In this week’s episode of Monday Morning Pep Talk, I’m sharing three timeless self-help books that I revisit every year. These books have profoundly shaped my mindset, strategies, and success, and today, I’m breaking down why they deserve a permanent place on your bookshelf. Stick around until the end for a bonus recommendation—a game-changer for anyone looking to reclaim their time and scale their impact.

Before we begin, let me remind you of my professional purpose: to help you, the full-service, full-fee advisor, optimize your productivity and become the best version of yourself. Why? Because Happy Advisors Sell More Real Estate. I do this by helping you handle the challenges and opportunities you face every day. As you listen, imagine we’re having a one-on-one coaching session, diving deep into the strategies that will elevate your life and business.

As a weekly content creator who tries to editorialize big and complicated ideas into the lowest common denominator, you come to really appreciate well-written books that beautifully describe concepts that you and your fellow entrepreneurs struggle with every day. The 3 books I will discuss with you today hold a prominent place in my library. I try to re-read all 3 every year. I threw in a bonus book that addresses the biggest challenge my advisors and coaching students face—time. I wish I would have written all of them, but I’m glad I didn’t have to because I get to reference them repeatedly.

The 3 Books That Guide My Success:

The Go-Giver by Bob Burg
This transformational book teaches the power of giving over getting, showing that true success comes from creating value for others.
Key Takeaway: The Law of Compensation—your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them. Success isn’t about taking; it’s about giving and creating meaningful impact.

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
Small, consistent actions lead to extraordinary outcomes. This book is your guide to eliminating bad habits, building good ones, and staying disciplined.
Key Takeaway: Pump the Well. Success requires persistence. Just like pumping an old-fashioned water well, consistency leads to momentum, making it easier to sustain long-term results.

The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran & Michael Lennington
Revolutionize your goal-setting approach by focusing on 12-week cycles instead of annual plans. This strategy creates urgency, clarity, and consistent action.
Key Takeaway: Win the Day. Manifesting your 3-Year Vision starts with winning days, weeks, and quarters to achieve your yearly and long-term goals.

Bonus Recommendation:
Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
Learn how to delegate low-value tasks, reclaim your time, and build a business that supports your life—not the other way around.
Key Takeaway: Calculate your hourly rate to focus on tasks that maximize your productivity and profitability.

If these books aren’t already in your library, add them now. And if you’ve read them before, this holiday season is the perfect time to revisit their wisdom. The lessons within can help you create a more intentional, productive, and fulfilling life and business.

Thank you for tuning in. Let’s continue building a life and business that are both predictable and enjoyable.

🔍 For more resources, check out my website www.askjimmiller.com and follow @AskJimMiller on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. And don't forget to search @AskJimMiller for more insights!

💡 Success Leaves Clues | Monday Morning Pep Talk, Episode #259 ✨

Welcome to Monday Morning Pep Talk! In Episode 267, I’m tackling a question I hear all the time:

"Where do I start with a CRM?"

Many advisors struggle with setting up their CRM. They know they need it but feel overwhelmed about where to begin. If that sounds like you, you’re not alone.

A well-structured CRM is the foundation of a predictable and enjoyable business—helping you stay top of mind, build trust, and create consistent opportunities. But getting started is often the hardest part.

This episode will give you a step-by-step roadmap to set up your CRM without the overwhelm.

📌 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ The five key lists every real estate advisor needs in their CRM
✔️ How to pull and organize contacts from email, phone, social media, and past transactions
✔️ Why a structured CRM leads to more repeat and referral business
✔️ How to take action immediately instead of waiting for a perfect database

🚀 Step 1: Define Your Five Key Lists

Before adding names to your CRM, you need clarity on who belongs there. The Take Flight framework organizes contacts into five essential lists:

✅ Top 100 Clients – Your most loyal, high-producing clients.
✅ Top 100 Referral Partners – Trusted professionals who send you business.
✅ Warm List – People likely to buy or sell in 12 months.
✅ Hot List – Active clients planning to buy or sell in 90 days.
✅ Local Collaborative Brokers – Market peers who provide insights and share inventory.

A CRM isn’t just about collecting names—it’s about staying connected to the right people.

🔎 Step 2: Mine Your Data Sources

Now that you know who belongs in your CRM, it’s time to pull their information systematically:

📩 Email & Calendar: Search for keywords like client, closing, contract, referral.
📱 Phone & Texts: Check frequent contacts—who do you engage with regularly?
🔗 Social Media: Review LinkedIn, Instagram DMs, and Facebook messages.
📑 Past Transactions: Pull MLS data from the last 3–5 years for past buyers and sellers.
🎟 Networking & Events: Consider past mastermind groups, conferences, and coaching programs.

A structured process ensures you’re capturing high-value contacts—not just filling a database.

📲 Step 3: Take Action As You Build

A common mistake? Waiting until your CRM is fully built before reaching out.

🚨 Don’t do that.
If a name surfaces, reach out immediately—send a quick text, check in, or schedule a coffee. Your CRM isn’t just for storing contacts—it’s for relationship management.

📊 Why This Matters: The ROI of a Well-Maintained CRM
Advisors who actively nurture their database see:
✔️ Higher conversion rates
✔️ More repeat business
✔️ Stronger referral pipelines

A CRM isn’t just an admin task—it’s a game changer for long-term success.

📌 Final Thought: Start NOW ✈️

This episode gives you the blueprint—now it’s time to execute. A strong CRM creates a predictable, enjoyable business when built with small, intentional steps.

📩 Get More Coaching & Resources

📬 Join My Email List:
https://askjimmiller.com/contact/

📲 Follow Me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/askjimmiller/

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmillerchicago/

✈️ Where Do I Start? (CRM Strategy for Real Estate Advisors) | Monday Morning Pep Talk # 267

„Grasshoppers to the Sky“ ist ein Lied für Träumer, Taktlose und Unerschrockene. Eine Hymne über kleine Sprünge, die irgendwann zu Flügen werden. Über das Scheitern, das Aufstehen und das Größerwerden. Ein Song, der mit beiden Beinen auf dem Boden steht und trotzdem den Himmel sucht – für alle, die je gewagt haben zu springen.


“Grasshoppers to the Sky” is a soaring anthem for dreamers, drifters, and the wild-hearted. A story of small leaps turning into flight – of falling, rising, and becoming something greater. With roots in the earth and eyes on the heavens, this song captures the journey from humble beginnings to boundless skies. For anyone who ever dared to jump.

Grashoppers to the Sky

we skimmed before it
like a bird
the coast of the island
flashing by
and the view changing 
every minute

GŐZKABIN - like a bird... (prelude)

Are you where you thought you’d be halfway through 2025? This is your checkpoint—not your report card. Your chance to pause, reflect, and realign for the back half of the year. In Episode 286 of Monday Morning Pep Talk, I walk you through a mid-year Q3 Audit rooted in the Take Flight philosophy. This isn’t about motivation—it’s about recalibration. I am not here to tell you what to do. I’m here to challenge you through questions designed to provoke clarity, sharpen your self-awareness, and reignite your vision. If you’ve been reactive, coasting, or feeling off-course, this is the moment to reset.

💡 What You Will Learn in This Episode • How to evaluate your mindset, energy, and daily boundaries • Why Q3 is the most important quarter to recalibrate momentum • What to track, clean up, and eliminate to finish strong in 2025 • The 7-part audit system top producers use to stay aligned • Why you do not need a complete overhaul—just the clarity to act
Think of it like cleaning out your closet. Dump everything on the bed. Put back only what serves you. That is how high performers course-correct without burning out.

🧠 Prompt of the Week
Block 90 minutes this week. Print the 7 sections from this episode. Sit down, journal your answers, and plan from clarity—not chaos.

"If I could only fix one thing in my business this quarter, what would it be—and what would that unlock?"
Use this audit to eliminate the noise and re-establish momentum with purpose.

📆 Mid-Year isn’t the time to coast. It’s the time to gain altitude.
High performers don’t drift for long. They check in, adjust, and keep moving toward the version of themselves they committed to becoming.

🔔 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/

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

📚 RESOURCES
• My 2024 Reading List → https://askjimmiller.com/my-reading-list-2024/
• Business Planning Docs + About Me → https://askjimmiller.com/take-flight-2/

📍 Halfway Home: Your Mid-Year Check-In | Monday Morning Pep Talk 286

Are you where you thought you’d be halfway through 2025? 

This is your checkpoint—not your report card. Your chance to pause, reflect, and realign for the back half of the year. In Episode 286 of Monday Morning Pep Talk, I walk you through a mid-year Q3 Audit rooted in the Take Flight philosophy. 

This isn’t about motivation—it’s about recalibration. I am not here to tell you what to do. I’m here to challenge you through questions designed to provoke clarity, sharpen your self-awareness, and reignite your vision. If you’ve been reactive, coasting, or feeling off-course, this is the moment to reset.

💡 What You Will Learn in This Episode • How to evaluate your mindset, energy, and daily boundaries 
• Why Q3 is the most important quarter to recalibrate momentum • What to track, clean up, and eliminate to finish strong in 2025 
• The 7-part audit system top producers use to stay aligned 
• Why you do not need a complete overhaul—just the clarity to act

Think of it like cleaning out your closet. Dump everything on the bed. Put back only what serves you. That is how high performers course-correct without burning out.

🧠 Prompt of the Week
Block 90 minutes this week. Print the 7 sections from this episode. Sit down, journal your answers, and plan from clarity—not chaos.

"If I could only fix one thing in my business this quarter, what would it be—and what would that unlock?"

Use this audit to eliminate the noise and re-establish momentum with purpose.

📆 Mid-Year isn’t the time to coast. It’s the time to gain altitude.
High performers don’t drift for long. They check in, adjust, and keep moving toward the version of themselves they committed to becoming.

🔔 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/

📲 CONNECT WITH ME

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

📚 RESOURCES

• My 2024 Reading List → https://askjimmiller.com/my-reading-list-2024/
• Business Planning Docs + About Me → https://askjimmiller.com/take-flight-2/

💡 Clarity to Results: What to Do With Your Q3 Audit | Monday Morning Pep Talk 287 #realestatepodcast

Are you memorable—or just visible?

In Episode 288 of Monday Morning Pep Talk, I break down what many real estate professionals get wrong about personal branding. This isn’t about being an influencer or going viral. It’s about being intentional, recognizable, and top-of-mind in a business that rewards trust and reputation.

Your marketing is not just for lead generation. It is your insurance policy. It protects your relationships, converts your introductions, and reinforces why someone should hire you.

Because here’s the truth: your personal brand is no longer optional.

💡 What You Will Learn in This Episode
• Why consistent branding drives retention and referrals
• How to audit your digital first impression and fix weak spots
• What top advisors do weekly to stay relevant and visible
• How your brand ties into the Take Flight Sales Funnel
• Why trust is built before the sales conversation ever begins

You do not need a huge following. You just need a clear, consistent presence and a message that reminds people of your value—without saying a word.

🧠 Prompt of the Week
If you want to level up your personal brand, start by studying those who are already doing it well. Use this ChatGPT prompt to build your personal case study library:

Prompt:
“I am a real estate advisor looking to improve my personal brand. Help me identify 5–10 high-performing real estate agents from across the U.S. and Canada who are excellent at personal branding and content strategy. I’m looking for advisors who serve a similar market [input your market specifics] and client profile to mine (luxury to mid-tier, full-service, referral-based). Please list:
– Their primary market and brokerage (if known)
– Where they post their content (Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.)
– A short description of what they do well (style, consistency, messaging)
– Suggestions on what I can model from their approach without copying”

Follow their rhythms. Look for the structure behind their content—not just the design.
The goal is not to imitate—but to extract what works and make it your own.

📈 Your Weekly Brand Rhythm (Start Here)
• 1 market update or “Just Sold” post
• 1 behind-the-scenes or personal moment
• 1 client success or testimonial story

Repeat that weekly. Ninety days from now, you will look different online—and so will your business.

🔔 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/

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

📚 RESOURCES
• My 2024 Reading List → https://askjimmiller.com/my-reading-list-2024/
• Business Planning Docs + About Me → https://askjimmiller.com/take-flight-2/

💡 Your Personal Brand is Not Optional | Monday Morning Pep Talk 288

In this 289th episode of Monday Morning Pep Talk, we’re continuing our conversation around personal branding with a concept that separates amateurs from professionals: Evidence of Success.

This episode is a direct call to action for brokers and advisors who want to build a credible, memorable brand that commands attention. Because in today’s market, it’s not just about what you say — it’s about what the market sees.

If you’re serious about positioning yourself as the go-to real estate professional in your market, your listing marketing has to do more than generate offers. It has to communicate trust, professionalism, and results.

🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What “Evidence of Success” actually means in the context of personal branding
• Why showing your process is just as important as showing your results
• How top-producing advisors use listings to position themselves as trusted experts
• Why every listing is a real-time case study of how you work
• The reason your marketing shouldn’t stop at “Just Listed” and “SOLD”
• How to structure a listing campaign that sells and builds long-term brand equity

🧠 7 Ways to Market a Listing That Build Your Brand:

Announce It Strategically – Go beyond the flyer. Tell the story of the property and position it clearly for the right audience.
Use High-End Visuals – Professional photography, drone, and video communicate your standards before you say a word.
Leverage Social Platforms by Format – Use Reels to create emotion, Stories to show real-time effort, and LinkedIn to showcase your professionalism.
Highlight Your Process – Pull back the curtain on staging, prep, marketing, and team collaboration.
Document the Win – Share how it sold, why the strategy worked, and what success looked like.
Feature the People – With permission, include your clients to tell a human, relatable story.
Package It for Future Listings – Create a portfolio of success you can repurpose in listing presentations and on your website.
📌 Why This Matters

When done right, your listing marketing pays you twice — once when the home sells, and again when your brand earns credibility and exposure. It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to communicate your value to future clients, generate business momentum, and build long-term visibility.

💼 For Advisors Who Follow Take Flight

If you’ve been following my recent content on personal branding, this is the next step in the path. Branding isn’t about chasing attention — it’s about creating visibility and consistency so you stay top of mind with your network and your next client.

This episode will help you move from being just another agent in the feed to someone who consistently shows up with authority, trust, and results.

🔔 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/

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

📚 RESOURCES
• My 2024 Reading List → https://askjimmiller.com/my-reading-list-2024/
• Business Planning Docs + About Me → https://askjimmiller.com/take-flight-2/

Evidence of Success| How Marketing Listings Builds Your Brand  | Monday Morning Pep Talk #289

In this 290th episode of Monday Morning Pep Talk, we’re shining a light on one of the most overlooked yet powerful tools for building your real estate brand: the buyer tour.

Most agents treat buyer tours as simple service work — but in reality, they’re a living, breathing opportunity to show how you work, not just what you do. When documented with professionalism, buyer tours become branding gold: real-time proof of your expertise, your client-first mindset, and your ability to elevate the industry.

🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• Why buyer tours are a branding opportunity, not just a service
• How to document a buyer tour without compromising professionalism
• What to show to build trust, credibility, and momentum
• How to use buyer tour content to educate, not just promote
• Why your audience needs to see how you think, not just what you show
• The 7 best practices for turning buyer tours into content assets

🧠 7 Buyer Tour Content Best Practices:

Always credit the listing agent — brand integrity starts with respect
Show process over property — let people see how you work
Educate along the way — use every moment to build credibility
Respect client privacy — never post without permission
Balance fun with structure — show the energy, but highlight your approach
Save and organize everything — build a library of content assets
Create a repeatable format — consistency makes it scalable
📌 Why This Matters
Your audience doesn’t want hype — they want proof. Buyer tour content, done right, becomes your most authentic, educational, and trust-building brand touchpoint. This is how full-service, full-fee advisors like you rise above the noise.

💼 For Advisors Who Follow Take Flight
If you’ve been applying the personal branding strategies from Episodes 288 and 289, this is your next move. Show the market how you guide clients. Show them what full-service looks like. That’s what sets professionals apart.

🔔 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/

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

📚 RESOURCES
• My 2024 Reading List → https://askjimmiller.com/my-reading-list-2024/
• Business Planning Docs + About Me → https://askjimmiller.com/take-flight-2/

📲 Turn Buyer Tours Into Your Most Powerful Branding Tool | Monday Morning Pep Talk #290

The Neurobrain mix to "Take Flight", the entrance theme song for "The All Powerful" BLAQLIGHT

Take Flight [Neurobrain Mix] (Entrance Theme)

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.

"I am the Hope, and the Dream, of the slave." - Maya Angelou

Born and raised in California, producer BLAQLight is a self-proclaimed "beatmaker" who has been praised by Jay Electronica, Talib Kweli, and 9th Wonder. He professes in the area of "soul beats". Heavily influenced by early Kanye West, some have called his style of production "Kanye West Meets The West Coast". 

BLAQLight is a DJ, producer, and musician who is currently working on his debut producer-album, called "Still I Rise: I Am A Revolutionary". It will feature powerfully conscious songs that promote unity, love, and rebuilding our broken society. Songs include "Solitude", "Black Skin", "Still I Rise", and the heavily acclaimed "Black History".

New tracks tagged #take flight