Fear Is Just a Four-Letter Word: How to Develop the Unstoppable Confidence to Own Any Room

by Tracy Tutor Narrated by Tracy Tutor

Overview

Instant Wall Street Journal bestseller!

From the first female real estate broker on Million Dollar Listing LA, a no-nonsense guide to analyzing big egos, deflecting power plays, and taking control of any room.

Behind Tracy Tutor's on-screen persona is an uncanny knack for projecting confidence in the most intimidating of circumstances. The breezy, tough-talking, utterly inimitable businesswoman has rivaled her male co-stars to land increasingly high-profile deals in the world of LA real estate. Now, Tracy is leveraging her years of experience to write the go-to manual for any woman struggling to convince people she's in charge.

If you get thrown off course by narcissistic personalities or freaked out by high-stakes situations, don't assume you're weak. When fear is running the show, you get wrapped up in your head and start missing important cues. Yes, the people you're dealing with seem scary, but they're more predictable than you think. Once you understand them, it's easy to push the right levers of influence to get what you want.

Through candid, hilarious stories of her rise through a world of misogyny and cutthroat business dealings (text message screen shots from creeps included!), Tracy offers a crash course in the psychology of power dynamics and social signaling. You'll learn:

What five things you should always find out about someone before you meet them

How to choose the perfect outfit for an important meeting, even when dressing on a budget

When and how to use humor strategically to lighten the mood and command authority

This book is a must-read for any ambitious woman who wants to win her next business confrontation before she even walks into the room.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Tracy is a force. If this book can capture half of her cunning wisdom, formidable personality, and work ethic, it’ll be a game changer.”
—Ryan Serhant, author of Sell It Like Serhant
 
“Working with A-list clients on multimillion dollar deals, stress basically rises out of the carpet. But Tracy doesn’t let fear control her. She somehow has the fire of a badass and the calmness of a Zen master no matter who she’s dealing with. This book tells you how she does it, and how you, too, can make fear your bitch.” 
—Fredrik Eklund, author of The Sell
 
“It takes a special kind of person to make it in Los Angeles, never mind in real estate. That person is Tracy Tutor. If you want to learn how to tackle life and career with a zero-fucks attitude, and grow some balls of steel while you’re at it, you’d be wise to make this book your new bible.”
—Caroline Stanbury, costar of Ladies of London
 
“I probably have five people I could count on if there was an emergency. Tracy is one of them. I’m not sure what she could provide in a state of emergency, but at least I know she would make me laugh. And in her book, Tracy shares stories and anecdotes that put her hilarity on full display. Though you might not have Tracy in your emergency, you can at least have this book.”
—Josh Flagg, costar of Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles; author of Million Dollar Agent
 
“If anyone can reveal the art of how to own room, it’s Tracy Tutor. This book will reveal Tracy’s tips to success by sharing her stories and what landed her across the negotiating table from me. Now I know her secrets!”
—Josh Altman, costar of Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles; author of The Altman Close
 
“Tracy’s ability to navigate through work and life with that perfect combination of finesse, grace, and, of course, sass continues to astound me. Whether you are working in real estate or just trying to get through life, this book is a necessity!”
—Angie Harmon, actor, writer, director, producer, and swimmer
 
“Tracy is a pretty and powerful blend of girl boss femininity, style, humor, smarts, ambition, and kick-ass sass! She’s my kind of businesswoman: fearless, sharp, determined, and relentless, all while taking over the world in a stiletto heel.”
—Jerrod Blandino, CEO of Too Faced Cosmetics

Product Details

BN ID:	2940177715575
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	07/14/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 4: Get Gritty
 
I deal with all kinds of crazy people who make me want to quit the business, but I’ve never encountered anyone like Ice Pick Guy. This client was a real piece of work. We had his home in Bel Air under contract, and everything was blowing up over Christmas. It looked like it was going to fall out, so I did what any good agent does and tried to bring the buyer and seller together . . . a little give-and-take is important when the stakes are high. Unfortunately, my client did not agree with my sentiment and went off the rails.
 
ME: Hey, I just spoke with the buyer. They’re willing to give you more money but they want more time in escrow. They’ll follow up with this in writing.
 
ICE PICK GUY: I’m not able to hang out on their timetable. Work on their hours, at their mercy in the suggested plan. Advancing me my own money, and hiring an electrician, WHY NOT GET AN ICE PICK AND STICK IT IN MY EYE, THEN POUR ACID INTO THE BLEEDING SOCKET.
 
At this point I would have preferred acid in my bleeding sockets over talking any further with him. But wait, it keeps going. . .
 
ICE PICK GUY: The psychological toll this has taken on my is extraordinary and unfair – not only because the buyer has gotten “the deal of the century” but the constant arrows and tantrums and insults and moving the goalposts and reneging on written deal points – all of its very very far off the grid of acceptable. As we round the final turn, I really need my agent(s) to comply with this request for sometime tomorrow. I will be visiting my 98 year old father at 4 pm. I am hoping to complete this short process sometime around noon.
 
Listen, I absolutely hear his plea and candidly agree that the buyer was unreasonable and shifty to say the least. But the barrage of texts went on for days. Seventy- five completely unhinged back-and-forths (I’ll spare you the rest). I mean, come on, dude, let’s slow our roll on the crazy train. But as I’ve done so many times, I was forced to take the bullshit in order to get the deal done. And as much as I love being the subject of my client’s internal rage, these over-the-top emotions are just too much sometimes. The client was desperately depending on me, and every day the house didn’t sell, he’d send me a text explaining how much money he’d just lost. It got to the point that every time the phone made a noise, I was filled with anxiety and dread that it was him. This was a great family in a really shitty situation, and even wonderful people in bad spots can be assholes. I even went so far as to give him his own ringtone so I knew when my phone made a noise whether it was him or not.
 
So I had to bring in Gina, a senior partner on my team, to start dealing with him. It was the biggest relief, because I had help to offset his emotional instability. We’d trade off, because neither of us could handle his crazy on our own. At some point it makes you feel crazy. I could have not asked her for help, but I’m so glad I did, because I probably wouldn’t have been able to get that deal done and that guy out of my life without someone else enduring with me. I’d have been miserable if I didn’t have someone I could laugh with about this nuts behavior. That’s the whole point of it,
right? You share in your failures and you share in your successes. You’re much better, whether things are terrible or wonderful, when there are friends or colleagues around.

You can share the burden of dealing with an exhausting person with a colleague who’s less emotionally invested. Try having someone read your emails first if you’re dreading opening them because you know they’re toxic. Or avoid spending time alone with a terrible boss by asking someone on your team to come along for the casual coffee the boss invited you to. Having trusted colleagues act as middlemen and help off- load the stress of tough situations is the only way I can get through some terrible chapters of life.

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