Ep #18: Breaking Free of Limiting Beliefs with Rene Rodriguez

Rene Rodriguez breaks down why loan officers know what they should do but don't do it — and it has nothing to do with time management. He explains the brain's two-system model, how beliefs (not behaviors) drive results, and how to reframe your identity around sales. LOs who feel stuck, resistant to prospecting, or burned out on their 'why' should listen.

Takeaways you can run this week

• Before your next prospecting session, spend 30–45 seconds on each agent's website and find one specific thing you genuinely like — their mission statement, a personal story, a cause. Lead your call with that, not your pitch.
• Use this cold-call opener: 'I ran across your website and was drawn to your mission statement — can you tell me how you came up with it and what it means to you?' Then listen. Book coffee only after values alignment is established.
• Write out what you believe about making phone calls — not what you should believe, but what you actually feel. If your gut reaction mirrors how you feel when a telemarketer calls you at dinner, that belief is the real obstacle stopping your prospecting.
• Reconnect to your 'why' by looking backward, not forward: list three behaviors — good and bad — from the past year and ask 'what must I have believed to do that?' Trace each back to an early experience (age 7–10) to find the root belief driving your actions.
• Map your pipeline against Rodriguez's six money-making activities in order: (1) Prospecting, (2) Setting appointments, (3) Presentation of value, (4) Closing/commitment, (5) Aftercare, (6) Getting referrals. Identify which step has the worst conversion and focus improvement there first.
• Use the 'chin-up smile' reset before high-stakes calls: hold your chin up and spread your mouth into a smile for 10–15 seconds before dialing. The physical posture triggers a chemical shift that reduces call reluctance.

The playbook

1. Step 1 — Identify the stuck behavior (e.g., not making calls, not following up with agents)
2. Step 2 — Ask: 'What do I believe about this activity?' Surface the unconscious frame, not the logical answer
3. Step 3 — Trace the belief back to its origin (early life experience, family, formative event)
4. Step 4 — Reframe the belief by connecting the activity to a deeply held value (e.g., 'making this call = giving someone the chance to change their life through homeownership')
5. Step 5 — Move the consequence closer: vividly picture the future cost of NOT doing the activity to activate system one urgency
6. Step 6 — Execute the six money-making activities in strict sequence: Prospect → Set Appointment → Present Value → Close/Commit → Aftercare → Ask for Referral
7. Step 7 — Track conversion between each step; improve quantity first, then quality (conversion ratio)

Worth quoting

“Procrastination is not a time management problem. Procrastination is a self-regulation problem.”

“Don't try to get them to like you — find something you like. Start with their mission statement.”

Best for

LOs who know exactly what prospecting activities to do but consistently avoid doing them and can't explain why.