Many of you have asked for an update. Let me tell you, this is as good as it gets! 100 of my dearest friends across the continent want to know what I'm up to, whether I am okay, and how the business is coming together!

It is so true that when one door closes, several others open. God called me to open my own business. We chose a name, bought domains, and are partnering with Pro Step Marketing(TM) to design our logo and build our Web site (launch target is March 1st). As of yesterday, we are now officially a Colorado LLC (thanks to my husband Jeff)!

And so it is, that I already have seven wonderful coaching clients, have facilitated a team planning retreat, am doing ongoing consulting work for one real estate team, and have booked an onsite consult for another team for mid-February. Remember, referrals are my lifeblood - send those names and contact information my way!

I am headed to the Keller Williams convention February 9-13, 2008, in Atlanta. This trip will give me much-needed hugs and reconnects with a bunch of great people. While there, I hope to organize a dinner with some of my dear local friends (Marsha, Zac, Christine, Leslie, Bonnie, I'll be calling!).

At the end of February, I will be in Seattle taking the LYV Licensing course at the Academy for Coach Training. What does this mean for clients? We'll be creating a small-group (8 to 12 people), intense retreat for them to get clear on who they are and what they want out of life. I went through this process one-on-one with my coach, Susan McKay, in July 2002. It changed my life. So be on the lookout for more information on that!

Thank you, and God bless you all for being such an important, reliable, supportive part of my life.

I had the distinct honor of facilitating the Sanders and Associates Team Planning Retreat on Thursday, January 25.

The biggest reason prospective buyers aren't buying right now is because they aren't educated about how amazing the opportunity is right now. Between the record-low interest rates (yes, they dropped in response to the Fed rate cut, to around 5.25% for a 30-year conventional loan) and the low prices available in most markets, buyers would be crazy not to buy.

But if you don't tell them, how will they know? Sam Miller out of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, regularly posts valuable information through video stream on YouTube and his own Web site. Go listen to his broadcast and create your own, or if you don't have the time and resources to do that, send his link out to your prospective buyers. Third-party experts carry credibility!

I received this quote today from my dear friend Russell Shaw, top-notch agent in Phoenix, Arizona. It was spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Deep down in our non-violent creed is the conviction there are some things so dear, some things so precious, some things so eternally true, that they are worth dying for. And if a man happens to be 36 years old, as I happen to be, and some great truth stands before the door of his life, some great opportunity to stand up for that which is right... a man might be afraid his home will get bombed, or he's afraid that he will lose his job, or he's afraid he will get shot, or beat down by state troopers. He may play it safe and go on to live until he's 80. He's just as dead at 36 as he would be at 80, and the cessation of breathing in his life is merely the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit. He died."

We all have moments of holding back, for whatever our reasons may be. Most of us will find ourselves at a significant crossroads in our life at some point. This fine man was willing to lay his life on the line for what he believed and held dear. Take some time today to reflect on what those things are in your life that mean so much to you, that you cherish at a level you would be willing to die standing up for them.

What level of priority are you placing on those ideals, those people, those items? Check in with yourself and see whether it's time to make some adjustments.

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing-that's why we recommend it daily." – Zig Ziglar

What’s your daily ritual? When you get up in the morning, what do you have planned to start your day on the right foot?

Take some time today to assess whether the actions you’ve chosen are putting you in a frame of mind to succeed on every front. Here are some possible outlets:
Exercise
Meditation or prayer
Affirmations
Listening to motivational CDs
Playing with kids or a pet

Motivate daily, and make sure you wash behind those ears!

We've all had them - the proverbial bad days. For me, they come few and far between. When they do hit, I know it's critical to go to a positive source and re-center myself.

Top-producing agent and dear friend Russell Shaw from Phoenix is one of those sources. He's the kind of guy you can't be around one minute without at least giggling just a little. Russell is the embodiment of positive attitude.

Check out his blog post from yesterday. It's truly beautiful and inspiring. Bookmark it and go back to it when you're having a "bad day" and you'll be reminded how blessed your day actually is.

Hug someone today; smile at a stranger; make the minutes count!

I have been moved by the sight of lions for as long as I can remember. Whenever we visited my grandparents, we would go to the St. Louis Zoo, and my primary focus was to get over to Big Cat Country and see the lions.

While in the Denver International Airport between business trips back in 2003, I visited an art gallery displaying the works of artist Thomas D. Mangelsen. I came across a stunning picture of a pride of lions traversing a dirt road. Its title was Changing Lanes.

As I consider my purpose for opening this business, I realize that people are at different stages in their business and personal lives. Some are looking to jump into the "fast lane" and explode their business. Others have been driving the fast lane too long and are ready to get in the slow lane. Some are poised to set the cruise control and travel that middle lane. And some are ready to flat out get off the road.

No matter where you're at, Changing Lanes Consulting is here to help you. It's time to get clear on where you want to go, develop the map of how to get there, and enjoy the drive along the way.

Wow, I am still in shock and so excited to be starting my own coaching and consulting company. Many know I am the former Executive Vice President of STAR POWER Systems, the absolute top of the line real estate training, motivating, and educating organization in the world.


Back in 1992, I was recruited into real estate by a local Coldwell Banker office in West Lafayette, Indiana. There I was blessed to be introduced to Cathy Russell, the top producer in the county. I started doing open houses for her, and before any of us knew it, I was on her team!

In November of 1993, I traveled with Cathy to the National Association of REALTORS convention, where she was interviewed by the one-and-only Howard Brinton, founder and CEO of STAR POWER. An incredible relationship was born.

In 1996, after much soul searching, I knew God was calling me to step up to the next level. I reached out to Howard Brinton, and with Cathy Russell's blessing, picked up and moved, with my husband Jeff and 13-week-old (at the time) son Calvin, to Colorado.


What a profound and impactful step that was! We were able to create and successfully launch the renowned STAR POWER University programs (first class was Team Training, November 1-3, 1996); Conference leaped from 970 attendees in Naples, Florida in 1996 to nearly 2,000 in New York City in 2006; and a host of products were developed (I am very proud of developing Changing Markets First Aid Kit, which launched the summer of 2006 and sold over 1,000 units its first year out).

The greatest gift, by far, was the family I gained in the STAR POWER network. You won't find a more brilliant, gifted, generous, sharing bunch of people than the STAR POWER Stars. Some of my best friends have come from this network.

In 2001, both Howard and I decided to get first-hand exposure to what coaching was by becoming trained coaches ourselves. We enrolled in the Academy for Coach Training in Bellevue, Washington, and after five courses and a year of training, we each received the Certified Professional Coach (CPC) designation.

In June of 2002, God brought me my business coach and lifelong friend in the making, Susan McKay. She saved my life. And because of her rare and awesome talent, I have grown to be the coach I am today. Powerful hardly describes the woman.

Hundreds of clients and hours later, I am thrilled to open my own coaching and consulting business, focusing primarily on real estate professionals. I love this industry, and aspire to give back to this network that has been so kind and generous to me.