Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Welcome to Life Rewritten, where we explore how to take life's biggest challenges and transform them into new beginnings. I'm your host, Vanessa Lagoa, and today I have the honor and the privilege of speaking with Ricky Chavez. Ricky is somebody who has spent decades helping other people in so many different ways. He is somebody who deserves our thanks, as he was is a retired army veteran. Ricky is a team lead in an amazing real estate company and somebody who has really helped other people navigate moving, transitioning in their careers and in their homes. So welcome Ricky. Thank you for being here with us.
[00:00:54] Speaker B: Hey, Vanessa, thank you for having me.
[00:00:56] Speaker A: Thank you. So I think, first of all, thank you for your service. I find that some of the most impressive people to me are people who have served our country.
So I appreciate that and thank you.
[00:01:09] Speaker B: Thanks.
[00:01:10] Speaker A: That being said, can you tell us a little bit about how you help other people when they are maybe making a big move maybe across the country because they've been upset service, maybe both in the area of having been in the military and moving to a new place and in helping them buy a home.
[00:01:32] Speaker B: So, you know, it's, it's interesting. So after the military, I went to corporate America and I went in the human resource side. So I was in corporate America 18 years as a director of HR. And so we also got the opportunity to see people transition. And what we found out, or what I found out is, you know, that's kind of the most stressful time of person's life. They're moving someplace unknown. They're starting a job that's maybe they know, but they don't know how to do it their way. The joke we used to say in the army is, you know, the right way, the wrong way, the army way. So you don't know what you're getting ready to get into. If you have a family, kids, you know, if you have kids with special needs, what's going to, what's going to be out there for you? So I, you know, it's all about doing your homework, you know, and, and kind of relieving as much of their stress as possible. The one thing good about the brokerage I'm with, I'm with Better Homes and Gardens, Gary Greene, and it's like the magazine, and we have one of the best real programs in the United States. So there is somebody on the other end somewhere that has been chosen based on how well they handle people, how good they are and things they do and with real estate, and we mirror up with them and then we give them a Handoff with the person. So one of the things I do is when I meet with them, I find out what is important to them. You know, what are they looking for? Is it schools? Is it things that they want to do? How close do they want to be to work? Some people, when they leave work, they want to be comfortable and live their life. They don't want to be, like, right down the street from work and in a place that they maybe aren't as happy with. So there's a lot of questions and answers, I'm sure, just like what you do, you kind of do that discovery. Right. Once you do the discovery, you start putting your homework together, reach out to the agent on the other side, have conversations with them on what your client can expect there.
So that when they start transitioning over there and they meet the other person, they're hearing the same thing from that person that I told them. Because we have kind of got together.
Because it's all about the people, right?
[00:03:36] Speaker A: Right.
[00:03:36] Speaker B: It's all about helping people. So it's a lot of that, you know, a lot of conversations. Definitely. Discovery.
[00:03:43] Speaker A: Yeah. And when you're. When you're trying to figure out and discover what's important to people, it's the. The art of communication. You know, when you're listening to them and you're hearing the things that, like you said, you know, a commute for somebody might be something that is just a, you know, that's it. They don't want to commute. They want to be done with work or, you know, maybe they want to be near the beach. Maybe there are things that are really important to them that will help them feel like in a time of transition, it brings them some comfort even in a new place.
[00:04:13] Speaker B: It's all about lifestyle. Right. What is the lifestyle you want when you're not at work? Right.
[00:04:17] Speaker A: Right.
[00:04:17] Speaker B: Because, you know, I read a book, and the book said very few people on their dying bed wish they spent more time at work.
So, you know, get your family together, get what's going on so that, you know, once you hit the door at home, it's the. It's the lifestyle you want.
You know, the drive back and forth to work. As long as it's not totally miserable, I mean, you can adapt.
[00:04:40] Speaker A: Right. What are some of the ways that you, you know, help people when they're moving to a new place, they're moving to a new environment, they're not comfortable in this new setting. Like, what are some ways that you have found helpful for people when they're. When they're relocating like that, you know.
[00:05:00] Speaker B: As you handle with kid gloves. All right. You know, the one thing about the military that's. That's so crazy is you take and you'll send soldiers someplace, and they have no immediate family. So the military becomes their family. Right. We the spouse, we have a spouse, like, not chain of command, but a spouse group that takes care of the incoming spouses and their kids. You have the soldiers that take care of each other. So you kind of find out together and put them where there was somebody that kind of lives from the same place. But regardless, everybody has had the same experience at one time or another throughout their careers. I did 20 years.
I went from Lubbock, Texas, to Chicago to Indianapolis, to Columbia, South Carolina.
And, you know, each place is so different, so you really have to marry them up with somebody that will gel with them and can help them through that process.
You know, it's. That's always a big deal, especially when you have the young couples that are, you know, having their first baby.
You know, then you have some of the senior leaders, their spouses get involved and, you know, make them feel at home, because now that young lady doesn't have her mom to just go run to or stuff like that. So it's. It's military life's pretty interesting.
[00:06:26] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, I've always been so fascinated by the lifestyle. I don't have any experience with it, but just in reading some books and hearing other stories from people like you, I find it so amazing how people come together. And, you know, one thing I'm always talking to people about when I'm trying to coach them through any change in their life is the importance of doing it not alone, like, having a team, being able to have people that you can call. And. And I love that you're encouraging people to, you know, team up in that way to live their lives and create a family. When a family isn't readily available to.
[00:07:03] Speaker B: Them, you know, it's.
It's definitely emotional. Especially you get the. The families from, you know, the suburbs and been they've lived there all their life, grew up there. You know what I mean? Then, like, my wife's a perfect example. I met my wife. She's 28 years old. She lived a block from her parents.
She had never lived outside of Indianapolis. And the first place I take her is to Columbia, South Carolina. Oh, my gosh.
[00:07:30] Speaker A: It's a culture shock, right?
[00:07:32] Speaker B: That was. That was some emotions for her, for sure.
But once we move through that, she ended up being the person that was My team person that kind of handled all the spouses, you know, she never complained, she never whined, she just drove on, which is. I was very lucky. But then when others had their challenges, you know, she stepped in from a woman's perspective. We had grown older kids, you know, from them. My son going into ninth grade, I think he had went to 12 different schools.
[00:08:02] Speaker A: Wow.
And how does, how do you.
You are. Your father was a. Is a military veteran as well, am I correct? And you.
[00:08:11] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:08:14] Speaker A: Your son is also serving, is that right?
[00:08:17] Speaker B: Yeah. He's got 11 months till he retires, so that's kind of our family business, you know what I mean?
[00:08:22] Speaker A: Right. And. And so you've sort of been in it as a child, as an adult, and now as the parent. And, you know, the fact that you're taking that experience and you're sharing it with other people, you're helping them, you know, to grow in their lives and to have some sense of security is, to me, you know, the greatest gift is to be able to figure out your purpose and to give it, you know, 100.
[00:08:44] Speaker B: Right. I think.
[00:08:45] Speaker A: And it sounds like you're really holy, you know, you're. You're embodying all of that. So your son having been in so many different schools, so many different environments, and then to go into the military, that speaks volumes.
[00:09:03] Speaker B: You know what? So, okay, let's step it back for a second. I swear I would never go in the military. I went to college on a scholarship, played basketball, but I really didn't know how to study. So next thing I know, I'm in the army. My dad's like, don't do it. I did it anyway. My son, kind of same thing. He went in the army, Hated it, Did not like it. Got out, spent two years out here, Hated it, worse, went back in. You know, you do what you're. What's comfortable for you. But understand, the military is just like a job. Having been in corporate America now for all those years, I mean it. I get it differently, you know, because, you know, in the hr, I was laying people off, and that was the most miserable experience I could even think of. Right. But in the military, you're not going to get laid off or fired, but you really can't quit either. So you have to. There's some give and take, but if you dislike every minute of the military for your first enlistment, when you get out, you have money to go to school, where people chase that dream out here and sometimes never get there.
[00:10:08] Speaker A: Right, Right. So, I mean, it's something like, you know, you describe it as a job and it is, but to me, it's the ultimate, you know, sacrifice that you're giving in.
[00:10:20] Speaker B: No, sure. It's a calling for sure.
[00:10:22] Speaker A: Right.
[00:10:22] Speaker B: 100.
You know, just like first responders. I mean, everybody's giving. I mean, but you meet some of the most amazing people.
[00:10:31] Speaker A: No, it's all walks along. You know, my husband is a police sergeant, and it is a lifestyle, you know, whether I like it or not. Right. It's a lot of that, too. You know, you, you learn to rely on the people who understand the schedule, the frustration, the, you know, lack of normalcy. Sometimes, you know, the sitting down to have Thanksgiving dinner and all of a sudden there's a call. And that's is, it's, it's one of those careers that the service that you are providing impacts a lot of people. But it is so noble and it's so noteworthy that I think it's so impressive that coming from that background as a child, you went into it even though you were a little hesitant, and now that your son is there, I mean, shows that there's some sort of, I don't know if I want to say allegiance or comfort.
[00:11:35] Speaker B: Could be 100 comfortability. It's what I knew.
I grew up watching the soldiers. I grew up seeing them come and go from the different wars or whatever. You know, that's why I grew up.
I grew up in different countries, and I grew up meeting different kids in different places, seeing different experiences.
So. Yeah. So now when I talk to people on the corporate side and they're trying to make a decision about taking a job and uprooting their children, I really have to step back and not say exactly what I think, because kids are resilient.
If you're doing well, the kids will do well.
There's a different.
Yeah, people, you know, they run. They kind of do for the kids instead of do for themselves to take care of their kids.
[00:12:28] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:12:29] Speaker B: Maybe that's a not great way to say it, but, you know, that's just my thoughts.
[00:12:33] Speaker A: No, I, I agree. And, and like you said, kids are so resilient. I mean, the things that we think, you know, are going to affect them, oftentimes they, they're over before we're done explaining.
[00:12:44] Speaker B: 100.
[00:12:45] Speaker A: Yeah. So we're going to go to commercial break. When we come back, I'd like to talk a little bit more about your real estate career and how you are helping people make the biggest purchases of their life. So stay tuned. Be right back.
[00:12:59] Speaker B: All right.
[00:13:00] Speaker A: We'll be right back with more stories of resilience and renewal. This Is Life Rewritten on NOW Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Vanessa Lagoa, and you're watching Life Rewritten on NOW Media Television.
Welcome back. I'm your host, Vanessa Lagoa, and this is Life Rewritten. If you're loving what you're watching, don't forget to Download our free Now Media TV app on Roku or your iOS device. If you prefer to listen, you can listen on Now Media TV anytime. We are streaming both English and Spanish 24. 7.
So welcome back, Ricky. Thank you for being here with us today.
[00:13:40] Speaker B: Hey, Vanessa.
[00:13:42] Speaker A: So, Ricky, you have helped people with this transition from, you know, the military into, into moving. And you told me before that you had no intentions of going into selling real estate and your wife kind of tricked you and bullied you into being sort of her helper and her, that you've now been in for quite some time.
[00:14:06] Speaker B: Yeah. So, you know, I always say I served my country then. I served corporate America and employees, and I kind of serve everybody. But yeah, I was, I retired out of Massachusetts. I think we talked about that. I was in Woburn and then came back and I was doing nothing. And I was doing it very well, and I was very happy about that, but my wife wasn't so happy. So she's like, no, you can go get your license, you can go do this and that the other. And I'm like, okay, whatever. I was an army recruiter for a while. How hard could it be, right?
And then about 18 months into it, she's like, well, I took a job with our corporate as a manager, so you take over. And I was like, I'm trying to do this on retirement style. But it wasn't that way.
But, you know, as I started working with people out here, you know, I, I, I realized people don't know what they don't know.
And, and I went, I was on a meeting the other day. This guy has done had 25 different house, but the last one he bought was like 10 years ago. And the process changed so much. And so regularly, you know, and, and you know, I think, you know this already. People have a degree in Google now, right? Everything's on Google, right?
[00:15:20] Speaker A: Yes. In chat GPT.
[00:15:22] Speaker B: Yes. Oh, my gosh.
So, you know, I think it's, I go to, I go into it as more of a, as a, in a coach mode or as a, as a, as a, as a teacher. I always let them know, hey, you know, I don't know what you don't know. But if you can indulge me, let me walk you through the process from the start to the finish. How is, what's going on? What's the market like? You know, market changes all the time.
Right now the biggest concern is interest rate. Oh my gosh, it's six and a half percent.
But I mean, I don't know how old you are, Vanessa, but I can remember 9%.
You know, I buying a house at 9% and thinking, oh my gosh. But then I get, I hear them say, well, the houses were less expensive, but then we made less money. So it's all kind of relevant if you think about it. Right, right. Well, I think it's good.
[00:16:13] Speaker A: No, go ahead, continue.
[00:16:15] Speaker B: No, it's just you have to get them to feel comfortable with, you know, people work with people they like and they trust. Right, Absolutely. And I, I go through it with a kind of go giver attitude. You know, I'm just here to kind of share my knowledge, share what I have going on, and hopefully we can meet in the middle and, and take care of you.
You know, I tell my team, don't chase money. Take care of people.
[00:16:42] Speaker A: Right. And when you take care of people and when you run your business from a very, you know, a connection point of view where you're, like you said, you're a guide, you, you are the expert. But really people don't care about what your knowledge is unless it's going to directly impact them. So they want to understand the interest rates, they want to understand refinancing. If rates are high, they want to understand those things. And, but if they're new to it especially, it's such an overwhelming process.
And I would think for you in, in especially where you've worked with military families so much people are moving from one state to another, and that alone, things change. You know, I live in Massachusetts. We recently looked at some property in another state as like another home. And we were mind blown because we were like, wow, it's a whole other ball game when you're going, you know, buying another place in another state.
So we really heavily rely on the agent who we trust and we don't need to know all the details. We need to know that she knows all the details and that she has our best interest at the forefront.
So.
[00:17:58] Speaker B: Well, you know, I think that's a really good point. I think what I kind of tell my team and all the new agents and young agents is your opinion doesn't matter. And they look at me Like I'm crazy. But the reality is this, if you don't like the house because the color is off or this, that and the other, it goes back to. You are asking your client all the questions that the discovery questions on what they want and you're trying to find them, what matches with them, and then you present it to them.
And during that time, there's questions. I get this all the time. Well, Ricky, what do you think? How do you feel about this? And my answer is, typically, well, you know, everybody's financial situation is different.
What I might do, you might not do. I always keep in my mind I never want to be the reason somebody doesn't buy what they like.
[00:18:49] Speaker A: Right.
[00:18:49] Speaker B: Or I don't want to be the reason that somebody buys something because at the end it has to be them that makes the decision because they're going to live there.
[00:18:57] Speaker A: And you're talking about, you know, the biggest purchase anybody's ever going to make in their life. I mean, especially first time home buyers. I can imagine it's very challenging to hold back, to be like, oh my God, you don't want to live here, or oh, you definitely want to live in this neighborhood. But like you said earlier in the first segment, it's about what's important to them. You know, it's about they're most comfortable and your job there is to lead them with the knowledge that you have and I would imagine try to keep some of your emotions out of that transaction.
[00:19:31] Speaker B: Well, a lot of other pieces, there's a lot of rules.
Right. You know, we can't, we're not supposed to push somebody to a certain neighbor. We, you know, if somebody asked me what is the, what are the schools like, I show them the site that gives you all the, everything about the schools. You know, I show them the site about. They give talks about anything that happens with the law. You know, I, I provide them the resources because what might be important to me not may not be important to you, and vice versa. You know, I moved a lot. I had three girls and a boy. I just, when I looked at neighborhoods, I wanted to see if. Did I see any girls walking by themselves? Did I see old people walking by themselves? Did I see, did I see women walking, like, like running or whatever?
So now I feel if they feel comfortable enough to do that in the neighborhood, that makes it good for me and my, my family, you know? Right.
[00:20:27] Speaker A: But, but it's, but you're feeling that way is something you almost have to keep to yourself because to somebody else it may be that the home is what, where the value is, not so much the neighborhood or, you know, the proximity to other things.
[00:20:40] Speaker B: Sure.
[00:20:41] Speaker A: I did years ago. I, I feel like I've dabbled in a little bit of everything throughout my life. And I did take the real estate course in Massachusetts. And it's unbelievable to me how much there really is to know.
And as a home buyer, when people are coming to you and they're bringing up these terms and they're talking about escrow and they're talking about, you know, certain things that they need to do to close, how do you take that tension and stress off of their shoulders and make the home buying process exciting and not so scary for them?
[00:21:21] Speaker B: So, I mean, I, I talk them through the process, what, what they can expect.
I don't tell you, tell them what they're going to get. These are kind of the windows. Like, for example, you know, we in, in Texas. So all the states have different licensing processes. Right. And, and different requirements.
And Texas, you know, this is funny, this funny fact. This is from my understanding the real estate license is the second most attained license other than the driver's license. Everybody's brothers, uncles, cousins, friends, girlfriend.
[00:21:57] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:21:58] Speaker B: Has a license.
So that being said, there's in the 40 thousands of realtors out here, some new. I think I heard someplace that less than half of the people that in our, in our, in our MLS didn't sell one house last year.
So now they're out there trying to do this thing. So I. People get a lot of different and varied information.
I try not to do much initial consultations on the phone. I want to sit down with you. I want to bring you the book that I walk you through everything. I want to tell you what you're going to feel, what you're going to experience.
You know, I want to tell you the goods and the bads, you know, so that when it comes, you may not feel any bads. And that might be, that would be great.
But understand these are what's going on. These are when you need to make a decision or say no and walk.
This is what you could possibly lose by walking away from a house.
So if you're on the fence, I want you to know, okay, if you're on the fence but you like the house, but you're not sure, these are the steps to do your due diligence to see if the house meets your needs.
And these are the costs if you walk away, because there's going to be costs.
Not earth shattering, but you know, sometimes you got to do what, you don't want to get what you want, right?
[00:23:18] Speaker A: Absolutely. And it's interesting you say how many people have become Realtors, And I do find that it's a very.
My area as well. Very oversaturated career.
But that's frightening as a. As a buyer, because, you know, just because somebody has that license doesn't mean that they have that experience that you have and that you've. You've grown to have. After all these years.
When you were new to the business and your wife pushed you into this career, did you have a mentor or somebody that you worked under that was able to help guide you and help you grow into the successful man that you are today?
[00:24:00] Speaker B: So, yes, The. The actual answer is yes. And that was my wife.
Having been in sales for a long time, I understood the value of the discovery and providing the features and benefits that are important to the person. So that match was easy. All right, that part was okay, but it was the intricacies of option. What do you look at in inspections? What are the important things? Where is not as important, you know, and how to present them in a way that made a person comfortable about making that purchase and looking at their house.
So that part was good. And I'll be brutally honest. I stole the crap out of my wife. I'm like, hey, listen, I'm. I'm married to the top realtor around, blah, blah, blah. This is one. And she got any questions I can't. If I have. If you have any questions I can't answer, we'll just put her on the phone and we'll just make you feel okay. I think even today, after eight years and we've sold quite a few homes as a team, one of the compliments that I feel very proud of that I get is Ricky. I. I really am surprised that when we asked you something and you didn't know it, you didn't try to make something up and you just said, hey, listen, let me go find out. Things change all the time.
[00:25:23] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:25:24] Speaker B: And I think the average person is smart like that. I mean, today's buyer is a lot more educated than the buyers in the past. So you really can't pull your. The wool over anybody's eye. And there's so many different scenarios. Why would you even attempt to BS your way through something? It doesn't make any sense.
[00:25:44] Speaker A: So you're talking about leading with humility and leaders, in my opinion, who lead with humility and say, you know what? I don't have the answer to that, but I'm going to go and get that for you tend to be the best leaders and the people who people want to be aligned with. I want to go to a doctor who says, hey, you know what, I'm not really sure about this, but let me check with my colleague and I'm going to get you the answer. We're going to figure this out. And essentially you're doing exactly that. So thanks. I would like we're going to go to commercial break. When we come back, I'd like to talk a little bit more with you about some of your military experience and how you left the army and transitioned into corporate America. So stay tuned. We'll be right back.
[00:26:25] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:26:26] Speaker A: We'll be right back with more stories of resilience and renewal. This is Life Rewritten on NOW Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Vanessa Lagoa, and you're watching Life Rewritten on NOW Media Television.
Welcome back to Life Rewritten. I'm your host Vanessa Lagoa. We are continuing an amazing conversation with Ricky Chavez.
Ricky is going to kind of talk to us a little bit more about his military experience.
So, Ricky, I am really curious and I feel like our audience will be really interested in finding out about talk to us about your experience when you were young, you were married, and you were so serving in the U.S. army.
[00:27:13] Speaker B: You know, early on, I was a typical soldier, and I probably shouldn't say that now that I was 25, going on 16, 17. I just had fun, did all the wrong things sometimes, which led me to get divorced a couple times and sounds bad, but then I met my wife.
I was probably in the Army. It was my 14th year in the Army. I was a teacher at the army recruiting school in Fort Ben Harrison. I met her and that's a whole different story. We don't talk about, but I met her.
We, we didn't know each other very long.
I had two kids. She had one and then we had one. So we have his, hers and ours.
And then she was not used to the military world, but so there was a lot of adapting. So it's really important that you have a good team, you know, and, and she kind of ran our team and I was okay with it.
And she took care of the kids. And I mean, she worked, she worked full time also.
I think in the six years we were together in the army, we lived together like 18 months.
So and most of it, I understand it was kind of our choice. You know, she made choices for the kids. You know, I told you. And one of the earlier things My son had been to, like, 12 different schools by the ninth grade. So the last duty station prior to getting out, I was in Houston. Then I got orders for Chicago. Now, my wife came to Houston kicking and screaming, said she didn't want to be here. I gave her an ultimatum. She came, and then she loved it so much. I got orders for Chicago, which is like a couple of hours from her home in Indianapolis. She's like, I ain't going to. I'll see you when you get back.
So, I mean, she did that, and she did that for the kids. My son was a freshman in high school. She didn't want him to move anymore, and. And we made that sacrifice because of her.
And then I retired. So now think this. I've been married six years. I retired. I've really not lived with my wife. We haven't been married that long.
She doesn't know enough not to like me yet, thank God.
So.
So I come home, I'm 39 years old, I'm retired, and I feel like I did my 20 years. I'm not doing anything if I come home. And we really never really lived together, so trying to figure that dynamic out.
She used to tell me, listen, I'm going to give you some power back, little at a time, all right? This is my. This is my thing. I'm running it.
[00:29:44] Speaker A: I'm still in the show.
[00:29:46] Speaker B: So, yeah, 100%.
And me, I'm like, I'm a sergeant. I'm gonna. I want to be in charge of something.
And, you know, so. And I mean, that's been over 23 years ago, and I'm still waiting for some power. It's playing. Any better yet?
[00:30:00] Speaker A: She gave me some power. She gave you some business.
[00:30:03] Speaker B: She said, oh, yeah, she tricked me into this for sure.
So I'm running around the house, just hanging out, working out, doing all that, you know, looking at the house and. And get, you know, throwing my two cents in it, which she ran it one way. I think, well, maybe we do this. And, you know, that put a little pressure on us. So she got tired, and all of a sudden, I started getting these phone calls.
I'm like, Mr. Travis, are you. Are you interested? I. I understand your interest and opportunity. Like, no. How did you get my name?
[00:30:35] Speaker A: She's your manager as well.
[00:30:37] Speaker B: So I'm reading your resume. I don't have a resume.
[00:30:41] Speaker A: You sure?
[00:30:41] Speaker B: So my wife literally put a resume together, start sending it out.
[00:30:45] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:30:46] Speaker B: And. And then, you know, because I was driving them crazy because they weren't used to me, and Bottom line, I met.
I met a really amazing lady. I went to work for them for a short while. A matter of fact. My relationships are long. Military relationships are long. I literally still talk to this lady today. I'm selling her house right now. She hired me in 2003, and. And I'm helping her today. You know, we talk probably every other day because of helping her, but.
And that was kind of a whole different story.
And then I got a call from a. An army guy that worked for FedEx.
Because we have. I mean, we take care of each other. And there was one opportunity in Houston for a FedEx person. So then I went to work for. For FedEx and ended up traveling for 200 plus days a year because I covered from like, Houston, Miami, Houston. I watches, you know, as an HR person, I was gone all the time, which was good for her because she's still in control. Every time she got mad at me, I got on a plane. By the time I got back, she was over it or whatever. Just so that was kind of our world.
[00:31:51] Speaker A: Yeah, well. And it worked for you, right? I mean, it's. I think, having the background that you have and being in the military. And like you said, you come home, you're 39, you. You're retired, and you think like, hey, I put my time and I'm done now. And your wife is like, I'm assuming right around the same age and has this mentality of, oh, no, no, you're nowhere near done. And this isn't how we do things. So you need to, you know, reassimilate into not only the career world, but into your own family world. And she's running the show because that's been her.
Her main job while you were gone. So bring me back. You're. You're 39, you're home, you're going to the gym, she's working, the kids are going to school, she's chauffeuring them back and forth. And you're like, I'm home. I'm gonna go to the gym. I'm gonna live my best life.
You know, I imagine that there was some pushback from her. Clearly, she won. She wrote your resume. She.
But was there. Did you find there to be a lot of challenge in leaving such a structured environment to come back to, you know, start a life that really didn't have that same structure every day?
[00:33:06] Speaker B: So, yes and no. I mean, I still got up early. I mean, when I say I went to the gym, I went to the gym before everybody got up. I came home I made the kids breakfast or whatever if they wanted it. You know, I kind of did some things. And then, you know, I knew she was hounding me about hey, because I was still getting paid for like, five or six months after I got out. So I'm like, hey. She gave me. She gave me a little grief. I'm like, hey, you just got a direct deposit. Leave me alone.
[00:33:31] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:33:31] Speaker B: You know what I mean? And. And I really had never. If you think about it, I'm 39 years old, and probably 37 years of my life had to do with being in the military. They're dependent or not, right? A little bit. Two years I was in college. But, yeah, other than that, I was just.
That's the way it was.
[00:33:51] Speaker A: That's your whole program and your whole condition is based on that structure and based on that schedule and. And those regimens. So, yeah, to throw you back, you know, back into the wild at 39 is. Is wild.
[00:34:05] Speaker B: No, sure. And then so I'm like, okay, I'm gonna go get this. I actually got a mortgage license first. Let me go to this class, learn, do the more, Get a mortgage license. She'll at least quit messing with me for a couple of weeks. So I was doing that. She just, you know, she like, okay, okay. But then I got it, and I didn't really want to do that, so it was just. It was just, you know, hanging out, doing my thing. But, you know, then I got that call.
[00:34:28] Speaker A: I'm big on the idea that. I think that in our society, we have this negative connotation when it comes to the word quitting, right? We talk about, like, to quit is to give up something. To quit is to, you know, give up when things get hard. And I've always.
That I have a very different relationship with the idea of quitting. And that is because I think it's the greatest honor to ourselves to quit something, to give it up when it doesn't serve us any longer, it doesn't bring us any fulfillment. And so, you know, I think it's.
It's outstanding that you could go and put in all those years of service and then come back and kind of dabble in things and say, hey, I'm going to put this. Because it doesn't. This doesn't light my fire. This doesn't give me purpose or make me feel alive. And so, you know, you did the FedEx, the HR work with them, and now you're selling homes and you're helping people with that big transition. Do you feel like that's now, your purpose right now in life, you know, it is.
[00:35:27] Speaker B: And, you know, I'm gonna throw some in there. You say quit, and I say, you know, a lot of people call quitting and retreating the same thing, but for us in the military, we never retreat. We just attack in a different direction. I love, you know.
[00:35:40] Speaker A: Yeah, I love it.
[00:35:41] Speaker B: And it's a redirection, yeah, 100%. So I don't know. I mean, I still talk to the people back then that I. That I.
I was dealing with in the mortgage industry.
When I worked for FedEx, I did that.
I did that for quite a while until I had the opportunity to help some veterans and go to a nonprofit. So I did that for a minute because I want to do what makes me happy, right? Because I was, for 20 years, did whatever I was told, wherever I was told, however I was told. And so I was trying to, for lack of a better way, trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. Right.
[00:36:19] Speaker A: That's.
I think that no matter how old we are and how much experience we have and how many different things that we've done, we should always be striving for that. I always say, I don't know what this year has in store for me, but I really hope it's what I want to be when I grow up, you know, and it. And I've done so many different things and. And been privileged to be able to do different things as you have.
[00:36:42] Speaker B: I think the cool thing about it is this. So in every avenue, the one thing that stayed steady for me was wherever I was at, I looked for. For the nonprofit or the military transitioning people and how I could help them. I went to felony court where they. Houston had one of the first veterans felony court. So I'd go to that once a month, or I'd go to misdemeanor court, or I'd help people learn about transitioning, because as the soldiers transition, the people that are transitioning them at my time had been doing it so long, they weren't really in touch with what was going on out here.
So I wasn't ready. And then I wasn't ready for all the programs. I, you know, it was through trial and error. Went to work for FedEx. I went back to school.
I was 46 years old.
I got my bachelor's and an MBA. And then there was a whole nother world out there, you know, so. But this whole time, it was all about helping the people that worked in the corporation and any other non. Other stuff that I wanted to do. And I got, I, I got a chance to find out how the civilian world takes care of people. You know, in the military, we're taught as leaders to train everybody to take our job because everybody knows what's going on. That's the way the battle is, because you want the. You want the mission to be completed. The civilian world is a little different. A lot of people don't want to help each other or teach each other because they're afraid they'll lose their jobs.
[00:38:19] Speaker A: Yes.
And so, you know, the collaboration happens at the top, competition happens at the bottom. And I think that I would imagine having the military background, you're really taught to rely on a team and to be able to build one another up rather than try to be better than the next.
[00:38:39] Speaker B: You only. You're only as strong as your weakest person, you know?
[00:38:45] Speaker A: Yes. And I'm sure that that's really helped you in each career that you've had since no.
[00:38:49] Speaker B: 100.
[00:38:49] Speaker A: So, Ricky, we're gonna go to commercial break.
Yeah, I mean, it is, it's. It's. That team effort is going to help guide, you know, your career and help you lift others up, because you're not so worried about tearing the next person down. You're worried about, like, let's all succeed together.
When we come back from our commercial break, we will continue this conversation, so stay tuned.
We'll be right back with more stories of resilience and renewal. This is Life Rewritten on NOW Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Vanessa Lagoa, and you're watching Life Rewritten on NOW Media Television.
Welcome back to Life Rewritten. I'm your host, Vanessa Lagoa. If you're loving what you're watching, don't forget to download our app on Roku TV or iOS devices. And if you prefer to listen, you can do that at NOW Media tv. NOW Media tv.
So we are back with Ricky Chavez, who is just a wealth of knowledge in terms of military experience and some HR experience in the corporate world, and now in his career as a real estate agent.
Ricky, one of the things that I know that you've done a lot of is just helping people navigate big changes in their lives. And, you know, you are also a host on this network and your own show, Battle Ready, where you are discussing things like that with people, you know, transformations and helping people get through the struggle. So, you know, I think a problem that a lot of our viewers and just a lot of people in general have is feeling stuck. And when somebody is feeling Stuck and they're feeling defeated. What, what's advice that, what advice would you give them in order to help them become unstuck?
[00:40:39] Speaker B: Well, you know, here again, it's this, the discovery questions. Right. And I talked to you a little bit about this in a break. There's a book called the Go Giver. And, and the thing about the book, the Go Giver, it talks about connecting people for their welfare, not for yours, but for others.
So if you start that mindset, you would be surprised how many people connect with you, you know, and so when people have situations, and I'm very fortunate, people still call me today from the HR side, from the military side, from the transition side, because we make this joke. I got a guy. You know, somebody calls me man, I just lost my job in transportation, and no worries, I got a guy. And I shoot them to that guy or there's something wrong with the roof, I got a guy or something, you know, so it's, it's all about involving myself in the community to understand that there is a subject matter expert for everything.
You don't have to be the, the be all for everybody, but help them understand that they can rebound no matter what.
[00:41:44] Speaker A: Absolutely. And I think having, like you said earlier, you talked about, you know, to, to go a little further, you know, getting to the root of what is important to somebody and hearing them and not just assuming that, you know, they want certain things like you're, you're. When you listen to people and you validate what they're saying, they're so much more able to, to trust you and to take your guidance and things. You know, I coach people in getting sober and some, you know, through some difficult life situations. And my favorite quote that I think can apply to anyone struggling is this too shall pass. I have it tattooed on my wrists and I have that there to remind myself when I'm in a tough position that what I'm feeling now is temporary. Feelings are meant to be felt, they're not meant to be kept.
And sometimes just sharing those simple words with somebody really is a way to help them through and to realize that, like, what you tell yourself is the truth. And so if we tell ourselves we're stuck, we will remain stuck. So, you know, you're helping people and guiding people and you're listening to them. And do you have any words like that that you would.
[00:43:01] Speaker B: Well, I think that it's not what's happened to you, it's how you react to it, you know, and, and know there is a resource out here for Everybody and everything, you know, and we just got to find out what that resource is for you, you know, and guide you through the conversations. I sat on three way calls with people and a mentor and you know, just to help them feel a little comfortable, like a real soft handoff.
Because I think it's important that people don't think you're just pushing them away.
I know a lot, enough to make me dangerous. But you know, I'm jack of all trades, master none. I take my stuff to the master of the different things. You talk about houses, I'm good. You want to talk about lending? I don't talk about lending. You know, I mean about inspections. I'm talking about inspections. So, you know, stay in my lane.
[00:43:56] Speaker A: You said you know earlier you only know what you know and you don't know what you don't know. And so, you know, you have so much life experience and you know, career experience in certain things that you know you can help people. You know that those are. There are things you can talk about. So you're blue in the face. There are books you could write about certain topics. But it's a disservice to try to help everybody with everything. I'm a firm believer in that. And you know, knowing what you know is what you know, that's where you help.
[00:44:29] Speaker B: No. 100 and I think that if you, if you kind of touch on things and then you hand them off to somebody and, and they go through a conversation and then I always, hey, well, how did it go? I always check up on people, you know, all the time. Because it's all about situation, you know, you, everybody goes through the roller coaster of life and you might accidentally reach out to them at a time that makes a big difference to them. So, you know, help everybody you can, no matter what. That's what we do with our real estate for sure.
[00:45:07] Speaker A: And sometimes it's just the small acts of just sending a text or picking up the phone. Hey, I was thinking about you. How are you doing?
And you know those little things that we can do in life that don't cost us a thing, Maybe just a few seconds of our time can really be life changing for people.
[00:45:26] Speaker B: I'm a karma person. You know, you put out good, you get good.
[00:45:29] Speaker A: Yes, yes. I am a believer in the very same thing. And I think that sometimes I wonder what did I do so wrong when the wrong things come my way. But really it's all perspective, right? Because like you said, it's not what has happened, it's how you react to that, and, and I think too, one of the things that I've come to accept and believe is nothing is happening to me, it's happening for me. And when I'm in the midst of some type of chaos or a tough situation, if I can remind myself of that, that like, what am, what am I supposed to be learning here? Or you know, you know, the simple example, you wake up and you stub your toe and then you go out to your car and your tire is flat and you start to wallow in this self pity and think like, oh my God, what else is going to go wrong? Well, when you ask for wrong, more wrong will come your way. If you could stop and be like, hey, you know what, maybe everything's slowing me down this morning because it's my lesson in, you know, telling me to slow down. Telling me to like, not make such a big deal about things. A flat tire, it's a nuisance, but it's not going to, to really change your life that much.
That perspective, I think is where some people lack. It's easy to get wrapped up.
[00:46:47] Speaker B: I think a lot of people spend too much time in their circle of concern and not their circle of influence. What can they influence to change? If it's raining outside, why be upset? You can't do anything about it. Put an umbrella over your head and move on.
You know, hanging around the right, hanging around the right people, positive people, that's your circle of influence. You know, hang around somebody that's complaining all the time.
I mean, sometimes you got to make that command decision. But if, as long as you really think about your circle of influence and spend your time there, your circle of concern will start getting smaller, you know, so true.
[00:47:30] Speaker A: You know, they say if you want to be a millionaire, hang around four people who are millionaires, you'll become the fifth. If you want to become fit, hang around four people who are fit, you'll become the fifth. And it is that that circle of influence is, is, it's so powerful. And I would imagine with the HR background that you have, you see teams that have that strong sense of positivity and then you have teams that are like the Debbie Downers and like the contrast in the two of them just from the energy exchange of people is.
[00:48:06] Speaker B: Immeasurable, really, you know, when I see things like that, you know, you said you're a reader. I like to read also.
Be honest, I'm an audible guy now. Right. But I, I read a book. I'll be alf cold. But no. So I, I get a lot of books. And I, I take notes, but I try to coach the managers into books that will help them re evaluate their leadership style and how they will apply it to their people.
And there's some really good books out there that can help you, but you got to apply it yourself as well as you can. And you have to always look to grow.
[00:48:48] Speaker A: Yes. And I mean, we have to lead by example as well. And you know, if there are things that I'm struggling with, if I don't get a handle on them, I certainly can't help you get through the struggle unless I'm tackling that myself.
So before we end the show today, how can our viewers get in touch with you?
Maybe they're looking to buy a home. Maybe they are a veteran and they're looking just to have somebody to talk to. And where is the best?
[00:49:16] Speaker B: So LinkedIn, you know, LinkedIn Ricky Chavez MBA, I think also Cypress area Realtor Ricky Chavez team.
Those are two main ones. My phone number is 832-541-7545. I typically answer the phone or I'll text you right back that I'm gonna answer it. I don't sleep a lot. I don't know why. Figure I'm asleep when I'm dead. So, you know, I just, I'm up and about doing my thing.
But I really appreciate you having me on your show today.
[00:49:47] Speaker A: Yeah. It's been a true honor and a pleasure to, to pick your brain a little bit and hear just about your different experiences in life.
As I ask all my guests, and I'm going to ask you, what does the next chapter of your life look like and does it have a title?
[00:50:08] Speaker B: You know what, I'm three quarters of the way through writing a book on real estate. But not the hey, watch me be a millionaire. No, it's, I call it kind of no man's land. It's from the day they graduate till about the first month in because that is no man's land. How do you pick a broker? How do you do this? How do you that? And it's just kind of a basic funny stories, things that happened out here to different realtors.
I thought it was kind of my mission to help people because so many people transition through this place.
So that's kind of what I'm doing right now. And, you know, I qualify for Social Security this year, so I don't know, my wife's catching heck trying to keep me working.
[00:50:48] Speaker A: You're going to be 39 again, ready to just go hang at the gym.
[00:50:52] Speaker B: And you know, I actually saw that there's a 18 month cruise that I could get on.
[00:50:59] Speaker A: I would support that wholeheartedly. I think you've certainly earned it. I. I think you might have to push your wife into that a little bit, but I think she'll thank you for that once you do.
[00:51:07] Speaker B: Right.
[00:51:08] Speaker A: I. I certainly thank you for your service. And I would love to have you back on again when that book is finished and talk a little bit more about that. And we'll help you sell that book because I'm sure packed. So, thank you for being with us, Ricky, and thanks for having me. You are feeling stuck in your life and you feel like you just can't get out of your own way. I challenge you to go out there and rewrite the next chapter of your life.
Thank you for being here with us. We'll see you soon.
[00:51:39] Speaker B: Bye.
[00:51:44] Speaker A: That's great.
