Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

Thanks Joel

Joel Burslem just jumped to the top of my list of favorite people in the world….

Ode to real estate vendors

“But I’ve also seen a lot of noble ventures. Ideas that have real merit that just need a little coaxing into flower. Some of the best have gone on to great acclaim. Others have earned their just reward.

I am inspired by these folks for a couple of reasons.

First, they actually made something. I know how profoundly difficult this can be. I’ve been there. Grinding and grinding for hours obsessing over pixels, debating features, fixing bugs, stressing about database loads, worrying about business models or where the next – or even the first – dollar will come from. The countless hours and toll that this sort of entrepreneurship takes. It’s not for everyone.

It’s this determination that I find energizing.”

Fittingly I read this in an airport, midway of a trip that has taken me on 6 airplanes in 4 days. #hustle

“I” is for Inclusion

I had the privilege of attending the Owner’s Retreat for Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate. It was held in Des Moines, Iowa at the headquarters for Meredith Corporation (the company that Realogy licenses the BH&G brand). It was great to see the test kitchens, studios and people behind creating the Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

sherry1Sherry Chris, as many of you know, is the CEO of BH&G Real Estate. I’ve followed BH&G pretty closely because they started that brand the same year that Dan and I started W+R Studios. In her opening remarks at the Owner’s Retreat Sherry talked about how crazy everyone thought it was to start a new real estate brand during those tumultuous times. It took a lot of guts to take that gig, but Sherry was thinking ahead, and she’s a fighter.

Another thing Sherry mentioned in her remarks, and the reason for this post, was that she was going to make a change to their “PAIGE” Core Values. The “I” in PAIGE previously stood for “Innovation”. Sherry announced that was going to change, going forward the “I” would stand for “Inclusion”. She wanted BH&G Real Estate to be the company of inclusion. She mentioned the LGBTQ community and the fact that a large part of the home buying market was hispanic. Inclusion was the future.

I thought about that. It was a small thing sure, but in these highly charged times I thought it also took a lot guts. I wanted to clap, but it didn’t seem appropriate at the time for a vendor in the back of the room to start a round of applause.

So I wanted to do that here.

Rumble Sherry, rumble.

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