Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: A Lesson for the New Year

This week my travels found me in Northern California, working from my home office and preparing for the new year (although as I told you in an earlier post, my business plan has been set for months). Whenever I’m home, I meet my friend and former All-Pro defensive back for the Los Angeles Rams, Johnnie Johnson, for a weekly breakfast; this week was no exception. Fortunately, Johnnie’s sons, Kirk and Collin, were also in town—on break from college at the University of Texas—so they joined us as well.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: Lose Graciously

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me Irvine, CA at our HSF Affiliates headquarters then in Phoenix to meet with Mark Stark, CEO/owner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Arizona Properties, Nevada Properties and California Properties. While in Phoenix, I had the opportunity to play a round of golf with Mark as well as Dennis Alaburda—agent with Arizona Properties—at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, a world-class course that has hosted elite events like the United States Mid-Amateur Championship, Arizona Open, Ping Pro Scratch and the Merrill Lynch Shoot Out.

Being out on the greens, cacti surrounding me, the rocky Sonoran Desert hillside just beyond, I thought about one of my all-time favorite golfers, Jack Nicklaus, an athlete I admire as much for his off-the-course philosophy about life and leadership as I do for his superb skills displayed while playing the sport.

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You Gotta Have Balance

By Stephen Ferguson

STOP! PUT DOWN YOUR MOBILE DEVICE AND LISTEN UP!

Have you been up until midnight writing an offer? Skipped an event or child’s baseball game for a client or a deal? Went on a “vacation” and spent the entire time glued to your phone or tablet? Worked your way through a “day off,” texted clients all through a family dinner?

If you’re a hard-working real estate professional, the answer to one (or most) of these questions is probably yes.

Trust me, I’m not picking on you. I’ve been there. We all have. But I’ll also be the first to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s a long-standing myth that for real estate professionals, we must be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week and must answer every single call, text or email with lightning-fast immediacy.

Here’s a secret: We don’t. And I’m living proof.

I’ve been in real estate more than 15 years and at the start of 2016 made a vow to take my life back and start enjoying the benefits of the solid business I’ve built. How? Here are eight simple ways:

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thoughts on Leadership: In the Spirit of Aloha

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels find me in Maui, HI, splitting time between the Fairmont Kea Lani and the Montage Kapalua Bay. I’m on the island for my annual family vacation and coming off the heels of five days spent in Costa Rica for the Berkshire Elite Circle Conference, I can say I’m definitely in a tropical mindset. (In fact, just this morning I did a meditation class, a breathing class and a yoga class so I’m feeling very zen as I write this today.)

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Talking Inspiration with Dwight Clark: Preparation and Opportunity

A word from Gino Blefari, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices …

This post is the first in our new “Talking Inspiration” blog series by Dwight Clark, former All-Pro wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. I was lucky enough to be a 49ers fan in the 1980s and watched my pal Dwight play for my favorite team. Dwight is a five-time Super Bowl champion—two as a player and three in management—but who knows if his great run would’ve ever happened if it wasn’t for that incredible Sunday in January of 1982 … that’s when “Too Tall” Jones and what seemed like the entire Dallas Cowboys defense was chasing quarterback Joe Montana and Dwight was trying to lose Cowboys’ defensive back Everson Walls running across the back of Candlestick Park’s end zone. What happened next has been since memorialized in sports history books forevermore: Dwight caught the winning touchdown pass thrown by Montana and the 49ers won the NFC Championship Game that year. Today, “The Catch” is known as the #7 most memorable play in the NFL and #1 for the 49ers. Dwight’s “Talking Inspiration” posts will provide ongoing perspectives about tackling challenges—in sports, business and life—and I hope you enjoy these pieces of wisdom from a great man, a true football legend and my friend. – Gino

By Dwight Clark

When I reflect on my career playing with the San Francisco 49ers, one word comes to mind: fortunate. And fortune, as I define it, is the place where preparation meets opportunity. If you think about your life’s most extraordinary feats—whether it’s winning Super Bowls or winning business—yes, there’s always some measure of luck involved but there’s also a whole lot of training, planning and hard work that has to happen long before luck arrives. Then, if you’re fully prepared at the exact moment luck finally does ring, you can pick up the phone and answer its call.

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Thoughts on Leadership: Step by Step

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in New York City and the overwhelming theme of my trip was “steps.” Let me explain …

I was in town for the NAHREP Hispanic Wealth Project Symposium, which brings together stakeholders and national leaders to create measurable financial and wealth-building initiatives to benefit the economy. As with all NAHREP events, this one was fantastic, and served to refocus my energies around the strategies put forth in the NAHREP 10.

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Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: Collaborating for Success

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels first found me in Minneapolis for a HomeServices of America, Inc. board meeting. As soon as the meeting ended, I flew into Omaha, NE to get together with the “Mavericks” that evening. The Mavericks is a small think-tank group of CEOs that meets every six months to exchange ideas and help each other grow. Each meeting is hosted by a different company; this one took place at the brand-new office of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate and was organized by Broker/Owner Vince Leisey and his incredibly helpful staff.

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Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: Lessons from the Leadership Summit

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in Costa Mesa, CA for Tom Ferry’s Leadership Summit. The event brought together hundreds of broker/owners, managers and top teams from across the nation and served as a forum to both hear and share ideas. Tom Ferry kicked the meeting off in his typical, high-energy fashion and as I later told him, being among so many industry peers felt like being among family. (Although I must admit, I always feel like family when I’m with Tom. After all, his wife, Kathy, is 100% Italian, so he really is family. I’ll also never forget the first time I spoke to Tom … he was 19 years old and cold called me to attend his Superstar Retreat. We’ve been friends ever since!)

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