Posts Tagged ‘Intero Real Estate Services’

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Monday Mojo: My life is in a rut!

By Tom Tognoli | August 30th, 2010 0 Comments

“I’m stuck in a rut…I’m just not happy with where I am in my life.”

We can feel this way about our health, our relationships, our job – we can feel like we are stuck in a rut, good or bad, about anything in life.  So, how do we get out of a bad rut? The bad news is it takes a lot of work to get out of it.  The good news is, when we are in a good rut it’s also hard to get out of it.

The key is to get stuck in as many good ruts as possible. I call them the ruts of life. Look at all aspects of your life – health, family, spirituality, business, financial, etc.  What kind of ruts are you stuck in – good or bad? Are you happy or are you sad, inspired or not inspired, purpose driven or not purpose driven, healthy or unhealthy, motivated or not motivated, have good relationships or bad relationships? I think anyone who tells us “its okay” or “I’m fine” is in a bad rut – they’re just in denial. They just don’t know it and/or don’t want to admit it.

In life we can’t live between the ruts, its just too hard. It’s like trying to balance on a tight rope for your entire life. Eventually you will get tired and fall to one side, so don’t be indecisive. You have to accept the fact you are going to get stuck in one of two ruts – the good one or bad one.  In the book The Purpose Driven Life it say’s “Nothing shapes your life more than the commitments you choose to make.  Your commitments can develop you or they can destroy you, but either way they will define you.”

Let’s make the commitment today to scrape and claw our way out of the bad ruts. Once we are out – fall into the good ruts. There will be short-term pain with getting out, but it will pass and then you will experience the long-term gain of living life in the good ruts.

Get stuck in the good ruts and make it a GREAT week!

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The benefits of being an Intero agent

By Cathy Jackson | August 3rd, 2010 0 Comments

Just recently I went to a seminar – a Mike Ferry Seminar.  I don’t usually attend seminars, it’s just not my thing.

Gino encouraged me to go and I thought – it can’t hurt.

My first day of the seminar the room was full of people, something like 4200 attendees. And wouldn’t you know it Gino had arranged for Intero to have front row seats reserved with our names on them.

So where everyone else had to stand in very long lines to get whatever seat was left in the room. We had the front row. Nice!!

Everywhere I went, people would say “Are you with that group that sits up front? You sure are lucky.”

We had bracelets to let us into the class every day.  I put mine on loose because it was a nuisance. On the second day, I lost it.

I thought, no problem they will just give me another and marched right up to customer service. They said “Sorry we just can’t help you, the cost for an additional bracelet will be $250.”  I turned around and just figured it’s time go home. Oh well.

I texted Gino and he came out of the seminar and went directly to Matt Ferry. Matt turned around to customer service and said “this is one of Gino’s people – you can give her another bracelet.”

So I was able to get in and attend the rest of the awesome seminar.

Thank you Gino – I am glad to be one of your “People.”

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Tags: , , , , , ,      Categories: Positive attitude, Uncategorized

Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: Leadership Lessons from the Golf Course

By Gino Blefari | July 29th, 2010 0 Comments

As our 7th Annual Intero Foundation Golf Tournament commences today, I’ve been thinking about how techniques used in the game of golf can be applied to your path to success as a leader.

Ever wonder what golf has to do with leadership? There are quite a few clear connections between the two.

The best leaders use a collection of distinct leadership styles, each of which are used at the right time and in the right manner. Think of it as a skilled golfer who, in the course of a game, picks and chooses each club according to the demands of the shot.

Gary Player, the most successful international golfer of all time with nine major championship victories and nine major victories on the Champions Tour, is truly a golf legend and leader. His dedication to excellence and his golfing accomplishments are what got him there.

His approach to golf and to life in general show impeccable values, perfectionist style and insistence on quality, and are what led him to become a renowned golfer and leader.

Golf and leadership each require making choices and mastering the basics. Golfers and leaders each deal with the consequences of their decisions. They know how to control their emotional swings, how to remain patient and how to always respect their competitors.

For a better understanding of this connection, here are some expectations, descriptions and requirements that pertain to both golf and leadership:

·        Creativity is always required.
·        It can be frustrating at times.
·        Goal-setting is required.
·        You need to always encourage continued improvement.
·        It’s challenging.
·        It requires clear vision.
·        You need to be a problem solver.
·        On occasion, it’s an emotional experience.
·        It involves strategic thinking.
·        It demands endurance.
·        It’s rewarding.
·        You need a strong mental game.
·        It’s a source of great satisfaction.

Sounds like a career in real estate doesn’t it?

As you think back to our golf tournament this year and to Gary Player’s career, ask yourself: which course will I choose to take me to the top?

As you choose your path remember what Gary Player explains in his new book, “Don’t Choke”:

“Over the years, I’ve heard people say, ‘That Gary Player was certainly lucky in his career’. But if it was just luck, how come I kept doing it? And how come Nicklaus kept doing it? And Ben Hogan, and Sam Snead, and now Tiger Woods? It’s not luck. It’s being able to bring something out of yourself when it’s really necessary, and when it counts. That’s the difference between being very good, a star, and a superstar. Remember – The harder you practice, the luckier you get.”

Greater understanding of leadership leads to opportunities for improvement. This is how you become a more effective leader.

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Cool Apps: Total reQall

By John Thompson | May 28th, 2010 2 Comments

For the most part, most of the tech stuff that I look at and test falls under the heading, “Mildly Interesting.” Every so often, though, I stumble across something that absolutely blows me away.

I had that experience a couple of weeks ago.

I have been blown away…by reQall.

Before I get into the ins and outs of what it does, though, let’s chat. Now, I’m sure that there are those of you out there who are hyper-organized, who never have any trouble remembering anything. All of your ducks are in their respective rows and every tiny detail is in its place. Well, most of us are not like that. Most of us have great ideas, but we have them when there are no Post-Its on which to jot them down. We make appointments, but can’t remember them. We know that there was … something … that we were supposed to do, but we can’t quite remember what it was because we haven’t had a quad shot gargantulatte (no whipped cream on that, thanks) with a side of Red Bull.

For those of us who are dealing with that grim reality? reQall is at our beck and/or call.

With applications for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Outlook, GoogleApps, email, Evernote, SMS, IM, and even an extension for Firefox, reQall is there, wherever and whenever we need it.

What it is is a high-toned, get-your-backside-in-gear memory aid that’s an organizer, a reminder system, and a productivity assistant, all rolled into one. Have an earth-shattering idea while on the road? Call reQall from your mobile phone and your recording is transcribed into text. Suddenly remember an appointment that you forgot? Record it with reQall and it’ll appear in your Outlook or Google calendars.

reQall is smart. If you say, “Meet with Jack Bauer every Tuesday night at 8,” reQall knows that it’s a meeting, and that it’s every Tuesday night at 8. It’ll also record it accordingly in your calendars. If you say, “Remember to buy milk” it’ll record that in your shopping list.

Here’s where it gets scary smart, though: reQall will remind you of things at the precise moment you need to remember them. Let’s say, for example, that you want to buy flowers for your wife on your anniversary. Create a reminder in reQall and when you’re near the flower shop, it’ll remind you to stop. Right then. I know. Crazy, right? But in the best way.

There are a ton of things that you can do with reQall, each of them cooler than the thing that came before it. Sign up for an account today and see just how organized you can become. You’ll have total reQall.

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Cool Apps: Get Mobile, Get QIK!

By John Thompson | April 2nd, 2010 0 Comments

When you stop to think about it, mobile technology is pretty amazing. The things that we can do with our phones these days are truly mind-boggling.

Communication is faster and more efficient. Mobile applications allow us to run our businesses from the palms of our hands. We have access to pretty much anything at anytime. Like I said, amazing.

So, aside from the obvious things like email, access to social media outlets, and other glaringly-business-oriented applications, how can these little powerhouses best be used to benefit our businesses?

One of the most interesting uses I’ve seen is with QIK, a mobile video and live streaming application that can be used on more than 140 different phones. QIK allows you to record video on the fly. It lets you do it wirelessly. It lets you stream events with people as they’re happening.

“That’s cool and all, but how could I use that for my business?” you might ask.

Here’s one way: have you ever had clients whom you were helping to relocate? They arrange trips to see homes, you schedule as many showings into one weekend as is humanly possible, and they feel pressured to buy something, even though they might not have found *the* house, simply because they’re there. With QIK, if there’s a home that they’d like to see, you can arrange a showing…and live stream it to them, no matter where they are.

QIK could be used to do virtual tours for homes. It could be used in the great wide world of hyperlocal marketing, allowing you to capture video of interesting happenings in your market area. You could even use QIK to record VLOGs, which can be automatically uploaded to YouTube, Facebook, or your blogs hosted on WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, and many others.

With a little creativity, a simple little tool like QIK could really be a game-changer for your business. How do you think you might use it?

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Monday Mojo: Never, never, never be late

By Tom Tognoli | February 8th, 2010 0 Comments

We have something in my family called Tognoli time – always be at least 5 minutes early for every appointment.  It is something that has been ingrained into me since I was a kid by my dad.  I don’t care what it is – going golfing, going to church, going on vacation, going to the doctor, coming over for dinner – going anywhere or doing anything, my dad has always been and continues to make sure no one ever has to wait for him for anything.

I am proud to say, the apple has not fallen far from the tree, because I am the exact same way – for that matter, so are my boys.  I cannot stand being late and making other people wait for me. Time is the most valuable asset any of us have in our life and being late tells people you do not care about them and their most valuable asset, their time. Remember, you never get a second chance at making a first impression and your first impression is what time you show up…early, on time, or late.

As important as being on time or a little early can be, I never realized how just how valuable it was until I read the following story. It is a classic and really drives home the point:

A priest was being honored at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the parish.

A leading local politician and member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and to give a little speech at the dinner. However he was delayed, so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited.

“It is said that your first impressions are the most powerful,” he began, “and upon my assignment to this church so many years ago, one of my first duties was to hear confessions and, I must confess, after hearing the very first one, my impression was that I had been assigned to a terrible place. The person who entered my confessional told me he had stolen a TV set and when questioned by the police was able to lie his way out of it. He had also stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his employer, had an affair with his boss’s wife, taken illegal drugs, and gave VD to his sister. I was appalled.”

The priest’s eyes then turned misty as he continued, “But as the days went on I learned that my flock was not at all like that first penitent and that I had, indeed, come to a fine parish full of good and loving people.”

Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies at being late. He immediately began to give his presentation and opened with the following:

“I’ll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived, in fact I had the honor of being the first person to go to him for confession…”

Moral of the story – never, never, never be late!

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Wednesday Wellness: Carve Fresh Tracks

By Tammy Parkinson | February 3rd, 2010 0 Comments

For those of you who live in the Bay Area, this past weekend we were able to see the sun, blue sky and even the entire full moon AND stars at night!  It’s been raining and storming nearly nonstop for about 2 weeks.  (If you live on the East Coast or North West, I’m sure you don’t feel too sorry for us!)

When we get bad weather, we grumble, complain, and throw little tantrums about wanting to get outside and just feel “warm”!

Yesterday and today, I had the chance to ride my mountain bike for the first time in nearly 45 days (tragic).  As I was riding I was elated, not just from the simple fact that I was outside and it was sunny, but because the “dirt” was perfect!  We haven’t had rain for a few days so although (some of) the trails were drying up; they were still “soft” and made riding downhill a blast!

I started thinking about how Tahoe must be and how great the snow is due to the storms which transpired over the last couple of weeks.  I bet ski enthusiasts were carving fresh tracks and having the time of their lives.

It occurred to me that the skiers, boarder and mountain bikers wouldn’t feel these joys if the storms hadn’t have produced the perfect snow or the perfect trails conditions!

How many times have we endured challenges for days, weeks, even months, so that we can eventually relish in the reward because of the storm?

I think of so many nutrition clients I work with who struggle right at first, sometimes kicking and screaming about having to change their habits, just to find themselves ultimately enjoying new foods, seeing the weight loss and embracing new and healthy habits in their lives.

I think of personal training clients who are sore for the first several weeks of their routine, to see in time that they can run faster and easier, lift with greater power and finally see a 4 pack peek through!

What have you endured (maybe even in pain) which once you got through realized bliss because of the journey?

Enjoy life’s lessons when possible; ride your perfect trails, carve fresh tracks!

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Monday Mojo: Burning the Boats

By Tom Tognoli | January 18th, 2010 0 Comments

As we start the 3rd week of the New Year, now is when it really starts to get hard to keep up with those resolutions. When I went to the gym over the weekend, I was shocked by the number of cars in the parking lot. I’m not sure why, I shouldn’t have been, it was the same thing last year. There must have been 10 times the number of people there compared to last month. Over the last two weeks gyms all around the world have been flooded with millions of additional people. The unfortunate thing is, it’s the same millions of people who were in the gym the first week of January last year….and the year before that…and the year before that…and the year before that…and by February 1st it will be back to the old regulars.

So, why can’t we keep it up?

Whether it is going to the gym, spending more time with our kids and/or spouse, eating healthier, whatever it is – what can we do to keep those resolutions and make them changes for a lifetime, not just a week or a month? The answer is good old discipline and accountability. If we are truly committed to having a better life, we need to tell everyone we know about our resolutions and ask them to help hold us accountable. We have to burn the boats, so to speak, and not give ourselves a way back to the old us – the one who hits the snooze bar. Because if we don’t burn the boats, so there is no going back when the going gets tough, we are simply going to revert back to all our old bad habits.

Now, when you are too tired to keep your commitments, too tired to keep inspired, too tired to keep being disciplined and accountable, play this video and ask yourself, what would Lance say to you?

Lance Armstrong

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Wednesday Wellness: This January Try Something New

By Tammy Parkinson | January 13th, 2010 0 Comments

January, the first month of a NEW Year!

You see many ads about NEW goals, NEW you, NEW business strategies, NEW relationship promises, etc.

I love this!  Looking at your day with a “newness” towards everyday practices can and will revitalize your lives!

My message this week is short and sweet…simply…try something…anything…NEW every day!

If you frequent the same running trail, try a new one…just once!

If you always have oatmeal in the morning, try a protein shake instead

If you go to sleep at 11:30  and wake up at 7 everyday (uh, this would be me)  try to go to sleep at 10 and wake up at 6…just once!

Getting out of our ruts and daily habits will help us explore NEW areas of our lives which we have looked away from and possibly even closed!

Today, I stopped by a coffee shop I have never been in before.  The layout was cute and open and gave me an idea of something I can do to our screen room!  Who knew a coffee shop would give me an idea for a remodel!

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Cool Apps: Get the Gist!

By John Thompson | January 8th, 2010 3 Comments

gist“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

How many times have you heard that phrase? What if you could combine those two things? What if you could take who you know and increase what you know about them? From the perspective of a real estate professional — someone whose business is dependent on understanding people’s needs and desires — that’s something that could be pretty valuable, right?

As it happens, there is, in fact, an app for that.

Welcome to GIST.

Everyone with whom we’re connected online is searchable. Every blog comment, tweet, online profile, even reviews at places like Amazon, are searchable. But tracking down all of that information can be awfully time-consuming. Gist takes the legwork out of finding out what you need to know about your clients and business contacts before you talk to them.

An indispensable tool for anyone in sales, Gist is what Outlook wishes it could have been; not just contact management, Gist is knowledge management. Relationship management.

100% free, Gist couldn’t be simpler to use. Just log in and tell Gist where your contacts are listed: Gmail, LinkedIn, Twitter … wherever they happen to be. Gist aggregates all of your contact information, then turns that data into something really intelligent. Something you can really use.

The more you know about a person or a company, the more productive you’re going to be.

In the dashboard, you’ll see your lists of contacts (either individuals or companies), plus their latest tweets, blog posts, news items, comments and other online information that has recently been posted. Pretty handy information to have before that conference call or big meeting, right?

Gist is knowledge. Gist is power. Gist is totally cool.

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