Burnout is not a rite of passage. It is a warning light—and this week’s Monday Morning Pep Talk is here to make sure you never ignore it again.

In Episode 274, Jim Miller gets personal and tactical. He unpacks the real reason most real estate advisors and entrepreneurs crash: they don’t schedule rest—they collapse into it. This episode outlines how to prevent burnout before it starts, with a business and life strategy that is both practical and sustainable.

If you’ve ever promised yourself, “this year will be different” but found yourself right back in the grind by April, this episode will show you how to finally break that cycle.


💡 Key Takeaway:
If you do not control your time, your business will control your life. The best advisors don’t just plan their work—they plan their recovery.

🧭 Your Mission
Start planning your business around your life—not the other way around. Be honest about your capacity. Build SOPs. Hire below your pay grade. Protect your downtime.

Because burnout doesn’t just cost you professionally.
It will cost you your joy, your health, your relationships, and your ability to lead.

"This industry will take everything you’re willing to give—and then it will ask for more." – Jim Miller
📲 Stay Connected

📩 Join My Weekly Email List:
www.askjimmiller.com

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www.instagram.com/askjimmiller

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www.linkedin.com/in/jimmillerchicago

📺 Subscribe on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@askjimmiller


🔥 Avoid Burnout at All Costs | Monday Morning Pep Talk #274

Welcome to Episode 275 of Monday Morning Pep Talk.

This week, we are going deep on a word that gets tossed around a lot in real estate—but rarely lived out: fiduciary.
FIDUCIARY: What It Really Means

It sounds powerful. It sounds professional. But most advisors using the word aren’t actually showing up that way in their day-to-day business.

Too many agents are functioning as facilitators—not fiduciaries. They’re taking orders, moving people from step to step, doing what’s easy—not what’s right. And clients? They can feel it.
📌 A facilitator helps.
📌 A fiduciary leads.

A true fiduciary puts the client’s interest first—even when it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable, or costly. Especially then.
In this episode, I break down:
✅ Why most agents default to “suitability” thinking—and why that’s not enough
✅ The subtle ways clients know when you’re faking it
✅ What separates a true advisor from an order-taker
✅ Why trust—not likability—is the real currency that compounds
✅ How to build a business around referrals by earning trust daily

Ask Yourself This:

If you got paid nothing on a deal, would your advice change?
If the answer is yes, you’re not advising. You’re selling.
That’s the hard truth—and the standard we all need to hold ourselves to if we want to build something long-term.
This episode is your invitation to shift from transactional thinking to transformational service—to be a fiduciary not just in name, but in action.

Are You Earning Trust Every Day?

🔹 Do your clients feel safe, or sold to?
🔹 Are you showing up to impress—or to guide?
🔹 Are you willing to lose a deal to protect your client’s future?
Trust is built through behavior. It’s earned in quiet moments—when no one is watching, and there’s no commission on the line.

In real estate, your legacy is not built on sales. It’s built on service.

The Standard Has Been Raised. If you want to stand out in this market, it won’t come from louder marketing. It will come from deeper relationships and a higher level of professionalism. Lead with integrity. Advise with clarity. And put the client first—every single time.

Have a great week, team. I’ll talk to you next Monday.

🚀 Stay Connected with Jim Miller
📩 Join My Monday Morning Pep Talk Weekly Email → www.askjimmiller.com
📺 Subscribe on YouTube → www.youtube.com/channel/UCe3o0Wp1nE8dV_r1TFRb_Uw
📲 Follow on Instagram → www.instagram.com/askjimmiller
🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → www.linkedin.com/in/jimmillerchicago

FIDUCIARY: What It Really Means | Monday Morning Pep Talk Episode 275

Welcome to Episode 276 of Monday Morning Pep Talk.

This week, we’re going deep on a truth every top performer knows — you’re only as strong as your recovery.

Whether you're an elite athlete or a high-performing advisor, setbacks are part of the game. What separates the best?
It’s not just talent. It’s not just discipline.
👉 It’s the ability to mentally reset and move forward — fast.

Research confirms what we’ve seen in sports:
The highest achievers don’t just recover physically.
🧠 They recover mentally.

🎾 What the Greats Do Differently:
📌 Serena Williams resets with rituals — every serve, every match.
📌 Rafael Nadal adjusts his socks to signal a mental reboot.
📌 Tiger Woods treats each shot as a clean slate.
📌 Michael Jordan used failure as fuel.
📌 Simone Biles stepped back, reset, and returned stronger.

These aren’t quirks. They’re intentional resets, practiced to protect performance.
🧘‍♂️ Composure isn’t passive. It’s practiced.

💼 For You, the Advisor:
• A listing fell through
• A deal collapsed
• A long-term client ghosted

So what. That moment is over. The next one is waiting.

Dragging setbacks into your next appointment?
That’s what kills momentum.

🔁 Reset Process:
✅ Acknowledge — briefly
✅ Analyze — don’t dwell
✅ Adjust — if needed
✅ Advance — no residue

This is how you stay sharp, protect your energy, and perform.

💬 Ask Yourself:
Do you have reset rituals?
Are you letting one moment take over your week?
Are you ready for what’s next — or stuck on what just happened?
You don’t need to be perfect.
You just need to reset and keep showing up.

🛠️ This Episode Will Help You:
✅ Build mental reset habits
✅ Reframe failure into momentum
✅ Strengthen your focus under pressure
✅ Avoid the snowball of setbacks
✅ Perform with clarity, even when things feel heavy

🌪️ The world feels intense right now...
Real estate is one of the most emotional decisions people make. Now more than ever, your clarity matters.

This message is a reset — a reminder that showing up, despite everything, is winning.

🔄 The New Normal Requires a New Response:
✅ Lean in
✅ Accept what is
✅ Outwork the noise
✅ Take more shots on goal
✅ Keep your pipeline 1.5–2x your GCI target

🧭 My Professional Purpose:
I coach full-service, full-fee advisors to optimize productivity and become the best version of themselves.
Why? Because Happy Advisors Sell More Real Estate.

🎧 Treat this like a 1-on-1 coaching session.
🔁 Replay it when you need it.
💡 Let it remind you who you are — and why you’re built for this.

🔗 Stay Connected with Jim Miller:
📩 Weekly Email → www.askjimmiller.com
📺 YouTube → www.youtube.com/@AskJimMiller
📲 Instagram → www.instagram.com/askjimmiller
🔗 LinkedIn → www.linkedin.com/in/jimmillerchicago

📺 IN A RUT? Here’s What Works | Monday Morning Pep Talk Episode # 276

Welcome to Episode 277 of Monday Morning Pep Talk. This week is about clarity — how to find it faster and use it with purpose.

For over a decade, I’ve been disciplined about planning and goal setting. But even with structure, I sometimes struggled to lock into clarity during my daily and weekly sessions. I was asking good questions — but not the right one.

👉 Then I found it — a question that now anchors my daily, weekly, and quarterly rhythm.

🧠 The Power of the Right Question:
📌 “If I were looking back on today/week/quarter, what would have to have happened — personally and professionally — for me to feel like I made meaningful progress?”

Simple. Practical. A sledgehammer for focus.

📆 Daily | 🗓 Weekly | 📊 Quarterly
This mindset — rooted in the 3-Year Vision philosophy from Strategic Coach — creates clarity that compounds over time. I break it all down in this episode and show you how to apply it across your entire business.

💼 For You, the Advisor: • Your outreach feels scattered
• You're not sure where to start reconnecting
• Your pipeline needs energy — and momentum

You don’t need to do more. You need to start with better questions — to yourself and to your clients.

🔁 Your Reconnection Strategy: 
✅ Leave a message or text: “I have a quick market update I think you’ll want to hear. Call me when you have a minute.”
✅ When they call back, say: “It’s been five years since COVID shifted the market. Based on the data, your home is likely worth between X and Y.”
✅ Then ask: “How is your home performing for you?”

That single question opens the door to meaningful conversations — without sounding like a salesperson. Listen for life changes, log notes, follow up. Repeat across your Top 100.

🧘‍♂️ Composure isn’t passive. It’s practiced.

🛠️ This Episode Will Help You:
✅ Ask the right questions to unlock clarity
✅ Build a repeatable reconnection framework
✅ Turn small daily wins into quarterly momentum
✅ Reset your mindset with one powerful question
✅ Strengthen consistency — even during busy seasons

💬 Ask Yourself:
Are you taking time to plan with intention?
Are you clear on what “progress” looks like today?
Are you showing up strong — or stuck in the noise?

📈 The momentum you want is on the other side of better questions.
.
🔗 Stay Connected with Jim Miller:
📩 Join My Weekly Email → www.askjimmiller.com
📺 Subscribe on YouTube → www.youtube.com/@AskJimMiller
📲 Follow on Instagram → www.instagram.com/askjimmiller
🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → www.linkedin.com/in/jimmillerchicago

Ask The Right Questions | Monday Morning Pep Talk Episode # 277


Better Way to Track Your Production | Monday Morning Pep Talk Episode #278

Welcome to Episode 278 of Monday Morning Pep Talk.

This week’s episode is all about how to track your production in real estate — and more importantly, how to use your numbers to drive consistent, predictable growth.

Top-performing advisors and elite entrepreneurs do not guess. They track, forecast, and hold themselves accountable to clear production targets. In this episode, I break down exactly how to do the same so you can scale your business, keep your pipeline healthy, and stop leaving your results up to chance.

👉 What You Will Learn in This Real Estate Productivity Training:

📌 12-Month Rolling Production:
Understand how to calculate your real production pace and spot trends before it is too late. This method gives you a real-time view of your business health.

📌 The Proper Size of a Real Estate Pipeline:
Learn why your active pipeline must be 1.5x your goal to avoid coming up short. I explain the math and mindset behind pipeline management for success.

📌 Creating Urgency in Prospecting:
Avoid complacency. Discover how visualizing lost opportunities (literally) can push you to prospect daily and stay committed to your income goals.

📌 Gamify Your Prospecting to Stay Consistent:
Borrowed from Atomic Habits, this simple trick turns outbound prospecting into a measurable and rewarding daily habit.

📌 Build a Massive Warm List:
Future deals come from future relationships. I share why warm leads deserve more attention and how staying top-of-mind prevents pipeline gaps.

📌 Know Your Numbers Cold:
Forecast like a CEO, not a salesperson. Use my framework to calculate exactly how many deals and leads you need — and track your production like a pro.

👉 This Episode Will Help You:
✅ Build a reliable and predictable real estate production system
✅ Stay accountable through visual tracking methods
✅ Eliminate dry spells with a deep, engaged warm list
✅ Reverse engineer your annual income goal into weekly and daily targets
✅ Take full ownership of your pipeline and sales process

💬 Ask Yourself:
• Am I truly tracking my real estate business — or guessing?
• Do I have enough in my pipeline to hit my income targets?
• Am I creating urgency around prospecting every single day?

📌 If your answers are uncertain, this episode will shift how you run your business.

🔗 Stay Connected with Jim Miller — Real Estate Coaching for Advisors:

📩 Join My Weekly Email → www.askjimmiller.com
📺 Subscribe on YouTube → www.youtube.com/@AskJimMiller
📲 Follow on Instagram → www.instagram.com/askjimmiller
🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → www.linkedin.com/in/jimmillerchicago
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-jim-miller/id1490481207



A Better Way to Track Your Production | Monday Morning Pep Talk Episode #278

Welcome to Episode 279 of Monday Morning Pep Talk.

In this episode, we are talking about time optimization — and why the best way to manage your time is the way that actually works for you.

There is no universal perfect system. True optimization is about building a rhythm that matches your style, protects your time, and ensures you stay productive and consistent without burning out. Elite advisors do not waste time chasing perfection — they simplify, eliminate, automate, and protect their most valuable resource.

👉 What You Will Learn in This Real Estate Productivity Training:

📌 The Myth of the Perfect System:
Success comes from consistency, not complexity. Learn why your approach should fit your natural workflow — not someone else’s formula.

📌 10 Essential Time Optimization Strategies:
From eliminating low-value activities to upgrading tech, automating tasks, and delegating wisely — these principles keep you in control of your time.

📌 Analog Meets Digital:
Hear why even top producers use simple, analog tools to execute their daily plans — and why this balance helps maintain focus.

📌 Breaking the Scroll and Setting Boundaries:
Social media, streaming, and interruptions can hijack your focus. Learn how to stop distractions and guard your calendar.

📌 The Power of AI and Delegation:
Use AI and smart delegation to eliminate tasks below your profit per hour — buying back time to focus on what matters most.

📌 Reinvesting Saved Time:
Understand how to take the time you save and pour it back into your personal well-being and high-value business activities.

👉 This Episode Will Help You:

✅ Stop chasing rigid routines and do what works for you
✅ Build a sustainable, repeatable rhythm for your day and week
✅ Eliminate busywork and increase time for revenue-generating activities
✅ Avoid burnout and maintain control of your time and priorities
✅ Reinforce that consistency — not perfection — is the key to scaling your business

💬 Ask Yourself:

• Am I forcing a time management system that does not fit how I work?
• Am I protecting my time — or letting distractions control my day?
• Am I reinvesting saved time into what matters most?

📌 If you are uncertain, this episode will give you a better way forward.

🔗 Stay Connected with Jim Miller — Real Estate Coaching for Advisors:

📩 Join My Weekly Email → www.askjimmiller.com
📺 Subscribe on YouTube → www.youtube.com/@AskJimMiller
📲 Follow on Instagram → www.instagram.com/askjimmiller
🔗 Connect on LinkedIn → www.linkedin.com/in/jimmillerchicago

Time Optimization — Do What Works For You | Monday Morning Pep Talk Episode #279

Light thru the cracks Prod. Taigen

Summer is a transitional season—routines shift, energy changes, and the structure of your week gets looser. But for top real estate advisors, summer is not a slowdown—it’s a reset. In this episode of Monday Morning Pep Talk, Jim Miller lays out a focused, tactical plan to make this your most intentional, productive summer yet.

Whether you’re closing deals or catching sunsets, this episode is your guide to blending growth with enjoyment—because a purposeful summer builds a sharper fall.

🧠 What You Will Learn in This Episode:
• 5 Essential Books – Curated titles to reshape how you think, lead, and operate.
• 3 Podcasts – Weekly listening to strengthen skills and shift perspective.
• Weekly Check-In Ritual – A Sunday/Monday habit to reset your week with clarity and intention.
• Morning Routine Framework – A 60-minute template to activate your body, mind, and business.
• AI Growth Challenge – Commit to 10 hours of learning and stay ahead of the industry curve.

This is your opportunity to design your growth. Self-development is not about doing more—it’s about becoming more. Let this be the season you upgrade your inputs, sharpen your tools, and build a business that reflects the best version of you.

🔔 SUBSCRIBE FOR WEEKLY COACHING CONTENT
New episodes every week with real estate strategies, systems, and insights to help you grow, lead, and Take Flight.
• Weekly Coaching Email → https://askjimmiller.com/contact/

📚 RESOURCES
• Reading List → https://askjimmiller.com/my-reading-list-2024/
• About Jim + Useful Docs → https://askjimmiller.com/take-flight-2/

📲 CONNECT WITH JIM
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/askjimmiller
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmillerchicago
YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@AskJimMiller

📘 Your Summer 2025 Self Development Syllabus | Monday Morning Pep Talk #282

I just stay being me, for real cuzzy!
EnBee36

Stay Being Me

Take Flight on August 8, 2025 at The Red Sea Minneapolis

TaliaKnight - Take Flight 8-8 Lion's Gate Portal Mix

Jim Miller is a success mentor and life coach who guides top real estate brokers from around the country while managing 2.3B+ in sales production as Designated Managing Broker with Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty in Chicago, Illinois.  He is also recognized as a top real estate coach to top Sotheby's International Realty brokers in 35 luxury markets.

beats beats beats, repeat

mostly remixes over here > check my Bandcamp below

New tracks tagged #TakeFlight