Archive for September 2009
MONT BLANC ANTI-CLOCK
Jennifer and I are planning to walk the Mont Blanc Tour next August. It is a popular 100+ mile walk around Mont Blanc in the Alps and passes through parts of Switzerland, Italy and France in 10-12 days. Most people walk it via the anti-clock path.
“Anti-clock” of course is another way of saying “counter clock wise.” It is just one of those little sayings that caught my attention.
As part of our training we will walk several times a week (we already to that) plus add a long walk (two+ hours) on the weekend. Today we walked several miles at Woodward Park.
It’s staying darker longer in the morning and there was no moon so we relied on my hiking head lamp. We are very familiar with the trail; we walk the perimeter of the park on the well used trail.
But we tried walking anti-clock today. It felt like a totally different trail. We almost took wrong turns and wandered the wrong direction a couple of times. Yes it was dark, but still, this is not an unfamiliar walk for us.
We actually enjoyed the walk. Some hilly parts that we usually go down we got exercised a little differently going up. I was surprised the view was so different, too. One stretch of the path has a view of Valley Children’s Hospital… you don’t usually see it on the non anti clock path.
Same path, different direction, new view, different experience.
I guess you can see where I going with this.
It is so easy to get stuck in your clock wise routine. It is so familiar!
I think that is why I am so excited about getting more involved in real estate sales. It is a totally different experience than administration, and management. I love it! But I wouldn’t have gone anti-routine if I wasn’t pushed into it. But, again (I feel like I’m talking to myself) I will probably make more money, meet more people, help folks find homes, and have new learning experiences because of my “anti” direction.
That is not to say that anti-clock is easier. Heck no. Normal everyday status quo is easier.
New life, new experience, new view, new way of being are the only benefits of anti-clock.
I love you – Bryan Martin
HELLO MY BELOVED
This is a copy of a letter I sent to my congregation last week. I’d appreciated your feedback on it. Thanks!
Our real estate business is demanding more of my time. Business is very busy and we are selling homes. BUT the homes that we are selling are on the lower end. This means we have to sell a lot more homes to make the same commission income. Consequently, for the first time, I have been drawn into actually selling real estate. In the past my role has been administrative and supportive. I need to sell homes and help generate income (In case you were not aware I receive no income from the church… my choice). Yes, the economy is even affecting my home.
I just don’t have enough time. In fact I am making significant changes. After many years of continuous service I have stopped teaching my Wednesday morning Bible study at Twilight Haven! Also our Kinship Group is meeting now only on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday and our Millionaire Christian Group is now only meeting on the 1st and 3rd Thursday. I’m cutting back in every area.
Thankfully Verna Fries is doing an excellent job organizing administrative details for Sunday morning and faithful Bob (What-Would -We-Do-Without-BOB!) Lieder coordinates setting up and tearing down on Sunday.
But more needs to be done. I need one person to completely manage every aspect of the Sunday School. We have to take the help that Sarah Vivian , the Alessandris and all the teachers have given to a new level. I won’t be able to be involved in Sunday School administration at all! One person needs to step forward to order and distribute curriculum, recruit and retain teachers, arrange subs, etc. This is an urgent need that must be met. Please help me find the right person right away! Also we need to reorganize collecting offerings, recording it, and depositing it weekly.
As challenging as these times are we are experiencing a wonderful season at St. Pats. People really enjoy Sunday morning and attendance has picked up. It just feels good! Our giving is up and our bank account has a good reserve. Our church has been generous and we are getting ready to launch a second “church lady” to distribute food cards in the community. Our small groups are full of vitality. Our children are having a good Sunday school experience. We are a dynamic micro-church! But it goes without saying, we have huge growth areas.
As far as I am concerned, these challenges are growth experiences and I don’t regret them at all. In fact, I welcome them, as I trust you will too.
Please help our church find the right Sunday School manager, and collection process. Also, if you know someone who needs to buy or sell real estate, put them in contact with me.
God Bless You, I Love You, See You Sunday,
Pastor Bryan Martin
“Hello, I’m a REALTOR,” and Other Coversation Starters
Yesterday morning I walked door to door in a neighborhood near one of Jennifer’s listings.
Knock, knock. “Hello, I’m a REALTOR (R)… we have a listing on Scott street… a four bedroom three bath home… upgraded nicely… with a mother-in-law set up and a pool… going for $380,000.00… and …I was wondering… who do you know who wants to move into the neighborhood?”
I did that for about an hour. It always surprises me how many people are home in the morning. And when they discover I am a Realtor, not a Bible thumper (if they only knew) or a “salesman” they relax and are interested in what’s going on in the real estate market.
I had two long conversations. One woman actually knew the homeowner of the listing we are trying to sell. She talked my ear off! She had a bubbly vivacious personality. A former teacher, she is now a housewife. I thought she would be a great Realtor her self. “If you talk with my daughter Joanna Odabashian she can tell you all about life as a Realtor.”
“Odabashian… I’m Armenian, too,” and off onto the smallness of the world we went.
I had forgotten that I actually had friends on that street when I heard “Bryan… is that you?” David and Patty came out into the front yard and filled me in on all the goings-on in the neighbor. I found out about potential listings from them.
Later that morning, at a sales meeting Joanna was reviewing what happened at “Mega-Camp” in Austin last week. She mentioned several REALLY inspirational events and concluded with how essential it is to focus on lead generation and “everything else will fall in place.”
Lead generation is a fancy way of saying “get out and meet people.”
The most exciting aspect of God, family and business is not the Church, the house or the trade, it is the people… the fellowship, the kinship, and the personal touch. I think Joanna is right. If we focus 90% of our effort on the people part, everything else, EVERYTHING ELSE, will fall in place.
I love you — Bryan
