We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Caleb McLemore. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Caleb below.
Caleb, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
My confidence and self-esteem are a product of years of being in industries that were hyper focused on destroying both. My previous careers in both acting and stand-up comedy were trials by fire. Both industries can and will eat you alive if you allow them.
In acting, there is a hyper-fixation on being exactly what others want. Do I have the right look, hair style, diction, body type, and so many other factors that you can drive yourself insane. While dealing with that, there’s the reality that you are in active competition with every actor. There are only so many roles, and when everyone is trying to look like the type of person the network is hiring, it comes down to small differences that determine who gets the part. You can imagine how this would foster back-stabbing, pettiness, gossiping, and other awful tactics if it means getting a role that could be the beginning of a successful career.
In stand-up comedy, you are completely vulnerable in front of crowds that you are trying to force laughter out of. Even if you are playing a character, or an over-the-top version of yourself (which most comics do), this is a difficult task. There are few things that feel worse than performing a comedy bit you worked hard on and watching the crowd stare back at you in silence when you hit the punchline. If you aren’t careful, your entire self-worth can be wrapped up in crowd reactions to your routines. Like in acting, there are only so many spots on comedy shows and minutes are as precious as gold, so things can get messy quick. People stealing jokes, gossiping about you, and more can be and are rampant.
I went through some dark times because the worst aspects of both industries got inside my head. I became consumed with worry of being what “will sell well.” Am I making the “correct” political jokes to maximize laughs at a club (even if they conflict with my personal beliefs)? Should I completely change my wardrobe in order to stick out to casting agents? Should I dumb down my speech, change my dialect, lose ten more pounds, put on ten more pounds of muscle, and so many more questions bounced through my head. To call it hell would be an understatement. Luckily, an acting coach managed to put the cure to this in simple terms that stuck in my head. “You go and do the best job you can in every audition. If they decide to not go with you, then that is their loss because you would have nailed it.”
Call it arrogance, but that started the switch for me. There are so many little things that can be the tie breaker between myself and another person. For example, it can be who fits in the costume the network has? If I’m too tall to fit, then I’m out. I can’t help that, but it also means I shouldn’t take it personally. Understanding this, I developed a confidence to only concern myself with the aspects that are in my control and not worry about what isn’t. So as long as I can honestly say that I did the best I can, then whatever happens, happens.
From there, I contribute the rest of my confidence and self-esteem to God. When I was at my lowest, I was also the furthest away from Him, and I don’t find that a coincidence. When I turned back to Him, things improved because my worth is not measured by worldly standards, but by Him. This is why although real estate can be brutal (and it has been since I entered in June of 2022), my job is to present myself to potential clients the best that I can. This is because work is a form of worship and I want to honor God with everything I do. Does this mean I don’t get upset when a client goes with someone else? Of course not, but I know that God still loves me, there could be outside factors I’m unaware of that led to their decision, and more opportunities will come. Plus, I do keep that chip on my shoulder of knowing I would have done amazing for them.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a real estate agent for the Ryse Realty Group at LPT Realty. What I love the most about my job is the ability to help people achieve their goals. Nobody buys or sells out of the blue, they always have an end goal. It can be for happy reasons, such as a growing family, dream job acquired, marriage, or fed up with renting. Of course, it can be for sad reasons such as death, divorce, or being fired. No matter where they land, they have a lot going on in their mind, so I love being the one to help them navigate the largest purchase of their life.
My team was the expansion of LPT Realty into Texas and we are actively growing! Personally, I do host monthly seminars for buyers and sellers. Two are in person and two are virtual. So if you have ever been curious about either side of the sale, I’m here to help!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The biggest things that helped me is conversation practice, being up to date on the process (including paperwork, law changes, etc.), and patience.
People can forget that real estate is a relationship business. People are making huge, life-changing decisions. They need someone that understands them and can share complex information in a way that is digestible. This is why I stress the importance of conversation practice. You need to be ready on how to handle people’s reaction to what you say. While you can’t be prepared for everything, having a foundation you can fall back can make all the difference.
This is also why I say to be up to date on the process. This includes being able to convey what the paperwork says since it is in legal language, knowing what the current laws say, and what you can and cannot do as an agent. Realtors have to wear a lot of hats, so making sure you are sharp on the process of buying or selling will put the client at ease.
Last is to have patience. Real estate is a marathon, not a sprint (and depending on the market, could be labeled an ultra-marathon). The timeline of speaking with someone, signing them, and then helping them buy or sell a home can take months. Sometimes it can take years just to get to the signing them point. That is where patience comes in. It can be easy to forget that homes are high ticket items. For 95% of the population, it is their single largest purchase, so people are going to take their time before making a decision. This is why you have to be ready for the long game.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
It is the fact they are always available to talk to for advice. This doesn’t mean they only say what I want to hear, they will absolutely call me out when I’m in the wrong, but it is knowing I can reach out to them about anything. It provides a peace that can be the difference maker in tough times.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calebzmclemore/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CalebRealty/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb5-cLLaVk1rXuNCyNz-WfQ/about
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