Colin's Motivational Mondays

We are all different. Beautifully and wonderfully made, but different. We celebrate the difference, that is what makes us uniquely us; you uniquely YOU.  We all can lean anyway, but there is usually one way that we soak it up best. As we each know how we best learn, absorb and retain information when we are learning it is important to think of those around us as well.  When we are presenting we can't just do it for the style that we learn best, aur audiences are vast and different. We need to be hitting on all levels. Is it easy to do, no, but you are not average. You can put in the extra work that most will choose not to. That extra work focusing on connection will pay off; personally and professionally. Today focus on connection for yourself and others. Make sure you are setting yourself up for success learning your best way while also growing to learn on other ways. It can only bring strength.  Connection grows relationships. Fact. Grow your connection with yourse...

 Today is a simple reminder to smile. :) Yes, a smile is a facial expression, but really it is so much more. You can hear & feel as smile. They cost us nothing, but have a great value. Weather we are in person, on a zoom, phone call, voicemail or video your smile comes through.  Smiles can break down  walls, build bridges & create bonds. There is more power in a smile then we may initially think, but today smile every time you pick up your phone or see someone and notice the difference in both of you.  Your smile may be that ONE thing that changes a person's day around and lifts them up . It may be a stranger, family member or teammate. ...and remember, the smile isn't just for others, but it's for YOU as well. Find a mirror, smile....you're worth it.  Have a great day & let's help make others days great too!

There is always going to be pain in change, big or small. Change is also a constant. It could be slight change or on a larger scale; it's important for us to have vision through change.  It's through our actions, attitude & attention to detail that we can also have Gain in Change .  We(You) have the talent, skill & ability to thrive through & an exciting part is that when others are frozen but change or adversity; you are not. You are prepared. You know how to adapt & change to keep moving forward. Your actions, words & countiance can also work as inspiration for others to not sulk, but to rise up as well.  *Remember* that you are not alone when changes come. Life, business are not solo journeys. On our team asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Tap into the human resources around you, not simply the technology ones.  Set sail today with purpose & determination to have Gain. We don't survive change, we thrive...

  Expectations...there are many thoughts on expectations. Are they good to have? Are they set to high? Set to low?  What I want to talk about today is actual expectations, not just verbal ones. We may say that "We expect the meeting to go good." "That we will have a great day." But I want to go a bit deeper....do we really expect that, or are we just saying it because that's what we say? I s our core, or deep expectation that we will succeed? I really hope it is. For me I expect to achieve, but that is only because of the preparation put in and the people around me.  My encouragement for us today is to grow our feeling of certainty of expectation for success , growth and achievement for ourselves and as we grow we will be encouraging others as well.  First, we can grow this by making sure our foundations prep work and routines/habits set us up for success. We secondly do this by making sure we keep company around us that is encouraging, uplifting & e...

 ...you CAN do it! Having big goals is a great thing! That means that we get to grow into or become the parson needed to achieve them. That also means working with the team(s) around us to achieve them, because nothing great was ever achieved solo.  What is your timeline for the goal? What can you do today to get closer to it? Are you? Can you accelerate achievement IF something happened?  What is that thing?  We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. Tap in, dig deep, cast out your net & engage your pursuit.  You are closer than you realize. 

  This was something Ed shared with us YEARS ago and it has always stuck with me. These two go hand-in-had together.  Day in & day out what we do matters. It doesn't matter what we do sometimes nearly as much as what we do all the time. We we do consistently is what matters the most.  Today look at your routine and audit it. What is in your routine? What has disappeared from it? Are the actions/habits in your routine positive or negative for you?  "Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come." -Dwayne Johnson Sometimes things can become a part of our routine and we don't even realize it so really look at it and see what's there. Our routine has a compound effect and we want to make sure what we are compounding is good for us.  Have a great day!!

Perfection. Moving forward, towards your goal with planning & purpose.  Don’t wait for your plan to be perfect before you go or you’ll never leave the starting line. We can always audit, pivot or change as we are moving forward towards our goal but being in movement is KEY.  Today think about something you’ve been meaning to start but have not yet and then ack, go, start it.  You got this!  ...ask for help ...use your tribe ...use your resources

 ....talking."  Last week one of the most prolific interviewers of all time passed away; Mr. Larry King.  For decades upon decades he interviewed leaders, influencers, creators, innovators from all around the world. He has shared a lot of great insight and created great discussions through his time on air. The quote below is one that stuck with me over the weekend. It served as a reminder that if I want to learn more I need to ask better questions, more frequently & then listen. Listen to understand, not listen to respond. Follow up with better questions that can lead to connection and depth. Today, focus on the questions we are asking...who we are asking them to....and what we can do with the information that we learn from our questions.  Have an incredible day today!

Tomorrow is not here and yesterday is gone, but today, today is here for each of us as a blank canvas. It's our canvas to create what we would like. My hope for each of us today is not to just create something comfortable; something that comes easy, but to create something at the end of the day we can look back on with a full heart and peace of mind that what we did was special & we gave it our all.  Our styles are all different so no two masterpieces will be the same and that is great. The goal of today, and every day is to create YOUR Masterpiece, not someone else's. Please take to hear that as your are creating your masterpiece others will notice. Others will be impacted by it and you can help lift up their day from just another day into a masterpiece as well.  Have an incredible day TEAM!!

As we continue in a more virtual/digital sales environment finding ways to effectively communicate on different platforms is super important for all of us. Knowing that may communicate differently so it's not one size fits all. We are required to adapt, pivot and connect.  Communication is good, but connection is the goal of the communication, so being effective to the other side of the phone, zoom, text, dm, etc... is what counts; that's how we weigh our success.  The "Can You Hear Me Now?" was made famous nearly 2 decades ago and it rings true today. He was talking, getting his message out, but if the person he was trying to reach couldn't hear him then the message is lost.  For us in sales, timing, tact, mode & messaging are all keys to helping us connect in our conversations. This is true for Cold Calls,  Leads, Prospects & Client (I would even add our escrow partners to this list).  This week focus on connection through conversation...

 Hey Team,  As we are still in the midst of SIP, remote working & a strong market I just wanted to take a moment to remind of of something we already know. Showing Up for an appointment, meeting, class (this can be with prospects, clients, partners or yourself) make sure we are not just showing up physically, but also mentally, emotionally & prepared. It can be the little things that tip the scales in your favor, the details that win the conversation, meeting or day. Don't forget about the little things. Having your notepad, a beverage, lighting, notes from your last meeting, internat tabs up to where you need to be, you get the drill.  When we Show Up on all cylinders we build confidence in ourselves, who we are, what we know and what we are about to do. We have incredible capabilities, we just have to harness it and go.  Go forward today prepared, confident & expectant for success.     

  When you woke up this morning did you think you wanted to have an: A) An OK day B) A Dismal Day C) A Fantastic Day Think about it. We wake up and the answer should always be C. But our actions or mindset need to line up to make it so. Our routine, our environment will help set us up for success but we have to set up the environment. Then from that point the groundwork has been laid and then we simply need to put the work in. Work, works. At times there will be pain from work, but there is pain either way so we suffer from one of two pains; the choice is our. The choice is yours.  Go out today and pursue C. Define Fantastic for 360 degrees of your life, both personally and professionally and pursue.  Stay well!

  We all have our goals personally & professionally and we are on a journey towards achieving them. There are a few questions we should be asking ourselves (more than a few, but this is a short blog)     1 - Am I taking a direct course to achieving my goals?     2 - Am I asking for help along the way from others that have achieved it? As we are in pursuit we need to audit to make sure we are heading in the right direction still. At a speed that we want to be....and achieving benchmarks along the way. If the answer is no, then we need to asses, pivot, correct & get back on the path asap.  One of the most heartbreaking things would to work hard towards a goal only to realize that we missed it because we had to much tunnel vision and never paused for perspective.  Take a moment today, pause for perspective and ask yourself the two above questions.   Pursue your best today, not just for yourself, but for those around you in your homes ...

These are two attributes that we all strive, or should be striving for in our lives. Like most things, how we build our foundation for achieving these is most important.  We should focus on being effective first and then efficient . Being efficient without being effective is not a winning combo. We can be efficient at something, but that task might not be important. Busy & productive are not synonyms. Our effectiveness should bring us closer to our goals: Market share & revenue growth. We can always audit our activity by asking this one question to ourselves: Is this bringing me closer to my goals or not?  Let's go out and have a positive effect where we are today.  

Opportunity: A favorable juncture of circumstance. A good chance for achievement or progress.  This week (every week) we have opportunities to gain ground in the direction we want to go personally and professionally. It's up to us to  A) Identify the opportunity B) Respond to the opportunity It's simple, just not easy right. Usually when opportunity presents itself it may not be the best 'moment' for us, but when it's there we GO. We Roll! That is why preparation is so key for us; when preparation meets opportunity we SOAR.  When we seize  the opportunity we Gain Ground in our Marketplaces. We improve the circumstances for ourselves our families, our escrow partners and their families too! What we do, and what we don't do has an impact.  Keep rolling team.....proud of you!!

  Preparation is a huge asset, we need to do it, but always focused on doing it with execution/application in mind. We cannot get caught up in the pursuit of perfection that we miss out or delay our time to 'go for it'. This week let's keep our eye fixed on our goals, stay focused & pursue.  When we do this together our families, our teams, our clients, our prospects & ourselves ALL WIN!

  We are in a unique place right now and there are many perspectives on how to look at it. That is a choice. I am choosing to look at it as an opportunity; we can all find opportunity right now and making the most of it is up to us and that is exciting!  We have a Window of Opportunity!  Some in our space are closing the shutters and waiting for things to go back to 'normal' not us. We will move forward creating value and growing.  "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."  Winston S. Churchill As we are continuing to do things that are not normal for our jobs we have the opportunity to once again grow, achieve & make those tasks opportunities to grow.  We can grow our relationship with our teams because we are in the trenches with them. They value us being there with them and helping.  We can grow our prospecting opportunities when opening orders by calling the Lender, Direc...

Today my encouragement is to be faithful in the small things. The discipline that comes with complete those tasks will be the same discipline that will help us complete and achieve bigger things in our lives personally and professionally. Before we run a marathon we start with stretching.  Today focus on the small things and we will accomplish those as well as bigger goals. Know what you are pursuing today & go, go, go! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-XevZiN2S0 This link above is a great 33 second reminder. 

Most of you probably don't know this, but I ran cross country Sophomore through my Senior year of high school. I began it to do something to stay in shape for baseball, but it grew into something that I really enjoyed.  I always remember the last 1/4 mile. Most races were 5K, or 3.1 miles. Soo much was achieved in the last 1/4 of a mile though through what was called "The Kick". We were trained to not let any one pass us, but to look to pass who may be ahead of us. Giving it all we had until 50 feet beyond the finish line (that was to keep us from slowing down at the end). It was a physical challenge for sure, but the mental challenge was MUCH more. Having to dig deep, not listen to an ache or pain, but keep pushing for ourselves and even bigger or team.  We are blessed to be a part of team that has been running the whole race in "The Kick" I am proud to be beside each of you and all of our teammates through our 14 counties. 

  Let's be a Lighthouse Today Stand Tall Guide Others Give Hope Provide Direction This is what a lighthouse does no mater the climate, circumstance or location. We can be that for those we know and those that don't know us yet. Today lets brighten up & help show our clients, prospects & those around us how to navigate towards success. Let's not forget to do that for one another as well.  Make today GREAT!

We have a TON of resources... Do we need to use them all....NO Do we need to use some of them...YES Do we need to have a working knowledge of them...YES Taking action with what we have is super important. We don't need to be the master of all, but we do need to be the master of some. (Timeless & Timely) With the information we have and how it works we help others grow. Don't keep it to yourself, but share it. It's the right thing and the fun thing to do. It's an awesome rush when a client call you and says "It worked! I got a lead, an listing appointment, etc..."

Scenery isn't changing much. SIP is still here. We are busy.  These can be fuels or fables, our choice.  It's soo important to not allow the routines that are happening get us down. Doing the same or similar things over and over can be boring .....IF we allow it to. That part is up to us.  Below are some simple ideas to break through boredom, keep going towards flourishing and maintain our growth mindset and physical strength.  Lets bust boredom together and as we do this journey we are inspiring others as well. #TheRippleEffect Start the day with a class of water and a short stretch or walk Gameify your activity. (ie: after I talk to 3 prospects I get a snickers bar?) Write down on a sticky note 3 reasons you do what you do and post it on your computer #RememberYourWHY Do some of your calls mobile. Go for a walk around the block while making them Hourly take a music mix break. Play 1 of your favorite songs to get the blood flowing. I'm sure you all have some G...

As we enter in to a new week we have our checklist of things to do, both personal and for business. Sometime we may feel stuck in moving forward towards the accomplishments that we have.  That feeling is normal, our response to that feeling sets the tone for it all though. Do we freeze and stay idle or do we press on moving forward regardless of the pace? I've found that if you start moving forward slowly at least you can build up momentum and get really going!  Lets do what we can today! -The sky is the limit; we set our own bar.  With what we have! -We the the BEST tool, technology and resources; bar-none. Remember though that the best asset we have is the human one; ourselves and our teams.  Where we are! -We may be at our home office or the kitchen table, but technology has made it so we can thrive wherever we are.   Choose action over idleness 

Believing & Pursuing your best, our best daily is a privilege. We have the freedom to do so and the tools, resources & talent to achieve what we want. It won't always be easy, but it will always be worth it. (Easy & worth it rarely come together) Don't hold back. Press forward. Bring others with you.  When we pursue our best we inspires along the way, we may know who we inspire, but there will also be those who say nothing , but their actions enhance & change because they see you going & growing, pursuing goals.  Crush today moving forward celebrating victories, picking up things we had left undone & believing that The BEST is Yet to Come 

Growth. Success. Joy.  These are 3 ingredients that all would like in live; there are others, but I want to share on just these today.  All of them are things that we strive for. Things that we don't hang on a wall, but need to pursue daily; intentionally. I don't believe that any of these happy end by default, but by purposeful pursuit.  Growth: Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, Economically, etc... we pick it and we grow where we focus. We dive in and stretch our selves.  Success: Better every day. In our relationships, profession, etc... when we go for it it's not usually a solo trip but we bring others along with us.  Joy: This is deeper than being happy. Joy isn't just in circumstance, but who we are becoming. We can have joy in good times in through struggles. We can help others receive it as well.  Most of our actions are either bringing us closer or further from these. As we go through our days think about wh...

We are going at it hard. It is paying off and we are all tasting the fruit of our labor. Just like we plug in our phones at night to charge we need to do the same for ourselves. The recharge helps up to keep going, stirs creativity, lifts our spirits & much more.   Make sure you are taking a moment throughout the day to pause, recharge, asses & refuel your mind & body.  We are not good if we don't take care of ourselves. We can't take care of others unless we are taking care of ourselves.  Pause, give thanks, refuel & pass it on. 

There are many ways to be successful in our careers, there are different techniques, processes & styles.  Some may be more effective, but there are many ways to achieve. There are a few musts in the job of 'sales' no matter your style that is needed to be a top- achiever.  Here are a few of them below to think about and see how we are living/applying them in our daily actions.  Cheers to a great month ahead! What we do now has a far reaching impact.  - Play to win.  Top sellers are extremely dedicated to becoming Top Performers, exhibiting the hustle, passion, and intensity it takes to achieve what only the elite achieve. If you want to win, give it everything. - Create new conversations every day.  Top performers always feed the front of their pipelines and improve their pipeline quality. They never coast, and never a day goes by when they don't speak to customers, prospects, and referral sources with the intent to source new business...

As we continue to be market share growth focused asking the right questions when we get an audience is HUGE.  Broad, open-ended sales questions are great for helping you find out what's going on in your prospects' and clients' worlds. They are essential to sales success.  In fact, "listened to me" , "understand my needs" & "make me feel important" are three wants from those we are meeting with or want to meet with.   Sales questions also help you connect with them personally, understand what's important to them, learn how we can best deliver value, and create better futures for them and us.  The importance of asking the   right   sales questions cannot be understated. (Hint: You need to ask more than "what can I help you with?") - What's going on in your business these days? How have things changed? (Their view/opinion matters) - If you were to make this happen, what would it mean for you personally? (Talki...

So as you all know Nicolette is just over 1 now and has a strong affinity for Disney movies. (Amen to Disney+) Usually, daily we watch Moana &/or Mulan with her and will pick up parts we never noticed before.  This weekend her and I were watching Mulan and that is where my inspiration for today MM came from :) Link to the Video Clip Above is a quote from the Emperor in the movie. One small grain of rice can tip the scale, one small act, one small word can be the difference between success achieved & success missed. This was a good reminder for me to make sure I'm paying attention to the details, starting & finishing well.  Sometimes that "1 little" thing we did, that 1 call we made, that 1 outreach can tip the scales in our favor and achieve something great.   ----Short Story---- Years ago Bryan called a refi lender from open orders that he didn't recognize. He asked some leading questions and connected with the...

Each day we have a list. Weather it's written down in a note pad, planner, scrap paper or just in our heads. Consciously or subconsciously we all have a list and that is step 1, the next, and most crucial step (besides execution) is prioritizing what we have 'to do' on the list. We we have it prioritized it helps us go where we are most needed and not just where we are most comfortable.  Below is a visual grid to check out as well as a hyperlink below to a great prioritization sheet for tasks.  Make today YOUR masterpieces! Check this hyperlink below The Best TO DO Checklist

We do what we can, with what we have, at the time it's needed, we do our best. Our best is dynamic.  Our outlook has a HUGE impact our our outcome. Each day let's focus on the opportunity that is in each scenario we face. 

Soo much of what we share isn't in our words, but in how we say them, our expressions our posture and more.  When we are with people in person (or digitally) they are hearing more than our words, feeling what we are putting out and visa versa.  When we are getting ready to engage in conversation, meetings, now via zoom, bombbomb or others it's super important to from all that we can with our positive spirit. This applies in business, but everywhere else as well.  Have a beautiful day team and if you need anything please call.  Here's an article with some great ideas too:  https://www.bustle.com/p/13-tried-true-ways-to-give-off-more-positive-energy-that-people-can-actually-sense-74267

Thank You Dr. Seuss We have our routines that work.  We have our routines that don't work as well.  We have our routines that don't really work.  Keep what works and TRY something new today and see how it goes. Maybe you've heard about it, read about it or saw it. Today, try it and see what happens. Give it a shot and grow your limits today. You Got This!

Where we go, who we see...engage & connect At times we can be thinking about what we have next or what we just wrapped up that we are not fully present in what we are doing or who we are currently with. We don't distract on purpose, but it happens.  This is to think about not just 8-5 at work but all of the other times of our lives. Ever since Mitch shared the story with me about envisioning a sign on their foreheads that say 'make me feel important' I have really tried striving to be more present where I am & with who I'm with.  I just found where that story originated from and wanted to share it below: https://www.marykay.com/en-us/about-mary-kay/our-founder

"Optimism is a muscle that get's stronger with use." As we approach our days, tasks, challenges, conversations, etc... I encourage us all no matter what it is to approach it with optimism. Begin with success in your heart and in your mind and don't let doubt creep in. We all have great talents and abilities and when we cultivate those and put them to use incredible things happen; sometimes right away and sometimes it's after a longer journey to the goal, but the goal is realized. You CAN do it!  Attack today with verve for it and what is before you and I know incredible things will happen...and when they do CELEBRATE!

As we are getting ready for 2020 with our business and personal plans I have been reflecting on making sure they stay active with us and nit just a document but a living document that we pursue for the betterment of not just ourselves, but those around us as well. Check out the video below:

This picture was shared with me over the weekend and I wanted to pass it along with a little bit of commentary.  Check out the video below: Slow down Be Grateful Take care of yourself. Eat healthy/Limit caffeine Call a mentor or trusted friend Don't be a victim/Stay positive Breathe Keep it in perspective

There's literally no better time than now to plant your seeds and start watering your garden for this upcoming year Team,  Today we can choose to DO what others just think about.  Today we can choose to step out of COMFORT with COURAGE to GROW.  Today we can Be The Exception!

Hi Team, I have thinking a lot about how we can move from competent  to confident in what we do, what we present, how we share & how we convert in our daily activities. Below are going to be some thought on how we can grow in confidence that I think apply to nearly anything.  Practice, review, practice.  Repetition is key. Just like our bodies and muscle memory we can be the same in our activities, product knowledge and presentation skills. There isn't a secret recipe; it just take time, grit and a wiliness to learn while making mistakes along the way.  Take Action. Fail Forward. We cannot become more competent and therefore confident if we don't push ourselves. When we push we open ourselves up for growth and with growth we are not perfect, be ok with that. Don't be ok with staying in the same place though. Don't let fear stop you from trying....EVER.    Seek Resources We don't get better solo. We get better ...

I've been re-reading a book and over the weekend a part of it talked about 3 characteristics that are needed in sales...to be great in sales Boldness Enthusiasm Persistence Below are the definitions of each of the words. This weekend I sat and thought about each one of them and if I am seeing them in my life/activities and if so how often. We are all like trees that bear fruit, some trees bear more than others & I believe it is all of our goals to be vibrant, bearing much fruit.  Today....let's make sure we curate & dive into these three characteristics looking to apply them in our practices....Go for it.....YOU deserve it!