Feed your inner black sheep.
Monthly stories and insights on overcoming fear, discovering your differences, and building a business — and a life — that no one else can replicate.
Build a People-First Business (3 Min. Read) Vol. 3
“You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology — not the other way around.” -Steve Jobs When I first started in real estate, I spent a lot of time wondering if I was “doing it right.” If you’ve ever taken a professional leap – started a business, changed careers, launched something fresh – you know the feeling. That low-grade anxiety that creeps in after the initial adrenaline fades. You find yourself in uncharted territory, a solitary flickering light...
Ambition Without Anxiety: Reconciling Doing and Being (4 Min. Read) Vol. 9
“One should not search for an abstract meaning of life. Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.” –Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning What do you do when you’re at peace with yourself, yet still want more out of life? Conversely, what do you do when you've attained as...
Your Value Is Revealed by What You Refuse (4 Min. Read) Vol. 8
I’ve never met an entrepreneur or high-level professional who hasn’t wrestled with the question of “value.” “What makes me different?” “Why should someone choose me over everyone else offering similar products or services?” Writing as someone who knows, I warn that you can easily fall down the rabbit hole of over-analysis on this topic (or, worse, remain stuck there indefinitely). It’s not a subject that’s kind to the insecure, or to anyone with even a mild strain of Imposter Syndrome. And...
How to Guarantee You Won’t Ever Fail (or Do Much Else with Your Life!) (3 Min. Read) Vol. 7
With just a couple weeks left of 2025, here’s one New Year’s resolution I bet none of you have in mind: Fail more. In conversations with conscientious, high-achieving, Type A people across the board, “failure” typically emerges as one concept that scares them all equally. They feel they’ll do anything to avoid it. If this is sounding anything like you, I have news that should come as a great relief: there’s a simple blueprint for avoiding failure. Mind-blowingly intuitive! It’s actually the...
DREAM, Don’t Dread: SWAT Secrets Finale (4 Min. Read) Vol. 6
Talking to people terrifies me. I suppose that’s not entirely true. More accurately, the anticipation of talking with strangers makes me anxious. When I’m hosting an open house and see people pulling into the driveway, I feel my stomach drop. My heart rate jumps. I suddenly feel I'm standing alone on a dark, empty stage, with the curtain about to rise and the spotlights seconds from flashing on. I don’t know how normal this is, especially in real estate. And not everyone will relate to the...
SWAT Secrets, Part 2: Build Trust Like a Pro (4 Min. Read) Vol. 5
Here's where I’ve struggled most as a professional. Let me know if you relate: I'm someone who is dead serious about improving the lives of the clients I represent. And I’m sometimes frustrated (or even surprised) by how guarded people can seem when I first meet them. Part of me maintains a naïve expectation that strangers will just “get” that I’m one of the good ones. And sometimes that does happen (which is great, albeit rare). In most cases, though, potential clients need us to earn their...
SWAT Secrets: Negotiate Like Lives Depend on It (4 Min. Read) Vol. 4
When you hear the word “negotiation,” what comes to mind? For some of us (or maybe just me), it’s a mental movie from the ‘80s or ‘90s: pinstripe-clad executives pounding their fists on sleek boardroom tables covered with paper, the air thick with rancor and the scent of stale coffee. But chances are, if you work with human beings (or even just live with them), you already know what it means to negotiate. The question is: how well can you do it? We recently sat down with Justin Bonina, head...
In a World of Salespeople, Be an Advocate (4 Min. Read) Vol. 2
Salesperson: A person whose job is to sell a product or service in a given territory… Advocate: One who supports or promotes the interests of a cause or group. Think about the roles you play in your industry. Are you more of a salesperson — or an advocate? Can a person be both? In our industry (real estate), we often grapple with these questions. On the surface, there does seem to be some natural overlap. On one hand, we engage in transactions. There’s a product — a piece of property — that...
Monthly stories and insights on overcoming fear, discovering your differences, and building a business — and a life — that no one else can replicate.