Can You Take a Little Constructive Criticism?

In today’s business world, giving feedback can be a very delicate thing. When one offers to give us constructive feedback, it may very well be an attempt to help us grow. But the receiving end of that suggestion only hears one word, and it’s NOT the word, constructive. All we focus…

Are You up on Your Rent Mr. Negative?

There is an expression I first heard several years ago, which made me chuckle. I suppose the metaphor was originally posed to me as a question. "What takes up space in your mind?" Though, I thought this was a humorous way of considering the thoughts we have, I also knew there was a…

Being Consumed by Fear Leaves Little Room for Anything Else

Now, how does that snappy little quip about preparedness go? "HOPE for the best, but PREPARE for the worst!" This saying has been attributed to Maya Angelou, but I could swear the sentiment has been around for centuries. Nonetheless, the originator is providing a two-pronged strategy. But…

There's a Buyer For Every House!

Real estate investing is not as easy as HGTV would have us believe! I have worked with investors over the years, many of them giving it their first time effort. And many of them vow to never do it again. Those television real estate reality shows are much like…

Proven Strategies for Savvy Negotiators

As a Realtor®, I get to perform several functions in the service of my clients. One of those functions is that of negotiation, and it is one of my favorite! However, it is often not one of my client’s favorite hoops to jump through, so I must remind myself…

I Don't Like Your Tone!

If you are a married, middle-aged man, there is a good chance you have heard these words before: "I don't like your tone, mister!" But it's not just in the bounds of marital bliss that words may come across as other than what was intended.

Helping Others Plan for the Future

When Covid hit, we all had to adjust to the unknown. Being semi-isolated changed how we interacted with others. For companies, that meant changing how we would do business. Though entrepreneurs tried to keep up with the latest available news on what an organization had to do to survive,…

Two Sisters Maid to Clean

Samahria Richie, owner of Two Sisters Maid to Clean, knows a thing or two about running a business. Professionally, she worked in corporate IT where she was a problem solver for those who had computer issues or challenges accessing online resources. But when she had her fourth child, she…

You're A Slob!

Have you ever heard those words? If so, it was probably when you were a teenager, and it was probably a parent saying it to you. Perhaps you were wearing the latest style or your bedroom was just a mess. As adults, we don’t usually hear such coarse statements…

Your Safety is Your Business

As a Realtor® or any other independent contractor, it falls to us to make a lot of the decisions an employer might make for us in other industries. But more important than the concepts of product knowledge, overcoming objections and overall expertise, our own safety must be paramount. But…

A Better Model of Diversity

What do you think of when you hear the term DEI? The letters themselves stand for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. DEI or otherwise, “diversity training”, has been in vogue over the past few years. But for many it conjures up thoughts of the mandatory sensitivity…

The Ultimate Business Faux Pas: Forgetting One's Name

About a century ago, speaker and author Dale Carnegie stated, "Remember that a person's name is, to that person, the sweetest sound in any language." This insight was said to be so profound, it had to be written in a book, which did become a best-seller. But do we…

I Was So Busy, I Must Have Gotten A Lot Done, Right?

Anytime I ask someone how they are doing, I often hear a one-word sentence: “Busy.” My response is usually “Well, there’s job security in that.” True enough, after all there is no business unless we are all doing something. But what exactly is the something we are doing?

Building a Business and Building Wealth

Daren Chamblee first became a financial advisor fourteen years ago with Edward Jones. New advisors with Edwards Jones are notorious for doing the grunt work to create a solid business foundation. They will actually go out and knock on doors to make cold-calls in both business and residential neighborhoods.…