Skip to main content

The Illusion of Effortless Success (and Why Your CRM is Crying)

 I sat down with Marion Brisbon the other day. Marion, who, by the way, was number one in his brokerage last year. You know, the kind of guy people point to as "having it all figured out." But here's the thing: we all know that narrative is a lie.

We love to tell ourselves stories of overnight success, of effortless wins. We see the polished results, the shiny trophies, and we think, "Must be nice. Must be easy." But it's never easy.

Marion's story isn't about some sudden burst of genius. It's about thirty years in a structured, demanding environment, followed by a leap into the chaos of entrepreneurship. He thought he could ditch the systems, the processes, the dreaded "organization." He thought he could just "figure it out."

Sound familiar?

We all do it. We think our talent, our charm, our “gut feeling” will be enough. We ignore the fundamentals, the boring stuff, the stuff that actually moves the needle.

Marion, despite his natural ability to connect with people, was running his business like a hobby. Reacting instead of planning. Chasing deals instead of building systems. He was on the roller coaster, the one that leaves you exhausted and wondering where the next paycheck is coming from.

And then, he did something remarkable. He admitted he was wrong.

He started to embrace the systems he'd spent years trying to avoid. He started to use his CRM. He started to treat his business like, well, a business.

Why do we resist this? Why do we cling to the illusion of effortless success?

Because it's easier. Because it feels more "authentic." Because we're afraid of the work.

But here's the truth: the work is the work.

It's not glamorous. It's not sexy. It's about showing up, day after day, and doing the things that matter. It's about building systems that free you, not confine you. It's about clarity, consistency, and conditioning.

Marion's story is a reminder that even the best of us can get lost. But it's also a reminder that we can always find our way back.

So, what about you? Are you running your business like a hobby? Are you ignoring the systems that could set you free?

Your CRM is waiting. Your customers are waiting. And, frankly, so are you.

It's time to stop chasing the illusion and start building something real. It's time to do the work.

Because the work, in the end, is the only thing that matters.

And who knows? Maybe, just maybe, you'll find that the "effortless success" you were chasing was always there, hidden in the systems, the processes, the daily grind.

Go make a ruckus,

Spencer



About Spencer Combs:

Spencer Combs is a business leader and author of Momentum and Mastery: The Business Leader's Guide to Fastrack Unshakeable Profit, Productivity, and Purpose. With a passion for helping others transform their challenges into opportunities, Spencer offers unique insights through his events, coaching programs, and daily text messages.


Take the Next Step:


Connect with Spencer: www.spencercombs.com/social 



Comments

Here's what others like you are reading:

The Power of the Final 30 Days

The temptation is real. You’ve run hard for 47 weeks. The holidays are here. The finish line of the calendar year is in sight. The couch is calling. Most people treat the last 30 days like a wind-down. They shift into planning mode, waiting for the mythical start date of January 1st to begin the hard work again. But if you’re serious about autonomy , about defying the odds, and about creating momentum, you know that the calendar is just a suggestion. The final 30 days of the year are not a wind-down. They are the launch sequence . The mistake is inventing new, complex goals now. The success is rooted in leverage . Look back at your year. Look at your WRAP sheets . Somewhere in that data—in the quiet successes, the routines that stuck, the clients that closed easiest—is your highest-performing asset. It’s not a secret. It’s the single best habit or project that made the biggest difference in your results this year. It was the system you installed. The five calls you made every day. Th...

The Unbeatable Edge

The headlines scream. The algorithms whisper. Inflation. Recession fears. AI is coming for your job. It’s easy to get lost in the noise. To feel like the ground beneath your business is constantly shifting. To think you need a new strategy every other week. Stop. Because while the world is busy chasing the next shiny object or panicking about the latest disruption, your real power lies not in reacting to their game, but in owning yours . The market doesn't pay for average. It certainly doesn't pay for replaceable. And here’s the stark truth: if a machine can do it, a machine will do it. Faster, cheaper, without coffee breaks. If your customer only cares about the lowest price, you're in a race to the bottom that you can't win. So, what’s left? You. Not your tasks. Not your basic services. But your human advantage. Your genuine creativity. The unique way you solve a problem. The empathy you bring to a frustrated client. The gut judgment that sees around corners. The ...

The Price of Proximity

 You are, scientifically, the average. The average of the conversations you have, the risk you tolerate, the ambition you witness, and the excuses you hear. We often think environment means our desk, our city, or our office. It doesn't. Environment means the people you let into your space. A donkey and a thoroughbred cannot share a paddock without changing the expectations of the space. The thoroughbred demands speed, training, and peak performance. The donkey demands ease, grazing, and comfort. You can't be both. If you are the fastest, smartest, or most ambitious person in the room, you are in the wrong room. You are not being coached; you are coaching. You are not being challenged; you are being averaged down. The work is not just what you do, but who you do it with. Find the catalytic energy. Find the person, or the small group, whose mere presence makes your goals seem not just possible, but inevitable. They are your pace car. They are the standard. They are the fire you...