Haven’t we all looked back and wished we had the foresight to see what was coming? Many times in business and in life you learn, “You don’t know, what you don’t know.” Be it taking a chance on a new path in life hoping it will bring you to the promised land, partnering with another to create a business which will catapult you to the next level, making an investment… crossing your fingers everything you were promised will actually come true and investing in people. Back in 2002, when I was first getting my feet wet as an entrepreneur in real estate I had no life experience in business to reflect on. What is a good decision and what is not. What path will bring me to the top of the mountain. Remembering when you first got started, sitting behind your computer staring off into space just waiting for that epiphany to hit you. I realize now, I was in survival mode. Most often living on Ramen noodles and eager to make a difference. Patience being your biggest enemy…. For the thought of riches filled your head. I decided in 2002, it would be best, to take the path of least resistance when getting into real estate. I had less than $1,000 at the time. Realizing real estate sales is a gamble and there is a lot more upfront expense than I expected. “Why?” Should I take the chance if I could find someone to bet on me. As I
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Hands sweating, doubt creeping into my thoughts and a feeling of euphoria coming over me. Really, am I really going to make my dream of real estate investing come true within 1 year of graduating college, months after getting a real estate license and weeks after drafting a business plan? Sitting at the table with Jack talking about investing in Arizona was one of the most euphoric moments of my life. It was the first time I felt like anything was possible. Don’t get me wrong, I had some great moments in my athletic life, personal life and with my family… But, this feeling was different. I dreamed about becoming a real estate investor, I planned for it and now I had a chance to make it a reality. “Hey Jack, so now that you have convinced me you’re serious about investing in Arizona real estate, how are we actually going to make it happen?” I asked. Jack responded, “First off, you are going to tell me the plan in more detail. How will we find property, how much cash will be needed, how does Derek fit into the equation, etc….” After walking him through the mechanics of how I saw this working, Jack responded with, “Murph, you are not messing around. You have really thought this plan through.” “Hell yeah Unc, I don’t mess around when I’m motivated and passionate about something. Plus, if I was actually going to make it happen I had better have a plan or
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My Uncle Jack, You gotta meet this guy….. He taught me life lessons I will never forget. When I worked with him from 2002-2003, not realizing it, he was changing his nephew’s life by creating values in a young man who was just starting to find his way. Or did he mean to do it all along? Working on my computer in my parents basement, fresh out of real estate licensing school with a real estate license and no clue what to do next… When, out of nowhere comes Uncle Jack. The younger brother of Jeanne, my mom, Jack was known as a wild child. He never missed a chance to test waters and see how far he could push before something big happened. On Thursday August 15th, 2002 Jack showed up to my parents house, I had not seen him in 5 or 6 years since I was away playing junior hockey and at college. He “quietly” started working on replacing a sliding glass door in my parents basement. I was sitting at a card table with a laptop computer deciphering where to begin my quest towards making a living selling real estate. Not knowing Jack like I do today… He was quiet, letting me do my work, until 25 minutes later when he couldn’t help himself, “So, Tim how the hell are ya?” now if you know anything about Uncle Jack, which some of you do, you know once he gets started he may never stop. So, one
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It all began when in college at The University Of Wisconsin Eau Claire renting a little apartment above water street. Renting from a company called “Student Area Housing” who owned what seemed to be the entire student rental market in Eau Claire. My curiosity kept the conversation going… Hmm. Real Estate, Rental Properties… I wonder how all that works? Busting my hump, coding business programs for hours and sometimes 24 hours straight to hit deadlines, on a mission to get my Management Information Systems (MIS) degree. I did everything to position myself for success upon graduation. Every summer, for 4 years, I had an internship at a local company. These were all IT internships which taught me a lot about life in IT, computer programming, systems management and most of all teaching myself how to learn. However, the biggest lesson learned was realizing I was not your typical IT guy. Being an athlete, outspoken at times and a people person — these traits, I realized, were not the typical qualities found in IT veterans whom I worked for. During these summer internships I felt like the ugly duckling… During my senior year in College having 15 interviews for job offerings, every time the person would say, “That was great Tim… Thanks for coming today, we will be in touch if we think you’re a good fit.” or “Tim you have worked hard and set yourself up well with those internships..” But, every time I left the interview I questioned working
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Cancer. I Can’t. I’m Done. I Don’t Care Anymore. The words from a man dying of cancer and the mindset he has nothing to lose. Shawn contacted me almost 2 years ago off my marketing he found on the internet. His first words, “I have a home to sell and I need help.” as he struggled to get a breath. “Of course,” was my response. Tell me your story. Well… I have this property it is currently a rental and I need to get my tenants out so I can sell. What do I do? “No problem, I have experience with rental properties and managing tenants as I own rental property like you.” After an hour of learning his situation he was in with his renters, disclosing agency representation to him so he fully understood his rights as a consumer and answering his questions to the best of my ability Shawn said, “Thank You” this gives me a clear path I should consider. Would it be “OK” for me to keep in touch with you Tim? “Yes, of course.” After months of talks back and forth with his tenants, the broker managing his rental property and myself; Shawn came to the conclusion it would be best I, Tim Murphy, represent him in the sale of his house. Once we had all of the proper documentation in place to support this I got to work. I spoke with the rental broker, understood the renters situation,
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You are about to embark on a journey with me into a world I have never known. To a place where everyone is open and the bars of society have been removed. To a place where everyone is free to make their own judgments, their own choices, their own definition of FREEdom. On this journey you will learn about a man who strives to be different and make a difference in the lives of those he has the honor of serving and calling “Friend.” You will read of stories from my life’s journey and how I have been impacted by those who cross my path. You will get a true understanding of my character, my mission in life and my dreams. Why? I believe telling stories is the key to learning and understanding one’s self. It is the key to opening doors for others around you allowing them access to a place you would otherwise hold secret. Stories are the key to creating a connection with You. In this day and age of technology, rapid change and never ending floods of data. Humans, You & Me, struggle to slow down, look around, take a deep breath and embrace the moment. So many of us don’t take time to realize just how lucky we are. Just how many life experiences we have had which shaped us into the person we are today. We see our Parents, now grandparents when they look at our children with that 1,000 mile stare…. It is
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We Did It….!!!! $10,000+ Raised in 30 days This was one of the most fulfilling moments of our life. Having a daughter who struggles with T1D and seeing all the support we got from friends, family and people we don’t even know…. Thank YOu, Thank you, THANK YOU! Amazing! Everyday our family kept looking at our JDRF fundraising page to see if we were going to make it. Everyday we saw people giving, people making a difference and people showing their support for a cause that impacts millions of families all across America and the world! The JDRF One|Walk: On the morning of our JDRF One|Walk Shanley yelled from her bed, “Is today my day?” Everyone in the Murphy family hollered back, “Yes, it’s your day Shay!” Like every morning we woke up and immediately checked Shanley’s blood sugar by pricking her finger to make sure her blood sugar is in an acceptable range. This is the key to keeping Shanley healthy. Then Shanley jumped out of bed and ran to the T.V. for her favorite show; Team Umizoomi. On our way to the Mall of America for the walk, Shanley started getting really excited. How do you know? Well, she starts talking a mile a minute. Asking questions about who will be there, do I get my own dark blue shirt showing everyone I am special, hey Dad, “Do you have the big check to show everyone how good we did?” on and on…..until we got out of the
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