394: The Power of Niche, Mark Wills' Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success

Show Notes

Mark was born in Korea during the post-Korean War American occupation.  He is half Korean and half American and adoptee.  He talks about his mother's decision to put him up for adoption for a better life in America.  He was initially adopted by a family in Southern California at the age of two and a half, but after five years, he was returned to the foster care system and later adopted by the Wills family, who had already adopted 20 other children.

Despite the challenges, Mark credits his resilience and entrepreneurial spirit to his upbringing.

What else did you take away from your experience of being adopted not once but twice, and then spending time in the foster care system that helped you in your success?"

Viewing every life event as either an asset or a liability, emphasizing the importance of resilience.

Despite challenges and the need for therapy, he chooses to view his past as an asset that shaped his identity and entrepreneurial drive.

Mark shares the significance of empathy and sympathy for others who struggle, and his goal to ensure that nobody feels unwanted or unheard.

View your life events as assets rather than liabilities.

There is value in learning from past experiences and using them to become stronger and more empathetic individuals.

Nature vs. Nurture.  What impact did Nurture have on you, and even your success?

Despite the lack of consistent nurture, Mark used that as a way to develop himself and then learned from his adoptive family with 20 other kids.

Going through his experience shaped his desire to help others and be in their corner, especially fellow entrepreneurs.

Let's talk about the notary business.  You say it could be a side hustle, a career for anybody. Explain how it works

The notary niche is often overlooked and has millions of daily opportunities!  It is the perfect place for potential for entrepreneurship.

Because of the sheer volume of notarizations in America it can be very lucrative – especially if you have a system to keep the opportunities coming in.

It is also very profitable with rates up to $150 per hour.  Working as a notary in the mortgage industry is a great focus because of the consistent demand for notarizations in real estate transactions.

And most notary signings are done in less than an hour.

"So you tell me a better business in America that you can make $150 for an hour worth of your time, that you don't need any formal education. All you need is some training and that's why it's the best kept secret.”

Mark continues to highlight opportunities, "That doesn't include refinances, reverse mortgages, home equity line of credits. There are millions and millions of transactions happening, even in a slow time, that a notary who knows the loan industry can absolutely crush it."

So if somebody is sitting there going, $150 an hour?  I can do this part time. I can make extra money, or I can make a career out of this. How do they get into this? What do they do?"

Mark outlines the simple steps to become a notary, highlighting the application process and the potential for lucrative earnings in the real estate industry niche.

It really is not much more than application in 45 states.

Mark talks the importance of learning the five major mortgage products to excel in the industry.

He then shares that some of the easiest ways to acquire business in the real estate industry is by leveraging existing relationships with realtors and other professionals.  And once you are in with a few, you start asking for referrals.

Is there a type of document signing that carries a higher rate?  What's the typical range? And I guess what are the easier ones to get if you're starting out?

Real estate transactions and specializing in mortgage documents is where the higher rates are.

The most lucrative way to make money with as a notary is in the real estate industry, and so that's why I try to really tell people focus on the mortgage documents now...

To grow your business in the space, take care of people, serve from the heart and focusing on delivering value to customers.  Understand that if you are working on real estate transactions, they are pretty important, so professionalism is important.