Monthly Archives: September 2013

Better, Faster, Cheaper

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“You can have it all. You just can’t have it all at once.”

—Oprah Winfrey

Today’s story is about Air Jordans and Brian Hague.

better, faster, cheaper

The Hague brothers, Corey, Casey, and Brian (l to r)

Over time and after a few missteps, we tend to learn the inescapable trade-off between better, faster, and cheaper. It’s a great lesson to share with our daughters and sons.

When my son Brian was seven, he asked Santa for a pair of basketball shoes. These weren’t just any basketball shoes. These were the latest, coolest, most talked about shoes on the planet.

The year was 1985. Nike had just released the “Air Jordan,” named for the Chicago Bulls’ draft pick and superstar, Michael Jordan. At the time, these were the most expensive basketball shoes on the market.
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The Dog Biscuit

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“Action speaks louder than words, but not nearly as often.”

—Mark Twain

Today’s story is contributed by Larry Winget.

your word

Larry, Tyler & Patrick, quite a few years after woofing the dog biscuit

I was walking the dogs, and my kids. Tyler was ten, Patrick was six. We played our traditional game, “How much?” That is, how much money would it take for one of us to eat a worm, or jump into a pool of manure, or lick a dead rat. Grossed out? Of course, so were we. That was the point…and we loved it.

“How much to eat a dog biscuit?” I proposed, pulling a dog treat from my pocket. Tyler’s reply was immediate, “I will if you will, Dad!”

I popped that dog biscuit into my mouth without hesitation! The boys were shocked; the dogs stared in wonder as I chewed up their bacon liver treat.
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The Problem With Privilege

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“Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful.
Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”

―John Wooden

Today’s story is about Johnny Manziel.

There is tension in Texas. In a state where football is religion, and star quarterbacks revered, the hot topic is 20-year-old Jonathan Manziel, aka “Johnny Football.”

Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel accepting the Heisman Trophy, 2012

Will he lead another record-breaking season for Texas A&M? Or will his off-field missteps lead to a major disappointment for thousands of Aggies?

Last year, Johnny became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. He is one of five quarterbacks (and the only freshman) in NCAA history to pass for 3,000, and run for 1,000 yards, in a single season.

The problem? One day, he is the iconic football hero. The next, he is arrested in an altercation supposedly involving racial slurs and a fake drivers license. Recently, it’s alleged he accepted money for signing autographs. That could make him ineligible to play.
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Driving Miss Janie

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“If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours.”

—Ray Kroc

This story is contributed by Jane Howze.

My father, a banker, taught me the value of client relationships.

customer relations

Jane (far right) and her father (behind)

One of his customers ran a filling station on the other side of town. I remember every Saturday as a child, driving across town with my dad to get gas from this customer of his. We probably burned up half a tank of gas to go get gas so we could give his customer the business. My dad said his customers deserved nothing less.

Dad not only taught me the value of taking care of your customers, he also taught me the value in taking care of my finances. How serious was he about this? He would almost make the postman wait for him to write checks for the bills he received that day!
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How to Make Millions Working for Free

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Life lessons from Chubby (my dad) and other smart folks I’ve met on the road.

make millions

I found it!

Yesterday I told you about my first 8-second WHY ME.

A kid of 19. Green as a goose. Selling real estate. My first “professional” job.

NO! Day after day that’s what I heard.

NO! A very discouraging word.

What to do? Chubby advised,

“Greg, you need an 8-second WHY ME. It’s got to be an IRRESISTIBLE reason why you (and only you) should be the ONLY choice to sell anyone’s home.”

What did I do?
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The 8-Second “WHY YOU?”

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Life lessons from Chubby (my dad) and other smart folks I’ve met on the road.

why me

 

Yesterday I reminisced about getting started in real estate. 19 years old. Inexperienced. Zero reputation. Lacking cred. It showed.

“NO” was the only word I heard.

Day after day, appointment after appointment, the answer was NO. Sellers wanted experience. NO ONE wanted a fresh off the press, green as a goon, newbie.

As usual, Chubby came to the rescue. He told me I needed an indisputable “WHY ME.” Something so easy to understand that people would “get it” in eight seconds.

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Do You Have an Indisputable WHY ME?

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Life lessons from Chubby (my dad) and other smart folks I’ve met on the road.

why me

 

19 years old. Trying to make it in real estate like Chubby, my dad. But no one was saying “yes.”

Why should they? Selling a home is serious business. I was just a kid.

Many don’t know. The path to success in real estate? It’s not what you think. Chubby taught me early.

Most think it’s about having buyers. Nope. It’s all about the sellers.
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