstep Realty. Around here, we believe movement creates momentum. Clarity comes from doing, and the agents who take action are the ones who win. Every episode is built to help you grow your skills, your confidence, and your career. Now let's get to work. Welcome to another episode of Action Solves Everything. I've got an awesome guest on the show today, Jacob Deacon. He is four years in the biz. He's with LIV Indy, the great guys over at LIV here with Exp Realty. And Jacob and I talked this morning, and he told me he's coming off his biggest month ever in the biz. Dude, congrats. What's going on, buddy? Thank you. Yeah, no, things are going well. Yeah, I didn't know that number until earlier last night, and, man, it's. It's just crazy in comparison to. I remember, you know, seeing other mentors of mine do half of that in a month and thinking, wow, I could never hit that milestone. How to. How do they do this? And it's. It's. It's really cool. Really. Why don't you. Why don't we rewind a hair and why don't you share with the listeners what you accomplished in your biggest month ever, what that looks like for you, and just share some of that and how you got there. Yeah, it's 4.1 million, seven transactions. First million dollar client, they bought a lake house in Fall Creek. And so I had a lot of big ones. And a lot of times when you've been working certain clients or you have that listing that's kind of sitting, it just kind of all piled up into the middle of the year here. And, yeah, it was a really big month. By far my biggest month of my career. So. Looking to just take that mom momentum and carry it throughout the rest of the year. Yeah, I think, look, four million bucks in a month. Interestingly enough, my third. It was like my second or third full year in the business. I did, like, 5.7 million on 20 some deals, and it was like, you know, like, I was building. It was awesome. And so to see you compress that 4 million bucks into a single month, look, man, you're a hell of a hard worker. Share a little bit about, like, what it looks for, like, for you to do that, and then, like, what is the next. So, like, you wake up this morning realizing what you did and what you've Accomplished. But, like, what does the next day look like for you? It's a good question. I actually just talked to Kyle Engel about this because I was like, man, what do you do after such a big month like this? And he goes, you're looking for another mountain. And so I think at this point, I'm wired to be at my best and happiest and proudest when I'm at the bottom of that mountain. Because it's just like you can't even fathom climbing to the top of that mountain, but it's really just about the steps on how to get to the top. And then people ask you how you do it, and then you try and help the next generation and the next people that are really trying to figure it out. Not the ones that say that they want it, but the ones that are actually doing the work. And so a lot of times I'm looking forward, but I'm also. I'm trying to see who's. Who's wanting to come along, who's wanting to see how I do this, because there's a method to it. There's definitely a sequence of events that went in my favor, and hopefully we get into all that. Yeah, well, why don't you start sharing that? Because I think, look, I've had some awesome, awesome guests and been fortunate to talk to a lot of folks on here, and everybody does it a little different. And I think it would be really cool for you to share a little bit about what that. Those systems and that methodology looks like for you. Well, let me tell you, let me backtrack to my very, very first year. This is where I figured out this is the foundation of my business. And if anybody's going to listen to any part of this podcast, it should be this part right here. So when I was in my first year of the business, January through September, or maybe middle of August, anyway, I had done 22 transactions my first year for, I think, 2.8 million. So it was little dink and dunk, little homes that weren't always the greatest neighborhoods. But from January to September, I'd maybe done only eight deals, nine deals. And then after that, I really started to figure out that my personal life is indirect correlation with my business life. So I was trying to fix my business life, Alex, before I would even have my personal life in order in terms of, man, what routine am I actually on? Am I waking up at the same time? Am I exercising? And all of those things. That kind of just started when I was tired of not being where I Wanted to be. And it wasn't like a mentor had explained it. It was actually my best friend that I was living with at the time. Taught me everything I know about sales. And man, that guy's always out the door at 5am I never understood that because you always have the naysayers. It's like, you don't need to get up in the morning, you know, you don't need to in order to be successful. It's like, fine, whatever. But he was doing it. And he's the hardest worker I've ever met. And man, I started going to the gym with him and I started to realize that once I got done with the gym, go home, shower in front of my computer at a coffee shop, and I'm just following up with leads. And I figured that out in the month of September and I finished off with 22 transactions. And by the month of August I only had eight. And so rolling into my second year, I was like, I felt like I had this secret formula or this secret sauce that I wasn't seeing a lot of people do, only the top producers like yourself, like the owners here at liv. And I was like, you know, this makes sense. This is working. It kind of makes sense. It's not logical. Well, look, I think we have a line here at Lockstep and it's like hard work works and getting up in the morning and like going to the gym and like checking that box. Like in the beginning it's hard work, but when it becomes part of your identity, it's interesting. Like I saw something recently and it was like, optionality is just a killer for folks and it's a detriment for a lot of business. And it's like when you can choose, oh, I can do this or I can do that, you oftentimes are going to make the choice of what is most comfortable. And for you it sounds like there, there became no other option because it was like, I've had enough and I tell the story. And it's interesting. When I was younger, I think I was in my early 20s, so it had been like when you were figuring this out too. I was working for the Pacers and I had, I would come home after work every day and I'd take my button down shirt off because that's what we had to wear to work. And I'd throw it in my closet and I had like 30 shirts and so I had this mountain of dirty shirts and I would always be losing my keys and losing my wallet. And I, I remember talking to my dad one day, and I was just pissed. I was like, I'm so sick and tired of living like this. And he was like, why do you do it? And he's like, when is enough enough? And I changed. And if you know me today and you come over to my home, it's like everything is tidy. I never lose anything. I know where everything is all the time. My laundry is always done. My stuff is always buttoned up. And look, I had to hit a point where enough was enough to make that change, where the other option just wasn't an option anymore. And it provides a lot of clarity and direction and operations of how you do things and how you make decisions. And it sounds like for you it was a key contributor to that. I'm a big believer in the things that you don't hate in your life you're going to learn to tolerate. Like if, if. If you don't love the car that you're driving, if you don't love the spouse that you're, you know, if you're not married, but, like, you want somebody that. That gives you more. Like, you have to become more. And you've got to turn your back on. On this person that you've become and totally change it around. But you have to be willing to look at change and think, that's going to be easier than what I've been doing now. And that's really what it was. Even up until I got my license because I had dropped out of college. I was couch surfing. There was nights I spent in my car at 21, and I was just like, you know what? I'm just going to throw my box, my eggs in this basket of buying this duplex by the skin of my teeth. I literally had no more money. And then after I bought the duplex, there was so many things that had to be done. And I didn't know how to lift a hammer, man. But that was all worth it to me because I was tired of being a college kid and pretending that anything about that made sense. Why don't we jump back? Because I think there's so much of your story here that I've learned about you. I would love to hear it again selfishly for myself, but also for the listeners here. Take us back to what? Dropping out of college, couch surfing, sleeping in your car. Like, what does that look like? And what does that feel like? And look, you've gained an insane amount of ground in a short window of time, and I think it's incredible to celebrate that and something you should be comfortable Doing. What did it look like? And how did we get here? Well, I didn't grow up here. And so when I, I mean, I committed to dropping out of school, I didn't commit to getting kicked out of my apartment. That's just. We threw a party, it ended up really caving in the floor. And it was a bad. It was. And so I'll never forget. I forget her name, I should remember it, but being in her office and she was like, you gotta go. And I was just like, it was my first, like, you're a grown ass man. Time to, you got to get up and go. You did wrong. And it was just like, where am I going to go? Where am I going to stay? And that's. Man, I'll tell you, that was one of the darkest feelings I've ever had. I was a kid at the time, just being 21, I still had this idea of real estate just because I'd been trying to have a game plan outside of college on what I was going to do. I just didn't know it was going to kick me, you know, hit me on the, on the back, on the way out, you know, like the door totally just slammed shut. I was not prepared at all. And so what it looked like was I immediately went to work and at my job I knew this guy that was a single dude and I was just like, didn't barely even talk to him. But when you're that desperate, you don't care. And you're like. I was like, hey man, I just got kicked out. Can I come live with you? And he said, yeah. And that was. He didn't have to do that. Now the living, living, living the way we did was, was interesting. But I mean, all in all, I had a roof over my head. It was a couple nights I spent in my car trying to find a place to, to stay. But once I did, it was just like, okay, get up, go to work. But in the back of your head you're just like, what am I doing? Like, it was, it was really, really hard. Very hard. When I think stuff like that, like those pivotal life moments, look, it's important to never forget those. A couple things. When I was 25, my first year in the business, I zeroed out my bank account. And I'll never forget, it was the fall and I looked and I was like, I have $3,000 in the bank. It costs me $3,000 a month to live. I have no clients, I have no pipeline, I have no pendings, I have no leads, and I have no clue. And I called a friend and got a loan from him. And that friend is still my best friend to this day. He's like a brother to me. And I was fortunate enough for he gave me some money to bide me over. But it was like, man, if that didn't happen, I likely don't sit in the seat I sit in today. I likely don't do what I do today because if I would have called my parents, they would have said, get a real job. And that was never an option that I had to get to. But it's important to, like, never forget those things because it shapes and molds who you are today. Well, you and I both know we've met enough people that haven't hit rock bottom like that. And you can. You can tell in some people's demeanor. Now, what I will say is, is when you hit rock bottom like that, that is such a gift from God, and sometimes people waste it. Like, imagine knowing what rock bottom feels like and then having to dig yourself out and doing nothing with that lesson that you just learned. I am in the belief that you only have to learn that lesson one time. I can only speak as a man, but I have taken every bit of that moment, and I've thought to myself, nobody's coming to save you. You're a man in this world, and you need to make it. You need to make it work. And so that's kind of still what drives me to this day, is that feeling of being, I mean, a nobody. Isn't everybody scared of being that? Yeah, I mean, I think it's so cool. Look, you, bottom of the mountain, right? Like, you're deep in a valley sleeping in a car, right? And so to pick yourself up, let's jump into a little bit about what your journey looks like in the beginning. You buy this duplex. You, like, figure that out. Like, share a little bit about that. And I really want to get through. Like, I mean, if you're willing to be vulnerable about how shitty and hard things were, I think it's important for you to share that, because I think if anybody knows you today, something I appreciate about you most is, like, the attitude and energy you always bring. And look, I'm sure not every day is perfect for you, but every single time I talk to you, I appreciate your energy. I appreciate how you attack the business. And you just said, isn't everybody afraid to be a nobody? Not a lot of people want the responsibility it takes to be a somebody. And you attack that with a tenacity every day. And an energy in a joy for life that I'm just appreciative to have you on this today and to call you a friend and know you so, like, share a little bit more on what it was like to get here. Yeah, I had to do. I took out a credit card to fix up this duplex that I thought was going to be turnkey. I don't think contractors got paid on the way out, dude, because they went to the bathroom in my toilets that weren't hooked up. I mean, they. Bunch of wires on the way out. No ACs hooked up. But I just. I. Man, I had my hands. My head in my hands for about just 15 minutes and couldn't believe what I had gotten into. And so it really taught me the lesson of, like, nothing's ever as good or as bad as it seems. Like you're like, oh, my God, I finally got a roof. Well, one, the roof. The roof leaked. And two, I had to nail shingles up there, dude. It was the most. It was the worst job ever. But it worked for the time being. So I just. I mean, I just got to work. There were so many nights after I'd get off of work that I. I would spend in the crawl space hooking up wires or. And I didn't know how to do any of it. So literally, for about a month and a half, it was a six pack of beer, cigarettes, and YouTube. And that's all I did. That's all I did for a month and a half. And. And. And. And my God, Alex, I. I never. I used to be an atheist before this house. And then I just started to realize, like, if I put my full fourth effort toward making this work at the time that I had to pay the mortgage, my first tenant moved in because I had just gotten her. Her side good enough. Gosh. And. And neighbors were coming to help me. Some guy. I'll tell you a quick story on. On an electric problem that I could not figure out for the life of me. I hate electric. I shock myself all the time and on Google because I just couldn't fix it, mind you. I literally had like $300 left on this credit card to spend. So I called him, he comes up, and I think he was with the Peterman brothers. I can't. Are they electric? Maybe? Yeah, yeah. He comes in, he's like, all right, great news. I can fix it. Bad news is I got to charge you $99 for walking in the door, and it's going to be like, $800 to fix it. And I'm like, dude, I can't pay. I can barely pay you to walk in the door. So I'm thinking he's getting ready to leave and take half, you know, a third of my money with him. And I'm wearing a Manchester shirt. It's a small college I used to go to. And he's like, dude, you went to Manchester? I went to Manchester. And he was like, what are you doing out here? And I told him basically the story that I just told you guys. And he was like, I want to see you do well. Like, do me a favor, buy me a pizza. I'll come by and I'll fix it for free. Alex, that can't freaking happen, right? And so it was just like, God is going to take care of all of these things that almost seem impossible. They are impossible for us. And then there's just things that are out of our control that just so happened to, to. To fall into place when you need them to. I mean, my wedding's a perfect example. I committed to paying for our wedding, knowing that was a tall task. But I. You'll make it work. If you really are dedicated to, to hitting that number, these things fall into place. It's just like, I'm not surprised. I had my best month of my, of my year right before I needed to pay for wedding dues. It's, it's, it's amazing. An old team lead. When I started in the business, Glenn Bill, he told me, he was like, you want a motivator? And I was like, oh, yeah. And like, you know, just a sponge trying to learn. And he's like, go buy a car. He's like, go run up a ton of debt. And I was like, I always looked at that and, like, laughed. But when your back is against the wall, there are a few other options. And, you know, like, sometimes it's okay to put yourself in a corner and punch your way out and prove to yourself that you can actually do it. And look, I think there's so much truth to the concept of, like, the problems don't get smaller, you just get better and you get stronger at working through the challenges that you face. And look like back then you had hundred dollar problems, thousand dollar problems, and now, like, you're planning a wedding. Like, weddings aren't cheap. You have $10,000 problems. You own rental properties, you have $100,000 problems. And there will be a time in your life if you're on the path I believe you're on, you'll have million dollar problems, and you'll solve them, because that is what you do. And I think it's a testament to you, and it's a testament to others out there that get to surround themselves with you. There are people that when they face challenge or they face hardship, they point a finger, they don't solve the issue. They panic. They just can't do it. And then there's other folks where it's like, if you knew all the stuff that was on my shoulders, you would have no idea how I'm still standing. And that's not about me. That's just about somebody that resolves conflict or somebody that's successful in what they do. And it is true, like, the foundation gets better, and you just work through things. And, you know, I always find a way out. And this. Like, those types of things that you're sharing are just, look, you don't have any other choice in those moments. Well, you did, but you didn't accept those as options. Yeah, no, not at all. And again, it just kind of goes back. Like, you only have to learn these lessons one time. And then I started to realize, like, alex, kick me, take my real estate license. I'll go run up something else. Because the product, me, it's the same. It's the same sequence of events that have helped me get to this point in my career in real estate. So it's something that you'll just take everywhere in life. I like the. I like the example of you talking about people panicking when something bad happens. I mean, one, I don't think panicking is a bad idea. You need to panic towards getting this fixed, but you have to align where that's going. Are you panicking about not being able to pay the bills and then doing something that has nothing to do with you paying the bills? Or are you paying? Are you panicking to start calling people and getting resourceful and like, hey, I need to pay this bill. I'll pay you back. Just like you did. Like, yeah, sure, I got a handout by having some guy put a roof over my head. You got a hand out by somebody loaning you money. But you were resourceful in that moment. I think, look, you got to go ask. And if you do not ask, you do not get. And that Peterman guy, if you weren't vulnerable to him or that whoever that was, to say, hey, I need help. I can't do this. Like, he never would have known. Yeah, you could have. And look, how many times does a contractor walk in, bid a job, and we just said, I'm not Paying that. Hey, thanks for coming by. I'll get back to you. You could have done that out of being too prideful, but instead going, dude, I don't have the money to pay you. Like, you gave that guy the opportunity to play the role of resource and to help you, but it's because you asked. And look, I remember calling my friend, he goes, this is so funny. He goes, yeah, dude, like I, at home with my parents, I got like 30 G's in the bank. Like, it's my first job, I got no debt. He's like, I give you like a thousand bucks. And I remember it was like the movie Rounders if you've ever seen it. When he goes, I, I, I just vividly remember going, Chris, $1,000 doesn't even get me started. And he was like, what are you doing? And I was like, we can have that conversation after you tell me if you're going to give me 5,000 bucks or not. And he was like, that's what I just, I just like, look, I screwed up. I made some mistakes. I need, I need to help here. And he was like, I'll help you, you know, come up and see me and we'll get you right. And I talked to him and he was really cool about it. And look, it's forever, like, am I here? Am I, am I not? You never know. But you got to ask and you never get in life what you don't ask for. I love this stuff, dude. Like, so, like, let's close the gap a little bit. You get on the other side of that stuff with your current house. Close the gap to now. Like, who is Jacob Deacon today and what else has contributed to you getting here? Yeah, after that, my mentor at the time had convinced me to get my real estate license. I never thought I'd be doing this profession, but after that, you just kind of. When I was able to finally figure out the sequence of events that need to happen in my morning in order for me to have a good day and a productive day, it was a game changer. So where I've been between year one and now has been trying to perfect that the momentum wave that we've all felt before. Where I would, you know, you talked about, you know, life really pushing you around. Like you can push life around if you really get up in the morning and you give yourself that self inflicted pain of growing, of sitting down and working. Like things, they don't creep up on you, you just kind of, you, you're doing the creeping. So I've been Trying to just figure out ways to better myself in a personal way. Like, I don't. I don't. I haven't drank all year. That's been a big one for me. It's like I had the morning routine down, but now I want to. I want to. I want to take it to the next level. Like, I want to stop drinking. I don't want to. I don't want to have anything to do with it. I think it's poison. It does nothing. I want to see how far I can go in a year with no alcohol. And so am I going to go back to drinking after this year? I don't know, but the numbers are telling me I shouldn't. It's been a lot of just trying to figure out ways that I can lead. Better not sell real estate better. I just get better at selling real estate when I become a better human being. And I feel like there's a strong lesson that I don't think most, let alone realtors, most people understand, is that you have to get your life together before anything else. If you want to do better and work, you need to get up at the same time. Like, that's kind of the biggest thing. You can't even get up at the same time. You think you're going to start running it up on the scoreboard? No, I will, because I'm doing the work that. That needs to be done. I'm not playing this bargain with God of, like, God, I really want to be successful, but, you know, I don't want to wake up in the. I'm not a morning person. Shut up. Shut. Just shut up, dude. Yeah, I. I saw something on Huberman. Andrew Huberman talked about, like, it takes three days to retrain your brain on being a morning person and reset your circadian rhythm. So when somebody's like, I'm not a morning person. If you could be a morning person for three days, you retrain your brain around it. And what I think is so funny is, like, you're not a morning person. Go have children. You will become your dependency of sleep. And, and. And your dependency of those types of things shift and change. Like, it's not that you don't need to sleep, but it's like you learn to sleep better. You learn to get. Be more efficient behind it. But I think that. I think that I'm not a morning person. Look, it's a. It's again, that the, The. The detriment of choice. You chose to sleep so you can work out later. You can do your morning routine in the evening, and maybe you don't get as much done, or maybe the distraction, the distraction monster arises. You know, I think, honestly, if I'm, I'm. I'm a little cutthroat, but I think if anybody tells me they're not a morning person, I automatically know I'm pretty much talking to a child. Unless. Unless you're where you want to be at in life, man, and you're running circles around everybody, like you don't have time to sleep in. And that didn't get me here. And so I would be damned if that would. If that would be out of my sequence of my morning. I wouldn't be sitting here. If I didn't get up in the morning. I wouldn't be on this podcast. Talk to me. Like, what does your morning routine look like? Like, what's your

morning look like? I don't get up too early. It's 6: 26:44

15.

6:15. I'm at the gym by 6: 26:48

30. I get out of bed quick. That's kind of teachers get out of bed quick. Go walk. I walk to the counter that I set out, you know, some water. So I'll go walk, drink some water, get changed at the gym, kind of rubbing my eyes, half asleep. But then you just kind of get going. I'm. I'm done. I'm out. And then shower. I don't eat. Don't eat in the morning. I think that's one of the things too, that I didn't touch on is like, I don't eat in the morning. And it's like your brain and your stomach are just in survival mode. And so I work better. I work way more efficiently. I'm not foggy. So I get up, work out, shower in the office until noon or 1pm Just prospecting, following up, doing all the things that, that gets you, contracts. So it's not complicated, Alex. It's really. No, people make it complicated because your personal life, you can't even fathom yourself waking up in the morning. It's, it's, it's an amazing thing to see and it's really. It's sad because it's not, it's not complicated, but it's not easy either. You talk a little bit about, like, the clarity of your goals and who you want to be and what you want to work towards. Like, who, who do you want to be and who is Future Jacob? Like, what's that look like? Like, what do you. What are you striving towards? I mean, you're coming off a monster month you likely never dreamed you could have. You got this routine, you got this energy, like, who are you going to be? Man, I really hope I get into. I'd love to be some sort of speaker. I'd love to. I'd love to get in front of an audience and speak and use my story and my life as proof and reference. Because I've been a lot of different people. I've been a nerd, I've been a jack off, I've been rude, I've been all kinds of people. And so I really feel like I can relate to a lot of different kinds of people. But because this is something that I feel like everybody can do, there's nothing that I do that that is impossible. And so I'd love to get in front of people and hopefully have a really good track record. That man maybe fills up a couple seats and I change some people's lives. I think that would be. But on top of that, I want to be a good son. I really want to take care of my parents. My mom is my virtual assistant and she's hiring her. She bagged groceries my whole life. And so it's like as soon as I started making any kind of money, I wanted to get her involved. So I want to be a good son. I want to be a great father, not just a good father. I want to be the best father ever and I want to be a good husband. So I think, yeah, that would be my plans. I think that. I love hearing that your mom helps you. A handful of years ago my dad passed away. And I remember we were sitting there, we're all just like sitting in my, my parents house cleaning up and like everyone's trying to pull it together and my mom's like, or unsure like what her future is going to look like. And I just, I was like, hey, I don't know anything different than like what I'm doing with work right now. Why don't you just come to work with me? And she kind of looked at me and like we had like teasy idea trying to find something for her to do because she's just a, she's a worker and she's a person personality and she's a helper and she's a doer. And she kind of looked at me and was like, I don't know. And I was like, mom, you need people, you need something to do, you need purpose, like come be a part of what we're doing. And I've been fortunate to have, you know, her desk is right outside my Office, you know, she pops in every day and I'm fortunate to have that. And you know, as a son, it's just a cool thing. It's like my mom doesn't need to do that, but it's offers us the opportunity just to evolve our relationship and spend more time together. And I think there's like so much, you know, you say husband and dad and son and those things. It's like, man, we got a short window of time on this, this life. Like it's awesome to go out and hustle and make money and build things, but building relationships with people in your poor, in your life that are most important to you, like they're not always there. And I think it's really cool to hear you say, like, have perspective like around the importance of being a son, being a, you know, being a dad, being a husband, things like that. That. I love that, dude. Yeah, I just, I know. I mean a bad day is coming for me one day and so it's just like today's not that day though. And so every day I get to wake up and, and you know, strive to be that person with the people I've got in front of me with some, hopefully some new additions coming soon. So. Dude, I, I love so much of this conversation. I wrote down earlier when you were talking about like who you are today and future you and things like that. But I'd be curious what the Jacob of today would tell the Jacob sleeping in his car, couch surfing college. Like, take it back. Like, is there a lesson to share? Because I think there's somebody out there listening right now or somebody that could learn from this that's like, what thing's going to move them? And what would you tell your old self that is like, here's my words of wisdom after, you know, starting to build something. It's a really good question. It's like if, if there's a story of this farmer and his crops are, are going dry and the whole town needs this guy's crops in order to eat. And the farmer's like, there's no rain, there's been such a drought. And he goes, what are you going to do? And the farmer goes, I don't know. I'll just sit here and I'll do a rain dance. He's like, what do you mean? And he just starts dancing. It's like, well, it doesn't. Is you doing that rain dance really going to bring the rain or you just so screwed that you don't know what else to do, but you have to do something. You can't wait around and die. And so you can go through the motions. You can. You can just show up. Just show up and make little increments and keep moving. Do your stupid rain dance, dude, because it's better than sitting around and waiting to die. I mean, honestly, it was. It was insane time. I just. I don't know what kept me going at that point, aside from the fact that I literally had nothing to fall back on. And I think. Go ahead. I think that's. I mean, that's one of. Again, one of the lessons that you only have to learn once of, like, how bad life can actually be. Especially, you know, speaking as a man, like. Like, nobody gave. Nobody cared how, you know, how I looked or whatever. Like, nobody stopped and was like, hey, dude, do you need help with anything? No, they just go on with their day. There's some lessons here. The first one is nobody's thinking about you. So, like, if there's somebody out there who's, like, worried to do something or worried to post something or say something or be somebody, it's like, dude, everybody is so hung up on themselves. Nobody has time to give a shit about you or what you say or what you do. They're just going to scroll by and see somebody that they feel like is relatable to them. There's so much truth in that. And the other thing is, her Mosey says this. If you have no money, you should have no shame. And having been at my version of what rock bottom was, much, much more convenient than so many others. But it's like, you should have, like, what is. What is in the shame? What value does shame provide for anybody? How can you be so proud that you're unwilling to do what it takes to survive or to do what it takes to keep going? I just think there's so much truth in those things. They're not proud. People get pride mixed up with happiness. See, I don't believe in happiness, because who told us. When in our world did we have somebody come by and say, alex, you're meant to be happy. It's just, like, all the time. Like, really? No, that's so. That's. This is the dumbest thing ever, right? And so it's like, my happiness actually comes from other people's happiness. Like, the people around you. Like, it has probably made you so happy knowing that your mom is literally, you know, in your office. And it's just like, well, if. If you didn't have a life that you were proud of, you could never do that. And so that makes her happy. And then when you come home and you know there's food on the table that, that you've helped provide, that's something that. This is why you get socks at Christmas, Alex. It's because it's not about you. You worked so everybody else can, can enjoy those fruits. And so I think people really get stuck on, man. Like, I want to go have fun. What, what the hell is fun? Like, are you gonna go watch that guy? And a concert that you can listen on Spotify for$10, 10 bucks a month or you know, so I think, I think people really get it mixed up. They're not willing to change because they're chasing a happy life, not a pride, not a, not one that you look back and you feel. Pride for what? For what you've been able to do. I heard, I was at a conference recently and they were talking about clarity around your goals and what you're trying to accomplish. And look like it's hard. You know, Kyle tells you you find another mountain to climb, but it. Why, like, why find another mountain? Why not just stay where you are? And so like, what is the driver behind the mountain and what does the mountain need to look like? And a friend of mine was running the mastermind and he was talking about clarity and he was talking about your purpose and understanding. Those things are what will help you find peace in the life that you want. And look, I've always been pretty transparent. It's like I wanted to build a recession proof business. And lockstep has grown and thrived in, you know, three consecutive of the worst real estate markets ever. And so it's like, okay, like box checked. We're doing that. We're doing it. We're living proof. Oh yeah. And then I wanted to be a present dad and a present husband. And you know, I've built a business that supports the fact that like I'm home in the evenings, I spend time with my wife. And look, I have conversations with people at these webinars. They're like, tell me what your calendar looks like. And I shared this with

the guy. I said I leave for work every day at 7:30 to 8: 37:37

00 clock based on what my kids need to do. And I get home every day at

4:30. And from 4:30 to 8: 37:43

00, when my kids go to bed, I'm dad. And when my kids go to bed, I'm husband. And I'm not willing to negotiate on that life. And so if you tell me that my goals are unattainable first of all, I don't believe that. And second of all, I will fit the life I want into those boundaries, and I'm comfortable with that. And look, like sometimes we wrestle with it as entrepreneurs and business guys or alphas that want to be successful, but it's understanding. Like, my peace comes from satisfying those three goals, and those are challenging mountains every day. Like, the market changes tomorrow, we have to keep evolving. My kids grow up. Tomorrow. I have to keep evolving as a dad. Go ahead, real quick. Yeah. Let's just say you never met your wife and you're just a single guy going home every night. Yep. Actually, you'd probably spend more time at the office, right? 100%. I think you'd be. Lockstep would be bigger than what you've made it now, or do you think it would be? Sure. Yeah. I mean, it would be different. It would. Sure. It would be different. Bigger. Yeah. I mean, you could drive it however you wanted to drive it. I'm not sure. I would argue that your. Your personal. And, dude, you're the greatest dad ever and husband. And. Yeah, yeah, you guys posting all these trips, but I would argue that that has a lot. That happiness and pride that you have in that amazing family of yours brings you a sense of a boost that you bring to work that I can't be. I would answer your question differently. The purpose of lockstep would not be what it was, what it is. And we talk about this often. One of the things we do well as a team is we lean on each other to be more than just agents. And so, like, meeting my wife and, like, building our relationship together helped me realize why those goals existed to begin with. So, like, it's easy to throw on paper. I want to be a present dad, and I want to be a present husband. But then, like, you have kids and you have a wife, and you're like, well, I said this, so why did I say it? And then life starts happening, and it's like, those are my foundational pillars that I don't negotiate on. And look, are there days that aren't perfect? Yeah. I mean, that's life. But when I sit here and I'm like, I could work more. I could do more. It's like more is. Is not the answer. It's having peace and understanding that, like, you're building something that supports your identity and your values in life, and it provides clarity to the direction of the team. I mean, we have 17 agents at lockstep today. We've had up to 21 or 22 agents at one point. Bigger is not better. Better is better. You know, quality is better, better relationships are better, and more purpose is better. And I think understanding those things, like, to answer your question, like, I think the purpose and the driver behind what we would be doing at lockstep wouldn't be what it is, because I just learned so much. Like you said, you get your shit together in your life, your wife holds you accountable to a standard and into an expectation and a commitment. Like, makes it easier, right? You know, it's like there is no confusion. Yeah, that's. I mean, my fiance has done that for me big time. Like, she's part of the reason I wanted to just stop drinking in general. Like, there was times I was sitting next to her and I was just like, this girl's trusting me with her entire life. Like, how scary is that? It's terrifying. I couldn't imagine having kids. So it's just like, okay, look, that makes me want to be better. And as me, not real estate me, but I bring something different to work that I feel is more potent. And it has nothing to do with how much time you spend in the business as long as you have a healthy amount of time in the business. But sure, sure. Yeah, I think that's. I mean, that's just kind of goes back to, like, your personal life has got to be in order before you think you can just run up this business. Dude, I love this. I love this. Dude, this is so good. We wrap these with two questions. First one, I want to check the box and get out of the way. Where can folks find you online to learn more about Jacob Deacon and support you in your real estate journey in your life? Yeah, I've got a website, JacobDeakin.com but also Instagram and TikTok. Jacob underscore Deacon1 is my tag. That's what it's called. Awesome. And we wrapped this with a question. The podcast called Action Solves Everything. And look like hearing your journey and hearing your story, you're a massive action taker. And look, it's part of the reason I called you is like, it's not about the houses you sell, but it's. It's about the. The moves you make, the deliverable behind who you are. And so one of the questions we ask everybody is like, what is taking action mean to you? See, I had a. I had my first thought after you. We talked this morning was wake up. And that's probably what I'm going to stick with. Wake up. At the same time, like, that. That is the best place you can start. There's nothing logically that you can really put it. Put your finger on. How is waking up earlier going to help me write more contracts? Like, I don't have enough people in my pipeline. It's just like, this isn't like, you have to believe in this energy. And so I would tell you that the first thing you should. You should do is you should shoot to wake up earlier and you don't have to kill yourself. But, like, if you're waking up at 8, 9am, wake up at

8: 43:39

15, wake up at 8, and then get that down and work it down in increments, and soon enough you'll be excited to wake up in the morning. It's cool to be on the good side of momentum. It really is. Dude, I love that. Thank you so much for sharing that. Dude, this has been fantastic. There's so much great stuff in here, and I'm just grateful that you've invested the time not only in our conversation, but the folks out there that are listening. Look, what you do for our industry is phenomenal. I know you're leading a lot of folks over at Live, and they're so fortunate to have you. So congrats on your success, my friend. Thank you so much for today, and we'll talk to you soon. All right, thank you, sir. Awesome. Thanks, buddy. Yeah, thanks for listening to Action Solves everything. If today's episode pushed you, challenged you, or help you even take one step forward, send it to someone else who needs that same nudge. We all get better when we grow together. And if you're looking for a partnership that actually believes in coaching, collaboration, accountability, and actually becoming the best version of yourself, shoot me a message online at All Social handles at Alex Montagono. That's a L, e x M O n T a G a N O. Remember, success rewards the ones who move. Take action, and I'll see you on the next episode.