Try Bartering
Kyle McDonald wanted a house, but he had little savings and no job. He remembered a game from his childhood called Bigger and Better. The goal of the game is to begin with something small and try to trade for something bigger and better. Then repeat. So Kyle wondered if he could start small and trade up to […]
If You Want To Innovate
I am a fan of Shark Tank, and particularly the outspoken, maverick entrepreneur and billionaire, Mark Cuban. He went from zero net worth to the Forbes list of The World’s Billionaires when he sold his second company in 1998. In his book, How to Win at the Sport of Business, Cuban talks about his path […]
Make Your Own Rules
I have a sticky note on my bathroom mirror. It’s the first thing I see each morning… “I will not let tradition cage my ambition.” Several years ago I participated in a mastermind group of successful entrepreneurs from a diverse range of industries. Our keynote speaker was the stratospherically successful bestselling author, Brendon Burchard. Brendon shared that he […]
The Best Letter Ever Written
It’s an iconic story of two young men. Picture a beautiful, spring afternoon 25 years ago. Two young men stand next to each other, graduating from a small, midwestern college. These two graduates are very much alike. Better than average students. Personable. Lots of friends. Big hopes and dreams for the future. And coincidentally, both […]
Is It Really Your Life?
Did you ever have something incidental become monumental? It happened to me, thanks to my son. One single sentence. Just nine words. When I first heard it, I didn’t perceive it would be a life-changer. The next day I mentioned it in a seminar to the real estate agents I coach. My son, Brian, was in the audience. […]
17 Camels
A long time ago in a far away land there was a father with three sons. When he fell ill, he knew it was time to divide up his possessions to be passed down to his sons, the most valuable being his 17 camels. He decided to give half the camels to his oldest son, one third […]
Taking Away The American Dream
We are experiencing the most unusual housing market in US history. I’ve never seen anything like it in my many years in real estate. It’s truly bizarre. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when I saw a recent Bloomberg article titled, Here’s How Weird Things Are Getting in the Housing Market. Is the housing market going to crash? All the […]
The Ninth Pillar of Trust
It’s one of the most romantic scenes in movie history. Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) is teaching Rose (Kate Winslet) how to “fly” on the bow of the Titanic. “Step up onto the rail. Hold on. Keep your eyes closed.” He says. Then the iconic line…Jack asks, “Do you trust me?” “I trust you,” Rose replies. “To be trusted is […]
The Only One I Got
Grandpa was a house painter, painting thousands of houses throughout his career. He was a happy, outgoing man who made friends easily. It was easy to see that he loved his work and his life. When I was in college I wanted to make extra “fun money,” so I asked Grandpa if he needed help. Truth be told, […]
How Special You Make The Experience
Jack is an enterprising young lad. The youngest of four boys, he’s smart, driven, and thrifty for an eight-year-old. Lately he’s been especially busy working chores, rationing snack money, and selling some of his prized baseball cards to his older brothers. Jack is on a mission. $50. That’s the goal. Jack scrimps while his brothers spend. Jack works […]