Our challenge this month is on life lessons, personal and business from Carol Williams and Anna Banana Kruchten Phoenix Broker.
On the personal front I have written many times about my life journey, and have mentioned in passing running the Philadelphia marathon. I had always wanted to run a marathon, honestly, I thought I wanted to run several, but one it turned out to be. I was celebrating a birthday and made the declaration that before my next birthday I would complete a marathon.
I took almost a year to train, I am not the build of a runner, I am relatively tall, but stout, I played rugby and was a forward, where I could trundle around the field and contribute due to my weight and strength. But the running part was the hardest, but I also enjoyed getting out for a run and being in nature. it helped me to think and relax, let go of stress. I had determined I could run a basic 10 minute mile after all my training. So, I thought I would aim for being in the 12 minute mile section, however, I ended up in the 10 minute mile section and did fine, till mile 19. Then the dreaded wall hit. Everything locked up, I thought someone had inserted metal rods in my legs. I stumbled on, walking and jogging alternately, I cannot remember now if my legs ever loosened up over the rest of the course, but I know I finished and it was really hard to keep going.
It was really an allegory of the story of my life, I had been very successful for a long time, taking over my father's business with my brother, then dividing and running my own. Moving to America to continue that success when I hit the wall there. I did not have an alternate plan when my English bank called my loan after encouraging me to make this move. I did not have enough history here to obtain a loan from any American bank and lost everything. I stumbled on, doing odd jobs, working as a sub-contractor with a contractor as my visa only allowed me to work for myself. These two events taught me, in the midst of deep depression that you have to keep going, however painful. You need to believe in yourself and keep trying, do not give up. If you do that you will find a route to the end and be successful.
When I came into real estate, I believed in trying everything, some things worked, some things didn't. I believed in adjusting the sails as I was going along, always heading to my destination. I was recently asked in an office meeting what was my motivation, my why for working. After hearing all these top agents talking about earning millions of dollars I realized that is not my motivation, it is to help people and earn enough to allow me to travel and enjoy life.
One of the first classes I took was to obtain my ABR designation and I learnt about "Agency". This made so much sense to me, it was like a keystone falling into place for the rest of the building to be built upon it. I believe that if I take care of my client first and foremost everything else will take care of itself. I still absolutely believe that, even as I adjust and make changes to the way I work. Always putting my clients needs ahead of my own, and caring for them, making sure they are protected and understand the transaction and how it can affect them and be a positive, enjoyable time for them even in the midst of the stress of the transaction.
I am a great believer in stripping out of my life those things that do not improve it, be it personal or business especially drama. I enjoy people and nature, not necessarily in that order always but I want to leave this place a little better than before I arrived.
Comments (35)Subscribe to CommentsComment