When Terry Lajoie moved to Keller Williams, she had been out of work for nearly five months. Sidelined by a serious car accident on Dec. 28, 2012 – the successful real estate business she’d built over the past eight years came to an abrupt halt.
“My business was dying, and I still had bills to pay,” she shares. “Shortly after the accident, I went to my former broker asking for help. The only suggestion they offered was to refer my business out. At the same time, I was battling level nine pain, physical therapy was failing, and my anger was growing as doctors told me to accept my new reality.”
Unwilling to give up on her career, Lajoie began to explore her options and followed up with Mary Beth Gustitus, team leader (now operating principal) of the Nashua, New Hampshire, market center. She remembers asking Gustitus two final questions after six hours of intense questioning.
“I asked her, ‘how do I survive this?’ and ‘how do I thrive?’ Her answer was immediate – leverage and training. She reassured me that if I could put my foot on the lead generation gas pedal, the company would help me with the rest. I put my faith in her and Keller Williams; they haven’t failed me yet.”
Gustitus advised Lajoie to enroll in BOLD: Business Objective, a Life by Design. In the classroom, she was introduced to models and techniques that helped her repair her business’s fractured foundation.
“I began by learning scripts for expireds and practicing them daily with script partners and in calls. This helped me overcome my phone phobia. Next, I learned scripts for FSBOs followed by lessons on handling objections that helped me quickly convert leads to sellers.”
Lajoie’s confidence grew as the weeks progressed. She watched as her market center and classmates enveloped her with support.
“I remember being too frail to pick up a pitcher of water. My classmates poured my water, carried my lunch, and saw me through to the very end. Until that point, I had not experienced such a powerful demonstration of culture.”
The physical and occupational therapy combined with the course’s powerful mindset exercises was guiding Lajoie down the road of recovery.
“I broke down and broke through limiting beliefs I’d harbored since childhood,” she recounts. “When I was young, my mother was very discouraging and told me that I wouldn’t amount to anything; BOLD freed me from that. My improved mental attitude proved to be a significant contributor to my recovery and is still fueling my business to higher levels.”
As promised, BOLD helped Lajoie’s business take an upward swing that seemed impossible just months prior.
“I generated $40,000 in seven weeks by simply showing up and implementing what I learned. BOLD helped me create a non-negotiable lead generation schedule, freeing me up to manage transactions and plug into KW’s systems.”
The class also helped her lift the ceiling she’d placed on her success.
“At my previous brokerage, I was satisfied with closing $3 million a year. Over the last two years, I’ve closed $17.7 million.”
Today, Lajoie is fully recovered and has graduated from BOLD eight times.
“Every time I take it, I pick up new techniques and systems that help me and my growing team – leverage I’ve gained through Keller Williams. I feel free to dream big, reach for the stars, and help others do the same. If you have a desire to change your business and life, take the first step.”