Experience
Dear Agents…
As many of you know, I lost my grandmother last week. Mom’s death was the first significant loss for me in my 39 years. Giving a eulogy for her on Friday was one of the most difficult and rewarding things I’ve ever had to do. And in my personal reflections over the past week, I realize that the difference between sympathizing and empathizing is a powerful difference. From now on, when similar losses are endured by those I know and love, I will have a much more mature perspective and appreciation to offer simply because I have been there.
Being here in Austin this week for Mega Camp has been a huge part of my healing process. I’ve been with many of our Rawls Group team members and surrounded by nearly 6,000 of the best professionals that Keller Williams has to offer. I must tell you that my experience here leaves me as excited about my affiliation with this company as I was when we first started it 9 years ago in Atlanta.
For years, we have provided training to you that has emphasized “experiential learning” as the greatest and most impactful way to absorb, understand and grow. The leadership of KW continues to remind me why I love who we are as a company and what we mean to those who embrace our products, tools and events. Mega Camp has also reminded me that this company is a company that should be experienced firsthand so that you can truly empathize, rather than sympathize with all we have to offer our associates.
We have great team meetings and classes in our market centers, tremendous classes from KWRI master faculty here in Atlanta, cutting edge training available at the touch of a button on KW Connect, unequaled coaching through our MAPS coaching program, and great events in Austin and other cities, such as Mega Camp and Family Reunion…all of which are rarely experienced by the majority of our associates.
Have you ever been somewhere and seen something beautiful or amazing or funny or sad or revealing or entertaining and said, “I wish _______ could be here to see this!”? I know I have. It happens all the time for me. I wish Jean were with me to see something or I wish that Noble and Steel could experience something, but they can’t and I can only try to tell them about it as best I can.
And every time I come to something like Mega Camp, I sit and think about many of you who I know would be inspired by the messages and the messengers of Keller Williams. So I come home, as do your Team Leaders and some of your fellow agents, and I try to communicate the things that I believe to be the things I should share with you to breathe new life into your mindset and your business…secondhand. We also come back with hopes that we will inspire you and you will commit to being “here” next time and get what you need, firsthand.
I joined this company in hopes to experience it with you, not for you. All of us, myself included, can “plug in” at a higher level and get more out of this company every day. Consider this to be my personal invitation to join me in mastering and maximizing our experience with Keller Williams. The more we learn, the more we earn. Empathy has so much more value that sympathy.
We have a phenomenal new book called “SHIFT.” I believe that we are going to look back and see that this time in history may have been the tipping point for this company simply because we showed up with the right answers and the right efforts in one of the toughest real estate markets ever, and we created wealth and opportunity for all of our associates who experienced our value proposition.
Come into the market center. Learn something. Do something. And make something out of the opportunities that are abundant for the opportunists in our market. After all, what better investment is there than the investment in yourself?
With great appreciation…
