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Real Estate Investing Reality Check
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To your Ultimate Success,
Brian Evans
Everyone Must Have a Mentor
Allow me to cut straight to the chase on this one because this is a topic of conversation that is NOT discussed enough. I am a firm believer that you get to where you want to go 10x to 100x faster if you have a mentor/adviser/coach, etc within your circle of influence. Everyone should have someone that they can lean on and learn from to help them grow their business, their marketing, their self-esteem, their habits, etc. 99% of all the wealthiest people in the world have mentors, advisers, coaches (usually multiple mentors for that matter) that are in their circle of influence to make them better. AND, did you know that even the mentors have mentors.
These types of people are ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS trying to make themselves and their business better. This top 5-10% of the population doesn’t ask how much it costs to acquire this new mentor, coach, adviser, information, etc, they ask how much it will make them. (If you zoned out on that last sentence….READ IT AGAIN)!
So what does this have to do with you? Well, let me start by asking you, do you have anyone in your circle of influence that you consider a mentor, coach, adviser, confidant, etc? If not, how come? If yes, how come not more?
Think about it, if one new mentor could help give you the guidance, self esteem, how-to information, marketing materials, mistakes to avoid, etc to make you and your real estate investing business better, wouldn’t this be valuable to you? Of course! Knowledge, helps you create income and wealth. Someone could always steal your wallet, but they can’t steal what you know!
I know what you are saying though, all this talk about getting a mentor, coach, adviser, etc will cost me money. Well here’s my response to that, which I learned from one of my mentors… “The cost of education is cheap, compared to the price of ignorance.”
If my desire was to learn more about computers and software, etc I would do everything in my power to go to the person that has been there before, who has walked the walk and has experience in what I am interested in learning to teach me the ways, to mentor me. I would, in this case see if Bill Gates or Michael Dell, or someone within their linear sphere of influence would consider being a mentor to me. Would they do it for free?…doubtful, but perhaps they have a mentoring program, and if they didn’t I would again try to find someone with this knowledge who did.
Ok, (forget computers) back to making money in real estate investing which I’m good at. As I look back to my early days in this business, it took time, dedication, passion, effort, faith and without a doubt, the guidance of Mentors & Advisers within my circle of influence to help me know what I know, and get to where I am today. Quite simply, it is this knowledge and relationships and affiliations that have changed my life forever, and that is the God’s Honest Truth!
Your Confidant!
Brian Evans
Do Your Best and Let God Do The Rest
My wife, Danielle and I were watching TV the other night and we came across a show called “LA Ink.” In case you’re not familiar with this show it is a reality tattoo show based in Los Angeles, CA and is filled with your regular reality TV drama, but I must say it was kind of interesting to watch. And, some of the tattoo’s that these artists were drawing were pretty amazing looking.
So what does this have to do with the title of today’s lesson?….
I don’t have any tattoo’s personally, and I’ve never really had any desire to get one, however, while we were watching this show I told my wife that if I ever did get a tattoo it would have to be one that really meant something to me and connected with me on a deep level. Then after thinking about it a little longer of what I might “consider” getting if I “ever” got one… I decided on a saying that I came up with years ago that I repeat to my-self many times during a given day or week. That saying is… “Do Your Best and Let God Do The Rest.”
It’s important for you to know and I’m extremely proud to say that I am an immersed believer and devout Christian. And this little saying is one that I like to personally live my life by because I always want to stay focused and grounded in my faith.
This little saying is extremely powerful and reassuring to me. When I say it to myself it gives me confidence and strength during times when I feel stressed and weak. You see, we all go through challenging times on a regular basis. It doesn’t matter if you are black, white, red, yellow. It doesn’t matter if you have $100 in you bank account or $1,000,000. We all put our pants on one leg at a time, we all need to wear deodorant in order to keep the B/O in check, we all enjoy a good dinner and a movie, we all go to bed at night and wake up to the same sun the next day. We are all 99.99% physically the same.
What keeps me going personally in business and life, during times when 99.99% of others would “give up” is my faith. You see, I believe that as long as I do my best and everything in my power to do my best, and be positive, and a good person, and work hard to grow my business financially… I believe unquestionably, that if I do my best God will do the rest!
So, as I come full circle with this lesson today, I don’t plan to get a tattoo any time soon, but if I did get one, you now know what it would be. Instead, I’ll stick to keeping my little saying on a post-it-note next to my desk where I can see it everyday.
If you feel that my message, “Do your best and let God do the rest” could be beneficial in helping you to get through the challenges of your business and life then please feel free to take it and make it your own.
I know that today’s business tip lesson has a slightly different angle but I hope that you found it inspiring and beneficial. If so, please let me and others know by posting your comments below.
Success if Yours,
Brian Evans
Do You Consider Yourself Savvy?
Over the Labor Day Holiday weekend, my wife and I got together with some relatives on my side of the family that we haven’t seen in years. During the visit I got to talking with my Grandfather (my Dad’s father). His name is Milton and he is 77 years old, and literally he is a certified genius. Anyway, we got to talking about politics and real estate and the economy and small businesses and entrepreneurship, etc and it was a very enjoyable conversation. It is almost refreshing in a way to listen to someone speak their mind when they have such knowledge about life and history and everyday facts.
During this conversation Milton mentioned a word and then described it to me. The word was “Savvy” and he then described it as, “to have a clear understanding of something, and a knowledge and a confident level of common sense.” He was clearly very intent on getting his point across to me about the importance of having savvy in life and business. After concluding the conversation with my Grandfather, shortly thereafter I continued to think about the true power and relevance of the word “savvy” and I knew that it was going to be my topic of conversation for this Business Tip Article.
If you look up the word Savvy in the dictionary it pretty much gives you the exact definition that my grandfather gives – to have an understanding and a mental grasp, as well as common sense of what it is that you do. So as I relate this article to real estate investing I want to ask you, do you consider yourself a savvy real estate investor/entrepreneur? If someone asked me that I would confidently be able to say, YES. I wouldn’t have always been able to say this but, as my experiences in real estate and business grew and continues to grow my “savvy” has grown with it.
So what’s the point of all this “savvy” talk? The point is, “savvy” is a vital and essential ingredient in your recipe to achieve success as a real estate investor. Without “savvy” you will always be just mediocre at best. The good news, is that “savvy” can be acquired and built upon. The more you know, the more experiences you have, the more you get out and do things that others aren’t willing to do, the more savvy you will become as a real estate investor. Anyone in the world, past or present, who has made a name for themselves in business, exemplified a high level of “savvy.” They have a strong understanding of their business and a mental grasp about what needs to be done to achieve success.
So I ask you again, do you consider yourself savvy?
Success if Yours,
Brian Evans
Be A Fighter Pilot (Top Secret)
There are many factors that go into becoming a massively successful real estate investor, and there is one profession in particular that I believe offers an appropriate comparison to the overall skills you need to have in this business, albeit on a slightly different playing field. This comparable profession is a Fighter Pilot. Think about it, Fighter Pilots are the absolute best at what they do. They must go through rigorous tests and training before they “get their wings” so to speak. Not everyone who sets out to become a Fighter Pilot reaches their goal, and that’s because it takes a certain individual to overcome the challenges, and develop the skills required before the government hands over the keys to a multi-million dollar aircraft.
Here is a brief list of some of the skills I think can be shared between a Fighter Pilot and a Real Estate Investor:
- Desire to be the best at what they do
- Willingness to work hard under all circumstances
- Ability to handle pressure very well
- Ability to think and make decisions very quickly
- A love for speed and results
- Having a very strong understanding of the business/aircraft that they are operating.
- Commitment to their business/country
- Always striving to make their skills better
- Have trust in their mentor/wingman
- Display a very high level of confidence in themselves
Obviously this is not all of the comparisons that could be made between a Fighter Pilot and a Real Estate Investor. In fact there are probably hundreds of comparisons that could be made. It is fun though, isn’t it? If you can think of any more then be sure to post your comments in this blog.
Here is one more thing to consider when you compare yourself as a real estate investor to that of a Fighter Pilot. Your workspace (your desk/office/etc) should be very structured and organized, similar to that of the Fighter Pilot’s cockpit that they fly in. What I mean by that is this: When you are working at your desk, in order to be most efficient, and effective without loss of momentum and concentration you need to have everything near you so that you can work quickly. You should know where everything is that helps you work effectively and it should all be within short reach of your chair. When you are in your cockpit you should become focused on accomplishing your goals and tasks for the day. Prioritize your mission for each day and work down the list from most important to least important. You should always be focusing the most effort on the deal that is closest to cash and getting you paid. Always keep this and other deals similar to this on your radar screen.
I hope that you enjoyed the imagination with this article, if so, please be sure to post your comments below and let me know.
To Your Incredible Real Estate Investing Success!
Brian Evans
Don’t Be Afraid to Annoy People
I thought this might be a good follow up to last Wednesday’s Biz Management Blog post which was called, “Fart on it.” You might be interested to know that a few of my “Insider” subscribers didn’t really care for last week’s topic, and as a result felt the need to complain about it. Did I lose sleep over it? No, in fact it is actually good and bad. It is good because, I don’t want complainers on my list and as a result, these people have been removed from my subscriber database. It is bad because no longer will these subscribers be able to learn from someone who is kicking ass as a real estate investor. If you don’t know by now, I give a lot more than I ask for.
Ok, so what does this have to do with today’s lesson called, “Don’t be afraid to annoy people?” As a real estate investor, you will undoubtedly annoy people on occasion as a result of your marketing. When you mail letters and postcards, and put up signs, etc not everyone is going to like your message and be happy that you contacted them. Some will asked to be removed from your list, some will not like your street signs, etc. The key is, not to let the negative haters and easily annoyed keep you from doing what you do. The fact is, some will, some won’t, so what, someone’s waiting (SW, SW, SW, SW)!
Every week in my real estate investing business I get a call from someone that has requested not to be contacted again (after the first letter). One time, I even had someone take their complaint to the Attorney General’s office. Can you believe that! All because I sent them a handwritten letter in the mail saying that I wanted to buy their house. It’s called marketing buddy! If you are not interested in selling then here’s an idea, “don’t call.” The AG’s office really seemed to care less about this complaint. There is no law about mailing letters to generate business. The unfortunate thing is, the “complainer” apparently has such a pathetic life that he let one little letter in the mail upset him so much that rather than throwing it away he felt the need to retaliate. Again, my reaction to this is, oh well, sucks for him. I didn’t do anything wrong, on with running my business.
To be successful in this business you need to very quickly wack the suspects and only work with the prospects. Only do business with people that want to do business with you. You must not be afraid to annoy people with your marketing. Don’t let the people that get annoyed by your marketing efforts scare you away from this business. Your marketing is the heart that pumps blood into your business. If you turn that off then everything else will die.
Do you have any stories about when your marketing annoyed someone? If so, please share them in the post below.
To your real estate investing success,
Brian Evans
FART On It
When was the last time someone told you to FART on something in your business? Probably never, until now. I was shocked to learn about this technique when I first heard it as well, but once explained to me it makes perfect sense!
The good news is, this FART doesn’t smell!
In your business you are dealt with lots and lots of information on a daily basis. The trick is being able to manage all of the information in a way that allows you to quickly get through it, understand it and then get on with doing what you do best – buy houses! Fart is an acronym for: File, Act, Reroute, Trash.
When I am dealt new information in my business, whether it be mail, or email, or office documents, or notes, or whatever…the way that I get through it is I Fart on it. I either File it away, or Act on it, or Reroute it (I’ll delegate it), or I Trash it…I FART on it.
The stack of papers and files and emails that you have to go through everyday can seem very overwhelming and it can continue to pile up very quickly unless you do something about it. Well, now your solution is simple, humorous, and easy to remember! The quicker that you can FART on all of the information that comes your way, the better off you’ll be as a real estate investor and business owner.
I hope you enjoyed this short article. If so, please let me know!
To your real estate investing success,
Brian Evans
Make Investments That Help You Grow
When was the last time that you invested in yourself? I mean seriously invested in yourself in a way that would help you grow your business and learn new things and make more money as a result? If your answer to these questions is never, then I’m sorry to say this but, I feel bad for you? I know, I know but you have good reason for not investing in yourself and your business education such as: you don’t have the money, or you don’t have enough time, or perhaps you think you already know it all and that any new investment in yourself would be a waste of money. The fact is my friends those are all poor excuses.
So lets dissect this, “Investing in yourself” concept. What exactly does it mean? It means taking educated risks and perhaps spending money or time or energy on something with the end result being, it makes you better! Here are some example of investing in yourself, all of which I have done and/or continue to do on a regular basis:
1. Investing in your real estate education by going to training bootcamps held by qualified individuals.
2. Investing in real estate training materials, AND IMPLEMENTING THEM!
3. Investing in a real estate coach or mentor, to help you through difficult deals and situations. (THIS CAN BE LIFE CHANGING)
4. Investing in an assistant to help you with the every day details and minutia that you encounter as a real estate investor.
5. Consider investing in the expansion of your business and moving to an office location.
6. Investing in your marketing (this is a big one that most people consider an expense vs. an investment).
7. Investing in new books, newsletters, self help, motivational material.
8. Perhaps investing in something that helps you relieve stress such as a vacation or a motorcycle! (the latter is my personal favorite. There is nothing like cruising the back country roads on a day with blue sky’s).
I’ll never forget the first really big investment that I made in myself. I spent a little over $30k in a real estate investing program, and looking back, although it seemed crazy to spend that kind of money on education, it also seemed so right to me inside. Does that make sense? Well, the truth of the matter is this, I couldn’t afford not to make the investment in my self because it is knowledge and education that I could act on for the rest of my life. The good news is that I made my money back multiple times over and looking back, I know that had I not made that decision to invest in my real estate investing education that I would be where I am today, and writing this article sharing my experiences with you.
I’d like to leave you with two great quotes:
(1) “I don’t ask how much it costs, I ask how much it will make me.” – Donald Trump
(2) “The price of education is cheap compared to the cost of ignorance.” – Ron LeGrand
I hope you enjoyed this short article. If so, please let me know!
To your real estate investing success,
Brian Evans
What Are You Waiting For? (Take Action Already)
A mentor of mine once told me that 1 hour of movement is better then 1 week of meditation. Think about that for a moment because there is some real truth to this saying. The problem that most people have is that they analyze and analyze something to death until they analyze themselves right out of the equation. Does this sound familiar to you? Well, this used to sound way too familiar to me. The truth is, this is a bad habit that develops with time, but the good news is, this bad habit can be broken.
The first thing that I had to do to break this bad habit was to recognize and admit to myself that I was procrastinating. The second thing that I had to do was to decide and make a commitment to myself that I was going to make a change and start making things happen in my business rather than waiting for things to happen in my business.
Ok Brian… easier said than done…. surely you have a better tip on how to help me take action in my business, don’t you?
Yes I do and here it is my friend: Where most people think and analyze their feelings before they take action, I want you to simply take action and then deal with your feelings from your actions. In simpler terms…ACT AND THEN FEEL! Believe me when I tell you, that I Act And Then Feel in my business every single day because I know that in the game of real estate investing if I hesitate then I could lose out on a huge deal.
Now don’t take this advice the wong way, I don’t fly by the seat of my pants like some gun slinging cowboy, nor am I telling you to run your business this way. However if you want to become truly successful as a real estate investor then you have to be able to make a decision and take action quickly even when you only have 50% of the facts. Yes, you’ll make some mistakes but that comes with the business, and if you are afraid to make mistakes then that is a whole other lesson all by itself.
So the next time you encounter a situation where you need to make a decision on a real estate deal or marketing technique, investment of some kind simply gather the facts and Act and Then Feel! Stand by your decisions, accept the consequences of your actions, learn from your mistakes, and celebrate your accomplishments.
I hope you enjoyed this short article. If so, please let me know!
To your real estate investing success,
Brian Evans
Real Estate Business Tips – Do You Know Your Numbers?
I bet that if I asked you right now approximately how much money you had in your personal bank account that you would know the answer. And I bet that you probably keep fairly good track of the checks that you write in your checkbook log.
Of course, you are saying to yourself…so what’s the point? My point is simply this: you obviously have a pretty good knowledge of the financial numbers in your personal life, so how come you don’t know the numbers in your Real Estate Investing business? Now, there is more to knowing your numbers than knowing just how much money you have in your bank account and in your checkbook, so I don’t want you to think that you can get off that easy. Ultimately, if you want to be extremely successful as a real estate investor then you need to know, review, track, and work to improve the numbers of your business on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis!
In my business, every Monday I get together with my employees and we talk numbers such as: How many letters were mailed out, how many calls we received, how many appointments were scheduled, how many houses we are trying to buy, how many houses we are trying to sell, how our marketing is converting, how, how, how, how…. It’s called, keeping a finger on the pulse of your business. Do you have a finger on the pulse of YOUR business?
If you are lazy, or think you don’t have enough time to compile and review your stats, or think that it doesn’t matter, THINK AGAIN! Here’s the reality of how important it is to know your numbers: No numbers = No business (period!). Everything in this real estate investing business revolves around numbers and simple math. My advice to you is to create some simple reports that you can easily analyze and compare once a week. It doesn’t have to impress a Statistician, just keep it simple and start to keep track of that which you feel is most important to your success. If you have an assistant or employees that can help you, then create the report and have them compile the data for you to review each week (that’s what I do).
Make a commitment to yourself to do this for a minimum of 1 month. If it seems to be too much work then you can stop, however you have to do it for a minimum of 1 month. About the 2nd or 3rd week your eyes will open wider then they ever have in the past as you’ll now begin to know your numbers. This simple act will make you smarter, more confident and more wealthy as you grow your real estate investing business …GUARANTEED!
I hope you enjoyed this short article. If so, please let me know!
To your real estate investing success,
Brian Evans
