Venus Morris Griffin directly addresses camera:   As a stay at home mom of six children, I earned my real estate license so that I could have extra money for vacations, private school and other luxuries. Right after I earned my license in 2008, my husband was arrested and sent to prison for 45 years. What started as a way to make extra money became my primary source of income. We were hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. It was sink or swim, and I had six children depending on me. 

I'm Venus Morris Griffin, vice president of Meybohm Realtors in Augusta, Georgia. Let's take five minutes to talk about how I made six figures in my first year and then doubled my income every year. In 2018, I brought in over $50 million in sales volume. My success is based on some very very simple principles. 

First things first, I had to focus on my "why." That was to provide for my six children and not live as a victim. I had to focus on what would drive me to succeed.

Every Sunday, I would host at least three open houses, mainly for other agents. I would get buyers, sell houses and prospect. The open houses were a huge source of leads for me. I didn't have any listings, so I would call other agents and ask them if I could do one for them. I did anything and everything I could do to get business, I knocked on doors, I called people I didn't know. I called for sale by owners, I handed out my business cards and I shook hands with anyone and everyone. I learned a lot watching David Knox, who's a real estate coach. I would implement any and every idea I thought would bring me business.

You must find your niche. Initially, I didn't know anything, so I would go after the $700,000 listings. I quickly learned that the money was in the less expensive homes. I started focusing on the $200,000 to $300,000 listings. I made it my mission to show my clients that I was worthy of every dime they paid me in commissions. You have to believe in your worth. If you do not, nobody else will.

Any extra money I had I used to brand myself. I bought billboards when no other agents had one. I bought it not knowing if I could pay my bills. My assistant was my best friend and she worked for me knowing this. She went a full year without being paid. I made sure I made every dime of it up the following year. 

From the billboard, I expanded into television commercials. I was really good at follow up. Any lead I got from my marketing, I followed up with immediately. That's key. I made the calls, not my assistant. I also did as much free marketing about myself as I could. For example, I'm very active in the community. I'm not shy, so when something comes up about a house, I will always ask for the referral. I'm active in my church   and I advertise in the church bulletin. I also believe in being honest, as this builds trust. It isn't always easy, but in the long run, people will respect you for it. For me, that means being real with my clients about their list price, even at the risk of offending them, or walking away from overpriced listings. Being honest and authentic is more important than making a sale.

One way I keep my edge is my attire. I dress in a suit or professionally every day. A lot of people, a lot of competitors, show up in jeans, but if you want to be the best, you've got to dress for success. It's the little details that make a huge difference.

The truth is that if you consistently do the little things, the results will come. It's just like working out. People stop working out because they don't see immediate results, so they think it's not working. But eventually if they keep at it, the results will be noticeable. It's the consistency and drive to be the best, that determine if you'll the best, that will help you build a solid reputation as a person who gets things done and treats people well.