$75 Per Month That Took Me From 300 to 600 Doors Managed

What's the connection between a $75 running coach and doubling your property management company? The answer found me at mile 53 of an ultra marathon, lying in a medic tent, about to learn the most expensive business lesson of my life.

The Nine Words That Changed My Life

Last week I shared the story of my first 100k race in the Arizona desert and how it changed the trajectory of my property management business, but I left something out. The 9 word text message that brought me back from the dead.

My pacer, Jacob, had been trying for over an hour to get me moving. "Mark, you're really going to regret this tomorrow. Come on, get up!"

His words did nothing. I was past caring or thinking. My brain told me getting up would be suicide.

Then a text message came from Coach Derek: "Tell Mark to get up and walk it in." 9 words.

Like Lazarus I obeyed. Sitting up was unthinkable but I sat up. Standing impossible but I stood. Then I leaned forward and caught my falling body with the movement of one foot.

Coach Derek was an accomplished runner. Through countless sessions where he had pushed me beyond what I thought possible, we had formed a rare trust. His text in that moment was more than encouragement - it was a declaration of possibility and a command to action.

Like all great coaches, he saw something I couldn't see, he knew things I didn't know and he had been where I wanted to go.

Because Coach Derek knew I could finish, I borrowed confidence from him in that critical moment to make that critical decision. Not only did I finish a race I ‘knew’ I couldn't, I ran the final eight miles at a faster pace than I had run all day.

That night in the desert taught me something that would transform my property management company: the most expensive advice isn't the one you pay for - it's the guidance you never receive. And nowhere is this more true than in the world of coaching...

Your Greatest Expense Isn't What You Think

The real cost of going it alone isn't measured in coaching fees - it's measured in years of unnecessary struggle, of opportunities lost and lost revenue. I know because I've lived both realities. For seven years, I've worked with the same business coach, but there was a two-year gap in the middle. Looking back, the contrast is stark.

Before coaching, I was your typical busy entrepreneur. Always moving, always grinding, always "making things happen." I thought I was building systematically, but I had no perspective. My approach was erratic, spontaneous, messy - though I couldn't see it at the time. It's like my early days of marathon training: running hard (too hard it turns out) and still running slower than was possible.

When I hired a running coach and joined in weekly group training, I dropped my marathon time from 3:19 to 3:02 in one year. With a business coach, my property management company transformed from chaotic growth to strategic expansion. Instead of just working harder, I learned to think differently. Instead of pushing against the same walls, I was guided to open new doors. The craziest thing? It actually felt easier than before.

But here's what really changed everything: I discovered that coaching isn't just about getting better strategies or systems. It's about becoming someone who can operate at a higher level. Good coaches don’t just help with short term tactics or strategies, they rebuild our entire relationship with what's possible. The same transformation happened in my business, which leads me to the most profound truth I've learned about growth...

The Character Currency: Why Being Beats Knowing

Most property management business owners hit the same wall: we master the technical aspects of our business, but growth still stalls. We know how to manage properties, handle owners, train staff - yet something keeps us stuck at our current level. Between that medic tent and 600 doors, I discovered why.

Your business isn't limited by what you know - it's limited by who you are. Every time I thought I needed better systems or marketing, what I really needed was to become a different kind of leader. Someone who could handle twice the responsibility, twice the team size, twice the complexity.

That's the hidden power of great coaching. My running coach wasn't just teaching me about ultramarathons. He was building my relationship with challenges, with discomfort, with possibility itself. When I learned to push through physical barriers on the trail, I started breaking through mental barriers in business. When I developed resilience in training, it showed up in leadership.

Great coaching transcends its domain. Whether it's athletic, personal, or business coaching, its true value lies in elevation - raising who you are to match who you need to be. When you evolve, your team evolves. When you level up, your business follows.

This is why surface-level solutions often fail. New systems don't stick without new habits. Better processes don't work without better leadership. Your team can't grow beyond your own capacity to lead them.

Looking back, it's almost impossible to calculate the ROI of those nine words: 'Tell Mark to get up and walk it in.' In that moment, the value of coaching transcended any hourly rate or monthly fee. Those nine words didn't just get me off a medic tent cot - they transformed who I was and what I believed was possible.

That's the real power of great coaching. It's not about trading dollars for tactical advice. It's about creating the conditions where nine words can change everything. Where one moment of borrowed confidence can transform your entire trajectory. Where a simple text message can be worth millions in business growth.

Your breakthrough might be nine words away. The only question is: who will you trust to speak them?"