Meet Erin Bradley

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erin Bradley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Erin, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I’ve developed my confidence through failing often, being obsessed with learning, and by intentionally putting myself in the room with people that remind me of my future.

When I first became self-employed in 2007, I was plagued with insecurity and self-doubt. I hated feeling salesy, had no idea what I was capable of, and often felt like an imposter. It didn’t take long for me to fall flat on my face. Within a year of going 100% commission, I found myself $35,000+ in credit card debt, and riding my bike to a client meeting, because I didn’t have enough money for gas, only to have my credit card declined for a $2 cup of coffee…in front of the client!

I asked my Dad for advice, and he said, “if you think you’re going to be good at this someday, do whatever it takes.”

So I opened another credit card, hired my first business coach, and began my perpetual journey of personal and professional development.

What I’ve learned in the process is that confidence comes from taking action. We can’t wait for confidence, because we’ll never feel “camera ready.” The best thing to do is to try, and fail, and learn, and try again, and keep going.

Additionally, I surround myself with people who are either on the same path, or ahead of me in the game. By doing so, I can borrow the confidence they have in me, until I feel it in myself, or I can borrow the confidence I see in them! Because the only difference between us and someone living a life we want, is their decision to do it. They too once decided, perhaps before they felt ready, and then they got started. What we see on the outside is usually the result of years of trial and error.

The fact of the matter is, fear, uncertainty, self-doubt and insecurity don’t make us special. They make us human! Everyone has fear. The question is, what are you doing in spite of it? Confidence is on the other side of acting anyway. And what I’ve found time and again is that the decision that felt like the biggest risk, usually turns out to be the smartest one!

Now life has become a game of recognizing when there’s low confidence, being OK with it, and experimenting anyway.

My favorite quote is one by Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.”

If not now, when?!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

After years of trial and error, riding the rollercoaster of broke to burnout, I started sharing the lessons learned with fellow mortgage lenders and real estate agents. Through my workshops, mastermind groups and accountability partnerships, the concept for Pursuing Freedom was born, which later became the title of my first book and my real estate podcast. By teaching others how to overcome or avoid the struggles I had faced, I found my passion and my life’s work, and for many years, I was doing it all – running a mortgage business, coaching, podcasting, real estate investing, parenting, adventuring and beyond!

After nearly 20 years in the mortgage business, as a loan originator, branch manager, team leader and mentor, I retired my license in 2022. Since then, I have dedicated my life to helping real estate professionals design a business that fuels the life vision you have for yourself.

I see far too many Realtors and Lenders “surviving success,” and settling for a life that falls out of alignment with their values. Through my online courses and national community, the Pursuing Freedom Collective, I teach strategies to help folks get clear on what they deeply desire, the types of people they want to do business with, and how/when they want to work vs. play.

I believe, deep down inside, the only real reason someone takes the scary leap to become self-employed is because they crave more freedom and flexibility, and also believe they can make an impact on the world. But it doesn’t take long for the “success” rollercoaster to take you on a ride, where you lose sight of why you started. Personally, I didn’t like the stress of burnout any less than I liked the stress of being broke! And I know now you can have the best of both worlds…a thriving business, that powers an epic life of present moments and adventures.

And that’s why my business motto is that “The goal is to build a life you don’t need a vacation from!” If not now, when?!

At Pursuing Freedom, we’re building a national referral network of high vibe real estate professionals who are yearning for more. Through the book, the podcast, live events, online courses, and more, we’re providing the tools and the mindset to help more people take the wheel of their future, and design a life they love. You can learn more at www.PursuingFreedom.com/Collective or connect with me on Instagram @pursuingfreedomofficial

You can also attend one of my free Wednesday Webinars by visiting www.PursuingFreedom.com/WednesdayWebinar

I love connecting!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Reflection: The majority of people are “too busy” to reflect, innovate and find creative ways to improve their life and business. They’re running on a perpetual hamster wheel of distraction, reactivity and over-connectedness. One of the most life changing things I did was learn to slow down in order to speed up. It’s an inside game, and it’s the hardest work of all…and also essential to transformative growth. I always say “busy-ness is laziness, disguised as productivity,” because you’re not willing to slow down enough to discern what’s truly important, cut the fat, and run full speed towards the highest-level activities. Like a slingshot needs to pull back in order to launch, so must we. Clarity and creativity are born out of stillness, not busyness.

2. Resilience: Keep going, re-evaluate, and pivot as often as necessary. This isn’t meant to be a straight line. Things that used to challenge us and interest us become obsolete or boring over time. And fear will be your friend. It will not go away. The only thing we can do is improve our ability to witness our emotions, manage them, and evolve in spite of them. Decide to thrive even before you know how. Put yourself in the room with people who are ahead of you in the journey, even if it’s uncomfortable. This is the fastest way to growth. Keep going!

3. Optimism: Fear is believing in an imaginary future outcome that hasn’t happened yet, and it is negative. Faith is also believing in an imaginary future outcome that hasn’t happened yet, but choosing to believe it might work, rather than worrying it might not. Choose Faith. And a simple strategy to help you “believe it before you see it” rather than “believe it when you see it,” is to document the wins in your life. Pay attention to the relationships that have appeared on your path that were not solicited by you. The random occurrences and doors that open unexpectedly. Take note of how many times you’ve taken risks in your life that turned out OK. Let the fact that you’ve already exceeded the expectations of your younger self empower you to believe you have no clue what you’re capable of! We’ve only scratched the surface, and we can see the evidence by looking back, and turn our fear of the uncertainty to an eager enthusiasm. Just ask yourself, “What if it works?” and enjoy the unfolding!

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I LOVE connecting with, partnering with and collaborating with high vibe real estate professionals who are committed to lifelong learning, personal and professional development, and making an impact on their world. I am constantly connecting with others who believe life is meant to be a great adventure, and that business is the conduit to fuel and finance life, but it’s not meant to be the whale in the bathtub, with life squeezed in around the edges, “when we have time.”

This means people are willing to challenge the status quo. We’re not settling in life or in business. We’re always exploring new and improved ways of doing things, and we love sharing with others.

I am always happy to mastermind, bounce ideas, collaborate and support others, and I welcome new connections in my journey as it continues to expand and evolve!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.PursuingFreedom.com
• Instagram: @pursuingfreedomofficial
• Facebook: Erin Bradley Pursuing Freedom
• Linkedin: Erin Bradley Pursuing Freedom
• Twitter: n/a
• Youtube: Erin Bradley Pursuing Freedom
• Yelp: n/a
• Soundcloud: n/a

Image Credits

Helen Sittig Photography