There's a moment - usually somewhere between the third set and the part where your brain starts negotiating with your body - when a voice kicks in.  

You're tired.

You're not strong enough.  

I don't know if you can do this.

And then… I smile big as I hear the other voice in my head -- the one I choose:

One more!

You've got this.

Woohooo!!! DO IT!

In January, I found a gym and a trainer I didn't know I needed. At 5:30 in the morning - before the emails, the contracts, the calls - I'm showing up three days a week. And Blaze? He's not just handing me weights and counting reps (incorrectly… #IYKYK). He's teaching me WHY.

Why form matters.

Why strength is built slowly.

Why the right movement prevents injury.

But more than that? He's teaching me how to listen.

"Good job, Annette. You're killin' it."

"You never quit. I love that about you."

"Remember why you're doing this."

He wants 10. So, naturally, I give him 12. Sometimes 15.

Because he believes I can.

And as it turns out—he's right.

On that last rep, when I don't know if I can do it, he's right there. Not rushing in. Not rescuing. Just close enough to remind me: "You've got this, Annette." And when I push through? When I finish?

"I'm so proud of you."

We fist bump. He talks quietly about my progress and I walk out elated every single time.

Not because it was easy—but because I did something I wasn't sure I could. My confidence is growing every time I show up and put in the work.

REALTORS®, Let's Be Honest…

This isn't just about the gym.

This is about the voices in your head when:

• The deal falls apart at the eleventh hour

• The seller insisted on listing high and now it's sitting...

• The buyer ghosts you

• The market shifts and your confidence tries to shift with it

Because in those moments, the same two voices show up.

This is too hard.

Maybe I'm not cut out for this.

- Or -

You've handled worse.

Make the call.

Find a way forward.

Here's the truth: you get to choose which voice you listen to.

The Company You Keep… Lives in Your Head

What I've realized—somewhere between squats and real estate conversations—is this:

When you consistently surround yourself with encouragers, their voices don't stay external.

They move in.

They start showing up when you need them most.

And for me? That's changed everything.

When I'm sitting across from an agent, listening to a tough situation, helping them navigate what feels impossible— encouragement overflows. It sharpens my thinking. It fuels creativity. It keeps me grounded in solutions, not stuck in problems.

One part of life, giving life to every other part.

My Voices (And I Bet You Have Yours)

I couldn't write this without naming a few of mine.

• Monica Alidor - who lets me laugh, vent and be real without ever making me feel less than.

• Geoff Stacey - steady, quiet and always ready to listen… even if it ends in a laugh after a quick tear (while I apologize for being such a girl – lol)

• Troy Wilson - who cuts through the noise with, "Hey. Nobody died. We'll get through it." (And we always do.)

• Erica Davies - who walks in, closes the door, shares, encourages, and challenges.

• And then there's my family. My husband. My kids. Friends who've walked with me for decades.  

"Grateful" doesn't quite cover it.

So Let Me Ask You…

Which voice are you listening to?

Because the loudest voice isn't always the right one.

And the most familiar voice isn't always the most truthful one.

Here's Your Move

• Name your encouragers. Say it out loud. Tell them what they mean to you.

• Spend more time on gratitude than frustration. One grows you. The other drains you.

• Be the voice someone else needs. In this business, that matters more than you think.

• Interrupt the negative narrative. Replace it—intentionally—with truth.

• Stand tall in the relationships that fuel you.

Let those voices be the ones echoing when it matters most.

Because the deals? The market? The chaos of the day?

They'll come and go.

But the voices you choose to believe?

They will carry you through all of it.

You've got this.

You really do.