Pursuing Freedom: Helping Realtors & Mortgage Lenders Build Profitable, Scalable Businesses and Lives They Love — No Hustle

Erin Bradley, Pursuing Freedom
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Master your mindset and reclaim your time with Pursuing Freedom with Erin Bradley. Transitioning from top-tier professional to high-performance coach, Erin explores how to build a "life by design" you don't need a vacation from. Featuring keynote speakers and visionary entrepreneurs, we dive into the bold decisions required to master your energy and scale your success. Stop settling, start listening with your heart, and pursue the freedom you deserve.

  1. 2 days ago

    How to Run Your Business Like a Business with Dustin Owen

    Erin and Dustin Owen have been living parallel lives for twenty years, same industry, same era, same passion for busting the "boring" out of mortgage education, and somehow they only just met. Dustin, aka D.O., joined the mortgage industry in 2004 as a rookie LO, spent two years lost, broke, and scared (deferred student loans, cable cut off, a for-sale sign in his car, FEMA debris cleanup on weekends), and then it clicked: 100+ units a year in personal production. He survived the crash, grabbed two partners, and bootstrapped one branch into nine, funding $70 million per month. In 2020 he started The Loan Officer Podcast, now the most popular podcast in the mortgage industry with over a million downloads a year, and in November 2025 he retired from production entirely to go all in on TLOP's Originator Coaching, because, as he puts it, he's on a mission to shape the future of mortgage lending. What makes this conversation sing is how practical it gets, fast. Dustin on rock bottom: it's the best place to start, because you have nowhere to go but up. On coaching: you are the product, and refusing to invest in the product is like being the best doctor who won't market. On wearing all the hats: stop, immediately, and he hands over the four-quadrant exercise that tells you exactly what to delegate first. On the phrase "I didn't have the time": banned. There's one acceptable answer, "I didn't prioritize it," and his lawn-mowing confession will make you laugh out loud and squirm a little. And then there's the rallying cry Erin loved: fire the loan officer, and give birth to the operator. Dustin wants mortgage professionals (and agents, and every entrepreneur) to stop thinking like a salesperson with a job title and start running a business: SOPs, lifetime value, return on time, return on energy, and the discipline to give three minutes to the person who's earned three minutes, so you have three hours for the person who's earned three hours. Listen in as Erin and Dustin discuss: Parallel lives: two connectors who came up in the same era with the same mission, meeting 20 years late Son of a school bus driver and an electrician: why financial literacy became the thing he teaches because nobody taught him The dinner-table story: his 21-year-old wanted to fast-forward to 27, so Dustin described being 27, broke, deferred loans, no cable, a for-sale sign in the car, and board-game Fridays that he now misses Lost, broke, and scared for two years, then funding 100+ loans a year Surviving 08: "it was a sucker punch... and sometimes the best place to start is rock bottom, because you have nowhere to go but up" The ladders.com epiphany: switching industries meant starting over anyway, so why not stay and just work really hard? Three dudes, one rock-bottom boat: one branch to nine, $70 million a month, and "good enough never is" Giving credit to timing (hat tip to Outliers) while owning the part that wasn't timing: thinking bigger, swinging bigger, if you're not growing you're dying Why he started TLOP in 2020: teach the stuff they don't teach you in school, without being boring Living like a "depression-era child" with money, and how that let him retire from production at 46 to coach full time "I was dumb enough to believe my parents when they said I could do anything" The worst-case tool: visualize it, get comfortable with it, mitigate around it, then go all out chasing best case You are the product: clients don't hire Keller Williams or eXp or CMG, they hire YOU, so invest in you "I can't always afford a coach, but I can afford self-improvement": conferences, library books, YouTube, podcasts When to stop wearing all the hats (Dustin's answer: immediately) and the four-quadrant exercise that picks your first hire Fire the loan officer, give birth to the operator: SOPs, the other LTV (lifetime value), cost to acquire, ROT and ROE "Just because you can doesn't mean you should" (Erin's been saying it for years, Dustin coaches it too): dual licensing, energy-sucking loan products The banned phrase: "I didn't have the time," and the one acceptable replacement: "I didn't prioritize it" Three minutes vs. three hours: everyone deserves your time, but not everyone has earned the same amount TLOP Unite: the first-ever mortgage cruise is in the books, and the 2027 Caribbean Takeover is coming About Dustin Owen, aka D.O., joined the mortgage industry in 2004 as a Rookie LO. Within two years he was funding 100+ units per year in personal production. Owen leveraged his success as an originator into a career as mortgage sales executive. Most notably, Dustin grew his production operation from one branch funding $40 million a year to nine branches funding $70 million per month. Dustin is the creator and host of The Loan Officer Podcast. With over 1 million downloads per year, it is the most popular podcast in the mortgage industry. It was because of the success of The Loan Officer Podcast that led Dustin to launch TLOP's Originator Coaching, the #1 value for business coaching & sales training in the mortgage industry. Outside of work, Dustin enjoys traveling and competing in Ironman races. He is a University of Central Florida alum and die-hard UCF football fan. How to Connect With Dustin Owen Website: https://www.tloponline.com/ (TLOP's Originator Coaching, with a free 14-day trial) LinkedIn (the easiest way to reach him, he's "uber accessible by design"): https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinowen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theloanofficerpodcast/ Business Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheLoanOfficerPodcast/ YouTube - 1,000+ free videos: https://www.youtube.com/@TLOPentertainment The Loan Officer Podcast: on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple (search "The Loan Officer Podcast") Recommended Resources TLOP's Originator Coaching free 14-day trial: https://www.tloponline.com/ Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (the timing conversation) Erin's solocast on the same phrase Dustin coaches: "Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should" (Episode 327) Evolve - Erin's 6-month coaching experience: three tiers of support, from group coaching and a national referral network to 1:1 sprints with Erin and in-person intensives: https://www.pursuingfreedom.com/evolve The Freedom Audit (free download): https://pursuingfreedom.com/freedom Happiness & Fulfillment Assessment: https://pursuingfreedom.com/happiness Get a copy of Pursuing Freedom on Amazon: https://amzn.to/46o7m7z Subscribe to the Pursuing Freedom podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pursuing-freedom/id1385086390) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/59YFf0QJ64o35Wc53JGcbi) for weekly inspiration and strategies.

    How to Run Your Business Like a Business with Dustin Owen

  2. 23 Oct

    How to Make High Performance Your New Normal with James Laughlin

    What do a 7-time world champion drummer, the All Blacks, and your business have in common? More than you'd think. In this episode, Erin goes full nerd-out with James Laughlin: 7-time world champion musician, #1 bestselling author of Habits of High Performers, global keynote speaker, and the most booked speaker in Australia and New Zealand, calling in from "tomorrow" in southern New Zealand (international podcasting is fun like that). James's story is proof that success leaves clues. A kid from Northern Ireland who found drumming as a way to focus his energy amid the conflict, he became a world champion at 13, won seven titles in all, then spent eight years helping New Zealand win its first-ever World Championship in drumming. Professional sport came knocking ("guys, I know damn all about sport, I'm not your guy"), and the mental and emotional tools he'd built transferred: rugby teams, All Blacks players, PGA golfers, world #1 tennis players, and eventually the boardrooms that sponsored them all. The book happened the same way: strangers at his events kept telling him he had one, and one of them happened to work at Penguin. Then James does something generous: he basically gives the audience the book. The three questions of radical clarity (what do I really want, why do I want it so badly, how much am I willing to suffer). The B-A-B model: beliefs shape attitude, attitude dictates behavior, and why everyone chases behavior hacks when the work starts at belief. Rewiring "money doesn't grow on trees" into "money does grow on trees: the tree is your mind." Purpose as the fuel ("passions are for us, purpose is for others"), intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation, the daily journaling practice he hasn't missed in a decade, and the decision filter that had him skip an event with royalty at Spotify's London headquarters to watch his 6-year-old dance as a native bird in a school play. No regrets. Listen in as Erin and James discuss: From Northern Ireland to the world stage: drumming as focus amid conflict, world champion at 13, and 7 titles in all Helping New Zealand win its first-ever drumming World Championship (8 years, 3 attempts), and the pro sports teams quietly watching Walking into Rugby Park "built like a leprechaun" among giants, and the question that beats imposter syndrome: WTOH, what's the opportunity here? Why no one is a born high performer: Mr. Pollock, the coaches, the 15-hour practice weekends, and "success leaves clues" "They're an overnight success that was decades in the making": the patience truth from PGA players to personal brands The friend whose mum fled the Nazis, raised 3 kids alone with nothing, and whose 7-year-old announced he'd be a millionaire and then Prime Minister (and did both) HABIT 1 - Get radically clear, with three questions: What do I really want? Why do I want it so badly? How much am I willing to suffer? Erin's pushback on "suffer": when obsession doesn't feel like sacrifice (and why that's the point) "The team that's definitely gonna win today is the one that's the hungriest" James's challenge: go deep, not wide - pick ONE niche podcast and implement every episode instead of sampling five Reading like a high performer: from 100+ books a year to rereading the greats, and Daniel Pink's take ("a brand-new-looking book is almost offensive, I want ripped pages and highlighters") HABIT 2 - Supercharge your belief systems: the B-A-B model (beliefs shape attitude, attitude dictates behavior) and why there are no hacks Rewiring money beliefs: "money does grow on trees, the tree is your mind" The two belief tools: look for evidence across your lifetime, and write down + repeat the empowering belief daily (backed by neuroscientist Dr. James Doty) HABIT 3 - Purpose: "passions are for us, purpose is for others," the world #1 tennis player's deep why, and the agent in Fiji who said "we are in the business of making people's dreams come true" HABIT 4 - Multiply your motivation: intrinsic vs. extrinsic drive, and why money/status/power as your main driver makes you "very toxic to be around" James's daily practice for a decade: prayer, gratitude, and three journal questions: What went well yesterday? What did I learn? What does 1% better look like? "If you don't make time for health, you'd better make time for sickness" HABIT 5 - Prioritize your priorities: why high performers say no a lot, the Spotify-headquarters-vs-school-play story, and James's order: family, fitness, finance, learning, business ("used to be the other way around") The closing challenge: write out your priorities and ask, are my actions reflecting them? About James Laughlin is a 7-Time World Champion musician, #1 best-selling author of Habits of High Performers, and global keynote speaker. As a renowned strategist in High Performance Leadership, James helps businesses and teams make high performance their new normal. From boardrooms in London to missions in Antarctica, he equips leaders to unlock elite results. A history-making team captain and trusted mental skills coach to professional athletes, James brings proven tools to the world's top performers. He also hosts the #1-ranked Habits of High Performers podcast, where he interviews prime ministers, Formula 1 teams, and best-selling authors to explore the habits behind world-class performance. How to Connect With James Laughlin Website: https://www.jjlaughlin.com/ LinkedIn (where he's most active): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslaughlincoaching/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jameslaughlinofficial/ Business Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JamesLaughlinOfficial Get the book, Habits of High Performers: https://www.thehabitbook.com/ FREE High-Performance Planner (the same one James and his clients use): https://www.jjlaughlin.com/planner Recommended Resources James's free High-Performance Planner: https://www.jjlaughlin.com/planner Habits of High Performers by James Laughlin: https://www.thehabitbook.com/ Books James mentioned: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma, Drive by Daniel Pink, The One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen The Seven Levels of Communication by Michael J. Maher (the 2013 book that sparked Erin's growth trajectory) Evolve - Erin's 6-month coaching experience: three tiers of support, from group coaching and a national referral network to 1:1 sprints with Erin and in-person intensives: https://www.pursuingfreedom.com/evolve The Freedom Audit (free download): https://pursuingfreedom.com/freedom Happiness & Fulfillment Assessment: https://pursuingfreedom.com/happiness Get a copy of Pursuing Freedom on Amazon: https://amzn.to/46o7m7z Subscribe to the Pursuing Freedom podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pursuing-freedom/id1385086390) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/59YFf0QJ64o35Wc53JGcbi) for weekly inspiration and strategies.

    How to Make High Performance Your New Normal with James Laughlin

  3. 16 Oct

    How to Build 8 Businesses From One Real Estate Career with Brian Tran

    What if the goal was never to be the best agent, but to build the engine that feeds everything else? In this episode, Erin finally sits down with Brian Tran: real estate investor, content creator, and founder who's flipped over 100 homes in the Bay Area and built a multimillion-dollar portfolio from the ground up. Brian runs Fifty Hills Real Estate across five Bay Area offices, plus a constellation of companies that includes coffee shops, a virtual assistant staffing firm, a flipping and wholesale operation, property management, a media company, and a lead generation business. And his first correction to Erin's glowing intro says everything about him: "I'm not a business owner, I'm a builder of businesses." Brian's story starts with an immigrant family who left Vietnam with nothing but the clothes on their backs ("they weren't rich financially, but they were rich in family"), and a father who fought cancer twice before passing when Brian was a teenager. Losing his dad flipped a switch: life is short, there's no more playing around. He finished college in three and a half years, picked sales because a political science degree "doesn't pay you big tech money," and hired a coach immediately, handing over $1,000 a month he absolutely did not have, which forced him to make it work. Cold calls, door knocking, learning to drop the Oakland slang for San Francisco's most sophisticated clientele, and five years of grinding before any of it felt real. Then the builder took over. Living on $500-a-month rent and driving the same Honda Accord for years while earning multiple six figures, Brian stacked cash until opportunity knocked: a rental property in 2015, the Rise and Grind coffee shop in 2016, the VA Hub in 2017, and eventually the brokerage, the flips, and everything orbiting around them. The philosophy throughout: find great people, invest in them, give them equity, and make them the CEO, because "people just needed someone to believe in them." Listen in as Erin and Brian discuss: "I'm not a business owner, I'm a builder of businesses": why Brian isn't the best at any of his companies, and why that's the whole point Find great people, invest in them, give them equity, and make them the CEO The 5-year rule: year one you're learning, year two applying, year three seeing glimmers, year four massive action, year five the seeds come to fruition, and why it held true for the coffee shop, the VA company, AND real estate Growing up in an immigrant family from Vietnam: rich in family, rich in work ethic Losing his dad after two battles with cancer, and the switch that flipped: life is short, no more playing around Hiring a Mike Ferry coach at 21 with money he didn't have, and why "when they don't pay for it, they don't take it seriously" The frugality engine: a 2013 Honda Accord and a $500-a-month in-law unit for YEARS while earning multiple six figures, so cash was ready when opportunity appeared Buying a business that cash-flows $2,000-3,000 a month for $50-100K vs. saving for California down payments The tour of the empire: Rise and Grind coffee (2 locations), the VA Hub, Fifty Hills Real Estate (5 offices), flipping and wholesale, property management (0 to 150 doors overnight by buying, not building), media, and lead generation, all feeding the same engine "It was never my passion, but it was my purpose": Brian's honest take on why "follow your passion" is bad advice when your passion doesn't pay From technician to leader: the first business that failed, the year it cost him, and the lessons (hire better, don't be the operator in two businesses) Get into bigger rooms: being around people worth $100M+ and choosing excitement over jealousy Raising your financial thermostat, and why failure stops feeling like failure ("the wins don't feel like wins, and the losses don't feel like losses anymore") Why he almost quit social media, then realized half his agents and sales team came through it Flip to Riches: the free Bay Area events Brian throws four times a year "The more I give, God's always giving back, somehow, someway"   About Brian Tran is a real estate investor, content creator, and founder who's flipped over 100 homes in the Bay Area and built a multimillion-dollar portfolio from the ground up. After losing his father at 16 and growing up in the rough streets of Oakland, Brian turned adversity into fuel, launching eight businesses across real estate, retail, and hospitality. Without a silver spoon or outside capital, Brian carved his path using grit, creativity, and relentless execution. He now shares the behind-the-scenes of flipping homes, running businesses, and building wealth across his platforms, reaching over 200K followers. Through it all, Brian's mission stays the same: to help the next generation of entrepreneurs build their own empires. How to Connect With Brian Tran Fifty Hills Real Estate: https://fiftyhills.com/ Website: https://www.mrbriantran.com/ Instagram (Brian answers every DM personally): https://www.instagram.com/mr.briantran/ TikTok + YouTube: he's "mrbriantran" there too (he reads all YouTube comments; TikTok DMs overwhelm him, his words!) Flip to Riches: Brian's free Bay Area events, 4 times a year, great venues, drinks, and real talk about flipping. Follow him on socials for the next date. Recommended Resources Evolve - Erin's 6-month coaching experience: three tiers of support, from group coaching and a national referral network to 1:1 sprints with Erin and in-person intensives. Brian hired his first coach with money he didn't have, and calls investing in himself the no-brainer that built everything. If you're ready for your version of that: https://www.pursuingfreedom.com/evolve The Success Principles thinking Brian lives by: find the autobiographies of people on Chapter 25 (his favorite: Cornelius Vanderbilt's story) and borrow their belief Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker (the financial thermostat conversation Erin references) Happiness & Fulfillment Assessment: https://pursuingfreedom.com/happiness Get a copy of Pursuing Freedom on Amazon: https://amzn.to/46o7m7z Subscribe to the Pursuing Freedom podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pursuing-freedom/id1385086390) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/59YFf0QJ64o35Wc53JGcbi) for weekly inspiration and strategies.

    How to Build 8 Businesses From One Real Estate Career with Brian Tran

  4. 12 Oct

    How to Make Bold Choices That Build a $200 Million Business with Cindy Ertman

    What does it take to go from crying over your first cold call to running a $1.2 billion branch? In this long-awaited episode, Erin sits down with Cindy Ertman: nationally recognized mortgage industry leader, speaker, coach, and CEO of The Defining Difference®, a top coaching and training company for mortgage professionals. Erin has admired Cindy from afar for years, and this conversation delivers on every front: bold choices, battle-tested systems, and the mindset practices underneath it all. Cindy's origin story is one for the ages. Newly pregnant, newly in escrow on her first house, she walked into her boss's office with her verification of employment, and walked out with a 6-month severance check because Gibraltar Savings was being shut down by the federal government that Monday. A friend told her mortgage was "the best-kept secret for women," so she found the number one loan center in LA, got a week of training, an HP12C, and a script, and called the number one agent in West LA. He hung up on her. She cried, told herself "failure's not an option," drove to his office, and talked her way into lunch. Two weeks later he called back: "I'll give you the first deal, because you're so tenacious." She built from there: staking out the back parking lot with flyers, a 6-week follow-up campaign, and eventually a branch doing $1.2 billion in production with 32 loan officers and a staff of 65, with her own highlight year topping $200 million. Then the conversation turns to what Cindy teaches now: the "3 cars out of the garage" focus rule, mining your database twice a month (30 percent of her business), the past-client call script built on 6 purposeful questions, her Connection to Conversion system for turning realtor meetings into partnerships, and the Jack Canfield Train the Trainer experience that transformed her from skeptic to someone with a daily meditation, gratitude, and prayer practice since 2009. Plus the client story that says it all: Tom, 40 years in the business and stuck at $38 million, who went to $58 million, then $132 million and 579 families served. Listen in as Erin and Cindy discuss: Falling into mortgage by accident: the Gibraltar Savings shutdown, the bold severance ask while pregnant, and the friend who called mortgage "the best-kept secret for women" The cold call that ended in tears, the mantra that followed ("I just had a new baby, I just bought a house, and failure's not an option"), and driving to the office of the agent who hung up on her The line that won her first deal two weeks later: "If you decide you ever want to do business the right way, give me a call" The parking-lot playbook: waiting for agents at the back door with flyers, a clipboard, and a 6-week follow-up campaign Building a $1.2 billion branch with 32 loan officers and 65 staff, closing it down in 2007, and rebuilding from 1 to 20 branches with a national bank Why she hired coaches long before she could afford them, and the one-person-per-conference networking strategy that turned industry legends into lifelong friends The "3 cars out of the garage" rule: why her team vets every idea and focus is the only way to move the needle Letting go to scale: building the best team money could buy, even when it means going backwards before you go forward Database mining twice a month (30 percent of her business), the 1st-and-15th emails she wrote herself, and why "chat does not write my emails" The past-client call script: 6 purposeful questions, starting with "have you had any life changes in the last couple of years?" Why the "old school" postcard still works every single time Connection to Conversion: 40 questions that take a realtor relationship from first meeting to partnership, and the rule of booking the second meeting at the first The Jack Canfield Train the Trainer story: $20,000, 3 weeks, 3 days of trying to get her money back, and the meditation practice that's anchored her mornings since 2009 Her non-negotiables: devotional, gratitude, meditation, doubling down to twice a day in rough seasons, and preemptive care (acupuncture, chiropractic, quarterly Reiki) The fastest way out of a funk: "figure out who I can call and serve" Tom's story: stuck at $38 million after 40 years, then $58 million, then $132 million and 579 families The bottom line: make bold choices, don't be tied to the outcome, and build systems so it doesn't all fall on you About Cindy Ertman is a nationally recognized mortgage industry leader, speaker, coach and CEO of The Defining Difference®, a top coaching and training company for mortgage professionals. Named one of Mortgage Executive Magazine's "Top 100 Most Influential Mortgage Executives" five years in a row and a "Top 100 Mortgage Loan Originator" for over a decade, Cindy brings unmatched expertise and a proven track record of success. Her mission is to help high-performing mortgage professionals expand their income and impact, by breaking through barriers, leading with intention, and building extraordinary lives and businesses. With her proven training systems and a team of elite coaches, she provides the tools, strategies, and support to accelerate your next level of growth. Cindy's reach extends beyond the mortgage world; she has shared the stage with influential leaders like Tony Robbins, Darren Hardy, Magic Johnson, Jack Canfield, Les Brown, and former President George Bush, inspiring thousands with her insights and passion for making an impact. How to Connect With Cindy Ertman The Defining Difference (coaching, training, and the free Ultimate Marketing Guide): https://www.thedefiningdifference.com/ Book a free Mortgage Success Call (an actual coaching session on what's holding you back): https://www.thedefiningdifference.com/mortgagesuccess/ Website: https://www.cindyertman.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindyertman/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindyertman/ New resource page launching soon with inexpensive tools for originators not yet ready for full coaching - watch her site! Recommended Resources Cindy's programs: her 12-month Mastermind group (12-14 people, led personally by Cindy), private 1:1 coaching matched to your needs from her team of 15 coaches, corporate training, two live retreats a year, and the Millionaire Mortgage Club group program (2 tactical Zoom trainings a month; Cindy mentioned a $197/month special on air): https://www.thedefiningdifference.com/ The Success Principles by Jack Canfield (the book that started Cindy's personal development journey) How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (still on Cindy's nightstand) Insight Timer app (Cindy's favorite for meditation; she loves Sarah Blondin's guided meditations) The Pursuing Freedom Collective: https://pursuingfreedom.com/collective Happiness & Fulfillment Assessment: https://pursuingfreedom.com/happiness Get a copy of Pursuing Freedom on Amazon: https://amzn.to/46o7m7z Subscribe to the Pursuing Freedom podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pursuing-freedom/id1385086390) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/59YFf0QJ64o35Wc53JGcbi) for weekly inspiration and strategies.

    How to Make Bold Choices That Build a $200 Million Business with Cindy Ertman

  5. 3 Oct

    More Money, Less Effort: Building Rooms Where Women Win with Paige Hernandez

    What happens when women in mortgage finally get a room of their own? In this episode, Erin sits down with Paige Taylor Hernandez: mortgage broker, entrepreneur, and founder of NOTORIOUS®, the community and annual event created to connect and elevate women in the mortgage industry. Erin will be speaking at Notorious Nashville (October 25-28 at The Graduate Nashville), and this conversation is the perfect preview of why these rooms matter, whether you're in mortgage or not. Paige grew up in the business (her mom opened their mortgage company in 1993), spent 8 years as a stay-at-home mom, then got her NMLS and built her origination business around picking her kids up from school every day. The turning point came when she found women to run with: in a year when rates sent her counterparts' businesses backwards, her income doubled. But sitting in industry events that were 90 to 100 percent male, she kept thinking, "That's great for you guys, but I can't do that. I need a model of success that honors the responsibilities that I have as a wife and mom." So she built the room herself, with no budget and a year of battling her own limiting beliefs. Three years later, the feedback that stops her in her tracks: "This healed a part of my heart that I didn't even know needed healing." Erin and Paige dig into her "more money, less effort" mantra, fear vs. abundance (and why scarcity makes you easy to manipulate), the season she quit everything and discovered she already had everything she was chasing, and the meticulous design behind Notorious Nashville, where the jazzercise, crafts, and line dancing all exist for one reason: when your walls come down, real connection happens. Because as Paige says, there's no KPI for feeling like you belong... but it moves the needle. Learn more about Notorious Nashville (October 25-28): https://notoriouswmn.com/nashville Listen in as Erin and Paige discuss: Growing up in the business: her mom opened their mortgage company in 1993, 8 years as a stay-at-home mom, then getting her NMLS to build a business around school pickup The year her income doubled while her counterparts went backwards, and why she credits the women she found to run with Sitting in rooms that were 90 to 100 percent male and realizing: "I need a model of success that honors the responsibilities that I have as a wife and mom" Deciding to build an all-female event with no budget and no playbook: "I don't know who's coming, and I don't know how I'm gonna afford this… I'm just gonna do it" What she thought she was building vs. what it became: "I thought I was fighting the patriarchy," and then women told her it healed a part of their heart they didn't know needed healing Why there's no KPI for belonging: "I don't know how it moves the needle, but it moves the needle" Paige's mantra: more money, less effort, and why focusing on units over volume makes you a slave to your business "You're manifesting whatever business you're manifesting every single moment of every single day" Fear vs. abundance: why fear is the industry's favorite motivator, how scarcity makes you easy to manipulate, and dissecting "some money is better than no money" The season Paige quit everything, and the realization that changed her life: "everything I was chasing, I already had. It just wasn't showing up how I wanted it to show up" "It's never the thing that we want, it's all of the feeling underneath" Getting into vibrational capacity: working FROM the feeling of success instead of chasing it, and why nobody could "fear of loss" her after that Imposter syndrome as a sign you're elevating: "you never want to be the smartest person in the room" Why women walk into mixed rooms with walls up (the run-with-one-headphone reality), and how Notorious is designed so the walls come down The strategy behind the fun: morning jazzercise, lunch crafts, line dancing, charm necklaces, and a custom fragrance experience, all engineered for real connection Nervous system regulation as the biggest work any of us can do, and why unregulated stress gets passed around every transaction "I don't want to throw an event where you go home, and nothing happens" About Paige Taylor Hernandez is a mortgage broker, entrepreneur, and founder of NOTORIOUS®, a community created to connect and elevate women in the mortgage industry. Known for building businesses differently, Paige is passionate about freedom, authentic connection, and challenging the traditional rules of what success is supposed to look like. Through her mortgage practice, events, and community, she creates spaces where women can have honest conversations, build meaningful relationships, and grow businesses and lives that actually work for them. How to Connect With Paige Hernandez Notorious Nashville 2026 (October 25-28, The Graduate Nashville; Erin is speaking!): https://notoriouswmn.com/nashville Notorious website: https://notoriouswmn.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-hernandez-37217621/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paigehernandez/ Instagram: @paigetaylorhernandez Recommended Resources Notorious Nashville 2026 - October 25-28 at The Graduate Nashville: the annual gathering designed by women in mortgage, for women in mortgage. Education, keynotes (including Erin!), wellness activities, rooftop experiences, and connection that's engineered to be real. Capacity is limited: https://notoriouswmn.com/nashville The Pursuing Freedom Collective: If you're craving community that's reimagining what this business can feel like, Erin's mastermind meets weekly: https://pursuingfreedom.com/collective Enough Already replay package: Erin's 8-day autumn reset, now available as lifetime-access replays in a private podcast feed: https://pursuingfreedom.com/enough Happiness & Fulfillment Assessment: https://pursuingfreedom.com/happiness Get a copy of Pursuing Freedom on Amazon: https://amzn.to/46o7m7z Subscribe to the Pursuing Freedom podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pursuing-freedom/id1385086390) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/59YFf0QJ64o35Wc53JGcbi) for weekly inspiration and strategies.

    More Money, Less Effort: Building Rooms Where Women Win with Paige Hernandez

  6. 25 Sept

    You Are Already Enough: Day 1 of the 8-Day Reset

    In today's special episode, You Are Already Enough: Day 1 of the 8-Day Reset, Erin Bradley opens the doors and shares the complete first call of Enough Already, her 8-day autumn reset, so you can experience the shift for yourself: How an impulse (a "download" in her morning routine) became a program, why she's been brought to tears watching the transformations all week, and her invitation: 3 live calls remain (Monday-Wednesday, September 28-30), and $108 gets you in plus lifetime access to all 8 replays in a private podcast feed Why September 1st has been Erin's New Year's Day since 2014, and the origin story in full: hiring her first team member (one of her best friends), watching the business dry up to 2 closings in August 2014, then treating September 1st like New Year's Day and closing 12 in December, her best month ever at the time, and 8 in January 2015 after 8 straight years of zero January closings Beliefs are nothing more than thoughts we think on repeat, and how a thought becomes a belief, the belief becomes a story, and the story becomes the excuse for why we settle, tolerate, and play small The harvest truth: it's not about planting more seeds, it's about pruning anything that's stealing resources from what you're trying to grow (and what you're growing might be your health or your relationships, not just revenue) Why the brain resists change ("safe means same"), and how to observe the resistance with curiosity instead of judgment "Things are going really well, but…" and the reminder that whatever follows but is fear The truth about consistency: "the business isn't inconsistent, we are inconsistent" Prioritizing the pause: why presence is the greatest gift you can give anyone (starting with yourself), why answering calls exhausted or distracted is actually unprofessional, and the question that stops the "have to" spiral: says who? "I no longer cancel on myself": the hair-appointment test, and why we keep every commitment except the ones we make to ourselves Erin's backstory in pictures: the credit card declined for a $2 cup of coffee in 2008, the Go-Giver shift from go-getter to go-giver, and the 2012 year her business jumped from about 30 transactions to nearly 80 while she was drowning behind the game face The company dinner that almost made her quit, and the colleagues working until midnight after their kids went to bed The 5 reflection questions (greatest happenings, new relationships, people to thank, biggest risk, smartest decision) and the science of why they work A short guided meditation to access what Erin calls the dimmer switch of the light within, and to let your freedom number rise up without pressure or analytics The two pieces of homework: practice the pause every morning, then contact the people you thought about and thank them ("one candle can ignite the flame of an infinite number of candles") It gets to be easy, it gets to be fun, and regardless of when you're listening, the replays are yours for life at pursuingfreedom.com/enough About Erin Bradley Erin Bradley is a speaker and business coach, bestselling author, and host of the real estate podcast Pursuing Freedom. As a mortgage lender, Erin learned the hard way just how hard entrepreneurship and success in sales can be. From flat broke to 6 figures, and then to burnout, Erin and her team have been through it all! Erin operates under the mindset that you never give up, and you never settle, in life or in business. Anything is possible when you have the right mindset, great systems, and an amazing team. Erin is passionate about helping others design their ideal life, then create a business that is a vehicle to support that lifestyle, rather than rob you of it. And she's on a mission to help you believe in, and achieve your biggest dreams! How to Connect With Erin Bradley Business Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PursuingFreedomOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pursuingfreedomofficial/ LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-bradley/ Recommended Resources Enough Already - Erin's 8-Day Autumn Reset: 3 live calls remain (Monday-Wednesday, September 28-30), and joining gets you LIFETIME access to all 8 replays in a private podcast feed, so you can catch up this weekend and finish live, or do the whole thing on your own schedule. Guest coaches: Nicole Mangina (energy management), Rebecca Green (AI, systems, and operations), and Sarah Walton (money blueprint). Join for $108 at https://pursuingfreedom.com/enough - hearing this after September 30? The replay package is still yours at the same link. The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann (the book that changed Erin's business): https://thegogiver.com/ The Pursuing Freedom Collective: https://pursuingfreedom.com/collective Happiness & Fulfillment Assessment: https://pursuingfreedom.com/happiness Get a copy of Pursuing Freedom on Amazon: https://amzn.to/46o7m7z Subscribe to the Pursuing Freedom podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pursuing-freedom/id1385086390) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/59YFf0QJ64o35Wc53JGcbi) for weekly inspiration and strategies.

    You Are Already Enough: Day 1 of the 8-Day Reset

  7. 18 Sept

    Why "I Love to Work" Might Be a Lie You're Telling Yourself

    In today's episode on Why "I Love to Work" Might Be a Lie You're Telling Yourself, Erin Bradley shares: A Friday morning rant, short and sweet: the "I love to work" defense, and the difference between being a creative, energetic person who's excited about their work… and jumping up from the dinner table every time the phone buzzes Why negotiating deals from a hospital bed or a so-called vacation isn't love of work, in Erin's words: "I'm calling BS," because what that really is, is a lack of a plan, a lack of systems, and a lack of support The outdated program of uncertainty and fear we all adopt the moment we go 100% commission, and why it keeps running the show even AFTER you have all the evidence that you're good at this "Things are going really well, but…" and the reminder: whatever follows but is fear (don't be a butthead - don't let fear drive the bus) Erin's own story: taking calls from the hospital room while delivering her first child, barely taking a maternity leave 16 years ago, and the 2012 burnout that forced her first real break Why so many of Erin's early decisions were born out of desperation, and how you don't have to wait until you're desperate: you can listen to the whisper before it becomes a roar The gentle questions that dismantle the old belief system: Do I really like doing business this way? Do I want to be doing this 5 years from now? What about 6 months from now? Probability vs. possibility: the mind operates from probability (inherently limited), the heart taps into possibility, and possibility is born out of curiosity The client story: why "triple your old income with your eyes closed" still came with a cringe, and the story underneath ($500K means losing the joy) that had to be unpacked BEFORE the action plan The company owner who said his team "just needs to be told what to do" and why that never works: there's no shortage of action plans, there's a block underneath Be careful what you're admiring: some top producers are in tears behind closed doors; admire the sense of ease, the ability to take time off without guilt, the full presence Chapter 2 meets Chapter 10: borrowing belief from people who remind you of your future, so you skip years of trial and error Enough Already, Erin's 8-day autumn reset (September 21-30): dismantle the old beliefs, reprogram them, and build the action plan FROM the up-leveled identity, with guest coaches Nicole Mangina, Rebecca Green, and Sarah Walton Harvest season wisdom: it's not about planting more seeds, it's about pruning what's stealing resources from what you're trying to grow The bottom line: your income is the byproduct of your impact, and you cannot create impact from a depleted battery About Erin Bradley Erin Bradley is a speaker and business coach, bestselling author, and host of the real estate podcast Pursuing Freedom. As a mortgage lender, Erin learned the hard way just how hard entrepreneurship and success in sales can be. From flat broke to 6 figures, and then to burnout, Erin and her team have been through it all! Erin operates under the mindset that you never give up, and you never settle, in life or in business. Anything is possible when you have the right mindset, great systems, and an amazing team. Erin is passionate about helping others design their ideal life, then create a business that is a vehicle to support that lifestyle, rather than rob you of it. And she's on a mission to help you believe in, and achieve your biggest dreams! How to Connect With Erin Bradley Business Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PursuingFreedomOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pursuingfreedomofficial/ LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-bradley/ Recommended Resources Enough Already - Erin's 8-Day Autumn Reset (STARTS MONDAY, September 21 at 11am MT, runs through September 30): live daily calls (Mon-Fri, then Mon-Wed), ~30 minutes of teaching plus workshopping ("GSD calls") and Q&A, with guest coaches Nicole Mangina, Rebecca Green, and Sarah Walton, plus a private podcast feed of every replay. Join now for $108 at https://pursuingfreedom.com/enough - and if you're hearing this after September 21, DM Erin on Instagram (@pursuingfreedomofficial) for replay access. The Pursuing Freedom Collective: https://pursuingfreedom.com/collective The Freedom Audit (free download): https://pursuingfreedom.com/freedom Happiness & Fulfillment Assessment: https://pursuingfreedom.com/happiness Get a copy of Pursuing Freedom on Amazon: https://amzn.to/46o7m7z Subscribe to the Pursuing Freedom podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pursuing-freedom/id1385086390) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/59YFf0QJ64o35Wc53JGcbi) for weekly inspiration and strategies.

    Why "I Love to Work" Might Be a Lie You're Telling Yourself

  8. 11 Sept

    Stop Chasing, Start Attracting: Business by Design with Rebecca Richardson

    What if the most magnetic thing you could do for your business is simply be more of who you already are? In this episode, Erin sits down with Rebecca Richardson, known across social media as The Mortgage Mentor: a nationally ranked, award-winning loan originator with over 25 years in the industry, a speaker, a coach, and a soon-to-be author. This conversation will leave you sighing a breath of relief, because Rebecca gives you permission to stop performing someone else's version of success and start building a business around how YOU are wired to think, work, lead, and define success. Rebecca's story begins with a dad who was a real estate attorney, a finance bug caught while working for a financial planner in college, and a pitch to a small Tennessee mortgage broker: "If you'll teach me what it is, I'll work hard and I'll make you money." She fell in love with the problem-solving of the job (in her words, "one big algebra equation combined with a Rubik's Cube") and did everything the industry prescribed: rise and grind, always available, chameleon for every client, 50 calls on Monday morning. It earned her the President's Circle and the Chairman's Club… and by 2018, it earned her a wall. Health issues and personal losses left her with what she calls the honest starting point of her transformation: "I don't have another choice other than choosing to do things differently if I want to stay in this industry." So she changed the game. She shifted from chasing to attracting, went all in on video early (posting on TikTok in 2019 after hearing GaryVee say all small businesses should be there), and learned to trust the voice that said "I might be early, but I'm not wrong." The result? Her business tripled. At her peak she closed 225 units, then turned around and closed 226 the next year, with a licensed assistant and half a processor. And the trade-off wasn't more sacrifice. It was a better life. Listen in as Erin and Rebecca discuss: Growing up around real estate (her dad was a real estate attorney) and the pitch that got her hired at a small Tennessee broker: "teach me, I'll work hard, and I'll make you money" Why the mortgage business is "one big algebra equation combined with a Rubik's Cube," and why she loves the problem-solving and the human connection Doing it the prescribed way until 2018: Brian Tracy tapes, always-on availability, being a chameleon for everyone, and hitting the wall anyway The turning point that wasn't enlightenment: "I don't have another choice" The mindset shift from chasing to attracting, and why attracting requires the willingness to be different Being early on TikTok in 2019, the questions people asked ("are you trying to educate teenagers so they buy from you in 10 years?"), and trusting "I might be early, but I'm not wrong" 225 units, then 226 back-to-back, with an LOA and half a processor, and a better life balance as the trade-off Desperation vs. decisiveness: do we have to break before we have the courage to do something different? Why Rebecca shares the behind-the-scenes, not just the accolades: "I would rather talk about the process, because the process has to be individual" Letting go of "my work was my worth," the insatiable monster of proving yourself through volume The dopamine hit, the "death period," and being willing to be bad so you can get good The efficiency lens on social media: one 5-minute video can reach a room of 300 people The Hustle Olympics, cortisol addiction, and learning how to actually rest Rebecca's pacing tools: a locked loan for every working day of the year, and planning 3 things per day based on real capacity instead of an endless to-do list The Inside Out anxiety character check-in: pause, reflect, and decide instead of pushing until you crash Representation: "Wait, you can do that?" and why seeing other women run business differently changes everything Her upcoming book Rule Breakers and the Built by Design / Business Blueprint archetypes: strategist, visionary, connector, operator, and advocate Erin's reminder: fear is not fact, and fear is not a forecast About Rebecca Richardson, known as The Mortgage Mentor, is a nationally ranked, award-winning loan originator, speaker, and coach with over 25 years in the mortgage industry, recognized by Scotsman Guide, HousingWire, and National Mortgage Professional. She serves as Chief Innovation Officer at Mpire Financial, and after going all in on video in 2019, she built an audience of 175,000+ followers across social platforms that now drives roughly a third of her annual production. Through her Built by Design methodology, Rebecca teaches producers and team leaders how to build a business around how people are wired to think, work, lead, and define success, with hands-on coaching in personal branding, content, and audience building. Her first book, Rule Breakers, is coming soon. How to Connect With Rebecca Richardson Website (including Built by Design / Business Blueprint coaching): https://www.rebeccarichardsonmortgage.com/coaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.mortgage.mentor/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccarichardsonmortgage Business Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/share/198foR8HaU/ She's "the mortgage mentor" on ALL social platforms - search it, find the real one, and send her a DM with your takeaway (she loves connecting that way!) Recommended Resources Enough Already - Erin's 8-Day Autumn Reset (September 21-30): simplify everything, clarify your vivid vision, get honest about who your people are, build a communication plan that attracts right-fit clients, and create a schedule that sticks. With guest coaches Rebecca Green (tech, AI, and systems), Sarah Walton (money mindset), and Nicole Mangina (energy management), plus a private podcast feed for every recording. Join for $108 at https://pursuingfreedom.com/enough The Pursuing Freedom Collective (Erin wants Rebecca back for future collabs - get in the room!): https://pursuingfreedom.com/collective The Freedom Audit (free download): https://pursuingfreedom.com/freedom Happiness & Fulfillment Assessment: https://pursuingfreedom.com/happiness Get a copy of Pursuing Freedom on Amazon: https://amzn.to/46o7m7z Subscribe to the Pursuing Freedom podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pursuing-freedom/id1385086390) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/59YFf0QJ64o35Wc53JGcbi) for weekly inspiration and strategies.

    Stop Chasing, Start Attracting: Business by Design with Rebecca Richardson
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About

Master your mindset and reclaim your time with Pursuing Freedom with Erin Bradley. Transitioning from top-tier professional to high-performance coach, Erin explores how to build a "life by design" you don't need a vacation from. Featuring keynote speakers and visionary entrepreneurs, we dive into the bold decisions required to master your energy and scale your success. Stop settling, start listening with your heart, and pursue the freedom you deserve.

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