Read - For A Change

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending Feb 17, 2012

2012-02-14T18:15:00.001-08:00

QUOTE: “How do you tell when you run out of invisible ink?” Stephen Wright

PERSONAL UPDATE: My eye surgeries for cateracts apparently went very well. Vision is still a little blurry in the right eye; expect that to improve over the next few days. Thank you to everyone for your concern. It is very much appreciated.

WISDOM FROM MICHAEL DUNN, What's The BIG Secret? You will never reach your full potential until you know all of your options. You won't know your options until you stop trying and you start writing. The plans of a man's heart are like deep waters, but a man of understanding will draw them out. Solomon http://www.michaelpdunn.org/Picture-Page.html

ARE YOU READY FOR A PERSONAL ASSISTANT? Take the quiz at: http://www.realtor.org/rmoquiz2.nsf/assistantquiz?openform

NOTES TO SELF: This is a program that sends you very short, easy to read daily inspirational/motivational/funny quotes to get your day started in the right direction. Encourage everyone to sign up. http://conta.cc/NotesToSelf

A BAD WAY TO USE YOUR SMART PHONE & THEY ARE ONLY WORDS from www.SalesDog.com. Pay attention to the suggestions in A Bad Way To Use Your Smart Phone: http://www.salesdog.com/newsletter/2012/sales_training_nl0564.htm#newsletter

THE REAL TEST OF A SUCCESSFUL SALES PERSON: If you are in sales and that would apply to everyone except maybe you-know-who, this article by Jeffrey Gitomer is for you. What are you doing AFTER the sale; an inquiring mind wants to know: http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3MQkl9SUrljVQ%3D%3D

SHORT NUGGET FOR THE NOGGIN;

HOW TO ATTEND A SALES/TRAINING MEETING

by Gymbeaux

It is amazing how many people arrive late and leave early to a sales meeting or training event. Either way their (certainly not you) arrival and/or departure disrupts the event not to mention the presenter. In fact it shows a certain level of disrespect for the attendees who are on time and stay to the end and the presenter/speaker.

As mentioned in the article above A Bad Way To Use Your Smart Phone, letting your phone ring is always a bad thing while in a meeting; answering it is even worse. There is little difference however when you put your smart phone on vibrate and then leave it on the table so that when it does go off it alerts everyone in the room as it dances across the table.

Here are some rules that everyone ought to make their personal rules for attending events:

1. Be on time.

2. Stay to the end.

3. Time block the event so nothing else interrupts your attendance

4. Turn your phone off and do not leave the room every time it vibrates

5. Realize that very few things in life are so important that they cannot wait for a better time to respond

6. Advise your customers, friends and family to leave messages and that you WILL call them back when appropriate and that from time to time you do turn your phone off. Then make certain you return calls.

7. Side conversations CAN and ARE heard contrary to popular belief. If you must talk, add to the meeting by talking to the presenter instead of your neighbor.

THE KILLER HABIT: When an “outside” presenter conducts a meeting or class, send them a handwritten thank you note. Most presenters/trainers are donating their time and effort, a little thank you goes a very long way. Handwritten personal thank you notes are quickly becoming a lost art and a thing of the past, pity!

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending February 10, 2012

2012-02-07T16:40:00.000-08:00

QUOTE: "You are the average of the people you have met and the books you have read." Charlie “Tremendous” Jones. Amen Charlie.

DAILY AFFIRMATION: What would happen if everyone would ask the question when they first wake up each morning, “How am I going to change the world today?” Or better yet, just say, “I AM GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD TODAY!”

MADE IN AMERICA: This is a video sent by Stacey Chehardy. It is difficult to find “Made In America” products; this is an example of what could happen when you do. Be patient, there is an ad that precedes the video. http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_04vzdsr5/uiconf_id/5590821

WISDOM FROM MICHAEL DUNN, What’s The BIG Secret? When you are stuck, blocked, or unsure of what to do, list all your options. As people, we have a tendency to think of a way to do something and then decide that it must be done that way. The problem with this strategy is that there might be a better way. So list out any possible option and one of them will begin to make sense. Don't forget the options of wait and stop. www.michaelpdunn.org Gymbeaux Note: If you read only one more book, make sure it is What's The BIG Secret by Michael Dunn.

SPARK PLUG FROM JOE TYE: “When you got up this morning, did you see a chalk line around your body? If not, why not choose to see the opportunities all around you? Opportunities to make things better, opportunities to be of service to those in need, opportunities to create new products and services, opportunities to make a difference.” Gymbeaux additional note: “Realize that things rarely go as smooth as you might like and to have the wisdom to expect issues and then accept them as a part of life. Fretting over the minor things in life is simply not worth the effort and self-imposed aggravation expended.”

ASK DON’T TELL: Using Power Questions To Create Clients For Life. From Andrew Sobel. This article is about sales in general, not real estate yet the principles still apply. Modify them to fit your customer’s needs: http://andrewsobel.com/blog/2012/02/ask-dont-tell-using-power-questions-to-create-clients-for-life

TWO WRONGS DON’T MAKE A RIGHT. HOW RIGHT ARE YOU? By Jeffrey Gitomer. This is a great article and certainly worth your time to read, short, to the point and essential. http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3MHdCEOEacxMA%3D%3D

WIN OR LOSE, article by Jon Gordon. When you read this, think about the Indianapolis 500 race. The drivers who finish second sometimes do so by just tenths of seconds. Those seconds could be something as simple as taking an extra drink of water while in the pit area, a tire changer taking just one second longer to change a tire. Yet at the finish line, people do not remember second place. The difference between winning and losing usually takes place during the game or race, not at the finish line. Pay attention to the details both large and small; they make a difference in the result. http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-020612-win-or-lose.html

KENNY BROOKS, the ultimate door-to-door salesman? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAo-DmzdvK0&feature=youtu.be

ODDS IN MY FAVOR - FROM DR. TOM HILL’S EZINE: I love this acronym - "Odds In My Favor": What if everything I did got the odds in my favor - by always wearing a seat belt - by exercising a minimum of 5 days a week - by staying within 5 pounds of my ideal weight (it's not rocket science - it's your genes, diet and exercise) - by telling and showing your loved ones how much you do love and care about them - by reading a minimum of a book a week (you would be in the top 1% of the adults in America). My advice is to make this a part of your conscious and subconscious being - your attitude in all six areas of your life - especially in your spiritual, health and relationships. A part of my morning prayer is "Today, I will get the odds in my favor in every way that I can."

Remember: One person who's attracted to you because of who you have become, can change your life forever and one idea, well executed, can also change your life forever. In my experience about 85% of the population just does not get it and 15% do. Daily, get the odds in your favor in all areas of your life - be a daily learner and a daily "Today I will become the best person possible."

One of my all time favorite quotes is from Charlie "Tremendous" Jones - "You are the average of the people you have met and the books you have read." Amen Charlie.

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending February 3

2012-01-31T07:31:00.000-08:00

QUOTE: "Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you." Carl Sandburg Also consider this from Eric Hoffer: "In times of change, the learners will inherit the Earth." Gymbeaux note: “Times” are changing faster than ever before, therefore the question is, Are you a learner?

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM MICHAEL DUNN: Ever wonder why things you think should be happening in your life aren't. The man in this video is totally lost as to why he can't do a simple thing like lift a chair that a small child can. What is really holding us back? Go here to see this funny video. www.michaelpdunn.org

NEW CPR METHOD: This brief video could save someone’s life including your own. Recommend you show this video to your family and friends: http://medicine.arizona.edu/spotlight/learn-sarver-heart-centers-continuous-chest-compression-cpr

HUD RE-REGISTRATION. If you have registered to work HUD sales, your Louisiana license has expired at December 31, 2011 and if you want to continue to work HUD sales, you MUST go on line to www.hudstore.com and updated your personal profile to indicate your license will expire on December 31, 2012; otherwise you will be unable to work the HUD sales.

FREE WEBINAR: VOICE MAIL STRATEGIES. The key word here is FREE. And the subject says it all, Do you have one? Do you know what you are going to say when the VOICE MAIL STRATEGIES. person you called does not answer the phone and you get their voice mail? You should and this FREE webinar should help you develop a strategy: http://www.salesbuzz.com/free-demo/voicemail-strategies.aspx

OBJECTIONS ARE NOT THE ISSUE; YOU ARE! If you read nothing else in regards to sales, read Jeffrey Gitomer. Here is another example of how he thinks and would like for you to think. If you are happy with your sales results, keep doing what you have always done and you will continue to get what you have always gotten. Change the way you think and the results are endless. http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3MuGpV5JKGYFg%3D%3D

SCAM ALERT/ILLEGAL ACTIVITY - Reported by a Member sent by NOMAR:

I personally came in contact with this in two areas, one is Slidell and the other is the West bank. Individuals are placing signs on poles and staked into the ground that state something like "House for $55,000 and a phone number". These individuals go to vacant houses and strip the house of anything that would indicate the property is listed. REALTOR signs are removed, if it is a HUD home the Property Managers sticker that is in the window is removed, the sign sheet in the house is removed. How they gain access is not confirmed however in two cases they represented themselves as agents and called for lockbox codes.

The consumers who call from the posted signs are taken to these houses and are told by the individual who answers those phones that they own the house. That they have two offers but if the consumer brings a cash down payment right away they can buy the house and they request $2000.00.

The HUD attorney's are aware of this and I have personally reported two incidents to the Sheriff in Jefferson Parish. I understand from the LREC that one individual was brazen enough to remove the yard sign of a Broker and replace it with his own. In this instance a consumer gave them cash and then reported them and I understand the Attorney General is handling this.

It is unknown if these individuals are licensees or not. I have handed over the names and phone numbers that I received from consumers to the Sheriff and to HUD. It is my thought that the real estate community needs to be aware of what is going on so they can be extra vigilant.

GYMBEAUX NOTE: My wife and I saw a similar sign at the I-12 Exit at Airport Road. $55,000 and a phone number, yellow background.

PROFIT SHARING 1099. Remember you have to go to www.kw.com to retrieve your 1099 for profit sharing. Go to www.KW.com, click on the Resource Tab and then scroll down until you see 1099. When you click on the 1099 link it will tell you to highlight above, you need to highly the MISC 1099 in the line with your name on it.

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

2012-01-24T15:19:00.000-08:00

QUOTE: “Man alone is born crying, lives complaining, and dies disappointed. “ Samuel Johnson. Gymbeaux Note: Why not ask the question: "Am I complaining more or less?" If you find yourself complaining at all, what are you doing to correct whatever it is you are complaining about. Are you part of the solution, or are you part of the problem? Hmmmmmmmmmmm, just asking…….

MARK YOUR CALENDARS, 2012 TEE OFF FOR SCHOLARSHIPS: Friday April 13, 2012. Third Annual Golf Tournament created to provide college scholarships for local high school graduates. This event cannot happen without the support of people reading this newsletter. We need players, sponsors, door prizes, and/or cash donations. We also could use the personal help in organizing and conducting the event. It will be held at Oak Harbor Golf Club starting at 12:00, tee off at 1:00. The event includes lunch, dinner, golf fees, cart fees and lots of prizes including a $10,000 hole-in-one price, flat panel TV, new clubs and a cruise as additional hole-in-one prizes. There will also be a 50/50 putting contents but the winner will have one shot at some 'REAL' cash. Go to www.TeeOffForScholarships.com for more information. Call Mike Bentson or Jim Brown at 985-649-6333 for more information, sponsorship information or a tournament application.

WISDOM FROM MICHAEL P. DUNN: "WHAT IF it is as easy to be successful as it is to fail?" What if we could reverse the downward spiral that sometimes happens in our lives? What if we could reverse the flow and create an upward spiral? http://michaelpdunn.org/Success.html

SPECIAL REQUESTS:
Please consider following Michael P. Dunn, on www.Twitter.com author of What’s The BIG Secret. Go to www.Twitter.com and enter @michaelpdunn777.

Also please considering following Wes Hopper author of the daily gratitude ezine, at @DailyGratitude_ Arizona on www.Twitter.com
VALENTINE’S DAY MAILOUT: Valentine Day is fast approaching. One of the best cards you will ever mail or email is very simple: “Happy Valentine’s Day. Send referrals; not flowers!”

BIRTHDAY MAILOUT: When it is your birthday, send a post card or email that reads: “February 28, a GREAT American was born!” On the back or in the text, “ME! Send referrals not gifts!”
ICE: In case you don’t know or haven’t done it, you should take your Number 1 person to contact in the event of an emergency and list him or her in your cell phone directory as ICE (and then the person’s name). To emergency responders, they look for ICE in the directory for ICE - In Case of Emergency. That is who they call should you need help and can’t call on your own. You can also enter ICE1, ICE2, etc. Think ahead.

TAX FORMS: Your 1099 has been distributed by the MCA. Your 1099 for your Profit Sharing has not as yet been posted to www.kw.com where you will receive it. The web site indicates the information will be available on or before January 31, 2012. To obtain your Profit Sharing 1099, go to www.KW.com select the TECHNOLOGY TAB and scroll down your choices, look for the Profit Sharing 1099 towards the bottom. It should be available on or after January 31, 2012.

WHO'S AFRAID OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL NETWORKING? YOU ARE! Jeffrey Gitomer. Highly recommend reading "Social Boom" by Jeffrey Gitomer. He gives you the "how to" in creating your social media presence. http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3O22ofrk%2FKXOA%3D%3D

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending January 20, 2012

2012-01-17T16:01:00.000-08:00

QUOTE: "No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow. (So you think you do, so some believe you can wait until tomorrow) Success depends upon using it wisely--by planning and setting priorities." Denis Waitley (Motivational speaker/author) (Gymbeaux Note: I added the extra part in parens because on February 17, 2011 I thought I had a lot of tomorrows to do the things I wanted to do and then in just a very short minute my world changed when I had a heart attack. My tomorrow turned out to be lucky; some others did not. You can never be guaranteed a tomorrow so use what you have wisely today)

MEAT FROM JEFFREY GITOMER: “Results from networking don't happen in a short space of time. Your best results will come from consistently showing up and giving value.” Jeffrey Gitomer The Little Red Book of Sales Answers! WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR? AND WHAT THE GOAL FOR NEXT (THIS) YEAR? http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3OvEPP5Jx2c%2Bg%3D%3D “It's okay to celebrate achievement and revel in victory, but that's just a reflection of where you are at this moment. The wisdom you gained and the associated lessons learned are what will get you to tomorrow.” Jeffrey Gitomer

2012 TEE OFF FOR SCHOLARSHIPS is underway! We need help in the form of committee volunteers, sponsorships, door prize doners, cash donations and players for the 2012 Tee Off For Scholarships Golf Tourney from which we hope to fund at least 5 College Scholarships, one each from the 5 Slidell area High Schools. Don’t wait, jump in. Need all the help we can get. www.TeeOffForScholarships.com.

READ FOR A CHANGE NUGGET: Here is the deal. I want you to take whatever is bothering you, great or small, put it in your right hand and make a fist and hold on to it as hard as you can. Really, give this a try. When you are thinking of nothing but your problem, click on this link and watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ46Ot4_lLo&feature=related. Now open your hand. Quite possibly, actually probably, your problem does not seem as great as it once was. We tend to spend most of our lives in and out of thoughts that someone is out to hurt us, the world is against us, or we just find ourselves complaining about anything and everything. Do we really have it that bad? Are our lives really in that bad of shape? Pretty amazing video.

PUTTING THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE: Unless you live under a rock or in a cave, you must have heard about excessive government spending. This video takes a look at it from a slightly different perspective but does it make a point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Li0no7O9zmE

MICHAEL DUNN WEEKLY WISDOM: What you focus on expands. You reap what you sow. You sow with your thoughts and that creates your future. Think of negative thinking as an attack on your dreams, your family and your finances. Then make a decision not to do it, but to focus on the good you want to reap in your life. http://michaelpdunn.blogspot.com/

FROM ANDY ROONEY: I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

CALENDAR EVENT: Mark it now! The 2012 NABOR Awards Luncheon will be held at the Tchfuncte Country Club in Covington on March 29, at 11:30. Watch for details on how to make your reservations.

SOUNDING DELIBERATE OR DESPERATE? Telephone techniques; sound familiar? From www.SalesDog.com http://www.salesdog.com/newsletter/2012/sales_training_nl0560.htm#newsletter

2012 MANDATORY CE COURSE: Advertising Rules and Regulations – How They Relate To Social Media And Teams In General. This 4-hour course must be completed by December 31, 2012, as part of the 12-hour continuing education requirement for license renewal. If you are a new licensee, remember that completion of the 45-hour post license curriculum does not relieve you from completing the mandatory topic course.

NEW MARKET CENTER SITE. Our Slidell Calendar site is/has been changing to the new site created by Keller Williams Realty International. You will if you have not already receive a daily email listing important dates, times, posts, via an email. This will come automatically from the site. When you receive it play around with it; see what it can do. There is a section, the primary section that will appear to be like Facebook where people can enter posts that others will see. You will be able to see not only our Market Center Calendar but also the Regional and International Calendar of coming events. You can access the site directly through your KW eEdge Dashboard once the link has been made operational. Check it out when available. At some point we will convert www.SlidellCalendar.com to the new site or we may create a different URL for that purpose and keep the old site open for as long as we can. The link will currently take you to the present site.

IMPORTANT COMPLIANCE ISSUES: We received our first and hopefully our last “Cite & Fine” notice from the Real Estate Commission. The Commission was on CraigsList looking at a listing and then linked back to the listing agent’s web site. The site failed to include “Each Office Independently Owned & Operated”. This oversite cost the agent $75.00 OR the agent can fight it out with the Commission. The reason they call it “cite & fine” is that it is almost impossible to fight against the facts as in this case, the words were simply not there. Everyone’s site was visited over the past weekend and it is believed that all sites are in compliance. It is still each agent’s responsibility to insure that their site(s), emails, faxes, blogs, anything electronically transmitted are in compliance with Louisiana Rules & Regulations. In this regard, everyone is strongly encouraged to take the REQUIRED 2012 Mandatory Continuing Education Course SOONER RATHER THAN LATER at the first opportunity it is given to help insure your compliance with advertising.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN RIPPED OFF? Cool site, www.RipOffReport.com. You can enter a company you have done business with or are looking to do business with. Hopefully YOUR name is not in the list of reports submitted. You might be surprised. I work with a company that I absolutely love and have had nothing but great rapport and service from yet there were two reports on file in regards to their customer service. Just goes to show you that you can’t please everyone all the time. There are over 600,000 Rip Off Reports on file.

5 WAYS PEOPLE WILL MISREAD YOUR BODY LANGUAGE: From www.SalesDog.com. If there is one thing I can personally attest to it is that the people you communicate with (1) do not always hear what you say; (2) read far more into what you said than what you actually said; and (3) mis-read your body language when you communicate. For example, I am personally very comfortable when my arms are folded but to a body language expert that means that I am in disagreement with what is being said. In my case, just not true. But does that matter if you are working with a customer? Absolutely, you must be aware of how people perceive you and especially your body language. This article is spot on. You must be aware of these things when working with your buyers and sellers both in THEIR body language and especially in your own body language. Good stuff! http://www.salesdog.com/newsletter/2012/sales_training_nl0559.htm#newsletter

REAL ESTATE COMMISSION CHANGE TO FIRST TIME LICENSEES. Effective January 1, 2012, every applicant for a new real estate license will have to have a background investigation taken. This is a significant change so in case you are questioned, now you know.

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending January 13, 2012

2012-01-10T06:49:00.000-08:00

It may be a NEW year... but it's a very OLD principle:

Thoughts become things....and attract more of the same.

It’s The Law of Attraction!

You Attract Into Your Life More Of What You Think Of MOST!

QUOTE: “There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded." Mark Twain

FOR DAYS OF AULD LANG SYNE BY SISSEL: Beautiful way to start the new year! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x91rBzNKvlc

ATTITUDE STARTS WITH YOU. What would happen if you started every day as this young girl does. This video is actually quite old. They have additional videos of interviews conducted when she was about to turn 13. Paulena started last weeks’ Partners Meeting with this video which is provided especially for anyone who did not get a chance to see it last week. Pretty special stuff! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg

7 RULES THAT TURN HOLDING OPENS INTO A DEPENDABLE FLOW OF BUSINESS, by Rich Levin. Good article. http://www.brokeragentsocial.com/article/1415/7-rules-that-turn-holding-opens-into-a-dependable-flow-of-business

WHOSE'S HAPPY NEWS YEAR IS IT - YOURS OR THEIRS? Jeffrey Gitomer has hit the nail on the head with this one. He gives you just SEVEN descriptions and asks you to grade yourself. You don't have to great each one, just grade how many you can say YES! to. As much as I work on myself, I would be hard pressed to answer more than 3 or 4 YES!; how about you? http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3MCa62B0smSQA%3D%3D

WELCOME TO LOUISIANA’S I-12 RETIREMENT DISTRICT: Who knew? Did you know that St. Tammany Parish has been designated a Louisiana Retirement District? It has. Should we not be linking this on our web sites, including it on our property flyers and who knows where else? Check it out at: http://www.lai-12retirement.org/

WAKE UP TO A POSITIVE SHORT EMAIL INSPIRATIONAL/MOTIVATIONAL MESSAGE FROM WES HOPPER: I have been collecting the emails Wes sends out for almost two years and I have saved them all. Wes sends out an email each weekday. You can subscribe by going to http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Kx6ZW&m=IjvEZQ2rRsR9M1&b=3MgBUfHvS2S3lQ4BpRgQ1A

NOTE TO SELF: This is a really educational & motivational email program that sends you a Note To (Your)Self every day. The Food for Thought quote at the end of this newsletter came from Note to Self. Quick to read, easy to digest. Highly recommended. http://mail.google.com/mail/#inbox/134c25d5709c5a6c

THE POWER OF STAGING HOME STAGING COURSE. Homes that have been properly “staged” have been proven to sell faster and for higher prices. Here is a course that teaches you how to stage homes. http://www.retrainingcenter.com/showOTDetails.asp?TCID=1003256

Posted by Staff Writer in Weekly Editorial

Tuesday, January 3. 2012
The News-Banner
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The following is from Michael Hyatt's blog - thought it was worth sharing - great words of wisdom - don't let your ego get in.

Here are five principles for owning your own mistakes and failures:

Respond immediately. When you realize you've made a mistake, "own it" with those involved as soon as possible. Delaying only tempts you to put it off and rationalize why it's not that big of a deal to share. If your teammates don't see you owning your mistakes when they come to light, they will question your credibility—and rightly so.

Be crystal clear. Be direct and clear about the mistakes you make. If avoiding accountability is bad, half-owning a mistake wrapped in excuses is pathetic. Don't beat around the bush or sugar coat the issue. Clearly identify the mistake and its implications. This will help bring people up to speed on the issue and enlist their support in what should be done next.

Share the lesson learned. Failure is a wasted experience if nothing is learned. Learning a personal lesson is good, but teaching others from your mistakes is even better. It will take some humility on your part, but great leaders know that it's much more effective to lead out of vulnerability with all of our imperfections than seeking to manage a façade of leadership perfection.

Be ready for feedback. Just because you've taken responsibility doesn't mean that people will not want to further process what has transpired. Be prepared for people to share their feedback. Resist the urge to be defensive. A wonderful proverb states that "a soft answer turns away wrath." It is difficult for people to pour out their wrath on someone that takes feedback with humility. Remember: if you're committed to "owning it," this is part of the process.

Move forward. If you lead, you're going to fail, period. It's part of the job description. Pick yourself up and move on. Earlier in my leadership I would be paralyzed by my mistakes. It would take me forty-eight hours or so to find my leadership equilibrium. High capacity leaders don't have that kind of time to be wasting by kicking themselves. Keep in mind you're modeling that you can fail, learn, and move forward.

The sad reality is that many leaders run from owning their mistakes because they don't want to look weak. The irony is that this very avoidance of accountability screams weakness. Strength in leadership comes from integrated character at every level. Make owning mistakes part of your leadership toolbox and you and your team will be the better for it.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: "Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week's value out of a year while another man gets a full year's value out of a week." Charles Richards (Canadian Chief Justice, 1879-1956)

Online Newsletter for the Week ending January 6, 2012

2012-01-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It doesn't matter whether you call them resolutions, goals, desires or dreams...

what matters is that you don't choose ones based on your present circumstances.

Stretch yourself but not too far.

Make your goals “just out of reach.”

Then you are not discouraged that you did not reach them but came close.

Set your annual goals to match up with your BIG WHY in life.

What do you have to achieve THIS MONTH to achieve THIS YEAR?

Then set in motion what you have to achieve THIS WEEK, TODAY

to achieve what you want in your life and future.

QUOTE: "If at first you don't succeed, you're running about average." M. H. Alderson (writer)

QUOTE 2: "To be happy, drop the words 'if only' and substitute instead the words 'next time'." Smiley Blanton (Psychiatrist, 1882-1966) “If only I had done this…”; to “Next time I will do…”

GYMBEAUX NOTE ON QUOTE 2: Quote 2 also reminded me that you should drop the word “but.” Think about all the times you use the word BUT in your sentences. Try this in sales: “The offer we received is great BUT you may consider the price a little low.” What does the word “BUT” accomplish in this sentence? It builds a wall between where you are (not having an accepted contract) and where you want to go (having an accepted contract); just that one word BUT accomplishes. You most likely have at times thought that as well, “Here comes the BUT!” Admit it. What could you have said instead? “The offer we received is great AND I think you and I can work with it.” No BUTS any more!

FROM MICHAEL DUNN: Ever notice that people who are successful share the same belief system. It seems that I can never get enough of people's stories of how they became successful. Arnold Schwarzenegger's story is one to hear. Listen to his 6 Rules for Success that he gave at the USC Graduation Commencement as: www.michaelpdunn.org

WHAT’S THE BIG SECRET, by Michael P. Dunn. For those of you reading the book, check out page 59. According to Dunn there are three types of people. Which type are you? Are you sure? Absolutely sure? Oftentimes you are NOT the person you think you are. That is one of the HUGE values of having a personal coach. A coach will tell you, a friend probably will not. I think everyone of us would like to be a Type 3. According to studies and Dunn’s book, 3 out of every 100 people are a Type 3. Whoops! There are approximately 80 people in our Market Center – that’s when it becomes scary!

20 TIPS FOR A POSITIVE NEW YEAR FOR 2012: By Jon Gordon. These should be obvious but given the track record of so many people like you-know-who, they need to be revisited: http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-010212-20tips.html

7 GREAT WAYS TO MAKE 2012 A GREAT YEAR! By Joe Tye. All seven of these are great and highly recommended; I like #3 the best; talk about thinking outside the box: http://tinyurl.com/7ozmmut

7.5 Things To Think About In The New Year by Jeffrey Gitomer. I particularly like #7.5; seems like I have heard that before someonewere. I wonder where? http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3PR3vBnNEyzlQ%3D%3D

FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL YOU ARE. Surviving Your Serengeti by Stefan Swanepoel is a great inspirational novel, very easy to read yet very instructional at the same time. Take the 3-minute quiz to find out what kind of animal you are. Personally, I am an Enterprising Crocodile; you will be amazed at just how well that fits me. You? Go to http://www.whatanimalami.com/ to find out!

SUPER EFFECTIVE SPEED LIMIT REDUCTION; it pays to complain to the government. http://zanylol.com/speed_sign.html

NO FEAR IN THE NEW YEAR, fabulous article by Jon Gordon. If you want to change the results for 2012, read this short article: http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-122611-no-fear-in-the-new-year.html

GREAT MESSAGE FROM DEBBIE BEAUMONT; OUTREAGOUS BUSINESS GROWTH: This is an a copy of an email I received on December 31 in regards to how to give you a better chance of achieving your desired business growth in 2012. Give it a minute to read, that is all it will take. It WILL make a significant difference for you in 2012. It has been posted on www.SlidellCalendar.com in the Document section in the Motivation File Folder.

MARKETING SOURCE: I have been using www.Queensboro.com to purchase clothing items with EMBROIDERED company logo including www.NuggetsForTheNoggin.com The minimum order is usually 4 items and in most cases the 4 items do not have to be the same item 4 times. Once you get your logo approved and established there is typically no additional logo charge to customize your logo. The best part you can include not only your company logo but also include your personal embroidered name on your items. For an additional $5.00 per item you can have your web site embroidered on the back of your item. The prices are exceptionally good but I would strongly suggest you sign up for Queensboro’s email sales emails – the prices there are fantastic. Comment: Wearing Neat, Attractive Logo Clothing is like wearing a uniform and is accepted as proper working attire by most customers. Remember, you only have one chance to make a favorable first impression.

SLIDELL CARJACKINGS: Reports indicate a third incident of carjacking in Slidell. This time it was two girls in a parking lot. When you leave a store, please pay attention to your surroundings. Set your cell phone for speed dialing to someone you know. Stay off your phone when leaving stores. Using your phone while walking to your car only distracts you.

MUGGING NEAR ROUSES: Last night I was at Rouse's near I-10, and there were two of Slidell PD's finest, and they said a woman was mugged in the area moments before. PLEASE NOTE, this happened in a *crowded area*. Whoever is behind the recent string of crimes is apparently not afraid of acting in daylight or even when there are other people around. It is imperative that you BE AWARE of your surroundings. You determine your own level safety. This means more than taking a quick glance around as you leave the store with your phone to your ear. Stop the phone call, take out your ear phones so you can hear, notice people as you walk, etc. Also, have your keys out so they're ready for when you get to your car. There's plenty of other safety tips out there. From David McLaughlin.

Steeling Yourself for Sales Survival in 2012

By Tom Hopkins, author of the award-winning book:

Selling in Tough Times

WITH NOTES BY GYMBEAUX

In order to survive any challenge that negatively impacts your selling career, you need to follow the Boy Scout motto of "being prepared." So, how do you prepare yourself for some unknown event that may pop up on the horizon?

You begin with a commitment to personal growth. Personal growth is a process of increasing your knowledge and effectiveness so you can serve more, earn more and contribute more to the betterment of yourself, your family and all of humankind. It demands an investment of time, effort and money. Keep in mind that if you're not moving ahead, you're falling behind.

Surround yourself with winners. (Gymbeaux Note: There is no better place to do this than attending the 2012 Family Reunion in Orlando) Find other, like-minded, individuals and feed each other strategies for selling in these times, positive news, creative ideas and referral business. Be careful not to involve anyone in this process who doesn't contribute. And don't you be the one wanting the gain but not giving your own positive input to the others. (Gymbeaux Note: This is what makes Keller Williams Realty so great and so different. Most agents are so willing to share with other agents what is working and helping them.)

To keep yourself moving ahead, I recommend that you allocate five percent of your time to personal improvement. (Gymbeaux Note: I did the math for you. 5% of an 8-hour days equals just 24 minutes, 24 Minutes. If you dedicated 24 minutes every workday, that would equate to 104 hours a year. What could you make of yourself and your business if you dedicated 104 hours a year to improve them? It is mindboggling to me.) If you work a 40-hour week that's two hours each week. It needn't be a two-hour block of time, although many of my students find that extremely helpful. You could commit to half an hour each day. (Go ahead and do the math, it does add up to a little more than two hours a week that way but you do want to achieve long-term greatness, don't you?)

What do you work on? That depends on you. (On a Scale of 1 (do nothing) to 10 (do as much as you could) rate your skill level in the following areas that are critical to success:

· Time management

· Computer skills

· Writing, composition

· Ability to Focus

· Self-discipline

· Verbal communication skills

· Dress and grooming

· Business etiquette

· Body language - reading and relaying

· Reading skills

· Math

· Product knowledge

· Paperwork/ data entry knowledge

· Networking

· Prospecting

· Handling your personal finances

· (Gymbeaux: Working on your presence on Social Media)

· (Gymbeaux: Creating and updating your personal Blog)

· (Gymbeaux: Reading and studying The Millionaire Real Estate Agent)

· (Gymbeaux: Working on and maintaining your Personal Business Plan based on the MREA)

· (Gymbeaux: Teaching others

· (Gymbeaux: Giving back to the community

· (Gymbeaux: Attending weekly Partners Meetings and Monthly ALC Meetings

If you find yourself getting nervous about your current level of expertise in any of these areas, don't worry. The purpose of investing five percent of your time improving is to waylay those fears through education. (Gymbeaux Note: The best way to become a master in any subject is to teach it. Volunteer and learn to teach to give back to our industry.)

This educational experience need not be expensive or traditional (in case you're like me and hated school). Many resources can be found at your local library (Gymbeaux: and online). Forget the ads for credit cards. Having a library card is the single most powerful card you can carry in your wallet or purse.

Can there be any better investment than in your own personal growth? Think about it. Anything else you might invest in can lose market value, be stolen or seized. The time you invest in bettering yourself will remain with you for life, contributing throughout your career to your self-confidence and your ability to defeat whatever life sends against you. (Gymbeaux Note: You can sit back and complain about the unprofessional qualities of the people in our business OR you can help improve the real estate industry one person at-a-time by becoming a teacher; you choose.)

Create an educational fund for yourself. Set aside five percent of all of your net earnings into a savings account for education. Then, when an opportunity for education above and beyond what you can find for free comes along, you'll never have to say, "I can't afford it." (Gymbeaux Note: I would suggest that when the opportunity avails itself like the Family Reunion, YOU CAN’T AFFORD NOT TO ATTEND!) You want to be able to take advantage of courses at your local community college or university (Gymbeaux Note: HELLO; what about the courses offered in our own Market Center and on Keller Connects?) Some private technical schools offer excellent programs, for a fee, that can help your career immensely. Just like concerts, many excellent teachers bring seminars to your local area on topics specific to your industry or field. Watch for them. Schedule them into your calendar. Go and learn!

Psychotherapist Alan Loy McGinnis addresses this well. He said, "All of us have weaknesses. The trick is to determine which ones are improvable. Then get to work on those and forget about the rest." (Gymbeaux Note: Dr. John Maxwell suggests that we concentrate on brining the areas in our business and lives that are in the 7 to 10 ranges to make them better and get people to work with you on those areas where you are weak to do those activities. It makes sense. Why try to raise a 3 or 4 to a 5 or possibly a 6 when you could very easily raise an 8 or 9 to a 10 and then get someone to do the 3 or 4’s for you.)

In analyzing your strengths and weaknesses in the categories listed above, there are bound to be some things that you find easier than others. Those that you find difficult or uncomfortable will likely make the biggest difference in your career once you educate yourself on them. Initially, you may feel some hesitation to begin work on these areas. That's quite normal. We hesitate most to do that which we fear most. And fear is nothing more than a lack of knowledge. (Gymbeaux Note: Golf Analogy: Golfers spend millions of dollars and practice time to hit longer drives. But if they can’t get on the green in regulation and if they can’t make the putts when they get there, the long drives go for naught. In golf there is the tee-shot, the approach shot, the short game, the bunker game and the putting game. A weakness in any area will destroy your score just like a weakness in the selling game will cause you to lose money. Where are you weak? What should you or someone else be doing right now to fix the gap? Do you know?)

Tom Hopkins is the author of 14 books including the best-selling How to Master the Art of Selling and the award-winning, Selling in Tough Times. These books, Tom's audios, videos and seminars contain no fluff, no hype, no theory. They're simple, how-to sales methods that work! Learn how to become a better you. Then, use Tom's proven-effective communication strategies and closing techniques to serve more clients, generating more revenue for your company and a higher income for yourself. Stop settling for the same sales income you've had for years. Give yourself a raise with Tom's easy-to-use approaches that will quickly get you the results you desire.

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending December 30, 2011

2011-12-27T07:32:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 2012 WILL BE THE BEST YEAR EVER!

QUOTE: "I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen." Frank Lloyd Wright. Gymbeaux Note: “An unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.” Think about that. Does that describe you and how you approach achieving your BIG WHY in life (you do have a BIG WHY don’t you?)? The most definitive question you should be asking yourself on a daily basis comes from Joe Tye, my friend and mentor. DDQ: Is what I am about to say or do consistent with achieving my BIG WHY? If yes say or do it; if no, don’t! Can’t get any easier than that!

LICENSE RENEWAL: Time is running out to renew your Louisiana Real Estate License for 2012. If not renewed before January 1, 2012, you must not engage in any real estate activities otherwise you may (will) be subject to a fine from the Real Estate Commission. DO NOT LET YOUR LICENSE EXPIRE!

FROM MICHAEL P. DUNN, WHAT’S THE BIG SECRET? Each day stop and honor the voice in your gut that is giving you a nudging, write it down, and commit to get it done. If you do this for 365 days, you will accomplish more in this one year than in all the other years of your life put together. And as us Cajuns say - I gua-ran-tee-it. http://michaelpdunn.blogspot.com/

LATEST NUGGET: Habits, Insanity, Are They The Same. By Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown www.NuggetsFortheNoggin.com

RESOLVE TO BE MORE PROFESSIONAL IN 2012: General theme of this Nugget and its links. This is a good article by Kerry Preston via Jeffrey Gitomer’s weekly Ezine. What will you do to be more Professional in 2012 and by whose standards; yours? Or your customers? http://www.idimage.com/blog/2011/12/24/resolve-to-be-more-professional-in-2012/#respond

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cM9S2AzU28&feature=socblog_th

THE GREATEST DEMONSTRATION OF EXPECTATIONS I HAVE EVER SEEN AND ENJOYED: Bobby McFerrin http://www.ted.com/talks/bobby_mcferrin_hacks_your_brain_with_music.html

DAN PINK ON THE SCIENCE OF MOTIVATION: This is a 19 minute video that will surprise you. Remember, as a real estate salesperson, you are a business owner you literally hire yourself as an agent. So what motivates you to better performance. http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html

THIS IS BROKEN: Funny site showing you how ridiculous some people can be in creating stuff without really proof reading what they are doing. http://goodexperience.com/tib/

GRATITUDE – RESOLVE TO EVOLVE

By Wes Hopper

"What arises out of that ground of being is an impulse to evolve, an impulse that is not separate from the explosion in motion that emerged from nothing when the universe was born."

Andrew Cohen

Here's something for you to consider as you plan the next year of your life.

Many great teachers have pointed out that we have an inborn need to grow and evolve.

Our quote says that it's not an accident - our drive to evolve is rooted in the same eternal forces that drove the creation of the physical universe.

Wow! If that's true, we should take that urge pretty seriously!

So how are you going to evolve in 2012? Are you planning to have a year pretty much like the last year, or are you going to give those creative forces a chance to explode and emerge?

------------------------------------------
Not sure what you want to do or how to start on your dream? This program takes you through the process of getting clarity and getting started. And if you have questions, you're not on your own. It includes coaching if you want it or need it. Get the info here: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Kx6ZW&m=IrxgE19vFsR9M1&b=XYAAJUOl6Q4zN7e56TGLeg
------------------------------------------------
Here's how you set the stage for real change. Write down what you want your life to be at the end of the year.

Visualize yourself filled with the explosive creative power that brought the Universe into existence and imagine what a year of that might do for your life.

Don't worry about "how", just get clear about "what" you want it to be.

Think about it, meditate on it, go to sleep with it and wake up with it.

There is an impulse in you that wants to evolve dramatically, and it's time you turned it loose.

Let's make this the year.

Many blessings, Wes

Not a subscriber? Get your own issue every week day.

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Kx6ZW&m=IrxgE19vFsR9M1&b=ZpvQykTOB9niIljBnjjf1A

Horn Creek Productions, LLC

PO Box 2965
Peoria, AZ 85380

Online Newsletter for Week Ending Dec 23

2011-12-20T03:55:00.001-08:00

QUOTE: "Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong." Peter T Mcintyre. Gymbeaux Note: But when you ARE wrong as we oftentimes are, take responsibility for being wrong, accept it. When you try to make a wrong right it only occurs in YOUR mind. Everyone else knows you are wrong and you lose their respect by trying to cover it up.

FROM MICHAEL DUNN: When the picture or self image you hold of yourself lines up with the picture or image God holds of you, the core of your soul will fill with a substance that makes you feel like you can do anything.... http://michaelpdunn.org/inder.html

SOCIAL MEDIA COURSE (BETA CLASS) If you-know-who is reading this, Beta Class means it is the first one ever taught. This is your chance to be a Guinea Pig. Today, Tuesday December 20^th at 10:00 am in the training room. If you want to learn how to use Social Media to enhance your web presence, mostly for free, come to the class.

REQUIRED QUADRENNIAL ETHICS TRAINING: On January 1, 2012, we start the LAST YEAR in which you can take the REQUIRED 4 Hours of Continuing Education Credit as mandated by the National Association of REALTORS (NAR). NAR requires 4 hours to be taken once every four years and December 31, 2012 is the last day on which this can be done. The course is offered locally on occasion. You can take the course ONLINE at www.REALTOR.org. It is a free course and a good course; taken it twice over the past 8 years. This is just a reminder you are on your last 12 months in which you can take it. Do not put this off; get it out of the way now. If you are new to the business over the past 3 years and attended Board Training, check your certificates of completion, you may have already received credits for taking the course.

RICK GEHA will be hosting a Business Clinic, watch this video and then sign up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rnI20yEynA The clinic will be January 26, 9:00 to 5:00 at the Sheraton Hotel in Metairie. Click here to register, only $39.00 if you register before December 31; don’t wait to attend this fabulous day in Metairie: http://2012businessplanningclinic.eventbrite.com/

THE KEY TO HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS, by Jon Gordan. http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-121911-happiness-success.html

BROKER BIT: If you want 2012 to be better than 2011, you are about to learn “The Secret” and it is right there in front of you – the Holidays! Most people in sales use the Christmas holidays to make more money in a short period of time than they do all year long. Real Estate Sales seems to be just the opposite. Most real estate salespeople get in the holiday mode at Thanksgiving and do not re-emerge until at the earliest after New Year’s Day. Now the football season is extended at least until the second week in January. But wait, Mardi Gras is only a few weeks away and you have to get ready for Mardi Gras. Therefore, in Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi real estate salespeople take at least two months off without going on vacation. They simply stop doing what they know they must do to keep the prospect pipeline full of probable buyers and sellers. So the agents, few as they are, who stay focused on the basics and work their database (met and unmet), FSBOs and Expireds will be the agents who lead the pack in 2012. That would of course be you; right?

GREAT WAY TO SAVE FOR YOUR KNOWN ANNUAL REAL ESTATE EXPENSES. Seems like every year License Renewals Fees; E&O Insurance renewal fee, Board Dues, MLS Dues sneak up on us and come as a surprise even though we know they are coming, they come every year. Here is a very simple way to prepare for these costs. NEVER, EVER, SPEND A ONE-DOLLAR BILL, EVER AGAIN. If an item costs 50 cents, pay for it with a $5.00 bill or higher. At the end of the day, start a stack of $1.00 bills and you will be absolutely amazed at not only how much you will save but also how quickly the amount saved starts to add up. Over a 12 month period you should have enough $1.00 bills to pay all your real estate expenses for 2012; all of them. Even if you don’t have enough, the amount left will be insignificant and not a problem. Try it; you’ll like it.

SOCIAL MEDIA CLASS IS GOING GREAT! Wish you were here.

SPECIAL MID-WEEK NEWSLETTER Dec 17 2011

2011-12-17T03:24:00.000-08:00

QUOTE: "When achievers fail, they see it as a momentary event, not a lifelong epidemic. It's not personal... The last time you failed, did you stop trying because you failed, or did you fail because you stopped trying? What was your level of commitment? Did you give the task everything you had? Did you go the extra mile? Did you put enough of yourself on the line to guarantee that you would give your very best? If you're committed, a failure doesn't mean that you'll never succeed. It just means that you will take longer." - John C. Maxwell: Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes Into Stepping-Stones for Success, provided by Joe Tye in his daily SparkPlug eZine.

LICENSE RENEWALS: If you intend to renew your license, you must do so before January 1, 2012. Failure to renew your license and/or complete the required 12 hours of CE including the 4 hours of mandatory CE will cause you and me to be fined $325 IF you continue to conduct real estate after December 31, 2011. Reminder: The Louisiana Real Estate Commission has created an email address for each licensee. You must go to the Commission’s web site and log onto your email account. When the Commission wants to send you information they send it to the email address it created for you and the only place to retrieve it, like your license renewal email, is on the Commission’s site. Once there you can set up your Commission email to be forwarded to your regularly checked email program. The Louisiana Real Estate Commission site is: http://www.lrec.state.la.us/

PARTNERS MEETING: There will be a Partners Meeting on Wednesday, December 21 hosted by Terry Hughes and again on Wednesday, December 28,

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL MEDIA. This is a “beta test” of a class I have been working on to introduce you to several types of social media and how you can use them to promote yourself and your business. When, Tuesday, December 20 at 10:00 in the Training Room. Class should last about 90 minutes but could be longer depending upon how good the information is and how interested everyone is in learning more. Gymbeaux will be conducting the class. You may bring your laptops and tablets if you wish but they are not needed; this is an introduction and I can send everyone who attends a copy of the PowerPoint presentation that has all the links you will need. THE CLASS IS OPEN TO ANYONE WHO WISHES TO ATTEND; WITH KELLER WILLIAMS OR NOT. Note, a Facebook entry had indicated the class started at 1:00 pm, it starts at 10:00 am.

BLACK HOLES AND FREE REFILLS. Joe Tye is a genius, don’t know how he comes up with these. The title should be enough to get you to read this short article. http://tinyurl.com/c9s29rp

WHEN YOU FALL, AT LEAST FALL FORWARD! Love that quote, it is contained in a Leslie Householder tip The Swell In Fronts of You at http://www.positivethinkingtips.org/the-swell-in-front-of-you/#comment-1352

GIVING TO CHARITY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN ANOTHER PERSON, Dave Ramsey. He is so right. Sometimes people knowing that someone simply cares for them could make all the difference in the world. Don’t give because it is the socially right thing to do, give because it IS the RIGHT thing to do.

THE MONEY JAR! LOTS of people have been asking how much we raised in one week with the Christmas Jar going to benefit the family and two boys who lost their mother in October. In just one short week, our KW family came together to raise $600. WOW! I spoke with the guidance counselor at the school, and she said several other people decided to have drives, much like we did, to help out the boys and their aunt, who is now raising them. All in all, over $4,000 was raised. Some went to buy presents for the boys, some went to the aunt to help pay her for all the gas she's been using driving back and forth to the west bank daily and for food, and $2,250 went into a fund to help raise the kids. Thank you to everyone for your generosity. It is appreciated at a level greater than many of us may ever know. Here's a link to the video (you may need to turn up the volume) http://youtu.be/8FqJEHxFcS0

NABOR AWARDS: It is that time of year again. The applications for NABOR awards MUST be at the Board Office no later than 2:00 pm on Wednesday, January 25, 2012. With the Christmas/New Year/Super Bowl activities, this process tends to get lost in the shuffle. In the next few days, information will be put in the mailboxes of associates who have already qualified for an award or who are close to being qualified for an award. Please do not wait until the last minute to get all your information together and verify your qualifications for awards. Please check your mailbox after Monday, December 19 for more information.

PERSONAL CHRISTMAS PRESENT REQUEST: If you have not as yet LinkedIn with me, please follow this link and do so for me before December 31, 2011, shooting for 1000 connections; currently have 921. Are you one of them? http://www.linkedin.com/in/gymbeaux

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending December 16

2011-12-13T05:46:00.000-08:00

QUOTE: “Not making a decision is making a decision to stay stuck!” Wes Hopper “Are you stuck on stupid?” Lieutenant General Russell Honore

A MESSAGE FROM MICHAEL DUNN: We've all heard the saying, "You Reap What You Sow" - If you sow fear, you'll reap fear. If you linger in worry, depression, or anger you are planting those seeds to reap in your life. Choose your seeds wisely and watch your future grow. http://www.thebigsecret.org/BRAINSECRETS1.html

YOU ARE THE DRIVER OF YOUR BUS; YOU HAVE THE BEST SEAT; avoid energy vampires. Jon Gordon says it all in this short 3.5 minute video. Hope you watch it: http://www.jongordon.com/blog/2011/12/06/no-energy-vampires-allowed-video/

LOUISIANA REAL ESTATE LICENSE RENEWALS: It is that time of year again. Time to renew your license for Louisiana. You must have the required 12 hours of Continuing Education credits four of which in the mandatory subject Broker and Agent Responsibility. If you do not have the required CE credits YOU CANNOT PRACTICE REAL ESTATE IN ANY WAY AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2011. Should you continue to practice real estate it will be so WITHOUT a license and you and your broker (that would be me) will be subject to a HEFTY FINE; NOT GOOD! You can obtain your CE by going to www.KW.com and entering Continuing Education in the search box. You can purchase the hours you need in all 50 states. I took an online course on “Going Green” and it was a very good course.

GAME CHANGER: Warning, the tone of this article is brutal but to the point. Is Ryan Fletcher talking about you? Read the article to find out for yourself: http://www.brokeragentsocial.com/article/1391/a-game-changer-respect-finally

NEW CONSTRUCTION ADDENDUM: The Louisiana Real Estate Commission has uploaded a new New Construction Addendum that is RECOMMENDED you use (as compared to being MANDATORY) on all Agreements to Purchase that involve New Construction. A copy has been included in the Sales Form Binder in the Resource Room and has been uploaded to www.SlidellCalendar.com in the Document Section in the Sales Document folder.

GREETING AN UNHAPPY CUSTOMER, of course that would never happen to you but if it does, read this article by Lauri Brown (no relation). This comes courtesy of Jeffrey Gitomer’s weekly Sales Caffeine Newsletter. Gymbeaux Note: When a customer is angry and speaking loudly, become an effective listener, don’t try to out talk an angry customer. When you REALLY listen and the customer knows it, it tends to calm the anger because the customer knows you also probably have the solution. Learn to be a GREAT listener: http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewSCArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3OVMk35YY58SQ%3D%3D

LEASE AGREEMENT ADDENDUM: The lease agreement addendum has been slightly modified and uploaded to www.SlidellCalendar.com, Documents section in the Rental Forms folder and it should be used on all Residential leases. The addendum change addresses which party to the lease holds and is responsible for the Deposit. The following forms should be utilized on ALL Residential Leases:

Lease Agreement
Addendum to the Lease Agreement
Rules & Regulations (if used and it should be)
Customer Information Sheet
Dual Agency Agreement as applicable
Seller’s (Owner’s) Property Disclosure if it is KW listing
Lead Base Paint Disclosure if home was built before 1978
Mold and Mildew Disclosure
Sewer Disclosure as applicable
Greensheet
MLS (Leased) Description Sheet if it is a KW Listing
MLS (Active) if it is not a KW Listing
Tenant Final Walk Through and Acceptance (this protects all parties including you)

LIST YOUR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES WITH THE ST. TAMMANY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION Yvette Sehon-Catoire provided information on the new property database Launched November 2, 2011. Our site is part of Louisiana Economic Development's (LED): http://www.louisianasiteselection.com/stedf/

By listing your available properties with the Louisiana Site Selection Center, it will ensure that your properties continue to be available for site selector requests and will allow your properties to reach broad markets as companies search for new locations. Additionally, this new site allows you, site selectors, economic developers and potential clients access to tools such as mapping, data downloads and community profiles, in addition to searching available buildings and sites.

Please note, first time users of this system will have to complete a brief registration form. Registration and property listings are free. Once you have registered, log in to the system and follow the prompts to add your available properties. One a month you will receive an email from Entergy, on behalf of LED, asking you to verify that your property(ies) is/are still available. You must respond or your listings will be removed.

LISTINGS; THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: Have you thought about going paperless on your listings? Electronic Photo Frames are very inexpensive. Put one in each of your listings with a loop of photos about the property including information about you. Use this instead of putting out a lot of paper. Ask visitors to the property to record their email address on the sign-in sheet and you will send them information on the property as our way of “going green”. Instead of a “flyer box” use the QR code on your sign. You might also want to consider metal signs that can be used over and over again and while you are thinking, think about reflective signs that literally light up when headlights hit them.

THIS WEEK’S HUMOR: Provided by Joyce Albert. Laws on the books in various states (kind of explains why our government is so dysfunctional). Bet you read them all: http://www.divinecaroline.com/22323/99603

Online Newsletter For The Week Ending Dec 9, 2011

2011-12-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

QUOTE: This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anyone could have. ~Author Unknown

A MESSAGE FROM MICHAEL DUNN: “Other people see us as we were. We see ourselves as we are. But God sees us as we will be. When we see ourselves as God sees us - unlimited potential - we are unstoppable. Picture That!!” www.michaelpdunn.org

FALSE CEILING. If anyone wants to know where I picked up on the phrase “dollar productive activities” go to Dr. Fred Grosse’s web site at: http://drfredgrosse.com/videos/ and then click on False Ceilings. All of the very short videos on this site are good check them all out you won’t regret it.

THIS WEEK’S HUMOR AND IT IS GREAT: “Amazing Grace - And that’s when I got the spanking” by Andy Andrews. If you have not read, listen to or heard Andy Andrews, you are missing a great deal. Watch this and you will see why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cINrWlfCPI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

LATEST NUGGET FOR THE NOGGIN: The Law of Attraction; Re-visted. Recent events (in my life) has caused me to re-visit The Law of Attraction. This Nuggets is about those events and hopefully it will strike a “never” for you as it did me. www.NuggetsForTheNoggin.com.

20.5 ATTITUDE SNACKS TO CHEW ON. This was written by Jeffrey Gitomer but was included in the Sales Gravy weekly ezine, the title says it all: http://tinyurl.com/

SHARPEN YOUR KNIVES: Jon Gordon is one of favorite writers. Here is a comment about not only sharpening your knives in your business but also at home, especially during the Christmas season. http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-120511-sharpknives.html

OF ALL YOUR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES, SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOW IN THE TOP FIVE. This is Jeffrey Gitomer’s weekly sales eZine and it is right on target. If you are not involved in Business Social Media, you have already fallen behind your competition and falling further behind every day. I would encourage everyone to follow Gitomer’s advice on this link: http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3M1YE%2BJ%2BkgPHQ%3D%3D

LINKEDIN POSTS: I am registered on www.LinkedIn.com. Currently I have 905 connections (pretty good if I may say so myself). My original goal was 500, now it is 1000. More importantly, I received emails from LinkedIn that provide me with articles on real estate issues that I can then post on LinkedIn adding value to the 905 first line connections and ultimately almost 10,000,000 others, yes that is 10 MILLION with an “M”. Why would you not do this? I’ll wait for the answer…….

TEN SELF-LIBERATING WORDS, by Joe “Jeaux” Tye. Very short, to the point, great words to live by: http://tinyurl.com/86fjxt3

COMMERCIAL “DEAL” WEBSITE; For your information. I did not sign up; it appears very interesting: http://www.realestatedealsheet.com/user/register?id=1597&key=1323054015

FROM DR. TOM HILL:

REMEMBER, STRESS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO TO OURSELVES!!

Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!
Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
Never buy a car you can't push.
Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
The second mouse gets the cheese.
When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
*Save the earth..... It's the only planet with chocolate !*

To which I might add:

Never fight with a pig, you both get dirty and the pig loves it.

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending Dec 2

2011-11-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

QUOTE: Though you cannot go back and make a brand new start, my friend, you can start now, and make a brand new end! Author Unknown Gymbeaux Note: I don’t know who this Mr. Author Unknown is but he is pretty good. J

QUOTE 2: Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time. Stephen Wright

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Marsha Stafford, Tuesday, November 29: Marsha Stafford is from the Louisiana Real Estate Commission and will be attending our TUESDAY Partners Meeting. She will discuss the latest revision to the Law regarding advertising and be available for questions and answers. This is a unique event and everyone should plan on attending.

Strategic Purpose, Tuesday, November 29: Michelle Fradella is a Broker/Owner from Picayune, MS who will be conducting a training class on Strategic Purpose from 1:00 to 2:00 in the Market Center. Michelle has previously taught classes in the Market Center and is both knowledgeable and very good. Don’t miss this; click to register: http://strategicpurpose.eventbrite.com/

Running Your Business Like A Business, Friday December 2, from 1:00 to 3:00 at the Slidell Public Library on Gause Blvd. Click here to register: http://runitlikeabusiness.eventbrite.com/

Christmas Party: Mark your calendars, Tuesday, December 13, starting at 7:00 pm, Market Center Christmas Party. Details posted in the Resource Room.

Breakfast with Santa: Look for details on the first Breakfast With Santa in the Resource Room. The event is scheduled for Saturday, December 10 beginning at 9:00 AM.

Nugget For the Noggin: Don’t miss the latest Nugget For The Noggin posted on www.NuggetsForTheNoggin.com. Gymbeaux’s BIG WHY – Sort Of.

Family Reunion: Keller Williams Realty Family Reunion is scheduled to commence in Orlando, FL on Sunday, February 12 and will conclude on Wednesday February 15. The Market Center is looking into renting a home in the Orlando area that can accommodate up to 12 attendees plus possibly leasing a bus for transportation. Watch for further details. http://familyreunion.kw.com/

December Partners Meetings: Reminder that the Market Center weekly Partners Meetings (Conversations) will once again be scheduled for 9:30 WEDNESDAYS starting in December. The BOLD Classes heretofore scheduled for Wednesdays graduates its class on Wednesday November 30. Congratulations to everyone who completed the BOLD classes.

Booklet on Time Management: Uploaded a booklet on managing your time, the use of the Keller Williams Realty 4-1-1 Goal Sheet and a unique Daily To Do List like you may have never seen before. Watch your emails and www.SlidellCalendar.com, Documents Section under Training Booklets for a class to be soon scheduled on Time Management based on the book by Todd Duncan, Time Traps.

Booklet on Personal Assistants: Uploaded a booklet on defining the job of an unlicensed Personal Assistant to www.SlidellCalendar.com, Document Section under Training Booklets. Also uploaded is a Personal Assistant Excel Spreadsheet identify specific job tasks for both the Lead Agent and the Personal Assistant.

PLAY TO WIN, great article by Jon Gordon. Who are the best sales people in the world, just about any 4 year old; they have no fear, they know what they want and they can wrap you around their little finger. Then as Jon Gordon describes we grow up or do we? Instead we grow a sense of fear of doing things. My believe is that if more than two people tell you that you are crazy for wanting to do something, that is pretty good validation that you ought to do it. Read Gordon’s article and see if it applies to you: http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-112811-play-to-win.html

KEEPING SALES UP AND SPIRITS HIGH DURING THE HOLIDAYS by Jeb Blount. Sales typically dip around the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays and do not pickup until after New Years and sometimes as late as Mardi Gras. Why? Because agents go on a “mental” holiday during this period and turn down the activity in their business either intentionally or subconsciously. Good article on the subject: http://tinyurl.com/ch8m3jf

25% OFF ALL JEFFREY GITOMER PRODUCTS THROUGH DEC 2. www.Gitomer.com. Jeffrey Gitomer has written some of the best books I have ever read, especially The YES!Attitude. Hid CDs are fantastic as well. This is your chance to add to your personal library ad a significant savings.

WIDE-ANGLE CAMERA: There is no doubt that to take exceptional photographs of your listings or homes buyers are interested in, you should have a wide-angle camera lens. The Market Center camera that you can check out has such a lens. I discovered a FujiFilm Z Camera that “seems” to be ideal for real estate agents. It has a wide angle plus a ton of other features like HD capabilities in 720P but more importantly it is so slim it would fit in a shirt pocket. I do not know the quality of the camera but on paper it seems ideal. The catalog price is $159,99 on sale from $132.95 Fuji Finepix Z90 Red Camera - 16126284. (They have other colors as well.) www.elitedeals.com. Just seems like a great fit and combination for our industry; I could be wrong. http://www.elitedeals.com/pta-fdc16126284.html

SUBER BOWL NATIONAL ANTHEM, see if you can pick out the Coast Guard singers; powerful rendition. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ETrr-XHBjE

GRATITUDE – THE FACE IN THE MIRROR

By Wes Hopper

"No one can love you until you love yourself,

and you cannot love anyone else, until you love yourself."

Raymond Charles Barker

There was a time in my life when my relationships with others were a real mess.

Everything was a struggle, and I wondered what was wrong with everyone.

Nothing changed until the day that I realized that in every disaster there was one person always at the scene of the crime.

Me!

That was when my real work began, and it continues to this day. And as our quote suggests, the focus of that work is to love and accept myself.

It's funny, but as I learned to love and accept myself, the people around me did, too.

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"The Astonishing Power of Gratitude" is available as an audiobook on CD, or as an MP3 download, with bonuses! An inspirational companion for your drive time or walks. Get it today!
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Some people left, new people showed up, relationships changed in amazing ways.

It's very humbling to look at the past disasters and conflicts in your life and realize; "Gosh, all this time the problem was me!"

How do you talk to yourself about yourself? Does your talk sound loving and supportive, or is it critical and condemning?

Would you hang around with someone who talked about you the way you do?

If the answer is no, then change the way you talk until the answer is yes.

Post today's quote up where you can see it. Put a little mirror next to it.

Love the person in the mirror.

Many blessings, Wes

Not a subscriber? Get your own issue every week day.

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Kx6ZW&m=JEF2pEhIBsR9M1&b=lSolDEJvdGcjUiAPNCqMHw

Horn Creek Productions, LLC

PO Box 2965
Peoria, AZ 85380

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending November 25

2011-11-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

QUOTE: “Happy Thanksgiving” Gymbeaux

HAPPY THANKSGIVING MESSAGE FROM JON GORDON. As you read this link, remember the “Gratitude Stone” principle. Put a small stone (I use a glass stone like the ones you put in the bottom of a fish tank, a red one), in your pocket or purse first thing in the morning. When you do, remember to give thanks/gratitude for what is important to you. Then every time you see or feel it during the day, give thanks/gratitude. Then as you turn in for the night and see the stone, give thanks/gratitude again especially for all the good things you have done and the people you have touched (hopefully in a favorable way) during the day. http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-112111-thankyou.html

THE LATEST NUGGET FOR THE NOGGIN, by Gymbeaux on Passion, Targeted or Misdirected: www.NuggetsForTheNoggin.com

THIS WEEK’S HUMOR: If you can watch this without laughing or not thinking that this would be something that Dale Sibley might have done, you are better than I am. This is a classic: http://tinyurl.com/44y4xbn. How would you have responded?

MORE HUMOR , thank you Joyce Albert for this one: http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=db5ed59e2e&view=att&th=133ac795ea30ee3f&attid=0.1&disp=safe&zw

THE BUYER’S LAMENT: This is a great poem written from the viewpoint of the buyer at a “company” but just as easily would refer to a real estate owner or an agent or potential agent someone is prospecting. Right on target! It is from www.SalesDog.com. http://www.salesdog.com/newsletter/2011/sales_training_nl0552.htm

THE KEY TO EMOTIONAL EQUANIMITY, Joe Tye continually “raises the bar” with his writings and this is no exception. Can only hope everyone reads this very short article on what you are thinking about at this very moment in your life. OUTSTANDING! http://tinyurl.com/79wl2cd

SCARY STUFF: Follow the link, type in your street name, city and state at the top of the page and a map will appear. Put your mouse over any of the red markers that appear and you may be shocked at who lives in your neighborhood. http://www.felonspy.com/search.html

THE POWER OF KINDNESS, 3 minute video to cause you to think a bit about your daily activities. http://www.powerofkindnessmovie.com/

THE PARADOX OF MOTIVATION by Joe Tye: Another gem from Jeaux: http://tinyurl.com/7as35ay

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending November 18

2011-11-14T15:10:00.000-08:00

IMPORTANT REMINDER; PARTNERS MEETING HAS BEEN MOVED TO TUESDAYS AT 9:30 FOR THE REMAINDER OF NOVEMBER!

QUOTE: “You cannot adjust the wind but you can adjust the sails.” Author Unknown, it is included in Harvey Mackay’s new book, The Mackay MBA in Sales that everyone should be reading.

DO YOU HAVE YOUR MACKAY MBA? Normally you would receive a link to Jeffrey Gitomer’s article FROM his weekly ezine. This link takes you to his entire ezine that contains some really good articles from Gitomer, Harvey Mackay and others. It is well worth your time to read the entire ezine. You are strongly encouraged to sign up for his weekly ezine; you will not regret it: http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=5167beaf83e83a6dc363c28c9&id=c340145096&e=[UNIQID]

YOUR FEDERAL TAX RETURN HAS FAILED: Beware of this type of email. The IRS does not send emails notifying you of a tax problem. This is a scam and will probably show up in your Spam inbox. Delete them, take no action on them. The IRS communicates by mail, not email.

THANK YOU NOTES, 10 tips for perfect thank you notes plus an excerpt from John Kralik’s book: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/26/132263637/perfect-thank-you-notes-heartfelt-and-handwritten

AUDIO, How To Create An Energy Blueprint Of Your Business Which Makes Money." Digital download of the audio program with Debbie Bermont, http://dbermont.audioacrobat.com/download/999058ff-d99f-60a7-8260-a49533311980.mp3

5 TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING from www.SalesDog.com. http://www.salesdog.com/newsletter/2011/sales_training_nl0551.htm#newsletter

STRTEGIES FOR COPING WITH UNCERTAIN TIMES, by Joe Tye. This is an exceptional article and I dare say there is a lesson in it for everyone who reads it. The title speaks for itself, check it out: http://tinyurl.com/6wbzbd5

9 THINGS THAT WILL DISAPPEAR IN OUR LIFETIME. This is a link to a blog so please understand the link is only being directed to the title of this article, I have not seen or specifically recommend anything on the blog other than this featured article. http://xenohistorian.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/9-things-that-will-disappear-in-our-lifetime/

HUMOR WITH A MESSAGE FROM CHARLIE TODD, THE SHARED EXPERIENCE OF ABSURDITY. This is a video from the www.Ted.com web site. There are so many great videos on this site. This one is about doing things out of the ordinary to watch how people react. Ought to give you some really great ideas of your own. http://www.ted.com/talks/charlie_todd_the_shared_experience_of_absurdity.html

4 WAYS TO STAND OUT AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS, by who else? Jon Gordon. I would suggest there is a 5^th and that is to become a reader and study what has already been written on growing your business and yourself. 10 years from now I ask only one question, “How much of your television watching is responsible for your success or lack of success?” Just asking…a great place to start is with anything written by Jon Gordon – anything! http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-111411-4ways.html

50 TOP THINKERS. This is interesting. Lists are always subjective so your top 50 may not be my top 50 but here are the top 50 from www.Thinkers50.com. The really cool thing is that the list contains several of my favorite authors and I have met a couple of people on the list. Gymbeaux Note: What would make this site really different would be the abiltiy to add your photo and bio as the 50th person on the list. :-)

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending Nov 11

2011-11-07T14:07:00.000-08:00

QUOTE: "Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn." – John Wesley

BUSH LEAGERS (or is it possible for you to be traded for a computer and an agent to be named later?) This is an article on www.SalesDog.com (highly recommend you subscribe to the online newsletter but that’s another story). It is actually a negative article pointing out what sales people do to sabatoge their success. You could take each of the ten items featured and instead of saying them in a negative way make them positive affirmations to avoid doing what the author says sales people do. Judge for yourself: http://www.salesdog.com/newsletter/2011/sales_training_nl0550.htm#newsletter

SAMS CLUB ENTERTAINMENT COUPON BOOKLETS. Information sheets and a poster has been displayed in the Resource Room (by Tuesday morning) for Entertainment Coupon Booklets (customizable with your information). The material refers to a special if ordered by October 15 which has obviously passed. The reference to a special if ordered by November 15 still applies. These are inexpensive ways to provide value to your database by giving them savings coupons. Their web site is: www.entertainment.com/nar. It IS a National Association of Realtors program. There are only so many application blanks so please make copy to use.

THE MYTH, by Jon Gordon. When you read this, consider how the top real estate agent became the top real estate agent. Was it overnight or did the agent spend hours doing what other real estate agents either refuse to do or do not know how to to it? You know it was the countless hours leading up to being at the top of the profession. Success leaves clues (Tony Robbins) and so do successful real estate sales people. You can find all of the clues in The Millionaire Real Estate Agent (MREA) by Gary Keller, Dave Jenks and Jay Papasan. In the mean time read Jon Gordon’s article and see if it strikes a nerve: http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-110711-myth.html

THIS WEEKS HUMOR FROM DR. TOM HILL:
Hello... I have a question!

Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety-one?
If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea...does that mean that one out of five enjoys it?
Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?
If people from Poland are called Poles, then why aren't people from Holland called Holes?
If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist, but a person who drives a racecar is not called a racist?
If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?
If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, then doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?
If FedEx and UPS were to merge, would they call it FedUP? ?
Do Lipton Tea employees take 'coffee breaks?'
What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?
I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use. Toothpicks?
Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office?What are we supposed to do, write to them?
Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?
Is it true that you never really learn to swear until you learn to drive?
If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?
Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?
As income tax time approaches, did you ever notice: When you put the two words 'The ' and 'IRS' together, it spells - 'THEIRS'?

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending November 4

2011-10-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

QUOTE: "Well, you know that passion is a big part of what we do...if we don't have passion, then we are like everyone else - mediocre - and that's not good enough for me, our company, or our clients." From The Seed by Jon Gordon. Couldn't have said it better myself :-)

PARTNERS MEETING IS ON TUESDAY, NOVEMER 1 AT 9:30. The meeting will be on Tuesday’s until the completion of the BOLD classes in Baton Rouge.

LATEST NUGGET FOR THE NOGGIN: www.NuggetsForTheNoggin.com. The Number One and Oldest Secret To Success, as if you already didn’t know from Gymbeaux

ROBIN SHARMA VIDEO: http://www.robinsharma.com/stay-focused.php well worth your time to watch.

PREPARING FOR A TRAIN WRECK. Great advice from Joe Tye. http://tinyurl.com/3jt6ahr

ENCOURAGEMENT: By Jon Gordon. Finished Gordon’s latest book, The Seed. It is an inspirational novel (short, easy, entertaining and educational read) about the importance of finding your BIG WHY; your purpose in life. Highly recommended. See his web site at www.JonGordan.com. In the mean while read his article on “encouragement” at: http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-103111-encouragement.html

GRATITUDE – TWO BAD HABITS

By Wes Hopper

"Not managing your time and making excuses are two bad habits.

Don't put them both together by claiming you don't have the time."

Bo Bennett

People who are successful are that way because they get things done. And they get the right things done!

It's trite, but necessary, to remind ourselves that everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. Successful people make better choices of how to spend those precious 24 hours. Less successful people not only make poorer choices, but they often surround them with excuses.

-------------------------------------------
HEY, if you're tired of the same old stuff in your life, change it! This program will show you how! It's simple and easy to understand and if you need help, coaching from me is included!

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Kx6ZW&m=JJVWTxmYpsR9M1&b=H_nPzd4TpO9nwuhuBFRlKg

------------------------------------------------
The excuses are usually some version of "I had to do this other thing because ....." followed by how it was someone else's fault.

Now let me point out that the real problem is not that you did something else, but that you blamed someone else! In other words, you gave away your power. You can regain your power easily by changing your wording. Instead of "I had to" be truthful and say "I chose to." Because you did.

Now you can separate out fact from fantasy. "I chose to spend 8 hours at my day job because that's how I pay the bills right now" is a rational choice. It feels like a "have to" but it's a choice.

So apply the "I choose" test to every use of your time. Take full responsibility. Make a conscious decision about the best choices.

Decide what you need to be working on, personally and professionally, and choose to do that work.

As Dr Wayne Dyer would say, "Excuses Begone!" Read his book for more.

Just by making the change from "have to" to "choose to" you'll be freeing yourself from excuses.

Now you can choose to manage your time, and you'll be getting things done.

The right things. Many blessings,

Wes

Not a subscriber? Get your own issue every week day.

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Kx6ZW&m=JJVWTxmYpsR9M1&b=_w_WttFidOfW0a_xGZIvsg

Horn Creek Productions, LLC

PO Box 2965
Peoria, AZ 85380

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending October 28

2011-10-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

DO TO THE BOLD COURSE BEING CONDUCTED ON WEDNESDAY FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS, THE WEEKLY PARTNERS CONVERSATION (MEETING) WILL BE AT 9:30 ON TUESDAYS!

QUOTE: “Personally I believe the testimonial (video) is the strongest sales tool you can possess.” Jeffrey Gitomer, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers. I inserted the word “video” because in Gitomer’s books he explains the value of the video testimonial that can be attached to web pages, emails, blogs, etc. Sign up for Gitomer’s weekly online newsletter at: www.JeffreyGitomer.com, you won’t regret it.

QUOTE #2: "A year from now you may wish you had started today." Karen Lamb

CHILLI CHALLENGE: AS YOU KNOW, THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29 IS THE 4TH ANNUAL NABOR CHILLI CHALLENGE. Open to the public from 11:00 until about 3:00 pm. See flyers around the Market Center for more info.

THE CURSE OF EXPERIENCE, THINK LIKE A ROOKIE. Great article (as usual) by Jon Gordon. http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-102411-think-like-a-rookie.html

CHECK OUT THIS “IGNITE” VIDEO: Only the beginning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6dI_L6WzIM

DO NOT ENGAGE IN A RACE TO THE BOTTOM. Very good video by Robin Sharma. This video is hard to watch without identifying with what Sharma talks about. http://www.robinsharma.com/recession-proof.php

THE 9 STRANGE RULES OF ULTRA-SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS: If you liked Robin Sharma's video DO NOT ENGAGE IN A RACE TO THE BOTTOM, you are going to love this one, http://www.robinsharma.com/strange-rules.php The 9 Strange Rules of ULTRA-Successful Entrepreneurs by Robin Sharma.

THE LEADER WHO HAD NO TITLE, by Robin Sharma. Since 2 of Sharma’s videos have been included in this newsletter, not mentioning his book, The Leader Who Had No Title would be a huge mistake. Written in inspirational-novel format, it is an easy and compelling read – the title says it all. http://www.robinsharma.com/store/books

REAL ESTATE GENDER GAP: MEN LIST MORE HOMES; WOMEN LIST PRICER HOMES. This is a one-day snap-shot of the US Market conducted by Trulia and posted by Inman News. Not exactly what a one-day study would prove but the statistics are very interesting especially for Louisiana and Mississippi. Would be interested in hearing comments: http://www.inman.com/news/2011/10/17/real-estate-gender-gap-men-list-more-homes-women-list-pricier-homes

STAY TAX FREE: The NABOR Office is giving away free 24” x 17” Yard Signs to anyone interested in promoting to stay Tax Free by voting FOR amendment #1 on the November 19^th Ballot. All agents, brokers, affiliates, businesses and community members who realize the importance of this amendment and would like to see these colorful yard signs go up around the Northshore are welcome tok pick up signs and states. The signs are eye-catching, lightweight and very easy to handle…..and free!!! The public needs to know how critical it is to vote for amendment #1 on the November Ballot.

TOP 10 REAL ESTATE MARKETS WITH 5 YEAR GAINS IN REAL ESTATE VALUES. Conducted by Trulia and posted by Inman News. Good news for the New Orleans Metro Area at #6. http://www.inman.com/news/2011/09/2/10-metros-with-greatest-5-year-gain-in-real-estate-values

FIERCE CONVERSATIONS, by Susan Scott. If you read only one book, make it this one! It is all about being honest in your conversations with yourself and others and the damage that can be created when you are not. Oftentimes we walk on “egg shells” and circumvent issues with people for fear of the consequences of speaking the truth. This may be especially true when talking with our spouse, family and/or significant other (hate that term). When you finished Fierce Conversations, consider reading Scott’s second book, Fierce Leadership. http://www.fierceinc.com/conversations/book/

THE GRATITUDE LIST, by Mike Brooks. This is a great article. Hope it reminds you of the Gratitude Stone; for those who are unaware of the Gratitude Stone, talk to me. http://www.brokeragentsocial.com/article/1332/the-gratitude-list

KELLER WILLIAMS NOLLY WILLIAMS ON SHORT SALES. Follow this link to learn to become exceptional in handling short sales: http://www.mapscoaching.com/Group-Coaching/Fast-Track/ss_1102

TWIST ON THE STANDARD ELEVATOR SPEECH; This ought to get you thinking outside the box. Very good article you can begin using today in creating your database. While at the site, consider signing up for the wwwSalesDog.com newsletter; great stuff by Kelly Robertson: http://www.salesdog.com/newsletter/2011/sales_training_nl0548.htm#newsletter

CONTINUING EDUCATION CLASS: QUADRENNIAL ETHICS. Provided by Delta Title, November 18, 10:00 am to 2:00 PM. Slidell Library, 555 Robert Blvd, Slidell. Register in advance, Please contact Stephanie 985-0585 or 504-885-9222. This is the class that you MUST take before December 31, 2012.

WEEKLY HUMOR, WITH A MESSAGE: http://thegrablegroup.com/entertainment/comedy/comedian-ron-pearson-the-answers-to-life/

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Customers actually LIKE businesses that go the extra mile! They PREFER companies that answer their phone. They do business with people who give SUPERIOR service, and who seem to care about customer satisfaction -- actually, I like companies that refuse to "satisfy" me and seem determined to AMAZE me! And all of that requires hard, hard work.

Here’s an old secret of success: focus on the life-time value of a loyal customer. Focus on the value of a customer who sees him- or herself as your partner, rather than as just a shopper. When your customers refuse to deal with anyone else, your fortune is assured. How hard should you work? About that hard. Phillip Humbert PhD www.philiphumbert.com

THIS WEEK’S HUMOR FROM DR. HUMBERT:

Humor: Calling All Lexophiles

Lexophiles--lovers of word--will enjoy these. You may think
these are just good puns, but in fact they’re the product of
genius and wordsmiths whose minds work in wondrous ways! For
myself, puns only seem to happen by accident, and usually at
the most embarrassing times! I hope you enjoy these!

1. Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
2. A will is a dead giveaway.
3. Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
4. A backward poet writes inverse.
5. In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.
6. A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
7. If you don't pay your exorcist you may be repossessed.
8. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
9. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.
10. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
11. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
12. A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France resulting in Linoleum Blownapart.
13. You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
14. Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under.
15. He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.
16. A calendar's days are numbered.
17. A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.
18. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
19. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
20. A plateau is a high form of flattery.
21. The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison: a small medium at large.

Philip E. Humbert, PhD,
President of Resources for Success!™ and The Philip E. Humbert Group, Inc.
www.philiphumbert.com

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending October 21

2011-10-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

QUOTE: “The experience of being understood, versus interpreted, is so compelling, you can charge admission.” B. Joseph Pine II, The Experience Economy

12 ACTIONS TO BUILD MOMENTUM. If you read nothing else, read this ezine by Joe Tye. This one short page could change the way you approach the rest of your life! http://tinyurl.com/3nlhaqj

CREATE A CULTURE OF GREATNESS by Jon Gordon, who else? Take this one to heart. http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-101711-culture-of-greatness.html

OUR CURRENT STATE: Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete. Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2-6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more mor ons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of morons promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical moronism. When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons. Kurt Bengtson. Special thanks to Dr. Tom Hill, Eagle Institute for this definition.

WHERE WILL TECHNOLOGY TAKE US: This is the most amazing thing I have seen thus far: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=XVTga6GmbGw&vq=medium#t=74

THIS WEEK’S HUMOR. BE MY WAFFLELY WEDDED WIFE: http://www.flixxy.com/wedding-ceremony

MARKET CENTER FACEBOOK PAGE. If you have not already done so, please go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keller-Williams-Realty-Professionals/216460945070863 and click on LIKE provided you like it but remember before you decline, I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!

THE FIVE AGREEMENTS. This is a blog post by Wes Hopper based on the two books, The Four Agreements and The Fifth Agreement by by don Miguel Ruiz and don Jose Ruiz. This summary speaks for itself and should be personally considered “required reading” if not studying. http://www.dailygratitude.com/blog/the-five-agreements/

GRATITUDE – YESBUTTERS AND WHYNOTTERS

"Yesbutters don't just kill ideas.

They kill companies. Whynotters move companies. "

'Integral Warehousing' book

What's the first thing to come to your mind when you or someone else comes up with a radical new idea?

Is it "Yes, but....." or is it "Why not?"

Most of us instantly get a list of all the ways it can go wrong, all the problems that can happen.

"Yes, but what if this or what if that?"

If we can't answer the objections about the things we imagine might go wrong, we discard the idea.

Can you see how this might be bad for business? We get stuck in doing just the same old ordinary things in the same old way.

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If you want to expand your limits, this program will show you how. It's simple and easy to understand and if you need help, coaching from me is included!
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I want you to relabel that voice in your head. It's not the voice of mature, cautious reason; it's the voice of the scared kid that wants to hide under the bed from anything new!

How about if we try a different response? The next time you or one of your associates comes up with a "crazy, radical" idea, think "Why not?"

Why not try it? Why not see if it works?

Why not see if you learn something important?

If you're surrounded by yesbutters get some new friends. Find some whynotters and hang around with them instead.

Your life will not be boring - you can trust me on that! And why not? You'll be glad you did.

Many blessings, Wes (Hopper)

Not a subscriber? Get your own issue every week day.

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Kx6ZW&m=J6WESTe7dsR9M1&b=r80u_DHu8B66F5VrWE0eBw

Horn Creek Productions, LLC

PO Box 2965
Peoria, AZ 85380

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending October 14

2011-10-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

QUOTE: “Money gives you means but never skills!” Mark Sanborn author of “Up, Down, or Sideways.” www.marksanborn.com/uds Also wrote, You Don’t Need A Title To Be A Leader (FANTASTIC read), The Fred Factor, Encore Effect – all great books.

QUOTE 2: “Everybody loves personal accountability but everybody thinks everybody else needs it.” John G. Miller. In this same theme, how many times have you attended a course only to say or think, “You-Know-Who should be here!”

IMPORTANT BROKER BIT: Make sure you read the Louisiana Real Estate Commission revision on Advertising compliance issues. It is posted on www.SlidellCalendar.com in the Document sectin under Legal Issues. It affects EVERYTHING you do but especially in electronic communications. You were sent an instruction sheet via email on how to insure your Social Media links are in compliance. It is time to pay attention because the Commission has instituted a “cite and fine” policy. If someone files an advertising complaint, the advertising will speak for itself. If it is not in compliance you will be fined $75.00 for the first incident. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

THINK YOU KNOW HISTORY; READ KILLING LINCOLN by Bill O’Reilly. It is a day to day, hour to hour account of the events leading up to the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. It is a compelling read and you WILL learn more facts about the event that you probably were taught in school. For example did you know 87 searchers drowned in the Maryland swamps looking for John Wilkes Booth? http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/bill-oreilly/killing-lincoln/

SO YOU WANT TO TAKE A MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE IN SOUTH AFRICA; YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK AGAIN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8EvguZc9tY

FIRE ANY CUSTOMERS LATELY? This is a very good article from www.SalesDog.com. Are you making money from your customers or are they costing you money? You might be surprised. http://www.salesdog.com/newsletter/2011/sales_training_nl0547.htm

YOU CAN THRIEVE WHETHER THINGS ARE UP, DOWN OR SIDEWAYS, interview with Mark Sanborn by Bob Burg. I am happy to say Bob is a friend of mine and has given a training class in our Market Center and as usual he is and was outstanding. Here is an interview (28 minutes short) that so appropriately fits our current market. http://www.burg.com/interviews/sanborn.html

STOP WHINING – START WINNING! An audio webinar by Jon Gordon, author of The Training Camp, The Energy Bus, The No Complaining Rule, Soup, The Seed and others. Do you whine? No? Really? How do you know, for certain? Jon Gordon has great messages to share. In this audio about the value of attending and participating in a “training camp” he talks about a lot of things but starts out by discussing the destructive forces created by whining. Do you think Drew Brees attends a training camp (practices)? Do you think Celine Dion practices (training camp)? On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being no way and 10 being all the time, how would you rate your attendance at a “training camp?” 45 minutes http://jongordon.com/webinar-salestc-combineplayer.html

RADICAL PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION. If you want change your attitude, consider this very short ezine from Joe Tye: http://tinyurl.com/63jnn67

THIS WEEK’S HUMOR: A 1st grade school teacher had twenty-six students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the 1st half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb.

Strike while the..........bug is close.

It's always darkest before..........Daylight Saving Time.
Never underestimate the power of..........termites.
You can lead a horse to water but..........how?
Don't bite the hand that..........looks dirty.
No news is..........impossible.
A miss is as good as a..........Mr.
You can't teach an old dog new..........math.
If you lie down with dogs, you'll..........stink in the morning.
Love all, trust..........me.
The pen is mightier than the..........pigs.
An idle mind is..........the best way to relax.
Where there's smoke there's..........pollution.
Happy the bride who..........gets all the presents.
A penny saved is..........not much.
Two's company, three's..........the Musketeers.
Don't put off till tomorrow what..........you put on to go to bed.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and..........you have to blow your nose.
There are none so blind as..........Stevie Wonder.
Children should be seen and not..........spanked or grounded.
If at first you don't succeed..........get new batteries.
You get out of something only what you..........see in the picture on the box.
When the blind lead the blind..........get out of the way.
A bird in the hand..........is going to poop on you.

And the WINNER and last one!

Better late than..........pregnant.

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending October 7, 2011

2011-10-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

QUOTE: "Life is curly. Don't try to straighten it out." Susan Scott from Fierce Conversations; a great, great book that everyone ought to read.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE. Barbara Willems sent this link about making a difference and stopping the victim mentality. It contains several short videos, all very good and thought provoking. Thank you Barbara. www.MakeADifference.com/VictimNoMore

CHILLI CHALLENGE, OCTOBER 29, 11:00 TO 3:00 AT THE MANDEVILLE LAKE FRONT. LOOK FOR FLYERS AROUND THE MARKET CENTER. BETTER STILL, JOIN A CHALLENGE TEAM AND BRING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

RADICAL RESILIENCE – IS NOT JUST BOUNCING BACK, a great article by Joe Tye (who else?): http://tinyurl.com/3hyx2wg

ARE THINGS GETTING (SLIGHTLY) BETTER? Jeffrey Gitomer asks, are you ready for when they do or our you like most of your competition, waiting for them to get slightly better? If you are part of the 80% you are waiting: http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3MP0KPJOQlgXA%3D%3D

SELLING WITH A PURPOSE by Jon Gordon. A message that applies to everyone and everyone should read. http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-100311-sellingwithpurpose.html

WHAT KIND OF DOG ARE YOU? This is a personally assessment; kind of fun. For everyone’s info, I am a Golden Retriever, Gymbeaux. http://www.dogster.com/quizzes/what_dog_breed_are_you/

REFLECTIVE KELLER WILLIAMS YARD SIGNS: Here is a link. I used the reflective signs many years ago, they light up like Interstate Signs when headlights hit them at night. They are made of metal so they can last for more than one listing and still look good especially if your listings sell fast. If you have listings in the country or poorly lit areas at night, I would highly recommend you consider them. http://www.reflectiverealestate.com/keller-williams

BROKER AGENT RECOMMENDATIONS: Over my years in the real estate business I have received many calls from agents asking me to recommend one of my agents for them to work a referral. Think about that for a moment and put yourself in my shoes. How would you recommend one agent over the other 80+ agents and how could anyone consider my recommendation fair to all the other agents in the Market Center. Therefore I have always taken the position that I would refer the agent to our company web site and suggest to them to select one from the list of agents on the site. I also ask the agent how they would feel if his or her broker would pick one agent from the many at the expense of everyone in their office. This information is being provided because I would strongly suggest you never ask the broker/manager of another company to recommend just one agent from their many. It is your responsibility to select one and you can usually do that on the Internet. In fact if you cannot find an agent via the Internet do you really want to refer business to someone who does not have an Internet presence? The second reason is that you need to make absolutely certain that the photo you post on your web site is one that someone reviewing the list of agents in the Market Center can settle on you based solely on your photo because, fair or unfair, that is what people, agents and the public alike, do. Then you want to make absolutely certain that the “landing” page the visitor goes to is very easy to read (like using bullets instead of paragraphs) and make the info instantly relatable. As an example, if I were to market my own sight which I do not, I would make sure that I served in the U. S. Coast Guard would be immediately visible. It would automatically attract military veterans and also boat owners without saying much more about it. What are you doing to get people to focus on YOU as compared to 80+ other agents in the Market Center and over 400 agents in our area?

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending September 30

2011-09-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

QUOTE: We all need a good “in the toilet experience” every now and then to remind us who we really are. Tim Irwin, see link to his article below.

AN UNTOLD AND AMAZING STORY ABOUT 9/11. It is hard to believe this was not more widely publicized. The video is worth watching for many reasons but make sure you watch until the end, there is a message you won’t soon forget. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDOrzF7B2Kg&feature=player_embedded

CONNECT YOUR LAPTOP TO THE INTERNET VIA YOUR CELL PHONE: Thank you Joyce Albert for this great information: http://wp.me/p1udTV-cz

THE UPSIDE WITH NO DOWNSIDES, great article by Joe Tye regarding Culture within the organization. http://tinyurl.com/3jualg4

COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE. Fabulous article by Jon Gordon. You WILL want to read this one. http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-092611-communicate-communicate.html

FOUR FOR ONE. There were four very good articles on this week’s issue of Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Caffeine Newsletter at: http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=5167beaf83e83a6dc363c28c9&id=d051444e0e&e=0d5919d54b

1. Is it Q-4 or 4-Q; You Decide by Jeffrey Gitomer

2. Sales Success: Discover Your Brand by Suzanne Bates

3. Give Referrals to Yourself by Dan Jourdan

4. 90% of Salespeople Say “Twitter is a waste of time” by Andy Horner

You are strongly encouraged to sign up for Jeffrey’s Weekly Ezine.

TWO FOR ONE FROM ZIG ZIGLAR. http://www.ziglar.com/newsletter/?p=1271

1. Why You Are Where You Are by Zig Ziglar

2. The Compass of a Leader (or Toilet Experience) by Tim Irwin

BROKER BIT: HUD SALES: There is no way for me to know who submits a HUD Bid until it has already been accepted. Some bids refer to the agent involved but most do not. The Bid Acceptance is sent directly to me (the designated broker) and then I forward them to the respective agent IF I know who it is. When I do not, I must send an email to everyone. In the future, if you submit a HUD Bid Online, please email me the property address so I can better respond to Bid Acceptance emails.

MAN OR MOUSE? The 5 Defining Moments in YOUR Sales Process from www.SalesDog.com written by Bill Caskey: http://www.salesdog.com/newsletter/2011/sales_training_nl0545.htm#newsletter

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

High in the Sierra Mountains lives an old man

Who from his heritage looks down in pity

Upon other men of higher mental aspiration

One day he rescued a little group of Swiss mountaineers

Lost in the mountains’ fastenesses

When told where they were

They exclaimed in disbelief,

“But how did we get here?

To which the old hermit replied,

“If that question ain’t got no answer attached to it,

I ain’t got none that fits.

If you is goin’ anywhere in particular

Up here, yu’d better figger fust how to get thar.

Cuz by jest agoin’

Afore ya know where yere agoin’

Ya can get to a powerful lotta places

Ya might not wanta be.

Author Unknown

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending September 23

2011-09-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

QUOTE: “If you want to identify me, ask me what I am living for, in detail, and ask me what is keeping me from living fully for what I live for.” Thomas Merton

HUMOR OF THE WEEK: A video classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8i3Z-JObYU&feature=related

AN EAGLE AND A HANG GLIDER, this is a pretty amazing video, especially if you like animals and nature: http://www.parahawkusa.com/Home.html

KEITH BARRY DOES BRAIN MAGIC (VIDEO): You tell me how he does the things he does: http://www.ted.com/talks/keith_barry_does_brain_magic.html

THE SOCIAL REVOLUTION AND YOUR EVOLUTION; article link by Jeffrey Gitomer. http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3Myqc%2B9dcOajg%3D%3D

2012 DUES INVOICES…… Brokers will soon be receiving their 2012 Realtor Dues Statements. More details to come, but we will be sending statements online this year. NABOR dues will remain the same this year at $140 for local fees. Very important: Agents should return their payments only to their broker, not the NABOR Office. Your broker will then submit all agent payment returns together from their office. Avoid late fees: All dues need to be received in the NABOR Office by November 15, 2011. Please plan ahead. As a reminder for future dues, everyone should be setting aside a pre-determined amount each month to insure funds are available to renew your license, renew your board dues (local, state and national), renew your, renew your MLS dues and renew your Errors and Omissions Insurance.

QUOTES FROM WILL ROGERS:

Will Rogers, who dies in a 1935 plane crash, was one of the greatest political sages this country has ever known. Enjoy the following:

· Never slap a man who’s chewing tobacco

· Never kick a cow chip on a hot day

· There are two theories to arguing with a woman; neither works.

· Never miss a good chance to shut up

· Always drink upstream from the herd

· If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging

· The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back into your pocket.

· There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.

· Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

· If you’re riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there

· Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier’sn puttin’ it back in

· After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut

ABOUT GROWING OLDER…

First: Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

Second: The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for

Third: Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me; I want people to know why I look this way. I’ve traveled a long way, and some of the roads weren’t paved.

Fourth: When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra

Fifth: You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks

Sixth: I don’t know how I got over the hill without getting to the top

Seventh: One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it’s such a nice change from being young.

Eighth: One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been

Ninth: Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable

Tenth: Long ago, when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it’s called golf

And finally, if you don’t learn to laugh at trouble, you won’t have anything to laugh

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending September 16

2011-09-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

QUOTE: “You are given a bag of cement and a bucket of water. You can either build a wall or stepping stones. The choice is yours.” Or something to that effect by Joe Tye www.JoeTye.com

QUOTE 2: “Finding a needle in a haystack is easy compared to finding a needle amongst needles!” Criminal Minds (Love that one!)

DAILY GRATITUDE - I have been collecting a Daily Gratitude message from Wes Hopper for over 2 years and saving the articles as a word document. There are currently over 527 such articles that have been uploaded to www.SlidellCalendar.com. Document Section, Technology Folder for your reading. I have removed the previous upload to upload the most recent copy as of 7 Sep 2011. It makes for inspiring reading in a few seconds. I would recommend reading it every morning and again at night to start and end your day on a very positive note.

SELFLESS; by Jon Gordon. Jon continually “hits the nail on the head” I can only hope you read his articles: http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-091211-selfless.html

27% OF REALTORS ARE NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE! That is so hard to believe. There is nothing so precious as our right to vote. I guess a case could be made for a right to not vote but it is not understandable. That is one out of every 5 REALTORS, not registered to vote. On November 19^th, citizens of Louisiana will have a chance to prevent governments from imposing a real estate transaction fee on each, that was EACH, closing. It could add thousands of dollars to the cost of transferring ownership of real estate. EVERY REALTOR should not only vote FOR this constitutional amendment, they should encourage their sphere of influence as well. Hard to ask someone else to vote if you are not registered yourself. www.StayTaxFree.com

5 SECRETS OF WINNING EMAILS from www.SalesDog.com. http://www.salesdog.com/newsletter/2011/sales_training_nl0543.htm

NABOR GENERAL MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON MEETING; OCTOBER 6, 2011. COME HEAR IMPORTANT NEWS INVOLVING YOUR BUSINESS ON TAXES, APPRAISALS, ASSESSMENTS, AND LEGISLATIVE ISSUES. The flyer and reservation form is posted in the Resource Room or call 985-892-5200

LIFE SPAN CALCULATOR: Very interesting especially if you play with it by changing some of your answers like losing a few pounds, stop smoking, etc. This is a calculator that estimates your life expectancy. This was developed by Northwestern Mutual Life. http://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan/

A CAREER WORTH OF INFO ON A VIDEO: This video captured my attention, start to finish. It contains a lot of things taught over the years but in a concise presentation but you can only benefit from it by watching and paying attention: A word to the wise should be sufficient: http://www.thecodeofinfluence.com/now/3_factors/?hop=rapidnlp

THE 100/0 PRINCIPLE; Everyone should watch this very short 3 minute video: http://tinyurl.com/3uvlnyu

FAIR HOUSING AND RECENT NAR CHANGES: The following is from the 2011 REALTOR Code of Ethics and should be adhered to. Items emboldened are of specific concern and will be addressed in future Fair Housing classes:

Article 10

REALTORS® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or sexual orientation. REALTORS® shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or sexual orientation. (Amended 1/11)

REALTORS®, in their real estate employment practices, shall not discriminate against any person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or sexual orientation. (Amended 1/11)

• Standard of Practice 10-3

REALTORS® shall not print, display or circulate any statement or advertisement with respect to selling or renting of a property that indicates any preference, limitations or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or sexual orientation. (Adopted 1/94, Renumbered 1/05 and 1/06, Amended 1/11)

HUD AND Q&A FORUM: PEMCO wants you to be knowledgeable about HUD Sales and is inviting you to call in every Friday and ask questions every Friday at 10:00 Mountain Time. Join the Conference Call by dialing in at 1-213-493-0600, use Access Code: 283-030-696

GRATITUDE – MIND POWER

By Wes Hopper

"Add to this the fact that to try to reproduce your mind mechanically would cost billions of dollars and you begin to see yourself for what you really are - an amazing, infinitely valuable creature!

And not only that, you are unique."
Earl Nightingale

When Earl wrote these words about 60 years ago, the dollar was worth a lot more than it is today. But Earl's estimate was still too low.

We know today, with computing power far beyond what was available in Earl's day, that we can't build a computer with a mind.

We humans can do something that no computer today can do - we can come up with a brand new idea!

Computers can only come up with ideas that have been made possible by the software. They are limited and deterministic.

We can originate ideas, ideas that have never been thought before! Our minds are quantum, with infinite possibilities.
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That's why it's silly to think of yourself as limited. But many of us do. We follow the pattern of everyone around us and get the average results that all the average people get.

But you're not average. You're capable of astonishing feats of creativity and innovation. But you have to quit looking at others for guidance on what to do. Look inside you. Put your quantum mind to work. Get creative and original!

Life will pay you exactly what you think you're worth. And life knows what that is by how you think and act. If you act like a sheep, you'll get sheep pay. You'll get sheared on a regular basis, too.

Leave the crowd and make your decision. How do you want to change your life, and the world with it? Get started. We need you.

Many blessings, Wes

Not a subscriber? Get your own issue every week day.
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Horn Creek Productions LLC
PO Box 2614
Prescott, AZ 86302

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending September 9, 2011

2011-09-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

QUOTE: “The elevator to Health, Happiness, and Success is out of order – you’ll have to take the stairs, one step at a time.” By Joe Giard (how cool is that?) www.JoeGiard.com

LATEST NUGGET FOR THE NOGGIN, ADVANCING THE BALL by Gymbeaux has been posted on www.NuggetsForTheNoggin.com. Enjoy, Gymbeaux

HUD BIDS: Please make certain that the name of our company in the box in the lower left corner of the first page of the HUD Bid reads: Slidell Group LLC, previous bids read Slidell Partners LLC. If commission checks are made out to Slidell Partners LLC the issuance of your checks may be delayed.

NEW HOME SOURCE PROFESSIONAL: This site suggests it is the new home source for real estate professionals. You may want to check it out at www.nhspro.com

ATLAS SHRUGGED. If you liked the book, and who didn’t, this link is for you. You can pre-order a DVD version of Part I The Movie, among other things: http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/merchandise

FUN VIDEO: Talk about having fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=cqxTUxzOceE&feature=youtube_gdata_plaJ

QR CODES INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO: Creating and using QR codes is very simple. I have posted the instructions on www.SlidellCalendar.com in the Document Section in the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c9q5A2H920 Try this one:

HOW TO POST VIDEO CLIPS TO YOUR WEBSITE(S): Posted a one page instruction on how to copy and paste such as This Month In Real Estate to www.SlidellCalendar.com, Documents in the Technical folder.

8 EASY STEPS TO ELIMINATE THE NON-SERIOUS BUYER. By Rochelle Togo-Figa A very good article that could save you a lot of time, effort and money. http://www.salesdog.com/newsletter/2011/nl0542.htm

WORK/LIFE BALANCE. This is a great article by Jon Gordon, who else but Jon. He mentions time to recharge, that should not be at work or at home. There is no better place to recharge than at Family Reunion and/or Mega Camp. Everyone ought to plan to attend either or both. If were to regroup, learn just one thing that would enable you to close just one sale you otherwise would not have done, the investment you make in attending would more than pay for itself. http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-090511-work-life-balance-myth.html

THE FOLLOWING LINKS WERE PROVIDED BY DR. TOM HILL’S EAGLE EZINE Published weekly. I highly recommend you subscribe by going to: http://tinyurl.com/3vqwjaq

WHAT WOULD YOU WITH $100 MILLION DOLLARS? This is what I would do with it; not really: http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/18/inside-donald-trumps-757/?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-sb-bb%7Cdl10%7Csec3_lnk1%7C87569

JIM BOWERS (Not to be confused with Jim Brown) TOP 5 iPhone PHOTO APPS:

Camera+: http://campl.us/ cost 99 cents. Increased the capability of the camera on your phone to enable you to enhance the photo.

Dynamic Light: http://www.iphoneography.com/journal/2011/3/15/app-review-dynamic-light.html cost 99 cents, enables you to change the lightness or darkness of your photos taken with your camera

Instagram: http://content.photojojo.com/reviews/instagram/, enables you to share photos easily. Did not see a price on this one.

Pano: http://itech-buzz.com/10515/pano-app-for-android-take-panoramic-photos/, did not see a price on this, enables you to take panoramic photos with your Android type cell phone.

Diptic: http://www.dipticapp.com/ combine multiple photos to create a new image, did not see a cost.

Enjoy!

Jim Bowers

Editor/Photographer

CapedWonder Superman Imagery

www.capedwonder.com

Bowers Imagineering, LLC

www.jimbowers.biz

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending September 2, 2011

2011-08-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

QUOTE: "It will make an immense difference with your faith and spirit whether you look upon civilization as a good thing which is becoming better or as a bad and evil thing which is decaying." Wallace Wattles. Written in 1910!

100 APS FOR REAL ESTATE; http://www.linkedin.com/news?actionBar=&articleID=723815914&ids=0QcPAPe3kPczsIdzANdjcMcP8Tb30Qcj8Ue38OdOMPc3gMczAPczsId34Vdj4UcP8T&aag=true&freq=weekly&trk=eml-tod-b-ttle-44

FREE SOFTWARE SECURITY CHECK: Check out www.Secunia.com. It is a free download that can scan your software and check it against the most recent security updates. Interesting program.

NEW FORM FOR OVERNIGHT COSTS ON HUD SALES. There is a new form that a purchaser of HUD properties signs regarding the requirement to overnight HUD sale offers. It is located on www.SlidellCalendar.com in the Document Section under Sales Forms and in the Sales Form Binder in the Resource Room.

VINCE LOMBARDI VIDEO CLIP – SAYS IT ALL! http://www.lombardimovie.com/store

REALEMERGE: For those who missed the lunch & learn regarding www.RealEmerge.com, you missed a good one. The presentation by Frank Chimento was awesome and the rollout of the new real estate program using eMerge was fantastic. You can check it on www.RealEmerge.com. Most people go right to the pricing of products before they research exactly what it does. If you check this out and I hope you do, remember this one thought; if this program could product just one closed sale from its use, it would pay for itself for the next 2 or 3 years. The program is designed to almost run entirely on its own to keep in contact with those people for whom you have email addresses.

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD ATTRACT THE FBI BY COPYING MONEY ON A COPY MACHINE? Here is what www.Answers.com says about this issue:

There is a special board to prevent counterfeiting. If you copy money in color at the exact size (no increase or decrease in size) this board will blow, then you have to call for a service tech to come out. When the tech tries to order this board, they have to notify the FBI. Then the FBI comes out to visit you with the tech. Only copy in Black and white and increase or decrease the size by at least 5 Percent!

FALL RETREAT: There is a huge turnout for this event and seating may not be available if you don’t sign up soon. Notify AMY if you plan to attend. The first today is FREE and NOLA Lending will be providing a bus for the first day only. It will return AFTER the evening reception so plan accordingly. Signup sheet for the bus is in the Resource Room.

REALIST. If you have not tried out REALIST on the MLS site, you are truly missing out on some really neat information. You can find the link once you log onto the MLS. Look under SMART LINKS on the right of the screen and click it. You will the link to REALIST. Be patient, it takes some time to load but once it loads and you agree to the terms, it provides you such information as neighborhood information, CMA data, flood maps, neighbors, etc. You will not regret trying this out. Enter your own address, you will be amazed at how much information is on this site about your home.

COMING SOON! IGNITE YOUR BUSINESS; IGNITE YOUR CAREER; IGNITE YOUR PASSION. Keller Williams has retired the 4-4-3 training program and will launch IGNITE in late September. I have already listed the classes that will be taught in the Market Center during the Month of October. Watch for details as they are made available by KW. You know this will be good. Note: I have been in real estate for more than 32 years. Today I attended Bill Deshotels class on the HUD Statement and Closing Procedures and learned something; imagine that. You are never too old or too experienced to become better at what you do. Consider spending October becoming better at what you do; sign up for the IGNITE Classes when they become available. Better yet, consider teaching them. Check out the schedule on www.SlidellCalendar.com for OCTOBER.

TODAY’S SMILE: What would you? http://www.youtube.com/embed/-icgySC4e2c Caution, this may be a bit over the top! J

Online Newsletter for the Week Ending Aug 26, 2011

2011-08-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

QUOTE: “A leaders ability to accept change - adapt to change, convert change to opportunity, and communicate that opportunity to your team - is at the fulcrum point of their ability to succeed.” ~Jeffrey Gitomer; The Little Book of Leadership. www.JeffreyGitomer.com

BUSINESS PLANNING CLINIC. Friday, August 26, 9:00 to 4:00 in the Market Center. This clinic will teach you how to analyze your business, help you discover your BIG WHY, identify exactly what you should do to not only discover your "numbers" but to also HIT your "numbers". This is your best tool for success. Sign up in the Resource Room.

NAPOLEON HILL IS THE REAL SECRET, by Jeffrey Gitomer. I am a huge fan of Jeffrey Gitomer; this is one of his best, you can tell by the way it is written that it comes from his heart. http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3O9o8uBpX%2Bwag%3D%3D

IN TOUCH, PAT ZABY CONTACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, this may be worth looking in to. Zaby is offering a 30 day free trial, check it out at: http://member.patzaby.com/pod.aspx

FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE: We have 46 people who have elected to “like” our Market Center Facebook Page. Should be upwards of 100 because a lot of followers are from the real estate industry. The page is kept up-to-date with all that is going on in our Market Center. Please sign on and select “like” to keep abreast of the our events. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keller-Williams-Realty-Professionals/216460945070863

DANGERS OF TEXT MESSAGING AND DRIVING, video. The video speaks for itself. It doesn’t always happen to the other guy. I have a personal rule that I simply do not use my telephone ever when driving. If you have a need, pull over. http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=2964

THE POWER OF AN OUTSIDE VOICE, by Jon Gordon. Someone locally says it, no big deal. Someone from 50 miles away says the same thing, BIG DEAL! What can we learn from this? Great thought provoker: http://www.jongordon.com/newsletter-082211-power-of-an-outside-voice.html

EXCERPT FROM JOE TYE’S LATEST EZINE: The referenced free gifts have been uploaded to www.SlidellCalendar.com in the Document Section under eBooks. Everything Joe writes is excellent!

If you believe things are going to get tougher before they get easier (I certainly do), then the best investment you can make in yourself is cultivating the mental and emotional toughness required to see the opportunity in every perceived crisis, and the courage to take action in the face of paralyzing fear. You must, in short, conquer your lesser self so that your best self can shine. As my gift to you, click on this link to download the 91-page Winning the War with Yourself Field Manual, which includes as an appendix the special report "It's Better to Be a Three-Legged Coyote Than a Four-Legged Fur Coat " - which is filled with recommendations for escaping some of the more common traps in life and work.

The best investment you can make in your organization is fostering a spirit of cultural toughness. More than any other factor, this spirit characterizes each of the eight legendary business success stories profiled in my book All Hands on Deck: 8 Essential Lessons for Building a Culture of Ownership.

The one, of course, always leads to the other. The best way to foster cultural toughness in the organization is with training on values-based life and leadership skills. So as my second gift to you, click on this link to download our 32-page special report The Business Case for Values Training, which includes more than two dozen of the most important lessons we have learned over the past 15 years of providing this training.

HYENA BELIEFS FROM WES HOPPER:

GRATITUDE - HYENA BELIEFS

"Whenever you do fall into the old ways of thought, correct yourself instantly, for when you are in the competitive mind you have lost the cooperation of the Universe."

Wallace Wattles

I remember watching a nature show on TV and seeing two hyenas fighting with one another over a piece of meat.

In the background not too far away was an entire carcass.

In the distance, as far as the eye could see, was an endless herd of the prey animals.

I thought, "Wow! What a perfect illustration of the competitive mind. Fighting over scraps in the midst of plenty!"

We all see through filters, and the filters are our beliefs. If our belief is that supply is limited, then that's what we will experience.

Wattles says that we lose the cooperation of the Universe. Actually the Universe always cooperates with us, by agreeing with us.

If we believe in shortages, we get to experience shortages.

Then, like the hyenas, we end up fighting over the scraps.

Resolve to see only abundance. There are enough ideas, enough customers, enough money and enough opportunities for your needs.

You are a creator, not a competitor. The Universe will cooperate with that.

Many blessings, Wes

PS - What? You don't have the 2010 ebook yet! Look what you're missing. Over 260 pages of Daily Gratitude messages, some expanded and rewritten from the original. Get it today! http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Kx6ZW&m=J3jAiyacwsR9M1&b=PshZ3LV2ExeQD84G.hhmXw

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