Lara is a successful real estate agent who felt like she was trapped in the classic “golden handcuffs” situation – on paper you have everything you want, yet you can’t help but feel stuck in your life. But through her introspective work in the mastermind she was able to engineer some awesome quantum shifts.
Meet Ignite Mastermind Member Lara Schultz:
- Was born and lives in New Orleans, LA;
- Founder of a multi-million dollar Real Estate Company in Louisiana;
- Other passions: photography, reading, traveling and music;
- Unique Feature: her dream vacation would be an archeological dig.
Q: You’ve been in the real estate game for a long time. Tell us about your journey towards the top in what is arguably one of the most gruelling and competitive industries around.
A: Yep, 15 years and counting! I got into real estate right after Hurricane Katrina hit and started a business where we were building neighborhoods everywhere we could. As you can imagine, I was driven by a powerful WHY to keep on doing what I did. I did really well for myself in the real estate field, but I quickly learned how short the human memory is for devastating catastrophes. Right around 2015 is when everything went back to “normal” and I found myself trapped.
Q: I remember you told us you were trapped in “golden handcuffs” situation prior to joining the mastermind. What was it like?
A: There were so many things going on and each of them contributed to this unexpressed feeling of paralysis. I found myself in a troubled relationship with my ex-partner where business matters and personal matters were combined. I lost count of how many times I would say “I’m trying so hard to make this happen and I can’t make this happen. I’ve been manifesting for a very long time and I know how it works and what I need to do, but I CANNOT manifest the relationship I want out of this”. I ended up being stuck in my relationship, and that negatively impacted my business. I could not figure out how to move the needle.
The relationship I was in was the #1 source of stress in my life. I’m a pretty laid back person and I was fortunate to have a great family, but it was definitely having a bad influence on my family members. From the start of the day to the end of the day, my life was an emotional rollercoaster full of high highs and low lows. I felt trapped in my situation and I became convinced I was doomed to stay stuck on the rollercoaster.
Q: It’s quite a difficult experience to go through, and I think many people reading this might be in the same situation. How did you attempt to get out of it?
A: I was pretty invested in self-help and I had tried a whole bunch of stuff. I read the books, went to some classes, but I never achieved any real enlightenment. I was picking up pieces here and there, but it was all fragmented. Deep down, I knew I was missing something important. There had to be a hidden link that explained how I ended up in my situation. Funny enough, I even did an exercise where you write down all the things you have feelings for and want to accomplish on a piece of paper. When I prioritized each item, I noticed that “enlightenment” was on the list but I didn’t think much of it at the time.
Q: And I’m assuming you eventually found us through your search for the answer?
A: I was really lucky to have met a very successful coach named Natalie who had previously worked with Tom Ferry in real estate. She was really big on integrity, which was what attracted me to her in the first place. She recommended Matthew’s book Quiet Mind Epic Life and I read through the book in a single afternoon. When I finished the book, everything “made sense”. I think I had an “Ah-ha” moment every 2-3 pages! I hadn’t even attended a single live event or read anything online about him, and here I was with my mind fully blown.
Matthew was able to fit everything I had ever read about personal development into an elegant and simple philosophy. I couldn’t refute what he was telling me. As I started to embrace what the book was teaching me, it felt more “right” and the concepts were resonating with me at a stronger level. But above all else, I really loved how Matthew emphasized the importance of constantly improving and elevating your level of integrity. To this day, I still consider it the biggest takeaway from the book. Integrity is all about being true to yourself, and seeing what makes you stronger or weaker.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had the tools and the perspective needed to put me on a focused path. No more grappling at “this and that”, no more needing to buy any more self-help books. Matthew goes one further than the “Law Of Attraction” teachers and tells you WHY you can attain it and lose it just as quickly. It’s hard to put into words, but Matthew’s modality just felt right for me. I finally felt like I was going in the right direction.
Q: Was your transition towards joining the mastermind just as smooth? It seems like you were already headed there!
A: Yes and no. I eventually heard about the mastermind through Matthew’s email newsletter. At that point in time, I was already convinced that Matthew was the real deal in terms of spiritual growth. To be completely honest, the mastermind was my first HUGE financial investment into anything related to self-improvement. I was building up my business at the time, so it was definitely a hardship for me to join when it came to the money. And despite this, The Drunk Monkey couldn’t talk me out of joining. I just knew it was the right decision to make, no matter what my mind was telling me. By getting my mindset right in the mastermind, everything else in my life would change. I wasn’t worried about the financials because I trusted that whatever I wanted to happen would happen. It is DEFINITELY worth the jump for anyone who’s seeking phenomenal returns. 😉
Q: It takes a deep level of self-trust to do what you did, and I couldn’t be more proud of you. How did you feel about the other members in the mastermind?
A: It’s the other members that make your mastermind experience the most exciting thing you’ve ever done in your life. You’re surrounded by amazing human beings doing the same things you’re doing. It was so nice to tap into a group where everyone shares and expresses a genuine desire to help and contribute so much. I didn’t feel like I was in a mastermind; I felt like I joined a tribe. And as for Matthew and Kristen? There is no question they are 100% in integrity. They are exactly who they say they are, both in person and in their writing.
“Integrity is defined as the state of being whole and complete; the whole thing is working well, undivided, integrated, intact and uncorrupted” – Matthew Ferry
Q: Your relationship with your ex-partner was a big mental obstacle when you first joined us. How did the mastermind help you change your perception of the situation?
A: I felt stuck. Stuck in my relationship and stuck in my business. I remember bemoaning to Kristen about all the ways in which I felt trapped! I’ll never forget when Kristen looked me square in the eyes and said “No Lara, you are not stuck”. It took a lot of introspection from myself, endless muscle testing, and a lot of honest feedback from the other members, but I eventually realized she was absolutely right. It was thanks to her and the other Spiritual Hooligans that I was able to scale the mountain of emotions I had created for myself. They helped me keep my integrity high and prioritize the things in my life that truly matter, rather than reach for things that made my body weaker.
I stopped putting value into relationships that were driving me insane. I learned how to keep my emotions in check, and noticed how quickly things would smooth out when I did so. I don’t have to stay in this “perfect” mindset 100% of the time. Long story short, the relationship with my ex-partner has ended. I would not have been able to cut the cord if it wasn’t for the mastermind and everything they did for me.
Q: What happened to you after the mastermind weekend where you met the other members? I remember you were worried about losing the positive vibe you had when you were face-to-face with everyone.
A: When you’re with so many positive people at once, you almost feel “high”. I even remember doing a breathing exercise one afternoon at one of our weekend mastermind retreats in Palm Springs and I felt like I was levitating off the ground! But once I got home, it was as if I was back into my reality. I wanted to keep that positive feeling I had experienced, but didn’t know how to return to that state. And that’s where the true value of the mastermind comes through: Matthew and Kristen have built mechanisms that allow you to keep all the hard work you’ve put in.
Through the weekly phone calls and setting the intention to connect with other members, it’s so easy to recalibrate and return to the thriving “Quiet Mind”. I cannot emphasize how important the phone calls are, because there is ALWAYS something that is directly applicable to your present circumstances. Without fail, you will learn something new every time you are on the call.
You get to hear about the amazing things happening for other people. You get to cheer for the members, and they get to cheer for you. It’s helped me so much with verbalizing my gratitude and setting conscious intentions for the day. It raises your level of vibration bit by bit. In the two calls I missed due to client work, I noticed a dramatic difference compared to the weeks where I didn’t miss the calls. Without the positive reinforcement, it was easy to slip back into the old habits and patterns of The Drunk Monkey.
Q: Let’s dig into your working life a bit deeper. How did your perception of your business and your day-to-day responsibilities change?
A: It’s the funniest thing. Even though I was doing the same things I was doing before, I was operating from a context of creating my ideal life. It was the same work, but the stressful things were no longer stressful. The intent was completely different, and that was what engineered a major breakthrough in my business. My business was booming and earning a few million per year before I met my ex-partner and everything started going downhill. After reading Quiet Mind Epic Life and joining the mastermind, I blew things up. I blew up the business I had, my assistant quit, and ending my relationship with my ex-partner led to other things blowing up.
“Every breakdown you have ever had in your life has turned into a breakthrough somewhere else in your life. Destruction and creation are the same things just at different stages of the process.”
– Matthew Ferry
There was beauty in the breakdown. The more things were blowing up, the better I felt. Things got really amazing when I set the intention to go 100% into building up my business. I built an amazing and loyal team who consistently shows up, and the business is far more organized and focused. My team has allowed me to take the time to do things for myself, and let go of the need to be a martyr who does things for other people at the expense of my own well-being.
Thanks to the mastermind, I am now crystal clear on what I want and I have my plans for the business mapped out over the past 5 years. Matthew’s “giving the gift” philosophy has changed my business in ways I can’t even describe. And the results don’t lie: Last year I closed $10 million in sales, which was $1-2 million more than what I was doing before. I have complete confidence in my ability to hit $15 million in 2020, and I won’t be struggling pay check to pay check anymore. In fact, I am 100% debt-free as of January 22, 2020!
Q: And I imagine the other areas of your life were equally impacted by your transformation in the mastermind?
A: Oh yes! Before the mastermind, I would easily get upset with all the people I was meeting on a daily basis through my real estate job. Now, I’m no longer invested in their emotions, what they’re doing or why they’re doing it. I fully accept that other people are just doing the best they can with what they have. The days of having to pump myself up to do things I hated are behind me. Rather than having to motivate myself, I wake up feeling inspired. I feel a great deal of appreciation and gratitude for minutiae details – filing my calendar, making phone calls, attending meetings, and more!
Better yet, I no longer feel the need to be so harsh on myself. I’m a lot more comfortable in my own skin because I understand exactly how my mind operates. Gone are the days where I’m tired and exhausted all the time. I can wake up in the morning, set my intentions properly, and allow things to come at me. No more struggle, no more resistance – I feel as if I’m complete control of myself. So long as I express gratitude in the morning and set my intentions before I head off to work, my day is already perfect.
Q: What words of wisdom do you have for anyone who wants to join the mastermind for the very first time?
A: When I first joined, I felt like I was way out of my league. I thought it was wrong for me to let people know who I was and I initially hid my true intentions from the other members. It seemed as if everyone was so honest and focused, and I wasn’t sure if I could meet that high standard. In fact, I was nicknamed “The Dark Knight” when I first joined! But as you meet everybody, start listening in and begin to share your ups and downs, everything gets easier. Participation is key to your success in the mastermind. It gets your head straight and helps you keep your mind quiet as you begin to integrate the enlightened perspectives into your life.
Reading the book alone will change your mindset, but the mastermind is where you start to accelerate your growth. It’s where exponential progress really starts taking place. You are not stuck. When you listen and participate in all of the mastermind activities, connect with the other members and show up for the weekly phone calls, you’ll realize there was never anything “broken” about you. And one final piece of advice I have: Write the prophecy letters, EVEN if you don’t show them to anyone. I wrote my first one in December 2019 and I’ve already seen a massive leap in results this year, both business and personal.