Start With A Win

Leave us a voicemail:

888-581-4430

Comfort First, Then Find a Win Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

Connect with Adam:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-bachmann-80704110

Smashing Burgers and Treating People Right with Carl Bachmann Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of the Start With A Win podcast, Adam talks with Carl Bachmann, CEO of Smashburger. Carl has been in the restaurant business since he was 12 years old, so he knows a thing or two about listening to customer feedback and delivering a high-quality product. As a leader, Carl is a strong proponent for treating people right and empowering them to make informed decisions, and then supporting what they create. This ideology starts, he says, with having clearly defined and articulated goals as an organization and then getting your employees to buy into that vision and innovate within it. Carl embraces the fact that he is not the smartest guy in the room, and he wants to provide a space for employees to collaborate and harness their passion into something that will improve the customer experience.

When it comes to the customer experience, Carl believes that his job is to listen and learn rather than make decisions in a vacuum. He reviews every social media comment and other forms of feedback every day, so he is in touch with what people are saying and feeling about the business as a whole as well as specific products. Carl and the other Smashburger leaders spend time in individual restaurants listening to their employees because they often come up with the best new ideas. He feels that transparency and honesty are critical components of his business philosophy, so employees and customers alike understand what the company is doing and why. Smashburger has recently started a loyalty program to connect more directly with customers and reward them for their purchases.

Connect with Carl:

https://twitter.com/carljbachmann?lang=en

https://smashburger.com/

Connect with Adam:

https://www.instagram.com/cheplaklive/?hl=en

Leave us a voicemail:

888-581-4430

Personal Development Makes the Difference with Jon Cheplak Dec 30, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of the Start With A Win podcast, Adam talks with his good friend and coach, Jon Cheplak. Jon shares his perspective on the ways people have or have not been putting in the work to become emotionally intelligent and emotionally mature during the crazy year that has been 2020 and provides some concrete advice for getting started on this work in 2021. He reiterates that every human emotion and response is rooted in either love or fear, which is not bad if you embrace them. He says that while the perception is that leaders are stoic, confident, self-aware, and intentional, most of the leadership originates from fear and the proper relationship with it. This dichotomy between power and trust is counterintuitive, but viewing fear as an opportunity for courage changes the whole narrative.

Among many other things, 2020 has magnified dramas and traumas, putting a spotlight on those who have not dealt with them appropriately. You can’t do anything about past experiences, but you can draw positive lessons from them. You can apply every positive lesson to future experiences to ensure the past hurts and hangups have not been wasted. The most effective leaders have a handle on their pasts, and they are authentic in talking about what they have learned and reaching out for help when they need it. This ability to manage your emotions and find success through them is the foundation of emotional maturity—essential to personal and professional development.

Come back for the conclusion of our interview with Jon during the next episode!

Connect with Jon:

https://cheplaklive.com/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cheplak-live/id934537153

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheplak

Connect with Adam:

https://www.tomferry.com/

Leave us a voicemail:

888-581-4430

Ways to Improve Any Business with Tom Ferry Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

Settle in for this episode of Start With A Win and get ready to drink from the fire hose of Tom Ferry’s insights on real estate, reaching goals, and overcoming fear. Tom’s leadership experience started when he was six years old and his parents divorced. At that moment, he knew he needed to step up and lead in the best way he could. This mindset continued throughout elementary, middle, and high school where he was continually leading his peers into adventures, mischief, and revelry. When he was about 18, he started to steer his focus in a more productive direction, being mentored by the writings of business leaders and coaches who helped him realize that challenges lead to opportunities that lead to experiences.

Instead of going to college, he chose to focus on his personal and professional development, joining his father’s company and delving into the new world of performance measurement and management. They realized that measuring performance and then sharing about that performance exponentially increased the likelihood of success and goal achievement, so they started focusing their efforts on this concept. In conjunction with performance measurement and accountability, Tom talks about the ways to attract more clients, increase your average sales price or commission, expand your business, and bring a new product or service to the market that solves a problem.

One practical recommendation that he has for real estate agents today is to over-service your clients. This might look like having three assistants that handle different parts of the transaction with clients so you can focus on relationships and making the experience better for your clients.

Links:

“The Slight Edge” book: https://www.amazon.com/Slight-Edge-Turning-Disciplines-Happiness/dp/1626340463

Connect with Tom:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/coach-tom-ferry/id1076436648

Connect with Adam:

Leave us a voicemail:

888-581-4430

Video Bootcamp With Jesse Peters & Michael Thorne Jul 31, 2019

Show notes

Joining Adam on the Start with a Win podcast today are Jesse Peters and Michael Thorne, Canadian RE/MAX agents known for their expertise in video. They are in town for another Video Bootcamp session at RE/MAX world headquarters. Attendees at previous bootcamps have remarked about how easy Jesse and Michael make video seem and they have been encouraged to just get out there and start creating videos as soon as they leave.
Adam is a firm believer in the power of video, which is why he invests so much time and energy into empowering RE/MAX agents and brokers to take full advantage of the platform. Video is the most authentic way for agents to communicate with their clients and communities, establish their own personal brands, and provide value to the consumer all along the way.
Jesse and Michael share with participants that video in real estate is not limited to just listings and open houses, but that they can share industry knowledge and just engage with their community in this way. By being consistently in front of your clients and potential clients, they feel like they are getting to know you and can trust you when it’s time for them to buy or sell a house.
Many people are hesitant about using video because they are self-conscious or they are afraid that their videos will not be “good enough”, but the fact is that even your worst video will provide you with better ROI than your best print promotional piece. As long as you keep it simple, have fun, smile, create good content, and showcase your own story, you can’t go wrong. In fact, Adam says that if you aren’t working with video, you are preventing yourself from helping people.

Links:
Jesse’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrsocialsavvy/?hl=en

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

20% Down Myth Apr 10, 2019

Show notes

On this episode of Start with a Win, our guest is Ward Morrison, President of Motto Mortgage. He explains to listeners the difference between traditional banks and mortgage brokerages when it comes to getting home loans and demystifies the mortgage process for those who are considering purchasing their first house.

The main thing to keep in mind is that mortgage professionals at brokerages such as Motto Mortgage are able to shop around for the best loans for their customers. Gone are the days of a mandatory 20% down payment and only being able to choose between the few loan options presented to you by your bank. Much like independent insurance agencies are able to curate policies from multiple sources for their customers to review, mortgage brokers put in the extra effort to find loans that fit their customers’ specific situations.

For instance, the typical down payment for conventional loans such as FHA is 5%, but sometimes 3.5% is all that is required. Through VA loans, veterans are able to secure home financing with 0%, and people living in rural areas can take advantage of the 3-5% down payments through USDA loans. If homeowners do not put 20% down, they are subject to monthly mortgage insurance payments, but a loan professional would be able to talk them through that process and ways to avoid these payments with things like piggyback loans.

Overall, Ward wants to encourage potential homebuyers to be aware of their credit scores, take any necessary steps to improve them, and think through their sources of funds before seeking a home loan. But once you are ready to take the first step, a mortgage professional will be right there to meet you and guide you the rest of the way.

Links:

Motto Mortgage: https://www.mottomortgage.com/

Connect with Adam:

Relationships Dec 21, 2018

Show notes

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+carnegie

Giftology 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:

3 Leadership Failures Oct 01, 2018

Show notes

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:

Conquering the Fear of Failure Jul 02, 2018

Show notes

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: