Kayla Patrick

Keep setting higher and bigger goals, and never settle.

 

You might know Kayla Patrick as #YourFavoriteLender on Instagram, or as a new media expert who helps people and brands grow their audiences using Instagram and cutting edge public relations strategies. Born and raised in Orange County, California, Kayla turned her ability to leverage social media and publicity into over 100 funded real estate deals totaling 9 figures in revenue during a period of only 18 months. Unlike some social media influencers who rely on having millions of followers yet still struggle to produce revenue, Kayla had the foresight to focus more on the quality of her audience and a strategy to monetize them, rather than only focus on growing the number of followers. What might be most amazing about her story is that she was able to accomplish such substantial results with an audience of fewer than 10,000 subscribers.

Before mastering the ability to turn the attention she was getting on social media into a profitable business, Kayla had to experience and overcome several unexpected hardships. She was raised by her single mother who suddenly lost her income around the time Kayla was graduating from high school. While Kayla’s peers were having graduation parties and planning their moves away to college, Kayla and her mother were couch surfing between friend’s houses, staying in hotels, and struggling to figure out a plan to survive. To add to that, they were involved in a terrible car accident that set them back even further.

Committed to overcoming the hardships she was facing and help her mother, Kayla managed to get a job at a call center doing phone sales in the morning, sold magazines door to door, and spent any additional moments left in her schedule working at a restaurant. Finally, the stress and fatigue of working multiple jobs around the clock caught up to her, and she had no choice but to push herself to find something better. She saw a job post to work in mortgage sales, applied, and got the position.

Kayla realized that although she was well versed in the products she was promoting, and naturally had an edge for sales, the key to her consistently high performance was the ability to leverage social media and local publicity to build a network of constant high net worth referrals. This is what led her to the realization that the same strategies that she was using to target and build an abundant source of real estate and finance leads from Instagram, could also be used to help virtually any business or person looking to get more customers and grow their audience. Now Kayla is working on building her empire while using her talents to help others grow their brands and achieve their goals.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

My typical day begins by waking up at 6:30 am. I have a pretty typical routine of showering, washing my face, brushing my teeth, getting dressed, and heading to an office or place of my choice to work. From there, my day starts by opening my laptop and looking through the to-do list that I set up the night before. Every evening when I get home, I wash my face, shower, and brush my teeth again. Hygiene is very important to me. After I complete my evening routine, I start preparing for the following day. I keep my days productive by powering through any obstacles that may arise. I take accountability for everything I am involved in and always focus on solutions, and the most positive outcomes possible. There is no big secret to staying productive, it is just important to stay focused and keep my eyes on my goals. This helps me stay grounded and consistent.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I bring ideas to life by writing them down by hand and breaking them into smaller, actionable tasks. I reevaluate my tasks every night before I go to sleep, and then I take action on them as the first priority the next morning. I also try to only surround myself with people who help me get closer to my goals.

What’s one trend that excites you?

One trend that excites me is the ability to use social media and other types of digital media to revolutionize and grow traditional businesses. Having even basic knowledge of how to connect with people through digital platforms makes you incredibly valuable to industries that were built before social media became mainstream. Industries like real estate, lending, medical practices, and many other traditional businesses have not even begun to implement seemingly simple strategies to get attention and grow.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

One habit that makes me productive as an entrepreneur is aligning myself with my priorities. I focus on the outcome of whatever I am working on and then use goal setting to create a plan to achieve it. I write down a to-do list every day.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Instead of using social media as a way to waste time watching videos and spending money shopping online, I would immediately start using it to take advantage of the opportunity to get publicity and generate income from that attention.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

One of the things that almost nobody agrees with me on, is that I feel people, of any age, should not be out partying and drinking if you do not have at least one million dollars saved up. Once you remove yourself from the negative routine of going out and partying too much, you realize that you are not really celebrating anything, and are really just setting yourself further and further back. Not just financially and physically, but it will slow down your overall momentum. However, most people do not agree with me on that.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Keep setting higher and bigger goals, and never settle. I am constantly marking milestones, revisiting long term goals, and reassessing smaller goals to make sure that prioritizing them is going to help accomplish the longer-term goals. Every time I hit a goal, I set a bigger one.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Creating a routine is one strategy that has helped me grow my business. What a routine does is help me structure time that is dedicated to myself and things that are important to me, like taking care of my health and hygiene. Many busy business people can sacrifice their health and things that are important to them to spend more hours on work, but if you are not in good health, there really is no point to me in attaining anything else.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

One failure that I experienced as an entrepreneur, was allowing myself to create business scenarios where the client’s results relied on too many factors and individuals that were out of my control. What this created were situations where my reputation was on the line for third parties that in some cases did not deliver. I always strived to overcome it by focusing on solutions and alternatives for my clients, and now whenever a deal is structured, I make sure that I am in control or willing to risk my reputation on anybody that is associated with my client’s results.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

One business idea that your readers can implement and pursue, is to start using Instagram to generate agency leads for themselves, and then use Instagram to promote the clients they have attracted. With social media still in its infancy, there is no excuse for young people with an above-average understanding of technology to not be able to become successful.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I took my mother to a Sunday brunch at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, CA. Family is very important to me, and it was nice to spend some time off the phone and let her know how grateful I am for the foundation she provided for me so I can be on the journey I am on today.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

The most important app on my phone is Instagram for lead generation. I use it to advertise myself and my business, manage messages with customers and prospects through direct messaging with reading receipts, can easily target new prospects by industry, and share content and videos to keep those interested educated and entertained.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

You can never go wrong with reading The Secret and changing your mindset to be more in line with the Law of Attraction. You can read all the business advice and motivational quotes in the world, but it is highly unlikely that you will succeed if you have a perpetually negative attitude and a scarcity mindset.

What is your favorite quote?

“Failure is not an option” Apollo flight director Gene Kranz

Key Learnings:

• Instagram can be a game-changer for any business.
• Set smaller goals that combined will get you closer to your larger goals.
• Make sure you are in control of anything that is important to your client’s success.
• Failure is not an option.

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