When I think back for this question what stands out to me are examples from my time in real estate. During most of my experience I worked as an agent on a real estate team. Working as a real estate agent you typically will either choose to work independently or to join a team. In joining a team you choose to give up a portion of your commission in exchange for the additional leverage, support, and services the team can provide. Being on a team provided me with excellent training, positive camaraderie, and key admin support I wouldn’t have had if I had been independent. While the benefits I received made it and easy decision for me to be a part of the team, it wasn’t the case for everyone. Over the 5 years I worked there, I saw people come and go. One guy joined the team as a personal friend of our Principal broker, and he came into the agent role with high expectations on his income potential. Part of the allure of real estate is the freedom from a typical 9 to 5 schedule and the opportunity to scale your income dramatically. While he started out strong, over time his effort began to lag. The challenge with this role for many people is a feast or famine experience. The commission checks that come in can be big, but for the smaller time agent or new recruit just getting started, the lack of consistency can be challenging and you may end up making less than being at a regular job. When you are working harder and not seeing the results you expect, it can be demoralizing. On top of that, when doing fewer transactions, every penny can feel (and becomes) that much more important. It was these reasons in the background that led him to leave the team after a year of moderate success because he felt it would pay better working by himself. After trying it out on his own, in the end he decided that real estate just wasn’t a good fit for him and he moved onto another career.
