What Will Your Tombstone Say?

I was very thankful tonight to be in a room surrounded by creative, energised people in my hometown of Launceston, Tasmania. There were ideas circulating a plenty, but one of them still has me thinking at 11.17pm, so I decided that had to be the one I shared with you.

Graeme Walker, founder of Walker Designs spoke so passionately about one of his mentors and a tool this mentor had taught him that the entire room went silent as he shared what he'd learnt. The tool was something I interpreted as a great way to prioritise things in your life.

The lesson was simple, but beautifully succinct in it's simplicity and was: figure out what you want your tombstone to say at the end of your life, and when faced with a dilemma, remember back to your tombstone and chose the option that leads towards what you want it to say.

Can't seem to get it out of my head!

I just came across this post from September 11 this year by one of my favourite bloggers Seth Godin which also reinforces this message.

Sign up to Kirsty's weekly email online at: www.kirstydunphey.com/weekly.html

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Guess what Kirsty's up to...

Yes, for all of you who said I wouldn't be able to stay out for too long, you were right!

I'm opening a new real estate agency here in Launceston, Tasmania on January the 12th with two of the most amazing women and property managers I've ever had the pleasure of working with: Bella Fountain and Megan Hampton.

We'll cater exclusively for investors looking after their property management. So, if you know someone who we can assist - please reply to this email and let me know!

And - as a little competition, we're opening with quite an unusual name. If you would to a go at winning our competition and a $20 credit to www.unleashedknowledge.com - have a go at guessing our new name by adding your comment with your name and your guess. We'll randomly chose the winner (with the correct guess) and award our prize by COB 4 December 2008.

Is it:

a) Trio Property (because there's three of us who are business owners)
b) Heart Property (because your home is where our heart is)
c) Elephant Property (because an elephant never forgets - and isn't that what you want from your property manager?)

By Kirsty Dunphey with 4 comments

Business Lessons A Budgie Can Teach You

So… I’ll share something personal with you: I’m afraid of birds… there, I said it. And to try and wean me off my fear my husband and I got ourselves a baby budgie a few months ago.

After bursting into tears the first time he flew too close to my head (and then into a window) I can proudly say I’ve grown some, and am now slightly less afraid of birds in general. In fact our new little blue-grey budgie Walt is a constant companion of mine these days so I thought I’d use him as inspiration for this (albeit light hearted) post on the business lessons a budgie can teach you:

Preening is important
You only get one chance to… that’s right, make a first impression. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m at my happiest in Peter Alexander PJ pants and ugg boots and while (much to Walt’s disgust) I’ll sometimes wear them to the supermarket each of us has to know when it’s time to put on our fancy feathers. Whether it’s the job interview you really want to rock, the client you’re looking to impress or dinner with the future parents in law, there’s a time and a place for some good old fashioned preening.
Walt suggests: that you should also remember not to go overboard on the preening (a full face of makeup at the gym is just kinda strange).

Sing a song
If you’re happy and you know it… sing a song. Walt’s singing along to some very dodgy pop music at the moment and he’s as happy as Julius*. People love to interact, work with, promote and generally be around happy people. No, you can’t be happy all the time, but when you are, project it and get it out there.
Walt suggests: limiting the actual physical act of singing to your car, cage or shower (singing in busses, busy office places and elevators is also kinda strange but not as strange as this.

Get what you want
Don Burke tells me that budgies have feathers on their cheeks and the crowns of their heads which reflect ultraviolet light and the little critters use these to find and attract mates. In the business world, what are your ultraviolet feathers? I think they’re your skills and talents and the parts of your service that mean that you go that extra centimetre further than your competitors.
Walt suggests: that while budgies use these gorgeous feathers to court and flirt, humans may want to try finding out a girl’s shoe size and buying her a pair of Manolos (Walt watches too much Sex and the City).

Sometimes someone who loves you may have to poo on you
It’s true, my lovely little Walt leaves fabulous little deposits on me every now and then (which is why my head is no longer an approved landing post). In your life you’ll encounter people who will leave their own deposits on you, some are doing it, because they’re simply full of “deposits”, but others do it for you own good. The boss who pushes you outside your comfort zone is one example. It may be tough right now, but eventually you’ll be a bigger and better person for it.
Walt suggests: that if you can learn business lessons from a budgie – where can’t you learn them!

* Julius is a friend’s budgie and a happy little man indeed

Sign up to Kirsty's weekly email online at: www.kirstydunphey.com/weekly.html

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Your chance to win 1,001 real estate tips from worldwide experts

Your Chance To Win!

What’s this all about?

This month to celebrate the launch of Kirsty Dunphey’s new program 1,001 tips for real estate agents to improve, re-energise and re-style your real estate career we’re running a contest that could see you winning the entire program or some great other prizes.

To enter

All you need to do is submit your best tip for real estate (one or two sentences only) here: www.kirstydunphey.com/contact.html along with your name, your website or blog address and where in the world you’re from. Or simply leave your comment on this blog.

What can I win?

The best tip will win 1,001 tips for real estate agents for use in their office, valued at $99.95 AUD.

The next 100 best tips will win your choice of our open home, databasing or property management section from 1,001 tips and will have their tip featured in a “user generated” section (a bonus section to be sent to all purchasers) of 1,001 tips along with a link to their website or blog.

Each entry will win a 30 day gift subscription to www.reallysold.com and while you can enter as many times as you like, you’ll only win one 30 day subscription per person.

Entries close 18 December, 2008 and winners will be chosen at Kirsty’s discretion. Winners notified by 20 December, 2008.

Some more about the 1,001 Tips program

Kirsty has joined forces with some of the biggest names in real estate worldwide to put together this 1,001 tips to improve, re-energise and re-style your real estate career guide.

Covering all areas of real estate this program will be a huge asset to new agents, however those who have been in the industry for years will still find heaps of ideas to improve their careers.

Each week a new section of the guide will be delivered to your email inbox allowing you to work through it then and there, or save it for time when you want to address: Your Open Homes, Systemization, Dealing with Investors or any of the other categories.

As well as tips from Kirsty this program features - Dirk Zeller, David Knox, John McGrath, Pat Mesiti, John Shackleton, Ron White, Rich Levin, Darryl Davis, Richard Robbins, Colin Dick, Malcom Riley, Amber Werchon and many more.

What is www.reallysold.com?

reallysold.com makes writing copy for your real estate advertisements - either sales or property management - really easy! No longer will you need to sit and wrack your brain waiting for inspiration.

We give you the inspiration and save you the perspiration by creating your headings, providing you catch phrases and enhancing the words you already use. Take the tour to see how easy it can be!



Sign up to Kirsty's weekly email online at: www.kirstydunphey.com/weekly.html

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Weird But Cool Moment

A few years back someone came up to me and asked if I was “Real Estate Kirsty”.

Now to me, “Real Estate Kirsty” sounded like she should have her own action figure and superhero costume, it was quite a bizarre moment really.

But the more I thought about it, the more I liked it because:

• It was spot on for my branding at the time in my local area
• It meant that this person remembered not only my name but what I did
• It was soo much better than “real estate KRISTY”!

So what would your action figure be? Lawyer Simone, Jack of All Trades Jack, Hairdressing Harry?

But more so, are people associating you with what you do. If someone needed a real estate agent, I would have loved for them to have thought of “Real Estate Kirsty” first. What or who do your potential clients think of when they think of your industry?

Sign up to Kirsty's weekly email online at: www.kirstydunphey.com/weekly.html

By Kirsty Dunphey with 1 comment

Daily Fun

I’m a big fan of the Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss.

He’s got a great blog with lots of useful resources and today I want to share one of my favourite parts with you.

Consider the question: What would you do, day-to-day, if you had $100 million in the bank? If still blocked, fill in the five “doing” spots with the following:

1 place to visit
1 thing to do before you die (a memory of a lifetime)
1 thing to do daily
1 thing to do weekly
1 thing you’ve always wanted to learn

Excerpted from: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/lifestyle-costing/

Until I read this, I rarely thought about my wild-dream-style goals in terms of what I’d love to be doing daily or weekly. Most of my daily goals revolve around actions I believe I have to take that perhaps aren’t always the most fun stuff in the world (exercise, learning, eating correctly).

But if I had $100 million in the bank, what would I like to do daily? Thanks Tim, this put a whole new spin on my thinking.

And if you haven’t read the book I couldn’t recommend it more.

Sign up to Kirsty's weekly email online at: www.kirstydunphey.com/weekly.html

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Why Lindsay Lohan Should Be Your Entrepreneurial Role Model

I’ve recently been interviewing a whole range of successful people and one question I’ve taken to asking a lot lately is “if you could go into business with anyone alive or dead, who would it be?”. For me the answer is easy, today my answer is Walt Disney, tomorrow Richard Branson (a popular choice) the next day Barbara Corcoran. Other popular answers include Warren Buffet and Donald Trump and yet no-one has listed Lindsay Lohan! I’m shocked, so let me share with you why I think Li-Lo is a GREAT role model for any aspiring entrepreneur.

1. She started young
This girl got into her chosen field young and attacked it with gusto.

2. She has surrounded herself with geniuses
From Jamie Lee Curtis in Freaky Friday to the eternal Jane Fonda and always fabulous Felicity Hoffman in Georgia Rule, Lohan has been awash with potential mentors and other people who have “been there and done it”.

3. She’s willing to try new things
She sings, she acts and most recently she’s dating girls, being super skinny (and then not super skinny), she’s a red head, but she’ll try being a blonde, or a brunette, heck she’ll even give rehab a go.

4. Like 80% of all entrepreneurs, she’s a first born

5. She’s fiercely protective of her team
Recent comments on her personal blog show what Lindsay will do if you start messing with her sister!

6. She can put up with the insults flung her way
Brandon Davis’ highly quoted remarks that Li-Lo was a “fire crotch” didn’t even trip this stilettoed gal’s walk.

Yes, this is of course written with my tongue very firmly wedged in my cheek. My point, I swear I have one, is that you can learn something from almost anyone that crosses your path. Whether it’s the nightmare boss who teaches you how not to lead, Paris Hilton who shows us that anything is possible (yes, even being famous for doing nothing) or the long lasting words of a true business hero written in an amazing page turner – take the lesson in whatever form it comes, but don’t always expect that it’ll come from a Branson look alike.

Sign up to Kirsty's weekly email online at: www.kirstydunphey.com/weekly.html

By Kirsty Dunphey with 2 comments