As some of you know, I live in Southern California, driving distance from both Death Valley and Mount Whitney. I’m currently training for a half marathon, with the possibility of progressing to a full marathon. My commitment deadline is early September. To give my joints a break, I dedicate my off days to rowing or […]
Turning Disappointment into Your Next Big Win
If you’re a real estate broker, lead a region or office, lead a mortgage team, or operate as a top-producing agent, you’re well aware that disappointment is an inherent part of the job. At our core, we are in the business of building genuine relationships. But let’s be honest: people are busy, overwhelmed, and constantly […]
Winning the Day: Stop Overthinking and Take the Next Step
The fuel and inspiration for today’s thoughts come directly from James Clear, author of the incredible book Atomic Habits. Applying his mindset to our industry completely changes how we operate. If you run a real estate brokerage, lead a mortgage team, or operate as a top producing agent, you probably spend a lot of time […]
Winning the Day: When the Talent Pool Shrinks
If you run a brokerage, lead a mortgage or title team, or recruit top producers, you have likely felt the squeeze over the past year. Finding sharp real estate agents, transaction coordinators, experienced loan officers, and reliable escrow professionals feels harder than ever. This is not just a temporary hiring lull. According to a recent […]
Nobody Owns the Word “Brothers”
Three lessons from Groucho Marx: Here’s where he proved it. In 1942, Warner Bros. released Casablanca: Bogart, Bergman, the biggest picture in the country. A few years later the Marx Brothers, well past their peak, announced a comedy called A Night in Casablanca. Warner Bros. sent a legal notice claiming rights to the word “Casablanca” and suggested […]
The Hidden Cost of “Cheap”: What We Need to Know About Forced Labor in Our Supply Chains
Today, I’m stepping outside my normal lane. Why? Because an issue has been weighing heavily on my heart and mind, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it. When you pick up a cheap T-shirt, grab a morning coffee, or upgrade your phone, forced labor is probably the last thing on your mind. Most […]
4 Steps to Defeat “I Don’t Have Enough Time.”
I’ve lost count of how many broker-owners, recruiters, and agents have sat across from me and said some version of the same thing: “Mark, I just don’t have enough time.” Here’s the uncomfortable truth I usually offer back: the leaders crushing their goals and the ones drowning have the exact same 168 hours a week. The […]
Stop Waiting for Motivation: Act Your Way Into Believing
The real estate industry is obsessed with “mindset.” We spend millions on keynote speakers trying to change how our agents think, hoping that if we just inspire them enough, their actions will follow. Change your heart, and your actions will change. But what if that model is completely backward? Psychologist George Simon inverts this approach. […]
Character Under Duress: Good Intentions Don’t Run a Brokerage
I was thinking about my father recently, God rest his soul. Whenever I faced a setback, a difficult task, or a situation I wanted to quit, he’d look at me and deliver his famous line: “It builds character.” I wonder if we’ve lost that in today’s society. Today, when things get hard, the default instinct […]
Acting Differently First Can Change What You Believe and Feel
Over 40+ hours on planes, trains, and automobiles over the last few weeks gave me time to reflect on something I’ve learned across 20,000+ hours helping teams improve their business processes, and from my top three influencers in the counseling field. We usually assume change works like this: change your heart, and your actions will […]