18: Building Your Own Empire: From Cop to Real Estate Agent
Behind Their Success: Ep 18
Gary Kerley: [00:00:00] Betting on myself was the best decision I ever made. And it was something I've never done before. Because I didn't think I deserved it. I thought I was a guy that was just going to, live paycheck to paycheck, struggle like the majority of people, we get in this mindset of the, so to speak.
Gary Kerley: And, uh, when I decided to get out of that race and build my own empire,that's when things became very powerful for me.
Hello, I'm Paden Squires, and I'm the host of the podcast. This podcast is for those who are dissatisfied with where they are at in their life and career currently. I used to be one. When I got out of college with my master's degree, I started working in banking. I eventually moved to a Fortune 500 company.
I quickly found out being an employee was not for me. I was bored out of my mind and did not like it whatsoever. Something eventually lit a fire under me. I started studying for the CPA exam, listening to podcasts, and reading books every day. By doing that, I had passed all four parts of the CPA exam in eight [00:01:00] months and quit my job.
I opened up my own tax firm, having never been paid to do someone's taxes. That was in 2014. Since then, I've consistently grown my business. Had a lot of success in other business ventures, including real estate, property management, among other things. And now, I'm looking for a new venture. I want to help inspire you and other entrepreneurs to achieve their potentials and dreams, as well as learn from the stories of these entrepreneurs, as to see what has gone well and what hasn't gone well for them.
Let's go create a bunch of healthy, wealthy, and wise entrepreneurs.
Paden Squires: Hello, listeners, welcome back to Behind Their Success podcast. I am Peyton Squires, the host, and today we got a special guest on for you, Gary Kerley. So Gary was born and raised in the Kansas City area where he met and married his high school sweetheart, Crystal. They couldn't ask for a better place to live and raise their two [00:02:00] children, Addison and Chase.
Paden Squires: So Gary previously served for 15 years in law enforcement at the Grand View Police Department. The majority of those years were spent serving the community as a crimes against Children detective. He also served in many other roles in the department, such as a hostage negotiator. Gary was recognized and awarded as officer of the year in 2017.
Paden Squires: Seeing a need in the community and having a strong passion to serve, Gary founded a nonprofit called Lizzie's Hope in 2010 to help victims of child abuse and neglect. Gary's taken all the tools, experience and passion from his previous career and implemented it into helping his clients buy and sell homes.
Paden Squires: And not only does he help his clients buy and sell homes, Gary he started as a realtor in 2016 by 2020. He was the number two realtor in the state for REMAX. So Gary went from a long term law enforcement officer just in a few years to one of the highest producing real estate agents in the [00:03:00] state of Missouri.
Paden Squires: And I know in 2023, he also finished as the number two realtor in the state of Missouri, for remax Gary's motto outside being the hardcore realtor is that nobody will outwork him. Gary. Hey,
Gary Kerley: Thank you. And, not to brag, but in my first full year in real estate, I became the number two realtor in the entire state out of all the brokerages.
Gary Kerley: So I did both of them for a couple of years before I jumped in full time.
Paden Squires: dude, that's impressive. That's impressive. So Gary, you know, I kind of had your bio there. You worked in law enforcement and been killing it in real estate the last few years. give us a little more detail on your background or how that all came about.
Gary Kerley: growing up, I really didn't want to do anything other than, be a police officer. And, uh, you know, so that was kind of like my journey. I never had my mind on anything else. I never really personally wanted to go to college. I had that opportunity to go to college and play baseball and I just got burned out on that growing [00:04:00] up.
Gary Kerley: And like the typical entrepreneur story that, grew up humble beginnings,not in the greatest area,grew up fighting,as a sport almost, that not a lot to do where we were at, didn't have a lot, that I'm sure my parents were probably doing the best they could at that time.
Gary Kerley: We moved out of that area and into a little bit better area and,somebody got out of prison, started dealing drugs around the neighborhood. And I was kind of the kid growing up that nobody was allowed to hang out with. I was a troublemaker. I was a,I was a guy that got in a lot of fights.
Gary Kerley: Then this guy moved in the area and took over that crown and started dealing narcotics in this subdivision. And, uh, man, I just made the decision at that time, like, Hey, I want to be a law enforcement officer. This is not the path for me. And I seen, how those drugs have ruined so many people's lives.
Gary Kerley: So it just kind of, you know, I doubled down on being a police officer. And when I was 20 years old,I just joined the academy and [00:05:00] got on at Grandview. Um, you know, a little local community just south of, uh, Kansas City. they don't have a lot of resources, so it was kind of a double-edged sword.
Gary Kerley: got a lot of experience really fast.I served as a patrolman for a couple years. I never thought I'd ever actually want to be a detective because I just loved being behind the wheel, chasing bad guys, getting a foot chase.I've always kind of prided myself and being the hardest working person around.
Gary Kerley: I was never the smartest guy. I never thought I'd ever be really successful. So I thought, the only thing I can really control is how hard I work. and so they came to me, asked me if I wanted to become a detective. And I was like, maybe just to become a better patrol officer. Um, well, then, You know, I transferred to the detective unit after a couple of years, worked a couple of years in burglary and then you realize that unfortunately, nobody really gets in trouble for breaking into houses.
Gary Kerley: it's almost like shoplifting in [00:06:00] our county. you know, which is a whole other topic. I transferred to crimes against children because I just felt led to go there. And,I did that for 12 years and, um, be, you know, serve as a hostage negotiator and, I learned a lot on how to communicate with people, which is my superpower.
Gary Kerley: I was diagnosed, actually at a younger age, with social anxiety disorder and, uh, So to be able to do what I do, you know, I have to really leverage, my strengths and,also, growing up, I was actually paralyzed for a year at Guillain Barre and, uh, so that's going to be a little fun fact that a lot of people don't know.
Gary Kerley: So I have overcome a lot, learn how to walk again, get dressed again. You know, and kind of led me into law enforcement and, uh, served, you know, just, under 15 years there.
Paden Squires: it's kind of a sensitive topic, but what led you into the crimes against children unit?
Paden Squires: Now I can't, you know, I can't even imagine what you experienced and saw in your role there.
Gary Kerley: I just felt like I needed to do something more important. it was [00:07:00] actually kind of my demise, after a while, I never thought I'd do anything else but be a police officer, be a detective, but, you know, actually doing that for so long, it kind of broke me.
Gary Kerley: And, uh,I couldn't see another way. my department actually, you know, wouldn't transfer me out at the time. and so that's actually oddly enough, led me into real estate. So
Paden Squires: So yeah, hard work, right? So,and I like what you said there, that. That's the one thing you can't control, right?
Paden Squires: You can't necessarily control your IQ or the circumstances around you or all these different things, you can make up for all those things and just pure hard work.
Gary Kerley: Yeah. It's true. You know, when they say that hard work beats talent every day and then it gives you time for your talent and your skills to catch up and really big on self growth and at this point in my life, I wish I would have understood that a little bit sooner.
Gary Kerley: But I guess, you know, we're never too late. So
Paden Squires: yeah. So serve 15 years as an officer, transition into real estate. [00:08:00] So tell us about how that started and, How it's been going.
Gary Kerley: Yeah. So it is going pretty well. when I did break,from being a crimes against children's detective, it just kind of,went to, my department leaders and told them I needed a break, needed to transfer, and, they were like, nope, you're really good at this and we don't want to see, imagine how many bad guys would walk free, if you didn't do this role.
Gary Kerley: Well at that point, I had. I had kids and it was really hard to juggle the emotional strain of that, working, you know, probably 70 hours, sometimes 80 hours a week as a detective. I actually ended up having a conversation with a guy at my daughter's basketball practice.
Gary Kerley: And, at that point in my life, I would say I was probably the most toxic individual I've ever been around. Um, I was unhappy. just, I was, I was sick of being around myself. I couldn't imagine the poor people that had to sit around me or listen to me all the time. And, uh, you know, this guy's like, have [00:09:00] you ever thought about becoming a real estate agent?
Gary Kerley: And I was like, at that point, man, I didn't know anything about business. it kind of seemed so farfetched, you know,I never, Imagine doing anything else. And it's funny how we get into our own bubbles and you get tunnel vision and you don't even realize there's other jobs out there or other opportunities.
Gary Kerley: I was always just kind of told like in a kind of. Thought that you're just a cop, and what else can I do? I've only been a cop since I was 20 years old and I had no other skills. I thought,until I got into real estate. So I took my exam and my test a couple months later and I kind of started my real estate career.
Gary Kerley: I juggled both of them, for a couple of years. I was really just thinking of it as a side job. if I could just sell maybe one to two houses a year, then I don't have to work off duty security anymore because once a week I would work in an apartment complex, the worst apartment complex in the [00:10:00] city and, uh, put chases just, you know, I mean, every single night it was something, which is why they hired police officers to work security there.
Gary Kerley: And,my first two days of having my license, I got a home under contract and, and then the first year, I sold 51 houses and so, you know,I made probably three to four times my income just kind of doing it, part time, although, the average realtor sells eight houses a year.
Gary Kerley: full time realtors and I sold 51 kinds of, doing it on the side, but I was probably putting in full time hours. at that point I was probably working 80, 80 plus hours between both jobs. just trying to keep up and hustle. But the harder I work, the more it fuels me. And, I've always kind of been that way.
Gary Kerley: And real estate's one of those careers where you're rewarded for how hard you're working and what you put into it. We're in law enforcement. It's actually the opposite, unfortunately, you know, and, uh, this, this day and age in this culture, things that I was, I used to get [00:11:00] accommodations and awards for where now you're getting reprimanded for,the harder you work, the more trouble you get in, the more paperwork you create.
Gary Kerley: And I knew it was time when my city leaders, my department leaders just told me like, can't you just look busy? Can't you just shuffle papers? And that's, that's not me. And,I'm all the way, 100, 110 miles an hour. and once they kind of told me that I knew it was kind of the beginning of the end, needed to get out.
Paden Squires: Yeah. Comment like that. It's gotta be pretty, I just know you, as well as I do that comment like that. And for anybody, I can't imagine just shutting them down, a person that cares so much and to get a comment like, Hey, don't, you know, don't buck the system.
Paden Squires: Don't, Cause any problems, that's the only thing that's gonna do is shut you down.
Gary Kerley: Yeah. and I realize I've never been the easiest person to lead. I do, definitely. I am not a, I've never been a yes or no sir, kind of person. I will challenge you. I [00:12:00] will question you, if I don't feel.
Gary Kerley: In order or decision is just, you know,I won't do it. And, uh, I've always been that way. It's just, knowing now the culture index, my personality, it's, I mean, like it really fits, it's like not necessarily a rule follower. What's
Paden Squires: your personality again? What's your profile
Gary Kerley: philosopher? but, you know, I'm a high drive, philosopher. So,it's kind of
Paden Squires: really low C, right? Yeah.
Gary Kerley: Yeah. So I, I don't, you know, follow orders very well, which is why, and I think you too, like it, it's hard for me to work well with authority and leadership and, being in a leadership position now, it does give me a little bit, you More understanding of some of my past leaders and some of my current leaders,but that doesn't mean that I still don't, buck the system from time to
Paden Squires: time,
Gary Kerley: but it was a hard choice when I left, it was actually the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
Gary Kerley: It was the scariest thing I've ever done. I remember the last day of being in the department, me and another guy arrested a [00:13:00] homicide suspect on our last homicide. And, uh, Man, I went and cuffed him to the bench and I drove home and I cried all the way home thinking, you know, because you start listening to all the naysayers throughout your career of like, you're, you're just a cop.
Gary Kerley: What are you going to do when the market crashes? How are you going to give up your benefits and your pay and your security and your job? And so that, you know, started sinking in.on the drive home, like all at once is like, maybe I didn't think of it before and, and I, I broke down and I was like, man, I'm going to have to call them back and just beg for my job back.
Gary Kerley: And then the very next month, I actually made double my income. What I've made in a year at the police department. So, you know, I made, I made 50, 000 on a good year and that's with, unfortunately a lot of overtime and, my very first month. being away full time. I made a hundred thousand [00:14:00] and I knew I just bought myself two years.
Gary Kerley: And so in my mind, that's what I was buying myself years of, if it didn't work out, at least I have a year, two years to, to make up and to, to figure my life out. And then the second month, I hit another a hundred and it just snowballed, from there. I'm pretty grateful.
Paden Squires: So there's, you know, there's probably listeners hearing that and jaws on the floor of Hey, he quit his job. And then in a couple of months, made twice of what he did the year before, brand new in an industry, like how would, um, how'd that happen?
Gary Kerley: So the funny story is, my partner, in the detective unit, was looking to, Sell his home.
Gary Kerley: During me going through real estate school and the whole time he was like, Hey, do you want to sell my house? you know, stuff like that. And, uh, that was kind of the plan. And I thought I was, I made it, you know, I was like, man, I'm going to get my first sale pretty [00:15:00] quick. It was a nice home here in our city of Lee summit.
Gary Kerley: Then we're doing a, I believe it was homicide. We're doing surveillance on a homicide. And, uh, he loves when I tell this story, but he looks at me and he's like, this may be awkward, but we hired somebody else to sell her home. And, you know, there was, there were some other reasons. Oh man, dude, it was like a stab in my heart.
Gary Kerley: I didn't understand it at the time. It rocked me. And, uh, I was like, man, this guy that trusts me with his life doesn't trust me with his house, you know? but you know, I understand at this point because at that point, man, I've never sold a house. I really didn't. I didn't have a clue what I was doing.
Gary Kerley: barely passed my real estate exam, you know, and I probably barely passed that, it, it was tough. Well, At that point, you know, I had to kind of look kind of at the whole picture. And I was like, man, everybody, I know my whole sphere of influence, family, friends, colleagues, [00:16:00] strangers, they know me as Gary, the detective, and they know me, or they know me as Gary, the guy that owns a nonprofit.
Gary Kerley: They didn't know me as Gary, the realtor, they had no idea. Who that was. And I didn't know who that was at the time. And so what I realized though, is I needed to find a new way to generate leads. And so what I did was, is I started buying friends and I started buying leads. And there's some people in the industry that frown on buying leads, but this, uh, this is my take is everybody buys business.
Gary Kerley: You either are buying that with. your time or you're buying it with your money. I can't get any time back, but I can always make more money. So I started buying leads and the first lead I got was on a Friday and, uh, met my first client on a Sunday and got a house under contract close two weeks later and got literally my first commission check.
Gary Kerley: Was an entire year's worth of [00:17:00] overtime at the police department. And I was hooked, at that point I was hooked. I was like, wow, like, you know, I just hit my goal of selling one house a year. You know, to kind of go back to my partner, I ended up earning his business later on.
Gary Kerley: but I had to earn it, you know, and that's, that's the way it really should be. is, when people call me now and they're like, oh, my, my brother is a realtor, my sister is a realtor, so and so, but I was like, man, but do they know what they're doing? are they, a top producing realtor that can really help you and get you the most money, for your home or help maybe navigate, buying a home.
Gary Kerley: And, uh, at that time, like, you know, my friend knew that and, uh, my partner knew that, but, It lit a fire under me and maybe without that, maybe I wouldn't be where I'm at. and now that friend is actually my director of operations, for my business, so it worked out and you know, and now he trusts me to, to, uh, lead this, you know, business and help support him and his family.
Paden Squires: Yeah, you know, that was interesting. You kind of made the [00:18:00] comment earlier of,everybody do you as Gary the cop or Gary, you know, that has a nonprofit, Gary, the detective. And they didn't have that new identity of Gary the realtor. this is something I talked to a lot of entrepreneurs about, but tell them that like, when you're starting out your biggest problem.
Paden Squires: Is that nobody knows who you are. And that is the number one problem you have to solve is that you're right. Like you become a realtor and Gary, you think people know your realtor, but they don't, right? Like they don't associate you as the realtor and getting that word out and breaking through. That's tough.
Paden Squires: It often takes time, you know, and that's why you really see businesses take most of the time, even three years of hard work before that network really starts to build. It's important to get that identity shift and get that out to everybody.
Gary Kerley: Yeah, definitely. I mean,I had to develop a brand, and the hardcore realtor brand, just kind of happened by accident.
Gary Kerley: And, I just kind of ran with it. And now everybody knows me as [00:19:00] the hardcore realtor. And, uh, it's one of those things that I now take pride in, first when my title company is the one that kind of started calling me that. I was like, Oh, that's kind of corny, but then everybody started calling me, the hardcore realtor and, uh, brand identity is so important and I built it on social media.
Gary Kerley: I really did. And, I took, I believe I was reading the 10x rule at the time and, you know, I became a reader, when it's like. You know, I started on this journey and it was like double down on social media and I built my whole identity on, Facebook generally, is where I'm most known for.
Gary Kerley: And I got a lot of clients. I make a lot of money off Facebook and I connect with people at a little deeper level. And I built my brand but it did take some time, before, the colleagues and the friends and everything came around, but I had to prove myself and I was willing to do it.
Gary Kerley: So.
Paden Squires: Yeah. And that's, that's the thing, you know,and that's, that's something that, I would say has led to a certain level of my success as [00:20:00] being active on social media. And it's not even about the way I operate there. It's not even about necessarily directly getting business out of it, but it's, It's building the platform, building an audience and also it puts you a little bit on a pedestal or brand you as an expertise, right?
Paden Squires: If you're constantly talking about, with you talking about houses, me talking about. Money and finance and those kinds of things. It really builds you as an authority. And I, one of my biggest regrets is I talked about putting more energy into that for years before I finally actually started to do it.
Gary Kerley: Yeah, no, I coach a lot of realtors and I coach my team and, uh, it's a number one way to generate income. And, I learned early on that money follows attention. and it is really hard for me, you know, having that social anxiety and stuff, but the more I do it, the further I get away from that.
Gary Kerley: And, uh, I just kind of go all in on it, but it also humanizes me. I'm not fake there. I tell the good, bad, ugly, you can tell probably when I'm having a bad day, I don't hide that stuff. I want people to know me for who I [00:21:00] am. not, just some phony person, that's writing my Facebook posts with AI or my AI picture or anything like that.
Gary Kerley: It's, it's all me. Like you got, this is the way I look, no, no AI filters for me, unfortunately. So yeah,
Paden Squires: The authenticity is what comes through, right? And those are the people that are successful on social media and spreading their brand is they're just themselves. And. Everybody's searching for something, in this world of all this chaos and whatever, everybody's looking for something that's real, And authentic. And, it really comes through when someone's doing that.
Gary Kerley: Yeah, definitely. And I learned that money follows attention and I post numerous times when I was running and gunning and, but everything I post is very strategic, very tacky, you know?
Paden Squires: Yeah. Oh yeah. There needs to be a level of attentionality about it.
Paden Squires: just sporadically shooting stuff out. There isn't. necessarily helpful. I mean, it's better than doing nothing. But yeah, if you can bring out the authenticity and then also be extremely intentional about how you're trying to navigate that [00:22:00] combination, those two can obviously lead to a lot of success.
Paden Squires: Yeah.
Gary Kerley: And I've made some mistakes there. now I go by rule is if it's not motivational, if it's not inspirational, if it's not helpful, I don't post it, you
Gary Kerley: it's easy to get wrapped up in that other stuff. The politics of everything. Obviously I'm a proud American.
Gary Kerley: Like I know I wouldn't be where I'm at, if I didn't live in this country,so it's hard for me sometimes to bite my tongue, scroll and roll, sometimes, yeah, scroll and roll, baby. That's my best advice for anybody on social media. Sometimes I'll type some stuff out and I'm like.
Gary Kerley: Is it motivational? Is it helpful? is it inspirational? it is none of those things. So sometimes I think it's a form of therapy for people. but really, man, you're just creating controversy.
Paden Squires: And like I, I'm the same way. I've gotten a lot better to where I don't get sucked into that near as much, but there's still times where like I post something and then two minutes later, I'm like, you know what? I'm just going back to delete that. And it's not like it's something crazy, [00:23:00] controversial, whatever.
Paden Squires: I'm just like, it's just not helpful.
Gary Kerley: Yeah.
Paden Squires: You know what I mean? Like it's not positive. It's not lifting anybody up. It's just not helpful.
Gary Kerley: And I would say the more successful you are, the more you separate yourself from that stuff anyways, you know, it's like, here's me, my legacy, my journey, and then there's everything else, the other stuff's noise,it doesn't directly impact me.
Gary Kerley: I'm not changing anybody's mind. Nobody is changing anybody's mind, on Facebook. Like it's already a bunch of people that are dead hard set on their views. And, no matter what I say, and as long as we respect each other as humans, and that's the biggest thing for me is,I got people from all sides and all walks of life I'm friends with, and I respect them.
Gary Kerley: And, as long as we can stay on that level, we're going to be okay.
Paden Squires: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. As long as you're a good human,I can respect what you believe, everybody comes from different perspectives and brings different things to the table and you know I'm right there with you.
Paden Squires: So Gary, what would you say is the best decision you ever made on your journey here? Ooh,
Gary Kerley: man. obviously the best decision I [00:24:00] ever made was betting on myself. I jumped, and it was the scariest thing that I've ever done. but if I didn't, I don't know if I'd still be here to talk about it.
Gary Kerley: You just never know where, what life leads. but I was pretty broken at that point. And,jumping just into the journey of not even real estate, like just jumping into anything. So, you know, anybody that is thinking about trying something new, and it scares you, man, that's what you should be doing.
Gary Kerley: And, uh, I was comfortable doing what I was doing. I was a lead detective, lead interrogator. it could have been easy for me to write out my career, I guess,but gosh, what quality of life would that have been? And,I still miss my career sometimes, you know, I got a lot of anger and resentment.
Gary Kerley: Sometimes, but you know, time does heal some of that. And the further I get away from it, but just betting on myself, was the best decision I ever made. And it was something I've never done before. Because I didn't think I deserved it. I thought I was a guy that was just going to, live paycheck to paycheck, struggle like the majority of [00:25:00] people, we get in this mindset of, so to speak.
Gary Kerley: And, uh, when I decided to get out of that race and build my own empire,that's when things became very powerful for me.
Paden Squires: Yeah. And you talk about the fear there, like if you're scared of something, that's probably the direction you should move.
Paden Squires: And that's, that's so true. And the crazy thing about that, if you never turn and face that fear. It will follow you everywhere you go and you will always have to think about it. It's never going away until you turn and face that and deal with it in some fashion.
Gary Kerley: Yeah. And I think everybody's wired a little differently.
Gary Kerley: like people, you know, we have the fight. Everybody's heard of fighting. but there's also fight, flight, or freeze. I've always been a fighter, so I run towards the fight. so maybe it was a little easier for me, I guess, but also I'm very loyal, very agreeable.
Gary Kerley: So it's hard for me. I hate change. so I had to absolutely be on my last straw before I did make a change. or, I would have left. I would [00:26:00] have worked both jobs for 20 more years, and probably been miserable doing it,at the expense of my family, but now that I have the freedom of my time, because like I said before, we can't buy any more of that.
Gary Kerley: So,freedom of my time and not getting called out, during the middle of my kids sporting events while I'm coaching, not getting called at three in the morning to come out and work crime scenes. opened up a whole realm of possibilities, and I know we still need those people, and I highly respect anybody that is in law enforcement and still continues.
Gary Kerley: But my message to them is don't get stuck. You have choices because you are a police officer. You actually have a lot of skills you don't even know about, and you can put those into business or do anything you want to do. So don't ever feel stuck.
Paden Squires: So Gary, going back to the beginning, if you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice from your perspective today, what would that be?
Gary Kerley: Read, before I got my own business and real estate, and I probably only read a couple of books my whole [00:27:00] life. I was never much of a reader in school. I was definitely no scholar by any means. I was pretty much just. at school to play sports. That was pretty much it.
Gary Kerley: And, uh, you know, I didn't take advantage and not that I believe the public school system could have taught me anything because I'm not a huge proponent of our school system, but I wish that I had somebody in my life that would have mentored me or I would have had just,the kick in the butt that I needed to.
Gary Kerley: To be on this journey of self growth and self development. I wish I would have been able to start reading some of those books because man, I, the amount of information I've learned since 2016,every book I opened propels me and changes the trajectory of my business and my life, at home, family and business.
Paden Squires: Yeah. That's so important. And that's been such a huge, Huge thing in my life is reading and it's amazing, like, you know, you're just one good idea away from completely changing your life. And you never know what book that's going to [00:28:00] be in, just constantly being in a state of trying to figure things out, trying to work on yourself, trying to develop.
Paden Squires: it's amazing how quick that stuff can stack up.
Gary Kerley: Yeah. anytime I would have some of the hardest decisions I've ever made, I would open up some of the books that I've read and take massive action, take risks, do it, figure it out later. maybe if I didn't read those books, maybe I would still be, in my office at the police department, struggling.
Gary Kerley: and broke,
Paden Squires: you probably would be without those ideas,
Gary Kerley: you know? And,there were just three words that resonated with me that hit me early on. I was actually, running onto the treadmill, on mile 10 and, uh, believe it or not, I used to be a runner and,three words just hit me and, why not me?
Gary Kerley: And I saw all these successful people in these books and, on Facebook, on, tick talk. And, I was like, why not me? Like, why do I not deserve that? And so those words have always stuck with me and I actually wear it around my wrist, just to remind myself, why not me?
Gary Kerley: [00:29:00] And, anytime that I don't believe in myself or I have something that I don't think I can do, I'm just like, man, why not me? And, uh, I just, I got it. I hit the gas and, uh, it all works out. So
Paden Squires: that's the power. So stuff, Gary, that's some really good stuff, man. What's the best way people can connect with you, Gary, connect with you on social media or what's the best way, people like what they hear and want to connect with you.
Gary Kerley: Yeah. So, I mean, Facebook is probably where I do most of my interactions. and I'm just listening under Gary Curley there. I am on Instagram and,honestly, Facebook is kind of my platform. I think I'm getting to that age. That's just where my circle is. Um, where
Paden Squires: as old people, old
Gary Kerley: people, which I never thought I'd get there because I always say I'm 21 in my soul, but then I realized, when I try to.
Gary Kerley: run again or work out on them. So,Facebook's probably the best way. And, I love to communicate with people, via social media and definitely reach out. And if anybody's thinking about that, on that drive into work on Monday morning and they feel sick, [00:30:00] that is a hint.
Gary Kerley: I did that for way too many years and it almost destroyed me. so on that drive, if you dread Monday morning. you need to change. So get in contact with me. Don't have to be real estate, but I can definitely help you, give you some advice on some of the steps I took, to change my situation.
Gary Kerley: And, uh, but man, you gotta be sick of being sick and tired.
Paden Squires:
Gary Kerley: Now it's like, I don't care if it's Monday. Every day is my day. I got to win that day. So it fuels me that I wake up because every time that sun comes up, it's another opportunity to get better.
Paden Squires: Awesome, Gary, man. I appreciate you coming on the podcast. Anybody in the Kansas city area for sure. Check out Gary and his team when it comes to real estate stuff. They're amazing. They absolutely outwork and out serve anybody in the industry. So check those guys out. Gary, man, I appreciate you coming on today.
Gary Kerley: Hey, thank you. Service over sales always.
Thank you so much for listening to the podcast. If you found it valuable, please rate, review, and share it. That is the best [00:31:00] way to help us build this and reach more people as we're trying to accomplish our goal of helping create more healthy, wealthy, and wise entrepreneurs. You can follow us on social media by searching for me @padensquires or going to www.padensquires.com
com. On the website and social media, we're always sharing tips of personal growth, and there we can actually interact. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks guys.
