Start With A Win

Our guest on this episode of the Start with a Win podcast is RE/MAX Co-founder and Chairman of the Board, Dave Liniger. Dave got his start in real estate by flipping houses to earn some extra money while he was stationed with the military in Arizona. He soon decided to get his real estate license in order to save some money on his house flipping, and he observed the activity of the other agents. When his time with the military was completed, he moved to Denver and applied for real estate jobs. He worked with agencies that used the 50%/50% concept and the 100% concept, and he realized that he liked elements of both setups.He soon decided to create his own company with the goal of becoming a worldwide real estate agency which would combine the freedom of a 100% agency and the stability of a 50%/50% agency in the best possible way, and in January 1973, his dream was born. Most real estate agents at that time were white-haired men, but Dave was an advocate for recruiting women to be agents, despite the prejudices of the industry. This model worked very well for RE/MAX, and by the end of the 5th year, 80% of the agents were women and RE/MAX was #1 in Colorado in listings, sales, and commissions.When it came to naming the company, Dave didn’t like the idea of using his own name. The idea of “real estate maximums” came up during a brainstorming session, and the team decided to shorten it to RE/MAX to be more catchy while still keeping the heart of the concept. In those early years, there were many sleepless nights and very few days off, but their hard work paid off and they were able to meet their goals. Dave’s main challenges of lack of management ability and resistance to the basis of the company from the rest of the industry were overcome by the institution of effective systems and processes. Dave also surrounded himself with the best team he could and made sure that they all focused on being persistent and purposeful.Links:Dave Liniger’s Bio: https://www.remax.com/newsroom/company-info/officer-bios/board-of-directors-of-remax-holdings-inc/dave-liniger-chairman-and-co-founder.htm Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, Adam and Mark discuss the goals and resolutions that so many people are going to start in the beginning of 2019. Did you know that it takes an average of 10 attempts before your resolution will stick? This does not have to be the case. In order to have SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals, it is important to avoid these common mistakes:Too vague – Saying that you “want to get healthy” is not helpful in the scheme of things because you have not done the upfront planning to make a goal worth accomplishing. A good way to make sure that your goal is not too vague is to tell people about it so they will hold you accountable.Too boring – If you are not excited about your goal, then you are not going to put in the work to make it happen. Set up a system of routine and reward for yourself and perhaps take advantage of goal-stacking to multiply your efforts.Too easy – Setting a goal that is too easy does not really count as a goal. You should feel gratified after completing it, and it should be a bit of a challenge.Overwhelming – Many people say that they want to “lose 60 pounds in 2019” or “save $5,000 by the end of the year”, but these goals are so large that they seem unattainable. Try making your goals more bite-sized like “lose 5 pounds in January” or “only eat out once per week and save the excess.”Easily forgotten – It isn’t helpful to anyone if you set an arbitrary goal just to say you have set a goal. You will benefit the most by setting goals that are related to your daily life.By eliminating these variables from the equation, you set yourself up to accomplish your goals.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, Adam outlines the six steps to dealing with chaos:Clear your mind. Take a deep breath and try to relax, which will prepare you to see the situation objectively.Assess the situation. Lift your head up from the situation right in front of you and look around. Remember that you have the capacity within yourself to find the solution.Revisit your goals. Ask yourself if this chaotic situation aligns with one of your goals; if it doesn’t, you should remove yourself from the situation. Apply your systems. Refer back to the processes you have prepared for this very moment. Maintain forward momentum by sticking to the plan.Execute. Don’t let fear paralyze you from taking action. Start chipping away to experience growth.Appreciate. Being grateful for your life will provide you with the motivation to execute, and executing will provide you with more motivation.Links:Mr. Rogers bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, Adam talks with us about what he calls “mastering the art of showing up.” He says that today started yesterday and tomorrow starts today, and while the day’s tasks may seem monumental when viewed collectively, tackling them a step at a time is the best system to set up for yourself. Today, you can plan and prepare for the successes you are going to have tomorrow, from exercising to meetings at work to interactions with your fellow drivers to making the most of your time with your family. Find ways to eliminate excuses and commit to starting whatever is ahead of you by having a winning attitude.Specifically, in the morning, get up and away from your bed as soon as the alarm goes off. You will find that after a few weeks of waking up at the same time, your brain will get in the routine and you will be more mentally prepared to get up. Once you are up, your momentum is rolling and it is simple to put on the clothes you set out the night before and make it out the door for work or to go to the gym. These “micro-commitments” that you choose to make throughout the day will result in amazing productivity and the determination to do the same tomorrow.Links:“Atomic Habits” by James Clear – https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1544404331&sr=8-3&keywords=atomic+habits+james+clear “Good to Great” by Jim Collins - https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544404356&sr=8-1&keywords=good+to+great+by+jim+collins Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Our guest on this episode of the Start with a Win podcast is James Schwartz, Marketing Director of RE/MAX corporate. With 19+ years in the marketing and real estate industries, James has learned how to connect with consumers during many new waves of technology and he is using his expertise to serve RE/MAX and also speak to agents across North America about their marketing efforts. Referring to the current technological environment, James says that there are lots of tools and platforms available to anyone who will take the time to learn them, but it takes a bit of finesse to use them effectively. It is crucial to remain focused on the consumer’s wants and needs and meet them where they are. Just because you have something to say doesn’t mean that you should blast that message to all of your communication channels. Whereas the number of touchpoints prior to action before the digital age was 3-5, companies and agents now have to achieve 20-30 touchpoints before an action is taken. This emphasizes the importance of keeping the message consistent, catchy, and – of course – consumer-focused.The area of digital communications that really excites James right now is the capability of monitoring and remarketing to the consumer via their digital footprint. Consumers are skeptical of “data mining” until they encounter a company who uses their data ethically and anticipates their needs, which makes their lives easier in the end. For a real estate agent, a consumer’s data can be helpful because it would allow the agent to know when they have changed jobs, gotten married, had a baby, or may be considering downsizing their home. This provides the opportunity for the real estate agent to become part of the consumer’s “tribe” and a built-in lifelong relationship, rather than a one-and-done.Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-schwartz-21798718 https://martechtoday.com/library/what-is-martech Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, our topic is relationships and their impacts on our world. Relationships are the basis for everything we do, and everything we do impacts our relationships, either by building up and investing in them or by losing from them. If you do not invest enough in your “relationship bank”, you wins will be minimal or nonexistent and you will not be able to reach your potential, no matter how hard you try.Dale Carnegie talked about the power of positive affirmation and giving honest and sincere appreciation to those around you. That is a lost art, especially at work. Showing appreciation to your employees or coworkers and giving them the recognition they deserve costs nothing, but people tend to lock it away like it costs everything they have. Those who find true success in their relationships are intentional about appreciating and engaging with their community, and they find that those things are often reciprocated back to them. Though it might not be an immediate reciprocity, the idea of paying it forward can have a powerful effect on society when it catches on. By giving unconditionally and letting go of the desire for instant gratification, we can accomplish anything.Your challenge after listening to this episode is to go do something great for somebody today.Links:“How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie - https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1544402926&sr=8-3&keywords=how+to+win+friends+and+influence+people+by+dale+carnegieGiftology by John Ruhlin - https://www.amazon.com/Giftology-Increase-Referrals-Strengthen-Retention/dp/1732095604/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1544402989&sr=8-2&keywords=giftology+john+ruhlin Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Our guest on this episode of the Start with a Win podcast is Tony Iacoviello, also known as “The Geeky Agent.” Tony is a RE/MAX agent in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, which is halfway between Toronto and Niagara Falls. Tony became known as The Geeky Agent several years ago when he was asked to create a character that would narrate his journey to and experience during the annual R4 Convention. Based on his childhood love for sci-fi and comic books, he told his character’s story in the form of comic book pages, and when R4 was over that year, he adopted the avatar he had created and has continued documenting his business adventures to this day. Tony has experienced a few failures that have brought him to where he is today. First, when he went through downsizing in the recession, he started his own construction and renovation company, which eventually brought him into the real estate world where he has found his fit. Secondly, he went through a divorce which caused him to do some self-evaluation and reconfigure the relationships in his life. He now views his time with his sons as truly special and he finds purpose, gratitude, and perspective from his time with them.Another big win in Tony’s life has been the responsibility that has come from being a recognizable representative of RE/MAX as The Geeky Agent. “With great power, there must also come great responsibility,” and Tony has found that The Geeky Agent provides him with both.Links:The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg - https://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/081298160XSeconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley - https://www.amazon.com/Seconds-Graphic-Bryan-Lee-OMalley/dp/0345529375/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544109740&sr=1-1&keywords=seconds R4 Convention 2019 - http://www.cvent.com/events/2019-re-max-r4-convention/event-summary-df767bb0c6a84450a31e8ff25770f088.aspx?RefID=Above%20Summary%20LinkConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, Adam discusses the concept of becoming incrementally better every day. The Japanese idea of kaizen means “continuous improvement,” and car companies like Toyota and Honda are excellent examples of this ideology. They are committed to continually improving their quality, even stopping an entire assembly line in order to fix an issue on the spot, rather than allowing defective parts to go through the complete process and being dealt with at the end. By practicing this concept day-in and day-out, they achieve drastic quality improvements over time which sets them apart from companies who do not follow this philosophy.Sir David Brailsford has been honing his craft, which he calls “the aggregation of marginal gains,” since 2002. He was asked to coach the British cycling team in 2003, and he led the team through a series of very small changes such as new seats, adjusted tire pressure, a lighter paint color, new pillows to sleep on, and a commitment to maintaining healthy living, which created a culture of collaboration and collective improvement. The team won 8 gold medals at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and he was then asked to coach Team Sky at the Tour de France in 2012. Following the same model of the aggregation of marginal gain, Team Sky won the Tour in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017.Following these mindsets, consider what small changes you can make to live a fuller and more fulfilling life. Try getting up earlier, exchanging a starch for a vegetable at a meal, smoking one less cigarette, drinking one less cocktail, watching 1 less television show so you can read 1 more chapter of a book, or telling your family that you love them one more time. You will likely be amazed with the results over time from making these small consistent choices.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Podcast Name: Start With A WinEpisode Name: Interview With Sue “Pinky” Benson.On this episode of Start With A Win, Adam Contos interviews Sue “Pinky” Benson. Sue, or “Pinky” as she’s known by, has had huge success as a RE/MAX agent and social media enthusiast. Sue encourages others to really getout there, create content, and own who they are. In this remarkable interview, Sue opens up about her son, Sawyer, and how grief can give you a new perspective on life. During the episode, they discuss how wins can come from failures. The show starts with Sue introducing herself and explaining how she is a mom, RE/MAX agent, and video enthusiast. The discussion segues into the fear that many people have being in front of the camera. Sue explains how people are judging you no matter if you are in front of a camera or not. You have to get out there and really own who you are. Sue opens up about the tragic loss of her son. She shares how that experience has affected her life in all areas. Recently, BombBomb has announced Sue as one of the Top Video Influencers. Sue describes how she got to this incredible place in life. She was able to learn the technology and start creating products that improved over time. She recommends using Facebook Live and Instagram stories as user-friendly platform tools. Her goal for 2019 is for more women to join her in creating videos without fear. Sue shares how she motivates herself at the beginning of each day. She suggests reading Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World and Brave Enough. She closes with two of her favorite quotes and she advises listeners to own their stories. and sharewho you are with the rest of the world!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/Follow Sue on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-pinky-benson/Check out Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary VaynerchukCheck out Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed

On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, our topic is fear, which Adam calls False Evidence Appearing Real. If you have an aversion to fear and you dread the feeling, you have an unhealthy and unproductive relationship with it, and you could solve a lot of your own problems by learning to handle fear differently. Many people harbor a known or unknown infatuation with fear as evidenced by their love of the scary or creepy elements of Halloween, craving for the “rush” feeling that comes from roller coasters, or dependence on the “breaking news” elements of the news industry. These are all caused by fear-mongering and maintaining an open loop version of reality that leaves too much room for imagining the worst-case scenarios. An unhealthy relationship with fear leads to unhealthy personal and business relationships and practices and puts you in a cycle with no good results.Adam’s first key to creating a healthy relationship with fear is to ignore the attempts by the media to communicate fear by keeping the right perspective and seeking out the facts. Second, you should convert your feelings of fear to the ability to move forward with confidence and look for opportunities. When you are tempted to think “fear”, you should learn to think “Go!” instead.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, our guest is Ward Morrison, president of Motto Franchising, a US mortgage brokerage franchise brand. RE/MAX created Motto Mortgage in response to the increased consumer protections regulations established after the financial crash of 2008 requiring the mortgage brokers stop using marketing service agreements (MSAs) with customers. This caused a shake-up in the industry while opening the door to more forward-facing business operations between consumers and loan originators under the new compliance and legal guidelines. Motto Mortgage surpassed the 100-franchise mark within 23 months of the company’s beginning, confirming that industry professionals see the start-up resources and coaching available to them through the Motto franchise setup as a huge benefit over starting their own small business. It could be referred to as a “mortgage brokerage in a box”, which eliminates blind spots and surprises from the entrepreneurial journey and provides franchisees with a network of colleagues to whom they can reach out.Ward also spoke about the challenges Motto has encountered along the way, namely recruiting and retaining personal and professional loan originators who can stay up-to-date on changes in the industry and maintain fruitful client relationships. Motto helps set realistic expectations and benchmarks for franchisees to meet that will hopefully allow them to be productive, well-staffed, and engaged with their customers and communities. In fact, Motto is committed to corporate social responsibility, and they are very involved in feeding the hungry in every community that is home to one of their franchises.Ward’s way of starting with a win is being sure to surround himself with the right team: individuals who are customer-focused and committed to the organization. He always tries to hire people who are smarter than him in complimentary areas of business and have a social and emotional intelligence that makes everyone around them better.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

As you can imagine, Adam is a frequent traveler. On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, he shares with us his travel tips and hacks to make traveling a good experience instead of something you dread.Get to the airport early. You never know how long security will take, and you don’t want to start out your travel day stressed that you are going to miss your flight. BONUS: Take an Uber rather than having to worry about and pay for parking.Travel with a carry-on if at all possible, and pack smart by using packing cubes.Get TSA Pre-check or Global Entry to make the security process as quick and painless as possible. Some airports also have the Clear program that is similar, so look into what will be most convenient for your local airport and go through the process to get approved.Take noise-cancelling headphones with you and make the most of your “me” time by listening to audiobooks or podcasts.Choose an airline to be loyal to and sign up for their frequent flier program. BONUS: Invest in their club membership or buy a one-day pass to gain access to refreshments and free wi-fi as well as an exclusive customer service desk that will rebook your flight for you if you have an issue.Stay healthy by taking Vitamin C supplements and traveling with Clorox wipes to clean any surfaces around your seat or in the waiting area.By following these tips, your travel days can be enjoyable and effortless!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, Adam shares with us the 3 ways he has found that leaders fail, and the ways to avoid or adjust these behaviors:Becoming a “me” person rather than a “we” person – This issue ultimately stems from an unhealthy ego that values personal gain over the good of the team. Leaders must remember that one of the main sources of their success is the contribution of the members of their team and their mentors along the way.Ordering people to do things rather than influencing them – Ordering your team members to do things results in lower quality and forced results, but influencing them brings them into the process, allowing them to buy in and want to do the tasks or projects before them, which means better results for the team as a whole.Burning your bridges rather than your boats – Work together to solve problems and face challenges and your team will have the commitment necessary to “burn their boats” with you, but be sure to avoid destroying relationships (“burning bridges”) in the process.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Our topic on this episode of the Start with a Win podcast is the importance of staying current, relevant, valuable, and present with your customers. It would be easy to get comfortable with the systems and processes that you have in place right now and fall behind as new technology emerges, but this makes you irrelevant and pushes you farther away from your prospects and clients. Every time you let a technological advance pass you by, you lose value and become less accessible. Adam’s 3 key ways to stay current, relevant, valuable and present are:Find and deliver value daily – Recognize that every day is a gift and you are never beyond learning something new. Take advantage of the vast resources out there for your enrichment: books, audiobooks, podcasts, and simple discussions about new topics with friends. Having something valuable and constructive to say in a conversation makes you more able to connect to those around you.Contribute – Ask questions of those around you, always trying to glean all of the information you can from the conversation and maintain your curiosity in life.Reach out – Communicate and network with others by developing fun and deep relationships that are mutually beneficial and edifying.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

On this episode of the Start with a Win podcast, we discuss the 3 typical reasons why sales people fail. These ideas can also be easily translated to any area of life, making you well-rounded and more successful overall.Reason #1: Not going out to get new business every day.It is important to continue prospecting and networking while maintaining your current client base. Think of each new lead as food for your business; if you aren’t bringing any in, you are starving your business.Reason #2: Failing to nurture your relationships with your customers.Customers expect to be “handled” by the sales process at companies with which they are involved. What can set you apart is building authentic relationships with your clients by creating mutual trust, communications, and expectations.Reason #3: Never asking for the close.By having too many prospects in your sales pipeline that aren’t being converted into clients, you are clogging up your system and not giving yourself or your clients the breathing room that you need. Asking for the close can be awkward, but if you have a script and role-play it, you can focus instead on being kind and empathetic in the closing conversation and add lifetime value to the relationship, which will result in repeat and referral business.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Our topic on this episode of the Start with a Win podcast is conquering the fear of failure. Adam outlines the 4 steps to failing better and not being discouraged from continuing to try.Accepting failure – Recognize that it has happened and that you need to set aside your ego so you can get over the feeling of failure.Taking failure out – Do some kind of significant mourning action that will create closure for you: take a walk or a run, meditate, apologize to others involved, cry it out, or whatever works best for you and the situation.Learn from the failure – Take the time to debrief what caused the failure to occur, where the missteps occurred, and how this failure can be avoided in the future.Make something from the failure – Recognize that failure is not the endgame, so you shouldn’t treat it like one. Do not be afraid to get back in the game and continue failing forward, always improving yourself and the world around you by creating better methods of communication, structure, and planning.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Welcome to the Start with a Win podcast! We are so glad that you have found your way here and we hope that you find ideas in each episode that you can integrate into your own life.On this inaugural episode of the podcast, Adam discusses the ways that he integrates the ideas of building hustle daily and being intentional about making a difference into his daily routine. Preparations for the day begin the night before, when he sets out his clothes for the next morning and drinks a protein-rich green drink to help his body burn fat during the night. Adam’s day starts bright and early (before it is actually bright outside) at about 4:30am, when he gets up right away, without pressing the “snooze” button. He sees this as his first action of intentionality of the day, getting his mind right and taking charge of the day first thing, usually by watching the daily edition of Darren Daily. Then, he and his wife usually spend an hour at the gym, which still leaves them plenty of time to get ready before heading to work. Studies have shown that people who wake up later experience lower job satisfaction and lower salaries overall, and Adam is committed to gaining momentum by being motivated, choosing positivity, and practicing gratitude. He says that “how you do anything is how you do everything”, so pay it forward by passing along all of the encouragement and positivity than you can.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamcontosREMAXCEO/https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/