Start With A Win

Verl Workman stopped by the RE/MAX World Headquarters while he was in Denver for the National Speakers Association conference to talk with Adam on this episode of the Start with a Win podcast. One of seven children, Verl learned at an early age the importance of hard work and determination in earning every single thing. Since that time, he has lived with a mindset of abundance, not entertaining any limiting beliefs, and he has committed his life to helping others learn to do the same. 
When his business was rocked by innovation early in his career, he found himself in real estate school in an attempt to successfully relaunch himself as an entrepreneur. He found that he really loved the sales process, but he realized that real estate agents often put too much stock in their own identity within their business and they overextend themselves. Verl developed a system that shows agencies and brokerages how to set up a team structure with skilled people helping the client each step of the way and then bringing the agent in at the very end for the most important aspects of the transaction. However, rather than focusing on the transaction, Verl likes to focus on the transformation that can occur through this type of business and people development. 
Verl is a big advocate of the concept of leverage which encourages people to move toward problems and do more with less. A great way to work towards leverage is to have coaches around you who are outside of your work space and can give you objective feedback. It has been said that people give 25% of their capacity during the course of daily life, and it is the role of the coach to bring out the other 75%.

Links:
Workman Success Systems: https://workmansuccess.com/ 
“Who Moved by Cheese”: https://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-Mazing-ebook/dp/B004CR6AM4 
“Scaling Up”: https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-Up-Companies-Rockefeller-Habits/dp/0986019526 
“One Minute Entrepreneur”: https://www.amazon.com/One-Minute-Entrepreneur-Sustaining-Successful/dp/0385526024 
“Greatest Salesman in the World”: https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Salesman-World-Og-Mandino/dp/055327757X 
“The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Fable/dp/0787960756 

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

Joining Adam on the Start with a Win podcast today are Jesse Peters and Michael Thorne, Canadian RE/MAX agents known for their expertise in video. They are in town for another Video Bootcamp session at RE/MAX world headquarters. Attendees at previous bootcamps have remarked about how easy Jesse and Michael make video seem and they have been encouraged to just get out there and start creating videos as soon as they leave.
Adam is a firm believer in the power of video, which is why he invests so much time and energy into empowering RE/MAX agents and brokers to take full advantage of the platform. Video is the most authentic way for agents to communicate with their clients and communities, establish their own personal brands, and provide value to the consumer all along the way.
Jesse and Michael share with participants that video in real estate is not limited to just listings and open houses, but that they can share industry knowledge and just engage with their community in this way. By being consistently in front of your clients and potential clients, they feel like they are getting to know you and can trust you when it’s time for them to buy or sell a house. 
Many people are hesitant about using video because they are self-conscious or they are afraid that their videos will not be “good enough”, but the fact is that even your worst video will provide you with better ROI than your best print promotional piece. As long as you keep it simple, have fun, smile, create good content, and showcase your own story, you can’t go wrong. In fact, Adam says that if you aren’t working with video, you are preventing yourself from helping people.

Links:
Jesse’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrsocialsavvy/?hl=en

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

There are exciting things going on in the real estate technology space, and RE/MAX’s recent acquisition of the company Booj (which stands for Be Original Or Jealous) is already changing the way our agents and brokers do business. On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, Adam talks with Booj co-founders Ido Zucker and John Sable about the creation and evolution of their company in the 12 years it has existed. 

When it was founded, Booj was called Active Website, and Ido and Sable focused on providing top-tier websites to real estate agents, but over the years they decided to change the name and shift their focus to targeting brokerages for broader impact. To this day, one of their biggest advantages is the amount of time they spend in the field with agents and brokers to determine their daily needs and create solutions. They would be the first to tell you the value of continuous improvement and that while they are proud of every iteration of their technology that has been pushed out to the world, they immediately start soliciting feedback and improving their system for the next update. They are using some of the science behind consumer behavior and user experience to guide some of the crucial functionality decisions they make as well.

Ido and Sable share their vision for the company and its culture, mainly to add value to their customers, to follow their passion, and to collaborate well as a team and with their clients.  They believe that their company is different because of their commitment to believing in the mission, people, and environment they have set up for themselves and their employees, which is just one of the ways they try to lead by example. They recommend these ideals as a good place for any new entrepreneur to start.

Links:

http://www.booj.com/

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 interviews Ethan Beute, head of Marketing at BombBomb, headquartered in Colorado Springs. With a background in broadcasting and marketing in the Midwest, Ethan decided about 10 years ago to transition to something more focused on social media and digital marketing. He started with BombBomb about 8 years ago and he has felt at home there ever since.
BombBomb is a company that is making it super easy to record videos to be sent over email and social media and allows you to easily track the results. They believe that interactions are better in person, and video is the best way to connect with someone if you can’t be in the same physical location. Their video features allow you to build rapport with leads, clients, and referrals and communicate like only you can, especially in the real estate industry. They have developed some innovative plugins to software like Gmail, which make it easy to use videos in your email communications.
Ethan is the co-author of the book called “Rehumanize Your Business” which encapsulates the philosophies and guiding principles of BombBomb and provides readers with insights into the world of video emails. The book presents this as the new way to work and explores questions such as: What does relationship through video look like? Why does it matter? Who is using relationship through video? When should you do this? How? The authors also discuss advanced strategies and how and when to follow up based on your open, click through, and action rates.
While it can be awkward to see and hear yourself over video, Ethan points out that everyone else already sees and hears you that way, so it is only uncomfortable for you. And don’t let this get into your head or discourage you from trying; the best way to get over the discomfort is to just keep doing videos and getting more comfortable with it. When you connect with people over video, they feel like the know you before you have even met, which makes it easier to skip the small talk and get straight to the point.
Ethan starts his day with an early morning cup of coffee and conversation with his wife followed by his fitness routine and getting out the door to work by 7:00am. His favorite quote is “Be of value and abundance will follow” and his advice to others is to do the next right thing.

Links:
“Let My People Go Surfing” by Yvon Chouinard: https://www.amazon.com/Let-People-Surfing-Education-Businessman/dp/0143037838 

Connect with Ethan:
Website: https://bombbomb.com/
Blog: https://bombbomb.com/blog/
“Rehumanize Your Business” book: https://bombbomb.com/book/

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

This episode of the Start with a Win podcast is focused on a prevailing narrative in the market these days: disintermediation. Before you tune out and think that this episode is not relevant to you, you have undoubtedly heard of disintermediation when it comes to Netflix, Uber, and Airbnb. These companies disrupted their industries with their innovative takes on entertainment, transportation, and lodging, and many business owners live in fear that their own businesses are at risk of being disintermediated by some big new company. During a conversation with a titan in the business world recently, Adam was given these 5 questions to consider when wondering if you are at risk of being disintermediated:

Is the transaction frequent? – For Netflix, Uber, and Airbnb, the answer is YES. For things like buying or selling a house, the answer is NO.

Is the cost big? – Again, Netflix, Uber, and Airbnb are relatively inexpensive per transaction, but for real estate transactions, the answer is YES.

Is there a risk? – Considering the financial, emotional, and legal ramifications of each real estate transaction, the answer is YES.

Is it complicated or simple? – Compared to streaming a movie or booking a plane ticket, buying or selling a house is incredibly COMPLICATED, necessitating the utilization of an expert full-time real estate agent.

Is this a unique product? – Many people seek “artisan” or “one-of-a-kind” products on a daily basis, but even the quirkiest Etsy site is not as UNIQUE as each and every house on the market.

After bearing in mind the answers to these questions, real estate agents and brokers are not at very high risk of disintermediation. Perhaps these questions will be helpful for your own business endeavors in helping you adapt to new entrants into your market.

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, our guest is Jon Cheplak. Jon helps people dive deep within themselves to find the humility, vulnerability, and transparency they need to be emotionally mature and then able to succeed in their business endeavors. Through a mutual discovery process, Jon asks clients and potential clients questions like “Where did you come from?”, “Why do you want to grow?”, and “What do you to do to experience you from a higher level?” He has found that clients who are willing to be the most transparent and go the deepest with Jon will most likely outperform those who don’t.

Jon also talks about the connection between head and heart, encouraging clients to look at the areas that are under performing and be willing to tweak the process internally first, which will make positive changes in their professional lives in turn. Choice management issues are an area of focus for him, since the result of this head-heart connection is the biological desire to get a “hit” of oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. If people are choosing the wrong things to give their attention to, they are likely doing so because of the positive feelings those decisions give them. Understanding these dynamics and desires about yourself will help you be able to lead yourself first and use that experience to influence your leadership of others as well.

Connect with Jon:
https://www.facebook.com/joncheplak
https://www.cheplaklive.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheplak
https://twitter.com/joncheplak?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/cheplaklive/

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

When Benjamin Franklin was 20 years old, he wrote Thirteen Virtues for people to live by. Adam and Mark discuss these virtues, their relevance today, and how they relate to the world almost 300 years after Ben Franklin wrote them.
Temperance – Not overindulging, but partaking of an optimal level
Silence – This emphasizes the importance of listening and recognizing that you have two ears and one mouth for a reason; You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with (and, consequently, listening to)
Order – Have the right interests in mind for your self and your daily routine
Resolution – Do what you planned to do
Frugality – Waste nothing and spend less than you make
Industry – Time is money, so be generous and provide value to those around you
Sincerity – Think before you speak and speak the truth, particularly on social media
Justice – Do what is right and recognize how your actions impact others
Moderation – Be reasonable and consistent, seeking balance in all things
Cleanliness – Take care of yourself and your environment
Tranquility – Don’t get upset about little things and do your best to be at peace with everyone
Chastity – Be smart and careful
Humility – Keep your pride in check, be honest, be grateful, and imitate Jesus and Socrates

Links:
http://www.thirteenvirtues.com/

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