Why Investors Invest in People: Personal Branding for Real Estate Investors | Oliver J. North

Oliver J. North (00:00)
Investors aren’t investing in businesses. They’re investing in people. And the person that’s leading the charge, they gotta have full belief in that individual to then give that capital to. So being able to communicate your mission, your values, and why you do what you do is important or just as important as what it is that you do. And I think a lot of business owners overlook that.

Freddie Steen (01:58)
Hey everyone, welcome to the *Real Estate Pros Investor Fuel Podcast*. I’m your host, Freddie, and today I’m chatting with someone I’ve been looking forward to chopping it up with, Oliver J. North of Outspoken, who’s been making serious moves in the coaching space in a way in which he is bridging the human in the loop, technology, and teaching us Real Estate Pros.

How to be successful in communication and branding across all of our platforms. Oliver, I’m glad to have you here. I think our listeners are really going to take something away from how you’re approaching this niche space not just real estate, but across all business types. The fact that you’re in a piece of the industry, an asset class that transfers across whatever asset class our Real Estate Pros are in.

Is it so exciting? So let’s dive in. First off, for people who may not be familiar with your work, Oliver, give us the short version. What’s your main focus these days at Outspoken and what markets are you operating in?

Oliver J. North (03:03)
Yeah, our primary focus that I have at Outspoken is really helping individuals understand or entrepreneurs understand how important it is to leverage your experience and personal story to drive business. We are in a fascinating time where personal brand is at the forefront of everything in this society. All from the president down to your starter entrepreneur.

Your personal brand is thrust to the forefront. So being able to communicate or help individuals communicate their experience and why they do what they do from a stage or platform is the primary focus. And that’s really for your everyday entrepreneur to your high level CEO.

Freddie Steen (03:45)
Oliver, through your Outspoken system, The Speakers Blueprint, you train people to build repeatable business systems behind the microphone. I mean, a massive problem for Real Estate Pros that are listening right now is that they are the business. What is your blueprint for turning a personal skill like closing deals or public speaking into a systemized asset that runs without you?

Oliver J. North (04:12)
Yeah, I think that’s a great question. And first and foremost, it’s one being able to get your message dialed in, getting the assets from a marketing perspective, and then bringing along those other individuals that can further what you do, as well as technology. So capital is always important, being able to sustain the business. And a lot of times as entrepreneurs, we start off putting all of our own dollars or

You know, getting small investments and you know, and that’s why leveraging your story, that’s why being able to generate business through the mission is important because the sooner you can do that, the sooner you can add human capital to help build out the vision for what it is that you have in terms of this real estate space. really being able to understand first it’s the messaging and story, then it’s the assets.

And then it’s the team to help further the mission. That’s really how, you know, we’ve gone about helping folks from a systemized standpoint build out their infrastructure.

Freddie Steen (05:14)
I love it. You recently emphasized about when we’re talking about building the support chip. I mean, you recently emphasized that a company’s success relies entirely on the visionary leader at the top, but you also mentioned immediate thoughts of taking care of your business partner as well. For a real estate investor, trying to hire their first acquisition manager or lead intake specialist, how do you balance being a visionary?

With protecting and feeding the team that you just spoke of.

Oliver J. North (06:32)
Yeah, I think from a from a business standpoint, right, making sure that

You are not only vetting the talent, but they have a vested interest in the development of the business. Right? They are not only employees, they’re not only talent, but the success of the organization and they’re vested in as well. I think hiring is something that we overlook because someone’s good. You need the right culture fit. And that starts well before.

You know, your expansion process. something like a book like *Traction* is huge with helping entrepreneurs understand the importance of getting the right person in the right seat. So, you know, that’s where I think there’s a ton of area of opportunity. Don’t hire just to hire. Hire the right person that gets it, wants it, and has the capacity to do the job.

Freddie Steen (07:26)
When we’re talking about the seven figure authority, many real estate professionals need to raise private money or

Oliver J. North (07:34)
Yeah.

Freddie Steen (07:34)
find off market deals by positioning themselves as local market authorities. What are one or two fundamental rules from your seven figure brand system that an investor can use to stand out and become impossible to ignore, as you say, in their local market?

Oliver J. North (07:52)
And positioning. If you can leverage why your business is unique to the area around you and how that facilitates opportunity, success for other businesses, how that’s going to get those investors’ returns, really leveraging your personal brand, your story, the why, the mission, those are the ways that you separate yourself because

Investors aren’t investing in businesses. They’re investing in people. And the person that’s leading the charge, they gotta have full belief in that individual to then give that capital to. So being able to communicate your mission, your values, and why you do what you do is important or just as important as what it is that you do. And I think a lot of business owners overlook that.

Because it’s all about the business size. And with technology and AI coming, it’s less it’s becoming less and less about the human experience. But that’s what investors are looking for, the person that’s going to drive the mission.

Freddie Steen (08:57)
Oliver, Real Estate Pros have to pitch constantly to sellers, private lenders, and contractors. You specialize in helping individuals find their voice. What is the biggest mistake corporate leaders make, Real Estate Pros make when trying to communicate their vision? And how do they fix it to close more deals?

Oliver J. North (09:16)
Yeah, that’s a great question. I think that when founders, when entrepreneurs, when real estate investors are communicating their vision, a lot of times they’re communicating from a narrow standpoint. You have to be able to communicate your thought and show the ability to expand, how to take that that initial drive, that initial mission and impact in mass form.

How do we not only get the ones and twos, but really start to expand this vision beyond just you? And then how are you going to take the mission and the vision that you have and trickle it through the organization so everybody’s driving toward a similar goal? That I think is something that is often missing when businesses start expanding. What is the main mission? We always say keep the main thing, the main thing, and it should bleed through the organization.

The the the janitor organization should understand the mission from the CEO’s perspective. And then everyone in between. If that connects, if everybody’s driving toward the same, then you get the success that you’re ultimately looking for. And communicating that is extremely crucial.

Freddie Steen (10:22)
Oliver, love it. I mean, your brand relies heavily on the concept of OTO, Only Thoughts of Ownership. In a joint venture or real estate syndication where multiple partners are involved, how can a primary leader instill that exact type of absolute extreme ownership across the entire team?

Oliver J. North (10:41)
Yeah. I love that. Only Thoughts of Ownership has been the mantra for so long. And thoughts lead to feelings, feelings lead to actions, and actions lead to results. This is something we call mindset acceleration. So really each individual, you need them. You have to be able to commission them to own their specific role. When someone owns okay, so

It doesn’t matter if you’re the secretary, right? It doesn’t matter if you are brand new to the organization. You’re going to have a role, a position. For example, when I was in college, I started out on the scout team. And when I started out, you know, I was a little frustrated because I knew I was better than that. But what I had to ultimately understand was is my role is to prepare the number one defense.

For the game. So I’m gonna give them the best look they could possibly get so they’re prepared for the game. So I was a superstar at practice because my role was to prepare the defense for the game. So taking ownership of that, not saying, I’m on a scout team. No, but saying my role is crucial to the achievement of the organization, of this entire team. From a business perspective, no matter your position, no matter your role,

No matter how small, owning that only spurs success for the organization. And if you’re killing your role consistently, they’re gonna find new opportunities for you at the next level. So what your thoughts are in owning your role, you start to feel like an owner, then your actions begin to exhibit that, and then your results are shortly after.

Freddie Steen (12:21)
Oliver, you often talk about transitioning from a survival mindset to an ownership mindset. Many real estate investor pros that are listening to us right now start off wholesale flipping just to survive and pay bills. How does a solo investor intentionally shift their identity from a scrappy investor to a true operator, corporate CEO?

Oliver J. North (12:44)
Yeah, your feet are where your feet are. So right now you’re scrappy, right now you’re just getting started right now, you’re getting you’re eating what you kill. But having the vision beyond that, having the vision much bigger than you know, getting time back from your job or making some extra dollars. But having vision is say I’m building an organization that’s going to impact society in a way.

Whether if it’s placing families and homes or businesses and buildings so they can further the mission of society. Your vision being much bigger than you and your personal achievement, but really looking at it as you’re doing, I don’t want to say God’s work in a way, but really you’re impacting society by the work that you do. If your vision is a much bigger than self and it is human capital related, that’s how you go from a

survival instinct, scrappy entrepreneur and investor to a big time corporation that you know feeds and impacts society in a way. And then leveraging things like AI to further that mission as it pulls the human experience back, your vision, your mission brings that and thrusts it in the forefront. And then if it bleeds through the rest of the organization, you’ll see things begin to grow. I started off

speaking to youth in a small space, but that wasn’t my vision. I was never a youth speaker. That was just my easiest barrier of entry. From there I really wanted to impact humanity through the message of ownership and mindset. That’s how we’re able to work with folks like Real Estate Pro.

Freddie Steen (14:57)
Love it. Love it. What caught my attention about you, Oliver, is a couple of things that you just mentioned. One is the way you’ve been able to grow a successful coaching business, outstanding across multiple asset classes, multiple industries, and in multiple markets. The next thing that impressed me about you was that you married that to fit our audience, the Real Estate Pros, understanding how this concept of presenting you on the best stage.

Transferred from a room to social media, LinkedIn, social Instagram, Facebook, you know, TikTok. That’s not easy to do, especially in this climate, but you’ve done something else, Oliver, and I want you to touch on it. You have been able to embrace AI in a way and blend it all together by keeping a human in the loop. That’s not easy, especially in this climate. What’s been the key?

to keeping that machine running smoothly.

Oliver J. North (15:52)
Intentionality. You know, technology is a tool. These platforms are tools to further whatever your original mission and vision is. Utilize them as such. Do not make them the foundation, they’re a tool, right? Like the house isn’t built on the wrench, right? It’s not built on the nails. Those are supportives to the structure. You have the house, you’re the structure, you’re these are just supportive things.

So making sure that that human capital stays at the forefront, but more importantly, understanding you’re just leveraging these tools to further your mission, your vision. That’s how we’ve been able to do it. That’s what our primary focus is. The tools assist what our mission and vision is. Those aren’t the foundational pieces.

Freddie Steen (16:38)
Now every operator I know has a moment where things got real. Maybe a deal that went sideways or a time that they had to pivot fast. You mind sharing one of those moments for you?

Oliver J. North (16:49)
Well, absolutely. I think we all remember the pandemic. And you know, what we do was so much in person. So when society shuts down, we have to very quickly find a way to deliver in large capacities. I’m talking entire districts, I’m talking thousands of people being able to deliver at that level.

From a technological standpoint. So we had to not only be able to deliver at a high value that we do, but we also had to include this technology and be able to go live. We had to be able to essentially start an entire production house of and train at the highest level from superintendent level down to your janitors. So you know, that was

unprecedented time and experience and we had to move fast. And honestly, we actually two X the business during that time, being able to move through that. And then the timing and I believe you asked me about something in a negative light.

Freddie Steen (17:49)
You know, everyone has a deal or something that kind of went left. You know, how did you manage that and give us an example of what that was in your career?

Oliver J. North (17:59)
Yeah. Man, we had a very significant contract go bad. Something that you wouldn’t think would happen, especially given the entity and organization that you’re

partnering with. You know, we’re talking about, you know, you know, close to a million dollar deal go bad for small business that could be fracturing. That could be yes something that takes you out. And you know, one of the things that sparked what we do in the

coaching space was from that experience. Being able to split our pie from impact. What we did in the space with the previous contract, it had such a large slice of our pie, it actually thrusted the concept of coaching to the forefront of the business. It wasn’t it was something that was in the back of my mind that we wanted to get to, but we hadn’t prioritized it. That deal actually forced us.

To prioritize coaching in this capacity. So as we talk about Outspoken in The Speakers Blueprint, you could thank that bad deal for us being here doing this today.

Freddie Steen (19:01)
Pivot, I love it. That’s the kind of stuff people don’t talk about enough, Oliver. And honestly, it’s what separates the folks who just dabble from the ones who stay in the game long term, like you. Let me ask you this. What are you most focused on scaling or solving next? What’s the next real goal for Oliver J. North?

Oliver J. North (19:20)
I think it’s taking everything that I’ve done and our organization has done successfully. Not only coaching and training those individuals, but actually putting them on stages, platforms where they can further their message through the Outspoken umbrella, making sure that maybe they don’t know how to get to platforms yet or yeah, they need a launch pad. So being able to provide that space.

And then showing those folks how to stand their business up from our platform and continue on. That’s what is at the forefront of our minds and what we see next. You know, we’re gonna create competition for some of the major platforms that you know today and love. I won’t give them no shine today, but you’ll see it soon.

Freddie Steen (20:03)
Yeah.

I love it. Oliver, Real Estate Pros have to pitch constantly. You and I talked offline. And one of the things that we connected about is this whole concept of stages that Outspoken prepares you to be in that room and to present yourself in the best light on stage. But you and I both agree that the stage now not only is the stage that’s in the room human to human, but also now the other platforms digitally that give us presence.

And influence. Because many Real Estate Pros have to pitch constantly to sellers, private lenders, contractors, you specialize in helping individuals find their voice. What is the biggest mistake Real Estate Pros and operators make when trying to communicate their vision? And how do they fix it to close more deals?

Oliver J. North (20:55)
So there’s something that I talk about in terms of avatar and clients. So when you’re talking about messaging from a stage, a platform where you are inspiring, you’re getting people to buy into your vision. That’s your avatar. That’s the person in the audience. But the ideal client has a need. There’s a problem. There’s something that they’re looking to solve. So when you’re pitching and you’re communicating your mission and vision.

You have to do it from the perspective of the ideal client, meaning the person that’s going to purchase or invest in what it is that you’re doing. They have a problem within your messaging, within your packaging, whatever it is that you’re communicating for your vision, you have to communicate how that solves their problem. You are a problem solver. You are not a real estate pro. you’re a problem solver.

that provides real estate services on the back end. So really helping individuals understand how to communicate what you do solves the problem of the ideal client.

Freddie Steen (21:59)
Oliver, that’s big. I mean, especially when you’ve already got such a rich history in coaching. You have this also rich history. We should tell our Real Estate Pros that Oliver also has a rich history in athletics. So you’ve been able to leverage that kind of stick to it, determination, willpower, and getting the job done. And for that, we applaud you. Oliver, I know a lot of people listening.

Are either earlier in their journey or looking to level up like you. And I think they benefit from this. When it comes to building relationships and growing your network, what’s made the biggest difference for you?

Oliver J. North (22:37)
I have always been unafraid. I have been unapologetic about building relationships to further the mission from a genuine standpoint. Yes. Taking my personal out of it and understanding what is the best move for the business. Sometimes it’s not me. Sometimes it’s the relationship from this individual over here.

And I have to do what I have to do to facilitate that relationship, cultivate that relationship, albeit genuine, albeit from you know a humanist humanistic standpoint, but I have to remove myself and make sure that we’re constantly, constantly collaborating and connecting with other individuals. You cannot do business alone. It is impossible.

So relationships are imperative. My speaker coach, Coach V early on, he said, kid, you’re nice. You’re gonna make money. But the wealth is in the relationship. And that always stuck with me. And he said sometimes the relationship is hard to facilitate. So to actually tap into that wealth, it’s gonna be in the follow-up. So, you know, those are two things that have always stuck with me as I’ve moved forward.

And I think any you know, entrepreneur looking to grow, if you take that from the standpoint wealth is in the relationship and the follow up, you’ll be just fine.

Freddie Steen (23:57)
Oliver, when it’s all said and done, relationships are everything in this space, as we know. But what do you want the absolute definition of ownership, the legacy to look like for the people who follow your work at Outspoken?

Oliver J. North (24:12)
Yeah. Man, Nipsey, the late Nipsey Hussle said this a

Freddie Steen (24:17)
Yes.

Oliver J. North (24:18)
quote that he heard absolutely. His birthday just passed, absolutely, and they got a new album out for him. So but the highest human act is to inspire. And when someone thinks about Only Thoughts of Ownership, they think about Oliver North, they think about Outspoken

They say at every turn, his mission had been to inspire and we accomplished that. No matter at what level, no matter what degree you sit at currently, our mission, our movement was an inspiration to those that got adrift of what we were building and what our vision was.

Freddie Steen (24:50)
Oliver, what’s one belief you held early in your business career that you completely disagree with today?

Oliver J. North (24:57)
You gotta like everyone that you work with.

Freddie Steen (24:59)
Explain.

Oliver J. North (25:00)
In business, everybody is not your friend. You may have nothing but genuine love for those that you’re gonna work with, but it doesn’t mean that they have your best interests at the forefront. They are looking at times to facilitate whatever opportunity they have. And that’s great, you know. So with that being said, contracts.

And spelling things out written language is we can’t move forward without the proper verbiage written in every single agreement to protect you and them. and I think that’s probably my biggest lesson, my biggest understanding. You’re gonna work with folks that you know this is literally a business relationship. And to protect us both.

We need everything in our agreement spelt out.

Freddie Steen (25:44)
Yeah. Oliver, I love it. And listen, I know our Real Estate Pros are salivating to know how to connect with you. And we’re going to get to that after this last question. Oliver, we want to know. We’ve talked for a little while now. Is there anything that I’ve missed in talking with our conversation that you would like our Real Estate Pros to know? Put me on the spot.

Oliver J. North (26:07)
Let’s see. I think you’ve done a great job highlighting and touching on different avenues of business and especially from a communication standpoint. I think I would say this as you know, we’re moving into a time that’s really unlike any before. We really don’t know what society’s gonna look like five years from now, maybe three two, three years from now. So be as

Flexible, as be like water, as they would say. Take the shape of the environment. Absolutely. Take the shape of the environment that presents itself. You cannot be rigid in business. You cannot be a dinosaur in this space. You have to be forward-thinking and you have to take the shapes of the environments that’s presenting themselves. If you do that alone, you can grow in the other areas that we talked about.

But literally being able to transform and adapt in this time will keep you in business. And I think that’s probably foundational for any entrepreneur.

Freddie Steen (27:03)
All right. Before we wrap, if someone wanted to reach out, connect with you, Oliver, maybe collaborate or learn more about what you’re doing, what’s the best way for them to reach you?

Oliver J. North (27:18)
Simplest forms on all socials. ItsOTheVoice. Don’t be confused with the shell, but ItsOTheVoice. I T S, the letter O, The Voice. Or you can go to our website, outspokentsb.com. Any of those two platforms should reach me. Make sure you get back to you.

Freddie Steen (27:39)
And if someone wanted to bump into you, what’s your primary market now? And what’s your secondary market you’re kind of in and out of?

Oliver J. North (27:47)
In terms of area location,

Freddie Steen (27:49)
Yes.

Oliver J. North (27:50)
you’re gonna find me in Southern California quite often and Houston, Texas.

Freddie Steen (27:55)
Perfect. Well listen, Oliver, I appreciate your time, your story, and your perspective. We need more people in this space who are doing it the right way. So Oliver, thank you again for being here.

Oliver J. North (28:08)
Appreciate you having me.

Freddie Steen (28:10)
And for those of you tuning in, if you got value from this, make sure you’re subscribed. We’ve got more conversations coming with operators just like Oliver J. North and Outspoken, who are out there building real businesses just like you. We’ll see you on the next episode.