All small business owners are advised to focus on their company brand (well let’s be honest, we agonize over our brands), but did you know that your company’s story is just as important?

“You lose a big opportunity to connect with your community by lumping your brand and your story together,” says Kimberly Novosel, founder and CEO of KMN Creative, and the brand manager|tour coordinator for Rory Vaden’s NYTimes bestselling book, Take the Stairs.

Your brand, Kimberly tells us, is what people see from what you’ve created, i.e. your logo, website, design aesthetic, etc., while your story is what they see and feel beneath all that you’ve created.

In a world where technology is ever present in our lives, people are searching for an emotional connection, and your personal story is often what will attract their attention. Unlike a brand which, once created will remain consistent, your story may grow, evolve and change over time. “Think of your story as your personal voice,” Kimberly advises. Just as we all have different spoken voices and personalities, your story is your personal voice and how you convey your message and purpose to the community.

Discover Your Voice

Your “voice” is the way you tell your story. It’s the language you use, the tone and how you deliver your messages, and every piece of content you write or record to present to your audience. When determining your voice, ask yourself which piece of your personality and purpose you wish to portray: Is it professional? Spunky? Adventurous? Funny?

No matter what tone and message you choose for your voice, make sure it’s clear and authentic to you and your brand. Once you’ve discovered your voice, the next step is discovering the essence of your story.

Define and Deliver Your Story

Sharing your story is your chance to connect with your community and the world. It doesn’t need to be fancy or elaborate, Kimberly says, but it must be authentic.

When people set out to share their personal stories, the biggest mistake they make, is that they don’t understand that their story is truly the essence of who you are as a person. It’s not about putting on a performance, but sharing a piece of yourself with your audience in the hope that you will make a personal and emotional connection with them and open yourself to new opportunities.

At KMN Creative, Kimberly and her team walk you through the following questions to help you discover the elements of your story:

• What is the essence of your story? Why is it important for you to tell it?
• Who is your audience?
• Where is your audience, both online and in the community?
• What kind of conversations do you want to have with your audience?

Once you know who you are and what you want to say, then what? The answers to these questions will help you create the next steps: how and where to deliver your story.

• What marketing elements do I need? (logo, website, newsletter, so on)
• Which online communities make the most sense for me?
• Will I handle posting and interacting on these sites, or will someone else on my team oversee this?
• How am I present or can I be present in the community?

When working to deliver your story, don’t be afraid to ask for help and spend time watching the brands you love for inspiration. Who are the companies with a strong, clear story and message? Great examples to follow are Emma, Inc. and Lululemon Athletica.

At times all the marketing aspects to consider and implement for your company may seem overwhelming. Kimberly advises that you begin with the two fundamental elements first:

1. Your website and,
2. Your Facebook and|or Twitter page.

A strong website is essential in this Digital Age, but managing an active and engaging social platform is equally essential. If you can manage both a Twitter and Facebook account, do so, Kimberly says, but start with one and work your way up to multiple platforms. And remember, this process should be fun!

In today’s fast-moving, mostly impersonal world, it’s not enough anymore to only focus on building a strong brand. Your audience wants to engage with you and form an emotional connection with you and your company–and this is achieved through the story of your company. So what are you waiting for? We all have a story to tell. Start asking yourself questions to discover the one you want to share! And once you have it, you can start connecting on a deeper level with your audience, and build a loyal, enthusiastic following in the process.

So, what’s your story?

…

Looking for more? Reach out to Kimberly and her team at KMN creative today to discover your story and share it with the world. www.kmncreative.com

So, what if, after all your careful planning and primping, there was an unkempt, unprofessional shadow lurking behind you, scaring off your clients? This shadow may be working overtime to convince your clients that you’re not, in fact, professional and trustworthy. That lurking shadow is your underdeveloped LinkedIn profile.

Developing your LinkedIn profile is an essential part of your business in the Digital Age, and I want to share with you how to think about LinkedIn and offer some tips to help you start building a robust LinkedIn profile.

Unfortunately, many people think of LinkedIn as just an online repository of resumes. Here at GoodLife Team, we view LinkedIn as a fun and powerful tool, and there are statistics that support that mindset. In a recent study by Slideshare, 87% of 1,900 LinkedIn users admitted they trust LinkedIn as a source of information affecting decision making, while 49% find LinkedIn to be a good source for word of mouth information on brand experiences.

Additionally, SocialTimes reports that 90% of LinkedIn users believe LinkedIn “helps them connect with people from their respective industry as possible clients and is more professional than Facebook.”

These stats prove that spending time to complete your LinkedIn profile is important, because your clients visit your LinkedIn profile to judge your professional authority and trustworthiness. This is why it’s essential to spend the time now to begin building a powerful, trusted LinkedIn identity.

Just as with any social networking tool, there are important facts you must consider when entering the online world. People expect to see the same clean and polished professional online that they meet in person, and there are a few Do’s and Don’ts to remember when you start building your LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn Do’s

DO use a personal email!
The first step for building a professional, polished profile is aligning your account with an email you know you’ll use forever. Using your company email can be risky because you never know when you may need to leave your company and potentially lose access to your profile.

Additionally, be sure you use only one email and one account for your LinkedIn activities. Maintaining three separate profiles is confusing and gives the impression that you’re unorganized. If you wish to include multiple emails for people to contact you, put these in your summary and keep only one active LinkedIn profile.

DO post a happy, updated profile photo!
Just as you don’t want people to be confused by multiple profiles, you don’t want to mislead them by using an outdated profile picture. Try to also avoid using company logos as your profile picture. LinkedIn is all about personalization, and people search for you because they wish to know the real you. Introduce yourself with a current photo where you look happy.

DO completely fill out your profile!
It’s better not to exist online than exist poorly. It’s a lot of work to thoroughly fill out your profile, so schedule the time to sit down and knock it out all at once. If you’re starting from scratch, plan on two to three hours to complete the full profile. When working, remember that LinkedIn is another way to connect with people, so tell the story of who you are, focusing on your specialties and skills. By taking the time to do this, people will understand what you stand for and see you as a trusted expert.

LinkedIn Dont’s

DON’T use canned responses!
When connecting with others, take the few extra minutes to customize your invitations. Convince each person you remember them or want to get to know them better: Try something like this, “Wonderful meeting you – let’s get coffee next week!” or “Nice to see you again, let’s not go so long before seeing each another again!”

DON’T abandon your account!
Once you complete your profile, don’t leave it! Make a point to connect with people every day by endorsing your current connections, making recommendations, and sending out new invitations. If you write just one recommendation each day, even if it’s to the dry cleaner you visit each week, people will notice and eventually write one back. Remember the Golden Rule of connecting – you must give a little to get a little.

DON’T connect with everyone!
While it’s important to stay on top of your connections, there are also times where it may to be inappropriate to connect with someone (this may be 1-2% of the time). Only connect with the people who will enrich your network. Your goal when connecting should be to provide value to those you’re connecting with and to make it a better community and industry.

. . .

LinkedIn (and all social media) provides you with an opportunity to become the trusted expert of your profession. It’s a tool designed to help you share your personality, specialties, professional history, credentials, and interests, as well as one that lets you connect with others.

When you’re building your profile to connect with your community, remember to be interesting and personable. This is an opportunity to make a deeper connection with your clients and business partners, so don’t be afraid to talk about non-professional topics. The more you work to strengthen and diversify your online profile, the more people will view you as a knowledgeable expert and seek to connect with you about your specialties and interests.

These six Do’s and Don’ts will help you build a quality LinkedIn profile and help your clients get to know you and trust you. Don’t let a quiet, lurking shadow scare people away. Set up your LinkedIn profile and start connecting with the 200 million LinkedIn professionals today!

. . .

Looking for more LinkedIn help? I’d like to give you a free copy of my secret Social Media Playbook on LinkedIn, worth $300, to get you up and running.

All I ask in return is that you join the CwK GoodLifers membership–another way you can connect and enrich the real estate community. It’s the Golden Rule of relationships, remember? Give a little to get a little

To be a member of this high-energy, professional group, it’s only $84 a year. This membership includes a copy of my Social Media Playbook, hundreds of powerful new real estate connections in the GoodLifer group, plus all of the other content and proven real estate specific training we’re providing to our members every month. What do you think?

For more information or to sign up: www.coffeewithkrisstina.com/membership

We all know that the first place people go for information is the internet. They will look for you online in a variety of places - LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc. They will look at you as an individual, research your company or who you work for, analyze the business|work you have done, notice who you’re connected to and judge you based on the content you publish online. There are so many important credibility points people will look at in today’s online world, and you can leverage this to create a powerful and valuable online identity.

To dig deeper into the importance of online identity, Jack Miller had the opportunity to interview John Hall, CEO of Digital Talent Agents, columnist at Forbes magazine and expert on Thought Leadership and Content Marketing. In John’s opinion, anyone who is passionate about something and really looking to help people can become an expert. We all have personal experiences unique to us, and if you’re good at what you do you need to present yourself as the expert in the online world.

This is not to say, however, that you need to abandon the traditional way of marketing your identity; find a happy medium between the new online world and the traditional face-to-face business of real estate and networking. If people can’t find you online, that’s a problem. But if you’re afraid to pick up the phone and talk to people, that’s not good either.

People often get caught up on stumbling blocks and false ideas, John says, that stop them from pursuing content marketing. This common misconception manifests in the idea that, “I’m not a celebrity; who’s going to follow me?” or “I don’t want to come off as ego-centric.”

Forget this myth. When you truly love to help people it’s your job to educate them and get them the information they need to succeed. Focus on this purpose instead–that you should want to give your clients and potential customers good information and content. They will then see see you as a thought leader with valuable, trusted content and come to you for help.

So, how does Content Marketing work?

It’s simple, really. People need to find you online and they want to trust you. You create and control the content, and use it wisely to attract and educate your customers.

When you begin posting online, you’re getting more links on your name and business in the search engines (Google rewards valuable content!). Then, with higher searchability, you will have a better chance of showing up when people type in your name. Remember, when your publications are posted to social media and provide valuable content, they will almost always be shared through social channels.

With all of these different channels, you’re reaping the benefits and hitting on multiple marketing vehicles, making your online identity more trusted, valued and known.

REMEMBER, people want to find your information. Anything you can do to help them gain trust is important. People want to feel safe; that they made the right decision. Help them by providing the resources and content that prove you’re trustworthy and the right expert for the job.

How do I get started?

STEP 1: Take the time to focus on it and don’t take short cuts.
Start by setting up your implementation steps to naturally build your identity and respect the online presence. Stay in touch with what others are doing on influential blogs and engage in their communities. When you begin to engage with the writers and community of these publications, the editors will learn your name and then offer you ways to become further involved and contribute. The more articles you have on the web, the higher your searchability will become and the easier it will be for your clients to find and trust you. It’s very important to have a personal blog, but also look into ways to get involved in the small niche publications that match your philosophy, services and the interests of your customers.

Here are some people John says are worth following:

1. Dan Schwabel (Personal Branding)
2. Rand Fishkin (SEO Expert)

3. John on Forbes.com & Twitter:
www.forbes.com/sites/johnhall
@tweetjohnhall

STEP 2:  Get started on your own content development.
Try this tip: Start asking yourself questions about your services. You’ll be amazed at what you actually know and how much you know! Also, draw on your own experiences. If you’ve ever solved a problem or successfully dealt with a difficult person or situation, write that down. That’s content for an article and a source for you to become a leader and expert. Sharing your experiences naturally positions you as a leader.

In real estate in particular, people deal with people they trust, so when building your content library and marketing strategies think about actions that will build your clients’ trust. Treat people well and be good to them, then make sure you make your commitment to this known.

STEP 3: Create a consistent content publication schedule and strategy.
Consistency is key in the world of content marketing and it’s easy to differentiate yourself because many people are not following consistent schedules.

John predicts that In the next few years, everyone will be doing content marketing and thought leadership.

This is the buzz and innovation of the moment, so start building your audience now. You are all experts in your field, and by taking the time to strategize, learn from the community and generate valuable content, you can naturally grow your identity to a powerful online presence.

Where will you be the expert?

Want to learn more about Content Marketing and Thought Leadership? Below are some questions from our members answered by John Hall and Jack Miller:

Q: How would we book an appointment to discuss hiring John?

A: Contact Ryan at ryan@digitaltalentagents.com and visit wwwdigitaltalentagents.com.

Q: What about companies that do blogs or content for you and publish it on your website?

A: Always remember that quality content is key. Yes, you can hire these companies, but be prepared to edit and do quality control on your results. Make sure the company you hire understands your “voice” and writes using your values and ideal.

Q: What kind of budget should an agent spend on content marketing?

A: At GoodLife Team, around 25-30% of our budget is dedicated to content creation and marketing. We spend anywhere from $300-$400 each month on our newsletter content alone. We also pay Oscar Davila, our Social Media and Marketing Director a good salary to help lead this project, so we often spend $2,000 to $4,000 each month on outsourcing and content creation.

The beauty of the team at Digital Talent Agents is how they help you put everything together and turn your business into a content machine!

Q: I’m 54 and feel like I’m tech savvy, but I have no idea where/how to start blogging, tweeting etc.

A: The first step is to put a plan together. What are your goals? Where will you be the expert? What will your expertise status do to help people? Start with what you need to do first, and then go into the “how do I get there.”

Next, start researching. Spend some time reading other blogs and publications to determine your niche market and develop a feel for your audience. Then, begin connecting with industry leaders like John to educate yourself and develop your content strategy.

After a few months of research, make an effort to determine which pieces you already have in place, like your blog (this is a must!) and implement your new strategy.

Q: Quality content is key, as it provides long-term value to readers and builds trust. Is it essential to focus using a keyword like your town name?

A: Yes, but don’t go crazy about it. Creating quality content is what’s important and remember, when writing, write for people, not for search engines! Your customers and audience will find you if your content is quality, and if you deliver the value and solution to their problems.

Q: How often do you recommend publishing unique content? What about sharing content posted by others?

A: When you’re posting, both curated content and original content are good, though original is best. Create quality original content as often as you can afford to produce it. At GoodLife Team, we produce 3-5 unique articles every month, and only share the great stuff from others.

Q:Do you feel everyone Googles everything, including personal referrals?

A: Yes, people Google everything, including referrals. Always assume they’ve researched you online, and think about what they may be finding. Where are the gaps? Is your message and vision clear and trustworthy?

Q: How often should you publish? For example, is there a minimum number of times per week?

A: At GoodLife Team we publish 3-5 unique articles a month. When writing, we try to create articles that have timeless value. For example, write a quality article on how to appeal property taxes in your area, common problems people always ask about, and interesting facts about your area of expertise.

Q: Are there third-party companies that can help me proofread my content?

A: Absolutely!  We’ve hired editors from odesk.com, elance.com, and locals in the Austin area.  Almost anywhere you go or live will have a local writers guild where you can find writers and editors.

Q: For agents working in multiple market areas, would you suggest creating content for each individual market or going more generic?

A: Both of these strategies work, and going into more specific details on each area will help you if a localized keyword search is a goal (Austin housing market vs. Round Rock housing market). GoodLife Team has taken articles that were generic,  then created specific versions of that article for different markets. For example, we wrote property tax articles for different counties in our area.

Some people don’t know what healthy eating looks like, tastes like or feels like.

Eating healthy is a lifestyle choice, and every day families make uninformed decisions about what they eat and how they provide for their families. But how do you stay healthy when, as realtors, you are always in the car, always between appointments, always working late? Fast food is cheap, easy and usually offers a salad option. That’s a good alternative, right?

One of our GoodLife Team Core Values is”Healthy Body, Healthy Mind” and we adopted this as part of our core values because I am such a firm believer that a healthy lifestyle is the foundation for living a GoodLife. I vividly remember how difficult it was as a Realtor to maintain a healthy body and mind in this busy, hectic and often stressful profession. Because we are on the road so much and in between appointments, it’s even more imperative for us to take care of our bodies so it can meet the demands we make on it every day. And no, that Wendy’s chicken caesar salad doesn’t make the cut as a healthy lunch!

That’s why I was excited to have Arlene Leider, nutrition expert and founder of Gravelnuts, chat with Kelly White, our COO. On the Coffee Chat, Arlene offered some great nutritional insights for those trying to live a healthy lifestyle on the go, and hold the “Healthy Body, Healthy Mind” core value. Gluten and lactose intolerant, Arlene set out on a mission to learn all she could about health, good food and how to take care of her body. She has spent years reading and learning from experts on nutrition, and created a healthy food solution, Gravelnuts.

“I believe a healthy life begins with clarity of thoughts along with maintaining a peaceful and joyful outlook on life,” says Arlene. Arlene’s advice for how every person can eat well by making informed, conscious decisions is to listen to your body because “Your body wants to do its best for you,” she tells us, and it only takes a few more minutes of planning to commit to a healthy lifestyle on the go.

Specifically, Arlene mentioned her personal struggles with gluten and about how we can follow in her footsteps to living a healthier life.

The Truth About Sugar and Gluten

The most common misconception about sugar, Arlene explains, is the belief that it is actually good for us because it comes from a plant, and anything that comes from a plant is healthy, right? However, scientific evidence shows that individuals who follow a low sugar diet over many years are have a significantly lower risk of developing health problems caused by sugar, including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and age-related macular degeneration.

A big part of following a low-sugar diet means knowing the right foods to eat–foods on the “Yes” list. Some of these include sweet potatoes, whole grain|high fiber cereal, whole grain pasta, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, lentils, beans,non-fat milk, and lean protein meats. These items are low on the glycemic index and in gluten.

Watching your gluten intake is another way of making smarter choices about your diet. And for those of you wondering what gluten is: Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye. It’s what gives elasticity to dough to help it rise and keep its shape and chewy texture.

Why should you worry about your gluten intake? Well, a documented 10% of the population suffers from a gluten intolerance, though sources hint that roughly 50% of us experience some type of negative effects from eating gluten! Arlene suffered from serious health problems for most of her life before removing gluten from her diet, though the majority of people afflicted do not get tested, and live with mild gluten intolerance. Arlene issues this challenge to anyone who may be affected: try going four days without eating any wheat, barley or rye. You will be surprised by how much better you feel!

As part of an overall healthier way to eat, Arlene recommends the following things to think about when analyzing your eating habits:

1. Eat with a goal in mind–think past the food and think of how you will feel an hour after you eat.
2. Everything you put into your mouth counts, and it’s important to read every label before you eat something. “Natural Flavoring” and words you can’t pronounce are usually code for ingredients that are bad for you.
3. When you’re appropriately hungry, don’t turn to something unhealthy, like a cheeseburger. Our society as a whole is geared toward instant gratification, but know you are stronger than this! Turn instead to a healthy, low sugar, gluten-free snack. You will feel better for it!
4. Acknowledge your love for unhealthy foods, but tell yourself you won’t eat them and move on.

Arlene’s Six Steps to A Healthy GoodLife:

A healthy life is about making conscious decisions and taking control of your food. But it’s also about finding balance and loving your body. Arlene recommends the following six practices for a healthy life:

1. Take time during each day to relax and calm your system. Everyone can fall prey to the stress and anxiety that comes with a hectic life. Take at least three minutes each day to close your eyes, breathe and slow your system down from head to toe.

2. Eat breakfast and exercise. Every day should begin with a good breakfast, and though you may not need to exercise immediately upon waking up, its important to fit this into your daily life to take care of your body.

3. Eat real food! Take a few minutes to plan your day. Your body wants real vegetables and simply prepared but good sources of protein. Stick with this new system for at least a month to allow your mind time to adjust, and this simple yet powerful practice will become a habit.

4. Drink water, and lots of it. Many people don’t realize how quickly and easily they can become dehydrated during the day. Stay away from that soda full of high fructose corn syrup, and make a commitment to yourself to drink a good amount of water throughout the day to give your body the hydration and fuel it needs.

5. Be positive. Think positively about those around you and every situation. When you treat people with kindness, they will respond in kind!

6. Smile – and mean it. Smiling creates an opportunity for people to connect with you and shares your warmth and positive energy with those around you.

A conscious eater myself, I know that there is pleasure in taking care of your body and making healthy choices. I agree with Arlene, who believes that living a healthy lifestyle should not be torture, but pleasure!

What change will you make today to start living a healthy, good life?

Krisstina

P.S. Arlene’s company, Gravelnuts makes absolutely delicious snacks, which I personally enjoy and recommend to anyone who’s constantly on the go. Be sure to visit her site, www.gravelnuts.com to discover what healthy eating can do for you and to try some of her great healthy snack concoctions.

Arlene recommends the following cooler mix for any agent constantly on the go:

1. Fresh fruit
2. Cut up fresh veggies
3. Nuts
4. Water
5. A Gravelnut Meal Cookie

Learn more about Arlene and Gravelnuts here: www.gravelnuts.com

In our industry, it is a constant battle to juggle work, family, and down time while trying to stay current in the constantly changing Digital Age. At GoodLife Team, one of our primary core values is Healthy Body, Healthy Mind. I know from my own experiences how difficult it can be to master stress and discover the elusive state of stability and well-being, and how important it is to our health.

In my most recent Coffee Chat, I asked Joan what she believes to be true emotional strength, and how to reach this state of well-being and flexibility in the face of change. Here are her insights to developing your emotional strength:

Develop the Capacity for Change

We all know the phrase, “An old dog can’t learn new tricks,” and we all know this cliche isn’t true. So, why do we think this cliche does apply to us when it comes to our own personal growth? As Joan explains, “If we have the capacity to think, we have the capacity to change.” Time and again Joan has seen people practice what she calls Bad Emotional Math, which is the belief that “I’ve always been this way, so I’ll always be this way.”

This statement implies your future is determined by the past, but ‘always has been’ does not equal ‘always will be.’ The past does not equal the present or the future.

This fact is supported by numerous recent studies on the brain. As you begin to think, feel, and experience differently, you literally build new neural pathways in your brain. It will feel different and unfamiliar at first, but your capacity for change is endless. To get started, Joan recommends you begin by shifting the way you think-right now, in this moment. Moving forward, adopt an open, curious attitude. Let curiosity be the thing that leads your life forward, as this will put your mind in a place to adapt to change.

Manage your Stress and Negative Self Talk

In her years of working with clients, Joan has helped many people learn to manage their self-criticism and stress. Learning how to do this is critical to achieving and maintaining emotional stability, as well as being able to more quickly and easily adapt to change.

The first step to managing your stress, Joan teaches, is to ask yourself the following questions:

1. On a scale from 1 to 10, how stressed am I?
2. If at an 8, for example, what is happening that is defining that 8?
3. What is happening that defines that 8?
4. What would it take to scale it down to a 7?
5. Then, what would it take to go from 7 to 6 to 5, 4, 3 or 2?

Answer these questions honestly, then act from a state of curiosity and openness to change. Through Emotional Pilates™, Joan teaches why this mindset of curiosity is so important; because we only have control over how we think, not how we feel. In other words, in order to manage your stress it is important to also manage your negative self-talk. Learning to manage these unpleasant feelings without disconnecting from them or completely shutting down is the key to living from moment to moment and in a state of emotional stability.

The stress and self-doubt associated with our negative emotions takes a toll on our bodies and brain, and as Joan says, your body is your brain. Because our brain is connected to our spinal cord, which carries our neurons throughout the body, you might think of us as the M&M characters you see on TV commercials; we’re like a brain on two feet! Everything we do to our body we do to our brain, and it is therefore essential to manage your stress, eat well, exercise and overcome negative self-talk and self-criticism.

Overcome Tragedy

The final key to emotional stability is your ability to overcome the tragedies you experience. We all have stories, hurts, or tragedies we experience. It’s easy to become frozen in this moment, Joan says, and let it define the rest of our lives if we aren’t careful. Joan teaches us how to grieve through these experiences, but then also how to be fluid and move forward. Making sure you deal with these unpleasant feelings and move forward is what it’s all about.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in the busy lifestyle of a real estate professional and neglect our bodies and mental health. What Joan shared with me during our Coffee Chat about Emotional Pilates™ is how every person can live an emotionally stable and strong life by living in a state of curiosity and connecting with others. Recognizing your capacity for change and learning how to move forward from stress and tragedy is the first step to emotional stability.

What will you change and be curious about today?

Live a good life,

Krisstina

Learn More about Dr. Joan Rosenberg and Emotional Pilates™

Visit emotionalpilates.net to start managing your emotional strength today.

Dr. Joan Rosenberg, creator of Emotional Pilates™, is a highly regarded expert psychologist and master clinician. As a cutting edge psychologist who is known as an innovative thinker, trainer, and speaker, Joan has shared her life-changing ideas and models for emotional mastery and personal growth in professional and educational seminars (e.g. Brendon Burchard’s High Performance Academy, John Assaraf’s Brainathon and Master Your Mindset Series), psychotherapy sessions and graduate psychology teaching (currently at Pepperdine University). She is a featured expert in the critically acclaimed documentary film ‘I Am’ and ‘The Hidden Epidemic’ (along with Dr. Daniel Amen) and she has been seen on CNN’s American Morning show, OWN, and PBS stations nationally, along with other TV and radio media appearances. She is on John Assaraf’s scientific advisory board.

“No matter who you are and who you connect with, everybody has a story.”

In the modern world, social media and the web have made it easier than ever to “connect” with others. With all of these opportunities–hundreds of friends on Facebook, hundreds of connections in LinkedIn–it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the number of people you’re digitally connected to is an accurate reflection of your network of relationships.




In reality, we may be really good at creating and generating a level of new connections, but generating new connections is not the problem. The problem is an issue of quality vs. quantity.

This February, Steve Harper, author of The Ripple Effect and founder of Promptivate, joined Jason Edwards for a conversation about the true meaning of networking and how to develop strong, long-lasting relationships. Steve suggests that we replace the word “Networking” with “Connecting.”

Connecting describes two or more people coming together to create something bigger than they can create alone.

I think we would all agree that connecting is very important in real estate, but we may fail to realize that not all connecting is about business or something we need to work on every day.

Having both personal and work connections is critical. Here are the Do’s & Don’ts, top tips, and tricks when it comes to networking:

NETWORKING DO’S:

• DO prioritize. Where are the people you need to connect to and how do you meet them?
• DO spend your time networking with the people you’re already connected with; this is where your value lies and how you are known.
• DO log into social media channels to purposefully seek out information with people you want to connect with.
• DO build long-term relationships. Find a way to be a resource for people, not just a salesman.

NETWORKING DONT’S:

• DON’T try too hard. This is not the time to sell, but the time to get to know people.
• DON’T feel like you have to “close on the first date.”
• DON’T use the excuse of not having time. Networking can take just a few minutes each day.

Whether you’re connecting with someone in person or over the phone, find a way to connect with them on a deeper, more personal level to turn that relationship into a long-term connection. Here are some tips to help you develop the habit of connecting with your relationships:

CONNECT AT A DEEPER LEVEL:

• Focus your attention.
• Connecting is a contact sport: you must do something every day.
• Connect with at least one or two people each day.
• Strangers, clients, colleagues … make a positive impact on at least one person every day.
• Use LinkedIn to discover what your clients are doing and look for ways to connect: can you provide a reference for them, or was someone promoted?
• On Twitter, follow people, then suggest more followers for them.
• Perform small actions that don’t take a lot of time but are hugely impactful: your clients will see it and feel it.

It is important to not only to create a habit out of connecting with your network, but also to set specific goals to ensure you maximize the potential of your relationships. Taking the time to develop one specific relationships now will lead to much more success in the future. Steve recommends the following 5 steps to setting relationship goals and connecting with your important clients:

SET RELATIONSHIP GOALS:

• Categorize the relationship: personal/professional.
• Determine if it’s worth developing.
• Establish trust and work out the specifics of your relationship later.
• Follow up: spend the time trying to find the ways to connect and create ripples.
• Use the 80/20 rule: 20 percent of your clients create 80 percent of your revenue. Ask yourself, “Am I doing enough to develop those relationships and manage them?”

The best time to start connecting is NOW, regardless of how long it has been since your last contact with your relationships. Remember, a great excuse to connect is, “I cannot believe two years have gone by–let me take you out to lunch and reconnect!”

Maximizing the potential of your network is not about selling or buying your client’s house, but about connecting with them. Discovering the way to be valuable to your important relationships will lead you to trust and success.

Live a Good Life,

Krisstina

To learn more about Steve Harper and The Ripple Effect, purchase his book below!

The difference between good and great, the difference between win and lose, exists in the details.

I admired this man; I admired him and I admired his work, and after he told me this I understood why. It was this attention to detail that differentiated him, his work, and how I personally trusted him above any and all other working relationships.

And, for a moral to the story, his attention to detail won a lawsuit that had been waged against me. No other attorney, I am sure, would have cared so much, showing this level of care not in words, but in his thoroughness and results. He won the case because he found ‘lies’ hidden by the other party that should have been missed—they were very well hidden! His commitment to excellence and “God is in the details” approach ultimately saved me millions of dollars.

He offered me a gift (not winning the case for me—I paid him for that). His gift was to demonstrate to me the momentous difference between doing a job one is hired to do and having one’s work be their virtue—the true expression of themselves. It was in that unsolicited piece of advice Greg offered me where I realized that my own work was not the demonstration of who I wanted to be known as. I was a little too sloppy for the sake of moving quickly—I had big goals and money I was after, so speed was important. (Oh, and I had a lot to do to achieve them—who had time to worry about the seemingly unimportant details when overall I was already better than the average Joe?)

I did already know that I wanted to be known by the quality of my work (and my person). I wanted to be known as being different, better, I wanted to be known for having high standards that could be easily differentiated and then highly trusted. I wanted to stand out.

And, in this reflection, I realized I had to clean up my act, so I committed to do so. It was at that point that I pledged to myself that, “mediocrity is never an option.” I took a stand—I wished to stand for Excellence!

And, at that moment I realized I had a gap between who I was and who I wanted to be. Which meant, of course, I had to change.

First, I had to change my philosophy from “getting as much done as quickly as possible in an effort to race ahead of my competition,” to, “Krisstina, God is in the details.” I had to adopt a philosophy of Excellence. Second, I had to change my behavior. In order to demonstrate excellence through the quality of my work (and self), I had to slow down. I had to, at every moment, be connected to “why” I was doing what I was doing and for “whom” I was doing it. I had to ask the questions, “Is my virtue in my work? Am I serving others today, or just myself? And, finally, am I serving others in a way that is excellent?”

As an idiom, “God is in the details” means (per Wikipedia) “expressing the idea that whatever one does should be done thoroughly, with care and concern; i.e. details are important.” For me, I translated the expression a little differently. To me, God = Love. So, I translated the expression to, “love is in the details,” meaning that whatever one does should be done with love—love of themselves (expressed through their work) and love of others (whom the act is for).

From that day forward I’ve noticed that Love really is in the Details. It’s in the quality (not quantity) of care that we give others where they feel ‘loved and appreciated.’ In my personal life this was easy for me to ‘see,’ but I had to ask myself the question, “Does the same principle apply professionally?” My own answer to my own question: “Yes, the love of myself is expressed in the quality of my work, and I deliver love to others through the excellence of my work in serving them.”

It’s this personal philosophy that’s built into our most fundamental core value—”Delivering 5-Star Customer Experience.” If we hold this core value sacred, we could only deliver Excellence. Why? Because it is in the 5th Star where Excellence lives.

In the 5th Star is our virtue—how we make others feel about us, and, more importantly, about themselves—by going beyond average, even going beyond above average.

It’s a commitment to care about what we do because we care about whom we are doing it for … people … our customers … who rely on us to hold our high standard so they don’t have to worry. We’ve got them covered. We are true to our word. We deliver love, care, and beauty, and we deliver all we do with precision and excellence. This is our virtue. We deliver the 5th Star.

Two final points before I end my diatribe .

One might ask, “How do we deliver the 5th Star?” Excellence cannot be imposed. In other words, I cannot say, “You must deliver excellence to work at GLT.” A commitment to excellence has to come from within. You have to want the demonstration of your work to be your own virtue. If excellence is a personal standard, it can’t help but show up in your work (as one part of your life). And then, when you hold this as a stand for yourself, you will want excellence everywhere around you. This is the place is where “Brand” really lives—as the true expression of the level of care and beauty of our individual work that then becomes part of the magnificence of the totality of all of our work combined.

Our work truly is a demonstration of who we are, and since we don’t ‘deliver’ in a bubble but as group, it’s the ‘collective’ of our work, which is our Brand; how we are ‘seen,’ ‘felt,’ and known by the outside. Said another way, if each of us stands for excellence individually and expresses it through work as part of our 5-star promise, can you see that we can’t be anything but ‘excellence’ as a company and Team?

My final point is equally important. Excellence does not mean perfection. Part of what is built into excellence is going beyond what is normal or known, which automatically means plenty of mistakes will be made. Excellence is not the absence of mistakes or breakdowns; excellence IS (after smiling/laughing at ourselves) fixing the mistake so we don’t repeat it over and over. The same mistake more than once is where lack of care, lack of a commitment to excellence, and just plain sloppiness shows up. Excellence is not the lack of mistakes (make lots of them!); it is the lack of making the same mistake over and over.

In close, what does GoodLife Team and Coffee with Krisstina stand for? What does our brand(s) express? It’s an expression of who we are collectively as each individual member of our Team, and collectively we are authentic, pure, and beautiful because individually we stand for the same things.

Who are we?

We are Excellence
Individually we each stand to be excellent, and our excellence is the virtue in our work. Like every organ in a body, each of our roles holds vital importance to the health and vitality we are as an organization. If we each just bring excellence to our individual role and care about excellence all around us, the organization can’t be anything but great. And, the organization being great is an enormous source of power for each of us individually to be able to deliver our excellence and 5-star experience promise in a way that no other will ever be able to compete. because it’s all those special touches (experiences) in the aggregate that is ultimately what causes our customers to ‘feel’ like we hung the moon. It’s 1 (individual) + 20 (team) = 5-Star

Individually we wish to serve others in a way they will remember. All of our individual work, however minute it may seem at the time, will at some point be part of the experience we deliver to another human being. What we do as work, we do for the sake of helping other people. We always remember this and therefore hold that ‘my’ work is destined to touch the lives of others in a way that enriches their good life. My knowledge, my innovation and creativity, my passion, my production, my service, my own beauty and vitality, and my commitment to excellence in my work combined with the knowledge, innovation, creativity, passion, production, service, beauty, and vitality of every other member of the Team is the magic juice of GoodLife Team. This is why we can deliver like no other, because no other has THIS magic that we use to deliver an Experience that really does offer others—our customers, our community, each other—a piece of what a good life ‘feels’ like. This magic is where we change lives for the better.

Individually we feel young, healthy, alive, and passionate to create and live a good life in this new digital age. Others may describe us as hip, stylish, and trendsetting, but we simply see ourselves as vibrant leaders making change for the better. Unlike others, we are unafraid of the future. In fact, just the opposite—we embrace the future and seek to innovate and create it. And, we believe our ‘value’ goes beyond just the excellent service we offer, but in the modern design and aesthetic of everything we bring forth into the world. We are modern individually. We are modern collectively. We are beauty individually. We are beauty collectively. We are a good life.

We are Excellence. We deliver Experience. We look beautifully Modern.
We live the good life.

This is what we stand for … individually, therefore collectively … we are.

I am unique. I am an individual. I am ME.

Our natural inclination when thinking about categorizing ourselves is resistance – “I am different and cannot be categorized because my situation is unique and you wouldn’t understand.” Though this is certainly true and we are all equally different, it is strange how our uniqueness is often what pulls us together.

What the animals of the Serengeti can teach you about your team, brand and ultimate success.

I recently interviewed renowned best-selling author Stefan Swanepoel on his innovative approach to discovering our primary innate skills, Surviving your Serengeti. It was Stefan who identified this insightful perception of our unifying “uniqueness,” and in his book he reveals seven animals who represent the core strengths and attributes of people he has seen all across the world. This new outlook has inspired my team, and it has changed the way we work together and appreciate one another’s strengths. As Stefan describes, though we are all different, we are also all the same in the way we love, what we need, and what we want and aspire to.

What is the one attribute that makes you who you are, more than anything else? In Stefan’s “What Animal Am I” quiz, he answers that question. Take the 3 minutes to take the quiz. I promise you won’t be sorry! And be sure to post your results below.

TAKE THE QUIZ!

The Seven Animals of the Serengeti:

The Enduring Wildebeest
The Strategic Lion
The Enterprising Crocodile
The Graceful Giraffe
The Efficient Cheetah
The Risk-Taking Mongoose
The Communicating Elephant

The “What Animal Am I” quiz is designed to help you understand your core strengths and those of your team so you may truly appreciate yourself and your teammates. When we do not succeed, Stefan advises, it’s because we do not use our talents correctly or sometimes even know they are there.

Animals in the workplace

By understanding the dynamics between the Serengeti animals, we can then recognize the gaps in our teams and hire the correct person to fill that gap. In order for your team to succeed, the team must exhibit the following eight traits:

1. PLAN! Success requires thorough planning first
2. Be enterprising
3. Take risks
4. Be resourceful and efficient
5. Stay focused and on course
6. Be grateful for those around you and the opportunities you discover
7. Share your message and knowledge with those around you
8. Enjoy the ride

Can you see where each animal’s strength affects your success? When you hire new team members, be conscious of which strengths will compliment your business and gaps. The hires you make become part of your brand. The more you understand your team and brand, the more you demonstrate your knowledge, excellence, trust and integrity to your clients.

I’m a crocodile, what are you?

Live a good life,

Krisstina

In my recent interview with Bill Leider, author of Brand Delusions, I asked him, “How can you define brand and trust? What do you think Brand is?”

The advertising, marketing, and PR worlds make you believe it’s all about image. For Bill, it’s much more; brand goes so far beyond what an image is. This is how Bill defines brand:

“Brand is a widely held set of beliefs and expectations about what you deliver and how you deliver it,
validated by customers and clients and experiences.”

In other words, brand is a behavioral reality: the actual experience.

To break it down even further, here are the five touch points of every brand:

1. Your Message is the introduction to the experience you provide.
2. Your Brand is communicated by everybody in your organization—even the person who sweeps the
floor.
3. What you think you sell may not actually be what a client receives.
4. The impact of your brand is reflected in how your client feels and the results you deliver. Customers
buy experiences and results, and they process this experience unconsciously.
5. To deliver a full experience, you must look at every single touch point and part of the experience;
there is no part that is excluded; everything is a part of your brand.

Are Your Core Values in Alignment with Your Brand?

Core Values are an essential part of your ability to satisfy the five touch points above. When your core
values are not aligned with your brand, and you are not fulfilling your promise each day, you will always struggle to maintain the look and feel you want. I believe many of you operate your business from a set of core values, but do you really live them?

Most people know what they do, what the organization does, and how to do it, but very few people take the time to ask the question, “Why—what are we here for?”

The answer should be beyond money; profit is a necessity, not a goal. Ask yourself, what is your unique value, who would care if you disappeared tomorrow and what kind of hole would it leave? Those types of questions must be answered to really define the depth of your brand.

At GoodLife Team, my Team and I do live our values and put a lot of emphasis on them day in and day out,
but after my conversation with Bill, I realized something is missing—I’ve never thought about measuring
performance against Core Values. If you cannot align yourself and live your core values, it will always feel like you are swimming against the current. Every member of the team is a Brand Ambassador.

So, how can you distinguish your brand in our franchise-dominated industry? Bill explains how Brand
functions in real estate in this way:

Corporate Level
The primary mission of the brand statement is name recognition in order to have a presence in each area
you want to be in, and to set the company standards and performance qualities.

Franchisee/Individual Brokerage
As the broker, you are setting the tone for your office in your market place, and you have the opportunity and responsibility to create an image and a set of expectations in that local market.

Local Realtor
You are the brand as a representation and deliverance, one-on-one, to every single one of your clients: what are you delivering and how, what is their experience, and how likely will they offer recommendations?

The take-home message I believe all local realtors should take from Bill is this: Define what you want to deliver, and what experience and result you want to deliver, and then determine how those tie in with your brokerage’s reputation. Determine, refine, and deliver your message against the answers you discover in this process.

Live your Core Values, design a full and inspiring experience for your clients, and deliver that experience through you message and team.

To dive deeper into Bill’s innovative approach to Brand, read more on http://billleider.com/about/ and in his book, Brand Delusions:

To follow and learn more about Bill Leider, please visit his website: billleider.com

In the meantime, I would like to share with you an article Bill wrote that I found inspiring and informative. Many of us know the famous novel and musical, Les Misérables, and the story of how this 19th Century story came to the big screen shows us how important Brand and your Vision must be to your entire operation and team.

Live a Good Life,

Krisstina

Les Misérables and Personal Brands – Going to Extremes to
Achieve a Vision

By Bill Leider, author of Brand Delusions: Exploding the myths and helping you improve your Brand – professionally and personally

Les Misérables is, arguably, one of the best musicals of all time. Now it has become
one of the finest motion pictures ever made. That achievement goes beyond music, money
and talent. The effort and commitment underlying this production speak volumes about
what is possible with a vision, with people who share common values about excellence,
integrity, teamwork and more, and with a director, actors and others, who are so committed
to their craft, to their body of work – in essence to their personal Brand – that they will stop
at nothing to create a work of art so extraordinary that it (and they) will be remembered for
generations to come.

Tom Hooper, the director, had a vision. He got everyone to buy into that vision.
That is no different from what any leader can and should achieve, whether it involves a Fortune 500 Company or a single individual.

The movie broke new ground. The actors sang “live” during the filming. That had
never been done before. Normally, songs are sung before the scenes are shot, then dubbed
into the film after the scenes involving those songs have been completed. Tom Hooper had
never directed a musical before. He had fresh eyes, not clouded over by mindless tradition.
He saw the emotional power and heightened reality that might be possible through this new
approach. What he saw and did is a metaphor for creative approaches, for looking at established practices and blowing them to bits to reach new heights, for bringing in great talent, unburdened by clinging to the standard mantra of mediocrity – “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

The implications his approach had on the actors was extraordinary. The story is
based on Victor Hugo’s expansive novel, written in 1862. It is rich in elaborate details and
narrative. Everyone was required to read the book before beginning. That equates to every
person in an organization acquiring a depth of product knowledge sufficient in detail and depth to truly earn the title of “professional.”

Then the beyond rigorous training began. Randee Dawn, in her article entitled “Les
Miz Workout” in the L.A. Times on December 27, 2012 chronicles what Hugh Jackman, in
the role of Jean Valjean, the lead protagonist in the film went through. She described how he
combined extensive weight training with a diet that reduced him to looking sickly. And he
sang during his bench press routine, “Otherwise,” he said, “the neck strain could tighten him
up so much he’d be unable to sing correctly.” Randee quotes Hugh saying, “People thought
I was nuts, but when there’s that much expectation – and fear – you do whatever it takes.”

Do you and I do whatever it takes to achieve excellence – to make our personal Brand as strong as
it could possibly be? Or do we sometimes do our best, but mostly just do enough to get by?

There’s more. Randee goes on to describe how Hugh protected his voice. “He
avoided coffee, warmed up at least 15 minutes each day, kept Ricola lozenges at the ready,
drank as much as seven liters of water a day, sat in steam three times a day, took ice-cold
baths and for plane rides, flew with a wet wash cloth over his face.” Hugh talked of needing
to keep his vocal chords like a rain forest.

This represents the epitome of doing what it takes – not just to achieve a goal – but to deliver the
essence of individual Brand excellence. For what Hugh Jackman, and Tom Hooper and Anne Hathaway
and Russell Crowe and all the other members of the cast and crew showed us is an example of the highest expression of individual and collective Brand excellence, as defined by what they delivered and how they delivered it.

All of us have similar choices and opportunities to do in our respective fields of endeavor what these artists did and undoubtedly will continue to do in theirs. How are you measuring up?

To read Bill’s original article, as well as follow and learn more about him, please visit his website: billleider.com