Mike Ferry’s Podcast the Original: Monique Walker on 21 Years of Blind Faith, Bold Declarations, and Building a Life You Love – Tony Smith Interviews Monique Walker

In this episode, coach Tony Smith sits down with Monique Walker. She’s been in real estate for 22 years. She’s been with the Mike Ferry Organization for 21 of them. Monique first found the program through a Mike Ferry-trained broker. That broker handed her training CDs before she’d even built a business. From there, she built a career on schedule, blind faith, and consistent prospecting. In this conversation, she walks through her early habits. She shares the declarations that marked every turning point in her career. And she explains how slowing down, not speeding up, became the key to her business and her family life.

A Broker’s CDs and a Broke, Coachable Beginning

Monique’s introduction to Mike Ferry came before she was even licensed. A broker handed her training CDs and told her to role-play with herself. She describes herself at the time as “broke and coachable.” In 2004, she attended a retreat and watched top producers on stage from the back of the room. She decided she’d be up there one day. Her husband initially said no to the $1,000-a-month coaching program. He asked her to prove her business first. Six months later, she signed up. The results followed.

The Power of Environment

Monique was raised by a single mother who immigrated from Colombia with nothing. She credits much of her drive to the wealthy families she met as a competitive junior tennis player. Those families took her in. They showed her what success and stability could look like. That exposure shaped what she wanted for her own life. Tony draws the parallel directly: environment shapes belief in what’s possible. Putting yourself in the right rooms, literally or figuratively, changes what you think you’re capable of.

Early Habits: Schedule, Blind Faith, and 350 Appointments

Monique was a former competitive tennis player. She understood the value of a coach and a strict schedule from day one. She had no database and no escrows yet. So she adopted what she calls “blind faith” — trusting the process before there was proof it was working. One of her coaches told her to go on any appointment she could get, prequalified or not, just for the reps. That year, she went on 350 appointments. It wasn’t efficient, she says. But it built the rhythm and comfort that carried her forward.

Making the Declaration: Becoming a Listing Agent

From 2004 to 2008, Monique worked almost exclusively with buyers. In 2008, her coach pushed her toward a change. It was also tied to her decision to start a family. She made a declaration: she would become a listing agent. The shift meant facing a scarcity mindset head-on — fear of losing buyer business. She replaced that fear with a focus on what she stood to gain: freedom, financial success, and more listings.

Slowing Down to Speed Up

Monique’s mornings start with quiet time. She does affirmations, ten goals, and ten gratitudes. She picked up the practice from a Tony Smith workshop and The Miracle Morning. Most people wake up and run at full speed. Monique does the opposite. Slowing down first, she says, is what lets her run a demanding business and stay present for her family. She’s also shifted how she prospects. Instead of calling anyone available, she’s intentional: she decides in advance who she’s calling, what she’ll say, and what value she can offer.

Living Below Your Means and a Dream House, 21 Years in the Making

Monique and her husband lived in the same house for 21 years. They recently went under contract on their dream home, nearly all cash. She’s candid that living below their means for two decades was a discipline. At times, it was also a source of tension. It ran counter to some of the spending she saw in her circle. But it gave her family financial freedom when the moment came. The house search itself came together almost by accident. She spotted the home on a practice drive with her daughter.

What’s Next

Monique’s current declaration, read aloud in the episode: to list eight or more homes above $800,000. She commits to extraordinary effort until she does, with no other option. She’s already looking ahead. Her next goal is raising her average sale price to $1 million. As she puts it, the feeling of excitement is already there. That’s how she knows it’s next.