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Chop Wood, Carry Water

“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”  – Buddha. With simply a casual glance at the picture on the left, One could be very confused as to the direction of this article. Yet… with further examination, it’s clear. So, let’s examine further…. The man in the picture (carrying water, by the way), is the greatest marathoner of all time, Eliud Kipchoge. With an extremely lucrative… Read More »Chop Wood, Carry Water

I Don’t Know Morgan James…. But Maybe I Do

It’s true. I don’t know Morgan James. Or, maybe I do. I actually MET her last night in Parker, CO after her stellar 90 minute singing performance. But know her? Probably not. Or, maybe I do. I first “met” Morgan James on youtube about two years ago, sort of by accident. I was in a Joni Mitchell sort of mood (even us boys get there every once in a while),… Read More »I Don’t Know Morgan James…. But Maybe I Do

Got Relevance?

Talked to your travel agent lately? NO????? I was cleaning out a drawer a few days ago and happened upon a handout from a keynote I had delivered some time ago. It was the opening address at the Active Enterprise Network’s Annual Conference in Breckenridge. Their theme was “Winning Customers and Influencing Markets.” Setting the tone for the conference, I decided to focus on relevance. I began my presentation with Young and Rubicam’s… Read More »Got Relevance?

Houses: Product or Commodity?

For decades the real estate industry has treated houses as if they were products. They are given a price by the Seller, placed into the market, and the marketing begins. That marketing becomes the catalyst for drawing potential buyers to the property. The idea is that the better the marketing, the faster and at a higher price, the house will sell. Unfortunately, this technique doesn’t work the same way with… Read More »Houses: Product or Commodity?

Effective Sales: from Fats Waller

When Fats Waller wrote the words, “Find out what they like and how they like it and let them have it just that way,” I’m sure he was composing within the context of the song written for the musical Ain’t Misbehavin.’ What he may not have known, at the time, was he was also creating the pathway for effective sales. This great lyric pretty much says it all, everything from buyer/seller counseling… Read More »Effective Sales: from Fats Waller

Inventory Continues to be a Challenge

In any given market, inventories fluctuate based on supply and demand considering area and price range. The National Association of REALTORS considers a balanced market to be a five/six-month supply of homes. If it takes longer than five or six months to sell, it is thought to be a buyer’s market and less than five or six months, a seller’s market. Lately, most buyers and sellers probably feel a balanced… Read More »Inventory Continues to be a Challenge

The Platinum Rules of Public Speaking

I read that thirty-nine percent of people cite public speaking as their biggest fear. That’s number one; ahead of a terrorist attack, cancer, death… Yet there are still brave, odds-defying folk (myself included) who engage in this deadly practice for a living. Perhaps they (and I) possess incredible secrets of the trade known only to a chosen few. Perhaps those not in possession of such secrets will be doomed to… Read More »The Platinum Rules of Public Speaking

Ten Reasons Being a Realtor is like Marathoning

There are two things in my life I have done for a considerable amount of time: running (51 years – over 111,000 miles) and real estate (26 years). What I have learned from these experiences is that they are incredibly alike. So without further ado, I give you the Top Ten Reasons Being a Realtor is like Marathoning. 10. It sounds extremely easy the first time someone says “you should give… Read More »Ten Reasons Being a Realtor is like Marathoning

My Family Gathering: Airline Hospitality Style

Over the Holidays my sons, step-daughters, grandkids and others came over to hang out and celebrate the season. December was also a time when I was fresh off several flights to and from a variety of destinations. With a head full of recent experiences with the various friendly skies of the airline industry, I was excited to deliver my guests the same level of hospitality that had been given to me. Unlike a normal night at the Sands… Read More »My Family Gathering: Airline Hospitality Style

Are You PRO or RE?

“Don’t think, React!” That was the daily advice of my Junior High School basketball coach, Mr. Korwin. He believed that if we spent too long pondering the next move on the court, we would be prone to mistakes, indecisiveness, and poor judgment. For us, gangly eighth graders, it may well have been excellent advice. Better advice might have been to learn to be proactive rather than reactive. If we could anticipate the… Read More »Are You PRO or RE?