By Gino Blefari
This week my travels find me in Southern California for meetings at our Irvine HQ. For my message today, please watch the below video and remember that strong leadership is great to have when things are going well but it’s an absolute necessity when faced with overwhelming challenges. In fact, it’s one of the only ways to overcome them.
By Gino Blefari
“[Quarterback Joe] Montana … Looking … Looking … Throwing into the end zone … Clark caught it! … It’s a madhouse at Candlestick …”
This week my travels find me in Northern California, working and preparing to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family. I’m feeling particularly grateful this year not only for my wonderful family but also for the friends who enrich my life in ways inextricable, intangible and extraordinary.
Leaders, as you know, are not born, they’re made, and the fabric of leaders is sewn from all the intelligent, inspiring people around them. One leader I’m thankful to call my close friend is Dwight “The Catch” Clark,” once an obscure, 10th-round draft pick in the 1979 NFL draft—the 249th player chosen—who went on to become Sports Illustrated’s NFL Player of the Year in 1982.
By Gino Blefari
This week my travels found me first in Irvine, CA for a Town Hall meeting at our HSF Affiliates HQ and next in Las Vegas for the Zillow Group Broker Forum at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. As I travel across the country and attend meetings led by some of our industry’s most powerful and innovative minds, I keep circling back to a theme prevalent in so many keynotes, panel discussions and coffee-break chats: diversity.
This week my travels took me to Chicago and then on to Southern California but let’s talk about Chicago and the 2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo. My conference experience actually began in a very unusual way. Let me explain …
At exactly 7:22 a.m. –5:22 a.m. my time—I headed down to Starbucks for coffee, just as I do every morning to begin my usual routine. I was just waking up and had on a t-shirt and a bit of bed head when I arrived at Starbucks. (Hey, we’re always honest on this blog.) Anyway, there I am in line to get coffee when I recognized Michael Phelps was waiting right in front of me.
By Gino Blefari
This week my travels found me first in Minneapolis for a HomeServices of America, Inc. board meeting and then in chilly Chicago for the National Association of REALTORS® Conference & Expo. But more on my Windy City trip and NAR takeaways in next week’s post …
For now, let’s return to Minneapolis and talk about boards. In official corporate terms, a board of directors is primarily responsible for protecting shareholders’ assets and ensuring they receive a good return on investment. In this particular case, the HSoA board met to discuss budgeting, assess risk and in general, make decisions that would move the organization and its affiliates toward even more growth and profitability.
By Gino Blefari
This week my travels find me in San Antonio, TX for 2018 Sales Convention planning. As you know, I’m a huge proponent of planning. Last year during my keynote onstage at Sales Convention, I even quoted one of my all-time favorite sayings by Dwight D. Eisenhower: “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.”
Also, for those who haven’t read it, I wrote a post all about business planning here.
By Gino Blefari
This week my travels find me in Southern California, specifically in Palm Springs for the 2017 National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP) 2017 National Convention. Key to my role as CEO of HSF Affiliates is to attend so many events and I have to say, I think the real estate industry does an incredible job putting together its national and local conferences.
It makes sense the real estate industry is among the best. These gatherings are our chance not only to gain new knowledge about real estate but also to make important connections, discover best practices, network with intelligent professionals and at the core, grow our business. In real estate, we rely on no one but ourselves for our ultimate success. If we can’t close a deal, if we can’t nail the listing appointment, if we’re not informed about the market, then we don’t get the business. That’s why real estate conferences are so well-put together and refined. They’re essential for us to become better leaders. NAGLREP is no exception.
By Gino Blefari
This week my travels took me to Asheville, North Carolina for the annual CFO Conference, which brings together CFOs from among the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network to share ideas and economics trends. Also during the conference, we discussed best practices for how the CFO can better serve his or her company as not only the financial steward of the organization but also as the trusted partner to the CEO and leadership team.
I was excited to be among the CFO community at such a picturesque location though while I spend time on the East Coast, my thoughts remain with those in West, particularly in Northern California where devastating wild fires still rage, one of the worst fires to hit the Golden State, ever. We all send prayers to those affected by this awful disaster, and hope the winds cease soon and the flames are able to be extinguished so recovery can begin. Stay strong, California, we are with you!
By Gino Blefari
This week my travels found me first in San Diego for the 2017 AREAA National Convention. The conference focused on how real estate can better serve buyers and sellers of diverse backgrounds and I was honored to participate in a panel discussion about the Fair Housing Act, created to ensure homeownership for all. The onstage dialogue was detailed and thoughtful, meant to get to the core of the Fair Housing issue and figure out how we can create a better way to protect renters and buyers from unlawful discrimination.
Next, my itinerary would’ve taken me to Las Vegas for the Zillow Group Broker Forum. The event is invite-only and happens each year, bringing together the nation’s largest brokers to meet with Zillow Group executives and industry leaders to share ideas about trends in real estate. It would’ve been enlightening and informative, I’m sure, but Monday morning I received an email the event was cancelled, and the cancellation was of course the right thing to do.
As you know, Sunday night marked the largest mass shooting in our nation’s history and on behalf of our organization, my thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the awful tragedy in Las Vegas. This entire week has felt expectedly heavy on our hearts as the country mourns great losses, consoles and slowly, somehow attempts to heal.
Today is the final day! Please vote for Deborah Berg, agent with Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices HWWB, REALTORS® in Birmingham, MI, who is a finalist in Realtor Magazine’s prestigious Good Neighbor Awards! She runs “the country’s largest rummage sale,” which raises an impressive $225,000 each year to support people in need through 35 non-profit organizations. She manages a force of more than 700 volunteers during twice-annual, week-long sales. Throughout the rest of the year, she oversees the acquisition of furniture and high-value donations. Let’s support Deborah Berg, an amazing Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices sales professional and a testament to what it means to be Good to know™.
VOTE HERE before 5 p.m. CT: https://www.realtor.com/goodneighbor/ … and share this post so Deborah can win the award!
Thoughts on Leadership 