How 16 Screws & a Drill Bit Changed My Marketing

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The past 18 months of my life did not go as planned. And I'm sure the same can be said for you. Whether it was the uncertainty of COVID or the crazy market of today, life has been unpredictable for many. I, for one, have learned a lot about myself and my marketing during this time. At the start of 2020, I was diagnosed with a life-changing health issue, and in the last eight months, I've had three major hip major surgeries to fix it. 

Despite all the challenges along the way, I've never been happier with what I'm doing or prouder of how Ideas for Real Estate is growing So, on this week's episode, I'm sharing the biggest marketing lessons I've learned during this time.

My Hip Story

The story starts in February of 2020. I will never forget sitting on the examination table at the orthopedist office, waiting to figure out what was wrong with me. You see, I'm not somebody who's a big fan of going to the doctor, and after about a month of pain in my right hip, I finally gave in and made an appointment. 

I'd heard the X-ray techs whispering that something didn't look right. I'd done all the tests, gotten the MRIs, and was worried I tore my hip labrum. But when the doctor came in, he had the strangest expression on his face. He kept looking at me and then looking at the scans on the computer. I guess he was trying to figure out what to say. Finally, I asked him, "did I tear my labrum?" And he looked me in the eyes and said sadly, "Yes, but that's the least of your problems. You have a lot going on."

"You have a lot going on" was the start of my PAO journey or better known as my periacetabular osteotomy surgeries. If you've listed to the interview I did with the Help for Hip Dysplasia podcast, then this story isn't new for you. 

When I was born, my femurs weren't correctly in my hip sockets all the way. Which was fine, until it really wasn't, and my hips failed. Come to find out, I had severe congenital dysplasia in my hips. I'd have to have a rare corrective surgery, a PAO, on both of my hips along with three other hip surgeries - five in total. PAOs are not common at all, and only a small group of surgeons across the entire country specialize in them. I lucked out that my surgeon was a few hours away in South Florida. But the most challenging part of all it was learning to live with chronic pain. I haven't had a pain-free day since January of 2020, and my marketing was definitely affected by this

My first PAO surgery was in November of 2020. They literally broke my right hip above and below my femur, rotated it, and screwed it back together with ten screws on that side. It's a very invasive surgery with a long recovery time. I was in the hospital for a week, on basically bed rest for two months, and it took me about four months until I could walk without my walker. And during that time, I was pretty much MIA when it came to Ideas for Real Estate. I wasn't releasing new episodes. You weren't seeing me on social. All was quiet. Because life had gotten in the way of my marketing.

Then, in March of this year, I finally had enough energy and clarity to start it up again. Since then, I'm continuously putting out new episodes, releasing new content, and I have some big announcements in the near future. 

Yet, my life is not back to normal. Last month, in May, I had two more surgeries, a PAO on my left hip and a surgery to fix my labrum and detached cartilage on the same side. Despite going through the same excruciating surgery and an additional surgery, I'm doing better than ever with my marketing. And that's what I want to talk about today, the marketing lessons I've learned going through this.

Lesson 1: Find Something Positive to Focus On 

The best thing I ever did was find something I was passionate about to focus on. Leading up to my first surgery in November and during the recovery, I was just physically and emotionally exhausted. I didn't have my usual spark, and Ideas for Real Estate was put aside. 

This time around, I have some big dreams and plans for the future. Creating those plans and pouring my heart into what I'm working towards has been a lifesaver for me. It's given me something positive to focus on and pour my energies into. I struggled with being sad about my situation and mad at my body during my first surgery. This time around, I haven't had the post-surgery blues, as they call them, and have felt more in control of my life.

So, find something positive you can do and focus on it. It doesn't have to be a million things in your business. What's that one thing that will make a big difference and you're passionate about? 

I'm passionate about helping people with their real estate marketing. Without giving any spoilers away, I have a project I'm focused on, and since I uncovered this path, my mindset completely shifted. Instead of obsessing about my upcoming surgeries, I doubled down on getting ahead of my content. That way, I could rest and recuperate after my surgeries without falling behind in my marketing. 

All of my nervous energy went into something positive instead of driving myself crazy. Even if it's just one thing, figure out what that is for yourself. I bet you'll be surprised by how much you're able to accomplish when you're not trying to do it all.

Lesson 2: Have Compassion for Yourself

I spent way too much feeling sorry for myself. In the last year and a half, I've been pretty immobile and gained some weight. As somebody who's worked out my entire adult life and is constantly on the go, this made me so upset. I just felt like another person, and everyone was constantly saying, "you need to rest and recover." That was the last thing I wanted to hear or do, but it's true.

You have to have compassion for yourself. 

Because how you feel personally directly impacts how you do professionally. So, take the time to rest and recharge. Don't be afraid to say 'no' to what drains you and 'yes' to focusing on yourself. That's a lesson I have learned the hard way. But this time around, I've been much kinder of myself. I know I have limitations, and I've planned and accepted them instead of being upset by them. I've given myself the time and space to heal. Give yourself the time and space to recharge as well. This will not only help your marketing but, hopefully, you're life as well.

Lesson 3: If You Drop the Ball, You Can Pick it Back Up

Juggling your marketing, your transactions, and the demands of daily life can be draining. It's ok if it always doesn't go to plan. When I launched my podcast at the end of 2019, I had no idea the challenges I would face in the future. Unfortunately, I dropped the ball on my marketing. I took some shortcuts, like not writing out full blogs to go with my podcasts, to save some time. I just didn't have the energy to do it all. And of course, from October to March, I didn't even release any new podcast episodes!

That's ok. It didn't stop me from picking everything up this Spring and moving forward again. I'm not looking back at what could have been. I'm excited about the future!

And you can do the same. If you haven't emailed your database in a while, that's ok. You can start email marketing again. If you haven't been consistent with your social media, don't worry about it. Let's put a plan in place for you moving forward. You know what you need to do to be successful. Instead of wasting time beating yourself up about what you could have done better, focus on what you can do in the future. 

If you drop the ball, you can pick it up again. I know it's possible because I've done it myself.

Lesson 4: Recognize Momentum Builds Over Time

When I first started my podcast, I knew that Pinterest would be one of my primary forms of marketing. So, I spent a lot of time, in the beginning, working on my Pinterest strategy and driving traffic back to my site. I also took the time to implement best practice strategies when it came to SEO for IdeasForRealEstate.com. 

When I started up the podcast again, I was excited to find that my long-term strategies were working! As time went on, my pins gained more and more popularity, and I was ranking on the first page of Google for many real estate marketing keywords. 

Behind the scenes, all my hard work was slowly building momentum.

We're often looking for instant gratification. I just shared this post on social - how many likes do I have? Or, I just set this ad - how many leads have a generated? It's all of the small tasks that you do in your marketing that come together and build your success over time. So, while it's easy to forget the small steps or be unexcited by the little achievements, it all adds up. Give yourself time to build momentum, and be consistent with what you find works.

You better believe that I'm even more focused on my site's SEO and Pinterest marketing now! (Learn more about Pinterest marketing and SEO for real estate.)

Lesson 5: Create Genuine Connections 

I teach relationship-based, authentic marketing. I want to give you all the resources you need to show up with your marketing in a genuine way. That way you can connect with more people and have meaningful relationships. 

I approach my marketing the same way. I take my content very seriously and personally. I want to provide you with the best and be here should you have any questions along the way. And from this approach, I've met the most incredible people across the country. So many DM conversations on Instagram have turned into friendships. It's a really good feeling to be helping people and not selling to people, and I'm sure it's how you feel as well.

So, instead of focusing on sales with your marketing, focus on the connections. Showing up as yourself and being there for people when they need you, will not only help your future customers but you as well. 

If you're not already, make sure you're following me on Instagram @IdeasForRealEstate and send me a direct message. I'd love to answer any questions you might have or be some encouragement in your day. For the month of July, I'm doing a Summer of Social theme on the podcast. 

So, let me know what your biggest challenges and obstacles are with social, so I can personally address them. The conversations have meant so much to me and been part of my journey of positivity.

I'll be honest, I'm still on my journey.

I'm creating this very episode with an ice pack on my hip and my walker by my side. I have 16 total screws in my hips and one stray drill bit. I'm still months away from walking and have two more surgeries ahead of me. 

But, I'm not the same person I was before, and I'm sure I won't be the same person when it's over. My life has changed. My marketing style has changed.

Yet, I'm still moving forward every day, and I thank you for coming on this journey with me.

UP NEXT:

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I’m Heather Colby, host of the “Ideas for Real Estate Podcast.”

If you like what you read here today, I’d encourage you to take a listen to the episodes. :