#1

Hello all,

"#1"

On the first of the year I had the pleasure to let everyone know we ranked #1 in three areas for 2014:

 #1 Real Estate Office in Germantown

 #1 Real Estate Office in Potomac

 #1 RE/MAX Brokerage in Montgomery County 

Attached are three promotional items reflecting these achievements that you may want to use for some of your marketing materials and listing presentations. 2015 has started off very well for the offices so these numbers should only continue to rise!

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe 

 

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

 

"Always remember the distinction between contribution and commitment. Take the matter of bacon and eggs. The chicken makes a contribution. The pig makes a commitment." 

~ John Mack Carter

 

HOW'S THE FAMILY?

 

OK, sure - you prepare the meals, maintain the yard, balance the checkbook, take the kids to soccer, wash and iron the clothes, tune-up the car. You take care of all the daily needs of the family. So - is that your contribution to them, or a contribution to your commitment to them?

 

Our world today is frantic. As adults, our responsibilities are awesome. Our careers require long and odd hours away from family. Our children are lured by television towards needs and desires for more and more material possessions, i.e. logo clothing, "gaming" accessories, makeup, or cool vehicles. Our spouse wonders why there's never enough time for "us." Where will it all end? How can we slow down?

 

If your family is moving at the speed of life, and there seems to be no end in sight, maybe it's time to take a look at your commitment to all involved. A great place to start is time alone with your spouse - away from home. If possible, that means an overnight or weekend trip. It's a time to re-examine your values, your goals in life, and the direction you would like your family to take. Finally, it's a time to re-commit to the health of your marriage.

 

You may quickly realize that it's a time to simplify your life - and that of your family. That's easy to say - more difficult to accomplish - yet attainable with a firm commitment. If you like the idea of simplification, there are three excellent books that can move you in that direction.

 

First is a great primer, Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "Gift From The Sea." Next, for both men and women is "The Simplicity Reader" by Elaine St. James. Finally, and especially for women, is "Simple Abundance" by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Why not make a new commitment to your family, beginning today? Your contributions will be much more enjoyable!

Widget

Hello all,

"Widget"

Lisa and I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days with arguably some of the highest producers and best minds in the business. There was certainly a couple of "Ah Ha" moments and some take away's we will be glad share with you all. However and at the end of the day the magical real estate "widget" has yet to be invented. Being able to throw a couple of grand at something and making a Million might have to wait for the next generation.

So for the current generation we will need to stick to the basics and continue doing what we have been doing. Lead generation, prospecting, phone calls, notes, newsletters, farming, marketing, open houses, floor duty... the most important and as always will be to outwork the competition everyday. We have the hardest working agents in the business in our offices and that work ethic will always put us on top! 

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe  

 

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

 

"If ever I go looking for my heart's desire, I won't look any further than my own backyard!"  

 

~ Dorothy (from the The Wizard of Oz) 

 

 

HAVE NO REGRETS! 

 

Have you ever made big plans to strike out in a new direction? Maybe you've dreamed of a better education, a new career, or the magic of some far away wonderland where life seems to come alive. You checked out your idea, researched all the possibilities, made plans, told your friends and family, and took the risk. 

 

Soon after beginning your quest, however, maybe you realized it wasn't for you. Guilt or embarrassment may have set in, and you weren't sure what to do. After all, you already told everyone about your grand plans, and now what would they think of you for making a 180¼ turn in midstream? 

 

John Greenleaf Whittier, in his well-known poem "Maud Muller," wrote "For all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: It might have been!" His message? Take a risk! Strike out on your own if that be your desire. Give it a try! Don't be afraid! In other words, don't let fear rob you of the opportunity to learn what "might have been." 

 

Better to take the chance and have no regrets, than to fear giving it a try. If you later find, to your chagrin, that the new direction is not right for you, try looking, as did Dorothy, in your own backyard. Very often, everything you needed to be totally fulfilled already existed at your beginning point. 

 

Remember - "There's no place like home!" 

In Office Sales Meeting

Hello all,

"In Office Sales Meeting"

We are changing up the sales meetings a bit this year for those who do not know. There will be a total of 8 meetings, 4 where all three offices will gather together and 4 for the individual offices. The first of the four in office sales meetings will be tomorrow at 10 in your individual office. this will be a great opportunity for you to get together with your office mates for a little less formal gathering. Please be on time and be prepared to share!  

Lisa and I will be off to California on Tuesday for a Tom Ferry event. Mark, Al & Paulette will be in charge while I am out. I will be checking my email often if you need me.

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe 

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

 

"There isn't a person anywhere who isn't capable of doing more than he thinks he can."  

 

~ Henry Ford 

 

 

LISTEN! 

 

Ever notice how difficult it is to break out of your routine to take time just for you? Yet, when you do, you experience a sense of refreshment. You're more observant, more aware of your surroundings - if only for a short time. 

 

Those brief periods are when the mind is most receptive to creative thinking. The sub-conscious, with its defensive barriers temporarily lowered, is more likely to receive and accept new ideas. Use that time wisely by letting go, giving yourself permission to dream new dreams, to reach for the "brass ring." 

 

You don't have to analyze or give form to those dreams - just allow them to occur. When an idea begins to grab you and arouses inner excitement, pay attention. Avoid letting your conscious mind scoff at the value of your idea or throw roadblocks in your way. Listen to your quiet inner voice. Allow what Napoleon Hill describes as "infinite intelligence" to speak to you. 

 

Read Henry Ford's quote again and concentrate on the last seven words, "doing more than he thinks he can." It's what your conscious self "thinks you can do" that is so limiting. Remember the expression "Think you can, think you can't - either way you're right"? Whatever your conscious self thinks is the limit to your doing - IS the limit. To exceed the limits you have placed upon yourself requires expanded thinking. 

 

To get started, find your own quiet place - and go there for just fifteen minutes each day. In good weather, sit outside at dawn with a fresh cup of coffee. If you're a night person, find a quiet corner after the house is settled for the evening. Let the family know you want 15 uninterrupted minutes - just for you. Close your eyes and begin by clearing your mind of trivia - like wiping off a blackboard - then just let go. You'll be amazed at the results. 

Wheel of Life

Hello all,

"Wheel of Life"

We talked a lot at the end of the year about business planning and goal setting for 2015. Before we start to kick ass in 2015 we might want to take a minute to watch the Tom Ferry video below about having balance in your life. If we are going to be the best we can be we need to have the balance in all areas. If we try to only focus on our business it will be difficult to reach our goals. Welcome to the 2015 Real Estate year and enjoy the video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TiyHgnvZY0  

Enjoy the coffee,

Joe

        

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

 

"Whoever gossips to you will gossip of you." 

 

 

~ Spanish Proverb 

 

 

 

JUDGE NOT . . . 

 

You know the type - there's a gossip in everyone's life. It may be a friend, an acquaintance, or a total stranger. Regardless, it is the person who shares with you any amount of information about another, either about what they have accomplished, or more often, what they have not. 

 

Why does a gossip perform his or her service so readily? Self-aggrandizement is often the culprit. Knowing such valuable information about another as to be able to share it, reasons the gossip, reflects favorably on the provider of such knowledge. In fact, however, gossiping is nothing more than the act of judging others. 

 

When a friend passes judgment on another, might it be that, in your absence, they also pass judgment on you? In most cases that is true. Thus, one measure of another's character might be the presence or absence of such a tendency. 

 

Steven Covey (of "Seven Habits..." fame) offers a solution when he says, "If you do not judge others, they will not judge you." In other words, if you are of such character as to never discuss the merits or actions of others, unless they be favorable, it is highly likely that others will reciprocate in kind. If someone makes a negative comment about another, Covey suggests that your reply might be, "That's interesting. He has always spoken very highly of YOU." 

 

Many wise men, in many languages, over many centuries, have repeated and paraphrased the maxim "Judge not, that ye be not judged." It's easy to neutralize the gossip's sting by practicing such clear advice! 

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