October 15, 2020

Steve Trang, Real Estate Disruptors

Many of you know that I am a huge proponent of personal development and mentorships. Why reinvent the wheel when others have developed systems and tools, and are willing to teach them to you so you can run your business better and more efficiently? Why not take advantage of the immense knowledge available that can make your life as fulfilling as possible? After all, making all the money in the world will not be very satisfying if you have no time or energy to enjoy it.

Last week, I had the opportunity to go to Tampa, Florida and attend the Collective Genius mastermind conference for real estate investors. This was very exciting for me — people like Jocko Willink of Extreme Ownership and Dichotomy of Leadership fame were speaking, and I soaked it all up.

My personal highlight was listening to Chris Voss. I have read or listened to his “Never Split the Difference” three or four times, bought his real estate negotiating course, and I did his masterclass. I love the guy; consume the heck out of his stuff. You would think I would be able to predict what he was going to say by now. Yet there I was, taking a bunch of notes while he was on stage.

Why? What could he have said that I hadn’t heard before? Well, apparently plenty. And that’s the entire point. There is always something new you can learn, even if you have heard it before. Sometimes we hear things, but we don’t listen to what was presented. We need to hear it again in a new unit of time for it to sink in, to resonate with us, for the light bulb to turn on. 

You see, your path to business owner and leader is truly a journey — once you learn something new, your perspectives evolve and you are more open to other ideas. You may not be ready to fully comprehend the power of these tools or ideas now, but in a year or two or five, they may be exactly what you need to elevate to the next level.

It comes down to taking responsibility. You, as the business owner and leader, have to first take ownership and responsibility for your actions and for the company. Your employees won’t take responsibility for their actions if you don’t show them how. Then you can train, learn to become a better leader by being responsible for your own personal development, and then you can bring your team along with you.

The most important realization I gained at Collective Genius was the power of relationships. Sure, I learned a lot in the formal sessions. The CG conference was fantastic and very informative. 

Looking back, the most value I gained from the weekend was in the after-hours dinners, a late round of drinks, and hanging out at 1 a.m. with your peers just talking shop. The conversations that came out of the relationships I have developed through my mastermind groups, training sessions, and other seminar events, all the things I have bought and used to build my businesses were what gave me huge wins and value that weekend. 

Make no mistake, in every aspect of your business and life, it is the relationships that make you money. People who can lend a hand, provide sage advice, be an expert, or even just bend an ear when you need someone to talk to can advance your business to new levels if you would simply acknowledge that you don’t know it all (and neither do I).

And finally, never forget that good words cannot overcome bad tone, but good tone can overcome bad words. Tonality is so important in fostering relationships, and goes a long way toward building strong teams in your business. So if you find yourself feeling somewhat alone in  your business and searching for what to do next, I strongly recommend you take a mastermind. Yes, it will cost you money. Figure out how to pay for it, because not taking it will cost you much, much more.

See my thoughts and clips from the Connection Genius weekend on the Real Estate Disruptors YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YucsxN0WWc4&t=115s