Start With A Win

This episode marks the one-year anniversary of the Start with a Win podcast! We want to thank all of our loyal listeners and fans for your support and for making the show what it is today! We can’t wait to kick off the next year of the podcast and see what the future holds.

During this episode, Adam, producer Mark, and social media manager Kayla walk down memory lane and recall their favorite episodes and the lessons that have stuck with them most over the past year. Episode 1 about building hustle daily truly set the tone for Start with a Win and the idea of what causes success is a recurring theme throughout many episodes. 

We have also been honored to host many agents, coaches, and celebrities during our first year and we look forward to many more. Ryan Harris of the Super Bowl L champion Denver Broncos was just one of the many achievers Adam has interviewed whose kindness and humility really elevated his message of choosing your mindset and believing “I am. I can. I will” in all of life. Dave Liniger brought so much good content to his interview sessions that we had to split it up into 3 episodes filled with wisdom and knowledge as well as messages of empowerment that were before his time.

So many stellar RE/MAX agents have been guests on the show, sharing on topics from social media to video to overcoming challenges to shifting your mindset including Ido and Sable from Booj and Ward from Motto Mortgage. Coaches like John Ceplak, Verl Workman, and Richard Robbins have also shared with our listeners crucial business principles as well as the importance of starting within yourself before trying to influence others. We are so grateful for the contributions of all of our guests so far and we can’t wait to share more truths with you as we begin Year 2!

“Owning a business makes you a leader.” – Just about anyone can own a business, but it takes intentional effort, a willingness to be coachable, and a commitment to giving 100% to your business, customers, and employees to truly be a leader.
“My employees want to work for me.” – It is your responsibility as their leader to make the workplace somewhere that your employees want to be and where they are encouraged to be the best version of themselves. Your business should be viewed as a community or family that people want to be a part of.
“Since I own this business, it is the best one out there.” – Just because you think your baby is pretty doesn’t mean it really is. Approach your business with humility and frequently reach out to your customers for their feedback in your quest for continuous improvement.
“I will succeed just because I showed up.” – You will succeed when you are serving your customer well, which takes time, hard work, and a willingness to listen to the feedback of your customers.
“Success is fast.” – When you try to rush success, you will end up being a jack of all trades and master of none. Success requires a series of small wins every day including consistent interactions with your customers, employees, colleagues, and mentors. It has been said that “focus” really means Follow One Course Until Success, and success in business is a long game.

Connect with Adam:

“Why Customers Leave” by David Avrin -  https://www.amazon.com/Why-Customers-Leave-Them-Back/dp/1632651513

“Atomic Habits” by James Clear - https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299 

https://www.startwithawin.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContos

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Connect with Adam:

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Our guest on this episode of the Start with a Win podcast is David Avrin, speaker and author of several books, most recently “Why Customers Leave (and How to Win Them Back)”. David says that the answer to why customers leave is a simple one: they leave because they can. There are so many choices out in the market and many channels available to customers, from real estate to retail to services to groceries. Business owners are often trying to operate under the assumption that they can control what their customers will buy, but customers don’t always want to do business that way.

Consumer behavior is a complex field of study these days, and while business owners don’t have to be experts in predicting what their customers will want or when they will want it, they should have a basic understanding of their customers and what motivates them to purchase. Businesses do not have the luxury of just waiting for customers to walk in their doors, but rather they need to recognize how to meet their customers where they are and meet their needs there. 

While the primary focus of businesses in the past has been producing an exemplary product that people will want to buy, they must now combine this aspect of the buying process with the wants and needs of the customers. A good starting point for gaining competitive advantage in this realm is to re-examine the points of contact with the customer and make adjustments based on their observed needs and wants. Since there are so many channels for purchasing very similar products, building a relationship with your customers will likely make all the difference in you receiving the business over your competitors. 

David believes in leading with authenticity, relevance, and in a way that educates the consumer. This also involves a willingness to continually adjust your approach based on shifting expectations and feedback from your customers. David starts his days with a win by spending intentional and uninterrupted time with his kids, getting his priorities aligned before starting his workday.

Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Why-Customers-Leave-Them-Back/dp/1632651513 

Connect with Adam:

https://www.startwithawin.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContos

https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos 

Connect with Adam:
https://www.startwithawin.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContos
https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos 
https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

The topic of this episode of the Start with a Win podcast is the 10 worst excuses that Adam has heard about why people can’t grow their businesses and why these excuses are not true. These excuses really come from a self-limiting mindset which will become a self-fulfilling prophecy if you don’t alter your thinking.

1. “I’m an introvert.” – When it comes to marketing yourself, it doesn’t matter if you like talking in front of people and getting yourself out there; you have to do it in order to build your brand and establish rapport with your potential clients. If it helps, establish an alter ego that you assume when you need to talk in these settings and then relax, be happy, and talk.
2. “I don’t have time!” – We all have the same 24 hours in a day, so if you feel that you don’t have time to build your business, you must be making poor time management choices.
3. “My technology doesn’t work.” – With all of the advances in technology and the continual updates, chances are the issue you are having is human error.
4. “There are no customers left in my market.” – There are plenty of customers to go around, so you must not be looking hard enough or in the right places. Take responsibility and put in the effort to find them.
5. “I don’t do social media – I’m too private.” – Social media is one of the easiest ways to reach the most potential customers, so you need to be present. You can have boundaries around your usage, but you at least need to be active on one platform.
6. “I need more leads.” – It is your responsibility to generate enough business for yourself and to take care of the leads you already have. Increasing your conversion rate is just as good as – if not better than – getting new leads.
7. “They don’t want my product/service.” – Most of the time when you give this excuse, what the customers really don’t want is you. They are looking for the end result that can come from your product/service, so be genuine, tell your story, build relationships, and show them the result you can provide.
8. “I can’t do it.” – This really means that you won’t do it. If it is important, you will find a way.
9. “It’s too hard!” – If it is too hard for you right now, then go get the training needed for you to know how or outsource that task to an expert in the field.
10. “I’ll get to it.” – Now you are just finding a passive-aggressive way to say “no.” Don’t tell people that you will get to it if you have no intention of doing so.

Links:

“The Alter Ego Effect” by Todd Herman: https://www.amazon.com/Alter-Ego-Effect-Identities-Transform/dp/0062838636/ 

Connect with Adam:

https://www.startwithawin.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContos

https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos 

https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, Adam talks with Richard Robbins, the acclaimed business coach who has been helping RE/MAX agents and brokers and professionals from many other industries for more than 20 years. Richard describes being coachable as “crazy curious”, meaning that the person knows that they don’t know it all and they consistently ask questions and desire to learn.

Many people are held back from future personal or professional success because of their fear of uncertainty or change. The coachable person, on the other hand, recognizes the benefit of knowing their blind spots and working to improve despite any fear they may feel.

The real estate agents that Richard has worked with over the years tend to have one main issue: complacency. They have figured out a good system for “getting by” every day and they don’t see any need to change their ways to make their dreams come true, potentially because they haven’t allowed themselves to dream. Many agents and brokers get too focused on the money and they fill their days up with busy work that is not truly productive just to earn the paycheck. Their main motivators, in fact, should be much deeper: their “why”, their purpose, their desires, and the greater cause within them.

Richard finds that when working with people who are complacent, they have renewed vigor when he adjusts their plan to get them to the goal they had been neglecting. Research has shown that 95% of the over 60,000 thoughts you think every day are habitual, so what you think becomes what you feel, which becomes how you act, which leads to your results. Richard is a believer in programming your mental state at the beginning of every day with a focus on gratitude and continuous improvement, which will overflow into all other areas of your life. 

Links:

“Trillion Dollar Coach” book: https://www.amazon.com/Trillion-Dollar-Coach-Leadership-Playbook/dp/0062839268 

Richard Robbins International: https://www.richardrobbins.com/ 

Connect with Adam:

https://www.startwithawin.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContos

https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos 

https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

If you tuned into the previous episode of the Start with a Win podcast, you have been equipped with the first five Business Levers of Success. And if you haven’t listened to that episode yet, go back and do it!
Adam continues by sharing the final five Business Levers of Success on this episode, plus listeners who are patient and perceptive will receive Adam’s #1 piece of advice for CEOs and executives.
6. Saying the right thing – Creating copy is an art form meant to bring people along on the journey of your business. If you are not familiar with copy writing, do some research and review the resources below to understand how saying the right thing can be so impactful in your business.
7. Learning and growing – When you stop learning, you start dying. The wisest people in the world soak up everything around them and take notes to be able to reflect back on what they have learned so they can apply it in their everyday lives. They view learning as a way of extracting and delivering value.
8. Improvement – Small hinges swing big doors, and as Adam has previously discussed on the podcast, there is great power in the aggregation of marginal gain. Improvement doesn’t happen overnight, but small habitual changes can lead to huge improvements.
9. The power of associations – Push yourself to associate with people much smarter than you, from your business relationships to personal mentors or coaches to mastermind groups. Frequently evaluate your circles to determine if you have people around you who hold you accountable for your goals.
10. Clarity – Confusion is contagious, and you as a leader are confused about the direction of your organization or even just a certain project, your employees will feel lost, unmotivated, and perhaps even lose confidence in you. On the other hand, clarity and focus are the keys to future success.

Links:
“Atomic Habits” by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299 
“The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/081298160X 
“Habit Stacking” by Steve Scott: https://www.amazon.com/Habit-Stacking-Changes-Improve-Happiness-ebook/dp/B06XP2B5QC 
“How to Write Copy that Sells” by Ray Edwards: https://www.amazon.com/Write-Copy-Sells-Step-Step/dp/161448502X 
Ray Edwards’ podcast: https://rayedwards.com/podcast-archives/ 
“Copy Chief Radio” podcast: https://copychief.com/podcast-all/ 

Connect with Adam:
https://www.startwithawin.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContos
https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos 
https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

Connect with Adam:
https://www.startwithawin.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContos
https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos 
https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, Adam talks about some of the business levers for success based on his experience and the experiences of others. Considering these things can set you up for more wins and keep you on track to reach your goals.

Mindset – Your mind is your ultimate weapon, and it is up to you if you are going to cultivate seeds of limitations or seeds of abundance. You can choose to take responsibility for your circumstances or blame your environment when things don’t go your way, but you will find that things go better for you when you give unconditionally of yourself for the benefit of others, which can’t stem from a mindset of blaming everyone but yourself. Producer Mark lives by the motto “Don’t worry. Be present. Expect.” Perhaps you will find this helpful in shaping your own mindset.

Emotions – What you convey to your clients or those you are in relationship with is what you will receive back from them. You can choose to give unconditional love or unnecessary frustration depending on what you want to encounter.
Time – What you do with your time is ultimately a matter of choice management based in your emotional maturity. Take a look at your typical day in 30-minute segments and determine if each segment was productive or not productive. Reflect on this exercise and plan out ways that you want to change that balance.

Relationships – You can view each relationship you have as a bank account. Making value deposits over time will result in a higher balance. Building relationships doesn’t have to be limited to close friends or acquaintances either – you can easily pay into the relationship bank of everyone you meet by smiling or giving them a compliment.

How You Show Up – This is all about value delivery and your efforts to become who you say you want to be. So much can be learned from how other people see you, especially if you think you are making improvements that are not translating to how people perceive you.
Be sure to tune in next week for the last 5 business levers for success!

Connect with Adam:
https://www.startwithawin.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContos
https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos 
https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/