“I can’t do this anymore. I quit!” My words as I realized the culture in my business was non-existent. Why? because I was to focused on “How” & “What” not “WHY” I thought success meant selling more homes than anyone and making lots of money. I thought it was about numbers and conversion ratios. I thought it was about systems and discipline. I thought wrong. Sure, each one of these things has a place in building a business. However, they are not what create magic. Like Walt Disney, it’s about bringing dreams to life. Over the last 18–24 months I have sought out my “WHY” and defined my purpose. Purpose before Profits I belive my purpose is to inspire. To inspire through giving, caring, honesty, loyalty and as a protector of good. Realizing and defining your purpose gives you clarity. This clarity is why I have been on a mission to help JDRF raise funds to find a cure. This clarity is why I write you as often as possible to show you I care. This clarity is why I won’t lie, in an industry full of deceit. My mission is dedicated to being a loyal advocate for you. The most amazing feeling comes over oneself when you finally realize your purpose. The feeling is how I imagine an eagle feels as it soars high in the sky. This long journey has opened new doors for me. As I walk through them you bear witness to change. For this I thank
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“Hey kid, you and I both know you’re a top player on this team. Hell, you might even be one of the best defenseman in the league. But, if you don’t change your attitude I’ll cut ya off the team next year when you come back. “ The words of coach Marlin Muylaert — who changed my life. That summer I went home questioning who I had become as a person. Questioning how I got to be the man I was. Why… am I so negative about the sport I love, a team of guys I care for. Attitude problem… What attitude problem?. “We can’t have you being negative. It’s like a disease in the locker room. Your teammates look up to you.” These were specific things coach said I needed to work on. “Positive Things Happen To Positive People” Marlin said to me; as I left his office for summer break. Questions just came flooding through my mind and I had to find answer FAST! Over the course of my 2001 summer I promised myself one thing. You are going to do whatever it takes over the next 12 months to change your attitude. How will you know if you actually accomplished your goal? Coach will tell you. If he doesn’t notice an attitude adjustment… you failed. The summer of 2001 I began reflecting on everything I had done leading up to my meeting with coach. I realized my whole life growing up rarely was I ever on a losing team.
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How Does The Person Looking Back At You Feel? Last night a friend called me furious about the fact his buddy, who is a loan officer, just found out he was shopping him and talking with more than one mortgage lender. He screamed at me, “You made me look like an idiot!!” because, his buddy had ordered up an appraisal — before my friend even signed formal docs committing to work with him as his mortgage lender. This stunt, his mortgage officer buddy pulled, was not typical and/or ethical. Because if I didn’t stop the appraisal and it was completed — this would have costs my friend $450. The test of true character happens everyday. The question is… are you hiding from your true character or have you found strength in your self awareness to admit who you really are. This video reminded me of my friend I worked with. He is a good person. Doesn’t mean to hurt anyone. But, what he doesn’t see is how his actions speak louder than his words. This subjects tests all of our character. Makes us think twice about everything we do. GOOD! because, being different isn’t easy. Being a leader doesn’t happen over night. Leadership is a test. A test not many people pass. Like Jocko that test can come at the worst of times. Your true character can be revealed even when you don’t realize it is happening. So, ask yourself… If I was put in the same position as Jocko. Would I have
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“You Remind Me Of My Grandson” Marleen — a person who follows her heart 8 years ago today I walked into the home of a wise women by the name of Marleen. Sitting at a small round table just big enough for 3 with her friend, male companion, or as she like to call him, “My boyfriend!” chuckling (keep in mind she was in her late 70’s at this time. So, I couldn’t help but laugh). I wasn’t but 3 steps in the door when she walked up to me and gave me a BIG hug. At 6 foot 1 I was much taller than this little petite grandmother who maybe stood 5 foot 2. After reciving such a warm welcome she looked up at me and said, “Tim, you know why I asked you to sell my home?” I responded, “No, but that was going to be my first questions since I don’t know you.” “Honey, you remind me so much of my Grandson. Tall, handsome and I just knew by the look on your face (on that yard sign, for the home I was selling down the street with another nice lady in her 70’s) you would take good care of me.” Marleen said with the sweetest look of sincerity and kindness on her face. It is hard to do anything but want to love a person like Marleen. She was my perfect client. It’s times like these, as your sitting down with someone who has never met you but,
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Client Stories — Matt Wagner & Kim Colvin Every month I choose a very special Story Of The Month. It’s my way of acknowledging good friends and good people. This month’s Story Of The Month is: Matt Wagner & Kim Colvin These two are so much fun to work with. Both have laid back personalities and enjoy life to the fullest. Matt, is an extremely loyal guy who knows what he wants and when he sees it you know. Matt works at TenA Companies the same company I worked for right after graduating college. This company actually played a big role in getting me into real estate. Funny when you think about it…. how small the world is. Everything comes full-circle. Kim, well let me tell you, she can put a smile on your face any day, any time and any place. You feel energy in the room when Kim is around. Very happy to say she is also my cousin. One of many great cousins on the Colvin (Mom’s) side of the family. Kim is dedicated to helping people which, is something many know and love about her. Having an opportunity to help family members, like Matt & Kim, in making the biggest purchase of their life; is an honor not taken lightly. When purchasing your first home everything is new: Getting financing for hundreds of thousands of dollar (bet you haven’t done that before), Understanding all the “What Ifs” going into buying & owning a home and managing all the
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Jim Colvin & Siobhan O’Malley Our journey began with a phone call asking me to keep a secret. A secret from some of the most important people in his life.. A secret about one of the biggest decisions in his life. My response, “You are killing me Jim! You tell me something this big and I have to keep quiet for weeks. Don’t worry cuz… I am good at keeping secrets.” Jim and I have been in talks for a few years about work, life, family and the journey from child, to young man and now grown man. I will never forget a lunch, at Lucky 13’s, he and I had. It was like nothing I expected. We talked for 2 hours about everything. As Jim’s older cousin, he asked me about my life’s journey. Things I’ve learned and stuff I did both personally and in business. We shared philosophies in life and I came to realize he is a very sharp guy who is well traveled and enchanting to be around. On the phone, Jim asks me about Stillwater Minnesota and what I knew. As we talk he learned everything I knew about the community of Stillwater, the downtown area, schools and what people think about raising a family in Stillwater. He proceeded to ask me about locations in St. Paul, like Highland Park, which offer an old world charm with a smaller city feel, local shops and great food. As we talked I ask, “Jim, I have a
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Buyer Case Study — Aaron, Niki, Austin & AJ Dwyer It’s was all worth it in the end If someone said you would need to sell your home 3 times before you could actually move out… How would you respond? If someone said the 2nd buyer on your home would back out of the transaction the day before closing… How would you feel? If someone then reassured you everything would work out because they have been down this road many times before, would you believe them? I wish we could say this was all just a make believe story and every time you sell a home it is smooth as silk. But, that would be a lie. Reality is, more often than not you will run into a bump or two or three along the way. There are so many moving parts when it comes to coordinating a full real estate transaction you can’t possibly imagine. This is why Aaron looked at me just before we listed the Dwyer family home and said, “Brother, I trust you. If you say it is going to go down like that I believe you. If you say we need to do this or do that, I will do it. I know you are always looking out for our best interests. That’s why we are working with you.” To have a family trust in you this much is an honor I don’t take lightly. Aaron has been like a brother to me since we were in
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My Home Didn’t Sell… Now What? Question: I just took my home off the market because it didn’t sell. What can I do now to try to sell it again? Answer: Sounds to me like you may NOT have avoided “Fundamental Mistake #5” in my book “The Value-Drive Approach To Sell Real Estate.” Cancer is not treated the same as a common cold. So treating them the same because someone didn’t take time to conduct the appropriate tests or to diagnose the proper treatment, results in disaster. Yes, as you now know this happens. There is a saying in the medical community: Prescription without a diagnosis is malpractice. Yet, that is exactly how most real estate agents operate on behalf of their clients. Maybe you experienced it… The agent shows up at your home and upon arriving they conducts their sales pitch, using a flip chart or power point presentation. Maybe they sat at your table and the first thing they began to do was sell you on their “prescription” to sell your home, without first doing any kind of diagnosis to determine the best route of attack. Ask yourself, “Is this what my doctor would do?” Probably not! They would make you fill out a 7 page questionnaire, listen to your heart, lungs, ask you to breath in, breath out, push on your abdomen. While doing this they would be asking you all sorts of questions. Base on your answers they may even refer you to a specialist for
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Excuse me… I am new to the University. I have never used email — can you show me how, please? “Damn this email sucks! People keep messaging me, they won’t pick up their damn phone and want a response the same day. I hate this email crap!” words I can remember clear as day from my old man growing up in the 1990’s. At my house computers were looked at as a pain in the ass and nothing but a piece of plastic. My father was a face-to-face guy. As a salesman, he needed to see your face, hear your voice and feel your energy. This is what made him great. Needless to say that left the rest of us never really knowing what a computer was. There were no computers at the Murphy house during my childhood. sure, I played around with the slow DOS Mac or PC in school back then. Playing Oregon Trail and loving every minute of it. Thinking this is the coolest thing ever. But, back then the computer was like an embryo in your mothers stomach. Just an idea trying to find its way into this world. Actual computers, as we know them today, didn’t really get going until the late 1990’s. At least that’s how I remember it. So, when the time came to pursue my college degree I realized really fast what a computer was — email was my fist real introduction. I’ll never forget walking into the computer lab shortly after arriving to college. It
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Inspiring those around her to do big things 5am, at the gym, while grinding it out on the elliptical machine something suddenly came over me. Tears started rolling down my cheek as I look back on 2016 and lessons my daughter Shanley taught me, well both my daughters for that matter. Most, in this situation would look around the room to see if anyone saw them crying. Others, would put their head down to hid their tears while grabbing a towel to quickly wipe them away so nobody could see or judge them as weak. I, wore these tears as a badge of honor. They are tears of pride and joy – for my 5 year old daughter taught me lessons about being a leader only she could. Lessons like “Leaders don’t hide dad.” This came when I felt guilt for talking so much about type 1 diabetes this year. Feeling so much passion about spreading the word and showing people what it means to fight the fight. I began thinking about Shay. I remember walking upstairs after writing an article and posting it on Facebook. “Sarah, do you think it is right – posting all of this stuff about diabetes and telling these stories about Shanley? She’s only 5… she really doesn’t understand what I am doing or why I am doing it. Do you think I should try explaining it to her and finding out what she thinks?” So many questions were going through my head that day.
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