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 



Labels:
Columbia, SC, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Here's what others like you are reading:

The Firewall

  The world is a machine. A vast, efficient, relentless machine focused on two things: speed and automation. If your job, your skill, or your output can be described by a predictable set of instructions, the machine will eventually learn to do it faster, cheaper, and without complaint. This is not a threat. It is a reality. It is the new baseline. So, where do you stand? Are you building your house on sand, relying on tasks that are easily copied? Or are you building a firewall? The firewall is the part of you the machine cannot touch. It's the unique combination of judgment, empathy, creativity, and the courage to make a non-obvious choice. This week is a choice. You can perform the necessary, replaceable tasks. Or you can invest in your firewall. The question isn’t about job security. It’s about value creation. What is the one thing you can learn, practice, or build this week that will make you so valuable, no one else can do your job five years from now? It's the dif...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Multiplier

The clock runs. The hour passes. The time is spent. Most of the world gets paid for the passing of that time. It's a comfortable contract. An agreement of safety. Trade one hour of life for an agreed-upon unit of currency. The problem with this contract is that it caps your potential. It rewards presence, not performance. It celebrates effort, not outcome. But the economy of impact is different. No one pays the painter for the hours she spent cleaning the brushes. They pay her for the masterpiece. No one pays the entrepreneur for the hours he spent staring at the ceiling. They pay him for the breakthrough idea. They pay for the result . The moment you accept this truth, your relationship with the clock fundamentally changes. You stop asking, "How long will this take?" You start asking the only question that matters: What can I do with this time that will yield the single greatest result this week? This is the question of leverage. It's the search for the acti...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Hidden Quarter

The calendar says "Holidays." The world outside begins to slow, to pause, to look inward. Presents, parties, reflection. For many, this period is a collective exhale. A shared agreement to take the foot off the gas. To coast. Your competition is doing it. They're already mentally checked out, planning their breaks, anticipating the collective slowdown. And that, precisely, is the point. Because while they are distracted by eggnog and holiday stress, an invisible, unfair quarter opens up. This isn't Q4. This is the Hidden Quarter . This isn't the time to rest on your laurels. It's the time to build your launchpad. This is the moment to install the system, master the process, or build the lever that your distracted competitors won't even think about until mid-January. What is the one high-leverage system or process you can dedicate yourself to installing and mastering in the next 30 days that will guarantee you start January at an undeniable 5x speed? It...
Post a Comment
Read more