Rodney Jackson: Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Launched My Business or Startup

An Interview With Doug Noll

Put God first, family second, and business third. This business is all about balance. So many agents think that when they first become a realtor, they have to grind day in, day out, all day, all night. While I believe in working hard, I also believe in balance. Your business cannot consume you. You must decide what is important and spend time tending to those things when you’re not working. For me, that’s God and my family. When I began to prioritize them, my business blew up.

Only some have the tools with the risk to start a company. Any business owner knows that the first few years in business are anything but glamorous. Building a successful business takes time, lessons learned, and, most importantly, enormous growth as a business owner. What works and what doesn’t when one starts a new business? What are the valuable lessons learned from the “University of Adversity”? As part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rodney Jackson.

With over 20 years of experience in the real estate market, Rodney Jackson specializes in selling multi-million dollar homes and teaching emerging agents how to scale to their first million. Mr. Jackson is passionate about agents and how to increase their sales to their first million. His unique blend of expertise and mentorship has made him a sought-after leader in the real estate industry.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! What brought you to this specific career path?

Thank you for having me.

So, as a child who was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to parents who were investors, I understood the importance of home ownership at a very young age. My parents’ life choices drove my decision to get into the real estate industry. At age 21, I bought my first duplex, and by 23, I owned three properties. Shortly after, I obtained my real estate license at 24 years old.

In 2006, I moved to Florida. As a realtor, transitioning into a new market and building up brand new clientele takes time, so to keep income flowing and to provide for my family, I waited tables and built my real estate business simultaneously. During this time, my son saw how hard I worked day and night to keep the bills paid, and one day, he said something that lit a fire inside of me. He said, “You are Rodney Jackson. You don’t have to wait tables!” This statement alone shifted my focus to becoming a broker, as my son was the inspiration I needed to get back on track and crush the real estate game.

2008 the market crashed, and foreclosures were at an all-time high. However, I began making a killing in short sales and earning more money with my negotiation skills than I did selling real estate. Once the market picked up, with my two licenses in real estate and brokerage, I pivoted with the ever-changing economy and moved my family to Phoenix, Arizona. In Phoenix, my business began to boom, resulting in a significant increase in customer acquisition. My targeted niche and selling approach landed me a stellar reputation, I was named the number two selling agent in Goodyear, Arizona, and I grossed $37 million in home sales. Looking back, I see that my success resulted from thinking outside the box and keeping God first, family second, and business third.

Today, I use my expertise to coach real estate agents by providing them with a roadmap in my newly released books, “Who Ate My Cookie,” and “My Proven System For Selling Homes For Top Dollar,” which highlight marketing strategies and systems for selling homes fast for top dollar. My coaching program, launching in late 2023, teaches agents what it takes to sell a home, market a business, and win in real estate.

Find “Who Ate My Cookie?” here.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times you faced when you started your journey?

The market crash of 2008 affected everyone, including me, and though I made a killing in short sales, my business still suffered. I struggled to sell homes beyond short sale transactions, and eventually, my business severely felt the impact.

Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were complicated?

The security of my family, my reputation, and the needs of my clients have always been and will always be my biggest motivation. I truly believe that a setback is a setup for a comeback, so even in my most complicated moments, I feel I can overcome them as long as I have my family, my reputation to stand on, and my clients who need my services.

So, how are things going today? How did grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?

I’ve been forced to close and reopen my business five times, and if I didn’t have grit and resilience, I wouldn’t be here today. To succeed and persevere through anything, we must believe in ourselves and keep going despite our obstacles. As many times as I’ve had to pivot, I’ve never stopped believing in myself, which has gotten me to where I am. Though the market crash in 2008 was horrible, and my business burned to the ground, I kept going. Though I had to pick up a side hustle to get extra income, I kept going. I never gave up on what I knew I could do best, so that’s how resilience and grit led to my success. I’ve always been determined to figure it out, and I’ve never been afraid to pivot or reinvent myself. When I face obstacles in my business, they make me stronger and lead me to eventually figure out how to build an even bigger and better business.

Can you share a story about your funniest mistake when first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

This wasn’t funny at the time, but looking back, I am grateful it happened because it taught me a lesson. I was at an event in my neighborhood when a couple approached me and asked if I remembered them. As I stared at them and tried to remember who they were, I eventually confessed that I didn’t. The woman then shared that I was recently at her house doing a listing presentation. Talk about feeling embarrassed.

The lesson I learned from this is to try and visualize people’s faces and remember their names because if there comes a time when they run into you after your initial interaction, it will feel good to them to know that they stuck out in your mind.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

My marketing and selling strategies for sure. I show clients that I am different from the competition, and because of this, they see value in me and quickly understand why I am number one in my marketplace and number two in the entire city.

For example, I recently went on a listing appointment in which the clients had already interviewed other agents before meeting me. They were glued when they finally met me, and I began presenting my credentials and marketing my strategies. I explained the reasoning behind my unconventional yet highly effective sales tactics, such as paying out of pocket for my client’s appraisal, inspection, and home staging. I shared that by having the appraisal done upfront, they can stay firm on their price and receive the full price for their home. I also shared that an upfront inspection allows the seller to negotiate with a buyer, knowing that issues are present instead of being blindsided when the buyer gets an inspection on the backend. Lastly, paying for the client’s home staging is a must for me because staged homes always sell better and for more money. At the end of the appointment, the clients were amazed.

Which tips would you recommend to your industry colleagues to help them thrive and not “burn out”?

1) Focus on listings because listings are kin, and you can control your time with them. When you work mainly with buyers, you will see that they control your time, not vice versa. With listings, you can set convenient appointments for you and the seller. This will allow you to control your life better and avoid burnout.

2) Find your niche. One of the reasons my business thrives over the competition is because I know my niche. In this business, knowing your niche is fundamental because there are several ways to reach your goal; however, if you have no idea who you’re targeting, you will get burned out trying to reach your goal. It will feel like you’re trying to hit a moving target. Is your niche a specific neighborhood? Will you be cold calling? Door knocking? Buying leads? You have to figure those things out.

3) Learn to manage your time properly. Success in this business comes down to time management. Who are you accountable to during your day? What are you accountable for doing during the day? Designing your days will ultimately help you to design your life.

We can only achieve success with some help along the way. Is there a person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

My first mentors were my parents. They owned investment properties before I was born, and growing up, I got to see the kind of lifestyle they could provide for their family due to their investments. My siblings and I were able to go to private schools, our college tuition was paid, and my parents were able to buy and build a vacation home. Experiencing this as a child was powerful because these luxuries exposed me to the kind of lifestyle that I wanted to one day provide for my own family.

After my parents, I found my next mentors in an amazing real estate organization I joined in Texas. With the coaching, I received there and the experience I gathered along the way, I eventually became one of the top producers in my office. I won numerous awards for outstanding sales volume.

This is how I got to where I am today.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

My favorite way to bring goodness to the world is by sharing. I am successful because of my experience and knowledge, so when I can share what I’ve learned with others, I am always grateful for the opportunity. This is the sole reason I created The Million Dollar Real Estate Coach Program, a comprehensive training program designed to help real estate agents improve their skills and succeed tremendously in their careers.

After completing the program, students will gain a deeper understanding of the real estate industry and learn practical skills that will help them become more effective agents. They will also receive access to newsletters that share insights and strategies that helped me generate more than $1,000,000 in income.

In the program, students can access training modules, group coaching calls, prospecting scripts, recorded training calls, and more.

Everything I know, I share through this program. I hold nothing back.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first launched my business,” and why?

1. The importance of prospecting. I wish I had known how to prospect for my business when I started. When I started in the 80s, coaching was nonexistent, so I needed someone to teach me the importance of prospecting. It’s something I had to figure out on my own. Today, I make sure to teach my mentees the importance of prospecting because it helps save tons of time and helps you quickly identify potential leads. This type of guidance when I first started would have helped me get farther and much faster.
2. The importance of being aggressive with my business. When I first started, I was uncertain of many things and was afraid of success. Because of this, I didn’t sell my business and skillset as I should have. I was also concerned with others thought of me on my journey to success. As I’ve matured, however, I don’t even care anymore. This is me, and this career is what I do. This business is what I earn. I don’t brag about it, but I don’t shy away from the conversation either. This increase in confidence has since opened more doors for me.
3. The importance of being consistent and persistent. Being consistent and persistent in this business is crucial. Because I am consistent with my marketing and persistent with prospecting for my business daily, I am known as the go-to realtor in my city who provides value.
4. The importance of coaching. I can’t stress how important coaching is for a new agent. Without mentorship, you are left to figure everything out independently, which is possible but also time-consuming and exhausting. Having mentorship and a great coach saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes that cause most new agents to give up.
5. Put God first, family second, and business third. This business is all about balance. So many agents think that when they first become a realtor, they have to grind day in, day out, all day, all night. While I believe in working hard, I also believe in balance. Your business cannot consume you. You must decide what is important and spend time tending to those things when you’re not working. For me, that’s God and my family. When I began to prioritize them, my business blew up.

Can you share a few ideas or stories from your experience about how to successfully ride the emotional highs & lows of being a founder?

When I first entered this business, I was all over the place emotionally. I was in my mid-20s, and I was extremely ambitious, but I found myself frequently frustrated. As I’ve mentioned, at that time, I didn’t have mentorship, so there was a lot that I had to figure out on my own, and I made a ton of mistakes. After growing tired of the constant frustration and agitation, I learned that the key is to take a break, so I started to exercise. Decades later, I still spend an hour each day at the gym, which always resets my mind.

I talk to people all the time who are frustrated, and I always tell them that exercise is a game changer. They usually respond by telling me that they don’t have time to hit the gym, but I remind them that you must schedule exercise the same way you schedule a business appointment. If you don’t, you won’t do it and will always be frustrated and burned out.

I also manage my business’s emotional highs and lows by prioritizing listings. With listings, I can schedule time off in the evenings or take a vacation, which further helps me avoid burnout and balance my time.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

If I could start any movement, I’d start one that inspires people to accept and respect people for who they are, regardless of their race. I say this because I had a predominantly African American clientele when I first started my business. I then branched out and put our office in an all-white Texas neighborhood where I still had mainly African American clients. Over time, I forced myself to spread my wings, focus on other neighborhoods, and attract white clients. This quickly taught me that I will never make everyone happy and that everyone isn’t going to like me, but those who do will like you for you and not care about your race. Most people only care about the character of a person. So, that’s the kind of movement I’d start. One that encourages people to open their eyes and give someone a chance to be a part of their lives solely based on who they are.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

You can follow me on all major social media platforms. My Instagram is @RealtorRodneyJackson. My Facebook is @RealtorRodneyJackson. My Tiktok is @RealtorRodneyJackson. You can learn more about and work with me by visiting my website here.

This interview was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

About the Interviewer: Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA, was born nearly blind, disabled with club feet, partially deaf, and left-handed. He overcame all of these obstacles to become a successful civil trial lawyer. In 2000, he abandoned his law practice to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer. He is a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. Doug teaches his innovative de-escalation skill that calms an angry person in 90 seconds or less. With Laurel Kaufer, Doug founded Prison of Peace in 2009. The Prison of Peace project trains life and long-term incarcerated people to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. He has been motivated by inmates who have learned and applied deep, empathic listening, leadership, and problem-solving skills to reduce violence in their prison communities. Their dedication to learning, improving, and serving their communities motivates him to expand the principles of Prison of Peace so that every human wanting to learn peace skills may do so. Doug’s awards include California Lawyer Magazine Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year, Purpose Prize Fellow, International Academy of Mediators Syd Leezak Award of Excellence, and National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals Neutral of the Year. His four books have won several awards and commendations. Doug’s podcast, Listen With Leaders, is now accepting guests. Click on this link to learn more and apply.