YOU DON'T WIN ALONE

WELCOME

Hello and welcome! Oh, my stars, if I’ve ever needed proof that this life is about people first and everything else second, let me tell y’all about my birthday! I got to celebrate another trip around the sun surrounded by the folks who make my world go round! I’m talking family, friends, teammates, and clients who’ve become friends. I feel so blessed to have created the kind of community that reminds me why I do what I do in the first place. There is nothing better than laughing, hugging, telling the old stories, and looking around the room thinking, How did I get so damn lucky? The older I get, the more I realize that success means nothing if I don’t have people to share it with.

Now this brings me straight to this week’s topic. I’ve been thinking a lot about Taylor Swift, because of course I inhaled the first two episodes of the documentary (as well as the all-new tour footage). When I wasn’t sniffling into my Kleenex, I was thinking about the machine behind the magic because nobody does it alone. Not Taylor. Not you. Not me. Here’s the truth we’re going to dive into this week: we are only as powerful as those we nurture. The way we show up for others is where the real leverage is.

So let’s talk about the ecosystem that doesn’t just support your success, but multiplies it.

STORYTIME WITH GLENNDA

The Big Finely Tuned Machine

You Don’t Build an Empire Alone

What struck me about the new Taylor Swift documentary is how clear she is that there is no Taylor Swift without her team. She is the sum of all of the parts, including the dancers, the musicians, and the unsung crew that we never see, whether they’re stringing lights or laundering costumes. She says it out loud over and over: “This only works because we work.”

I think that's a lesson worth slowing down and really sitting with, especially if you're a business owner, a team leader, or someone who's trying to grow something bigger than yourself. If you want not just success, but staying power, your people have to feel seen, paid, protected, and supported, every single day.

Pulling Focus Isn’t a Threat; It’s the Whole Point

One of my favorite things about Taylor’s show is that she's not afraid to let her dancers pull focus away from her. Actually, what I love is that she wants them to do it. She builds moments when the spotlight moves away from her on purpose. Taylor understands that when her team sparkles, her whole operation shines brighter. (You could say it’s kind of like a mirror ball.) Related note: yes I rewound and tried to read Kam's lips when he read about the life-changing bonus she gifted to all her dancers. (I suspect it was $750K, especially considering she awarded $197M in bonuses over the course of the tour.) Taylor's philosophy has been that because her tour was successful, those who contributed to that success deserved to share in the rewards. Every PA. Every truck driver. Every last person.

That philosophy lives at the core of how I run my business. My Diamond Squad doesn't work for me. They work with me. There are no secrets or any mystery math. Everybody is on the same split. Everybody knows what things cost. There's no leaderboard, no competition, no “coffee is for closers.” I don't pit people against each other and call it motivation. Instead, we build trust together. Because band-aids don’t fix bullet holes and culture problems don’t resolve themselves.

The $10 Million Call

Let me tell y’all a story that perfectly explains how this works in real life. One day, a call came in. It was supposed to go to Evelyn, but the way it worked out, Elizabeth was there to answer it. Elizabeth could have kept that lead for herself. She could have said, “Well, you weren’t here and I had the phone,” and no one would have blamed her. Instead, Elizabeth said, “Let’s work it together!”

That single call turned into a $600,000 purchase. Then that turned into a $2.5 million purchase. Then another $2.5 million purchase, and like that old shampoo commercial, they told two friends and so on. When all was said and done, that single call and moment of generosity turned into $10 million in volume. Not once did those two argue about the money. They split it evenly and happily every time.

That's what happens when people trust each other. That's what happens when you build a team where no one is worried someone else is stealing from them. That's how it shakes out when you create a culture that says, “We win together or not at all.” Bad blood? Not on my watch.

What One for All Actually Looks Like

Here’s the part that people don't always see. When someone on my team needs time for whatever reason, everybody jumps in. If someone has to be away for a week, business still gets handled. Listings still get serviced, and buyers still get taken care of. No one sends an invoice to a teammate for helping out.

We are an autonomous unit, meaning we role-play hard conversations before making them. We brainstorm together. We always talk through every scenario to make sure that no one ever feels alone or exposed. The psychological safety of how we run our business matters just as much as the paycheck. “You’re on your own, kid” is not a leadership strategy.

When It Goes Wrong (And It Has)

I’d be lying if I said every team story has a happy ending. There was a time when someone close to me didn't feel seen. She didn't feel appreciated, and she didn't feel like she was paid what she believed she deserved. Instead of talking to me about it, she left suddenly. No warning, she just quit by text.

The experience was a devastating, not just professionally, but personally. My team is everything to me. I mean, they were seated at the table with me on my birthday, along with my family. So this was a hard way to learn that even when I thought I was doing everything right, alignment still has to be mutual. Transparency only works if both sides are willing to see the full picture. I'm not talking just about the top line revenue, but also the risk, the expenses, and the responsibility to come with running the whole operation. That lesson changed how I protect my business and my heart.

The Real Takeaway

Taylor Swift pays her people well. She makes sure they're taken care of. (You could say that she protects the family.) And just as importantly, she gives them credit out loud and on the bottom line. This is what leadership looks like.

So, if y’all want to build something that lasts, look inside yourselves and ask:

• Do the people around me feel seen?

• Do they understand how they’re paid and why?

• Do they feel protected when life happens?

• Do they feel supported, not just professionally, but personally?

Because I have been doing this job since Jesus was a baby, I know for a fact that the magic onstage doesn’t happen alone. The ecosystem around you is the true alchemy.

When you get that part right, then everything else falls into place… like dominoes.

GLENNDA’S GURU

More With Jason Waugh!

In my last conversation with Jason Waugh, we covered so much great stuff that I couldn’t put it all into one video. So I could not be more pleased to bring you more with Jason, who y’all know likely better as the CEO of Coldwell Banker Affiliates. What you may not know is how he thinks and what inspires him, so I’m delighted to share more of our conversation!

Thanks again, Jason!

GLENNDAISM

Today’s Words of Wisdom

GLENNDA BAKER & ASSOCIATES

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