You Don’t Need the Best to Be the Best: Lessons in Resilience from Deanne Stott
If you ever find yourself on the brink of burnout, staring at a tough market or an even tougher life season, I hope you’ll remember this: “You don’t have to have the best to be the best.” That line came from Deanne Stott—top-producing real estate agent, former litigation paralegal, fitness enthusiast, and relentless optimist—in our recent Prosperity Collab conversation. It was said almost offhand, reflecting on her years competing in horse shows with a less-than-stellar horse. But it landed with weight. Because in this business, and in life, that mindset is everything.
Here are the biggest takeaways from our conversation—a blend of wisdom, strategy, and straight-up grit.
1. Your Past Prepares You (Even If You Don’t Realize It Yet)
Deanne didn’t start her career in real estate. She started in law, then business development, then substitute teaching—each seemingly disconnected until they weren’t. Her legal background made her a "contract nerd" who negotiates with precision. Her role as a hospital liaison honed her relationship-building skills. And raising three kids gave her time management skills that no calendar app can replicate.
Lesson: Your past is not wasted time. It’s your tool kit.
2. Default Career? Maybe. Purpose-Driven Career? Definitely.
Like many, Deanne found her way to real estate not through a lifelong dream, but through circumstance and opportunity. She made the jump full-time in 2014, leaving behind the W-2 world with one intention: “If I was going to succeed, it would be on me.”
Lesson: Ownership is the gateway to freedom. Whether you’re leaping or starting over, bet on yourself.
3. Adapt or Fall Behind
From COVID to commission lawsuits to rising rates, the market hasn’t exactly been peaceful. Deanne’s response? She didn’t binge the news. She binge-listened to economists, blocked her days, hiked mountains, and learned how to shoot Reels. She focused on encouragement, not panic. And guess what? Instagram referrals alone brought her nearly $22 million in volume in 2021.
Lesson: Be the calm in the storm. People don’t want more noise—they want a steady presence.
4. Mindset > Circumstance
This is a recurring theme in Deanne’s story. When $90,000 in GCI disappeared in a week, she gave herself two hours to cry, then hit the ground hunting for more. When personal tragedy knocked her to her knees in late 2023, she started bodybuilding—because lifting heavy things gave her back a sense of strength.
Lesson: Life will knock you down. Your job is to decide how long you’ll stay there.
5. Create Your Good Days—Don’t Wait for Them
One of the simplest but most impactful lines she said was this: “You can’t wing a good day. You create it.” Her mornings start the night before. Her food is prepped. Her gym clothes are packed. Her schedule is blocked. Even her joy is intentional.
Lesson: Consistency isn’t sexy—but it’s the compound interest of success.
6. Real Connection Still Wins
In a time when many are hiding behind CRMs and ad spend, Deanne is still knocking doors, calling neighbors, and texting clients after every showing. She checks in more often than necessary—because “you don’t get to ride the real estate rollercoaster if you didn’t buy the ticket.”
Lesson: Technology can assist. But connection closes.
7. Hard Times? Get Back to Basics—and Find Your Tribe
When asked what she tells someone going through a rough season, Deanne didn’t hesitate: Find your tribe. Get a plan. Do three things a day—even if you only feel like doing one. Also? Fill yourself with good things: podcasts, nature, books, encouragement. Flush out the bad.
Lesson: Grit isn’t just grinding. It’s choosing what you let in.
8. Use Your Gifts. Do Your Job.
One of the best stories she shared? Buying a last-minute Goo Goo Dolls concert ticket in Buffalo and running into lead singer John Rzeznik—who once wrote "Iris" while battling writer’s block. She asked how he pulled it off. His answer? “At some point, you realize it’s your job.”
Lesson: Inspiration is a gift. Discipline is the vehicle.
Final Thoughts
Deanne’s story is a masterclass in resilience, resourcefulness, and radical ownership. She’s not playing to the market. She’s playing to her strengths. Whether she’s lifting weights or listings, she’s committed to showing up—fully, consistently, and with heart.
Her advice to her younger self? Start earlier. Be intentional. Invest in yourself, and in assets. Know your why. Make a plan. And most of all, don’t wait for the stars to align. You were built for this.
Until next time, remember: You don’t need the best conditions. You just need the right mindset.
