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TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS
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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: It's VanCoovers Podcast on the Canada's Podcast Network.
[00:26] SPEAKER_00: As an entrepreneur, you started your business to follow your passion and not to spend your evenings doing bookkeeping.
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[01:13] SPEAKER_00: Hello, this is Robert Smigel coming to today with VanCoovers on topreneur.ca.
[01:17] SPEAKER_00: Where we talk to the entrepreneurs, we're making it happen here in British Columbia.
[01:21] SPEAKER_00: Irene Strong was born in the Kusp BC, a small village in the West Kutney region along the upper arrow lakes.
[01:29] SPEAKER_00: She has since worked with NBC Olympics, Ted Conferences and Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver among many other organizations.
[01:39] SPEAKER_00: These organizations have all influenced Irene's mortgage business model, a model built on a foundation of perseverance, education and belief in the power of home ownership while assisting her clients in realizing their dreams of owning a home.
[01:56] SPEAKER_00: Well Irene, welcome to the show. Thanks for taking the time today to be here for all our listeners.
[02:02] SPEAKER_01: Thanks for having me. Very excited.
[02:04] SPEAKER_00: Okay, I want you to tell us a little bit more about yourself and give us the details on your current business.
[02:12] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well I like said you was born in a Kusp moved to a rebel stoke when I was about eight years old and then took off to Calgary to do my undergraduate.
[02:22] SPEAKER_01: And then moved up to Vancouver as soon as I graduated. I knew I wanted to come here.
[02:28] SPEAKER_01: And I basically had to start all over if I have any recommendations for people if you're going to go to school, maybe go to school where you plan to live, to build all those contacts at the same time.
[02:41] SPEAKER_01: And when I was here, I actually started with the Vancouver Board of Trade. I think I lucked out getting one of the best jobs I could get starting out in this city.
[02:51] SPEAKER_01: So that's kind of where I started my job. And from there, I moved on to the I've always wanted to work in the Olympics.
[02:58] SPEAKER_01: So I got into a happened to connect with somebody from the Vancouver Board of Trade who also knew from my days at University of Calgary.
[03:07] SPEAKER_01: I worked for the Olympics through a small Canadian company moving products, Inc. that did uniforming for Olympic sponsors.
[03:16] SPEAKER_01: And then from there, I got a job with NBC. So I went from literally the smallest organization in the Olympics related to the to the to the largest.
[03:27] SPEAKER_01: So it was quite a span. And then after after 2010, it was kind of time for my husband and I to settle down and have family. And I just figured moving kids around with the Olympics was a task.
[03:40] SPEAKER_01: I didn't know if I was ready to take on. So we decided to stay here in Vancouver. And I had to find a job. And the unfortunate part was everybody in their dog didn't have a job because so many people left their full time jobs to work on the Olympics.
[03:59] SPEAKER_01: So my three games before didn't really mean anything because everybody else had Olympic experience. So I had to then figure out what I was going to do. And I talked to a friend of mine. And he's like, you know, I'm in the Morgan industry. And he's like, I think it's something really, really suit who you are and your personality. And I think you do really well.
[04:19] SPEAKER_01: So talk to my mortgage broker and he recommended to take the course. And so I did with my while I was on my mat leave with my son and and then from there, I thought, OK, let's do this. Let's start a business. I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I wanted to always open my own business.
[04:37] SPEAKER_01: I had no idea what it was going to be. So I thought, well, I love real estate. And at that time, we had owned three properties already. And I thought, well, I want to I want to do this more. And if I can learn how to do it, maybe give it really good at it and buy more properties. So that's where I kind of took off. And I really didn't know anybody.
[04:57] SPEAKER_01: Because even though it's local, most of my business contacts were all international because of the Olympics. So I had to start with friends and family and a really tight knit group of people. So it was a kind of a slow build.
[05:11] SPEAKER_01: But that's how I kind of started from and grew into the mortgage industry.
[05:15] SPEAKER_00: Now, did you need financing to start your company and how you're currently making money in the business now?
[05:20] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I wish I had financing to start my company.
[05:25] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I didn't. But quite honestly, one of our properties, my first place in Oxford Street, that was my financing. I basically had a was a home line plan with our BC bank and just from the equity built up and from turning into a rental.
[05:46] SPEAKER_01: So that was our lifeline like for for me to say, okay, I don't have a job anymore.
[05:52] SPEAKER_01: If I don't bring an income, that's our backup plan. So just how it turned out with the baby and shifting of things like that did become our lifeline.
[06:01] SPEAKER_01: My first year, I tempted some different things and didn't pan out as well as I thought. But I learned a lot. And so I didn't necessarily have financing.
[06:12] SPEAKER_01: But I kind of had we had a backup plan because we needed to have that. And now it's six years into it. And as they say, I think it takes, you know, five, seven years to register building up that momentum.
[06:27] SPEAKER_01: And actually it was someone who was on a call, quote, quote, madly with my my second five years in. She wasn't on madly at all because I doubled my business that year.
[06:36] SPEAKER_01: So it's it's just one of those things that now it's just kind of it's building itself. But I do, I'm actually considering looking at financing.
[06:48] SPEAKER_01: My business this year, I just recently incorporated and I have a whole bunch of other bigger plans I want to do. And I think that might require some additional funds.
[06:57] SPEAKER_01: So I'm actually considering leveraging some things that I'm going to do so that I think I can grow faster. So that's kind of my my hope.
[07:06] SPEAKER_00: Which segways great into this next question. What is the long term vision? And what will your company look like in the future? Do you see the company expanding into other areas and where beyond Vancouver, BC or even Canada?
[07:19] SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
[07:20] SPEAKER_01: Um, Dev, I don't see beyond Canada. That's a really hard one with mortgages because every country is so different in how they do their mortgage financing.
[07:31] SPEAKER_01: The States is quite a bit different than us here. So, um, it, you know, you never know. I guess that's always a thing. If you can do something really well, you can maybe transpose it in different ways. So it's always a potential.
[07:43] SPEAKER_01: Um, for me, I do think I see a substantial amount of growth. Um, I always have these dreams and hopes of revolutionizing the mortgage industry in a unique way.
[07:58] SPEAKER_01: I'm hoping to do it through education. Mainly, I think the, the barrier to entry in our industry is is lower.
[08:09] SPEAKER_01: And so, um, I want that to be raised. And I think we have some phenomenal brokers out there that are constantly improving our, our industry doing great things and, and building up the next, I guess, next grouping of mortgage brokers in the industry.
[08:29] SPEAKER_01: So there's a lot of mentorship that happens in this industry, which is quite rare compared to some other industries that are very, very competitive, even within our own real estate industry.
[08:38] SPEAKER_01: So, um, it's great that way. But I think there needs to be some additional training and unique ways to, I don't know, improve what we can do as brokers, because we have so much opportunity to help people and do really, really great things and really to differentiate ourselves from the banks.
[08:57] SPEAKER_01: Um, and we do it really well, but I think there's a better way to do it. So that's one way, but I also think we can really improve the financial literacy in our own country, because just the basis of mortgages has, like, like, I think the mortgage is the biggest wealth building tool of Canadian can have.
[09:15] SPEAKER_01: And so if that's the case, you know, how do you use this and how do you use that knowledge to do better financing and to be better prepared and teach your kids how to, to manage money.
[09:26] SPEAKER_01: So I think there's a lot of opportunity in our industry to make big impacts. And that's what I'm hoping to help, I guess, build on it.
[09:34] SPEAKER_00: Okay. Well, I mean, we've learned a little bit about you and we've learned about your company and mortgages, but we want to learn a bit about your experience doing business in Vancouver.
[09:44] SPEAKER_00: What are the biggest benefits for you and being an entrepreneur here in Vancouver, BC? I want you to give us some of the good points about starting a company here, but I also want you to give some of the tough things or challenges for listeners so they can keep it out for them.
[09:57] SPEAKER_01: Right. Well, Vancouver is, has a lot of opportunity. It's, especially in the real estate industry, I know a lot of people think it's expensive and, and affordable, but it's a really great place to live.
[10:12] SPEAKER_01: So I think just for the entrepreneurs, because it attracts so many different people and from so many different walks of life, you know, we have the mountains, we have the oceans, we have the forests, we have the beaches, like everything that we kind of want to enjoy.
[10:32] SPEAKER_01: So, so a lot of people want to live here and do business here and I think because we're made up of so many small businesses, people have those waste interconnected and grow their business from, you know, a lot of people talk about being up the meetups and the different kind of access to networking that we do have here and we're open that way because we kind of need to do it.
[10:54] SPEAKER_01: So, we're open that we are made up of mainly small businesses and places like Toronto and New York aren't really that they're much more bigger companies or Calgary has a lot of the headquarters because of a tax bracket for them.
[11:06] SPEAKER_01: So, we're a little bit different here and so I think that for entrepreneurs, it's, they're just different opportunities and different money, different way of doing it. People want to invest. There's so a lot of things that way.
[11:20] SPEAKER_01: The negatives, you know, like people say they think the cost of living here is pretty expensive but I think if you do it smartly, if you try and get in and find where that in is, that works for you right now and how you can grow up from that, you could do very well.
[11:39] SPEAKER_01: So, you got to kind of flip that negativity into a positive and just see, you know, that the opportunity because I think we are so young here, we are infants, I always say that.
[11:52] SPEAKER_01: Like we're Vancouver's an infant in the grand scale of things and what's going on in the rest of the world between Hong Kong and New York and London and most of all of Asia, we're infants and so, and we don't have a lot of landmast to grow on.
[12:07] SPEAKER_01: So, what you can do here is pretty special and then you have all the international access through our airports and waterways and stuff. So, no matter what your business is, you have the opportunities and I say if you can just get into the real estate, you can live here, you're kind of golden.
[12:25] SPEAKER_00: Right, okay, we do some of our best work outside the office. Is there a place in the lower mainline close to where you live or work, we like to go recharge or get inspired or just think about your business and does it change with the season considering all the rain we get here?
[12:42] SPEAKER_01: Well, I was thinking I don't really get to go to that. I think I need to add that in my life. But what I do is my family and I, we were really into sports. We love sports.
[12:58] SPEAKER_01: And so, we are white caps, take it holders, we love the white caps and I love going there and quite honestly, I know it's not a quiet place, but what it does is it does reflect for me on business stuff.
[13:10] SPEAKER_01: Like I go there and I love watching with people and the interactions and how they're cheering for team and even watch all the media stuff, all the banners that go up and that, you know, I watch, how do they market? How are they marketing? What are they doing? Why are they doing it that way?
[13:25] SPEAKER_01: And I find it fascinating. I just, I look at it because I enjoy my time there and my fans, my kids love going there. We all have a good time, every single time they go.
[13:36] SPEAKER_01: And so it's just trying to like bottle cap that somehow and take it elsewhere and it's, you know, there's other places like that in Vancouver, even peaceful places.
[13:46] SPEAKER_01: But, you know, obviously, Stanley Park is, is that, is a prime place to go and I love all of the attractions we have from the aquarium to science world and, and grant violin, but those are just checking out your city.
[13:59] SPEAKER_01: So for, for me, I know it's not really quite place, but the sporting menu is definitely somewhere where I get, it gets my, my wheel spinning for business thoughts.
[14:07] SPEAKER_00: Of all my guests is the first time I've ever heard go to a white caps game to give out your business. I gotta tell you that because it's the first.
[14:15] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I know, kind of, I don't know, but it's weird. I actually think a lot of my business when I'm there. Yeah.
[14:20] SPEAKER_00: Okay. Yeah. I want you to imagine you've never been to Vancouver. We have a lot of listeners who are international that, you know, I either have been here or looking to start a business here or come here and do some kind of entrepreneurship.
[14:34] SPEAKER_00: If you were to start all over again and you just moved here to Vancouver BC, but this time you don't know any what knowing what you know now, what would you do and how do you go about starting all over again as an entrepreneur?
[14:49] SPEAKER_01: Quite honestly, I probably do exactly what I did or lucked out doing it. I got like getting that job at Vancouver Board of Trade was big and.
[15:00] SPEAKER_01: It allowed me to see how Vancouver works, how businesses work, how they kind of tick and and that they know what they need each other and how to connect and why to connect and why to educate and continue to be involved and how to give back.
[15:18] SPEAKER_01: So my my entry into the city was was a great one that way and I don't think I would change that, but you know, not everybody's going to come in and get a job at the Vancouver to trade, but you can definitely get a membership and join.
[15:33] SPEAKER_01: So that would be one way. It depends on how much money you had, I guess, you have to start, but I think that's always good when people always say that the meetup groups and those kinds of things urban wreck volleyball was another great one for me.
[15:46] SPEAKER_01: I love volleyball. So I joined them and it's a very integrated community that tons of people from all different places seem to love volleyball and beach volleyball. It just has this, I guess, connection with everybody.
[16:02] SPEAKER_01: Even if you can't play that people like to just go out and have some fun and pass around a ball. So urban wreck was another great one for me. And again, I probably do that. That same thing.
[16:13] SPEAKER_01: So probably follow around the same footsteps. If I do anything differently. It's.
[16:22] SPEAKER_00: So board a trade board a trade and play some volleyball and connect that way.
[16:26] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. And just there is tons of organizations out there, depending on what industry you're in. There is so many organizations that you can look and check up and they always host you know a conference or there's other conferences happening that you never know how one conference might apply.
[16:42] SPEAKER_01: I like I look at the BC tech conference and I'm like, man, I want to maybe go there because I have a couple of things that I want to do and you just don't know who you're going to meet or what company might be there or something you may have never heard of.
[16:53] SPEAKER_01: So sometimes it just go way out of your court comfort zone and see and take a look because you never know what the you know what cookie crumbles might be left. So that's for me, it was just like I just got out. I just went out to as many things as I could and met different people and tried to just have fun.
[17:10] SPEAKER_01: So yeah, that's kind of where I would encourage anybody to go do.
[17:16] SPEAKER_00: Okay. Okay. I mean, let's talk a bit about your routine. What does the first hour look like for you when you get up at the morning? Do you have a specific routine or ritual that helps you get motivated to start your day?
[17:27] SPEAKER_01: Another fun one. I wish I'm trying to work towards that. That is my ultimate goal is to get that routine in place.
[17:36] SPEAKER_01: My routine right now is get up and help get the kids off to school and at least my husband, we're trying to split up for our routine or he takes me to school and I pick them up and do the dinner side things.
[17:49] SPEAKER_01: So I'm aiming to try and get up earlier now, get to the office earlier so he can deal with that and maybe get in a quick workout because I haven't worked out forever since I'm in Germany.
[17:58] SPEAKER_01: But those little things that I, you know, you're supposed to be doing or you know, this should be doing things, but know that I, my body and my brain needs it.
[18:09] SPEAKER_01: The, I think the thing is having young children have a seven year old and a two year old. It just some of those personal objectives kind of go out the window or you let them go out.
[18:19] SPEAKER_01: I know and I have to be a little bit more forceful about the things that are important to me or the things that I think I really need to take care of the other people.
[18:26] SPEAKER_01: So those are definitely areas of improvement for me. So I've got a few scheduling things that I've done. I've created my own.
[18:36] SPEAKER_01: I don't really call it, but I call it a daily ritual. So I'm trying to fill those out at night so that that's done. So I kind of have a game plan for the next day.
[18:43] SPEAKER_01: But that first hour right now it's a little bit chaotic. So I'm trying to smooth that piece up.
[18:50] SPEAKER_00: Do you think entrepreneurs have to be weird or unique in a positive way or wired differently?
[18:58] SPEAKER_01: I don't think they have to be. I think a lot are. I think I don't know.
[19:04] SPEAKER_01: I don't know. Weird. The word. But I think we if I'm going to lump myself in as an entrepreneur because that's the.
[19:14] SPEAKER_01: You know, he. I guess it's a choice in how you choose to evolve, I guess.
[19:24] SPEAKER_01: And entrepreneurs take on a lot more risk and they take on a lot more responsibility and trying to get something done.
[19:33] SPEAKER_01: And sometimes you have to be a little bit off base to think that you're going to get that done and to do it.
[19:41] SPEAKER_01: Because sometimes it's ridiculous and to some maybe unachievable.
[19:47] SPEAKER_01: And you need to have that kind of weird, one called weird passion to think that you can do it.
[19:53] SPEAKER_01: So, you know, I think a lot of entrepreneurs are probably also competitive athletes.
[20:01] SPEAKER_01: There's a big competitive nature of the person and somewhat some ego.
[20:06] SPEAKER_01: And I think you need to have some ego to do it because you have to know that you can do it.
[20:10] SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, I think I think comes in many different forms.
[20:15] SPEAKER_01: But I do think people can learn it if they really have the drive.
[20:18] SPEAKER_01: But there's just some people that would rather just come home, do the nine to five, not worry about or think about anything else.
[20:25] SPEAKER_01: And you can't just can't do that in an entrepreneurial world.
[20:29] SPEAKER_00: Okay. What books are you reading now and why or even audiobooks and can you recommend any books for our listeners who are also aspiring entrepreneurs?
[20:38] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. So, I do audible. I just started that was my big plan last year is to get on audible.
[20:43] SPEAKER_01: And I'm so glad I did it was probably one of the best things that I've ever did.
[20:48] SPEAKER_01: And I've plowed through quite a few.
[20:50] SPEAKER_01: My ultimate from from doing that I have three kind of bibles, I guess, is what you would say.
[20:56] SPEAKER_01: And I they're common to most entrepreneurs who've read them.
[20:58] SPEAKER_01: But thinking girl riches is hands down probably my number one Bible.
[21:03] SPEAKER_01: The ultimate sales machine by Cheat Homes is another great one.
[21:07] SPEAKER_01: It's phenomenal to this.
[21:08] SPEAKER_01: I kind of listen to that one on repeat a few times and then how to influence friends or how to influence.
[21:17] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, how to make friends and influence people.
[21:19] SPEAKER_01: I think it's how they're dealt with you.
[21:21] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. Yeah. Deal.
[21:22] SPEAKER_01: I mean those those are my three bibles and I plan to continue reading those ones every single year.
[21:28] SPEAKER_01: So I won't just stop and read it once it's it's going to be on whenever I feel that need to go through a new growth development or just a re-
[21:38] SPEAKER_01: assessment, I guess.
[21:40] SPEAKER_01: So I'll be those will be my annual books.
[21:44] SPEAKER_01: And then I don't know there's there's so many good ones out there and I keep hearing.
[21:49] SPEAKER_01: Some phenomenal books.
[21:50] SPEAKER_01: I think it's just if you go on to and there's a lot of if you sign up to good reads, which I'm not good reads, I get a bunch of people feeding some some other options right now.
[21:59] SPEAKER_01: I'm reading the miracle minute.
[22:01] SPEAKER_01: There's some miracle mornings or there's some good things about it.
[22:04] SPEAKER_01: There's some not so good things that I'm like, but for the most part, I think if you just go on good reads or you go and audible and see what other people recommend it's you'll you'll find anything you want to learn.
[22:16] SPEAKER_01: And I stick to most of those personal ones, but I do have to say if you're going to read one.
[22:22] SPEAKER_01: I should have it up here, but.
[22:26] SPEAKER_01: What can I think his I can't think of it. He's a speaker.
[22:34] SPEAKER_01: I'm going to.
[22:35] SPEAKER_01: Okay, what can I do?
[22:36] SPEAKER_01: It's so good. It's not even a it's not a how to do better. It's just a really fascinating book to listen to because he Trevor Noah.
[22:46] SPEAKER_01: Why born a crime. It's such a good on audible because he reads it and from his own lips. It's just it's it's unreal.
[22:54] SPEAKER_01: Like it's unreal where he came from. It says life story and it's just yeah, wow. Holy shit moments.
[23:02] SPEAKER_01: Good. Yeah, it's a good one. So just just go somewhere else and just see what else people have to go through. So that's pretty crazy.
[23:08] SPEAKER_00: Any online or offline tools that you use on a daily basis?
[23:15] SPEAKER_01: Well, my phone is my lifeline email. Of course, I'm on outlook. Now I used to use Gmail. I'm outlook. I kind of miss my Gmail for different reasons, but outlook has other positives about it.
[23:28] SPEAKER_01: I use Google docs now. I use Excel is part of my database too, but I'm been trying to ship that over to Google docs.
[23:36] SPEAKER_01: I'm always exploring different CRMs or if there's any other way to do a forum or it's just in the mortgage industry.
[23:45] SPEAKER_01: There's so many different. Serums and no, not one is right. There's a company trying to make that better, but it's you know, there's just there's.
[23:55] SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of tools that we do need to do our job. There's a bunch of apps where we try and use you know, because we have a lot of document based stuff.
[24:02] SPEAKER_01: So, you know, if it's tiny scan or any of those little document app things that can help people get the documents we need.
[24:12] SPEAKER_01: And you know, MailChimp is always it's a standby for newsletters and whatnot.
[24:19] SPEAKER_01: I don't do hoot suite. I still do. I haven't really done my social media campaigns. I've been doing my own and with the time that I have it's been really limited.
[24:28] SPEAKER_01: So, I'm now going through a restructuring of my Facebook and Twitter and social media so that I can have a really clear brand out there.
[24:37] SPEAKER_01: And then we'll kind of maybe bring in the hoot suite kind of managing piece to it, but yes, just mostly standard ones.
[24:45] SPEAKER_01: I'm looking at hopefully adding more applications on the phone like apps that clients can use or making it simpler for the consumer.
[24:53] SPEAKER_01: That's the ultimate piece is how can you make this the most simple for the consumer to to give me the information I need to do the best job for them.
[25:01] SPEAKER_00: Well, earlier as we were talking you mentioned all the activities that are available to do in BC and all the things that we have here rivers, lakes, oceans, beaches, you name it, we got it.
[25:14] SPEAKER_00: How do you balance working, how do you relax and not think about working, what are your favorite activities to do here in BC? Do you ski, do you bike, kayak, golf, hike or simply go for a drive?
[25:24] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, again, I kind of put my activity side to the side.
[25:33] SPEAKER_01: The thing that I've really sort of taken up in the last few years is golf.
[25:37] SPEAKER_01: So, because I'm injured, my knee, my volleyball days might be forever gone.
[25:42] SPEAKER_01: I'm not too sure on that one. We'll work on it.
[25:44] SPEAKER_01: But I have started my husband's and Abbott golfer. He's actually in the industry.
[25:49] SPEAKER_01: So, I thought it was a really good retirement plan.
[25:53] SPEAKER_01: So, I thought, well, I should probably get going on that so I can at least play around with him.
[25:58] SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, that's my new thing.
[26:01] SPEAKER_01: And really starting to like it, if you can get into the lessons and improving that.
[26:05] SPEAKER_01: So, I find a golf round is a really good way to try and destress.
[26:09] SPEAKER_01: It's not the easiest because golf is a really hard sport.
[26:12] SPEAKER_01: But it's definitely my most, you know, if I'm going to try and relax,
[26:17] SPEAKER_01: it's my most relaxing sport playing activity, I guess.
[26:22] SPEAKER_01: Because you can drink doing it too.
[26:24] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's true.
[26:26] SPEAKER_00: Final 9, back 9.
[26:27] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so that's kind of what I would, I do.
[26:32] SPEAKER_01: And we have so many great golf courses around here too.
[26:34] SPEAKER_01: So, it's kind of a nice piece too.
[26:37] SPEAKER_00: If you weren't doing what you do now, what would you like to do for a profession?
[26:44] SPEAKER_01: Well, I know, the Olympics was my dream.
[26:48] SPEAKER_01: I always wanted to work in the Olympics and the fact that I got that out of my very shortly at a graduation from university.
[26:55] SPEAKER_01: It was kind of a shock to me.
[26:58] SPEAKER_01: I've always wanted to travel the world and I thought, how cool it would be to go and live in these places
[27:04] SPEAKER_01: and get to work there and get to know the culture a little bit and get to know it while working, right?
[27:09] SPEAKER_01: So rather than just doing a week or 10 day holiday.
[27:13] SPEAKER_01: So, I think I would go back to the Olympic world.
[27:20] SPEAKER_01: Maybe not now, but later in life when the kids are grown up,
[27:24] SPEAKER_01: so that you can get to do the trips again and check out all the different cultures and countries.
[27:30] SPEAKER_01: And just people, the people in the Olympic world are all from all over the world to your constantly in this unique blend of experiences.
[27:40] SPEAKER_01: And I don't know, it's a great, it's kind of an addiction, I guess, in some ways when you're in there, it's hard to get out.
[27:49] SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, it's a really cool place to be.
[27:53] SPEAKER_00: May I be ahead of the Olympic Committee of Samsung?
[27:55] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Committee, or I really liked working with companies, companies that are associated to the games.
[28:01] SPEAKER_01: It's another really good way of getting involved.
[28:03] SPEAKER_01: The committees are a little bit too structured for me sometimes.
[28:05] SPEAKER_01: They're pretty rural, regimented, and the companies who are associated, whether they're sponsors or participating or giving some supplies in some ways,
[28:15] SPEAKER_01: a little bit more creative and fun in their involvement.
[28:22] SPEAKER_00: What kind of a job would you not like to do?
[28:24] SPEAKER_00: Couldn't do it.
[28:27] SPEAKER_01: I don't know, I think the thing about me is if I'm going to do a job, I'm going to do it really well, even if it's a really crappy job that no one wants to do.
[28:39] SPEAKER_01: I'm going to make sure I do it really well.
[28:40] SPEAKER_01: So, if it's me cleaning the toilets, I'm going to clean the toilets.
[28:44] SPEAKER_01: I'm going to do a good job at it.
[28:47] SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
[28:50] SPEAKER_01: Everybody has a different passion for different things.
[28:54] SPEAKER_01: Could I say, I never do that?
[28:57] SPEAKER_01: I don't know, because I have to tell myself, never say never, because you never really never know what you might end up doing.
[29:08] SPEAKER_01: I think I would get bored after a while with some jobs, but it would be how do I adjust that?
[29:15] SPEAKER_00: In business, what is your favorite word or sentence that you like to use?
[29:25] SPEAKER_01: That's a, that's a, I guess it's never give up.
[29:33] SPEAKER_00: What is your least favorite word or sentence you do not like to hear?
[29:37] SPEAKER_01: I think I know that one would not like to hear, I gave up.
[29:43] SPEAKER_01: I guess, I guess, on the other end, I give up.
[29:48] SPEAKER_01: Unless it's a really good reason, you know, okay.
[29:51] SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I think sometimes people give up way too soon, or they don't go the extra mile.
[29:57] SPEAKER_01: And I don't know if it's there's a word or they get laziness or you know that's, I just think sometimes people don't,
[30:07] SPEAKER_01: you know, they just do it to what they think is okay.
[30:10] SPEAKER_01: And sometimes it's like, why not, why not put that extra effort in, just make it that much better?
[30:14] SPEAKER_00: I thought it'd be something like mortgage rates are going up or interest rates are going up.
[30:19] SPEAKER_00: You know, you wouldn't like to hear that.
[30:21] SPEAKER_01: No, you know what?
[30:23] SPEAKER_01: Sometimes it's good, because it gives me another excuse to reach out to clients and say, hey, this is time to move, right?
[30:29] SPEAKER_01: So it's not good for the consumer.
[30:31] SPEAKER_01: I really never like that.
[30:32] SPEAKER_01: But it does, you know, all those things in my business world that gives me another reason to reach out to my clients and be like, hey, this is what's happening.
[30:41] SPEAKER_01: Do you want to move on it now or do not, right?
[30:43] SPEAKER_01: And so those are always opportunities for me, so I can't, you know, it's not a necessary negative thing.
[30:50] SPEAKER_01: But it's a negative thing for the consumer overall, yes.
[30:53] SPEAKER_00: If you had to pick one or two words to describe yourself, what would it be and why?
[31:00] SPEAKER_01: Two words.
[31:05] SPEAKER_01: I don't know. It's funny. I keep telling people.
[31:09] SPEAKER_01: My friend had this shirt and when I was down visiting New York and him in New York and I can't even remember the words were, but he goes, I go, I love that shirt.
[31:16] SPEAKER_01: He's like, there's two words and I was like, oh, yeah, my buddy makes them and said he made one for girls and he said the two words.
[31:23] SPEAKER_01: And I was like, oh, my God, that's, I know who that describes.
[31:25] SPEAKER_01: And it was exactly my daughter.
[31:27] SPEAKER_01: And then I'm like, well, maybe, maybe, maybe those are the two words that help me.
[31:32] SPEAKER_01: But it was, I aggressively be adorable and I don't think I'm adorable, but there's aggressive and then there's the, I guess, the softer I read.
[31:39] SPEAKER_01: So I have a, I don't know, I'm maybe aggressive isn't necessarily.
[31:49] SPEAKER_01: It's probably too strong a word, but I have some fight in me or I have some want to to achieve more, do more.
[32:01] SPEAKER_01: And sometimes that doesn't come off wrong, I guess.
[32:06] SPEAKER_01: If I'm not careful, let's want to try to learn on that.
[32:08] SPEAKER_01: And I think the other side is that I'm really organized.
[32:12] SPEAKER_01: I found that really on one of my birthday someone went around and said, oh, you know, say a few things about good things about Irene.
[32:18] SPEAKER_01: That goes a bunch of really good things, but I was so surprised to hear how many people said, you know, she's really organized and gets every together.
[32:24] SPEAKER_01: And it's like, okay, I didn't realize I was organized.
[32:30] SPEAKER_00: That's a good thing to know.
[32:31] SPEAKER_01: I know you're like, okay, like it, but there's all those other things, but it was one thing that stuck out.
[32:35] SPEAKER_01: I'm like, I didn't realize that because you don't really, I've never think myself that way.
[32:40] SPEAKER_01: So that was kind of an odd one.
[32:42] SPEAKER_01: Well, that's a good thing.
[32:43] SPEAKER_00: Your client should be saying she handles my mortgage and she's well organized.
[32:47] Speaker UNKNOWN: Or organized.
[32:48] Speaker UNKNOWN:
[32:48] Speaker UNKNOWN: Yeah.
[32:48] SPEAKER_01: So it's a confidence, a bit of a confidence there.
[32:52] SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
[32:53] SPEAKER_01: So I got to tone down my aggression is what I did.
[32:56] SPEAKER_00: Okay. Well, speaking about interest rates and things like that, or like, what keeps you up at night if anything?
[33:04] SPEAKER_01: Well, great.
[33:06] SPEAKER_01: Now, I would say I go to sleep pretty good because I'm up pretty late working on my business.
[33:11] SPEAKER_01: So I'm usually going to bed when I'm exhausted and I'm not staying awake, but I'm up because I'm working on business.
[33:17] SPEAKER_01: So for me right now, it's just my growth plan.
[33:21] SPEAKER_01: My growth plan is very aggressive and it makes me a little nervous.
[33:28] SPEAKER_01: And that's where I guess, I mentioned when we first started our conversation is, yeah, I might be looking to get financing support because I have such an aggressive plan.
[33:39] SPEAKER_01: And I know a lot of entrepreneurs don't want to, you know, they don't spend more than you make.
[33:43] SPEAKER_01: And I'm in mortgages where to me, I leverage my home because I understand mortgages.
[33:51] SPEAKER_01: And that's what banks borrow money to make money.
[33:54] SPEAKER_01: Other companies borrow money to make money.
[33:56] SPEAKER_01: And sometimes that's a scenario that you have to play in.
[34:00] SPEAKER_01: I'm not saying all the time, but there are certain circumstances where that makes sense.
[34:04] SPEAKER_01: And as long as you're reinvesting it in a smart way, I think the results you're looking for can happen.
[34:11] SPEAKER_01: If people are taking money out, refinancing their home, but it's to make some improvements because they might be wanting to sell in three years or B, they want to just love where they're living and then down the road.
[34:24] SPEAKER_01: See what happens.
[34:26] SPEAKER_01: But anytime you're reinvesting in a smart way and improving the value, especially if you're refinancing to them, improve and then sell, you can add quite a bit value to your home or to the pocketbook.
[34:39] SPEAKER_01: So yeah, that's kind of what keeps you up at night. I am nervous because you never know my big thing is I just don't know what's going to happen with the market.
[34:47] SPEAKER_01: Like what if everybody, like what if there's a big downturn and no one can move and no one can refinance and even though people can renew, they might only be able to renew what they're lender.
[34:57] SPEAKER_01: They can't move to a new one.
[34:58] SPEAKER_01: So, you know, the downturn of the market could be substantial.
[35:02] SPEAKER_01: I don't think that will happen in Vancouver, but I have to be practical and I have to be realistic about, you know, I stuff to pay my bills and my growth strategy is to hire and how many I have a big question.
[35:15] SPEAKER_01: But if I have other people relying on me, I need to make sure I have a backup plan, make sure that they get paid.
[35:20] SPEAKER_01: So those are just the things that kind of go through my head.
[35:24] SPEAKER_00: I guess so.
[35:25] SPEAKER_00: I want you to give us the top three things on your inspired lifeless. This could be whether you want to your TEDx taught you want to travel some more you've written a book already, but maybe some more books.
[35:36] SPEAKER_00: Anything like that?
[35:38] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I have, I have a few top goals to do right now and and their goals, whether they, you know, morph into something else, but I love where we live right now.
[35:52] SPEAKER_01: I love our home. We, we, um, elect out and bought at a really good time and I do hope one day to, you know, grow my business so that I can build a new home on this lot because I love our lot.
[36:04] SPEAKER_01: I love the view we have and I think, um, building that dream home on the lot that we have would be amazing.
[36:11] SPEAKER_01: We started with our backyard and and figures down the line. I want to build a home.
[36:18] SPEAKER_01: And so that's one. I want to buy a, my dad used to cut pianos and I lived in a piano museum growing up.
[36:28] SPEAKER_01: It was super bizarre and weird. I know most people I've lived with about a hundred pianos through my whole youth.
[36:34] SPEAKER_01: And there's this one particular piano that was my ultimate favorite piano. I just, I adored it. So my goal and my face to buy that piano so that I can put it in the house that I built.
[36:48] SPEAKER_01: Um, those are, because my dad passed away.
[36:52] SPEAKER_01: Oh, my gosh, I don't even 14 years ago. I guess now, um, 14 years ago. So it's, uh, that's just like a piece of the puzzle that I want to bring back in my life.
[37:01] SPEAKER_01: And, um, and then down the road, my big one is just one day. My husband wants to build a little mini golf course out where we retire.
[37:09] SPEAKER_01: And I said, well, if you get a golf course, I want to, I want a winery.
[37:13] SPEAKER_00: So there you go. Golf makes the winery. I perfect. Perfect match.
[37:18] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. I thought we'd be the perfect leg. You know, uh, if you want to go on a steak or stay get location party.
[37:25] SPEAKER_00: Uh, play some golf, drink some wine. Perfect. Do you have any advice that you may have received that you can pass on to entrepreneurs throughout BC?
[37:36] SPEAKER_01: Oh, um, I don't know. Again, my, my face just never give up. You have to, uh, that's the same words I lived by.
[37:46] SPEAKER_01: Um, I, I think find a mentor. I feel like, um, I literally feel like I just won the jackpot. I'm kind of going through a change in my business.
[37:58] SPEAKER_01: And it'll be kind of evolving over here in the next month or two. And, uh, my big thing was finding the support network that I think I need to grow and who I can lean on for advice at the bigger picture advice.
[38:10] SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, things that I need to, uh, think about in my grow strategy. Like when do I hire staff? How do I hire staff kind of help me through that process of, um,
[38:21] SPEAKER_01: uh, just because mortgages is really a unique business in the underwriting structure and dealing with lenders and, um,
[38:31] SPEAKER_01: and they spend actually running your business. They're very kind of, you're running kind of two separate businesses in itself. So, um,
[38:38] SPEAKER_01: I, uh, I'd say just try and find those mentors and, and ask all the questions you can possibly ask if you can think about it. So I've right now just kind of absorb six amazing mentors in a unique way.
[38:52] SPEAKER_01: And I can't wait to just learn from them and grow from them. And my goal is to, you know, I know I'll make mistakes. But how can I minimize those? How?
[39:01] SPEAKER_00: What's the, you know, who's in my corner to help me minimize those and who wants to see me succeed? Right. Okay. Okay. I ring. Are you ready? Have some fun? Sure. Okay. Good. Well, as you, we talked about earlier, we're always connected. There's, you know, we live very busy life schedules and lots on the go. And we're always connected online to the internet. And just like you said, you are always close to the phone. It's a big tool of yours. But we're going to take you away from all that.
[39:29] SPEAKER_00: There's a small chapter of the island just off of Fiji. It only has one phone booth there. There is no internet. This place does exist, by the way. We're going to drop you off there. You won't have a computer or smartphone or tablet. You can use the phone booth located there any time to call the boat. We'll come pick you up.
[39:44] SPEAKER_00: How long would you last before you made that call? And what would you do while you were there?
[39:51] SPEAKER_01: I think I'd last pretty long time right now. I could really use a holiday. So I would, I'd soak up that time away. I think the thing that would make me want to come home on my kids.
[40:05] SPEAKER_01: That's what would make me feel homesick is the kids. So I would, but in the meantime, I would, I would have fun.
[40:17] SPEAKER_01: So I would go meet the people, see what's what's happening, what's taking what makes people happy there. I'd probably hopefully try and place involable with my knees. Okay.
[40:26] SPEAKER_01: I would just enjoy the area and the space right up until I could, could handle it. I guess I would, I love the sun. I love beaches.
[40:35] SPEAKER_01: I do enjoy nature and it's every element that it has to offer. So no, I, couple of how long would I last? Yeah, at least at least a couple weeks. I would, I would, you know, if I could extend, extend a month, I'd probably do a month because I think, yeah, I would say if you can get somewhere, you can do four months somewhere.
[40:57] SPEAKER_01: You can really learn and live that culture and feel really connected. Four months of stale or six would be better, but yeah, if it would, like I said, my kids would be the reason why I come home.
[41:11] SPEAKER_00: Did you make that call? So I missed the kids. Where's the phone booth?
[41:14] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I guess I got to go see them. Right. So say goodbye to volleyball players. Take down the volleyball and that. Trying to go. Yeah. Yeah.
[41:21] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. So I might, I might have to phone you to say bring the kids over. Yeah.
[41:26] SPEAKER_00: I'll stay, I'll stay another month. Yeah. Yeah.
[41:30] SPEAKER_00: Okay, Irene, how can our listeners get hold of you? And is there anything you'd like to add before you leave us today?
[41:36] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, listeners, you can reach me at IreneStron.com. I'm also on Twitter at Irene underscore strong as well as Instagram same thing Irene underscore strong.
[41:50] SPEAKER_01: And YouTube have a few videos. I'm hoping to get more out there and what to leave you with. I don't know. I think.
[42:00] SPEAKER_01: Check out my book on Amazon. You can read. I think they have some pages there, but definitely reach out to me if you want to talk more about it.
[42:07] SPEAKER_01: Because I my big thing is like the book title is only a piece of this earth.
[42:11] SPEAKER_01: Wherever it is, I think owning is a good thing for the person. I think it's good for the community. I think it's good for everything that goes on.
[42:22] SPEAKER_01: It kind of keeps the world's pumping. If you're, you know, a traveler traveler, it may not make sense to own anywhere, but you know owning somewhere, something somewhere as sometimes that great piece.
[42:33] SPEAKER_01: So that's my big thing is if you can get in somewhere, you can you can grow from there and it's well worth it.
[42:42] SPEAKER_01: So yeah.
[42:44] SPEAKER_00: Okay. Well, thank you for coming on the show. I've learned a lot about you and I'm sure listeners have have as well.
[42:50] SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
[42:51] SPEAKER_00: Okay. We'll see you next time.
[42:53] SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
[42:55] SPEAKER_00: Hey there. Thanks for taking the time today to listen to Vancouver's podcast on the Canada's podcast network.
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[43:13] SPEAKER_00: You can also check out what other entrepreneurs are doing across the country. See you next time.
