Last week I shared with you the first of five steps to successful planning, which was all about SMART goals, how to use them to your advantage and achieve your dreams!

When you combine the elements of SMART goals, you have a greater chance of success and now that you know how to create and use SMART goals, the next step is creating a plan and learning how to manage your time.

Creating a plan and managing your time go hand-in-hand. They are two critical steps in your steps to success. Having a plan allows you to have an idea of how you're going to fulfill your goals, and managing your time keeps you on track with the timeline in which you want to reach those set goals.

Create a Plan

It is critical to have a plan and know the numbers that you need to work to reach your goals. This means you need to go through the process of quantifying your plan. You need to know the number of leads you need, the number of loans, orders or sales you need in order to reach your annual income goal.

Know...

You’ve heard the saying, make a plan and work the plan….but how do you make the plan…and more importantly how do you keep yourself on task to make sure you are doing everything you can each and every day to work your plan? It all begins with setting goals!

The reality is that most people do not achieve their goals because they haven't taken the time do to five simple things to set them up for success. I'll be sharing those five simple things with you over the next month! This week's topic is all about SMART goals.

Whenever you create goals, you will find that following the rules for SMART goals will be easier to achieve. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. When you combine the elements of SMART goals, you have a greater chance of success. Let’s begin with S-which is specific goals.

Specific Goals

Goals need to be specific. You will not be able to reach you goals if they are broad and general because planning will be too...

Over the past few weeks I’ve been sharing details about a few of the best video editing softwares out there. Last week I shared information about Final Cut Pro X and this week I am going to share details about iMovie. Video is an incredible way to promote yourself, your expertise and your business. In fact, studies have shown that people are more likely to buy a product after watching a video about it, so now is the time to start learning the basics of video editing! 

iMovie is a desktop video editing software that comes with almost every Apple product they release, making it free to those who own Apple merchandise. Because it is made by Apple, it is only available for those who have Apple products. iMovie is considered the best video editing application for beginners due to its clean and easy to understand interface. If you’re new to video editing, this is the application for you because it allows for easy comprehension of how it works and how to enter the video...

Last week I shared details about Camtasia, an easy-to-use video editing program for beginners. This is a great option out there for those who aren’t as familiar with the ins and outs of video production, but want to give it a try. There are a number of different video editing programs and this week I am going to share details about Final Cut Pro X.

Final Cut Pro X is a desktop application made by Apple. It’s a great video editing software for those who have Macs, because it’s not available to Windows users. This program is mostly used by independent filmmakers and those that produce videos as a hobby. 

It works similarly to Adobe Premiere, but it doesn’t include as complex of features like Premiere does. You start editing by importing images, audio and video from a file on your computer or external hard drive. It’s quick and easy to use for those who are familiar with video editing, but don’t have a ton of experience. 

Compared to...

If you are wanting an easy to use video editing software that doesn’t require you to go to film school, Camtasia by TechSmith may be the software for you. Last week I shared details with you about Adobe Premiere Pro, and this week I am sharing how Camtasia By TechSmith works, along with its best features. 

Camtasia By TechSmith

Camtasia is more than just a video editing software.  In fact, it is basically two software’s in one - a screen recording and a video editing software. 

The video editing software works similar to how Adobe Premiere Pro operates by importing videos, audio and graphics into the library from a file source located on a desktop or hard drive. However; it is much more simple to use. Camtasia’s video editing capabilities is one of the main reasons we recommend it to our clients. Its clean layout and operating system makes the learning process quick and simple. It allows you to edit content you recorded on your...

During the month of September, I shared with you how to successfully set up and conduct Facebook Live events and this month I will be focusing on video editing. 

I’m sure that we are all accustomed to virtual events by now, and the want for videos has skyrocketed in the past few months. Maybe you have a video from a virtual event that you want to split up into shorter videos. You can edit your videos using a video editing software to produce a clean and professional looking video and then use these in the future to send to clients or post on social media. 

When it comes to video editing, there are many different types of software used to produce and edit amazing videos. This week’s focus is on Adobe Premiere Pro.

Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere is one of the top video editing softwares out there. It is a desktop app developed by Adobe Systems and is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud. Adobe offers a subscription to Adobe Premiere Pro for $21/month, which will...

We are all using virtual meetings more these days. If you are not doing virtual meetings with your borrowers, you should add it to your communication plan. I did a webinar recently on Creating a Communication Plan and was not so surprised to find out from the 400 or so attendees, that over 95% of all applications are completed online. This certainly is understandable given the world we now live in, however; since you are no longer meeting with your borrowers face to face, you still need to build rapport with them and that is why holding at least your first meeting with them on a virtual call is so important.

Zoom offers a free option that will fit most of your needs. To answer your question, yes, Zoom is safe, as long as you set up a couple of things like a password or waiting rooms. Personally, I have been using Zoom for the past four years and conduct all of my webinars on Zoom. I have never had an issue with Zoom.

Below are a few Zoom Pro Tips that I hope will help you...

For the past few weeks, we've been sharing how to start using Facebook live. For some of you, Facebook live is more than you are ready to take on, but most of us are doing virtual meetings, especially with our borrowers. So, it's important to use the proper lighting at your desk for your videos.

As we are all so keenly aware, COVID has brought a halt to any live workshops you may have done in the past, but it certainly has not put a halt on business and many of you have taken to doing “virtual” meetings with your borrowers. Virtual meetings are a great way to stay connected and still develop that “face-to-face” relationship. Whether you are using Skype, Zoom, Ring Central or Gotomeeting, your equipment is important.

We cannot tell you how many video calls we've been on where the person is in the dark or shadowed by too much back lighting and while this may not seem like a big deal to some people, how you look does create a first impression, so having the...

Last week, we shared how to promote your Facebook live event and grow your audience. Facebook live is an easy way to educate your real estate agents and borrowers. This week we are going to share tips to make your Facebook live stream more interesting and interactive and promote your event long after the event is done.

Streaming live for the first time can seem nerve-wracking! But with the proper preparation and my tricks up your sleeve, you’ll have a fun time. Plus, practice makes perfect. Our team wasn’t as confident on camera at first as they are now, so the most important step is to stop second guessing yourself and just have fun with it. We always tell our clients, “when the message is more important than your ego, you’ll get out of the way and start sharing the message.”

Before you go live, test your video and microphone by using the “Only Me” option on Facebook, and make adjustments as needed. Turn off all outside notifications, and...

Last week, we shared how to start streaming on Facebook Live and this week we are sharing how to grow your audience. Facebook live is an easy way to educate your real estate agents and borrowers.

Unless you’re the spontaneous type and plan to go live right away, you’ll need to promote your livestream ahead of time. Advertising your upcoming livestream ensures that you’ll have an audience ready to interact with you the moment you go live.

Our three tips can help you grow viewership long before you’re live on Facebook:

1. Tag Friends, Family, Partners, and Other Brands

Generate excitement about your upcoming livestream by tagging people you think would enjoy the content. Tag friends and family and ask them to share the post with their network. Or tag your business partners and brands you’ve done business with too. Just make sure you are providing value to that audience and you aren’t “that guy” on Facebook who “keeps tagging me in...