We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Paul Witmer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Paul below.
Paul, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Life for me blew up at the tender age of 52..lol resulting in my packing up a used Prius (I purchased 2 days before quitting my job in IL.) with my 2 cars, clothes, and 2K all the money I had in this world! I moved into my parents Mobile home and began anew….
No career path, no friends, only my parents and my brother here in Colorado. As I made friends by going to Meet Ups in Denver I eventually befriended a guy who needed a townhome updated and offered to let me live there—Operation: GET OUT OF MY 77 year old parents home began!
I did a killer job on the townhome winning my new friends trust and respect. He then aligned a job interview at a High End Jewelry store which I won the position of Asst. Manager of the Omega Boutique (yay for me…selling watches I knew nothing about). I did very well and became Manager in no time but this was NOT for me so I took my dream job as the Territory Manager for Silver Sneaks (a fitness program for Medicare). Worst job ever….no direction, poor management, and a system I could not get so I obtained my job back at the jewelry store but as the Breitling Manager. I knew this was not the end game but I had to get into something that allowed me some structure and support.
This did not last long…I had to get out but what sales job was out there for me that I aligned with???? Enter….my buying a run down condo and my agent kept telling me I should get into the industry being I was so personable and had a great work ethic. Hummm….eventually I leaned into a class while I worked 60 hour weeks…it was horrible!!!! I failed all my tests and had NOOOOO idea what the heck this course was teaching then COVID happened!
I learned about Zoom and coached my team at the Breitling Boutique 2 times a day and studied the ENTIRE day. Before I knew it I was done with the course, by the grace of GOD, I was able to test shortly after completing the course and BAM..I was a Agent!!!! One week later I quite the jewelry store job…pulled out what $$ I had in any and all savings, retirement, investments accounts, deferred my mortgage and credit cards so I had a lump sum of $$$ that would last me 6 months that is it!! Should I not make a sale within that time I was 100% Broke and would lose my condo. No safety net, no other Plan B, I was ALL IN!
Gosh…that was the scariest time—COVID was in full swing, NO ONE knew what the heck was up and I had NO idea what I was doing but I did know I had to do it soon or else….
After aligning with 3 bid named agencies I knew I had to find an agency that actually cared about my success…I was 2 months into my 6 months and I had NO clients, NO idea if I was able to do this, and fear was my full time companion.
Lucky for me I made calls and did find a small agency that not only saw me, understood what I was going through BUT gave me hug before I finished my interview—at that moment I knew this was where I had to be!
3 months later I had my first sale, 2 more before the end of that year! I had a long road to go but at least I was DOING and I was NOT going to fail!!!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I have always been an outcast…super personable, loving, fun and funny guy but never really understood. I have always been on my own, so to speak, knowing I could not stay in the USAF being it was sooooo boring and the laziest person got exactly what I did and I LOVED to work (a Capricorn through and through).
I put myself through school and obtain an Exercise Science degree which took 20 years to get being I moved so much in the military and had to repeat almost ALL of my first 2 years due to the time span…class completed can actually expire–who knew?!!! I began my training business in Las Vegas first aligning with an accomplished trainer only to release that was a mistake so I stepped out on my own and that is when my success began! The only issue was I HATED living in Vegas so I had to make a decision….stay and keep killing it or move to where I felt more at home. I chose that later and moved in with an ex-military buddy in Decatur, Ga. I struggled to find work knowing training was what I wanted to do but being new to a city it takes time so I took a wacky job selling computers—OH MY GOSH….what was I thinking—I hated computers!! After an event that I did not see coming (my boss was playing with numbers to make us look good…bad call) the entire store was let go…..I took another leap of faith and accepted a job at a local gym in Atlanta only to find people wanting a good trainer and I began to develop a clientele base—working at the gym and training before and afterwards kept me busy and the money was flowing in. I leaned into training full time and BAM…success was mine.
Knowing nothing last forever I knew I had to keep growing and evolving which is exactly what I did.
I took a corporate position as lead trainer while raising 2 special needs boys. Unfortunately we, my partner and I, became a statistic—80% of special needs families do not make it—a horrible stat but we really did think we could do it. This broke us and that is how I ended up moving from Chicago to Colorado to begin again.
My professional and personal life allow me to identify and emphasize with most everyone. After 2 failed Long term relationships, losing everything only to have to start again (at 52 years of age no less) I understand adversity. I also understand that we all desire to be seen and heard….I bring this into my business. I get that what one says my not truly be what they mean and it is my job to help them dig down to where the truth lies. I love to support people with their journeys into home buying and or selling. I do not rest till the job is done! I take great pride that I know a lot of “guys” to support my clients with every thing they may need. I truly have the best career EVER and I do believe it shows in how I treat my clients.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The fact that I will do WHATEVER it takes to get the job done! I will do almost anything in order to meet new clients and support the ones I have. I will not stop, I will not give up, and my clients WILL get what it is they are looking for!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
My entire life has been a sample of this. I will not give up even though I have been knocked down a time or 2, or 3, ok–maybe 4 times…lol.
My first Long Term Relationship lasted 4.5 years and it nearly killed me that it ended…I had nothing when we broke up so I had to stay at a friends house, have them feed me while I got my act together—going to school and working 3 jobs in time allowed me to step out on my own.
This happened yet again but much much later in life—52— and starting over again I did!
I know how to bounce back—-its not my favorite thing to do but I sure know how to.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: pwitmer52
- Facebook: Paul.Witmer.35
- Linkedin: https://Linkedin.com/in/Paul-m-Witmer/
