Habits for Success

I came across this article on Facebook from Inc. Magazine - 8 Habits of Remarkably Successful People. 

Before I read the article, I took two minutes (literally), and jotted down what I thought would be on the list. 

Here is their list (with no commentary - it's my blog - I get to do that)...

1. They don't create back-up plans.
2. They do the work...
3.  ...and they work a lot more.
4. They avoid the crowds.
5. They start at the end...
6. ... and they don't stop there.
7. They sell.
8. They are never too proud.

Now, I could get particular here and argue that these are not just 8 Habits, rather they are characteristics and personality traits as well as a habit or two thrown in for good measure.

Here is my list...

1. Practice - Read Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers and you'll become a believer. I would compare this to #2 & #3 in Inc's list. No one is born talented. No one is born knowing how to walk. We all learn how to walk after much practice. The same would be said for the Bill Gates of the world. Even Bill had to sit down and learn about computers at a young age. Only after much practice (10,000 hours if you ascribe to that theory), did he become a genius computer programmer. 

2. Read - I'd say this correlates to #8 if I had to pick one. Successful people know there are many others out there who know more, and can do better, than they can. How many successful people do you know that sit around and say, "No need to ask anyone else. This is the best way to do XYZ." At one of the first New Home Sales Training Courses I attended, Myers Barnes stood up in front of the class and said, "I'm going to tell each of you how to double your income in just one year. Unfortunately, my experience has proven that none of you will do this." Want to know the secret? Read an hour a day in material that benefits your profession. This is particularly true in the sales field. Guess what? He's probably right, but I wouldn't know. As he predicted, I didn't do it. And, I even believe it will work! {Side Note: He also asked the class of 150 how many had read Bill Gates' book on business. Two hands went up. "You mean that out of 150 business owners, only 2 of you have read how the richest man in America runs his empire?! He writes about how to run a business and only 2 of you have read it?!" Ouch.}

3. Set Goals - This one is #5 all the way. We've all heard that setting goals is important, but how many of us actually do it? Not only do we need to set goals that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound) but we need to WRITE THEM DOWN! Tom and I just went through a goal setting session a few weeks ago and it feels so good to have a plan. And, don't forget to communicate those goals with your team (either your employees or your support team or your mentor). They do no one any good hidden away in a notebook in the bottom desk drawer. 

4. Have a Mentor - We all need someone to hold us accountable. A mentor should be someone who rejoices in your success and picks you up when you fall short of your goal. (That should be another habit - failing early and failing often - read Failing Forward by John Maxwell.) An ideal mentor is someone who has been there and done that and wants to help get you to the next level. 

5. Give Generously - Look at any successful individual and/or business and check them out to see how much they give. You'll be shocked. This is the age old question - which came first? Giving Generously or Becoming Successful? Successful people understand that they did not get where they are on their own two feet and without a huge push upward from programs, schools, teachers and other organizations. They give back. Let's go back to Bill Gates (sick of him yet?) for a minute. To date, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded $26.1 billion - with a capital "B" - in grant money for causes such as Polio Eradication, Malaria, Higher Education, Maternal & Child Health and much, much more. {SOURCE: Gates Foundation Fact Sheet} 

6. Time Management - Successful people absolutely work a lot more (#3). But, they also do more with less time. I heard a funny statement at the last training I attended - if you want something done fast, ask the busiest person you know. Successful people know how to prioritize their task lists and to fit more into a day than most fit into a week. Personally, I know my least productive time is when I'm at home with a boat load of time and without a deadline in sight. Laundry can always be pushed off and dishes can be hand washed if the dishwasher is full. I've written about my Notebook System before and it certainly doesn't need to be this system, but most "Remarkably Successful" people have some way to effectively manage their time.

7. Have a Team - Or a support system. Successful people surround themselves with people who encourage and enable, not with people who tear down and naysay. Want another funny quote? Behind every great man stands a great woman. Forget about the sexism for a minute and take it for what it's worth. We're meant to work in teams and support each other. We can't do it alone. Google the 10 richest people in America and I'll bet they're not misers living in a fortress all alone. They have people who have shared their vision and encouragement for them to get to the top. 

8. Have a Role Model - So, maybe this goes along a little too closely with my #4 and #7. I told you I made the list in two minutes. This post has taken much longer and I may have switched this out if I had given it more thought. :) (I particularly like #4 on Inc's list - read Blue Ocean Strategy for why this works - I haven't read it - I should...) Anyway, having a role model is important to adults for the same reason it's important to pre-teens and teenagers during their formidable years. We need good examples. We need a path to follow. We need to know it's OK to be successful. We should all have someone who we respect and someone we want to mimic, and perhaps even surpass, their successes. 

So there's my list. I write these certainly not because I consider myself in the "Remarkably Successful" category. No way. No how. I write this rather out of observation of those who I would put into that category. 

Personally, I have a long ways to go on many of my own 8, let alone Inc's 8, successful habits. On Inc's list, I can do better at #1, #6, & #7. On my own list, I can do better at  #1, #2, #4 & #7. I'll just have to keep trying.

Do you all agree? Did I miss something? Which are you working toward doing better? {That is if you made it this far through my rambling. It's my blog. I get to do that.} 

Where's My Off Switch?

Here's what no one told us before we became self-employed...

There is no off switch.

As I was doing our bank reconciliations (eleven days late) at 8:45 last night, this fact was brought to mind again. I've learned it before - much before - now. Everything has to get done. And everything is up to me. (Oh yeah, and Tom.) We have those moments where you sit up in bed in the middle of night and say "Oh crap! I didn't ________." Fill in the blank here with anything from call back a customer, add a granite top into the bid, pay this bill... and the list goes on. When mistakes are made, there's no one to blame it on other than ourselves.

We talk business every night over dinner, on every car trip and most of every "vacation." There is no "How was your day honey?" We know exactly what happened, when it happened and most likely we were there or very close.

Not only that, but when you're sick, or laid up recovering from painful knee surgery and on major pain meds, or caring for said knee surgery patient, the work must still get done. Customers must be called back, bills must be paid, and there is no official sick day to be had.

Another case in point. This weekend, both girls were sick - Josie with a fever and Tessa with the nasty stomach bug. By Monday, they seemed better, but Josie's fever was hanging around. I decided to keep them both "home" from school. Guess what? Mommy and daddy had to work, so they got to come along and watch TV at Timber Run instead of staying home. They didn't mind too much and are used to that type of thing. I cared though - mommy guilt strikes again. Shouldn't I be at home with them cuddling on the couch and watching silly cartoons and making them Sprite with no bubbles? Nope. The customer is king and I had a meeting.

But, do you want the silver lining?

There is no off switch. (See what I did there?)

Since we don't ever turn it off, our kids are getting a pretty unique life experience. We used to laugh and say that Josie would make a fantastic sales person one day because she listened to a million Zig Ziglar CD's in the car when she was two.

Since we don't ever turn it off, the kids know the parts and order of what it takes to build a house. I'm seriously going to start having Josie help me file - she knows her alphabet - she can file. They've helped with getting checks ready to mail too - who doesn't like putting stickers on letters?

Since we don't ever turn it off, the kids have grown up around adults and been taught how to have a conversation and look people in the eye. We don't get a babysitter for the Homeowner Christmas Party. They come.

Since we don't ever turn it off, the kids see with their own eyes the value of working hard and that you can make your own way in life if you work hard enough.

Since we don't ever turn it off, if we have a great idea in the business, we run with it. There is no boss-man that has to approve it and no red tape to prevent it.

Since we don't ever turn it off, we can vacation more often. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a strategic business planning meeting on the beach than in the office.

Since we don't ever turn it off, we can do extra-curricular things like volunteer, fundraise, take time to go to MOPS on Wednesday and much more. The work still gets done, it just may be at 9PM at night. :)

There is no off switch and I'm learning to be OK with that. Every time that mommy guilt starts to rear it's ugly head, I remember that I am setting an example for my kids and living the dream of being self-employed.

I really wouldn't have it any other way.

It's Official! And, it's a BIG Listing!

So, I'm just a little excited to announce that I officially picked up a pretty big listing. :) The Meadow at Springhurst is a custom home community just down the street from Timber Run in Greenfield with 56 available home sites. The neighborhood covenants are just restrictive enough to ensure the quality of homes but make a $225,000 custom home very doable.

I can remember when we moved to Greenfield and it was just getting started. Every time we drove by, I thought to myself, "You know? That would really make a nice place to live." It is really close to the local library - walking distance close - and just as close to the high school. Just around the corner is CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Kroger and all of the other wonderfulness that Greenfield has to offer.

I have been posting a few home sites on the BLC (MLS) here and there over the holidays and plan to get a web site up and running as well. New flyers are in the box and a new sign will soon be on it's way. With 56 available sites, there are sites that are priced right, sites with more privacy, sites with water views and sites on a cul-de-sac. Something for everyone!

I am super excited to get this thing launched and see some activity happening in the community. So, builders, bring me your clients. Friends, bring me your friends. Let's get this thing going!

How To Get Hired - Resume Advice from a Small Business Owner

As I would imagine most small business owners would attest, human resources is one of the most difficult aspects of owning your own business. We have had the good fortune of really putting together a great, cohesive team. Every few months, for one reason or another, we find ourselves again short staffed. (For those of you who know Andrea, this is not her position. We will always have a place for her in our company! How could you not!?) So, last week, we listed a job on Career Builder for a New Home Sales Consultant. Since posting, we have received 111 applications and we'll likely get another 150-200 before the posting expires.

Here is the link to the job posting...

I feel it is my duty to share with my friends some pearls of wisdom that I have observed this week (and over the last four years). I am by no means an expert, but have probably reviewed 1,000 resumes and I do know that there are quite a few things you can do that will truly put you miles ahead of your competition.

1. PROOFREAD!!!! I know this seems basic, but please, I implore you, do NOT have typos on your resume and cover letters. If you do nothing else after reading this post, please go do this with your resume. Read it over at least three times (OK - even once would have solved a lot of these problems) then give it to a friend or five to read. While being typo-free doesn't automatically shoot your resume to the top of the stack, it will avoid the immediate reject pile. Here are just a handful of typos I have seen...

• City of residence spelled wrong
• State abbreviation not capitalized along with a missing zip code
• My name spelled wrong - this is bad
• My company's name spelled wrong - this is really bad
• Various words spelled wrong - spell check is your friend
• Poor grammar 
• Phone numbers with dashes incorrectly spaced
• Incomplete email addresses
• Incorrect Phone Numbers

2. Add a cover letter, but only if it's a good one and you take the time to customize it for the job. (Again, please proofread and make sure the customized fields are actually complete - i.e. name, phone, company, etc.) Don't go on and on about how good you are at XYZ accounting system if that's not one of the requirements of the listed position. I will say that probably less than 10% of applicants do actually send along a cover letter. Use this opportunity to emphasize why you would be a good fit, especially if your work experience isn't an exact match. A reasonably good and customized cover letter generally shoots you to the top of my list, regardless of the resume. 

3. Customize your objective. Fit it to the specific job to which you are actually applying. Don't tell me your objective is to work for a Fortune 500 firm as a business analyst when you're applying to my company of four employees. And, don't write, "Seeking a career in the (administrative, dental, aeronautics, or anything else as equally unrelated) field" if it's not the field of the job description. Keep it simple and just slightly specific. Here would be a perfect objective for our particular job - "To obtain a challenging position in New Home Sales with a growing company in order to best utilize my sales skills and outgoing personality." Even if your experience (i.e. - elementary teacher) doesn't lend itself to the particular job (i.e. - New Home Sales), but you think you'd be a good fit, don't leave your normal objective in the resume. 

4. At least pretend like you will actually stay at the job for more than six months. I literally groan out loud at some of the objectives I read. "To obtain a job at an optometrist's office in order to further my opportunities in the industry." My personal favorite - "To continue my education in order to pursue my career in (fill in the blank with some totally unrelated profession)." You might as well just say "To find a position at which I can milk a salary while I wait for something better to come along and, when that time comes, you will be lucky to get a two week notice." 

5. What the recruiters tell you is true - I spend less than 30 seconds on each resume. Well, that is unless it is good. I can usually tell in the first few lines if I'm interested or not. See numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4. This is not cruel, it is just a necessity when reviewing so many applicants.

6. Respond appropriately. If the listing says, No Phone Calls Please, then don't call. It's just annoying. And, always send your resume electronically if possible. Faxes just don't cut it these days. And, if possible, PDF your resume and attach that instead of a Word document. The formatting just never seems to come through correctly and it will always look right in a PDF. 

7. Obtain a professional email address. There is no excuse - they're free. Even if your nickname and personal email address is lovey_honey_bear@xyz.com, that doesn't mean your future employer needs to know about it.

All kidding aside, please don't get me wrong, I review a lot of good resumes. And, I'm sure some of the people making these errors would make great employees. But, I haven't yet determined a way to sort those out. My time is limited and I will probably only interview 5-10 of the probable 300 applicants over the phone. I will be lucky to conduct 3 face to face interviews from those people. Your resume needs to be perfect and great, not close and good. 

I do not envy anyone in the job market these days. If I were back out there on the hunt, I would likely make a tremendous amount of changes to my resume as well. It is my hope that these few simple changes will really make a difference and send you to the top of the pile instead of just in the mediocre middle. 

Stay tuned for more chapters in this series as we've only just begun down the path of hiring. I'm sure I'll come up with more advice as we enter the interviewing stage.