When Old Habits Still Work—One Floor At A Time.

There’s something deeply grounding about going back to your old habits—the kind that shaped you before the pressure, the titles, and the burnout of the mundane task of chasing after leads.

Recently, I had a client meeting that was supposed to be a typical conversation that stemmed from a LinkedIn connection. But it turned out to be more than that. The person across the table who I was talking to wasn’t just a mid-level decision-maker, but a tenured country head of a company that has been operating in the Philippines for 16 years now. What was meant to be a simple introduction evolved into a meaningful exchange, opening doors to potential partnerships—both direct and indirect. A few questions here, a few insights there, and we got a future deal to look forward to.

I was supposed to head back to my office in Bonifacio Global City after the meeting but my sleeping instinct kicked in and I decided to stay in the building a bit longer. I found myself doing what I used to 14 years ago in my first job: Going floor to floor, knocking on a few doors, introducing myself, and speaking with the company representatives that might need help—whether in finding new office spaces for expansion or in helping their employees invest in property wisely.

I was rusty, no doubt.

Some of the openers were awfully awkward.

The rhythm wasn’t perfect and there really was no canned material for the approach. But I just had to make the most of my visit and find new leads. I just winged it and the energy, alongside the jitters, was back. I felt alive again and that’s what mattered most. Lo and behold, three new conversations surfaced that same day from those spontaneous visits—not warm yet, but filled with potential. It’s not a lot but that’s already a good number I got from talking to multiple companies. Can you imagine if I only talked to one company or even held myself back from doing this?

There won’t even be a number but only a lingering thought of

“I should have done it”.

What this day reminded me was this: In this business, nothing is certain and the slightest chance is where everything starts. Not all doors will be open. Some may do, but don’t expect that it will always be welcoming from the get go.

And Sometimes, you don’t need a new strategy.

You just need to reconnect with the old you—the version who didn’t overthink, who just showed up, who asked questions, that person who wasn’t afraid to ramble through a pitch because a simple idea carried the conversation.

I also learned—again—that it pays to speak with everyone, not just the people whose titles sound impressive such as the country head who shared his valuable time with me but also the front desk people who referred me to key people in their companies. Opportunities don’t always come from boardrooms or fancy introductions, sometimes, they come from conversations rooted in authentic curiosity, the kind you are asked when you open the door:

“Yes sir, how can I help?”

And this is where I respond with “I’d like to help your company by..”

If you’re feeling burnt out, maybe you don’t need to pause completely.
Maybe you just need to return to your roots, where action meets purpose.
There’s power in doing the basics again—with more experience, but the same drive.

Any business can wear you down. But days like this remind me that it can also wake you up. It might be difficult, a rough start like a cold engine of a car that didn’t run for a while, but simply trying and knocking on doors will always a good start.

To knocking on new doors,

Ralph Ocampo, REB

Licensed Real Estate Broker
PRC No. 0033206

+63917 650 0297