The Key To Getting What You Want In Life: Learn To Pivot

At age 27 I had an epiphany moment while camping in Yosemite. I realized the business I’d just spent 3 years building no longer fulfilled me. It was time to find a way out and try something new. 

This wouldn’t be an easy transaction. The business was a real estate portfolio and management company. It comes tied with debt, contracts and tenants. 

But the decision was made in my heart, time to change. 

The real estate enabled me to live the nomad life. It was the first full week I had taken off work. No cell service. No team comms. Just me and Mother Nature in Yosemite Valley. My week mostly consisted of reading, walking and hanging with the group. 

It was while laying in the hammock, staring at a Half Dome that it hit me:

I was working on something which didn't fuel me. Sure it had been fun acquiring 30 real estate units at age 25. It gave me a great lifestyle. But I was ready for more. I knew deep down that adding more to my portfolio wasn't what I needed.

I reflected a lot. Trying to work out what brought me joy, what I'm good at and what the world needs. I decided I needed to switch paths and build a business more true to myself and my goals.

Having slaved away on a project for the previous 3 years, that wasn't an easy move. I didn't know exactly what was next. But I knew I needed change.

I felt free.

Unmade decisions are a heavy weight. Especially when you know you're doing something which isn't true to yourself.

As soon as I told myself I was going to make a change, all that went away. I still remember it vividly, it gives me energy every time I think about it.

I listened to my heart in the moment. Time is scarce and I didn't want to waste it doing something which doesn't align for longer than necessary.

Deciding to do something is one thing. Executing it is another. I knew it would take time to figure out my next move and then transition into a different business. But the scariest part was making the decision.

I ruthlessly started experimenting. The thing you work on is one of the biggest influences on success. More than hard work and luck.

So I took my time to choose carefully. I built a new network. I learnt new skills. I tested new ideas.

I chose writing as my outlet. It's the intersection of what I'm good at, what I enjoy and how I can add value to the world and generate income.

Now I had to figure out how to use writing to create opportunities.

12 months of writing, experimenting and cold outreach, I had a breakthrough.

A yes. That was all I needed to hear. I'd proven my idea.

I was in Medellin when a reply hit my inbox from one of my 100's of cold emails I'd been sending. The CEO of a new ghostwriting agency wanted to hire me.

They talk about making your first $ online. I seemed to have skipped this and gone straight to my first few thousand $.

The journey sped up from there. Working for another agency was fun and a great way to learn. But it was just a stepping stone.

If the goal was to create my own agency, I had to figure out how to be different and add the most value.

Using my real estate experience, I noticed a problem. It's an old-school industry with dated marketing methods.

Raising funding in real estate is hard work. I knew this from experience. It's a vicious cycle of running between coffee meetings and repeating yourself. It's not very scaleable and distracts from the day-to-day running of the business.

I realized I was best served to help real estate CEOs scale their reach and land investors through an online brand.

Zooming In.

There's a ton of opportunity when you zoom in. There are a ton of ghostwriters promising to build a brand for CEOs who don't have time to write.

I knew I had to stand out. I couldn't find anyone in the writing space with my real estate background. So I switched up my offer.

We create educational email funnels to help real estate CEOs scale their reach and generate inbound investor leads.

I'll save the story of how this works for another day.

The point is, that committing to one specific problem opened up many doors for me. Niching down is scary but actually, it's a scarcity mindset. You'll never be able to sell to everyone, so don't try.

Now I get to work with interesting people on interesting projects.

There will never be a perfect time to make a change and start something you've been dreaming of. The only regret will be that you didn't start sooner.

So, if there's something within you that's calling out to you, start taking action. It will be painful. It will take time. But it's always worth it.

Everyone has a unique experience and skill set in life. If you want to open doors and build something which you care about, the best place to start is at the intersection of your skills and experience.

Use this to figure out how you can add value and apply it to real problems.

Reinventing yourself is the key to a fulfilling life.

Tomorrow may never come. Listen deeply. Take your time to decide and consider your path. Then go all in.

We only get one shot. It's important to be surrounded by the right people and work on the things which bring you joy.

Ways to work together 🤝

If you’re a real estate CEO reading this and looking to bring in more investors to your fund, we can help.

If you’re a real estate CEO, it could be time to pivot how you raise funds.

If you’re curious about how to generate investment on autopilot, I suggest you grab 15 minutes on my calendar here.

My bookmarks ❤️

Here are a few of the things I’m currently consuming and loving.

📚 Siddhartha: An Indian Tale. This is a great read for anyone looking to tap into a deeper meaning in life.

🎥 Casey Neistat reminds us to go after what we want and ignore anyone who tells us that you can’t do something.

📚 John Carlton: The Entrepreneur’s Guide To Getting Your Sh*t Together. John is a legendary copywriter. This is an easy and actionable read on the mindset you need to scale your business.

That’s all this week. DM’s are always open.

Tom Scourfield ✌️