Alchemy in Action started as an email I sent to my real estate sales team every week with the goal to provide ideas and inspire action. Soon my business world expanded and I started sharing these weekly notes with employees at my new companies. Some people started forwarding my notes to their friends, who reached out and asked to be added to the list. I decided then it was time to open it up to the public as Alchemy in Action.
Today, Alchemy in Action has grown into an inspirational publication that reaches readers around the world who are passionate about entrepreneurism, wealth-building, leadership, self-improvement and being a good citizen of the world. I’m honored to have you join the community and hope you find my weekly notes inspiring and actionable.
Early in my career, long before I launched Alchemy, an employee stole $20,000 from me. It was a shocking experience, and I felt betrayed. It took years to emotionally recover. At first, I swung the pendulum way back toward control and felt uncomfortable outsourcing...
Early in my career, long before I launched Alchemy, an employee stole $20,000...
#4 – It’s Early I spoke with an agent last week who said, “This is going to be a terrible year.” I replied, “Wow, you’re calling it pretty early, don’t you think?” Whether January and February have been strong or slow, you still have until at least mid-October...
Early in my career, long before I launched Alchemy, an employee stole $20,000 from me. It was a shocking experience, and I felt betrayed. It took years to emotionally recover. At first, I swung the pendulum way back toward control and felt uncomfortable outsourcing...
If your buyers have been waiting for the “perfect” rate, now might be the time to make your move. Here’s why: It’s no secret that potential homebuyers have been anxiously waiting for borrowing costs to drop. But just how much relief should we expect when it comes to...
Almost everyone who inquires about our tax services is looking to solve the same problem – lack of tax planning. We’ve solved that issue at Alchemy and recently made some significant investments in our planning software and protocol—the result is the...
Coming on the heels of watching Celine Dion’s Netflix documentary, where she so bravely reveals her struggle with Stiff Person Syndrome, I was completely inspired by her performance under the Eiffel Tower. What a comeback! Her career and personal story remind us how...
Can I live my authentic self, out and proud, and still be and do everything I want? ???? The answer is yes. It’s not a life without challenge and hardship. You’ll have to make difficult choices and learn to have endless uncomfortable conversations. Early...
Anyone who says financial success is “simple” probably isn’t very successful or didn’t build that success themselves. While the concepts can be straightforward, executing them in the context of life is not. Yet, there is one principle that, if followed, makes all the...
Alchemy has completed its Q1 report of real estate agent profitability stats (which will be released soon) and there are 3 things I want you to look at. Are you being overly optimistic about the speed of growth this year? It’s nearly the end of May, and the 2024...
A few weeks ago I wrote that maintaining your finances as a real estate professional is like mowing a small lawn. 10 minutes a week will do. Let me expand on that tactically and operationally. Note: this assumes you have a bookkeeper and a CPA to help you with your...
It was spring 2008, a tough year in real estate and I was having a conversation with my financial mentor at the time. I had set some big goals for the year and was trailing behind. “I’m not good at this stuff, but that’s why I have you!” I said. “Really, what do you...
I’ve been completely immersed and sometimes overwhelmed the last few weeks. 6 questions I ask myself to stay sharp and on point: What can I do (or avoid) today to build my resilience and strength for the next 7 days? (i.e. go to bed earlier, eat earlier, skip...
I woke up at 2 AM to smoke in our bedroom. I turned the light on and saw the wall was on fire! Luckily, we and our cats got out and are fine. Our house, not so much… Here are the top 6 things I’ve already learned from this experience: Have smoke detectors in...
I was just facilitating a financial training for about 100 agents in New York and during the Q&A an agent asked me how long I spend reviewing my numbers. Here’s how I explained it to them: On a weekly basis, I spend 15 minutes reviewing my bookkeeper’s questions,...
In the 1948 Supreme Court case of Shelley v Kraemer, the Court ruled that state courts could no longer enforce racial covenants in property deeds. Imagine the real estate agent of 1948 going on a listing presentation and having that conversation. In 1974 the Equal...
The hard truth is that your business needs something very different from you and your team today than it did last year. Let’s face it, it’s easy to justify sticking to what you’ve always done because it still needs to be done, and you’re swamped! Besides,...
One thing I learned early in my career from Gary Keller was the principle of playing to one’s strengths. Gary firmly believes that investing the majority of your time in what you excel at can yield extraordinary results. This also means sourcing talented...
To my fellow builders out there. It’s harder than you think. It’s going to take much longer than you want. You’ll invest way more than you can. You’ll risk everything. The return is even more uncertainty than you calculated. Few will understand you but many will...
A luxury we have at Alchemy of Money is to get insights out of reviewing so many brokerage and agent profit and loss statements. We can (most times) identify trends and opportunities we see from our members that are reflective of what is going on in the industry. In a...
Has the glitter worn off your resolutions yet? Are you feeling a little like your Christmas tree sitting on the curb waiting for pick-up? Perhaps you’re finding new habits are easier to write down in your journal, or post on social media than execute? You’re not...
Congratulations. You have a legal entity for your real estate business. But what do you do to maintain it properly so that in the event of a legal issue, you’ve got a reasonable shot at some protection! You cannot “set it up and forget it” or you’ll find the very...
Last week I made some predictions for this year. (If you missed that post, check it out HERE.) This week I thought I’d highlight 6 big opportunities for you to look at in 2024. 6. Become that social media influencer you always wanted to be! Many agents pulled back...
One thing is certain, 2024 will be as unpredictable as 2023, but let’s spin the wheel, make some predictions, and see how we do! Here are my 6 for 2024 through the Realtor lens. 6. Home sales will climb in 2024 Home sales hit an annual pace of 3.85M in Q4 of 2023,...
It looks like the Grinch is bringing lawsuits this season. Should you be worried you could be next? I don’t know. However, make no mistake, our industry is changing and that process can be messy. You need to pay attention and take some action to protect yourself. In...
We have a reputation problem. The various lawsuits tell a story – the public doesn’t know what we do, doesn’t understand how we get paid, and doesn’t see the importance of the structures we have in place to do business (MLS/NAR). I have three ideas to help....
It’s time to plan for 2024. This is not an optional activity if you’re serious about your business. So how do you go about this? Schedule a half to full day off-site Planning takes different energy than execution so I recommend you schedule a half to full-day off-site...
We have all been subject to numerous social media posts and webinar invites to discuss the Sitzer/Burnett class action verdict that occurred on Halloween. We thought we’d weigh in on the topic and let you know just how we think it will affect your business moving...
I review dozens of P&Ls (and a lesser amount of balance sheets) of top agents and brokers every month. This is the time of the year when they should all be looking at their P&Ls and determining what money needs to be spent where next year – i.e. a...
This week we had the first meeting of the Alchemy of Money advisory board. Taking my own advice of getting out of the jar to read the label, I decided to form an advisory board to ensure we’re getting a fresh, well-balanced perspective as we grow. I...
“You’re not growing unless you’re failing!” “Fail forward!” “You don’t learn unless you fail!” I could go on. The problem is catchy quotes are little comfort when you’re in the middle of failure. So what can you do instead? Last week I wrote about my 3 year $500K...
In late 2018 I decided it was time for me to sell my business with no plans as to what I would do next. It took a while to execute that change and, as I suspected at that time, it was a big consequential decision. Thanks to excellent coaching and mentorship, last year...
Every week I speak with dozens of real estate agents around the country about their finances and in almost every conversation they ask what I’m hearing from other agents. There is ONE THING I notice that differentiates realtors who are succeeding from realtors who are...
Do you get bored easily? Or maybe frustrated with your lack of results even though you’ve been pushing for a while now? Here’s the thing about that: Boredom is an important indicator that you’re about to break through to the next level if only you...
An Alchemy member recently asked me to elaborate on business credit. I’ve used various forms of business credit over the years and there are 7 key categories to look at if you’re hoping to leverage your way up the growth ladder. Personal Credit: Let’s not forget about...
Consider, if you’re working to build the very big life you envision for yourself, then weekends are not for relaxing. They are for refining, building, and executing your plan. Most people don’t work on weekends. But those who do get an extra 3.5 months a year to...
Over the past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting The Greenbrier Resort, nestled in the picturesque mountains of West Virginia, approximately 4 hours southwest of Washington DC. This extraordinary property boasts a rich history, notably serving as the site of a...
Very good news: inflation eased to 3% in June. That means all of the money printing and lockdown effects during the pandemic have mostly flushed through the system and we’re starting to get a clearer picture of what the baseline economy looks like here in the...
Recently there has been some talk about the real estate market reaching a bottom. I think it’s premature to make that statement. To give you some perspective I recently came across this picture that shows U.S. home prices as tracked by Case-Shiller, shifting on...
I feel like the past year and a half has been relentless. In many ways, it’s been the most challenging 18 months of my career. Being part of a double-entrepreneur household in the real estate industry can be tough. Can you relate? But despite all the...
For the first time in over a year, the Federal Reserve this week made an interesting decision by choosing not to raise interest rates. During his remarks, Chairman Jerome Powell provided some insight into the housing market, mentioning, “We now see housing...
At Alchemy of Money, we’re here to guide you through the Alchemy 5 Steps to Freedom Plan. Step 1: Produce Accurate and Consistent Financial Statements Let’s kickstart your journey by generating monthly profit and loss statements and balance sheets tailored...
Market shifts like this are tough. It can feel like every day is a battle. I feel it myself and I see it in the P&Ls we’re managing for agents around the country. Some quick thoughts. If you’re not getting and reading a P&L at least monthly, I hope...
Recently I attended an event about the transformative impact of AI and how it is going to change the world, even by the end of the summer. The rapid progress left a lasting impression on me and I immediately recognized the applications for my business today. Feeling...
Imagine time as a bank account, where you can either invest or spend it. Time assets are decisions and actions that are like making deposits in your time bank account. These are choices that benefit you in the long run by saving you time in the future. Think of...
Alchemy is delighted to offer bookkeeping and tax services to almost 100 real estate businesses across the US. After working with these businesses, I’ve noticed some patterns that separate those who are making progress from those who are struggling.Before I...
There is an art and a science to building wealth. The Art includes things like: Vision boards Goal setting Mindset Building relationships Interviewing successful people Inspiring design shows on Sunday Everyone loves the Art of building wealth. You feel like...
I was inspired by a recent email by Shaan Puri about levels of wealth. Here is my take on the 6 levels for real estate agents. All numbers are gross income, before expenses and taxes. Of course, everyone’s experiences are different, and where you live swings these...
You won’t believe what happened when I tried this carwash – it completely changed my perspective! I had 20 minutes before my next appointment so I decided to get my car washed. A quick look on Google Maps and I saw there was a ModWash right around the...
During a recent retreat facilitated by Jessica Ramirez, she had us position our bodies in different yoga positions and posed questions to help us identify emotions that might be contained in certain areas of our bodies. As I stretched and focused on my left hip, the...
Home sales spike, yet medium prices fall, banks are under stress, commercial defaults are on the rise, and the fed raises rates again. What do you make of all of this? Remember in January I made 6 Predictions for 2023 because a lot of what we are seeing is cyclical,...
On a recent trip, I had a little time to myself and so I loaded Netflix and watched the sobering and award-winning movie, All Quiet on the Western Front. I was completely enthralled by the story and couldn’t help but think about the many young men and women back in...
Housing’s spring selling season is approaching! Alchemy of Money partners with Certified Financial Planner Stephen Rifici at Ameriprise. I’ve known Stephen for a long time, and we were recently catching up about the spring market, and what real estate...
You have to be it. Before you can have it. Think about it. You have to be a top producer now before you receive recognition for it later. You have to be a highly profitable business owner now, creating what will eventually be realized as a wildly profitable business...
Gary Keller recently posted, “The biggest challenge we all face is learning outside our personal experience. If we don’t figure this out, we are likely to make really tough mistakes.” That quote sat with me all week and made me think: Why is it so hard to learn...
Recently I went on a mindfulness retreat in Costa Rica with Tara Brach, Jonathan Foust, and Jake Tarr. It was a moving experience with 3 key themes that persisted throughout the retreat. First, the set-up. My intention for the 3 days of social silence was best...
The story goes, a traveler was on his way from the city to a mountaintop village and stopped at a waystation for some refreshment. “Where are you headed?” asked the waystation attendant. “To the mountaintop village because the market is saturated in the...
For years I hired from my gut. If we had good synergy, you had a more than decent shot at getting the job. That rarely worked out. Then I dove into a formalized hiring process with multiple defined steps. It was difficult to manage but incredibly valuable in...
We engage 2023 with mixed signals. On one hand, the economy seems to have been more resilient than expected with Q3 and Q4 jobs and GDP numbers looking good, and inflation possibly starting to ease. On the other hand, the real estate market has been hammered, consumer...
The condition of your finances today is a reflection of your past decisions. Not your future. Unless you continue to make the same decisions and take the same action. Then the condition of your finances today is predictive of your financial future. No...
First, thank you for reading Alchemy in Action.More than 3,000 of you now get Alchemy in Action sent to you each week. (If you’re not subscribed yet, join the club here. It’s free!)I hope I’ve provided you with inspiration, insight, and a few good ideas...
Years ago, as I was struggling to manage my business during the great recession, I came across a little book called The Science Behind Gratitude. In his book, UC Davis Phycologist Robert Emmons describes how research shows something as simple as keeping a gratitude...
When you own and grow a business, eventually you look around and realize you’ve created a complex monster. Instead of focusing on your clients and doing what you love the most, it seems all your time is filled with issues, complaints, pressures, and...
Ray Dalio recently tweeted: “When determining an acceptable rate of improvement for something, it is its level in relation to the rate of change that matters.” Meaning, if something is getting better, you need to know where it was to begin with and whether the rate of...
I came across this article from McKinsey & Company about hiring and thought I’d share it. What I liked about the article is it helps us understand the “great reorganization” from the perspective of three different groups of people....
Cornelius Vanderbilt died in 1877 and left his kids today’s equivalent of $2B. Eighty years later, 120 of his descendants were at a family reunion at Vanderbilt University, and there wasn’t a millionaire among them. This is not unusual. It is very hard to create...
This week I had the great privilege to join Gary Keller, Jay Papasan, Jason Abrams, and Brett Tanner on stage to talk about wealth building. Watch a snippet here: The truth is most of us in the real estate industry are VERY good at helping others build wealth through...
Late summer has a unique energy, so much so it seems to be a season unto itself. The days become noticeably shorter and our thoughts turn to fall and winter. (Given the intense heat of this summer, I think most of us are welcoming a little sweater weather!) It’s...
Do you ever struggle with execution? Have great ideas but something gets in the way of you actually implementing? This could be the antidote you’ve been looking for: In 1997, Richard Carlson, Ph.D. wrote a little book that went on to become a...
The Delaware Court of Chancery recently ruled that Twitter’s lawsuit against Elon Musk will be heard in October during a 5-day trial. This is in spite of objections from Musk’s counsel, who argued the case is much too complex and that they needed more time. This seems...
I have been following Ray Dalio for quite some time to understand the context of where we are and where we might be headed economically. I found his recent post on LinkedIn to be particularly insightful. Note the footnote at the bottom: “While Paul Volcker’s...
Recently, I hired someone new to managing people and, appropriately, she had spent the last 90 days getting her arms around the business and getting to know the people she is leading. That seems to have gone well, but she was noticing she and the team weren’t...
Let’s face it, it’s particularly difficult to run a business right now, and if you’re under 35, this might be your first encounter with the other side of a market cycle. The truth is what makes you successful in a “boom” market could completely undermine your success...
The fed is doing everything it can to halt inflation, which means it’s going to slow the economy eventually. Therefore I thought it would be helpful to highlight the eight financial metrics every entrepreneur should know and track very carefully. 1 –...
Looking for a summer reading list? Here is a list of my recommendations from my last few months of reading: The Ultimate Coach – Amy Hardison and Alan Thompson If you’re looking for a soulful piece of work, I suggest this book. It’s not short, coming in at...
A common characteristic of high achievers is they are very much attached to the outcome. They bring 100% of their focus, time, and energy – essentially all of who they are – to the vision. This is an important ingredient in creating big, impressive, transformational...
Last weekend I spent 3 hours reviewing my business P&Ls. The truth is, we’re not on goal for 2022. I use a simple 4 step process to help us get back on track. It’s called MOVE and I thought I’d share it with you today. ???? MOVE to Reality Fast: Look at...
In most areas of the county, the local real estate market remains strong, however, I’m increasingly seeing signs of a broad cooling of the market. I’ll be watching the March statistics carefully though in some cities around the country we’re already seeing decreases...
When news of Putin’s war first began to come out, I reached out to my financial advisor to make sure I wasn’t directly or indirectly invested in anything that extends to Russia. At the time, it felt like the simplest thing I could do to show solidarity with...
I feel impatient most of the time, and sometimes that robs me of happiness. I find myself asking why things are taking so long, and if I’m not careful, I can get quite demanding of other people. On the flip side, it helps me get a lot of things done, so you can see...
At Alchemy of Money, the security of your data is our top priority. Unlike some smaller bookkeeping and financial service firms who send sensitive information by email, our member’s data is encrypted using AES-256. Bottom line: your financial data is...
I recently shared a video on LinkedIn about how sometimes in order to grow, you need to fire yourself. (If you haven’t seen it yet, you can watch the video here.) It really resonated with many of you, and so I thought I’d highlight it here and point you...
I have a pit in my stomach as I watch war break out in Europe. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the world order and we’re all left wondering where things go from here. In the darkness of that event, something quite miraculous has happened. The President of...
This last week I enjoyed reconnecting with many of my Keller Williams friends at their annual conference. I was reminded of the power of in-person events by keynoter Shawn Achor, one of the world’s leading experts on the connection between happiness and success....
The “Great Resignation” remains a top concern for business leaders. The ongoing churn is really affecting productivity and profitability and when you combine that with COVID sickness, January, for a lot of businesses, was rough. Here are some thoughts I’m...
In the mid 20th century, the United States government began a campaign to purge gay people from government employment because they were believed to be a threat to the country. It was thought gay people were more susceptible to being manipulated or compromised,...
My husband and I own a 200-year-old farm about 90 minutes outside of Washington, DC. Sixty six acres of beauty, peace, and tranquility, Stoney Creek Farm has been a place of wonder for generations. Since 2006, it has been operating as a bed and breakfast and...
I’ve found the world-famous tennis star Novak Djokovic’s situation in Australia fascinating. If you’re not familiar, he tried to enter Australia unvaccinated to play the Australian Open and was banned from the country for 3 years after several legal...
Let’s be honest: money is taboo.Well, to be more accurate, talking about money is taboo.Even though our world is “built” on it. Even though everybody has it, needs it, wants it, loses it. There’s a tremendous amount of shame and embarrassment that comes into play...
Is moderation a worthy pursuit? On the surface, it seems so. From religious texts to modern-day psychotherapists, there seems to be no shortage of arguments for it. And yet, taking a moderate approach to your business or personal endeavors this year will...
There is such expectation for 2022 to really deliver for us. This week our email salutations may even include wishes of prosperity and happiness that are mostly missing the rest of the year. And yet despite the champagne toasts and sense of possibility when our clocks...
As we close out 2021 it’s fair to say it’s tried our patience, frustrated and scared us, lifted our spirits, and given us hope about the opportunities ahead. No matter your experience this year, I hope it was a year of growth for you and you’re ending the year with...
Thank you to everyone who responded to the question last week, are you rich? Here are some highlights I particularly enjoyed: I’m rich in that my health hasn’t been sacrificed by the COVID pandemic. Yes, I had a few medical challenges this year but...
For many years no matter how much money I made, I didn’t feel rich. It was frustrating because while I was pursuing wealth, I realized I had not defined it, which made it perpetually out of reach. Which brings up the question, how do you know if you’re...
I love seeing all the gratitude posts during Thanksgiving, and I deeply subscribe to the power gratitude has in shaping our happiness. Though gratitude posts don’t go very far unless backed up by action throughout the year, so how do you move gratitude from a post to...
Talk of “the Great Resignation” has been massively oversimplified and should be thrown out like old Halloween candy. What’s really going on in the employment market is much more complicated than people simply quitting their jobs. See, even as we maintain 10 million...
From frazzled waitstaff to mediocre cuisine, dining out these days isn’t what it used to be. I’m finding that it typically requires an extra helping of patience. However, in some select cases, it’s actually better! Case in point: I recently had the...
Apparently the housing market was too unpredictable for Zillow’s ibuyer program. Zillow determined “being an ibuyer was too risky, too volatile, and ultimately addressed too few customers, too narrow.” It’s now offloading 7,000 houses worth $2B, in multiple markets...
Recently I discovered some mean internal dialog that caught me off guard. Coworkers were railing one another in a group chat. It was unprofessional and unkind and needed to stop immediately. I was frankly embarrassed it was happening under my watch. I scrolled...
More family time or more money? That’s never an easy question… Last week I had a conversation with a very successful entrepreneur trying to decide if he wanted to grow his business. “I’m so conflicted!” he explained. “On one hand I think it makes sense to really...
If you’ve been surprised by someone you thought you knew, consider you may have mismanaged your relationship with potentiality and pragmatism. Here’s the tension… To lead you must see and connect with potential, which by definition is a future state not yet in...
Recently I had an opportunity at a real estate conference I was attending to hear from Pastor Amos Disasadiscuss the 7 things he hears the most as he comforts people at the end of their life. These really hit home with me because unfortunately two mentors of...
Over the last couple of years, I’ve enjoyed watching some friends sell their companies and get really really rich. Like 9-figures rich. Many of these people I’ve known for years and so I’ve watched the build, the process to sell, the sale, and the aftermath. 3...
If you build a talented team, you’ll build a great company. But the price you pay is that talented people push you, making you realize you actually work for them–an odd realization because you got into business for yourself so you didn’t have to work for anyone. ...
What have you changed your mind about recently? I’ll start. I used to think I always had to be busy doing something to be productive. Now I realize that’s not true. Sometimes leaving something alone is more productive. Two examples… I’m...
My mother-in-law recently moved to the United States permanently and it’s been really interesting to watch her adjust. Never having been out of her home country of Venezuela, we knew it could be difficult for her to find a sense of home in the United States....
I traveled to Iowa recently to visit family and the childhood memories came flooding back. My sister tells a story of how when I was in middle school I wanted a desk for my bedroom. Not just any desk, an executive style desk. When we moved to Iowa and I got my...
I recently learned an event I was looking forward to in a couple weeks was canceled due to the delta variant surge, and over the weekend I was thinking about the impact of that and what the future might hold as we all continue to deal with the realization this isn’t...
With the launch of Brandon Green Chapter2Ventures, I’ve been thinking a lot about transitions and how hard they can sometimes be. I know I’m not alone. In April, nearly four million employees quit their jobs and if that continues, 25% of the American...
Clearly it’s more difficult to travel abroad right now and everyone has to decide for themselves if it’s worth the risk and effort to do so. Though for my husband Christian and me, our global adventures lay the foundation for our entrepreneurial energy and creativity,...
We’re in the middle of a massive sea change. It isn’t the first one, and it certainly won’t be the last. The thing about sea changes is, the other side always looks different than we expected—and that depends, in part, on whether we jumped at the opportunities that...
Early Defining Moments Born in Rock Springs, Wyoming to Allen and Shirley Green, a local elementary school principal and stay-at-home mom, Brandon grew up as the eldest child in a Mormon household. He moved to Iowa when he was 12 so his Dad could pursue his Doctorate...
With the launch of Brandon Green Chapter2Ventures, I’ve been thinking a lot about transitions. Mine, and what appears to be a lot of other people. In April, nearly four million employees quit their jobs and if that continues, 25% of the American workforce could change...
Playing the long game is easier said than done. Most people already know compounding the right things creates future rewards in all kinds of areas including finances, relationships, and health. Yet doing it is actually very hard. We are powerfully drawn to short-term...
I said it last year as we went into the pandemic: We were entering the best and the worst of times. You see it everywhere. From disparities in vaccine access to the acceleration of the housing and public equities markets, it’s a good time to live in the U.S....
From NFTs, to the booming economy driving inflation concerns, to tax season, there is a lot going on this spring! And let’s be honest: If you’re like most entrepreneurs out there, you’re probably just trying to keep your head above water running your business....
How do you make sense of worker classifications? When you’re a small business owner, you may employ several W-2 employees, but you also likely work with at least a few (and sometimes a lot of) independent contractors. How you file taxes for those workers is really...
Within minutes it was clear that somehow they didn’t have my mother-in-law’s information in the consultant affairs database. After 5 years of back and forth, that seemed impossible. It was incredibly discouraging, and we worried that we might have to leave Bogota...
Shane Feldman is the former Founder and CEO of Count Me In, an organization built as an entrepreneurship incubator to promote and uplift aspiring business owners. Now, Shane is my new chief of staff here at Brandon Green Chapter 2 Ventures. This is an...
The last two weeks have been intense. Several products at Chapter 2 Ventures are deep in development, Stoney Creek Farm is gearing up for another big push, real estate is as busy as ever, and additional opportunities are pouring in daily. Juggling it all is hard and...
Shorter and more focused. I’ve been asking some of you for feedback on this newsletter, and that’s what I’ve been hearing: make it shorter and more focused. I agree! In that spirit, my team and I have narrowed this month’s edition into three sections: Current...
Good morning friends… As long as I can remember I’ve felt an internal struggle between two different, competing forces. And there have been times in my life I felt like I was being torn apart as a great battle ensued. Who would win? My ambitious, insatiable pursuit of...
On Leadership and Hiring It’s fairly well known that Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001 became famous for growing leaders. Some estimate more than 35 people under his leadership went on to become CEOs. More recently the “PayPal” effect as it’s known...
February can be quite cold and dreary in DC. If I had to pick a month to skip, it would probably be this one (sorry February lovers)… Fortunately, it’s short, and I’ve learned to “hack” my way through by using the month to clear up inconsistencies in my...
Dr. Julie Lopez is a licensed clinical social worker and the author of Live Empowered!: Rewiring Your Brain’s Implicit Memory, a comprehensive primer on implicit memory—those stored memories we don’t actively recall, but that affect our thoughts and behaviors. I...
Hey Team, We’re off to Bogotá tomorrow. It’s a long story, though the short of it is we are moving my mother-in-law out of Venezuela into Colombia so she can finish her immigration process when the embassy reopens. It’s one of those make it work moments in life… ...
Good morning from Bogotá. Yesterday I was listening to New York Magazine’s Pivot podcast and Scott Galloway was talking about dispersion and how the pandemic has accelerated remote work and play. Our physical location seems less and less important as long as there is...
Recently, I wrote a reflective piece on my wealth-building journey, the building of which has been instrumental in creating the life I’m genuinely happy with. If you read it, you’ll see that I didn’t take a traditional path to wealth. I took a long and hard route,...
Tribe! My retreat to Sedona over the MLK holiday was awesome. I stayed at the Hilton Red Rocks Resort for 4 days of hiking in the morning and resting in the afternoon. It was exactly what my soul needed. Normally when I hike, I bring a podcast, but this time I turned...
Not knowing how you’re going to pay your mortgage at the end of the month is frightening in a way you never forget if you experience it. I know that feeling, and while it has been 15 years since I was faced with that reality, sometimes it feels like yesterday. ...
It’s 2021, and you’re looking for new and creative ways to thrive while staying focused on finding fulfillment every day. You know it’s too easy to let your ambition get ahead of enjoying what you’ve created and loving the process. You’re also looking to have a...
Hi guys, What happened in DC last week was deeply unsettling and is very much on my mind today. I posted my extended thoughts on my personal Facebook page and a shorter version on Instagram. You can also read them here. Two resources that have helped me understand...
Jacqui McGovern has been a friend of mine for a good long time. We had the pleasure of traveling together in the mid-90s with an international musical organization called Up with People and have stayed in touch ever since. I wanted to interview her now to have a...
To my Tribe, I know, I said I’d see you in the new year in last week’s email. However, I thought many of you could benefit from reading about my two interconnected priorities, and I would love to hear your thoughts on how they might relate to your 2021 goals. Priority...
To my tribe, First, thank you for raising your hand and trusting I will provide value to you. It feels like the right time to intentionally build an authentic community, and I promise to take my commitment to you and this initiative seriously. One of the...
I’ve become intensely focused on the long game this year. That certainly hasn’t always been my orientation, though the longer I live, the more clearly I see how much upside is created over time if we only have the patience and persistence to stick with it. For...
Laura Tsaggaris is a friend and former client who has recently released her first new song in four years, “Lead Me”. Laura has had an incredible journey with five records and 40-plus songs of folk, Americana, alt-country, blues, rock, and pop. She’s eclectic and...
We are losing our ability to see what’s possible across our lives, our businesses, our families, and the world. As a result, more and more people feel that a life of connection, meaningful fulfillment, joy, and peace is unattainable.This is hugely consequential,...
Katharine Manning spent 15 years advising the Justice Department on victim issues in its most challenging cases, from terrorism to child exploitation to large-scale financial fraud. She is now the President of Blackbird DC, an organization dedicated to helping...
Greetings, Over the last several months as we’ve watched the world change, I decided to take this moment in time to renew my investment in my personal brand and my commitment to helping entrepreneurs grow. I’ve built a team to help me, and we are now executing content...
Since 2001, I’ve worked incredibly hard to build my career in the real estate space as well as my personal platform and network. The real estate industry gave me an opportunity to succeed and forge a path and lifestyle, I envisioned for myself, that growing up, I...
The glasses were at the end of her nose as she reviewed my financial records. This gave me a very distinct impression I was in trouble. It didn’t help that she reminded me of my 2nd-grade teacher, Ms. Provisor who was a stickler for details and tolerated not an ouch...
Last week I spoke with a local gym owner/friend I have been in touch with regularly since the crisis began. I could sense her view of the future was changing and I wanted to understand why. When I spoke to her in late March she had about 4 months of operating cash...
I recently interviewed Shelly Bell, founder of Black Girl Ventures, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to community, education, and leadership development for Black and Brown woman founders. We spoke about the painful and unacceptable racial...
Then as we all now know, sometime around the end of 2019 the Coronavirus pandemic began, disrupting the global economy and shuttering small businesses around the world. Very difficult, for sure, but why was this such a sudden and destructive blow to small businesses...
The US reported a 13.3% unemployment rate in May, — the worst since WWII. This is despite pumping trillions of dollars into the economy designed to save small businesses and jobs. Twelve years of difficult work recovering from the great recession, gone in only two...
I was recently interviewed by KW Outfront Magazine. My favorite part of the article is when I discuss the intersection between real estate and the outstanding impact it has on one’s life. I enjoyed getting the chance to sit down and be part of such an in-depth...
Friends, At the end of March, I took my 2020 business and personal goals and put them aside. It was clear, everything had changed and the year I planned was not the year that would be. While it’s still jarring to recall how quickly it all changed, I’m increasingly...
This is the end. The end of our naiveté about just how connected we really are. The end of invincibility and thinking our money, our power, or our status can protect us from everything. This is also the end of some relationships. And most certainly the end of some...
When the market crashed in 2008 it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was unprepared. As a result, I sat at the precipice of financial collapse until I figured out how to pivot, be successful, and grow during a recession. It was painful. This time it has been the...
For most of us, this is the Black Swan event that will define our career. How are you doing so far? I was in the early years of my real estate business when 2008 hit and I learned a few things I’ve been deploying the last couple weeks I thought I’d share. Speed...
Who can adequately describe the last seven days? Experiences like this are beyond language and will be told best by artists, philosophers, and historians in the years to come. I’ve been in emergency triage mode this week speaking with our teams, securing our finances,...
This coming week is likely to be chaotic and full of twists and turns. It’s incredibly stressful right now to adjust to so many things so significantly, all at once. And by all measures, we are all going to be susceptible to a variety of increasingly aggressive...
Two months are burned into my memory. September 2001, and October 2008. And now a third – March 2020. In 2001 and 2008 things were indeed never the same and now, in March 2020, we will look back on this month with some nostalgia and say the same. While the next...
In business, we say, “hold your money accountable” often with a finger shake at ourselves or at others. But what does that actually mean and how do you do it? The adage might have come from its cousin “you have to spend money to make money.” So let’s take...
Trying to improve your life and your business? You may have heard the following advice… Create a Vision Board! No, you should Think Bigger! Or, get better at Goal Setting. Actually, it all starts with Daily...
I’ve been getting some questions this week about digital media strategy and execution and my experience these last several months. Late last spring I decided to become an expert in this space and realized I was very far from it. Still am. Though I have been diving...
Late this past fall I was driving to an appointment when a call came in from a very good friend. I was pretty sure I knew what he was calling about. For the last year and a half, he had been struggling with a decision to leave his company and start anew. It was an...
A friend of mine Christopher Schroeder recently wrote this post on LinkedIn, highlighting the best books he’s read this year. He worked through 110 books in 2019 and it made me wonder, how many books did I read in 2019 and what were they? It turns out it was far less...
I consider myself an extroverted introvert. I’m very much a people person, though I also need to manage that interaction or it can become too much. Therefore I’m very thoughtful about my social interactions and work to manage my energy. During the holiday, this can...
If you do it right, December is the month you can interact with more clients than any other month of the year. I’m a big believer in expressing gratitude just because you’re grateful, though I’m also thinking about the strategic message I’m sending about my brand this...
I find it refreshing to get out of the US, given how the impeachment inquiry is sucking all the oxygen out of the room at the moment. It gives me perspective, and with that comes a lot of gratitude. When I look at the world I see mass protests in countries from Chile...
As you know from following me, over the last year or so I’ve been on a journey to make some important professional pivots. This has been a very difficult and incredibly rewarding experience, and last week I had an opportunity to sit down with coach Mark Silverman to...
I disagree with the notion, you can’t have it all and that you have to choose. Make money, or do meaningful work. Great body, or spend time with the family. I actually think you can have it all. Now before you roll your eyes and your skepticism takes...
The business landscape is changing rapidly. If you’re in business, you know exactly what I mean. So how do you keep your competitive edge when it seems like your competitors are inching ahead? Let’s look at one aspect of a solution, and that is better...
It’s all about the relationships; your network is your net worth. We hear this, or maybe even say it, but what does it mean? How do you actually execute on it? If there was one thing I wish I had paid more attention to when I was growing my business, it...
One of the effects of the extraordinary evolution of technology is we are living in echo chambers of our own creation, more now than ever. The convenience of predictive analytics makes it easy to find what we are looking for and also makes it difficult to see...
I was teaching a class to real estate entrepreneurs this week and the students were incredibly focused and concerned about the competitive landscape they are now operating in. A robust conversation ensued about the rapid pace of change as new models, new...
I started listening to and reading Eckhart Tolle’s work a few years ago when I noticed I was perpetually obsessed with the next thing, which was squashing any joy the moment right now might have to offer. I noticed this had become a real problem. I was...
25% of your year is behind you, how are you doing? Business indicators are rarely linear and how you feel about your business varies so how do you combine both a quantitative and qualitative analysis to have a grounded view on the state of your business? The...
I’ve often joked business would be so much easier if it wasn’t for the humans. Though the reality is, business is the humans, and so if you’re in business, you’ve got to deal. And, I have news for you. You’re a human too and not always a cake...
Trying to improve your life and your business? You may have heard the following advice… Create a Vision Board! No, you should Think Bigger! Or, get better at Goal Setting. Actually, it all starts with Daily...
The first 2 months of 2019 have been incredibly exciting for me. I’m in my zone, advancing several new business endeavors, all with significant long term prospects, all at the same time. I do better when I have a variety of diverse challenges on my plate....
In business we say, “hold your money accountable” often with a finger shake at ourselves or at others. But what does that actually mean and how do you do it? The adage might have come from its cousin “you have to spend money to make money.” So let’s take a...
Let’s face it. Being a business owner is a grind. During the up times you’re certain you made the right choice, during the down times you wonder what the hell were you thinking. And this can all happen in the span of a day. So yes, there are a lot of...
One of the most difficult things for a business owner to do is to constantly grow. We come into our businesses with certain skills and abilities and that works for a time. The business gets up and running, grows to a certain point, and then...
Statistics vary, though most suggest only 20% of American workers are prepared to miss one paycheck. I remember what that’s like. I remember how the worry about money was all-encompassing at times and framed nearly every decision I made. One of the...
Once a month I have an acupuncture appointment. Over the years I’ve come to count on this time as an important part of my overall stress management routine. During this particular appointment, my acupuncturist and I were discussing “white space” or also known as...
I recently found this article to be very interesting about aristocrats being out of touch with the realities of economic inequality. I’m willing to say that just by being an aristocrat you’re out of touch. The article does...
I received a note the other day asking me, what’s my biggest struggle? Note the definition of struggle. “Make forceful or violent efforts to get free of restraint or constriction.” I don’t see life or business that way. To me, the world is not something to...
I can’t remember the last time I started the year with so much energy and enthusiasm for the year ahead. And the other day I realized it’s because my heart is leading the way and my intellect is figuring out how to execute my heart’s voice. If that sounds...
I’ve been getting some questions this week about digital media strategy and execution and my experience these last several months. Late last spring I decided to become an expert in this space and realized I was very far from it. Still am. Though I have...
When I started my business in 2001 I worked 7 days a week for 3 years straight. I was in my mid-20s and focused on building as quickly as possible. Eventually, it became clear to me that wasn’t sustainable and I needed to have some time off. The...
Usually, by the 2nd or 3rd week of January, your New Year’s Eve optimism about 2019 is beginning to lose its glow as the reality of life and your business sets in. It may even be quite demotivating to look at the goal you set and realize you’re nearly...
New Year’s Resolutions are a bit controversial. While I’m not aware of any hard research on the matter, antidotally, it does seem like the resolutions fade pretty quickly. Instead of resolutions, try constructing your goals with clear lead and lag...
2018 is essentially behind us and I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on one of the most impactful years of my life. Let’s call it my 2018 Holiday Letter. I look back on the year with great pride in my accomplishments. One of the most pivotal events for me in...
I believe coaching is the path to mastery and I have a coach in many areas of my life. In my personal life and business, I’ve been working with Steve Hardison, https://theultimatecoach.com. He’s a powerful creator and has helped me more than I can put...
The holidays are a time when we reflect on the year with gratitude for all that has happened in our lives. It’s a time when we seem to have a greater sense of perspective, more generosity, and perhaps even a little grace for ourselves. I believe you can never...
I consider myself an extroverted introvert. I’m very much a people person, though I also need to manage that interaction or it can become too much. Therefore I’m very thoughtful about my social interactions and work to manage my energy. During the...
If you do it right, December is the month you can interact with more clients than any other month of the year. I’m a big believer in expressing gratitude just because you’re grateful, though I’m also thoughtful about the strategic message I’m sending about my...
I love the holiday party season though, admittedly, I have to pace things or by the end of the month, I’ve burned out of holiday cheer. I don’t always get it right, though I’ve learned over the years to be purposeful about my partying. Here are 3 super...
December, it’s a festive and often busy month, hopefully, a time full of friends and family, reflection on 2018 and a look ahead for 2019. It’s also an important month in your business. Here are two things I pay extra attention to in December each year to ensure...
We are back from our fall trip where we visited the Maldives and Dubai. The Maldives was stunningly beautiful, Dubai – interesting and controversial. First, a few things to know. Dubai is famously filled with foreigners, 85% of the...
We’ve gotten a few detailed questions about our trip to the Maldives and how much it actually costs so I thought I’d lay out a few specifics here. We are committed to taking 3 great trips a year to counterbalance other areas of our lives, namely our busy...
As I was building our businesses I used to think we needed massive, highly leveraged businesses to live the lives we wanted to with the freedom to do things that are important to us. While that is one path, it’s not the only one. There are many paths to...
“Make sure you leave your ring at home,” I said as we were packing for our trip to the Maldives. With that, both of us took off our wedding rings and left them in DC as we finished packing for our fall trip. And honestly, I didn’t give any more thought to...
Several years ago, I started to experience severe stomach pain in the afternoons. It got so bad I had to go home every afternoon around 3 pm for a few hours. I went to several doctors and no one could come up with a definitive diagnosis. Desperate for a...
I’m changing. At least I think I am. Or maybe I’m just becoming a more authentic version of who I’ve always been. Sometimes I’m not exactly sure which, but it’s been 5 months since I changed things around and went from spending 60+ hours a week on my...
10 Must-Dos for Entrepreneurs going into a Shift Earlier this week I wrote 6 tips for anyone in down economic cycles, today I’m following that up with tips for entrepreneurs going into a down cycle. Heads up business owners, this is for you! Cut your expenses by...
Mark my words, we are at the top of this economic cycle, and starting to trend on the back end of the peak. Interest rates are rapidly rising, the stock market is starting to correct, real estate sales have slumped several months in a row, and we are experiencing...
If you’re a successful entrepreneur chances are high that most days, there is very little daylight between who you are and what you do. You are one with your work role, and your work role is one with you. It’s not just work. Look closely and you’ll see, we...
Everyone wants better for themselves. It’s a natural human condition – the evolution forward into something better than previously experienced or known. Yet, why do some people and organizations succeed at improving and moving forward, and...
I recently had an opportunity to be on the “Live to Grind” Podcast show discussing branding and video marketing with Brandon T Adams. He is an entrepreneur and is also the co-host and Executive Producer of the Emmy®-nominated TV Show, Ambitious Adventures,...
In June I pulled myself out of the day to day. I needed perspective. Things were changing, and I was at an inflection point. For 18 years I was head down building in the real estate business. I loved it, but I could sense I needed to step back,...
I don’t have to tell you we are living in a time of great change. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find an area of our world that is not dealing with some sort of major, life changing disruption. Talk to any taxi driver about Uber, or retail worker...
In terms of wealth in the US, we’re somewhere in the top 3-5%, depending on the dataset you use. Most of my friends are at similar or more elite levels. This is my reality. You could say, I’m living in a bubble of affluence. I’ve worked hard to...
The Journey Begins and It’s Harder Than I Thought If you’ve been following me, you know I’ve been on a bit of a quest this summer. I’ve been traveling around the country, actively listening. A “listening tour” as called by my friend Christine Prefontaine....
Years ago, the master instructor Dick Dillingham posed the following question in class “If you didn’t have to work for money, what would you do?” I loved that question and got busy in my journal writing down all the things I would do if my lifestyle was taken care of...
For the last several weeks I’ve been flying around the country teaching during my summer of listening. Throughout my presentations people often have “ah ha’s” or moments of insight. Those moments can be powerful. And yet, let’s be honest, they often don’t...
I’m 6 weeks into my 2018 summer listening tour. For those who missed it earlier, I’m touring the country and listening. I’m listening because now is a special time in my professional narrative, and we are experiencing a unique time in history which is...
I was maybe 36 months away from being completely irrelevant. And didn’t even know it. I hope this post is a wake-up call for you too. According to analytics from Flurry, a year ago we were spending 5 hours a day on our mobile device. You know, that thing we used to...
We’re either moving forward or moving backward. Offense or defense. There is no neutral. Yesterday I emceed an event with real estate entrepreneurs and there were some clear themes I pulled out of that day. The gap between those that are winning and...
June 5th, downtown DC, 78 degrees. Unexpectedly I’ve become very judgmental and frankly I’m embarrassed to admit it. A couple weeks ago I found $220 cash, by the Washington Monument. I waited around for quite a while to see if anyone would come back and...
Washington, DC – Crestwood. 78 and finally sunny after weeks of rain. A couple days ago I had a conversation with Brandon T. Adams. He, along with his finance Samantha Rossin is producing a show called Success in Your City. The premise is to discover what success...
Walland, Tennessee, 83 degrees, humid – Blackberry Farm. This weekend I’m at the farm for our annual YPO retreat. YPO is a global platform for business entrepreneurs to engage, learn and grow. So far this weekend I’ve had some fascinating...
IAD to Austin, TX. I’m in the white space. It’s quieter here than I expected. Two things have pushed me here, one willingly, the other not. The unwillingness was the death of my 19-year cat last week. This has hit me harder than I...
I want to bubble to the top one topic – success is sequential and not simultaneous. This is particularly difficult in entrepreneurship as we are required to do a multitude of things reasonably well in order to advance. You must be reasonably...
This week I texted a handful of individuals and asked them – what is your biggest challenge right now? The responses started pouring in quickly. Here are a few of the responses… How do I keep up the activities, and not burn out? How do I maintain focus and...
How do you feel? Satisfied? Anxious? Excited? Nervous? As you contemplate, emotion is an indicator of how closely aligned with you – you really are. As we project forward by setting goals or intentions the larger, wiser...
How are you really doing? Are you asking yourself that question in an honest way each week? Remember, there is no such thing as success or failure – only results. Success or failure is a state of mind, not measurable because it is owned only by the perspective...
There is an ease and calm that develops when you sit with the quality of Trust. Trust in oneself… Trust you will do or say the right thing at the right moment… Trust that you are equipped to work through anything presented to you. Do you Trust yourself? How do...
I’m re-reading John Maxwell’s The 21 Laws of Leadership and Law 2 – The Law of Influence stood out to me this week. As the Market Center grows my leadership must grow and so I spend a lot of time reading about leadership to be more effective...
There seems to be a renewed sense of possibility this spring. Take notice of that feeling of hope, inspiration, and opportunity. How does it feel? Often we seem to have no choice but to try to build a better business from a place of not feeling very good about the one...
My sister tells a story of how when I was in middle school I wanted a desk for my bedroom. Not just any desk, an executive style desk. When we moved to Iowa and I got my own room my parents bought me a large desk and I was very excited. I spent hours...
Hello from the Eurostar on the way to Paris. Travel is powerful for many reasons. One big reason is it lessens thinking and expands experiencing of the present moment. The combination of quieting the racing mind and opening to experience creates a space in...
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