"Do You Have The Professor Syndrome?"

by Ron LeGrand

Over the past 4 decades, I’ve been fortunate to be in a position to help change lives. I’ve watched people go from unemployed to making six figure incomes in less than a year. I’ve seen others come to me in tears because of that gut-wrenching feeling you get when your only cash flow is negative and you are deep in debt. I’ve watched them climb out of the gutter and claw their way to peace of mind, one deal at a time.

I’ve saved people from bankruptcy and divorce by showing them a vehicle that can cure financial depression. Most of the time, this is a great business to be in.

It’s Fun To Be Me

Truthfully, I’m only the messenger boy. I can’t make anyone do anything they don’t want to do. Each individual’s success couldn’t be possible unless they actually put the vehicle (real estate) in drive and gave it the gas. I’m so proud of those who have, and I still hold out hope for those who haven’t.

People ask me all the time why I do what I do. Why do I spend one third of my life on the road, away from my family? Why do I sometimes wake up and can’t remember what city I’m in? Why do I put up with crowded planes, nasty airline and hotel food, grouchy airline employees, bad weather, late flights, stupid hotel personnel who couldn’t care less, hot meeting rooms, early morning wake up calls and maniac cab drivers?

Well, you can believe I ask myself the same question from time to time. There are days when I doubt my own sanity and wonder why I do this. Then a letter from a student pops up.

That letter is the answer. It’s a letter from someone who just made $27,000 on their first deal and would name their next child after me because they think I’m the answer to their prayers. Suddenly I snap back to my senses and remember why I do what I do.

There’s Nothing I’d Rather Be Doing

If there was, I’d be doing it. Some people think I do it for the money and certainly, I couldn’t do it without the money, but I realized a long time ago that wasn’t enough. I love what I do or I simply couldn’t force myself to keep doing it.

I know several speakers and teachers who’d rather take a beating than hang around a seminar and field questions from students. They exit as fast as they can and act like they don’t have time for the very people who came to hear their words.

That’s Called Burnout

I can assure you if and when I get burned out, I’ll get out. But right now that’s simply not the case, and I’d just as soon be talking to intelligent students who are trying to get going, as sitting in a hotel room.

So why am I telling you this? Well, there is actually a message here.

Do You Love What You Do?

Do you wake up every day excited because you can’t wait to get something going? Do you look forward to calls from motivated sellers who need your help? Is real estate all you want to talk about? Does looking at houses get you excited? If your answer is no to all, or most of these questions, perhaps you should take a hard look at why you do what you do.

What are you in business to accomplish? Can you fix what’s broke or should you do something else? If you’re not excited, is it because you don’t like the business or because you’re making a mess of it? If you love what you do I’ve got another question for you...

Why Aren’t You Making Twice Your Current Income?

You see, I’ve pinpointed a rather common problem that seems to be present in a lot of successful real estate entrepreneurs; a problem that can cause stagnation and stop growth. This problem has a name. I call it...

The Professor Syndrome

It’s a disease that’s generated by success. Only those people who seem to be doing well have this disease. Here’s the definition of the Professor Syndrome...

A disease caused when one gets so full of themselves the learning process stops because they think they know all they need to know.

The good news is I have thousands of students who’ve progressed far enough to catch the Professor Syndrome. The bad news is far too many have this deadly disease. Yes, it truly is deadly. In fact, it has a natural progression of symptoms until it leads to total burn out and systems failure or death of a business.

1. Total excitement of a new business that looks like it will really work.
2. The all important first deal that produces a check, real evidence that it’s real.
3. Tell everyone you know how exciting the business is for you.
4. Several years go by and dozens of deals later you’re a pro so you quit attending seminars. After all, what else do you need to know. You’re the one everyone comes to for advice.
5. You begin to feel invincible so you embark into another business to get a little excitement back because real estate has become a little boring to the master.
6. You do less and less real estate and more and more other stuff looking for the thrill you used to feel.
7. One day you wake up and ask yourself what’s wrong. I used to be so excited and I loved buying and selling houses, what happened? Well, I’ll tell you what happened. You outsmarted yourself the day you decided to . . .

Quit Learning Because You Were So Smart

Here’s some profound words worth remembering:

When You Quit Learning You Start Dying

Decay sets in quickly and excitement fades because your brain isn’t getting filled with anything that can create excitement. I suppose you haven’t figured out yet that excitement comes only from learning new stuff and making that new stuff work. I’ve got far too many students I know are doing well, but for some reason I haven’t seen them in years. I hope that’s not you or it doesn’t become you.

Some of them think since they attended a Boot Camp years ago there is no reason to return. Heck, I teach some of the Boot Camps and I learn new stuff every time. Especially in the day and age of fast moving technology. In fact, today’s Boot Camps didn’t even exist two years ago. They change with the current needs and valuable suggestions my students make.

Anyone who thinks there is nothing else to learn is treading on dangerous ground. Learning generates enthusiasm and that generates revenue and leads to some of the pleasures of life.

Yes, I know that sounds like a plug for Boot Camps but you’ve probably forgotten it’s only $500 to return after the first year. No big profit center for us, and just so you know, I don’t personally get a dime more or less whether you return or not. That’s not the issue. Your future is the issue.

If you want to get to the top of your craft, school is never out. Pretty soon you’ll figure out there is no top of your craft. You can always do better, but only if you keep learning.

The More You Learn The More You Earn

Next thing you know you’ll be teaching others what you’ve learned, and then you’ll understand why I do what I do.

See Ya!

Ron LeGrand, Professor
School of Hard Knocks