APRIL 2018 SANTA CLARITA

EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE

Executive Agent of the Month

Inside Features: Erin McKeon Keller Williams Realty

Mike Ross Finance of America Mortgage

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FIND OUT WHY WE’RE GREAT TO WORK WITH. THERE ARE BENEFITS TO WORKING WITH FAM Variety of loan options for buyers

Local underwriting for convenience

Direct lender with no middleman

Servicing to help buyers choose a loan

Grow your business with co-branding

Educating clients about home-buying

LET’S GET IN TOUCH (661) 510-8076 FOAmortgage.com/SantaClarita Visit our new branch at 25350 Magic Mountain Parkway Suite 300 | Valencia, CA 91355 This is not a commitment to lend. Prices and guidelines are subject to change without notice. Some products may not be available in all states. Subject to review of credit and/ or collateral; not all applicants will qualify for financing. It is important to make an informed decision when selecting and using a loan product; make sure to compare loan types when making a financing decision.©2018 Finance of America Mortgage LLC is licensed nationwide | | NMLS ID #1071 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) | AZ Mortgage Banker License #0910184 | Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act

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EXECUTIVE AGENT OF THE MONTH

Neal Weichel RE/MAX of Valencia

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Inside Features

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06

Erin McKeon 4

Mike Ross

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

APRIL, 2018 Editorials

E XECUTIVE AGENT

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MAGAZINE

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Fred Arrias Executive Publisher PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Direct: (949) 297-8323 Cell: (949) 702-9577 Fax: (949) 266-8757 FArrias45@gmail.com www.EAMag.net

Potentialize Your Opportunities -Mark Victor Hansen

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The Number One Ingredient For Great Success: Commitment -Patrick Pechmann

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX - SC City of Hope.......................................................34 COMPASS..........................................................36

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The Great Challenge of Life -Jim Rohn

Finance of America Mortgage.............................2 iPhotography Studio...............................................23 NAHREP...................................................................8 SRAR.......................................................................14

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Become Everything You Are Capable of Becoming -Brian Tracy

The Termite Guy......................................................3 VAREP.......................................................................9 WCR........................................................................15

Photography: iPhotography Studio, Ian Wiant, Rob Paino Graphic Designer: Garon T. Arrias Editorial Manager: Trudy Van Writers: Ben Angel, John Boe, Haley Freeman, Jim Rohn, Walter Sanford, Dirk Zeller, Zig Ziglar

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How To Stay Motivated -Denis Waitley

© Copyright 2018 Executive Agent Magazine. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Executive Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

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Achievement In Steps -Chris Widener

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E XECUTIVE AGENT

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lifelong resident of the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, Mike is deeply connected to the communities he serves. His personal journey includes stops at many iconic local landmarks, from his first career to his marriage to wife Donna at St. Charles Borromeo Church in North Hollywood, to his later career as a grip and lighting technician for the motion picture studios. After spending 15-plus hours a day on set with a young family at home, Mike learned about an opportunity to work in the mortgage lending industry. “GMAC Mortgage was hiring people and willing to train. Six interviews later, I was at GMAC in Encino. I was fortunate to have some great mentors who were very successful and helped me learn early on.”

It wasn’t long before Mike was breaking sales records and making President’s Club. Four years in, he became a producing manager leading a team of top-producers. He went on to build a successful branch office at imortgage (now loanDepot), before joining Finance of America Mortgage in 2017 for its people-centric culture and makesense approach to lending. “I like the idea that Finance of America Mortgage makes decisions about how to run the

Written by Haley Freeman

company and treat employees for the right reasons. It’s not just about the money. Everything that’s done by Finance of America Mortgage is going to be in the best interests of the customer, and that can be a real estate agent, a consumer or an employee. We make decisions based on the needs of the person we’re working with. We are a relationship lender, and I’m a relationship manager,” says Mike Ross, Branch Manager of Finance of America Mortgage in Valencia.

“We take care of families for many generations, and we bring a positive energy into their life. Our goal is to do more than close the loan on time. We want to create an exceptional experience for our clients. They worked hard to be able to qualify for a home and we want to reward them by taking the stress out of the equation as well as educate them on the best loan options available for their particular circumstance at the time.”

Mike leads a team of preeminent lending professionals with whom he has had long and successful working relationships. His team also includes his wife, Donna, who is the branch’s Director of Marketing and Business Development. Together, this group is providing industryforward loan products and expert guidance to home buyers.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Mike Ross

Edgar Ibarra

Claudia Diaz

Julio Hernandez

NMLS-252615

NMLS-261963

NMLS-266149

NMLS-273945

Tony Aguilar

William Kerwin

Steven Milovich

Donna Ross

NMLS-325240

NMLS-235445

NMLS-1404509

Marketing Director

“I don’t like to ever use the word ‘sell,’” Mike says.

“We inform people to help them make good decisions with good information. Sometimes that means we have to tell people things they may not want to hear. But we want to make sure we put people into loans that make sense for their current circumstances and longer-term goals.

Finance of America Mortgage offers a lot of great lending products to fit all kinds of borrowers, and we are always innovating to provide the loans people need.”

With the strength of Finance of America Mortgage behind them, Mike and his team are also delivering unprecedented support to Realtors®. They are standing with real estate partners to preserve the integrity of their profession and elevate their service to clients. “We are hearing a lot these days that the real estate sales community is in trouble and being challenged by online brokers and even lenders that are trying to put them out of business. Our goal is to shoot those down by helping agents increase their business and make more money. We’re focused on finding ways to bring leads to our agents, not the other way around. As we’re building out our office in Valencia, we are catering to the real estate community.

We have what we call our ‘wow room,’ equipped with a green screen where our real estate partners can come in and create videos and marketing. They can also hang out and do business. We want to offer something different.”

life, Mike is attracting other professionals with a positive spirit and people-oriented approach to business. “Nobody works for me who doesn’t care about the person they’re serving. They have to care about the community and the person who is making the biggest investment of their lives. When I interview someone, I like to find out about their family, their hobbies, where they’ve traveled.

Through those things you find out what kind of person you have in front of you. That’s what matters to me. We want quality, not quantity. I think we have a great story to tell here. We’re an amazing group made up of individuals who have won every production award out there.

But we’re also enjoying a lot of fun and laughter, and we service the heck out of our customer.”

Mike Ross, Branch Manager NMLS ID 252615 Finance of America Mortgage 25350 Magic Mountain Pkwy., Suite 300 Valencia, Santa Clarita, California 91355 Tel: 661-510-8076 Email: Mross@financeofamerica.com Web: www.FOAMortgage.com/miross

©2018 Finance of America Mortgage LLC is licensed nationwide | NMLS ID #1071 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) | 300 Welsh Road, Building 5, Horsham, PA 19044 | (800) 355-5626 | Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight

An energetic leader with a glass-half-full outlook on

under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act.

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WEALTH & REAL ESTATE C O N F E R E N C E

MAY 7-9, 2018

MIAMI BILTMORE HOTEL CORAL GABLES, FL NAHREP.ORG/WEALTHCONFERENCE

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info@VAREP.net | w w w .VAR EP. n e t | 951-444-7363 VAREP IS A 501.C.3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND YOUR CONTRIBUTION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE. USA HOMEOWNERSHIP DBA VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS TAX ID: 45-2458485

How to Stay

MOTIVATED B

e willing to say to yourself, “I’m on the right road.

I’m doing OK. I’m succeeding.” We too frequently become adept at pointing out our flaws and identifying failures.

Become equally adept at citing your achievements.

Identify things you are doing now that you weren’t doing one month ago… six months ago… a year ago. What habits have changed? Chart your progress.

Doing well once or twice is relatively easy. Continuously moving ahead is tough, in part, because we so easily revert to old habits and former lifestyles. Over the long run, you need to give yourself regular feedback to monitor your performance and reinforce yourself positively.

Don’t wait for an award ceremony, promotion, friend or mentor to show appreciation for your work. Take pride in your own efforts on a daily basis.

Keep the end result in sight. Always see the big picture of the ultimate goal you’re working for and the benefits that come with it. During World War II, parachutes were being constructed by the thousands. From the workers point of view, the job was tedious and repetitive. (Like making “cold calls” on the phone or in person.)

It involved crouching over a sewing machine eight to ten hours a day, stitching endless lengths of colorless fabric.

The result was a seamless heap of cloth. But every morning the workers were reminded that each stitch was part of a life-saving operation.

As they sewed, they were asked to think that this might be the parachute worn by their husband, brother or son.

Although the work was hard and the hours long, the women

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and men on the assembly line understood their contribution to the larger picture. The same should be true with your work.

Each thing you do benefits the health and well being of adults and children throughout the world, not just generally, but specifically. These are the visions that drive us through tedious details to the top.

Set up a dynamic daily routine. Getting into a positive routine or groove, instead of a negative rut, will help you become more effective. Why is the subway the most energy efficient means of transportation? Because it runs on a track.

Think of the order in your day, instead of the routine.

Order is not sameness, neatness or everything exactly in its place. Order is not taking on more than you can manage, without still being able to do what you really choose. Order is the opposite of complication; it’s simplification.

Order is not wasting a lot of time trying to find things.

Order is avoiding a lot of recriminations because you didn’t do something you promised. Order is setting an effective agenda with others, so neither of you is disappointed. Order is doing in a day what you set out to do.

Order frees you up. Get into the swing of a healthy, daily routine and discover how much more control you’ll gain in your life.

Denis Waitley is a leading motivational speaker and peak performance expert. He is the author of The Seeds of Greatness.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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Become Everything You Are Capable Of Becoming

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he turning point in my life came when I discovered the law of cause and effect, the great law of the universe, and human destiny. I learned that everything happens for a reason. I discovered that success is not an accident.

Determine exactly what you want to be able to do.

Decide who you want to become. Describe exactly what you will look like when you become truly excellent in your field and in your personal life.

Upgrade Your Personal Knowledge and Skills…

Failure is not an accident, either. I also discovered that people who are successful in any area usually are those who have learned the cause-and-effect relationship between what they want and how to get it.

Determine Your Personal Growth and Development Values…

To realize your full potential for personal and professional growth and development, begin with your values as they apply to your own abilities. As you know, your values are expressed in your words and actions.

You can tell what your values are by looking at what you do and how you respond to the world around you.

Your values are the root causes of your motivations and your behaviors.

Clarify Your Personal Growth and Development Vision…

Create a long-term vision for yourself in the area of personal growth. Project forward five or ten years and imagine that you are developed fully in every important part of your life. Idealize and see yourself as outstanding in every respect. Refuse to compromise on your personal dreams.

Set Goals for Development…

Your

Personal

Growth

and

Now take your vision and crystallize it into specific goals. Here is a good way to start. Take out a piece of paper and write down ten goals that you would like to achieve in the area of personal and professional development in the months and years ahead. Write in the present tense, exactly as if you were already the person you intend to be.

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Set specific measures for each of your goals. If your goal is to excel in your field, determine how you will know when you have achieved it. Decide how you can measure your progress and evaluate your success.

Perhaps you can use as a measure the number of hours you study in your field each week. Perhaps you can measure the number of books you read or the number of audio programs you listen to. Perhaps you could measure your progress by the number of sales you make as the result of your growing skills.

Develop Winning Personal Growth and Development Habits…

Select the specific habits and behaviors you will need to practice every day to become the person you want to become. These could be the habits of clarity, planning, thoroughness, studiousness, hard work, determination, and persistence.

Action Exercise: Decide today to develop yourself to the point where you can achieve every financial and personal goal you ever set and become everything you are capable of becoming.

Write down your goals and make sure to look at them every day, then ponder ways you possibly achieve these goals.

Brian Tracy is one of the world’s leading authorities on personal and business success. His fast-moving talks and seminars are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that you can apply immediately to get better results in every area. Be sure to visit the Brian Tracy web site.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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UPCOMING EVENTS & CLASSES FOR MEMBERS • March 07, 2018 Commercial Class: Deferring Capital Gains Through 1031 Exchange

• March 13, 2018 Wake Up YPN • March 13, 2018 Code of Ethics Course • March 14, 2018 Contracts Class (Ft. the Residential Purchase Agreement) • March 15, 2018 Lunch & Learn: Facebook Advertising • March 26, 2018 REALTOR® Property Resource Class

• April 10, 2018 Wake Up YPN • April 11, 2018 Commercial Class: Effective Commercial Purchase Agreement • April 19, 2018 YPN Mixer @ Royce’s Arcade Warehouse • April 25, 2018 MLS Rules Class “How to Avoid Paying Assessments” • April 26-27, 2018 Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) Designation Course

Visit www.SRAR.com for more information on all events and classes!

Save The Date!! Monday May 7, 2018 Woodland Hills Country Club

2018 ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC $150 Per Person or $50 for Awards Dinner Only

Benefiting Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission & Bridge To Home Sign up on www.SRAR.com or call Yvonne Cuevas at 818-947-2298

EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE

Nomination Form Nominate a fellow REALTORÂŽ to be featured in one of our feature stories; on the cover as Executive Agent of the Month, or as a special feature story. All candidates must be nominated by a real estate professional. The selection process includes a questionnaire, personal interview, reference check and final approval by the Advisory Council. Candidates are evaluated based upon professionalism, length of service and uniqueness of story, as well as industry and community involvement.

I Nominate: Name_______________________________ Company___________________________ Address____________________________ _____________________________________ City, State, Zip_____________________ _____________________________________ Phone______________________________ Email_______________________________ Submitted By: Fax/Email nomination to: Executive Agent Magazine PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Fax: 949.266.8757 Email: Info@eamag.net Tel: 949.297.8323

Name_______________________________ Company___________________________ Phone______________________________ Email_______________________________

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Cover Story

Executive Agent of the Month

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NEAL WEICHEL S A N TA C L A R I TA R E A L E S TAT E Written by Haley Freeman - Photography by Ian Wiant

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was always a hard worker and self-disciplined, and with a young family at home, I was highly motivated. I wanted to build something, and I liked the idea of controlling my own destiny.”

After graduating from UCLA, Neal went on to a successful first career in corporate sales. He says that if someone had suggested to him early on that he would someday be a Realtor®, he never would have believed it.

But he was introduced to the industry through a friend, and after testing it out part time while maintaining his corporate day job, he quickly found that he had both a knack and a passion for it. “I’ve learned that it’s such a tremendous business if you’re willing to commit,” Neal says. “But it’s not a forgiving business. The failure rate is so high. You have to be willing to be better than your competition. I

Neal’s first full year in real estate was 1992, and in spite of that era’s distressed market, he became the number one agent in the company. He faithfully door-knocked and held open houses, and he dedicated himself to learning the ins and outs of expired listings, short sales and foreclosures. In 1994, he joined RE/MAX, where he recently celebrated his 25th year. He has been honored with virtually every accolade bestowed by the organization, including the prestigious Luminary of Distinction award, which recognizes those agents who have earned $20 million in 20 years. “I think that’s the one that really means something to me, because it shows consistency. Agents have a tendency to jump around in this business, always looking for what’s in it for them, instead of what’s best for their clients. RE/MAX has always provided the stability and resources I need to deliver the best possible service and continue building strong relationships.

Everything is about having a happy client.”

f you ask award-winning Realtor® Neal Weichel for the secret behind his 25-plus years of success in real estate, he’ll tell you that it all boils down to one simple thing: putting clients first. During nearly three decades, and with 4,000 closed transactions in his home community of Santa Clarita, Neal has earned his reputation for professional service and fair dealing. He and his carefully selected team of real estate professionals are galvanized to consistently deliver a service experience that surpasses expectations.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Neal has done a phenomenal number of transactions in his career, mostly as a solo agent. His biggest year was 2003, when he and his small team of four were recognized as one of the nation’s top 10 at RE/MAX, with 222 closed transactions. “We went to the awards ceremony in San Diego and got to meet the other nine from all over the country. The next smallest team had 12 people. I’ve seen a trend in the industry to build large teams, but that’s never

been my thing. Agents hide behind their teams’ numbers and totally lose touch with the clients who are coming to their brand. I have two buyers agents who work with me who are both excellent, Jenn Wilder and Lauren Kobe.

They also bring in their own listings, and I don’t count that in my numbers, only the buyers. My time is primarily spent with sellers, but I know who our buyers are, and I’m involved when I need to be.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Putting Clients First Neal also stresses that he strictly limits dual agency to ensure the integrity of a transaction on both sides. “Those situations do arise, but I generally represent the seller and have the buyer represented by one of my buyer’s agents.

Having a skilled and dedicated support staff guarantees every client white glove service. Listing Coordinator/ Marketing Director Chad Hartman and Escrow Coordinator/Office Manager Lindsay Gonyea are both experienced, licensed agents and work diligently to provide responsive service and ensure that all transactions close seamlessly.

Neal comments, “I’m fanatical about making sure our customers are responded to quickly and they are happy.

My staff has the freedom to make decisions and move quickly to satisfy our clients’ needs.”

Early in his career, Neal joined with several of the area’s top agents from other companies to form a special networking group. They continue to meet every Tuesday to share off-market and pre-market listings, as well as their

queue of qualified buyers. “All of us are working together to get homes sold,” he explains. “We share a lot of confidential information in that group, because we have built trust and camaraderie over the years. We all come with a printout of our listings coming up and our buyers who are ready to buy, and see if we can match the right buyers and sellers. In this market with such tight inventory, it’s a huge benefit to buyers.”

Neal and his team enjoy well over 100 raving, five-star client reviews. They sum up well what happens when an agent truly puts clients first: “We have worked with other agents in the past. This was our first experience with Neal Weichel and his team. Neal is in a class of his own. The whole process of selling our home and buying a new one was flawless from beginning to end.

We are so impressed by his knowledge of the Santa Clarita market, honest and straightforward dealings, and above all, his work ethic.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

“Neal Weichel is the top in his field because he knows what he’s doing and gets results. We were extremely impressed with his responsiveness, history with local home sales, neighborhood market knowledge and connections with local companies, and network with top Realtors®.”

At a time when technology is changing the way real estate services are delivered to consumers, Neal leverages the benefits, while never compromising the quality and value of his representation. “Technology allows me to put reviews online so the public can see who we are, to send and DocuSign documents wherever our clients happen to be, and to communicate constantly with clients, but a computer will never replace my product knowledge or my ability to negotiate and ask questions of people. A computer can’t value a home and understand the nuances of the market the way I do. All I do is ask questions all day

long. I always joke that I’m the highest-paid listener in the marketplace.”

This husband and father of three will continue serving families in the community where he has built his own home, with a goal of always putting the interests of others ahead of his own. “The market I work in I like to describe as a big small town. It’s only 260,000 people, and there is only about one degree of separation. That means your reputation in this valley is earned, good or bad. I think you can never go wrong if you do the right thing - if you really care about people and have a desire to be better than other agents in the market. I’ve always been committed to that, but you have to be constantly working on it. We do the work, and we don’t compromise the client.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

NEAL WEICHEL RE/MAX of Valencia 25101 The Old Rd. Santa Clarita, CA 91381 Tel: 661.284.5080 Email: Neal@NealWeichel.com Web: www.NealWeichel.com CalBRE # 01107376 ExecutiveAgent Magazine

The Great Challenge of

LIFE

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ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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ere’s the great challenge of life – You can have more than you’ve got because you can become more than you are.

I have found that income seldom will exceed your own personal development. Once in a while income takes a lucky jump, but unless you grow out to where it is it will go back to where you are.

Somebody once said if you took all the money in the world and divided it among everyone equally, it would soon be back in the same pockets. However, you can have more because you can become more.

You see, here is how the other side of the coin reads – unless you change how you are, you will always have what you’ve got. The marketing plan won’t do it. It’s a good plan but it won’t work without you. You’ve got to work it. It is the human effort that counts. If you could send a sales manual out to recruit – wouldn’t that be lovely? The major thing that makes the difference is what YOU do.

guy says “If I had a good job I would really pour it on, but I have this lousy job so I just goof off.” If that is your philosophy you are destined to stay there. Some people say if I had a lot of money I would be really generous, but I don’t have much so I’m not generous.

See, you’ve got to change that philosophy or you will never have “the lots of money”. Unless YOU change, IT won’t change. Amazingly, however, when we throw out our blame list and start becoming more ourselves – the difference is everything else will begin to change around us.

Jim Rohn knows the secrets of success - in business and in life. He has devoted his life to a study of the fundamentals of human behavior and personal motivation that affect professional performance. He can awaken the unlimited power of achievement within you! Reproduced with permission from the Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine. Copyright© 2006, Jim Rohn. All right reserved. For information about Jim’s keynote presentations and seminars, contact the FrogPond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@ FrogPond.com, http://FrogPond.com.

In order to have more, you need to become more. The

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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The Number One Ingredient For Great Success: Commitment

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ExecutiveAgent Magazine

“Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality” — Abraham Lincoln

T

here is a ton of advice out there on how to achieve success, but little is said about the great impact commitment will make on your life. It’s the number one thing you must get down before doing anything else, without commitment your odds on success will decrease drastically.

Being passionate isn’t enough Bill Gates has a great passion for computers and software.

Michael Jordan is extremely passionate about basketball.

Stephen King’s passion is writing.

But did these guys achieve great success with nothing else than passion? Being successful takes hard work, discipline, passion AND most importantly, commitment. You may truly love what you do but there will be a time when you’ll have to work on other tasks which you hate.

And that’s where most people give up. They feel like they’ve lost passion for what they’re doing and decide to quit. The passion’s probably still there, they just can’t seem to get around the tasks that are unpleasant but indispensable to the success of their business or career.

Truly committing to something means going all the way and doing whatever it takes. You may be working as a bartender and hate your job but if you’re one hundred percent committed to saving up enough money in order to open your own business, you will get there in spite of the long and unpleasant hours.

Being passionate about what you do is great and I highly recommend not doing anything else. In order to greatly improve your chances on success however, you should create a plan, envision your goal and commit to it no matter what.

Experts are born from commitment I’m knowledgeable in computer programming, sales, graphic designing, photography and psychology. The

problem is that I didn’t get past the “amateur level” in any of these. Why? Because of my lack of commitment.

Whenever I had to work on stuff I disliked, I discovered something new that I was interested in and started all over again.

Had I stuck to computer programming from the very beginning I would probably be able to make a pretty decent living at it. Finally I made a stop at freelance writing.

Because there’s nothing about it that I don’t like and nothing else interests me? Hell no. I hate it when I have to get an article or blog post written but I just stare at a blank screen and the words won’t come to my mind.

Every time I feel overwhelmed or start doubting myself, I remember that I made a commitment and that the only way to get to the top is by sticking to it. The best part is that after a while it doesn’t only start to pay off financial-wise, it’s a huge confidence boost too. I’m no expert yet but month after month I see improvement in my writing and there’s no stopping in sight.

Commitment is the one and only thing that will make you an expert over time. It’s pretty simple: The more you do something, the better you get at it.

Every successful person committed to something Try and think of one successful person who didn’t commit to something. It’s practically impossible.

Commitment is one of the things all successful people have in common, no matter if you’re talking about Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, J.K. Rowling or Richard Branson.

All of them committed to something, became experts in their field and achieved great success.

Patrick Pechmann is a freelance writer and the owner of patrickpechmann.com, where he writes about dating, relationship and self improvement. Writing, entrepreneurship and discovering the path to success is what gets him excited.

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Written by Haley Freeman

Erin McKeon

I

n his book, “The Alchemist,” author Paulo Coelho wrote, “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” Inspired by that statement, Realtor® Erin McKeon takes it a step further.

She says, “I also love the quote, ‘The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately.’ For me, it’s about con-

stantly working toward something bigger. I believe so much in life is about mindset and surrounding yourself with positive people. It’s so important to me to work hard and create a successful business. I’m goal-oriented and constantly have them in front of me. I want to feel excited and challenged by what I’m doing every day.”

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A Purveyor of Possibilities A Southern California native, Erin is a lifelong competitive springboard and platform diver who was recruited to the Division 1 diving team at USC. Her athletic experience provided invaluable training for her future as a real estate entrepreneur. “I’ve had coaches my whole life, and it helped me develop the discipline necessary for this type of career. I love working with Keller Williams, where I can have my own company within this organization.”

Erin’s mother, Cheryll, is a California Realtor® who has made the McKeon name synonymous with real estate excellence in Orange County. Erin obtained her real estate license out of college and entered the family business, and then chose to step away during the recession. After working as a senior manager tasked with opening new retail locations for luxury brands like Christian Dior and Salvatore Ferragamo, Erin returned to real estate feeling better equipped to deliver exceptional service to buyers and sellers of real estate.

“Stepping away for a few years was probably one of the best things I’ve done for myself. I’ve been in coaching with the Mike Ferry Organization for years, and I was able to take everything he taught me and apply it to business outside of real estate. Then when I came back, I had learned what I needed to have the career I wanted. I came back with more confidence and a broader perspective on life and business.”

Today, Erin is continuing the legacy begun by her mother and adding her own accent under the banner of McKeon Homes. Together with her assistant and transaction coordinator, she is on a mission to provide unparalleled client service.

While Erin is a self-motivated and competitive individual by nature, she is also compassionate and caring toward the people she represents in a real estate transaction. She puts the best interests of her clients first and acts decisively to reduce worries and move them through a seamless closing.

“We are really proud of our transparency in the way we work. We never try to push someone to buy or sell a home.

We also realize that a home is a big financial commitment no matter how much money you have. It’s naturally a stressor for anybody. We mitigate stress by being in constant communication. Our job is to educate and walk people through it, whether this is their first home or their tenth home. We also offer a concierge service of lenders, escrow and title companies, in addition to a wide list

of vendors who we trust to help our clients through the process. We want our clients to feel supported from all angles.”

A recent buyer described her experience this way: “Erin was such a pleasure to work with! She went above and beyond and worked tirelessly to help us find the right house! Being first-time buyers, we had no idea what we were getting into, but thankfully, Erin held our hands throughout the entire process. Its always such a joy to work with a great team of people who are extremely passionate about their jobs. It makes difficult tasks such as buying a home so much more enjoyable. Thank you again Erin and to the rest of the McKeon team for all the hours you put in and helping us get our dream home!”

A polished professional who is committed to constant self-improvement, Erin makes it a point to surround herself with the best in the business and continue mastering her craft. She certainly has the hustle, starting each day at 4:15 a.m. to get to the gym and make it to the office by 8:00 a.m. She is enthusiastic about expanding her business and building a team of quality agents who share her vision of uncompromising client service.

“I believe that everything in my adult career has led to where I am supposed to be. All of those experiences have led me to where I am now. I’m so excited to help people through this process, whether they are buying or selling a home. I take great pride in what I do, and I do this because I love it.”

Erin McKeon Keller Williams Realty 800 Newport Center Drive, Suite 150 Newport Beach, CA 92660 Tel: 949-842-7032 Email: erin@mckeonhomes.com Web: www.mckeonhomes.com CalBRE # 01464144

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Achievement in Steps?

S

ince this is a time of adjustment for me and a time for me to renew my dreams of what I want to accomplish in life and business, I want to share a few thoughts on achieving your dreams.

It is never too late to dream or renew your dream for a better life. The real question though, is how do we achieve a dream? Well, here are some thoughts that will help you answer that question!

Can achievement be broken down into steps? Well, it isn’t always that clean and easy, but I do know that those who achieve great things usually go through much of the same process, with many of the steps listed below as part of that process.

So if you have been struggling with achieving your dreams, look through the following, and internalize the thoughts presented. Then begin to apply them. If you do that, you will be on the road to achieving your dream!

1. Dream it – Everything begins in the heart and mind.

Every great achievement began in the mind of one person.

They dared to dream, to believe that it was possible. Take some time to allow yourself to ask “What if?” Think big.

Don’t let negative thinking discourage you. You want to be a “dreamer.”

Dream of the possibilities for yourself, your family, and 30

for others. If you had a dream that you let grow cold, reignite the dream! Fan the flames. Life is too short to let it go.

2. Believe it – Yes, your dream needs to be big. It needs to be something that is seemingly beyond your capabilities.

But it also must be believable. You must be able to say that if certain things take place, if others help, if you work hard enough, though it is a big dream, it can still be done.

Good example: A person with no college education can dream that he will build a 50 million-dollar a year company. That is big, but believable. Bad example: That a 90 year-old woman with arthritis will someday run a marathon in under 3 hours. It is big alright, but also impossible. Your dream must be believable.

3. See it – The great achievers have a habit. They “see” things. They picture themselves walking around their CEO office in their new 25 million-dollar corporate headquarters, even while they are sitting on a folding chair in their garage “headquarters.”

Great free-throw shooters in the NBA picture the ball going through the basket. PGA golfers picture the ball going straight down the fairway. World-class speakers picture themselves speaking with energy and emotion. All of this grooms the mind to control the body to carry out the dream. You have to see it in your mind before you can see it in reality.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Written By Chris Widener

4. Tell it – One reason many dreams never go anywhere is because the dreamer keeps it all to himself. It is a quiet dream that only lives inside of his mind. The one who wants to achieve their dream must tell that dream to many people.

5. Plan it – Every dream must take the form of a plan.

The old saying that you “get what you plan for” is so true.

Your dream won’t just happen. You need to sit down, on a regular basis, and plan out your strategy for achieving the dream.

Think through all of the details. Break the whole plan down into small, workable parts. Then set a time frame for accomplishing each task on your “dream plan.”

6. Work it – Boy, wouldn’t life be grand if we could quit before this one! Unfortunately for the lazy folks, the successful are usually the hardest workers. While the rest of the world is sitting on their couch watching re-runs of their favorite television shows, achievers are working on their goal – achieving their dream.

7. Enjoy it – When you have reached your goal and you are living your dream, be sure to enjoy it. In fact, enjoy the trip too. Give yourself some rewards along the way.

Give yourself a huge reward when you get there. Help others enjoy it. Be gracious and generous. Use your dream to better others.

When you have become successful and achieved your dreams circle around and go back to number one. And dream a little bigger this time!

Chris Widener is the President of Made For Success. He teaches leaders how to become Extraordinary Leaders.

Chris’ speaking and consulting services have challenged the best to become optimists, to pursue excellence relentlessly, and to dream big dreams. Copyright© 2001, Chris Widener. All rights reserved. For information about Chris’ speaking and consulting services, please contact the Frog Pond Group at 800-704-FROG (3764) or email Susie@frogpondgroup.com; http://www.frogpondgroup. com.

I have an equation that I work with: Your short-term tasks, multiplied by time, equal your long-term accomplishments. If you work on it each day, eventually you will achieve your dream. War and Peace was written, in longhand, page by page.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

31

Potentialize Your Opportunities

32

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

I

remember watching the movie “Dead Poet’s Society” when it was first released in the theatres. Robin Williams’s character is a professor who wants his students to think for themselves, so he makes them stand on top of their desks to view things in a different way. That really stuck with me.

When you think about it, people hardly ever look at the world through their own eyes. They get their information filtered through the eyes of others, whether they’re the eyes of the media, politicians, friends or family. But what looks like one thing to someone may look totally different to someone else. To really see what’s going on in the world, to see what opportunities exist for us, we have to see the world through our own eyes in our own way. We all need to recognize and potentialize opportunities when we see them.

What do I mean by potentialize? When something has potential it has power, it expresses possibility, it is influential and effective. As we go through each day we should be on the lookout for any situation that expresses possibility. Any situation.

To attain the success you desire you have to recognize possibility everywhere and then stretch and flex your mind to create million-dollar ideas. And you’re not limited to just one. The more you practice seeing the possible in daily life, the better you will become.

Then you take those small possibilities and potentialize them and create great monetary abundance.

We all have the ability to potentialize opportunities and create phenomenal wealth. And the amazing thing is that there are multiple possibilities for potentalizing in every situation! Just because someone comes up with a new way to do something doesn’t mean that there isn’t yet another way to do it.

We have each been blessed with individual characteristics and abilities that no one else has. We each have our own special way of doing things. And that means we each have the ability to potentialize in our own unique way. ‘Be grateful for your problems, for they stimulate an ‘I-can-solve-it’ new attitude.’ Mark Victor Hansen Written by Mark Victor Hansen - Co-author of the wildly successful Chicken Soup For The Soul series of books, as well as many others. For over 26 years, Mark Victor Hansen has focused solely on helping people in all walks of life reshape their personal vision of what’s possible for themselves. Learn more about his best selling program, Rip-Roaring Wealth.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

33

Our bone marrow transplant reunion is now standing room only.

Each year, City of Hope invites bone marrow transplant recipients and their families to attend the “Celebration of Life” event. It’s a joyous time during which survivors of blood cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma embrace their health, their life and each other. It began more than 35 years ago when City of Hope created what is now one of the largest and most successful bone marrow transplant programs in the world. In fact, we’ve completed over 11,000 transplants and, according to national reports, our outcomes are among the best in the nation. The goal of curing cancer isn’t just something we work at. It’s what we live for.

If you have cancer, make us your first call. Or ask your doctor for a referral. We accept most insurance.

800-826-HOPE

COH-0726_BMT_Hem_fp_4c_ExecAgt.indd 1

WE LIVE TO CURE CANCER. Science saving lives. cityofhope.org/bmt

11/25/13 6:02 PM

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Buyers that used our Collections tool loved the interface and say it kept them focused by collating their searches and organizing them into one shared location with real time parity with the MLS data.�

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compass.com Compass is a licensed real estate broker (01991628) in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only.

Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. To reach the Compass Malibu office call 310.230.5744