Arriving in Las Vegas: A Moment Years in the Making
Las Vegas has a way of amplifying everything—energy, expectation, and opportunity. When I arrived for the NAM event to compete in the Battle of the Coaches, I knew it would be one of the most significant moments of my speaking career. Four coaches. A series of rapid-fire questions. Seven minutes to break it all down. One stage that demanded excellence.
This was the type of environment I live for. Pressure. Growth. Competition. A room full of people looking for answers that could change their businesses and their lives. The night before the event, I walked the venue, felt the buzz, and mentally locked in. I could not wait to show the audience what bold action and intentional mindset look like in real time.
The One Jordan Strategy: How to Get in the Right Rooms
One of the first questions I received on stage was simple:
“What is the most effective way to get in the right room and grow my business?”
My answer was equally simple.
I teach something called the One Jordan Strategy.
I identify a person I want to build a relationship with. I learn their shoe size. I send one Jordan sneaker with a handwritten note that says:
“If you want the other shoe, give me a call.”
That strategy is one of the reasons I have been able to sit in rooms that changed the entire trajectory of my career.
However, the deeper truth is this:
**You must become the person who gets invited into rooms—
not the person trying to force their way in.**
To do that, you must be:
Unique
Bold
Different
Clear about who you want to meet
Willing to stand out when everyone else blends in
The mortgage and real estate industries today often resemble high school. Everyone wants to look the same, talk the same, and produce the same content. But the people winning at the highest level are the ones who intentionally separate themselves.
Your job is to identify what makes you different, refine it, and leverage it to open doors.
The Foundation of Success: Building a Winning Mindset
The next question on stage focused on mindset, specifically:
“How do I create a winning mindset in a challenging market?”
Before we talk about winning, we need to be honest about the opposite—
a losing mindset.
Many professionals are walking into their days defeated before they begin. If you want to shift into a winning mindset, start here:
1. Remember the last time you won.
Revisit that feeling. It is impossible to recreate momentum if you forget what momentum feels like.
2. Evaluate how you respond to adversity.
Your reaction to pressure determines whether you stay stuck or move forward.
3. Show up even when you do not feel like it.
Your standards must be higher than your feelings.
4. Create morning structure that guarantees early wins.
Stack quick victories. Build momentum. Build confidence. Build consistency.
I am fortunate to coach many top 1% performers. Without exception, they share two traits:
a disciplined routine and a winning mindset.
Deals fall apart. Markets shift. Obstacles appear. They stay committed.
If you want to win at a high level, you must build systems that allow you to win daily.
Stop Calling It a Database: Start Treating It Like a Portfolio
Next came a question every originator should take seriously:
“If I have not connected with my database in a while, how do I re-engage?”
The first thing I tell my clients is to stop calling it a database.
Call it what it really is:
Your portfolio.
If you have 1,000 people in your portfolio and you are not generating at least 100 deals per year from it, then you are not working it correctly. Most originators think they care about their portfolio—but actions reveal otherwise.
AI is everywhere right now, but the one thing it cannot do is out-human you. People crave connection more than ever. Mass holiday messages, generic marketing touches, and templated reminders do not build relationships. They create noise.
What works?
Knowing the people in your portfolio
Understanding their needs
Segmenting them intentionally
Delivering meaningful value
Helping them improve their financial position
One of my clients has over 40 million dollars in the pipeline from his portfolio alone. Why?
Because he touches it consistently and personally.
Your portfolio is under attack. Someone else will earn the trust you fail to nurture.
Why Coaching Matters More Than Ever
One of the final questions addressed coaching in 2026 and why it is crucial. My answer may have surprised some people.
Many individuals today are looking for the easy button. A script. A shortcut. A tactic that will suddenly create success.
That is not coaching.
Coaching helps you identify your purpose, unlock your belief, and ignite your burn—your personal why.
A coach saved my life when I was a young boy with a limb difference and the son of a drug addict. That coach taught me baseball, but more importantly, he taught me confidence. That experience changed how I saw myself and what I believed was possible.
Later, when I became a coach, I realized that it was not just a career move. It was a calling. A responsibility. An honor.
When it comes to coaching, you have three choices:
1. Do nothing.
Make no changes. Stay where you are. Next year will look exactly the same—probably worse.
2. Join a group or community and check the box.
Say you have a coach, but never truly transform.
3. Go pro. Hire a professional coach.
A real coach who pushes you, challenges you, and demands your growth.
Yes, coaching is an investment. It should be.
If you are not receiving a 10–20x return, you are either in the wrong program or not ready to be coached.
The truth is simple:
Winning begins with you.
With your decision to think differently, act differently, and pursue greatness at a higher level.
Lessons From the Stage: Losing, Learning, and Moving Forward
After leaving the stage at the Battle of the Coaches, I felt proud—and hungry. I delivered value, but I also learned powerful lessons. If I am invited back, I will prepare differently and attack with new strategies.
The other coaches—Laura, Scott, and Amir—brought outstanding energy and insights. Amir earned a back-to-back win, and he deserved it.
But the real winners were the people in the audience who took notes, absorbed ideas, and will go home ready to transform their businesses and lives.
One of the biggest messages from the entire event was this:
Everyone needs a coach.
I stood on that stage because I am coached.
I grew my career because I am coached.
I transformed my life because I am coached.
And the same opportunity exists for every person who chooses growth over comfort.
The Path Forward: Make the Decision to Be Great
There are two types of people who attend events like this:
Those who came to grow, take notes, and execute.
Those who came to escape their life back home.
I have been both, and the solution to both is coaching.
If you want to do something bigger than what you are doing today…
If you want to serve your family at a higher level…
If you want to unlock the next version of yourself…
If you want to enter the right rooms and become unforgettable…
Then you must think differently.
Act differently.
Invest differently.
Show up differently.
Your transformation begins the moment you choose it.
