There's a scene in The Last Samurai where Katsumoto, played by Ken Watanabe, is asked why he would rather talk to his captive American soldier, Nathan Algren, than simply read a book to learn about him. His answer is simple: "I would rather have a good conversation."

Later, after their first real exchange, he looks at Algren, played by effervescent Tom Cruise, and says, "I have introduced myself. You have introduced yourself. This is a very good conversation."

I think about that scene more than a person probably should. Because in this business, a genuinely good conversation is rarer than people admit. Most coaching relationships are transactional. You show up, you go through the checklist, you move on. And that's fine. That works. But every once in a while, you get a client who makes you feel like Katsumoto felt in that scene. Someone who actually makes you want to sit down and talk.

William “Bill” Boswell is that client.

Bill is the co-CEO of the Prosperity Network of real estate companies in New Jersey, a Forbes and Fortune-recognized top agent, a Realtor Magazine 30 Under 30 alumnus, and someone who has been earning the NJAR Circle of Excellence Award at the Platinum level for over a decade. On paper, he doesn't need a marketing coach. He's already built something most agents only dream about.

So when we started working together in March 2025, I'll be honest with you: the biggest obstacle wasn't strategy. It wasn't content. It wasn't even getting him in front of a camera.

His Biggest Obstacle Was... Warming Up to a New Coach

Bill had a coach before me. Replacing someone in a relationship like that isn't a transaction. It's a trust exercise. And with someone like Bill, who has been in the game long enough to spot a sales pitch from a mile away, you don't earn that trust by talking. You earn it by listening.

So that's what I did.

My Solution Was to Get Out of His Way

Here's something I figured out about Bill pretty quickly: he doesn't need a script. He never did. Give him a topic and a camera and he will deliver something that makes you stop what you're doing and actually think. His videos don't sound like real estate content. They sound like a conversation you'd have with someone who has read everything, seen everything, and still managed to form his own opinions about all of it. Philosophy, economics, market psychology. Bill goes there, and he goes there naturally.

So my approach was simple. We come up with the topics together, I let him run with them, and I stay out of the way of something that's already working. The best coaching I ever did for Bill was trusting him.

The Outcome for My Client Was... Honestly, Kind of Personal

I'm proud of a lot of client relationships. But I'll say something here that I don't say often: Bill Boswell might be my favorite client. Maybe my all-time favorite. And it's not just because of what he's built or the accolades or the production numbers, impressive as all of that is.

It's because he's the kind of person who makes you better at your job just by being in a conversation with him. He scratches the part of my brain that craves real discussion, the kind where you're not just exchanging information but actually working something out together. Those conversations are rare. I look forward to them.

Katsumoto had it right. Some people you would rather talk to than read about. Bill is one of those people.

Here's what his videos look like: 

What Bill Says About Working Together

Bill hasn't made a big speech about it. He hasn't written me a glowing testimonial or recorded a video singing my praises. That's not really his style, and honestly, I respect that about him.
But here's what he did do: when one of his agents decided to sign up with Vyral, Bill had one condition. That I would be their coach.

In my world, that's the review. That's the five stars. That's someone who has been around long enough to know the difference between good and good enough, making a deliberate choice to put someone they care about in your hands. You don't do that for someone you're just okay with.
I didn't need a quote. That said everything.

What to Do Next…

If you're a high-performing agent or team leader who has already done the work to build something real, and you're wondering whether a marketing coaching relationship could actually move the needle for someone at your level, I'd love to talk. Not every coach is the right fit for every client. But when it's the right fit, it changes things.

Reach out and let's find out if we're a good match.