If there's one reality show I'll always be obsessed with, no matter how many seasons they throw at me, it's Million Dollar Listing (or now Owning Manhattan on Netflix).

The properties are jaw-dropping, sure. But that's not what hooks me. What hooks me is watching how these agents brand themselves. How they carry themselves. How they treat every single interaction like it could change their year.

Because in real estate, it can.

You never know if the person calling is looking for a $1 million home or a $100 million one. The agents who win aren't just selling properties. They're selling themselves.

And whether they realize it or not, they're living by one of the oldest rules in business.

ABC. Always Be Closing.

Now you might be reading that title and thinking, what does a 15% coupon to Ruby Tuesday have to do with any of this? How does this get me a promotion? How does this land me a job?

It'll all make sense in a moment.

Most weeks I write about AI or how to navigate a situation at work. But as I look at who's actually reading this, students, people eyeing new roles, people trying to figure out how to get from where they are to where they want to be, I felt like this week called for something different that would resonate with those that are struggling to get a call back or think AI has moved pass them.

My origin story.

Back in 2012, I was a sophomore in college. Just getting by. Academically. Financially. All of it.

That was my first full year at Shippensburg University after starting at the University of Pittsburgh. Shippensburg wasn't the dream. But it was the smart play. More economical. And there was a hotel nearby where I could transfer my standing from another property in the same chain.

So that's what I did.

The career pipeline at Shippensburg wasn't exactly glorious for an economics major. Not like Pittsburgh. Not even close.

But I wasn't in a position to be picky. I was in a position to work.

Four times a week I'd get out of class at 3:30 and drive to Chambersburg to work the 4 to 10 shift at what was a Four Points by Sheraton. Nothing fancy. Just a run-of-the-mill, side-of-the-highway hotel. Once my shift started, I was the only employee in the building.

With that ownership of essentially “running the hotel” at night, I loved working that front desk.

Before I had this job, I’d worked in hotel reservations through high school. That job taught me early that not everyone who walks through the door is going to stay. You'll hear no more than yes. But your job was to treat every single person like they were the most important person in the building. Regardless of the outcome

That part mattered. That part was the job.

One night, two women checked in. You could just tell they were exhausted. Long day. Long drive. They were sweet, easy to work with, and all they needed was a meal and a night's rest.

So I did what I always did. Checked them in. Made it smooth. And because they made my job easy, I offered them a 15% discount to the Ruby Tuesday attached to the hotel.

Nothing special. I'd done this hundreds of times.

But in this moment, for whatever reason, it landed differently.

When the two women came back from dinner, they stopped at the desk. Thanked me for the coupon. Then told me something I didn't expect.

They were recruiters. For Target.

They were wrapping up their recruiting season but still had intern spots to fill at certain store locations. And because of how I treated them, not because of a resume, not because of a GPA, not because of a career fair, they offered to put in a good word if I applied.

Two strangers. One 15% coupon. And a door opened that I didn't even know existed.

An internship at a Target store wasn't exactly where I saw my life going.

But it's not like I had options.

And here's what I understood even then. Sometimes all it takes is one step inside the building. One foot in the door. You don't have to love the room you're standing in. You just have to know that the hallway leads somewhere.

I felt my career was destined for HQ. Not just another store number. But you don't get to HQ by waiting for HQ to find you.

You get there by being undeniable wherever you are.

So I took them up on the offer.

And the Always Be Closing mindset didn't stop there.

While interning, I made it crystal clear that I wanted a corporate internship. And I worked my ass off all summer to earn that recommendation.

In my first consulting role, I told them I wanted to go win my own accounts. And I went out and landed multiple million-dollar deals.

That's the thing people miss about Always Be Closing.

It's not a single moment. It doesn't book itself a 30-minute meeting on your calendar. It doesn't show up with a neon sign that says "THIS IS YOUR CHANCE."

You have to be on your game. Every day. Ready for whatever situation offers an opportunity, even the ones that don't look like opportunities at all.

Sometimes you can plan for it. There are meetings and socials where I'll scan the guest list ahead of time and say, I want to make sure I connect with these two people. And I'll prep for that.

But most of the time? You can't plan for it.

Most of the time it's two tired women checking into a highway hotel on a Tuesday night. Or it's one beaten-down director just trying to hit their goals, and you happen to be the person who makes their day a little easier.

And the only question is, are you going to treat it like just another interaction?

Because you're always being watched. Always being measured. Always one interaction away from something you didn't see coming.

A 15% coupon changed my career.

What's going to change yours?