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Get It Done: Productivity Tips That Worked For Me

By brioproperties,

Let’s chat productivity. It makes sense because even if we may be getting towards the end of lockouts and safer at homes, life will still be different. Now is still the time to make new habits. When life is less busy its easier to make new habits. So while is still a little less demanding because less is going on, now’s the time to try out new productivity tips.  I’ve compiled a few of my favorite tips that I’ve used over the years.  

Pomodoro Method

A few years ago I discovered the Pomodoro method for productivity. I love using this method for projects. 

The Pomodoro method is a 2 hour block of time where you work consistently for 25 minutes then take a 4 minute break. You cut out all distractions and focus solely on the task at hand. Your phone is silenced (if possible) and you don’t deviate from the task.

During the 4 minute break you can respond to messages, stretch, get a drink, whatever. Then repeat. 

I love this for projects. If I’m working on writing a presentation, or creating a marketing campaign, or anything that is more than a simple task. I found it causes me to focus better than if I sat down and said “I have 90 minutes to do this.” My mind might drift easily or I might slug around because I think on how I’m going to be doing this for 80, 70, 60 more minutes anyway.  With the Pomodoro I focus for the full 25 minutes on the task and leave the distractions to the 4 minute break.

I’m fortunate to work from home almost every day of the month, so I do have less people distractions but if you work in an office I encourage you to give this a try. If you have an office door, close it. If you don’t, just pause your timer and quickly inform the person who needs something from you, that you are in a workflow and ask if you can discuss it later. 

If you are planning on using two Pomodoro blocks back to back (2- two hour blocks) it is recommended that you take a 25-30 minute break in between. Not a break to work on other things but a break to rest your mind and get some good body fuel. 

Saving The Errands

I used to run errands 3-4 times a week. I’d schedule grocery shopping on Tuesday, bank and post office on Wednesday, Menards on Thursday, and fit in that miscellaneous stuff pretty much when I felt like it. 

I eventually began to realize how much time I was wasting by driving the same route usually multiple days to accomplish different errands. I figured I was losing about 120 minutes a week due to “duplicate driving” I call it. Plus I didn’t necessarily have 1 day where I just focused on working without being obligated to leave the home.  I honestly thought I was breaking up the monotony of working at home, but I was actually breaking up my ability to be highly productive. 

As part of a weekly block schedule I instituted “errand days”. Every week (when not in Quarantine) Friday is my errand day. Its when I go to the bank, post office, Menards, do small grocery runs (if you remember from a previous blog I’m a huge advocate for grocery delivery), etc. 

If I have to make appointments for outside the home I leave those for Thursdays. Medical appointments in the morning, others in the afternoon. (Medical appointments in the afternoon are a huge time sucker. (Doctors could have fallen 25 minutes behind easily by the time afternoon appointments roll around.)

On days when I have monthly networking events, I might allow myself two hours of errand time before traveling to the event. On average I have 3 networking events outside the home per month. If it makes geographical sense, I’ll switch up my errand schedule to get some or all of it done before the networking event. This way I’ll Friday morning to do more highly productive work. 

Having Monthly Goals

One of the big things I have loved doing the past 2 years is setting monthly project goals. I pick 4 projects I want to work on in the month. I outline the basic steps (usually 4-5) and I prioritize the projects. Usually the projects are pulled off of a “Off Field Advantage” sheet I create twice a year. (This sheet is comprehensive life at how I run my life and my business. It also accounts for sporadic ideas I’ve had that many didn’t get implemented or finished.)

I have blocks of time devoted to my projects in my weekly schedule. I usually have 3 blocks of 2 hour project time in my schedule.  Then if I find myself (somehow) without anything planned or pressing do, I devote more time to monthly projects (as long as its at least 60 minutes).

And I always use the Pomodoro method when working on them. 

Mornings Are For Projects, Afternoons for Reacting

One of the better things I did for my motivation (and sanity) was I created a rule for myself as the paragraph title implies.

What this means is I work on my “want to do” list in the morning. My projects, the things that normally get pushed off as not urgent, OR the things that are urgent for looming deadlines (usually less than 48 hours). I mastered understanding what was urgent and what wasn’t a couple of years ago so I can now put some items in the morning that aren’t my “projects”. 

I also don’t check my email until after 11:30 and I screen phone calls until after lunch. (To be honest I always screen my calls. If you aren’t in my phone book you go to voice-mail. But I’m not a realtor so I have that luxury.) I limit who I talk to in the morning and I make all my return phone calls in a 1.5 hour time frame in the afternoon. 

Doing these 4 things has made a major impact in my overall productivity. I mentioned block scheduling in here but I didn’t go too in depth for the sake of the blog. I’ll be dedicating an entire blog to block scheduling. So stay tuned!

CategoriesEntrepreneurship

Screw New Years. Start Goals On Your Terms.

By brioproperties,

Why I don’t do New Years Resolutions

I love the New Year celebrations.  I believe it mostly comes from my childhood because New Years has always been a big deal in my family.  Every year we get together as siblings with our parents and a few choice people we bring into the fold to have fun, enjoy laughs and ring in the New Year. But I don’t like New Year’s Resolutions.

New Years Resolutions are often empty promises we make to ourselves.  “This year I’ll [get healthy, slow down, travel more, etc]. We don’t go any further than making that promise in one sentence uttered sometime between Christmas and that fateful stroke of midnight.  As my Grandma liked to call them “A thin statement masquerading as an intention.” It takes more than than saying that statement to create real change.  

I plan in October/November and Execute in December

A few years ago I started my own tradition with making the best of the New Year.  I stopped starting my best work on January 1. Instead by the time January 1 comes around I’m already 30 days into executing on my new goals and ambitions. 

To start with I begin thinking about where I want to go in the next 365 days in October.  I look at all aspects of my life professional, personal, and my relationships. I contemplate where I want to improve and what may be a priority.  How many new properties do I want to bring into my rental management company in the coming year? How many books do I want to read next year? What challenges do I want to give myself?  In my important relationships what do I want to accomplish in the coming 12 months? I write down my list of goals and ambitions and I make sure I have plenty of them. I don’t pick just 1 or 2.  My list usually has around 30. You might think 30 is high but I pick that many for a very useful reason.  

Oh The Webs I Weave

Once I have my list I make webs.  This is my favorite part! If you think back to grade school in maybe 3rd grade when you were learning about writing short stories.  One of the tools we were taught were utilizing story webs. In the center of a paper you wrote the topic and then ran lines off of that center area where you wrote the setting, characters, problem, solution, etc.  It was meant to help you map out where your story was going before you started writing.

I still weave webs, though not so much for stories now days.  Each of my goals from my list becomes its own web diagram. The lines that come out from the center are the steps necessary to meet that goal or things to think about in relation to the goal.  I usually have about 5-7 offshoots on a web diagram. This is an absolutely crucial step, don’t skip it! It’s where your “thin sentences” become executable goals because you identify what you need to do to get from where you are to where you want to be. You’re creating a plan.  

These “web” pages become my constant companion for the next 365 days.  Yes, they are written on scratch paper, and yes it may look like my 7 year old wrote them but I don’t alter it. I don’t make it pretty, I don’t rewrite them.  They go in the back of my annual planner where I know I can reference them. And I will reference them. 12 times in fact. 

Constant Goals V. Execution Goals

My goal list is usually a mix of items that are year long goals (constant goals) and execution goals (items with discernible end points that can be achieved in less than 2 months realistically). 

Constant goals are: number of books to read, health/weight goals, learning a skill or language, etc.  These are items that are for the long haul of the year. They aren’t something that is accomplished in 7 steps and considered done.  They take a longer time commitment and consistent effort over at least 6 months. If possible breakdown your constant goals with deadlines.  I.e. If you have a goal to lose 20 pounds on top of creating your plan set some deadlines of lose. 10 pounds by April, 8 by September, etc. Having deadlines like that helps keep you on track with your constant goals because it adds the idea of a time constraint.  When we have all year, we’re more likely to put it off.  

Execution goals include: classes I want to create, marketing changes, marketing materials, administrative aspects I want updated in my company, etc. These are more projects than goals.  They have concise steps where executing on them in a certain order gets me to complete the project in less than 60 days. These are usually the bulk of goals list. I may have 2-3 constant goals but over 25 execution goals. 

The Lucky Four

The last step in my yearly planning is selecting the 4 lucky execution goals that get assigned to December (the first month in my goal year).  I usually pick ones that would be more beneficial to be accomplished early in the 365 days and/or ones that are rather simplistic that can be easy wins.  Easy wins are a necessity for keeping us on track, especially when the other goals may be more time consuming or more difficult. 

Each month I repeat this process.  I select 4 new ones to accomplish and make sure they are written in my month view for the planner. I do consider how busy my month is and any time off I may be taking when I pick the goals.  If I’ve got 3 speaking engagements and a vacation I may pick 1 larger goal and 2 smaller ones.    

I will admit there are times where I have a carry-over or two.  New projects come up, new opportunities and sometimes I don’t get through all my goals in a month.  I strive for all four to be completed but I am also realistic and understand the nature of my life and industry may only allow for 2.5 to be accomplished in 30 days. I don’t beat myself up for it.  I just make the carry-over ones my number 1 priority in the new month and work harder to get back on track. 

It’s All In The Planner (and Planning)

One of the big reasons I’m able to accomplish all this and execute on itl is because of the style of planner I use.  I use a goal-orientated planner. It’s not just a Day-Runner that functions as an appointment calendar. It helps highlight my goals for the year and month. Each month has a goal section where I can write the goals the steps for them.  The goal annual view helps remind me of milestones I may have wanted to hit (I.e. average 50 podcast listeners, etc). Other than the actually brainstorming the planner is the 2nd biggest contributor to my success. 

Once you have the planer the next thing is to schedule the time to accomplish them.  The first 90 minutes of my day are “project time”. This project is for executing on my goals.  Before I check email, before I answer my phone, before I do any meetings I have my project time.  Nothing changes that (or very, very little does). I even include 2 extra sessions on other days during the week. This forces me to start with what important (my goals) and work on those before I get pulled into any drama or urgency that exists in my world.

Keep In Mind

Resolutions are just thin sentences masquerading as intentions.

Set multiple goals and outline the steps to accomplish each.

Have a mixture of constant year long goals and project execution goals.

Assign goals to certain months.

Written by: Corina Eufinger CEO of Brio Properties/Owner CRC Investments/ Host of Passive Income Revolution Podcast

CategoriesEntrepreneurship Long Term Rentals Real Estate Investing

Quick Tips For Less Stressful Bookkeeping

By brioproperties,

Do you dread bookkeeping? Does your accountant audibly sigh when you bring in your paperwork every year?  Here are 4 quick tips to remove some of the pain and delirium over bookkeeping.

1) Set an appointment every week for bookkeeping activities.  

Block 60-90 minutes every week at the same time. Make it a time where you concentrate because if you already detest bookkeeping getting interrupted or being able to postpone in lieu of something else will only make it worse.Use that time for entering your purchases, filing receipts, and completing monthly bank reconciliations.   Having this consistent time keeps us on track, ensures we have up to date information, and helps us catch errors quicker.

Make receipts and accounts payable weekly activities in whatever time block makes sense.  A smaller portfolio may only require 40 minutes a week for these. Then once a month set a specific day of the month (10, 13th, 23rd) where you are reconciling the previous bank statement and allow yourself 30 minutes for this.   (If you are on top of your bookkeeping even the most active account takes less than 30 minutes.)

2) Create an electronic file of your receipts.  

Receipts fade, get spilled on, get torn.  It’s your responsibility to maintain a good record of your accounts.  This includes preventing against receipt fade and life accidents. Scan your receipts into an electronic file weekly.  

Pro tip: To make audits (eek!) easy, your receipts should be filed by year and accounting category.  Accounting category is whatever account you assigned the transaction in your bookkeeping software. Paint, repair, advertising, etc.  On a computer (which I highly recommend your digitize your receipts) your main folder would be the year and your subfolders would be your accounting categories.  (2019-postage; 2019-cell phone, etc)

Bonus: If you still use a flatbed scanner, receipts can be trimmed and more than one in the same category can usually fit in a file. 

3) Have receipts with mixed accounts on them? No problem. 

You can create one file category you name as “mixed”.  On your receipts itemize each item by category and calculate the totals for each account.  (Want to earn extra credit, you could even color code your account on your mixed receipts.) 

4) Do quarterly company cash flow checkups. 

Every quarter pull up your company or property cash flow statements and just do a quick audit.  Do you have any accounts that suddenly appeared out of the blue? Any numbers seems abnormally high?  These may be signs of clerical errors you need to adjust. Doing this quarterly will prevent hair-pulling and headaches for you (or your accountant) at tax time. 

5) Make A Checklist Of What You Need For Your Taxes.

I also felt like I was shooting fish in a barrel when I sending documents in for my taxes.  I would send the business statements, husbands w-2, my 1095-A from the marketplace, mortgage statements.  I’d think I was on the ball. Then I’d get an email from my accountant. You missed [mileage, car insurance payment, payroll docs, student loan docs, etc].  

One year I was done feeling like a headless chicken and sat done with my accountant to create a checklist of the docs I should have every year for all my companies.  I then took that checklist and make it a Google Note checklist where I copy the master every year and check items off as I send it to him. I know I’m happier and I think my accountant is happier too!

Make tax time less stressful by being ahead of the game and on top of your books. Keeping your books organized makes you life and mind seem less cluttered.  Mistakes caught early are easier to fix and receipts nicely categorized make auditors…almost smile. Those are some pretty good reasons to stop putting off bookkeeping and start making it a routine priority.

CategoriesEntrepreneurship Real Estate Investing

Forget Opportunities Create Habits

By brioproperties,

“Opportunity only knocks once.”

It’s a cliche in our society.  It’s used in countless movies and tv shows, quoted thousands of times over.  It’s a crutch for many people who cling to normalcy. It’s even misused by people who have the drive for success. There are motivated people in the world who run their professional lives like the equivalent of chicken with their head cut off frantically trying to find and listen for the opportunity that is knocking.  

I’ve seen it in new entrepreneurs and investors where they are hyper vigilant on being able to recognize the “once in a lifetime opportunity” (also a horrible cliche) that will propel them to success.  They never take the time to make deliberate choices that produce the results they want. They flutter around their spheres of influence seeing and listening to what everyone is doing in an attempt to find their ‘knock of opportunity’ through other people’s habits.  Never actually taking the time to create their own habits of success. 

They fail to understand that if you use habits to perpetuate self improvement, improve your relationships, and exercise self care that opportunities are then attracted to you. Create habits that attract opportunities rather than focusing on finding the one or two opportunities.

Your daily choices that you make turn into the habits that determine the direction of your life. 

Make habits to improve your mind, improve your knowledge, connect with your spouse, engage with friends, find connections in your professional life, etc.  Here’s a few examples of what you can do to create your habits of success.  

MORNING ROUTINE

I’ve talked about the importance of a morning routine in a prior blog so I won’t go into too much detail here.  We’ll skim the cream off the top of the milk. Of course it’s a dairy reference, I’m from Wisconsin.   

Set a morning routine where instead of watching the morning news you exercise, read, and  have whatever your version of healthy breakfast is (Not Cocoa-Cocoa Puffs). Morning routines set the tone for your day and are the most overlooked portion of our days that can create not only success but true joy.  Spending 2 hours in the morning doing what we enjoy that improves us puts our minds in a positive state before we begin the ‘real’ portion of the day. Don’t get caught up on the idea of having to rise early to have a good morning.  You don’t have to mimic the people who get up at 3am, 4am. You can get up at 6am and likely still have 1-2 hours to run through your successful and happiness habits before the real world begins to wake.  


IMPORTANT FIRST THEN EVERYTHING ELSE

Structure your days so you always do the tasks that have the potential to create massive change first rather than reacting to the urgent. There are few scenarios in this world that are urgent that can’t wait a few hours.  Reserve the mornings to tackle the important tasks that will get you closer to your goals. Leave the urgent (and your email!) until you have devoted time to those tasks.  

Also leave the routine items like errands, returning calls, and bookkeeping to the afternoon. I prefer to leave those for the last 2 hours of my day on alternating days.  This provides you with maximum productivity for working on the important, handling the urgent and ending the day with the routine to make sure you stay on top of the day to day.  

TOUCHDOWN AND SHUTDOWN WITH PURPOSE

An evening routine provides additional structure of joy but also sets the tone for the morning.  If we have a crummy night, it will be harder to get up and do our ideal morning routine. We’ll likely sleep-in or opt for “chill activities” like Netflix or the morning news.  So start the night before with having a shutdown protocol..I guess kind of like a computer.

First on the list should be handling household items that “put in a bug in your butt”.  Hate dirty dishes in the sink? Get those done first. Smelly trash throw off your entire evening, then toss it.  Get those 1-2 pesky things done that will mock you out of the corner of your eye if they aren’t done. Then move on to preparing yourself for the next day.  Get your items ready for the following day. Clothing, documents, charge your devices, prep your on the go meals, and get ready for bed, etc.

Lastly, end with quiet items that begin to shut down your mind.  Read, journal, meditate, ASMR videos…whatever puts your mind into a cool down mode.  Like at the end of the workout where you’re supposed to allow your body to slowly cool its jets. Something that quiets your mind, relaxes your body and maybe even makes you sleepy.     

Create habits like this and opportunities will find you in abundance. Then your biggest problem will be selecting the opportunities.

Corina Eufinger

Owner of Brio Properties

Chairman of WAA

@passiveincrev on IG

CategoriesEntrepreneurship Long Term Rentals Real Estate Investing

Real Estate Expansion Lessons From Corporate America

By brioproperties,

Growing a real estate portfolio with a large purchase is a daunting task.  It has the thrill of a successful outcome tied with apprehension of taking on something so large, usually in debt form.  For many investors its the apprehension that prevents them from acting on it. There is a limited few that dare to go big in this industry.  This is why most larger buildings end up being owned by “the same four people” in a certain town or city. People usually end up admiring these people saying “If I only had the guts” or “Man I wish I could that” as they walk by the buildings.  But they never will. Because these are the same people that focus on the failed expansion stories that seem to be routine in corporate business news. 

At one point in our lives, we’ve likely read a news story about “Company X” going out of business because they expanded too quickly. The story will tell you that 3 years ago Company X bought “Y Company”. It will state that Z number of people that are currently employed by the now merged company are out of work and have lost their pensions. But yet they won’t offer any true explanation as to why it occurred beyond the expansion being “too quick”. In reality it wasn’t that the expansion was too quick it’s because it was executed sloppily.  There’s no calendar time frame on being successful in expansion. It comes down to execution. A failure to execute the merger effectively by proactive and changing things that don’t make sense or they sink the success of the acquisition afterwards by paralyzing themselves with fear. What kills many of these companies are the same things can kill real estate entrepreneurs when they expand. 

#1 Expansion Without Forethought

In the business world and as real entrepreneurs some people tend to approach expansion…well…like a bat of hell. Out of the gates they are zig-zagging around, reacting to the major urgent items that are thrown at them that need to be done to close the deal.  They’re gathering documentation, signing papers, reviewing final drafts of contracts. They are reacting to what the transaction needs to happen. They aren’t taken any time to look ahead and plan for the day after the acquisition. They believe they have all the time in the world to change things after the ink is dry.  

What they should be doing is reacting to the urgent items in tandem with proactively working towards things that need to be done to set-up a smooth and successful acquisition.  As a real estate entrepreneur being proactive may include things like creating your property plan and evaluating the current logistics of the property. I.e. On-site staff, door key systems, storage spaces, recurring expenses.  Looking at all areas of the operation for efficiency and redundancy as well as how to best adapt the property to your current administrative operations.    

When buying a new property don’t fall into a pattern of doing things or keeping things only because it was established under the old regime.  ‘They used it/did it so therefore it must be necessary for you.’ This one way to inadvertently leave money on the table or lose money on unneeded services or overpriced vendors.  It might be administrative tasks that don’t meld into your process so they should be eliminated or modified. Or contractors that you don’t communicate effectively with so projects are taking a little longer or not being done to your standard. It also creates a more cumbersome operations system that decreases the entire portfolio’s efficiency, not just that one property’s.  If you fall into the trap of “there must be a reason it was done this way” or “they used this person because they knew the building” you’re starting down the path of the many failed mergers of Corporate America.  

#2 Expansion Paralyzation

The other reason for expansion failure arises from the after acquisition glow which turns into acquisition terror. They wake up one day rather sobered from what they’ve done.  They’ve purchased a $500,000 property….*gulp*. In this sobering light they become scared, fearful of failure. They are so obsessed with the risk they have taken that they become over-determined not to become a statistic of a real estate failure.  This usually presents itself in cult-like worship of their bottom line. They begin pinching every penny to build that nest egg to astronomical sizes so they can pay the bank if (god forbid) the property starts to fail. They opt for cheaper labor and forgo regular maintenance for the $75 here or $400 there all to ensure that they don’t fail.  They put laser like focus on reducing cost. Overtime, as they had predicted when they started their Rainy Day Crusade, their property does begin to fail. People are moving out, vacancies are taking longer to fill, and the rents are slowly, slowly going down. It’s not the economy or the market. It’s the consequences of the real estate entrepreneurs overzealous attempt to not fail. The quality of units has gone down and the property has a new less desirable reputation.  The rents they had when they bought the place now become overpriced. And it spirals from there…

Being overly focused on the bottom line can create low tenant satisfaction. Cosmetic repairs aren’t completed on the building, or broken items are replaced with inferior quality items. Tenants become increasingly inconvenienced by mechanical breakdowns because of routine maintenance being put off in addition to buying inferior products.  They are no longer getting “what they pay for”.

Reaction Mixed with Proaction While Avoiding Paralyzation  

If you decide to make a large move, plan your expansion and don’t just react to it.  Make sure you are doing more than just reacting to demands of the transaction and are actually evaluating and creating plans.  Don’t do certain things because that’s how they were done prior, evaluate everything in the potential acquisition’s operation. Once you’ve acquired the property don’t over-correct out of apprehension.  Refuse to allow yourself to be so focused on the bottom line that you neglect other critical areas that determine the property’s success. Trim costs when it seems reasonable but don’t become a penny pincher that drives your own property into the ground. 

CategoriesEntrepreneurship

What Is Your Time Worth?

By brioproperties,
In today’s society we are pulled in so many different direction.  We are pulled in the directions of work, family, leisure pursuits, day to day life.

If you have a spouse, children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, we get pulled into their lives.  We become a part of what’s pulling them in different directions. Many times it just feels like we are operating a 3-ring circus.  It’s these moments that it’s very hard to sit down and wonder what your time worth.  Yet, we should be.

Figuring out what our “hourly rate” is for things we do in our lives is something we all need to do. It’s an integral part of moving our lives forward and determining how to allocate our time. The day-to-day or ordinary life tasks can often bog us down and become excuses why we don’t have time to  do something (I.e. attend a seminar, sign up for a masterclass, look at more rental properties). How many of our day-to-day tasks are we better off paying someone else to do? If we paid someone else to do somethings, how could we then spend that gained time?

Two common tasks I personally love offloading are grocery shopping and lawn care.  Most stores offer curbside pickup or delivery. These services are anywhere from $5-$15.  If it saves your 40-70 minutes, what would you do with that time? Evaluate 2 extra properties a week?  Read a few chapters from an investing book?

Lawn care is a touchy one.  I know some people are very particular about their lawns.They like it cut a certain way, the lines have to make a certain design layout, etc.  I’ve known two of these people in my life (gladly neither me nor my husband are one). For the rest of us that aren’t as picky, how much time would you gain if you paid someone else to do this?  What if you hired a service? Paid a neighbor cash to do it? Maybe a son, daughter, niece, nephew, etc? If it takes you 2 hours to mow the lawn where does the $39 to service fall on the worth it scale?

What are some other things you can outsource?  Well beyond grocery shopping most big box stores have in-store or curbside pick up for domestic goods as well.  House cleaning? Services can sometimes be pricey but may be you know an entrepreneurial teenager who would do the major cleaning for $10/hour cash?

Remember, when you outsource something be sure you are using the time to make yourself more productive and more profitable.  It won’t pay to outsource the small stuff if you swap it for tv time or video game time (unless you have a Youtube channel as a gamer of course).

So I ask you, what is your time worth for domestic tasks?

CategoriesEntrepreneurship

Entrepreneur Burnout is Real

By brioproperties,

I was recently nursing a migraine in bed and watching Youtube videos to pass time.  A Youtuber I follow posted a video in response to a new article about Youtubers and content creators getting burnout.  When the video was done I scrolled the comments and stumbled upon one that got under my skin…and continued to 3 hours later.  “I thought if you loved what did it wouldn’t feel like work.”

I believe they are right, if you find your passion it doesn’t seem like work (most of the time at least).  But the commenter was missing the larger point. Getting burnt out has little to do with whether you love what you do or not. Let’s look at this abstractly.  Think of the food or drink you love the most. Mountain Dew, tacos, french toast, whatever it is. If you regularly consumed that food or drink for 90 days, 180 days, or 572 days you will get sick of it.  It’s what naturally happens.

Authors go through burnout in the form of writer’s block.  Stephen King has talked publicly about writer’s block. Even after writing dozens of novels and short stories he gets writer’s block once and awhile.  Writer’s block is an extension of burnout. This doesn’t mean Stephen King doesn’t like writing anymore or isn’t passionate about it. He feels the pressure from his publisher to stay relevant and produce good content.  He feels the pressure from his fans.

As entrepreneurs (even as real estate investors) we get burnout. I’ll admit I have.  There have been weeks I haven’t written blogs, created online content, did bank reconciliations, market surveys etc.  I burnt out It doesn’t mean I’m not passionate about real estate investing anymore.

In fact when I get burnout I’m happy! It means I’ve been running hard and used all my mental and physical resources. I embrace hitting burnout.  If I hit burnout I’m excited. I just recently hit burnout in November so when my offices were closed for the time between Christmas and New Years I was ecstatic.  I spend the time recharging and still somehow managing to come up with new ideas for my real estate work.

Burnout is what makes us human.  As entrepreneurs it’s what makes us relatable.  We shouldn’t hide it like a sin. Wave it like a battle flag or wear it like a battle wound.  Embrace it. Be grateful for it. Because if you are doing something you love it means a lot more than just being tired.

CategoriesEntrepreneurship

The Importance of A Morning Routine

By brioproperties,

Last year I had a book recommended to me by my brother-in-law.  Normally his book recommendations are heavily based in business procedure and protocol. So foolishly…I put the recommendation on the bottom of the list.  Last summer, the timing seemed right so I cracked it open. While I didn’t care for the writing style, the content was important and more interesting than I had thought.

We’ve all heard how our mornings set the tone for our day.  Most people wake up hoping the stars will align and their morning won’t ruin their day.  Roll out out of bed with the alarm, start the coffee, maybe get kids (or spouse) up, tend to breakfast, get dressed and head to work…hopefully not in a frantic already. Yet there are things we can do take control of the mornings and start our days on the right foot.

Wake up at least 2 hours before you start your day

I start my day at 9am so I wake up at 6:15 right now.  Getting up early is very common in the highly successful people. Oprah rises at 6am, Richard Branson at 5am, Dwayne Johnson (AKA The Rock) rises at 4am, and Bill Gates wakes at 5:30am.  All of these people do it by choice.  They aren’t doing because they have 6am stage calls, meetings or anything else.  They do it to spend time with themselves doing what they feel is important.

Use the time wisely

Start by thinking about meaningful things you can do in the morning that will positively impact your mood and productivity.  What are somethings you don’t normally do that you wish you had more time for? Getting up one hour earlier only to waste it watching morning tv will not aide you. Consider using it for: exercising, reading, meditation, writing, playing guitar, learning a foreign language.  Think of things that are being creative or being active. A list of 3-5 things will do well for one hour of activity.

Prioritize the things that will make a difference

Make your morning routine about things that will get you energized for the day and give you an immediate sense of accomplishment.  Doing this will make it easier to keep going because the accomplishments can remind you of why it’s good to wake up early. Let’s face it the first week will be unique and new….the second week will be killer.

Always wake up at the same time every day..or with very few exceptions.

Waking up every day (even the weekends) at the same time is extremely important for keeping the morning routine.  I rise at 6:45 every day. I hope to get to 6:15 but so far I haven’t been able. I do this Monday through Friday only allowing exceptions for New Years Day and jet lag.  Your body thrives on consistency and regimen. Don’t lie in bed with your phone after the alarm goes off. Get out of bed right away. (I recommend leaving the phone out of sight until the end of your morning routine.) It’s better to sneak in a 45 minute nap later in the day after you’ve been up for awhile than sleep an extra hour.

If I were to recommend two things for your morning routine….

I  recommend starting with drinking a full glass of cold water first thing and in under 10 minutes.  Most of the grogginess we associate with mornings actually stems from dehydration. Drinking the full of glass of water will restore fluid and wake up your body.

I also recommend fitting in your reading in the morning.  It is one of those things we rarely make time for during the day as we get busy.  Compared to exercise it doesn’t really make sense to get in a “quick read” because you have 15 minutes.  Also, the most successful people in the world devour 40-50 books per year. If you spend an hour every morning, it won’t be hard to hit that number.

So what does my morning look like?

6:30 Rise and drink full glass of water

6:50 Yoga

7:15 Listen to quick Youtube business inspiration video

7:30 Get ready for the day (all that personal stuff)

7:45  Read from a book of my choosing

9:00 Start my work day

Happy Mornings!

Corina Eufinger

Owner of Brio Properties

Director of Online Content WAA

Owner of CRC Investments

CategoriesEntrepreneurship

7 Ways to Break The Ice At a Networking Event

By brioproperties,

Networking events can be daunting.  It’s walking into a room where (hopefully) there is a lot of new faces.  We are all there to make connections yet we all become a little trigger shy when it comes to striking up a conversation.  

1. Have A Wingman (or Lady).

It doesn’t need to be your spouse or business partner.  Bring someone else you know that may benefit from the event.  Strength in number always works. Just don’t get caught up in your companion that you don’t approach anyone new.  The whole point of bringing them along was to make it easier to strike up a conversation with a stranger.

2. Inquire About Their Drink

If you are at a mixer with..well…mixed drinks start the conversation off by asking the person what they are drinking. This opens up an avenue of discussion.  “Oh I love that wine. What is your go to brand?” “I’ve never heard of that drink, what’s in it?” (I use this one if I am still trying to crack the egg even if I know what the drink is.)

3. Comment On The Food

Everyone loves food.  Food is a great source of conversation because of that.  When I walk up to someone I may size up what is on their plate (or cocktail napkin).  If I find something interesting that I can spin in a positive way I start the conversation there. “Oh it’s nice to meet a fellow spicy food enthusiast.”  (This would never come out of my mouth by the way because I am a spice wimp.) “I can can never pass up a slice of cheesecake myself.”

4. Ask “What brings you to the event?”

Asking this question is a great premier question if you want to just dive right in.  In most cases their answer can lead to another point of conversation. They may say a friend brought them here, you can reply with “Who is the person who persuaded you to come?”  They may answer with what they want out of the event “I’m looking to meet an attorney who can help me legally insulate my properties.” You can follow this up by inquiring what they mean, or if you have a connection informing them you may able to help. If you are responsible for connecting someone with what they are seeking, they will not forget it and will look for ways to return the favor.  

5. Comment On Their Cell Phone

Technology is a great conversation starter now days.  If you see a person’s phone is out on the table you can comment on it. “Is that the S9 [or latest Iphone]?”  Then extend the conversation by saying “I want to upgrade to that next. Is there anything you wish they had done differently with it?” Commenting on  unique phone cases are awesome conversation starters even if it is as simple as asking “Where did you get that phone case?” The tried and true question is “What apps do you use?”

6. Pay Attention To Their Name Tag

If there are name tags, there are many ways to utilize these to your advantage. Comment on a unique first name or spelling.  If their company name is familiar, “I’ve seen your company name around town a lot.” If their hometown is listed, think of a comment you have on the area.  If someone is from Lake Geneva, I may comment how I love all the locally shops owned shops or really love Sprecher’s Restaurant. Be sure your comment is localized enough to the area. You don’t want to say “I love Perkins. You have one in Appleton don’t you?” Show your knowledge of their hometown.

7. Comment On The Venue

If all else fails comment on the venue.  If you notice someone is rubbing their arms or has their winter hat on, “The venue is nice but I wish they would turn up the heat a little.” Comment on the light fixtures or other decor.  I love using rather off the wall statements like “I wish I could have that fountain in my living room.” The unexpected comments are intriguing and often serve as a good ice breaker.

CategoriesEntrepreneurship

Five Famous Thinkers And What We Can Learn From Them

By brioproperties,

One of the best ways to learn is from your mistakes or others.  There is a bountiful knowledge of business advice from those who have gone before you.  One could spend weeks researching all the knowledge that was amassed by Harry Gordon Selfridge, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Richard Branson, etc.  (Fifty fake points to you if you know who Harry Gordon Selfridge is.)  I am constantly reading biographies (and when available the autobiography) of famous entrepreneurs.  I have acquired massive knowledge over the years on a variety of topics.  In this blog, I’m listing my five favorite business tips from tycoons who came before us.

#1 Richard Branson: Put employees first

Richard Branson has amassed a global empire in the name of Virgin that spans almost every aspect of lives from cell phones to air travel to condoms (though…wisely he chose to give the latter a separate name from Virgin). His companies remain some of the most sought after places to work and its for one simple reason: he puts employees first.  Employees are not a secondary or third thought to him.  When a major shift is occurring one of his first thoughts is how will this affect the employees?  Virgin Group is constantly researching and implementing new policies, benefits and good old fashioned fun to ensure employee happiness.  If you don’t have employees, think about your spouse if they help you invest.  Or your general contractor that you call on for help.  It is simple to institute policies that make them happy and put them first.  If you are providing materials for your G.C. be sure they will arrive on time for when he wants to start the work.  Stop by the first day and see if there is anything you overlooked when purchasing supplies.  If the work was done well, and on time get them a little something to show your appreciation. Like a food or gas gift card. (Even better if you know your G.C.’s preferred home improvement store for tools, get them a gift card from there.)   

#2 Bill Gates: Handle conflict immediately

Bill Gates needs no introduction…he is Bill Gates after all.  Most of us use some device associated with Microsoft every day.   People have reported on his desire to address conflict and disagreements immediately.  This has been a cornerstone that has helped his business collaborations be so successful that even while the product may not succeed, the process was successful for both sides.  When Bill is reading correspondence or hears of a disagreement he immediately makes note of it and brings it to the attention of those associated with the transaction if he is not personally involved. He doesn’t gloss over it thinking that the person handling the task will address the issue.  If he is personally involved, he composes an email (or depending on the urgency of the disagreement makes a phone call) right away.  Even if it is just to acknowledgement that there is a disagreement and he needs 24 hours to meet with his team.

Conflict does not go away if ignored, nor is it forgotten.  Conflicts are often made worse when we don’t act to resolve the situation.  I learned personally first hand how this happens many times before I had my ah-ha moment learning about Bill Gates.

#3 Warren Buffet: Only invest in what you know

It seems simple enough…but do we really practice it in our business dealings?  Warren Buffet claims part of his success is due to the fact that he only invests in what he knows.  He invested in Coca-Cola because he likes Coke and drinks it.  He hasn’t invested in computers because he doesn’t know computers.  He sparingly uses one (he claims to have never sent an email in his life).  Do you know what your investing in? Not just well duh it’s real estate.  But the neighborhood, the architecture of property, the size of the property, etc.  If you don’t know, then you need to find the answers.  Research the problems that come with owning a older subdivided home.  Make sure you know the municipal codes that might affect your rentals.  

#4 Elon Musk: Focus on the product or service

Elon Musk is the introverted mind behind SpaceX and Tesla.  He is said to be the Albert Einstein of this generation with his deep grasp of science and technology.  Musk is often criticized for laser like focus, which often translates into poor people skills.  Yet this laser like focus on his product is what has made SpaceX and Tesla pioneers in their industry.  Musk focuses on the product he is producing rather than the nuances and process because he believes if the product isn’t up to standards, then the rest doesn’t matter.  Focusing on the product of providing safe, clean, and comfortable housing should be the focus of any landlord.  Always make sure the unit (your product) speaks for itself independent of anything else. Everything should be in working order, cleaned, and in a good state of repair. Focusing on your product will make other areas of your business run smoothly (move-ins, repairs, etc).  

#5 Walt Disney: Believe in what you are doing

Walt Disney really doesn’t need any introduction.  Disney would not have become what it is today if Walt himself had not believed in what he was doing.  Walt enjoyed creating cartoons and entertaining people with stories, his passion bled into Disney.   If you want to be truly successful at what you do you have believe in it.  The old adage says if you don’t believe in your business, no one else will.  Do you believe in the housing you are providing? Do you believe you are the landlord you should to be? (I don’t mean Scrooge McDuck rolling in the quarters.) If you answered no to either one of these, you need to take some time to think about what would make you believe in yourself. What changes do you have to make?

     

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