EXECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE- LOS ANGELES/SAN GABRIEL- MAY 2020

EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE

TM

Marlene DaMian-Pascual Finance of America Mortgage

Tamara & Chris Beach Real Estate Group

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

--

-

--

--

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

- -

-

-

-

--

-

--

--

-

-

-

- -

--

- -

--

-

-

--

-

-

-

--

--

-

EXECUTIVE AGENTS OF THE MONTH

The Helou Team Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

22

17

Inside Features

06

4

10

Marlene Damian-Pascual

Tamara Suminski & Chris Duff

Finance of America Mortgage

Beach Real Estate Group ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Los Angeles/San Gabriel - May, 2020

Editorials

E XECUTIVE AGENT

TM

MAGAZINE

The Magic of Positive Thinking -John Boe

30

Fred Arrias Executive Publisher PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Ph: (949) 297-8323 Fax: (949) 266-8757 Fred@ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com www.ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Pit-Stop Of Success: The MidYear Review -Bob Corcoran

City of Hope..........................................................34 DAOR.......................................................................28

08

Finance of America Mortgage.........................2 & 25 Kinecta Federal Credit Union................................15 iPhotography Studio...............................................23

Nothing is Random -Mark Helprin

NAHREP...........................................................................36 SRAR.................................................................................14

32

The Termite Guy......................................................3 VAREP.....................................................................29

Dreamers -Chip Lowell

26

Photography: iPhotography Studio, Michelle Fairless Photography, 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 Craig Harrison, Simma Lieberman, Chris Widener © Copyright 2020 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.

7 Steps to Discovering Your Passion -Julie Jordan Scott

12 ExecutiveAgent Magazine

5

E XECUTIVE AGENT

TM

MAGAZINE

Marlene Damian-Pascual Mortgage Advisor Written by H. K. Wilson

M

eet Marlene Damian-Pascual, Mortgage Advisor at Finance of America Mortgage in City of Industry. Marlene’s comprehensive experience in the housing market spans both new home sales and mortgage lending. Over the past decade, she has worked with some of the industry’s largest financial institutions, and she has become a specialist in down payment assistance programs.

Marlene says she is delighted to be working at Finance of America Mortgage, where she has many resources to help her clients become homeowners.

“All of the products and support we offer for down payment assistance is really wonderful. My manager, Gabriel Garza, is looking in the same direction of how to help people with these programs.”

According to Marlene, the extra paperwork and additional work hours that such programs require are well worth the effort. “You have to have a passion and dedication to do these types of loans. It’s not for the money; it’s for the dreams you’re giving to the families. That’s what gives me the energy to do this.”

Known as someone who is upbeat, knowledgeable and always ready to help, Marlene says everyone on her team is equally committed to helping families become homeowners. “Our branch is like a family. If you have a question about something, all you have to do is shoot an email to everyone, and they will give you their input. Everybody works together — we’re all here to help.”

Real estate partners love the reliable client care and quick turn times that Marlene and her team provide. “My Realtors® are so amazed at how fast we can give a pre-approval letter. They know if they just give me the phone number or email of a buyer, they can be confident that I’ll take care of everything and make sure we close on time. Even sometimes the

listing agent is amazed at how fast we close, and the seller is not even ready.”

Marlene takes a personal approach to client service, and she says that her borrowers quickly become friends. It is her routine to connect with them on Facebook right away, which allows her to remain connected during the transaction and long after the loan closes. In January 2020, Marlene was traveling in the Philippines when she received a call from her office informing her that her clients’ signatures were urgently needed in order for their loan to fund on time. Through her connection on Facebook, she learned that her clients were also on vacation — in the Philippines! She drove 20 miles to meet them at a Starbucks at 2:00 a.m. to obtain their signatures.

That’s how far Marlene is willing to go to make sure her clients’ loans close without delay. It is no surprise that the clients have since sent her several referrals.

Making Home Buying a Rewarding Experience ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Marlene’s borrowers consistently refer her to friends and family and give her five-star service reviews.

Here is what people are saying:

rewarding for people. I’m here to help and make sure it’s an exciting part of life.”

“Marlene was incredibly helpful throughout the entire process. She was quick to answer any questions I had and worked hard to meet my short escrow.”

“The whole process of refinancing was smooth and fast. We closed before the date I expected. Thank you so much, Marlene, for all the help! Job well done!”

“Marlene has gone above and beyond so many times for us I have lost count. My wife and I have spent over a year searching and offering on houses, and the entire time Marlene was there to answer our questions and help us get our paperwork submitted very quickly. She is highly knowledgeable and very helpful whenever we needed it the most. Hats off to Marlene!”

Marlene still has a passion for working with new homebuilders- and their buyers. She is a preferred lender for California builder Abell Helou Homes, the same builder for whom she used to sell homes. “It’s a family company, and they are very nice people. From the time they break ground, I’m already there and can help people use down payment assistance programs to buy a new tract home.” When Marlene transitioned from selling homes to financing them, she says it was because she realized that “the life of the transaction is through the financing. It’s the part where you can get closer to the buyer,- and at -the end, they become like your extended family.”

-

-

-

-

Marlene Damian-Pascual Mortgage Advisor Finance of America Mortgage - 13200 Crossroads Parkway North City of Industry, CA 91746 Tel: 626-536-1195 Email: marlene.damian@financeofamerica.com Web: www.foamortgage.com/loan-officer/marlenedamian-pascual-484173 NMLS # 484173 -

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

For Marlene, being a mortgage advisor is all about forming lifelong relationships and making people’s dreams come true. “I want the experience of buying a house to be educational and

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

-

-

-

-

Pit-Stop Of Success: The Mid-Year Review

I

know you Realtors® do a lot of driving so here’s a driver’s ed question for you: When you’re driving, how often should you check your rear-view mirror?

A. Once every three minutes. B. Once every five to seven seconds. C. Once every 10 minutes. D. Never.

You should always watch the road in front of you.

If you said B, congratulations. Now, how often should you check how you’re doing on the road of real estate -- your business plan?

If you just said, ‘What plan?’ keep reading. You have some work to do.

Believe it or not, 2020 is almost half over. This halfway mark is a great time to stop and check how you’re doing in your business. Stop and take a look in the proverbial real estate rearview mirror. After all, if you don’t know how far you’ve come, you don’t know how much farther you have to go.

Think of it as a strategic pit stop. And these pit stops are just as important as your end-of-the-year assessments. Why? Because if you’re veering off track, it’s best to catch it early before you hit a tree or something worse.

8

But what do you do in a mid-year pit stop? I’ve shared a few tips that might help you make sure you’re still on the road to success for 2020.

1. Check your sales numbers. How are your sales figures looking compared to last year at this time? If they’re less, identify what’s happening to cause that trend. I have a sales tracker I like to use with my clients. Shoot me an e-mail at Article@ CorcoranCoaching.com and I’ll send it to you free of charge.

2. Review your profit and loss statements. The profit and loss statement can be a valuable planning and a management tool because it can help you estimate expected monthly and yearly income (based on reasonable predictions of monthly sales, costs, and expenses). Record your estimates on one copy of the profit and loss statement. As actual numbers come in, record them on a second copy of the statement. Then compare the two pages to find discrepancies between the estimated and actual figures and correct problems as needed. I typically ask clients to send us their profit and loss statements every month because they are such a good management device.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

3. Track where your business is coming from.

Take a few minutes to jot down exactly what parts of your marketing plan are working and which are not.

Don’t hesitate to shift funds from a mediocre medium to one that’s working better for you.

4. Commit to be more focused on dollar-productive activities. If you’re not making headway toward your goals, look at how much of your day is spent on what I call the four dollar-productive activities: listing, selling, negotiating and prospecting. If you’re spending time outside of these four tasks, you may not reach your 2017 goals. Adjust your schedule and get help so that you can concentrate on these items.

Don’t rule out getting an assistant. It doesn’t have to be a huge expense. Hire a part-time assistant just to give it a test run. You might find, like many of my clients, that you’ll soon want a full-time assistant.

Let me hear from you. Have you spent time with this question of what is success to you? Do you have a clear definition of success that feels right to you? Do you feel you’re making progress toward that definition? Please send any comments or questions you have to Article@CorcoranCoaching.com or http:// www.facebook.com/CorcoranCoaching.

Bob Corcoran is a nationally recognized speaker who is founder and president of Corcoran Consulting Inc. (CorcoranCoaching.com), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into the broker’s or agent’s existing practice. © 2011, Bob Corcoran. All rights reserved. For more information about this article or author, contact Susie@FrogPond.com. For the most current local Housing Trends, go to http://www.

HousingTrendseNewsletter.com.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

9

E XECUTIVE AGENT

TM

MAGAZINE

Tamara Suminski & Chris Duff

Written by H. K. Wilson

W

hen Broker-Owners Tamara Suminski and Chris Duff decided to open the doors on Beach Real Estate Group in Manhattan Beach, they had a vision: to deliver an exceptional real estate experience seasoned with authenticity, integrity, innovation and happiness.

That’s a big dream, but in just over a year, this dynamic real estate duo has succeeded at bringing their dream to life. With a business driven almost exclusively by referral, Tamara says the explanation for their success is simple: “We’re about people and relationships. We believe that part of our value proposition is our ability to better understand our clients and serve them in the best possible way. We represent anyone who needs real estate help and can benefit from our resources. Our commitment is the same whether someone is buying a $300,000 condo or a multi-million-dollar home.”

According to Tamara, the company is “small and mighty,” committed to slow and deliberate growth driven by select agents that fit the company’s core values. “Our image is of each agent collectively providing the best customer experience possible.”

Tamara is a third-generation Realtor® who enjoyed a successful first career in the hotel industry. She holds an MBA from Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business. Since real estate investment was always a topic of conversation around the family dinner table, she says it was inevitable that she would eventually join the profession. When she finally did turn her attention to real estate in 2004, she immediately fell in love with professional development and education. “I’ve always been a trainer and interested in knowing more about any career I’m in.

I immediately enrolled in professional development and certification training my first year.”

After a disadvantaged childhood, Chris made his way from Ohio to Texas on a Greyhound bus. Like Tamara, he obtained his real estate license in 2004, and he started his career in farm and ranch sales. From humble beginnings, Chris succeeded rapidly, applying his extraordinary work ethic and gift for connecting with people. He soon took over a large franchise real estate office in Corpus Christi. Chris brings his years of transactional and management experience to his partnership with Tamara, and together, they are raising the bar on California real estate.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

South Bay Real Estate RE-Imagined With a focus on LA County, and in particular, the South Bay, Long Beach and LA’s Westside, Tamara and Chris believe it’s important to be knowledgeable in the areas where they perform their work. “If we don’t feel we fit the need of a client, we refer the business to someone we trust,” Chris says. Although their practice is local, their reach is global, since Beach Real Estate Group is equipped with the same digital resources as any large brand. Its listings are syndicated on all of the top industry platforms, including Realtor.com, Trulia and Zillow.

The pair also owns a real estate school called Innovate Success Strategies. Its purpose is to “instruct, motivate and inspire real estate practitioners to transform their business through innovation.” Tamara and Chris travel together throughout the country to consult with agents, brokerages and associations, and provide leadership, designation and certification training. Recently, they launched a new Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) course for the National Association of Realtors®.

With their complementary skills and shared values, Tamara and Chris are a powerful force. Chris describes Tamara as a creative, solution-oriented professional and energetic trainer. “She brings a high energy in her speaking that really makes a difference with people. She is so memorable to the client or student.”

“Chris is a great coach and mentor,” Tamara says. “He’s also a stabilizer and analytic who holds us accountable.

He’s much better at running the financial side of our business than I am.”

Tamara and Chris share the belief that home ownership offers stability to families, and they donate substantial time to advocacy for private property rights. Tamara says, “When you hear the story of Chris’s upbringing and how he eventually got into real estate and became a very successful broker, it shows why home ownership is so important.”

“For me, it’s the reason I love what I get to do,” Chris says. “I get to put people in homes hopefully for the rest of their lives — a place of security and comfort where they can have conversations around the dinner table with the people they love. That’s what a home is. It’s not just an investment. It’s a place to share love with a family and all the people you love spending time with. When we get to make that magic happen for our clients, for me, it goes a long way. It’s important for us not only as Realtors®, but as homeowners ourselves, to go to battle for everyone to be able to get a piece of that American Dream called home ownership.”

Tamara and Chris met in real estate, and they are engaged to be married this year. Looking to the future, they are excited about furthering their distinctive real estate presence in the South Bay and making many dreams of home ownership come true.

Tamara Suminski & Chris Duff Beach Real Estate Group 2315 N. Sepulveda Blvd.

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 Tel: Tamara (310) 514.6081 Tel: Chris (361) 877.0529 Email: tamara@beachregroup.com Email: chris@beachregroup.com Web: www.beachrealestategroup.com DRE # 01472334 / 02063976

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

7 Steps to Discovering Your Passion

E

ven before the first tip, you simply must get out a notebook, journal, piece of paper, napkin...

SOMETHING to write on to save your discoveries! These tips will only help if you pursue them, so please either take a moment to find writing tools NOW or print this out and promise yourself to complete this exercise later. It may take you some thinking time to get it done... and now... here are your tips...

or your SPOUSE wants or your third cousin twice removed, but what do YOU want your headstone to say?)

1. Find Your Joy Factor Look at the whole of your life history. When did you experience the most sustained period of Joy? What were you doing then?

Where were you? Who were you with? How did it feel?

6. How does your Joy factor overlap with your favorite things and the areas in which you excel?

Do the areas in which you excel bring YOU joy, or are they really for someone else.....do you see which are obvious matches, and which do not fit? Those that overlap, that bring YOU the most Joy, are most likely the things that would bring you into Passionate Living.

2. What Are Your 3 Most Favorite things to do?

If you had a free day with NO commitments, where would you be found? What would you be doing with whom?

3. In what area do you excel? (NO MODESTY ALLOWED HERE!)Truly, what are you complimented on a lot? This could be ANYTHING. 4. What do you most want to be remembered for? If you were designing your epitaph, what would you want it to say? (NOT what your Mom wants, 12

5. If you had a magic wand, what would you change about your life TODAY? How would it look compared to how it looks now? Which aspects of your life ARE changeable, both short term and long term?

7. What is the first even teeny tiny step you can take to living out your Passion as you have defined in #6? Take some time to really think this one through... concentrate and focus, and then you will be able to start the next step... BUILDING YOUR ROADMAP.

By Julie Jordan Scott

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

13

SRAR SPRING INTO GIVING

FOOD DRIVE REALTORS® are on a mission to collect as much food as we possibly can for MEND Food Bank! Help us reach our goal and donate your non-perishable items today!

Accepting Donations until April 10, 2020 Contact Info: Email Theresa at TheresaG@srar.com

SOUTHLAND REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® “The Voice of Real Estate in the San Fernando & Santa Clarita Valley” Your REALTOR® Association Bringing Benefits & Services to Members. www.SRAR.com | 7232 Balboa Blvd. Lake Balboa, CA, 91406 | 818-786-2110

banking done different

Construction-toPermanent: An “All-in-One” Loan Kinecta offers Construction-toPermanent loans, which fund a variety of construction scenarios, then convert into the home’s mortgage.

Benefits include: • Lending based off the future value of your home post-construction – determined by one full appraisal • Loans up to $4 million

• Full program selection, including fixed and ARMs • California-based lender with portfolio underwriting

Contact our construction-to-permanent experts today.

Tayt Ianni Sr. Mortgage Loan Consultant cell: 949.689.8639 | efax: 310.727.9119 NMLS# 310914 | tayt.ianni@kinecta.org kinecta.org/tianni

Joe McGreevy Mortgage Loan Consultant cell: 714.396.1619 | efax: 310.536.3621 NMLS# 66072 | joe.mcgreevy@kinecta.org kinecta.org/jmcgreevy

Brad Martin Construction Lending Manager cell: 949.293.1900 | efax: 310.536.3622 NMLS# 260513 | Bradley.Martin@kinecta.org kinecta.org/bmartin

kinecta.org/construction-to-perm Membership requirements apply. NMLS (Nationwide Mortgage Lending Service) ID: 407870. Subject to credit and property approval. Rates, program terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. Not all products are available in all states and for all loan amounts. Other restrictions and limitations may apply. The actual terms of the loan will depend upon the specific characteristics of the loan transaction, the applicant’s credit history, and other financial circumstances that may apply.

23761-07/19

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: Fred@ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com Tel: 949.297.8323

Name_______________________________ Company___________________________ Phone______________________________ Email_______________________________

TM

Cover Story

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Written by H. K. Wilson - Photography by Ian Wiant

T

eam Helou at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Newport Beach is a real estate powerhouse looking out for your family. Gio Helou, along with his mother, Lisa, and sister, Fianna, are crafting a seamless real estate experience for clients that is elevated by a crossgenerational approach and level of care you can only get from family.

Gio majored in theater at Pepperdine University and went on to pursue a career in film. He simultaneously began working side-by-side with Lisa, a preeminent Realtor® in the coastal market with more than 30 years’ experience.

“Our whole family dynamic revolves around real estate,” Gio says. “My dad is also a home builder, so our business is very family-oriented. I was pursuing an acting career in LA, which is really competitive, and my mom and sister suggested that I join them while also pursuing acting. I got my license and took on the client management side of things, since that’s where my strengths have naturally led me to help the team. I really enjoy meeting people and putting myself out there, whether I’m door knocking or meeting with clients. My mom is a really good negotiator and my sister handles the social media and marketing side.

We divide and conquer so everything is done well.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Gio’s creative genius and passion for filmmaking are assets to the team, as he brings each home’s star qualities to life on the screen. A one-of-a-kind home recently inspired a unique marketing approach. “It reminded me of a resort, so I thought it would be ideal to create a short film to highlight the cool characteristics of the house with quick vignettes. I went to the website of a resort I’d recently been to and emulated their vignettes in making

our client’s listing video. I love being able to integrate my passion for film into selling real estate. People buy and sell on emotion — even on highest end. We sold an $18 million property a couple years ago, and they ultimately bought on emotion, even though it was also a logical choice and great investment. People are moved by things they see and hear, and I love film because it has the power to bring out emotions in people.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Family You Can Count On Having lived and worked in the Newport Beach community for years, Team Helou brings a lifetime of connections to every real estate transaction, smoothing the way when challenges arise. Collectively, they possess the expertise to handle the most complex real estate transactions and the discretion to represent the most influential clients.

And while their representation is highly sought after, it is not limited to just the coastal elite. Team Helou remains down-to-earth and eager to help people, regardless of the size of their real estate transaction. “I think our ability to relate to people of multiple generations is one of our greatest strengths in a competitive world. Being a family team, we’re always accessible no matter the hour of the day — even on Christmas morning. We’re always on top of any concern or question. We really try to keep it real. We have fun and make fun of ourselves. We take our work seriously, but we try not to take ourselves too seriously.”

Gio’s comments are echoed by satisfied clients who have

given the team five stars on Zillow. One stated: “My wife and I met the Helou team at an open house in 2016. Since that day, they have represented us in three transactions totaling in several tens of millions of dollars. We don’t trust our business to just anyone. There are lots of real estate teams. But, there are very few that value relationships and trust over dollars. The Helou team has delivered to our expectations without compromise.”

Another shared: “Words cannot express how positive my experience with Team Helou was. As a first-time home buyer with very little knowledge about the home buying process, I needed a lot of guidance. Both Lisa and Gio were patient and extremely knowledgeable. The team responded quickly to texts, phone calls and emails, and thoroughly answered all questions. The team is just unbelievably professional, knowledgeable, thoughtful and kind.

They exceeded all my expectations and made the home buying process smooth and low-stress.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Outside of real estate, Gio is a motorcycle enthusiast, and Triumph is his machine of choice. He is also a movie buff who credits his dad with introducing him to the magic of movies. “As long as I can remember growing up, my dad took me to the movies almost every weekend. I think it’s where my love of film was originally instilled. There’s something about going to movies, having the overpriced popcorn and soda and sitting in a theater that’s less comfortable than your own couch that is very meaningful. I hope it never dies.”

For anyone looking to hire the right real estate representation, Gio says that people can count on him and his family to always be there. “This is our profession, and we’re not going anywhere. That’s why we’re a trusted resource in good times and in bad. We want to be known not only as a reliable source of real estate knowledge, but also as reliable human beings.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

GIO HELOU Team Helou - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage 840 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660 Tel: 310-866-9410 - Email: Gio.Helou@camoves.com Web: www.teamhelou.cbintouch.com - DRE # 02068352

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Now You Can Get Executive Agent Magazine Online!

We’ve Gone Digital So You Have Access To All Executive Agent Has To Offer-On The Go, Anytime, Anywhere

Link directly to Advertisers

Search for Articles

Interact and Connect

Executive Agent Magazine www.ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com 949.366.3349 Info@eamag.net www.ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com 949.297.8323 Fred@ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com

CONTACT TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION! Gabriel Garza Branch Manager NMLS-208008

o: (323) 819-3660 c: (323) 819-3660 f: (844) 803-4246 ggarza@financeofamerica.com foamortgage.com/ggarza ©2019 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 | AZ Mortgage Banker License #0910184 | Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act | Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #15499 | Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee | Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company | Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance | Licensed Mortgage Banker -- NYS Banking Department | Rhode Island Licensed Lender | Massachusetts Lender/Broker License MC1071. 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. This document is provided by Finance of America. Any materials were not provided by HUD or FHA. It has not been approved by FHA or any Government Agency.

Dreamers

26

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

A

re you setting goals that others want you to achieve or are you setting them just for you?

Many times, what we think we want out of life is really what our Mom or Dad told us we should want. Sometimes, it’s looking around at our friends, seeing what they have, and thinking that’s what we should want, too.

When you set a real goal for yourself, make sure the reasons you write down as to why you want to achieve it is powerful enough to make you take action consistently towards it. We have lots and lots of people sign up for our online goal setting software that cancel (yes, they even cancel the free membership) because they feel overwhelmed by action item email. Action Items that users themselves set up to remind them to take action toward a goal. If you look at your to-do list

and feel “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH, too much!”

You might want to revisit your overall goals. If the actual taking action is too stressful, you may not really want to achieve a particular goal or two. Drop anything that seems stressful for now. Set goals that make you feel good! And taking action towards them makes you feel powerful! Then, the goal is really one of your dreams -- and not someone else’s.

Have a great Day! Chip Lowell

By Chip Lowell, creator of MyMotivator helps you achieve your goals with powerful and easy web based Goal Setting software -- Sign up and start taking action today!

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

27

Greater DAOR VIDEO SERVICE

STUDIO RENT VIDEO SERVICE GREEN SCREEN

www.DAOR.COM

CREATE

GREEN ROOM

PRODUCTION

70+ YEARS

HELPING MILITARY & VETERAN

FAMILIES REALIZE THE

AMERICAN DREAM! 2,600 + VETERANS

EDUCATED ABOUT HOMEOWNERSHIP

1,500 + FAMILIES

WHO WE ARE Established in 2011, the USA Homeownership Foundation, Inc. DBA Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP), is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to increasing sustainable homeownership, financial-literacy education, VA loan awareness, and economic opportunity for the active-military and veteran communities.

WERE HELPED THROUGH VAREP CARES

750 VETERANS PLACED IN HOMES THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS

119 HOUSING SUMMITS TO EMPOWER VETERAN HOMEOWNERSHIP

WHO CAN JOIN? Any individual regardless if you have served or not. VAREP and its members represent and work within all sectors of the real estate, housing and financial services industries...

WE WANT YOU!

OUR FIVE POINT PLAN 1. Homeownership Advocacy – Advocate nationally to develop programs that reduce barriers to homeownership in the military and veteran communities.

2. Community Outreach – Foster responsible homeownership in the military and veteran communities by providing housing education and counseling services.

3. Professional Membership – Provide a place where real estate and financial service professionals can share ideas, get educated, and be empowered to better serve the real estate needs of service members, veterans, and their families.

4. Veteran Job Creation – Provide employment opportunities through posting on our military and veteran job board. We are also working on creating awareness among companies to include veteran-owned businesses in their supplier diversity program.

5. Affordable Housing – Provide affordable home buying opportunities for veterans and service members who have gone through VAREP’s homeownership education counseling services.

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

The Magic of Positive Thinking

Y

es, there is magic in positive thinking! In aviation, the word attitude means the angle at which the plane meets the wind, whether the wings are level with the horizon, and whether it is climbing or descending. The pilot who fails to take responsibility for the attitude of his aircraft is in serious trouble. And likewise, any person who has not taken charge of his or her own beliefs and attitudes runs a similar risk.

The key to cultivating and maintaining a positive mental attitude is to take control of your thinking and avoid negative minded people. It’s a challenging task to develop a calm, focused mind, but well worth the effort.

Every setback and failure you experience also comes with a great opportunity. When one door closes, a window of possibility opens. The key is to look for the opportunity and avoid dwelling on failure. Think thoughts of defeat and you are bound to feel defeated. Your attitude is not determined by circumstances, but by how you respond to those circumstances. You determine your attitude; you

30

always have the choice to respond either positively or negatively. What happens to a person is less important than what happens within them. The great inventor, Thomas A. Edison, was known for his positive mental attitude.

In December 1914, the Edison Laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, was almost entirely destroyed by fire. Edison lost $2,000,000 worth of equipment and the records of much of his life’s work. The morning after the fire, as the 67-year-old inventor walked among the ashes, he was anything but defeated. Looking around, he remarked, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” Yes, there is magic in a positive attitude!

John Boe, based in Monterey, CA, is recognized as one of the nation’s top sales trainers and motivational speakers. He helps companies recruit, train, and motivate salespeople to achieve peak performance. John is a leading authority on body language and temperament styles. To view his online Video

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

31

Nothing is Random

32

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

N

othing is random, nor will anything ever be, whether a long string of perfectly blue days that begin and end in golden dimness, the most seemingly chaotic political acts, the rise of a great city, the crystalline structure of a gem that has never seen the light, the distributions of fortune, what time the milkman gets up, the position of the electron, or the occurrence of one astonishingly frigid winter after another.

Even electrons, supposedly the paragons of unpredictability, are tame and obsequious little creatures that rush around at the speed of light, going precisely where they are supposed to go. They make faint whistling sounds that when apprehended in varying combinations are as pleasant as the wind flying through a forest, and they do exactly as they are told.

Of this, one can be certain.

And yet there is a wonderful anarchy, in that the milkman chooses when to arise, the rat picks the tunnel into which he will dive when the subway comes rushing down the track from Borough Hall, and the snowflake will fall as it will. How can this be? If nothing is random, and everything is predetermined, how can there be free will? The answer to that is simple.

Nothing is predetermined; it is determined, or was

determined, or will be determined. No matter, it all happened at once, in less than an instant, and time was invented because we cannot comprehend in one glance the enormous and detailed canvas that we have been given - so we track it, in linear fashion, piece by piece. Time, however, can be easily overcome; not by chasing light, but by standing back far enough to see it all at once.

The universe is still and complete. Everything that ever was, is; everything that ever will be, is - and so on, in all possible combinations. Though in perceiving it we imagine that it is in motion, and unfinished, it is quite finished and quite astonishingly beautiful.

In the end, or rather, as things really are, any event, no matter how small, is intimately and sensibly tied to all others. All rivers run full to the sea; those who are apart are brought together; the lost ones are redeemed; the dead come back to life; the perfectly blue days that have begun and ended in golden dimness continue, immobile and accessible; and, when all is perceived in such a way as to obviate time, justice becomes apparent not as something that will be, but as something that is.

Winter’s Tale

by Mark Helprin

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

EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE

SEARCHING FOR OUR NEXT

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE

TO NOMINATE? Submit Nominations to: info@eamag.net Tel: 949.297.8323

TM

W E

A R E

A

FAMILIA Looking for more than a network?

路 Professional support and education 路 Market intelligence for business growth 路 National industry events and relationship building 路 Invest in yourself and make a difference

Become part of our familia at

nahrep.org