The Faithful Real Estate Agent | Realtors of Faith, Christian Realtor, Real Estate Systems, Work-Life Balance

278 | Stop Chasing Real Estate Goals That Don’t Honor God: Here’s the Faith-Aligned Way to Win w/ Cari Briner

• Garrett Maroon | Realtor of Faith, Work-Life Balance Expert, Help You Sell More Homes and Make More Money, Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Dad

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Your real estate goals can both build your business and honor God simultaneously. The industry tries to separate the two, but you don't have to give into the pressure to fit the mold.

In this powerful conversation on The Faithful Agent Podcast, Garrett Maroon sits down with global real estate leader and holistic business coach Cari Briner to unpack what it really means to pursue real estate agent goals that are rooted in obedience — not hustle culture.

Cari shares her journey from transactional success to intentional faith driven business leadership, revealing how God began using her real estate career as a platform for marketplace ministry. From building a 10,000-square-foot coworking space led by prayer, to boldly weaving faith into her organization, Cari’s story challenges Christian realtors to redefine success beyond volume and visibility.

This episode dives deep into real estate goals, realtor structure, realtor systems, and the unseen spiritual framework behind sustainable growth. Cari, a real estate mom, explains why obedience creates momentum, why distraction blocks clarity, and why your business expands fastest when your identity is no longer tied to production.

You’ll also hear how God used small, faithful steps — not massive strategies — to grow a national real estate organization that now sells hundreds of millions in volume. Along the way, Cari opens up about hardship, surrender, and how leaning into God-given purpose transformed her leadership, peace, and priorities.

If you’ve been setting real estate agent goals without first asking God what He wants your business to become, this conversation will reset your framework.

🎯 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why obedience accelerates growth more than hustle
 • How to build a faith driven business & God-honoring real estate goals without alienating clients
 • What marketplace ministry looks like in modern real estate
 • How realtor structure creates margin, peace, and clarity
 • Why your realtor systems should serve your calling — not control your life
 • How to pursue real estate agent goals aligned with God’s order
 • Why identity-based success leads to burnout

This episode will challenge how you define success, reshape your real estate agent goals, and remind you that God builds businesses better than hustle ever could. 

If you’re a Christian in real estate tired of chasing numbers that don’t satisfy and ready to build a business that honors God, serves your family, and creates lasting impact — this episode is for you. 

Connect with Cari Briner - https://www.facebook.com/cari.briner

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Speaker:

What's up, everybody? Welcome back to another episode of the Faithful Agent podcast. I am truly excited for our conversation today with Cari Briner. She and I met what a couple months ago, weeks ago. I don't even remember exactly when Cari, but we've had multiple conversations in each one. I've been so encouraged. and impressed with just all the things that you have going on and everything that's happening in your life, the way the Lord is using and leading and guiding. So super excited to just hear from you today. I think our audience is going to love it. But as always, before we do, Kerry, I would love to share uh this Christian dad joke. And I'm curious what. man. OK. How are toddlers and those who attempted to build a tower to heaven similar? They all babble. That's a good one. Yes, to yours for sure. yes, I like it. So I like that. OK, they all babble. I'm going to write that down. You know, here's what's funny, Kerry, is I will, you know, meet somebody who's kind enough to listen to the show or whatever and be like, give me a dad joke. And I'm like, well, I don't just like walk around. don't. I haven't memorized all of these, right? I'm literally Googling them at this point, just trying to figure it out. So hopefully they like that. But Cari Briner is with us. She is a global real estate leader and holistic business coach. For the past three years, Cari has built a national real estate organization of over 320 realtors in 29 states that sells thousands of homes annually. Previously, she built a national business and life coaching company called Achieve Freedom Coaching. which helped over 500 real estate entrepreneurs during the onset of the pandemic and over the course of the next two years. And you've done some really amazing things in the real estate space. We don't even have time to name all of them, but Kerry, I'm so glad that you're here. And specifically, I want us to talk about how you do marketplace ministry, because I think that's really unique, uh something that I don't hear a lot about in the ways that you're doing it. So Cari

Speaker:

, thank you for coming on the show, but dive right in. How are you using your business? to create that marketplace ministry. Well, thanks for having me. um It's been a pleasure getting to know you for sure. And I'm so grateful that our company, you know, allows us to collaborate in the way it does. And I probably wouldn't have met you uh were it not for that. And so it's definitely been a blessing to see what you've been able to do. And it inspires me to just keep pushing forward in what I'm doing too, because sometimes we, and I'm sure a lot of people listening to this today can understand, you kind of feel like an island on your own when you're pioneering your own things, whether it's real estate business or ah You know a team or an organization or a coaching company. It doesn't really matter but it's nice to be aligned with people who uh are doing similar things to be able to share ideas and and just be motivated to continue to do more of it because it's not always easy as we all know. ah So I have to backtrack a little bit in order for it to make sense. I think because I feel like I've always uh done a little bit of marketplace ministry, but I didn't really know what I was doing. in the early years of my career and mostly it's because I didn't have as good and solid a foundational of a relationship with Jesus as I have today. And so it has definitely become more obvious to me. It has become more intentional. It has become more Holy Spirit filled and led, but it was always kind of there. And I think there's a lot of people that might be in that place that are listening. ah You know for a while. I always thought like well. That's a coincidence I would say that all the time and I was always a believer, but I didn't have a relationship because um That just wasn't how I was brought up and the religion that I was practicing in so I just didn't know So it wasn't that I didn't want it. I had no clue that it even existed to be honest, but I did always believe that you Jesus was why I was on earth and he did give me your talents that I was using. And so when I would have these coincidences happen, you know, these people that just happened to, uh, you know, walk into an open house and I, I was able to help them, but there was like something intertwined that wasn't business. And I wasn't out there talking about Jesus at this time. This was 25 years ago. Number one, I didn't even know I should. Number two, I didn't have a deep enough relationship to feel compelled to do it, but I also still would like lean into like something that I was supposed to do for them, whether it was a connection or just something that I just felt like I should do. And then I would always chalk it up to, wasn't that coincidental that I met that person and I had just met this person and I was able to put them together? And eventually, fast forward to today, it's very, very clear and really probably about five years ago, it became abundantly clear to me as I've changed in my walk with Jesus that these are not coincidences. These are divine interventions and they are for a purpose. And if I obey them, it's going to bless other people in the way that God wants me to bless other people. What's really interesting about that is I have a personality in such that I want to know what happens after I make these connections. And I'm kind of get frustrated with that. Like, okay, so I did that now. Like what happened? I want to know how cool it is. me. Right, right. oh somebody not too long ago say to me, but Carrie, maybe it isn't for you to know. That's the whole point. Like have faith that you're doing what God wants you to do, but you don't have to know everything to be motivated to do this. He wants you to obey him because he knows that you'll obey. And that's the thing is like from the beginning, I would obey these thoughts like, I should tell that person about this. I should connect this person. I should respond. I always thought it was, I was curious, like why is this happening? So even though I felt it was a coincidence, I was still willing to act. And I reflect on that now and I think it's so interesting because God was using me even though I didn't know he was, simply because I was obedient. Hmm. And so now fast forward, being obedient and intentional and knowing that these are things I absolutely need to do for, because God is giving me the opportunity and it's a purpose that I live out. It's obviously very fulfilling to me more so than it even was before, but it's quite frankly really something that has helped me become more aware of how I can bring faith into my business, which leads us to marketplace ministry. I would say, yeah. because I love the background, right? And the stuff in there that I want to dig into a little bit and then we'll get into the marketplace. I love that. Thank you for sharing the background. So, okay. So 25 years ago, you're out there, you're selling homes and you have these feelings, ideas, whatever. Obviously, it's the Lord using you, but you don't maybe not fully aware of what that is. And you just kind of follow it. You obey. It works out. You're helping people. Your business is growing, right? All of those things. And then you said it was like five years ago that things started to shift. So what happened five years ago? Where does the shift come from that starts to make that change? Yeah, so five years ago, became, um well, I moved from a little bit more of a mindset of a religion to a mindset of relationship with Jesus. And I only came to that conclusion because of my now husband, who I absolutely believe God placed in my life for a reason. And there's a whole backstory to that, if we fast forward to today. But it's abundantly clear that. I was going to be used by Jesus. I was not able to see that or understand that until my husband came into my life. And then it was like, OK, I can actually have this relationship. I can pray for these opportunities, more of these things to come to me, for me to obey and live my life's purpose. And there was a big transformation in my relationship with Jesus over the last, I'd say, five years. It started probably about eight years ago, but really, started to surround myself with more people. I moved here to North Idaho. The people that God placed in my life um just enhanced my faith tremendously. I'm sure again, not coincidental. ah And so over this journey of me really practicing more about like God became the CEO of my business. He I don't just trust him with some things. I trust him with all things. uh I became much more bold in my faith. I felt very called to speak out and intertwine this in my business. And this was obviously a progression in the last five years, but it just it was abundantly clear. And in fact, in 2020, so five years ago, while I had the coaching company with a business partner of mine, really great human being, but I was sitting out on my dock on my 45th birthday, which would have been in August. And I had a very direct like message that was a clear message in my mind that was like, you need to move out on your own because you need to. God needs to become the owner of everything in your life, including your business, and he can't be in this situation. ah And I didn't feel as free to build that business. with God as the center of it and to be able to have those conversations in that relationship, which was fine, it just was what it was, but I needed to make that decision. And so that was actually the reason that my husband and I came to EXP Realty, was so that I could, in that moment, and he could, we could build it exactly how we knew God wanted us to, ourselves together without other business partners, and of course, bringing everything that we had experienced and learned, we're super grateful for it. But it was like this whole idea of care. have thousands and thousands and thousands of real estate entrepreneurs that follow you and that you help and that you've coached. And now it's time to lead many of those people to Jesus. Like it was a very clear directive, ah very nerve wracking, very clear. ah And I let go of five figures a month to zero ah because I felt that compelled and I knew that. that Jesus would provide and he did. In fact, my first year I almost replaced my entire income. ah It was so abundantly clear that we made the right decision and that God was providing in that moment that it would be hard to deny that. And so that has been my goal is to number one, continue to... ah just really, really deep in my relationship because it needs to be so that foundation has to be so firm for me to be able to bring it to other people, but also in the meantime, to absolutely pray for the people to come into my world that need to, for me to know what to do, for God to continue to use those talents and all of the influence I have for his good. And so it became a daily practice of praying for that and the right people would show up. There are stories after stories after stories of that still to this day. And that is where things change for me because it's just that intentionality and that ask. Before he was just doing it and I was just obeying. Now I'm asking for it. I'm looking for it. I want more of it. I want him to use me and I will obey that. A perfect example of that is also after we over to EXP Realty, we needed an office space for my husband's team. So we were looking for office space and we walked into a building that was... um 10,000 square feet. We didn't need 10,000 square feet for one 15 person team. But we walked into this space and my husband and I, who we are very complimentary of each other, we are not the same in almost any aspect of our personality or our thinking. We knew exactly what we were supposed to do with the space without saying a word to each other. And that has never happened. and rarely probably ever will again. And if it does, we take notice. Usually Chris needs to know numbers and have a plan and he's very analytical. I'm the one that says, this looks awesome. Let's give it a shot and we'll plan after. And that makes him very nervous. And usually we come somewhere in the middle after lots of conversation. Right, right. We knew walking into this building that there was something that we were supposed to do here. And this is perfectly in alignment with marketplace ministry, because it's all we've done in that space. without a business plan, without ever having talked about a coworking, like it, coworking space was never in our future. We've never had a conversation about it. And we walked in and we knew that's exactly what we were supposed to do. And within a few months, we actually took. a huge leap of faith. This is after the NAR settlement and people were worried about the whole thing changing and interest rates had started to creep up and we are going to take on a massive lease without any knowledge, experience or research on co-working space and it's just going to work out. And it did and it has for three years straight. We have never been short a month. Hmm. leaves, God brings another person. We don't spend a penny on marketing. um And there has been more marketplace ministry happening in that space in the last three years than Chris and I have ever been able to experience in all the years previous. So that's another example of like, if something is so clear to us because we're praying for it, so we're open to it, we understand when something comes to us now. Specifically, he made it very clear in that moment. You guys have never talked about this. You're on the same page. You see the same vision. Go do it. And gratefully, my husband and I are both in the same place in our faith to just move forward in that obedience without getting too nervous about it. I mean, we were nervous. We're human, and we still had that trust, and we just knew. you know, if this was what God wanted us to do, it would work out even if we didn't work out the way we thought it was supposed to, it would work out. I'll tell you a couple of things that happened in the first two weeks. I was the most nervous, which is really interesting because I'm usually the more impulsive person. This is a big deal. And I was very, very nervous. And I was just apprehensive. And I just didn't have like, I didn't know if we misread it. And I was questioning and second guessing. And I had in the first week, a gentleman who I don't even know. how he found it. hadn't even marketed it. He was not in our industry. Most of the people that had come to us were in our industry and EXP, because that's where our following was at first. And we're like, this is a co-working space. You can work here. You don't have brick and mortar. This is great. We're going to do training. We casted this vision. And we're like, it's going to be open to other industries. Let's tell our friends. That's like the business plan we had, right? And this just falls upon the space. Never had to talk to him. Nobody knew him. And he just said, I don't know how I heard about this, but I did. I want a space here. Can I join? I give him a tour. ah He leaves. He calls me and I can still remember like literally where I was driving because it was just this aha like God is telling me, Carrie, you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. You have to have faith in me. You obeyed. It's going to work out. He called me and he said, hey, I just want to let you know, I've been thinking about your space. I want to join. How do I do it? So I started talking to him about it. And he said, also, why are you guys doing this? And I was like, is he mad at me? I started to get it. Garrett, can, I think people will understand this. I started to get this reservation. Like, maybe I should tell him. Like, the human side of me was like, it's. If I say this is, is it something offensive or I don't know. It was, it was probably the enemy, right? Coming in and all this doubt had been creeping in. go, well, what do you mean? And he said, like, why are you, why are you doing this? It seems like really affordable and like what's the whole purpose here? And I just said, you know, we just really feel like, um, this is going to be a great space, inexpensive for entrepreneurs. want collaboration. We want community. We want to create this. And he goes, I said, and also we just feel called to do it. And he goes, who called you? And he was like, here we go. And I was like, here we go. And I said, God? I knew it. I felt the Holy Spirit in that space. And then he goes, I'm super excited to be part of it. And he hung up the phone. And I was driving going, oh my gosh. Like, what? He felt the Holy Spirit in that space? So within three days, we had another woman come in. from an event and she comes running up to me and she goes, I bring my husband here today? And I said, of course, we're going to be here all day. And she's almost in tears. She goes, we've been looking for a space to launch our, to plant our church for two years. We've been praying about it. We have not found the right space. This is the space. Can we rent your space on Sundays? And I'm just like, maybe like, let's talk to my husband. Like let's bring your husband in. You know, it was just. interesting thing, all it was multiple within about four days, I had about three or four very clear, like this is what it's used for. It's going the way you're supposed to. And the rest of the history truly it has not been what I would call a moneymaker. And we never thought it really would be to be honest, Chris and I were pretty clear that coworking was going to pay the bills. It wouldn't be a burden on our, you know, our family. And we were supposed to use the space to affect. positive change and bring people to Jesus. Like it was a very clear. So we've had worship nights, we've had free meals, we've had Thanksgiving meals, we've had so much opportunity to literally just sit down and pray with people in that space more times than I can count on my hands 10 times over in three years. And to watch that actually like. It still always is like, I'm in awe and I shouldn't be, but I'm like a child every time my husband calls me and says, guess what happened today when he's there? And it's like, I shouldn't be like, my gosh, are you kidding? But I still am. And like, duh, it keeps happening over and over again, but I'm still like excited about it. Like gosh, it's still happening. It like keeps reinforcing and it keeps building my faith. And so part of what has happened in our career with that is we've been very free to talk about Jesus in that space. with all of our EXP colleagues, but also other entrepreneurs. We've had women's Bible studies. I mean, the list goes on and on that that space is constantly attracting people who want to do those things. I've had people say, we started to pray at the beginning of our networking group. We've never done that until we came to your space, and we just felt compelled to do it. uh later on we actually found that the parent company of the company that sublease that to us actually has their is founded in israel and they had said no to four people before they said yes to us to sublease it when they heard our idea so i don't think any of it was coincidental i think a thousand percent the holy spirit was in that space before we entered it because we felt it ah and we've had multiple people tell us as they're in there it has prompted them to be more open it has drawn people in who I've seen actually spiritually and physically change in that space that have been very clear non-believers. Last week, somebody told me he went to church three weeks in a row. It was because of a conversation we had in there and because he has been overhearing our worship nights for two years straight. And he's been angry and unwilling to participate in it. And then something just finally clicked. And so these are the things that have brought us so much business in real estate. It has attracted so many people to us at EXP. And all of that is great. Hmm. at the end of the day, it is because we are truly obeying the call that God has for our life and we're not afraid of it. And a lot of times, and in the past, I had been nervous to intertwine the two because, of course, you just don't offend people. And that's how I grew up. I'm from the Midwest. We don't want to offend anybody. That's the whole, like, you're nice, but it's really a passive aggressive thing, or it's just pulled back, right? But I was, it wasn't appropriate. I didn't grow up with that being appropriate. And what's very interesting, is the more that God has moved in my life and has shown me when I obey what he will do, the more I don't have a choice. I am very, very bold. If I feel like I need to talk to somebody, I don't even think about offending them anymore because that's my issue. If they're offended, it's not. I feel very called to do it. I'm trusting that God is telling me, Carrie, that's a person that you should talk to. But I'll tell you, even two or three years ago, that would have been very hard for me. 8 or 10 or 25 years ago that would have never happened. So this marketplace ministry I think has been going on in my business and it's why I was really good at what I was good at. I mean, Garrett, the thing is if you lean into what God puts in front of you, whether you know what you're doing or not, He is going to bless you because you obeyed. And that was what was so encouraging to me is that even though I didn't know I was obeying Him, I was still obeying the call. And I was still living out and using those opportunities and those talents. And he was blessing me. But then it came to a point where I matured in my relationship with him. realized what he'd been doing all along and encouraged me to do it more and to do it more intentionally. And that is when everything has changed for me in terms of not only business growth, but also just in my purpose in my life, my joy, my peace. ah my relationships with others, like everything has truly changed. And it's not that we're only talking about Jesus and doing all these things. Our organization within EXP has almost sold a billion dollars of real estate this year, which I just looked and it blew my mind. Because to be honest with you, I had no idea. I don't focus on that. But I'm so proud of them for doing that because it wasn't a great year for a lot of people. It was hard. ah But my husband and I went through a really hard year this year too. And one thing, without us realizing it, is that our faith carried us so firmly through that hard time that we have gotten so many messages from people saying that your example, just what you guys have been through and how you handled it, has literally changed the way I handle the hardships in my life. And the only thing we can point it to is Jesus, because it was not us. Hmm. that is a perfect door opening for us to say, well, this is how. And if you're struggling with it, this is how you can too. ah And so by example is how we can really, I think, lean into marketplace ministry. We have to have that relationship to where people can actually see it, right? They can be like, wow. Like they're not afraid to talk about Jesus. It's authentic. They love people. They're giving. meals because they want to. It's not because we have to. We get so much joy from doing the things that have been, you know, that God has put in front of us to do. Like if it's joyful, it's joyful because we know that God wants us to and we see that it's doing something good. And we all want a purpose. Like here's where it gets dangerous. When you're a real estate agent or a real estate leader or a coach, and I can say this because I've lived this, when your identity are those things, It's not a fun place. Because when you're doing good, it's great. Because then you're great. But when things are not going great, then it's you. You're not great either. And so my identity was very, very much in what I did on this earth versus who I am in Jesus' eyes. Like what he created me to be. And that was a place full of anxiety. Not great relationships. trying to fill gaps in my heart and my soul with things of the material nature or of this world. And none of that satisfies, as we all know. And I see a lot of entrepreneurs really get caught up in that. And I was too. And it was not a fun place to be. And so when I've been able to turn the corner and I've been able to be, my identity doesn't lie in that. My organization sells a billion. dollars of real estate without me caring, knowing, wondering, stressing, taking credit for it or not. It doesn't matter. It's just cool because God is showing up in those relationships and he's brought so many of those people to us. And when I have coaching conversations with them, very little of it is about real estate. Much of it is about Jesus or if not Jesus, things of their life. that will eventually lead me to a conversation and to earn the right to be able to have that conversation, ah which happens on a fairly regular basis. And so I guess my point of marketplace ministry is there can be a lot of phases of this and you don't have to jump right into it if you're not ready for it. But if you just obey the calls of Jesus little by little, if you live in your God given talents, if you um build your relationship with him, I think for most people, it will start to become more obvious how these things can be intertwined and how God will lead the right people to you. I think God leads all the right people to all of us. It's just if we realize it and then if we obey the call. And so it's happening around us. It's just how we are participating in it. So good, I mean, so many good things, right? You're right, not everybody should run out and go rent 10,000 square feet. ah So let's not necessarily do that. Now maybe the Lord wants you to do that, right? But you know, so many good things in there. But one thing that you just made me think of, ah you started to pray more specifically, right? And intentionally, like Lord, open my eyes to what's going on or whatever the scenario, you know, what specifically you're praying. But I saw this video this weekend, I forget who it was, but. He was saying, you know, if everybody pauses, right, and anybody listening, you pause, you look around the room, look for anything in your room that's, in the room that's brown, right? So look around your room, do you see anything that's brown and look for all the brown things, right? You come back and then say, okay, tell me everything in the room that was green. Well, you probably don't know, right? You didn't see it because you weren't looking for it. And so to your point, Kerry, you know, that happened to you and it continues to happen to all of us, right? But early on in your career, you were looking for the green. And, or you're looking for the brown, you're missing the green, right? The fact that the Lord was using you and working through you, you just weren't paying attention to it, right? He was still doing it. And then now as you started to shift, and I love that you made it, made the specific point to say, excuse me, it's been a process, right? A maturation process in your, in your, your, your walk with the Lord, because it's sanctification. It doesn't happen overnight, right? I wish that all of sudden we just, my gosh, I am so much better, you know, and every day it's like, my gosh, that was amazing. But that's not how the process works, right? But it's as you shifted your prayer life, which was shifting your attention, I don't know that the Lord showed up more specifically for you. Maybe He did. Maybe you just were paying attention to it now, right? Maybe you were looking for the green so you saw the green. And so I love that the concept, right, this idea as we talk about marketplace ministry, which Jesus talked so much about ministry. inside of the workplace when he was on earth, that it's so real, it's so right. How many people would come and rent an office space? A lot of people. How many people would show up at the doors of your church that are adamantly against God? You know, the Lord can do whatever, but not as many. And so to reach them where they are, right, for real estate agents, you know, again, for your story, maybe you should go get, maybe you should build a boat like Noah did, right, and everyone made fun of him, but. guess what happened, right? Maybe you should go rent the 10,000 square feet and build that out. Maybe for us, it's just the recognition of how many tables are we sitting at as real estate agents that our pastors wish they could be at? A lot. Someone left you in their home. I literally just finished a phone call before we got on, Kerry, excuse me, uh someone uh who I've helped many times, but it's been a couple years and we've stayed in touch, but whatever. He's not a believer, but he calls me again and like, hey, I got remarried, this is going on. And we're thinking about, hey, great, man, tell me how things are going, talk about you. that relationship wouldn't exist if I weren't in this industry. So as we think about marketplace ministry, this encourages me just to sit there and continue to say, okay, Lord, open my eyes to what are you doing around me? How do you want to use me? And I think at the end of the day, uh I was uh thinking through this concept yesterday, talking with friends at church, whatever. We record on Mondays, this is, episodes come out Thursdays, but uh at church yesterday, of the reality of we're just stewards of everything, right? Everything I own, every talent that I have, every breath that I get, it literally doesn't belong to me. We're just one big group of renters, right? We're not actually homeowners. uh We literally are stewarding. The body the Lord has given us, the mind the Lord has given us, the stuff the Lord has given us, all the things. And so how do we do that? Well, it's not just to say, how does Carrie make her life as easy as possible? Right. It's what am I here to do and who am I here to impact? so anyways, I love all those things. So as an encouragement, right. Cause we could go deep into marketplace ministry, all the things, right. There's so many ways we can go, but As an encouragement, Kerry, to someone, like if you've talked to agents in the past, which I'm sure you have, or you're thinking about the agent listening right now saying, okay, that's really cool. Love that you get to do marketplace ministry because you have a big organization. You've got all this stuff. You have a big team. Of course you can do that. I can't. uh How would you encourage them? What would you say to an agent maybe wondering like, good for you, Kerry, but that doesn't apply to me. What would you say to somebody like that? Well, I mean, I think if you're listening to this, probably are having a tug at, you know, there's a tug. There's something that's, you know, you're like, I need to bring my faith more into my business. You know that you want to do it. I mean, that was me for many years and I didn't quite know how I was going to do it. um When I signed the lease, my husband, I signed the lease on this 10,000 square foot building. This was when we didn't have, we only had like 15 people in our organization. So, you know, and I went from, you know, five figures a month of being paid. to zero. So anybody can start anywhere. And to Garrett's point, God's going to use us all uniquely and give us different opportunities. It doesn't matter how big or how small, because prior to that, I didn't even have an office. I worked from home and I did Zoom calls with agents all over the country and I coached them. And probably one in three conversations, I would have a conversation about their spiritual life. I still wasn't as bold. some parameters that I was not able to probably push those boundaries. And that's why I ended up leaving that particular partnership. But I still ask them, tell me about your faith. Tell me about your relationship with something greater than yourself and minus Jesus. What's yours? And tell me about that because it affects everything in your life. And when you are struggling in business, you need to look, in my opinion, at all areas of your life and spirituality in my is number one for me. I think it's foundational for everybody. and then it leaks into all these other things in your life. And so I was having those conversations. So it doesn't matter if you have a big office, it doesn't matter if you can do a worship night at your office or a meal night. You know, this was a next progression for Chris and I truly believe that he was preparing us. We were already having those conversations. My husband sells real estate and had a real estate team and the conversations he's been able to have with clients, because the door of opportunity opens up. The thing is, is I think that we're closed and to your point, we don't see it. And the second we're open, we see the doors of opportunity. And if we are bold in our faith and we take them, the relationships that he has with clients have been so uh much more deep because he can have conversations about things, life, his faith, like all of these things, because we're not just talking about a transaction. We're talking about getting to know a human being who's making some sort of move in their life. And typically it's for a reason. We have a lot of people moving to our area. So they're leaving an area, moving to a new area. And there's some fear, but there's some excitement and there's reasons why. And so if we're just open to hearing people's stories, if we ask a bit more questions authentically, we're not 20 questioning and drilling them. We're authentically wanting to get to know what's going on in their life and why they're in a position today for us to potentially serve them. I think that if we're open to that and we are prayerful about that, God is going to bring the people into our life where we can have a conversation that hopefully is going to bless them more than just buying or selling a home. So those moments exist for every single person that is listening to this. You know, sometimes we're affecting people without even knowing that we are. So I'm just going to encourage everybody to just be more bold on social media. um authentically bold, share stories, share struggles, share testimonies. Like God gave us the testimonies for us to share with others. uh We talk about this in branding and marketing all the time. The way that you can get people to do something is by sharing stories, getting them to see themselves in situations by just hypothetically talking about things. People don't relate the same way as they do stories. And if you actually watch how Jesus lived his life, he did it all through stories. And as he was leading people and leading people to him and to God, that's what he did. And so I think of that a lot where it's like, I want to be as authentic. If something happens, I want to share it because... It has just increased my faith by it happening to me, but I don't believe it's just for me. I believe I'm supposed to share it to other people's faith can also be, ah can also grow. And so my husband and I have been very open and specifically in this very big test that we have been through in the last 10 months with our son, there has been a lot of things that have happened that God has done for us through this to keep our faith and to keep our hope alive. during a very, very, very hard time. And so we have not for one second thought that it was just been for us. And so we've been sharing boldly what has happened through the trials, through the tests, there is a testimony. And there's many places that God shows up if we are aware and if we pray for it, if we ask and all of those things. And so I'll tell you, I've had more people in this last 10 months tell me that they have been inspired to start talking to Jesus. that they have been filled with more hope, that they have prayed for the first time, that they've walked into a church, and guess what? I didn't have any interaction with them. Mmm. because I didn't, was in hospitals. I wasn't even here. I was gone for three months. I was very much ingrained in what was going on. And so I wasn't talking to many people, which is by the way, completely opposite of me, right? I'm usually talking to everybody. And so I became like, you know, I was very isolated. I was isolated, but I was very, very strong. was, it was Jesus and I, for a very long period of time there, but I was also very clear that I needed to share. So I've been getting emails like, I knew I needed a different leader in my life. They joined me while I wasn't even present. And they've been waiting and they still somehow feel better and more hopeful by being in relationship with me. And I feel quite frankly, like inadequate because I felt like I haven't spent enough time with them. And I told my husband I've been really struggling. why are they, like this doesn't even make any sense to me. I need to be doing things. I need to be doing things. It's like, no. Carrie, you don't need to be, you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. That alone, your example through a tough time and being willing to share your faith is what has drawn these people to you. And I'm sure at some point there's gonna be more that I learn about why we're in business together and God's gonna do some great things. But in the moment it just seems kind of mind blowing to me that just by sharing the experience without even the one-on-one conversation has led people to Jesus, has led people to me. in a way that hopefully, you we'll both be blessed. It's not just me blessing others, by the way, the blessings I have received from the relationships of people that God has brought in our life have been incredible. And um so you can do it by just being willing to share like the things that happen in your own life authentically and how God is moving. And, you know, you'd be surprised if your friend requesting clients and past clients and that you live your life that way and you share it. How many of them might come to you and say, gosh, you inspired me. mean, we've had people say, we saw your journey with your son. We just had a diagnosis in our family. We just wanted to reach out. And we immediately know we've got some resources for you. Like, if we're not sharing this, how does God use us? Because people don't know what we have to share, right? And so when somebody goes through a really tough time, whether they believe in Jesus at that time or not, it's a pivotal moment for them to say, Do I go through this tough time not believing in Jesus or having faith that he exists and trying to lean into that? And I believe that a lot of people will be moved more in a difficult time because this is what God does. He takes you in a tough time and isolates you and when you have nothing left and he says, okay, good, now you know that you can't do anymore, I am going to do some things in you now, right? And so. I just feel like a lot of us feel like we have to have a facade out there of everything is great. We're not going through hard times. Business is wonderful. You know, all of the things because if we don't have that, will people want to work with us? You know, when we were not working and we were going through this, it could have been very much like people are going, they have way too much on their plate. Not going to bother them. Don't eat, right? Because haven't you not heard that? Agents will say, I don't want to share anything going on in my family because then they're not going to call me because they think I'm too busy or I'm not in the right state of mind or whatever. And that is totally false. I mean, it's proof of what we've been through that it's totally false. It's how you live your life and how you bring your authentic life out to people and how you can handle it, especially if you're handling it with Jesus by your side. I just think that's very inspiring to people, whether they believe in Jesus right now or not. Yeah, I love the idea. Oh, sorry, Kerry. No, go, please. I was just going to say I love a couple things from there is just start where you are. Everybody's different, but we all have the same calling of being gospel witnesses. Number one. Right. Every believer has that calling. But also, yeah, the reality of just being a little bit more honest about who we are. You know, it's not. When I launched the faithful agent right like now almost three years ago, and then we started talking about him more and all the things Most of my clients already knew I was a Christian but the ones that didn't now they're not They're not weirded out if I start talking about Jesus like you came to me You know like if you it's not the same thing But if you walk into the walls of the church and you start hearing about Jesus, you shouldn't be surprised I mean they were pretty clear about who they were and so that is a huge piece right you're the reality of it Number one, just being a little bit honest and it's okay if you're afraid we're all fearful. There's all those challenges, but fear is not of the Lord. And so we need to lay that down. And so I think that's number one. But number two, excuse me, when we are bold, those opportunities will show up, right? These stories that we've been given, this narrative that the Lord is telling through and in our lives, exactly what He said is not just for me. probably the most engagement I've ever gotten on social media. I don't love social media, but it's a good tool, right? It can be. Is when I was talking about my mom, right? Who passed in October, 2022 and just like that journey with her. Because how many people can also relate to the challenges of those things? And so who am I to sit there and be quiet about what the Lord is doing in my life, uh right? And the reality is because every story he's using it and his vision of what's happening is so much greater than we could even fathom of, don't know, all this is going to work out, right? I don't even understand what's going to happen in my one life. There's eight billion people. He knows how every single piece is going to work together. I don't know how, but he does, right? Because that's who he is. And so he puts these things in our lives not to say, here, have something really terrible. You know, good luck. That's not at all what this is about. It's to make us more like him, it's to bring him honor and praise. It's for us to be prepared to serve other people. Right? When scripture says like, can go to our high priest, Christ, because he's literally experienced every temptation we've ever had without sin. And so he is the example. He went through everything we've gone through yet without sin. Now we're going to have the sin part, right? Because we're humans. But why did he come? Well, he came to save us, right? But he also came. to experience the human condition and the human example and human life, and so we can approach him. So he becomes approachable because he's had the experience. That's what we're supposed to do too, right? So for agents to just start where you are and say, okay, what's going on in my life? And it's okay if things are going really well. That's okay, right? It's okay if things are hard. That's okay too. uh But the honesty, I do think in the social media world, and we don't want to get on the tangent, right? I want them to connect with you here, but in the social media world, uh Christians should not look like everybody else, right? It should be really cruel. Like, yeah, I have some good days, I have some bad days, don't you? I mean, we all do. And as Christians, if someone shows up and they're like, wow, I'm really struggling, like, well, yeah, I didn't think you weren't. The whole point is you're a sinner. You're dead in your trespasses and sin. But Christ, you made your life. I didn't expect you to show up and be amazing. You shouldn't expect that from me either. And so when we show up and we're honest, other people wanna know about it. And some people won't like it and that's okay, right? We aren't meant to be lukewarm and just like, oh, I just want everybody to like me. Exactly what you said earlier, which I love, and then I'm have you share how they can connect with you, but you said this earlier, right? And I'm paraphrasing, but essentially you just said, look, my job is obedience. not whether or not they like me or whether they're offended. That's not the point. My audience is the Lord and I need to honor what he told me to do. Paul, as an example, like not everybody liked the apostle Paul, if you guys noticed. Many, many people hated him. His job was obedience to the Lord. The Lord was gonna do whatever he does with that, right? So we can be encouraged and reminded through Carrie's story, through just the example, hopefully in your own life. of when we pursue what obedience looks like, when we start asking the Lord, okay, Lord, who do you want me to show up for today? Bring them to me or bring me to them, right? And then give me the boldness just to speak, right? Because that's what you've given me. That's what you called me to do. And whether they like it or not, help me have just the fortitude to say, hey, if that please you, Lord, then I'm pleased, right? And that's okay. Yeah, 100%. So. prayer everybody should pray because it is scary um to do those things and wonder what's gonna happen to your business, especially when you've been working really hard for it and you're a soul breadwinner. I I understand that. I've been there. I felt that. I think that's what I wanted to impress upon people is this can be a journey where you can become slowly but surely more bold. And I think how you become more bold is by praying that prayer of bring more people to me and then act on it. And then every act of obedience and that you'll see that God will, um he will definitely be happy that you obeyed and something will happen. It's not always monetary, but something good will happen. You will be given something by Jesus, whether it is more peace, whether, there's a lot of things that have happened in me. met like from a mental and a spiritual perspective as well as a financial perspective that relationally that did not exist in my life that is so much better today. I believe all of those things that I've been blessed with come from those acts of obedience. just little by little, just be a little bit more obedient, pray for it. When it's so obvious, I swear, you God knew, he's funny with me sometimes. Sometimes he has to make things so obvious that it would be just like ridiculous for me not to say something in the moment because I think he just knows it's really hard for me. um And so just, Jesus is so gracious. And sometimes has a sense of humor, just ask and pray and I believe that he's gonna open the doors that are going to be doable for you. and you're gonna start doing it and then it's gonna feel better and then you're gonna go, wow, I have a better relationship with that client than I could have even imagined. I can't believe we have that conversation. That brought me into my purpose. I feel so good about that and guess what? I have. stronger client that's gonna send more referrals to me and you're just gonna see that this isn't a scary thing your business isn't gonna go down God will not let that happen if you obey him he will not let that happen now you have to let go of what you think your business is gonna look like you truly have to say what do you want my business to look like I will go where you take me in my business Versus, I think I'm gonna sell $30 million of real estate. I think I'm gonna have this team. I think I'm going to, and that is the hard part, is that we're in this goal setting time right now and everybody wants to set goals. And I'd encourage you to pray into that instead of setting your own goals. into what this looks like for you. For me, I actually switched it up completely and I said, my number one goal is that I can be used by Jesus in my business this year. Mmm, it's good. turn out at the end of this year how it was supposed to. And I will have reached the people I was supposed to, I will have worked with the people and that God will provide for our family financially. And as the CEO, if you truly let him take the reins, that will happen. It's a very different process of business planning and it takes a whole different level of faith, but it will change you in a really, really, really good way. I totally believe that. And the last thing I'll really quickly say is if you are, you're out there trying to do this for others, be open to receiving it. That was a hard thing for me because I don't like to receive help. I like to give help. I'm a helper and a connector and all these gifts that God gave me are great. But the problem with that is I don't always like to be the recipient of. I've been very humbled this year. I've had to be the recipient of a lot of help. And it's been very humbling, but very, very good to realize like Other people are blessed when they get to help me too. It's not just me getting to be blessed by helping others. When we don't let people help us. and we close off our ability to see that God is bringing people in our life for reason too. We are robbing them of that opportunity to live out their purpose. And although social media isn't always great, there are some really great things and God will use social media. He's connected me with people that I can't even believe how we got connected and it's just been amazing. In fact, I had a woman from a Facebook group, not even a real estate agent, a lender from across the United States. one site from East to West and she got on a zoom call with me because she just felt compelled that we were supposed to have a call. She saw post one post in a group from me. So I said, okay, because again, I'm pretty obedient that way. I said, let's do it. There must be something here. And of course we thought it might be something business and we were talking about a Christian Facebook group that I had and all these things. And within about five minutes the conversation took a completely different turn. And she, in that moment, heard from the Lord, gave me a very clear message. This was one month before my son's accident. And the message was, Carrie, I just need you to hear this. I don't know why the Lord is using me in this, but please hear this and look it up in scripture. He's wanting you to understand, don't despise the small beginnings. And I said, okay, that makes sense. I'm thinking of, I'm starting this group. Maybe I am impatient. I want everything to go fast. I'm thinking all these things about myself. I'm like, sounds good. And she goes, no, she's like, no, no, actually, I just need you to hear this. She said it three times. The third time she said, she was almost teary eyed. She said, I just need you to hear this. This is just something you need to meditate and pray on. Just hear this from the Lord. And I got kind of emotional because it was just a really like very, strong interaction and our conversation ended pretty shortly after that. She's like, okay, we'll get back in touch after the new year. And I said, okay, that sounds great. And for those of you that don't know, my son had a traumatic brain injury from a car accident and had to learn how to talk, to eat, to walk, to breathe, all the things on his own again. And in the moment that I'm sitting in inpatient rehab, I just have this, don't despise the small beginnings, like just this clear thing. Hmm. back out to her after and said, I don't know if you know what happened a month after our meeting. And she said, I didn't know. But what a blessing, because God was there before this. He was telling you, He's been here this whole time. He knows. And He was preparing you. And you just have to have faith through this. He will always turn things for good. um just that receiving. was just a blessing to me. So what I'm saying to everybody here is if you feel like you should do something, if you feel like God is telling you to say something, do it. Like don't be scared to do it because that one Zoom call carried me through some of the most horrific times. because she was the messenger and she obeyed what Jesus asked her to do and it blessed me abundantly and it grew her faith, it grew my faith and obviously helped me throughout a really tough time. So when we don't obey, we're missing these opportunities and this is what life's about. It's not about selling another house, it's about affecting this type of change on other human beings because that's the purpose God gave us. Our business is the means in which we get to get in front of more people to do it. and a way that we can pay our bills for our family. But God will always bring you more of that business if you continue to do this for, you know, for him and with the talents that he's given you. hopefully this is encouragement. I've been on the receiving, on the giving end. It has done nothing but help my business grow. It has done nothing but helped me to live a happier, healthier life. And I'm just, I wake up excited to see what the Lord's gonna do in the new day. That's good. cool feeling versus waking up going, uh-oh, what do I have to do today to make ends meet? What do I have to do today to find another transaction? I don't think about that anymore. I wake up and go, what is God going to have me do today? And it is a life-changing thought process. It's amazing, yeah. You're right, the mission, I say it all the time, our audience knows, but the mission is the gospel, the method is real estate, right? We're here to be gospel witnesses. We just happen to be in real estate, right? And however the Lord's gonna use that. So, so much good stuff, Kerry. If they wanna connect with you, if they wanna learn more about what you're doing, how would they do that? What's the best way to connect? If you would like to schedule a call free call if something resonated with you again, it's not a coincidence if you're filling a call to reach out to me. So please do. You can just go to my website, which is just level up with Carrie.com. My first name is spelled C R I so level up with Carrie.com. You can also just find me on Facebook. It's probably the easiest way to reach me. DM me Carrie Briner. I would love to be friends with you to see what your journey is and to share inspiration or uh you know. just to know you if this is a path you're looking to go down. I wish I would have known about these types of podcasts and Facebook groups when I was early on in my career, feeling, I think, called to do things and not really knowing what to do. And so ah I'm just grateful that I met you, Garrett, and all the things that you do in our industry is amazing. And thank you very much for having me on the podcast. yeah, loved it. Absolutely loved it, Gary. I so much good stuff in there that I needed to hear too. And so I'm so grateful for you allowing the Lord to speak through you as well. know, faithful agents, my hope is that again, for all of us, as we are out and about every single day, the amount of people that we interact with on a given day, if we are 1 % bolder tomorrow and maybe 1 % bolder the day after that, imagine the ripple effect for the kingdom. that will come, right? Sure, you can earn more money and I hope you give that generously to your church, right? uh Yes, you can be at more tables and that's a good thing and you can provide for your family better. That's an amazing God-honoring truth. But I also hope that we are just a little bit more bold. Me too, right? A little bit more prayerful and, okay, Lord, just lead me and let me go. A little bit more bold to say exactly what Kerry said. Instead of today, Lord, how am gonna go find the next transaction? How do I just submit this to you, trusting that you're gonna provide because you said you would and lead me wherever you want me to go, right? Agents, we need to look different because we are different, right? In the world, not of the world. And so that's my hope for all of us. You can reach out to me anytime too, but certainly reach out to Kerry. I love you faithful agents. Thank you so much for listening. Share this with a friend if it's been impactful to you. Reach out to Kerry, reach out to me. Kerry's contact will be in the show notes. You can grab it there. But I love you faithful agents and I will see you next.