Do The Work | Mindset Mastery

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Aug 2026

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Do The Work | Mindset Mastery is an unfiltered dive into the life of a real estate entrepreneur. Conversations are real, raw and uncensored. This is not your "everything is sunshine" conversation. Our guests will not posture, BS, or pretend they have it all figured out. You will hear stories of tragedies, failures, and pain to their transformational journey of becoming a Badass Agent. This is Real Life, Real People, Real Estate.

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August 21, 202626 min

No Pain No Gain, It's All A Game | Mindset Mastery w/ A.Z. Araujo

In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery , I started thinking about something that has become clearer to me the more I study, the more I put myself in different environments, and the more I reflect on my own life. There is a blueprint to success. There may be a million different ways to make a million dollars, build a business, or create the life you want, but the principles behind getting there remain very similar. There are certain actions, patterns, and ways of thinking that consistently produce results. One of the biggest principles I have learned is that you have to understand that this is all a game. And if you are going to play the game, you better understand the rules. You Are Going to Hit a Wall I tell agents this all the time. You are going to hit a wall. You can do all the right things. You can follow the same strategies as somebody producing at an elite level. You can market, follow up, make the calls, create the videos, and put in the work. And you still may not see results right away. That is where the game really begins. The worst thing you can do during that season is convince yourself that something is wrong with you. You start questioning whether you are good enough. You start comparing yourself to everyone around you. You start wondering why everybody else seems to be getting rewarded while you are doing all this work with nothing to show for it. That wall is not proof that you should stop. The wall is part of the game. If you want bigger goals, bigger opportunities, and a bigger life, you have to understand that bigger problems come attached to them. The problems are building your capacity to operate at the level you say you want. It is not just about taking action and getting a result. It is about becoming capable of continuing those actions when the results are nowhere to be found. Stop Torturing Yourself Over the Timeline Real estate is one of the easiest places to become emotionally attached to immediate results. You decide today that you are going all in. You start marketing. You begin following up. A couple weeks go by and nothing happens. Then you start questioning everything. But think about how this business actually works. Even if you meet the right client today, you still have to schedule the appointment, complete the consultation, get them qualified, find the property, negotiate the contract, and eventually close the transaction. You could easily be 60 days away from getting paid. That is if everything goes right. So why are you torturing yourself seven days into the process? Understanding the timeline allows you to stop reacting emotionally and start thinking strategically. You cannot plant the seed today and become angry tomorrow because there is no tree. You have to understand the game you chose to play. Read the Rules Before You Decide the Game Does Not Work This weekend I played Monopoly with my daughter, and I realized something funny. For years, I had been playing the game wrong. I thought you had to go around the board before buying property. I did not understand some of the auction rules. Once we actually read the instructions, the entire game changed. It became faster. It became more strategic. It became more exciting. Nothing about Monopoly changed. My understanding of the game changed. That is what happens in business. Sometimes you are frustrated because you are trying to play according to rules that do not exist. You believe success should happen faster. You believe problems mean you are failing. You believe somebody leaving means you are not good enough. Then you become emotional because reality is not matching the game you created in your head. Maybe you just need to understand the rules. The Problem Is Usually Not the Root Cause One of our agents reached out to me because a potential client he had invested significant time into decided to go somewhere else. He did the research. He contacted builders. He looked into incentives. He invested his time. Then the client disappeared. It would be easy to say the client was the problem. But that does not solve anything. If this continues happening, we have to dig deeper. Was there a consultation? Was there a commitment? Was the buyer broker agreement explained and signed? Was there a process that solidified the relationship? Or were we hoping that being available, friendly, and helpful would automatically create loyalty? That is where reflection becomes powerful. The client leaving is not necessarily the root cause. Maybe the root cause is your process. Then we can go deeper. Why did losing one client affect you so much? Maybe because that was the only opportunity in your pipeline. Why was there only one opportunity? Maybe your marketing has not been consistent. Maybe you stopped creating organic content. Maybe you stopped reaching out to your database. Maybe you stopped communicating with your past clients. Maybe conversations are happening in your DMs and never making it into Follow Up Boss. Now we are getting somewhere. The problem you see on the surface is rarely where the problem actually started. Your Current Results Were Created Earlier One of the things I am most grateful for today is the A.Z. from five years ago. I am grateful for the guy who got up and did what was required even when he did not feel like doing it. I appreciate the A.Z. from ten years ago. I appreciate the A.Z. from two years ago. I appreciate the A.Z. from six months ago. That dude was dedicated. The lifestyle I have today exists because a previous version of me made decisions that I am benefiting from now. That means we have to ask ourselves a difficult question. What is the version of you six months from now going to think about the person you are today? Will that person be grateful that you finally became consistent? Will that person be grateful that you started marketing every day? Will that person be grateful that you followed up? Will that person be grateful that you finally hired the help you needed? Or will you look backward and realize you wasted another six months doing exactly what you already knew was not working? Your future results are being created right now. Pain Is Part of the Process We spend too much time trying to avoid pain. But pain gives us information. When something does not work, there is something to learn. When you lose a client, there is something to analyze. When your pipeline is empty, there is something to correct. When your production stops growing, there is something that needs to change. The goal is not to sit inside that pain and feel sorry for yourself. The goal is to reflect. Identify the problem. Then go deeper. Find the root cause. Create a game plan. Execute. Then understand that this process is going to happen again at the next level. That is the game. The problems that once made you question everything eventually become the exact problems that built your capacity. Build the Capacity for More If you want your next deal, there is a game plan. Market consistently. Follow up with every person. Send the messages. Create the videos. Use Follow Up Boss. Stay organized. Do it every single day. Then give the process enough time to work. If you are already producing at a high level and want to double your business, your problem may be different. You may need people. You may need personnel who become an extension of you. You cannot continue taking everything on yourself and then complain that you have reached your limit. Every new level requires a new solution. And once the results start coming, do not stop doing the things that created them. That is another mistake people make. They generate leads until they become busy fulfilling on those leads. Then they stop marketing. They stop following up. They stop prospecting. Eventually the pipeline empties again. The game is building the capacity to handle all of it. The goal is to become someone who can see the problems coming and respond before they take you out of the game. At some point, you begin realizing that the difficulties you thought were against you were actually building you. So when you hit that wall, do not immediately assume something has gone wrong. Take a step back. Read the rules. Find the lesson. Identify the root cause. Create the game plan. Then get back to work. Because if you want the growth, you have to be willing to play the entire game. Reflection Questions What problem are you currently blaming on the market, a client, another person, or your circumstances instead of identifying the root cause? What is the version of you six months from now going to think about the actions you are taking today? What part of your current game plan do you already know you need to execute more consistently? Notable Quotes "The capacity is being able to navigate through the storm as no results are coming. That is a skill set in itself." "The root cause is never really the cause. It is all the things that we did or did not do." "The problems that you once thought were against you were meant to build you."

August 7, 202625 min

Your Preparation Is Your Reputation | Mindset Mastery w/ A.Z. Araujo

In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery , I was reminded that confidence is never built in the moment. It is earned through every decision we make long before the challenge ever arrives. After taking on the Half Dome hike in Yosemite, I felt every mile in my body. The soreness reminded me that while big moments may test us, they never reveal something that was not already there. They simply expose the work we have or have not been doing behind the scenes. As I stood at the base of that mountain with Carla, there was never a question about whether we would reach the top. We trusted the preparation. Every workout, every healthy choice, every disciplined decision had already built the confidence we needed. The mountain was simply the opportunity to prove it. That same lesson applies to every area of life. Too many people wait for everyone else before they move forward. They wait for friends, family, or circumstances to line up before chasing the experiences they want. The reality is that growth often requires you to move before everyone around you is ready. If you continue waiting for someone else to catch up, you place limits on what is possible for your own life. Preparation is about more than checking boxes every day. It is about making daily deposits into your future. Every workout strengthens your body. Every book expands your thinking. Every meaningful conversation improves your relationships. Every marketing effort grows your business. Those deposits build confidence over time, giving you proof that you are capable when bigger opportunities appear. I like to think of it as building credit with yourself. Every promise you keep is another payment made. Every commitment you honor raises your confidence. Then, when it is time to make a bigger decision or face a greater challenge, you already have the evidence that you can handle it. Many people want transformation without first committing to preparation. They want bigger results without building the habits that create them. They want confidence before earning it. That is not how lasting success works. I also believe many people place unnecessary limits on themselves because their expectations are too small. If your only goal is to cover your bills, that is often where your growth stops. But what happens when you decide to create something much bigger? What happens when you expect more from yourself, your business, your leadership, and your future? The biggest breakthroughs begin when your vision grows beyond survival. When you raise your expectations and back them up with consistent action, everything starts to change. Your confidence grows because you have proof. Your leadership grows because people see your consistency. Your opportunities grow because you have prepared for them. Preparation becomes your reputation. People begin to trust you because they know you will follow through. More importantly, you trust yourself because you know exactly what you have invested. As you move through this week, ask yourself what you are preparing for. Do not simply go through the motions. Make every daily deposit with purpose. Expect more from yourself. Challenge your limits. Continue stacking those small wins because they create the confidence to accomplish the big ones. One intentional step every day can completely change your life over the next year. Questions for Reflection What daily deposits am I making that are building confidence for the future I want? Where have I been limiting myself by setting expectations that are too small? What bigger goal am I ready to pursue because I have already done more preparation than I realize? Notable Quotes "Preparation becomes your evidence." "Preparation is your reputation." "There is only one way to get to the top. That is one intentional step at a time."

July 27, 202620 min

You Can't Become That While Continuing To Be This | Mindset Mastery w/ A.Z. Araujo

In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery , I challenge you to take an honest look at the life you say you want and compare it to the life your daily decisions are creating. We all talk about bigger goals, more freedom, stronger businesses, and a better future for our families. But wanting more is not enough. The real question is whether our habits, routines, and priorities actually support that vision. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that growth creates friction. As you become more intentional, the people around you may not always understand the changes you are making. Friends and family often become comfortable with a certain version of you. When you begin protecting your time, saying no more often, and focusing on building something bigger, that change can make others uncomfortable. Sometimes their disappointment sounds like concern. Other times it sounds like guilt. They may tell you that you have changed, that you are never around anymore, or that your business has become more important than everything else. The reality is that building a better life requires making different decisions. You cannot expect to grow while holding on to every habit, every routine, and every expectation that created your current results. If you want a different future, you have to become a different person. That means auditing your routines, paying attention to what you consume mentally and physically, and recognizing the people and activities that pull you away from your purpose. I have experienced this firsthand. There were seasons where I heard comments from friends and extended family because I was no longer showing up to every gathering or every event. At first it was difficult because I wanted everyone to understand why I was making those decisions. Eventually I realized I did not need permission to build the life I wanted for my family. I needed conviction. My responsibility was to the family I chose to create, not to every expectation placed on me by others. As I stayed committed, something interesting happened. The relationships that truly mattered became healthier. The guilt disappeared. The conversations became genuine. The people who valued me respected my boundaries, and I learned that real relationships are built on love and respect, not entitlement. This also forced me to look inward. Success is not only about improving your business. It is about becoming more aware of your habits, your behaviors, and the decisions you make throughout every day. The more I studied myself, the easier it became to recognize the patterns holding me back. Every small adjustment created momentum. Every better decision moved me closer to the life I had been visualizing. That is why I encourage you to stop focusing only on what you want and start examining what your current routines are producing. Ask yourself if your calendar reflects your goals. Ask yourself if your daily habits belong to the person you are today or the person you are trying to become. If the answer is no, then something has to change. Growth is not about abandoning people you love. It is about creating healthy boundaries that allow you to become the person you were called to be. When you become intentional with your time, your family benefits, your business grows, and your life begins to reflect the vision you have been carrying all along. The challenge is simple. Audit your actions. Protect your priorities. Build your routines around the future you want instead of the life you have already outgrown. When you become present, intentional, and willing to make difficult decisions, you give yourself the opportunity to create a life that is truly fulfilling. Questions to Reflect On What habits or routines are keeping you connected to the life you are trying to leave behind? Where are you allowing other people's expectations to take priority over your own vision for your family and your future? What is one decision you can make today that moves you closer to becoming the person capable of creating the life you truly want? Notable Quotes "You cannot grow unless you let go." "Audit your actions. Live the lifestyle that you're visualizing." "The more I study myself, the more I study my habits and my behaviors, the more I am able to see my dysfunctions."

July 6, 202627 min

Remember The Time | Mindset Mastery with A.Z. Araujo

In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery , I found myself surrounded by something that reminded me exactly where this journey began. As I stood in our new Scottsdale location setting up cameras by myself, I looked over at equipment I bought years ago when I barely had the money to make the investment. Those cameras brought me right back to a season where I was betting on myself before I had proof it would work. I remember putting thousands of dollars on credit cards because I believed I needed to create something different. I wanted to build the best training environment possible. I wanted to create an organization that truly developed people. The problem was that after I bought the equipment, it sat there. I convinced myself I was not good with technology. I told myself it was too complicated. Every morning I woke up feeling the weight of an investment that I was too afraid to use. Looking back, I realized the equipment was never the real obstacle. My mindset was. So many of us reach a point where we begin telling ourselves stories that keep us exactly where we are. We say we are not good at something. We say we hate a certain part of the business. We convince ourselves that if we could just avoid those uncomfortable areas everything would work out. That is exactly what keeps us stuck. Every time we say we hate videos, hate marketing, hate showing homes, hate paperwork, or hate dealing with certain clients, we are reinforcing the very beliefs that stop us from growing. Those words become part of our identity until we start believing them as facts. I had to confront that in my own business. I realized that every area I complained about was simply an area I had not mastered yet. Instead of learning, I wanted someone else to solve the problem for me. Instead of growing into the leader my business required, I complained about the responsibilities that came with leadership. Growth does not happen by avoiding difficult work. Growth happens when we stop running from the things we have not mastered and begin attacking them head on. That lesson applies to every entrepreneur. Many people dream about owning a business because they imagine freedom. What they do not realize is that freedom comes after years of responsibility. It comes after investing in people, systems, technology, and yourself. It comes after making decisions that feel uncomfortable long before they become profitable. If you refuse to invest because you only think about today's bills, you will never build tomorrow's opportunities. One of the biggest shifts in my career happened when I stopped believing I had to do everything myself. There is a difference between being involved in your business and trying to control every part of it. If you insist that nobody can do something as well as you can, you eventually become the bottleneck that limits your own growth. The goal is not to master every task. The goal is to become so good at what only you can do that you surround yourself with people who are better than you in every other area. As I walked through our new building, I realized something else. This is a new era. A new era is not about finally taking it easy. It is not about sitting back while money magically shows up. A new era brings bigger responsibilities, bigger challenges, and bigger expectations. It requires more learning, more investment, and more discipline than the season before it. That is what I want. I am willing to invest again. I am willing to adapt again. I am willing to learn again because every level requires a new version of you. The people who continue winning are not the ones who avoid change. They are the ones who continue embracing it. Toward the end of the conversation, I shared a moment that caught me completely off guard. While meeting with a highly successful business owner, I heard myself say, "I just do not think big enough." The moment those words left my mouth, he stopped me. He told me that someone who truly does not think big would never even have that thought. What I was actually doing was repeating a self limiting belief that I had likely been telling myself for years. That conversation reminded me how important it is to pay attention to the words we speak. If you say something out loud, chances are you have already repeated it to yourself thousands of times. From that moment forward, I made a commitment to analyze my thoughts more carefully. Instead of feeding limiting beliefs, I want to reinforce beliefs that move me forward. I want to remind myself that I am capable of building something much bigger than I have ever imagined. As we all step into our next season, I challenge you to examine the thoughts you repeat every day. Stop asking yourself why something is difficult and start asking yourself how you can become the person capable of handling it. That is where growth begins. That is where your new era starts. Reflection Questions What negative statement do you repeat about yourself or your business that has quietly become a self limiting belief? Which part of your business have you been avoiding instead of mastering? What investment in yourself, your business, or your mindset could completely change the direction of your future?

July 6, 202624 min

The Straw That Broke The Camel's Back | Mindset Mastery with A.Z. Araujo

In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I found myself thinking about how quickly this year has moved. Half the year is already behind us, and if I am being honest, it has been filled with incredible victories, difficult setbacks, gratitude, frustration, excitement, and moments where I questioned everything. Sometimes those emotions all happen in the same day. That is the reality of building a business. Entrepreneurship is not just about creating freedom. It is about accepting responsibility every single day. There is no guaranteed paycheck waiting for you. There is no pause button. Every opportunity, every challenge, and every result is tied to the value you continue creating. The mistake many of us make is believing the pressure will eventually disappear. It will not. As your business grows, so do your responsibilities. New opportunities always arrive with new challenges. Instead of wishing things become easier, we have to become stronger. One conversation that continues to come up is burnout. People say they are stressed. They are exhausted. They are struggling. They feel overwhelmed. I understand those feelings because I have experienced them myself. What I have learned is that burnout rarely comes from one difficult moment. It comes from months of neglecting the habits that built your success in the first place. You stop making videos. You stop following up. You stop learning. You stop putting yourself in environments that challenge you. You slowly convince yourself that you already know enough. Then one canceled deal or one difficult client suddenly feels like the end of the world. The problem was never that one moment. It was everything that happened before it. I think about the saying that the straw broke the camel's back. That final straw was never the real issue. The camel carried hundreds of loads before that final piece was added. In business, we carry little compromises every day. We skip the meeting. We avoid the training. We tell ourselves we will market tomorrow. We stop doing the things that once created momentum. Those small decisions keep stacking until eventually something small feels unbearable. That is why I believe burnout is a symptom, not the problem itself. One of the biggest dangers I see today is comfort disguised as productivity. I hear people say they work better alone. They prefer staying home. They already know what the meetings are going to teach. They believe they have figured out their business. What I really hear is isolation. Growth requires friction. Growth requires conversations. Growth requires being challenged by people who think differently than you. When you isolate yourself, you also isolate yourself from new ideas, better strategies, and the conversations that move your business forward. That comfort eventually becomes stagnation. From the outside, everything may still look successful. The closings continue. The income still comes in. But underneath the surface, growth has stopped. Meanwhile, newer agents who are learning today's strategies continue gaining momentum because they are willing to stay curious. That is why I constantly ask myself whether I am still a student. Am I still learning? Am I still surrounding myself with people who challenge me? Am I still putting myself in rooms where I can grow? The moment I believe I already know enough is the moment I begin falling behind. I have watched incredibly successful people slowly disappear because they stopped evolving. Their systems worked years ago, but they refused to adapt as the market changed. They became comfortable while everyone else continued improving. I never want that to become my story. That is why I attend trainings. That is why I continue listening. That is why I continue asking questions. Sometimes one conversation, one idea, or one perspective completely changes the direction of my business. There is another lesson I want you to think about. When you feel like your effort is not producing the results you expected, do not immediately assume you are failing. Look at how much you have already grown. There was a time when recording one video terrified you. There was a time when your first buyer consultation made you nervous. There was a time when presenting to a seller felt impossible. Today those things have become normal because you kept showing up. That means growth has already happened. Now your responsibility is to build on that foundation instead of settling into comfort. Go back to the habits that made you successful. Become intentional again. Protect your routines. Surround yourself with people who challenge you. Continue learning even when you think you already know the answer. The next level of your business will never be created by repeating yesterday's thinking. It will always require becoming a better version of yourself. Reflection Questions Where have you become comfortable instead of continuing to grow? What habits helped build your success that you have slowly stopped doing? What room, conversation, or learning opportunity do you need to step back into so you can continue evolving?

June 5, 202618 min

Flood Of Prosperity | Mindset Mastery w/ A.Z. Araujo

In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I talk about something that many people spend their entire lives chasing but very few ever prepare themselves to handle. We all want growth. We all want bigger opportunities, more income, more influence, and more freedom. But what happens when those things actually arrive? This episode was recorded during a season of major expansion. As our new office in Old Town Scottsdale was being built out and teams were working behind the scenes to bring the vision to life, I found myself reflecting on how far the journey has come. Looking around at what we have built today reminded me of the conversations, struggles, and dreams I was documenting years ago when none of this existed yet. As I listened to old recordings from 2018, I noticed something interesting. Even back then, I was speaking about big goals and big visions. I was declaring things that seemed far beyond my current reality. The truth is I had no idea exactly how I was going to get there. What I did know was that if I continued preparing myself every day, eventually I would become the person capable of handling the opportunities that were coming. Most people focus on the rewards of success. They think about the income, the lifestyle, the flexibility, and the things money can provide. What often gets overlooked is the responsibility that comes with growth. Bigger opportunities require greater capacity. More success requires stronger leadership. Greater prosperity demands stronger discipline. The flood of prosperity sounds exciting, but it can be just as dangerous as a flood of challenges if you are not prepared. Success has destroyed relationships. Success has pulled people away from their families. Success has exposed weaknesses that were never addressed during the climb. Without the proper conditioning, the very thing someone prayed for can become the thing that overwhelms them. That is why preparation matters. Every challenge you face today is preparing you for something bigger tomorrow. The setbacks, the canceled deals, the difficult conversations, the disappointments, and the obstacles are all part of the conditioning process. They are teaching you how to think, how to respond, and how to lead at a higher level. One of the biggest lessons from this episode is the importance of appreciating where you are right now. Sometimes we become so focused on the next goal that we fail to recognize what we have already built. During several recent conversations with brokerage owners and industry leaders, I was reminded of something important. Many people are looking for what we have already created. The systems, the culture, the relationships, and the environment that exist today were once nothing more than a vision. It is easy to feel behind when you are surrounded by people who challenge you to grow. But sometimes you need to step back and realize how much progress has actually been made. Another major theme of this episode is documentation. Too many people forget where they started because they never take the time to record the journey. Whether it is journaling, recording videos, creating content, or sharing your experiences, documenting your life gives you the opportunity to look back and see the growth that would otherwise go unnoticed. Five years from now, the problems that seem overwhelming today will likely look very small. The goals that feel massive today may simply become your new normal. Your capacity will expand. Your confidence will grow. Your vision will become bigger. The key is to keep moving. Do not allow yourself to sit in frustration longer than necessary. Do not stay stuck in disappointment. Take action. Trust the process. Continue building consistency. At the end of the day, consistency is one of the greatest gifts we all possess. While many people search for special talents and unique abilities, the power to consistently make the right decisions is available to everyone. In a world filled with distractions, uncertainty, and inconsistency, the person who continues showing up eventually separates themselves from the crowd. The flood of prosperity is not reserved for a select few. It is available to those who prepare for it, grow into it, and stay committed long enough to receive it. The question is simple. When it arrives, will you be ready? Questions for Reflection What challenges am I facing right now that may actually be preparing me for a bigger opportunity in the future? If the level of success I want showed up tomorrow, would I be emotionally, mentally, and spiritually prepared to handle it? What can I start documenting today that will allow me to see my growth and progress five years from now? Notable Quotes "The flood of prosperity has also drowned many individuals because they could not handle that type of responsibility." "Consistency will get you everything you want." "The flood of prosperity is in your future. It's there, it's coming, and it's going to come in a massive way. Are you prepared?"

May 18, 202622 min

Exposed By Your Enemy | Mindset Mastery with A.Z. Araujo

In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I found myself reflecting on something that happened years ago that completely shifted the way I look at criticism, growth, and the stories we tell ourselves every single day. Sometimes we think the biggest obstacles in our life are other people, but the truth is many of the battles we are fighting started in our own mind long before anyone else ever said a word. I shared an email I received back in 2016 from another broker owner here in Phoenix. At the time, I took the message as disrespect. I took it as jealousy. I took it as someone trying to tear down what Carla and I were building. The email criticized the type of content we were posting and challenged me to explain more clearly how we were actually helping agents grow their business. Back then, that message fired me up in the wrong way. I wanted to prove him wrong. I wanted to push harder out of spite. I carried that chip on my shoulder for years. But as I look back at it now, I realize something different. He was not exposing a weakness I did not know existed. He was exposing thoughts I had already been telling myself every single day. That was the real lesson. The things that trigger us the most are usually connected to insecurities we have already repeated in our own mind thousands of times. When someone says something that lines up with our private self talk, we instantly make them the enemy instead of facing the root problem. I was already questioning whether I was capable of building a brokerage. I was already wondering if I had enough systems, enough structure, enough clarity, enough leadership. So when someone else mentioned it out loud, I reacted emotionally because it confirmed what I secretly believed about myself. I think so many people live this way without realizing it. You tell yourself you are awkward on camera. Then someone says your video seemed uncomfortable, and now they become the villain in your story. You tell yourself you are inconsistent. Then your spouse points out your lack of discipline, and now you feel attacked. You tell yourself you are not good enough at sales. Then one deal falls apart and suddenly it becomes proof that your fears were right all along. The issue is not always the criticism. The issue is the identity we have already created around ourselves before the criticism ever arrives. One of the biggest realizations I shared in this episode is that negative self talk creates hesitation, procrastination, fear, and avoidance. It slowly convinces you to stay invisible. You stop posting. You stop speaking. You stop growing. You stop trying because your mind has already decided the outcome before the work even begins. What changed my life was learning how to challenge those thoughts instead of repeating them. Instead of saying, "I am not a good communicator," I began telling myself that I am developing the ability to communicate powerfully every single day. Instead of saying, "I do not have systems," I started building them. Instead of saying, "I am awkward at training," I focused on becoming obsessed with helping agents grow. And eventually the identity changed because the repetition changed. The work backed up the belief. Today I can confidently say that what we do inside our company changes lives because I no longer question it every morning before walking into the office. I stopped building enemies out of people who were simply exposing areas where I needed to grow. I stopped using criticism as fuel for revenge and started using it as information for expansion. This episode is really about understanding that growth requires a shift in perspective. Sometimes the people who trigger you the most are actually revealing the exact area where your next level is waiting. The question is whether you are willing to look deeper instead of reacting emotionally. At the end of the day, your future is heavily influenced by the conversations you have with yourself every single day. Your words become your identity. Your identity shapes your behavior. And your behavior creates your results. So if you want a different life, start by changing the way you speak to yourself. Questions For Reflection What negative thought about yourself have you repeated so often that it has started to feel like truth? Is there someone in your life you have labeled as an enemy when they may actually be exposing an area where you need to grow? What would change in your business or life if you stopped defending your limitations and started solving them instead? Notable Quotes "The things that trigger us the most are usually the things we have already been telling ourselves every single day." "I was not fighting other people. I was fighting the thoughts I had about myself." "Your words become your identity. Your identity shapes your behavior. And your behavior creates your results."

May 11, 202625 min

Change The Conversation | Mindset Mastery w/ A.Z. Araujo

In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery , we explore how your reality in business is shaped by the conversations you choose to have and the markets you choose to focus on. AZ Araujo breaks down the danger of getting stuck in one segment of buyers and how that limited exposure can distort your entire perspective of the industry. What feels like a difficult market is often just a narrow one. Many agents find themselves operating in a constant state of resistance, working with buyers who are stretching financially, hesitant to move forward, and quick to walk away over small changes. Over time, this creates the belief that every deal is hard, every client is difficult, and the market itself is the problem. But that belief is built on exposure to only a fraction of what is actually happening. The reality is that first time homebuyers make up only a small portion of the market, while the majority consists of repeat buyers and move up buyers who already understand the process and have resources available. These individuals are not being reached, not because they do not exist, but because the conversation is not being directed toward them. Most agents are speaking to the same audience in the same way, leaving a large segment of opportunity untouched. At AZ & Associates, the focus has always been on presenting opportunities, not just listings. The difference between struggling for deals and creating momentum often comes down to introducing a conversation that the client has never heard before. Many homeowners are unaware that they can leverage their equity, keep their current home as an investment, or utilize loan programs designed specifically for their situation. When those options are presented clearly, the entire dynamic of the relationship changes. Higher level clients approach challenges differently. Instead of walking away when obstacles arise, they look for solutions. They are conditioned to solve problems, adjust, and move forward. This creates a completely different experience for the agent, one that is built on progress rather than resistance. When you elevate your knowledge and expand your understanding of available products, your conversations begin to reflect that growth, and the clients you attract begin to shift as well. Burnout is often not a result of working too much, but of working in the wrong environment repeatedly. When every interaction feels like a battle, it drains your energy and reinforces the belief that success is difficult to achieve. By broadening your focus, deepening your knowledge, and reconnecting with your existing network, you position yourself to operate in a more aligned and productive space. Key Insights Shaping Your Reality Through Conversation: The type of clients you work with will determine how you perceive the market. If you only engage with one segment, your understanding becomes limited and skewed. The Missed Majority: First time homebuyers represent a small percentage of the market, yet most marketing is directed toward them. This leaves a large portion of opportunity untouched. Opportunity Over Information: Many potential clients already have the ability to move forward but lack awareness of their options. Introducing new possibilities is often the catalyst for action. Higher Level Problem Solving: Experienced buyers and business owners approach challenges with a solution oriented mindset, creating smoother and more productive transactions. Burnout Through Misalignment: Constant resistance in the same segment leads to exhaustion. Expanding your focus can create a more balanced and sustainable business. Questions to Reflect On What type of buyer have I been consistently attracting, and how has that shaped my belief about the market? Who in my current network already has the ability to move but has not been presented with the right opportunity? What conversations do I need to start having that would expand the level of clients I work with? Notable Quotes "If you are only talking to a specific buyer pool, your reality is going to be based on that." "First time homebuyers only make 21 percent of the market." "They do not say I cannot do it. They ask how long do I have to make it happen."

May 4, 202633 min

REPEAT LEADS TO A THREE-PEAT | MINDSET MASTERY WITH A.Z. ARAUJO

In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery , we are looking at the momentum we are building as an organization and the specific patterns that separate elite producers from those who hit a ceiling. We recently celebrated some massive wins, including our very own Grecia winning Rookie of the Year for one of the largest associations in the country. She did under 15 million in sales in her first year. It is inspiring, but it also highlights a critical truth about growth. The jump from 1 million to 3 million is tough. The jump from 5 million to 10 million is even tougher. But the hardest jump for most agents is moving past the point where they are doing everything themselves. Most agents are redlining. They are working at 100 percent capacity just to keep their current business afloat, which means they do not have the mental space to think about what is next. They are too busy solving small problems on individual deals to see the bigger picture. That is where the concept of the three-peat comes in. It is not just about a single win. It is about building a repeatable, systematic process that allows you to win again and again without burning out. To get to that next level, you have to invest in your infrastructure before you see the full return. You have to buy back your time by bringing on the right personnel and implementing the right systems. Key Insights Growth requires a shift in how you use your revenue. If you are a 15 million dollar producer but you are still using the same staff and systems you had at 3 million, you are going to break. You cannot swim in deep waters with a shallow mindset. You have to stop viewing support as a cost and start seeing it as an investment in your sanity and your future. Many people avoid making these moves because they are afraid of the short term dip in profit. They think they can save money by doing it themselves. But what is the cost of a missed lead? What is the cost of forgetting to follow up with a client? One lost deal could have paid for a full time assistant for months. When you redline your engine every day, you are going to burn out before you ever reach the long game. Building a dynasty like we are doing here at AZ and Associates means focusing on what you are best at and delegating the rest. It means becoming a student of the game and staying intentional about your growth every single day. Questions to Reflect On Are you still running your business with the same systems you had when you were producing at a lower level Where are you redlining in your life right now that is preventing you from seeing the bottlenecks in your business What would your business look like if you focused only on your highest value tasks and let a team handle the rest Notable Quotes "How you use your revenues in your organization to give you back more time is where the magic actually happens." "If you are redlining on a consistent basis you are going to burn out your engine." "To lead others you have to lead yourself."

May 1, 202634 min

MOVE OR IT WILL BE TAKEN | MINDSET MASTERY W/ A.Z. ARAUJO

In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery , we explore the transformative power of decisive action and the paralyzing nature of over-planning. AZ Araujo dives deep into the philosophy of "moving," even when the path ahead isn't perfectly clear. We often wait for the "right time" or the "perfect plan" to materialize, but in reality, the momentum required for elite success is only found through execution. Growth is rarely convenient and almost never feels "ready." Whether it is a new agent setting their first consultation just two weeks into the business or an established leader scaling an entire organization, the common thread among top producers is their willingness to move first and figure it out later. Many professionals get stuck in a loop of constant preparation—studying scripts, perfecting marketing, or waiting for financial certainty—while those who simply choose to "move" end up surpassing them by leaps and bounds. At AZ & Associates, we've learned that expansion comes with its fair share of challenges, but a positive outlook and a commitment to action ensure that things always work out as they should. You don't need to know every aspect of the business to start; you just need to put yourself in a position where you are forced to learn it. Key Insights The Trap of Over-Planning: Excessive planning can often be a form of procrastination. It creates a false sense of security while actually preventing the very movement necessary for growth. You cannot out-plan an obstacle you haven't faced yet. Abundance Follows Action: Drawing from a core principle, "whoever has will be given more." When you use the skills, time, and knowledge you currently possess by taking action, you are rewarded with more opportunities and deeper insight. If you fail to move, even what you have will begin to diminish. Leading Through Uncertainty: Success often requires investing in yourself and your business before it feels comfortable. Whether it's hiring staff, buying a URL, or opening a new location, waiting until you are "ready" usually means you've already missed the window. Developing Resilience: Your past experiences—both the wins and the tragedies—have prepared you for this moment. Rely on that history of survival to give you the confidence to take the next big step in your professional journey. Questions to Reflect On Are you currently using "planning" as an excuse to avoid taking a step that scares you? What is one area of your business where you have been hesitating, and what would happen if you simply decided to move on it today? How can you reframe a current "inconvenient" challenge as a necessary part of your next level of growth? Notable Quotes "Too much planning can discourage movement." "My job is just to move, and come in with that dedication that it's only a matter of time." "You'll be forced to learn it if you put yourself in that position." "Whoever has and moved on opportunities will be given more opportunities."