In Case You Missed It at Inman Conference New York 2023, here is some of the best advice from our panelist from our Wednesday session on Refining Your Business Plan. We had such a wonderful time soaking in the expertise of some of the top ladies in the industry!
 Jennifer Branchini California Association of REALTORS® 2023 San Francisco Bay REALTORS® | If you don’t write it down, it’s not going to happen. My dad once said to me, the years he didn’t have a plan were his worst years in his business. Its the old adage, prepare to plan or plan to fail. (I am not done).lol My go to books as I prepare to business plan each year are the following: It Starts with Why by Simon Sinek, Atomic Habits by James Clear, Who Moved My Cheese, Spenser Johnson and the 5-second rule by Mel Robbins. |
If it is not on the calendar, it does not exist. - schedule your workouts, time on your business, visits with clients, vacations, and time with friends and family. Priority Management vs. Time Management - Schedule your day, week, and month.
Set clear strategic priorities and goals. - Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Annually, and 3, 5, and 10 year. Know your strengths and understand the areas where you are not as strong. Outsource or hire talent that supports the areas where you are not as strong. Podcast: No Stupid Questions (Dubner/Duckworth), Freakanomics Radio (Dubner), A Bit of Optimism (Sinek), Smartless (Bateman/Hayes/Arnet) Books: Start with Why, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Dare to Lead, Can’t Hurt Me |  Heather Ozur California Association of REALTORS® Treasurer 2022-2023 Palm Springs REALTOR® |
 Christine George Co Founder, Post & Beam Creative | Know your numbers. They tell a story about your business and inform your goals and marketing strategy. For example, you may think you’re staying in touch with your past clients but then you see that referrals are only 50% of your business. That’s a clue that you need to be more intentional about your client nurturing plan. Focus on your strengths and delegate the things you don’t like or aren’t good at. If you hate the paperwork, hire a transaction coordinator. Focus on strengthening your strengths, become better at the things you love to do. Maintain a daily ritual - These are so important. We are creatures of habit as they say. Most of us thrive on structure. Maintaining a daily ritual will ensure you make time for the most important things in your life and your business. Book - Daring Leadership by Brene Brown |
1. Know your Why. Your Why should make you cry!
2. Follow the 20/20/20 Rule.
3. Business planning and goal setting are great, but they only work if you implement them.
4. Write the vision down, put it all on your vision board and review it daily. Book Recommendation: 5 Things Successful People Do Before 8 A.M. Book by Terri Savelle Foy |  Martha Melendez VP, Talent Attraction + Global Real Estate Advisor, Engel & Volker Aspire Group |
 Nina Dosanjh Chief Technology and Strategy Officer, Vangaurd Properties | Flexibility is key when it comes to business planning. Business plans are not set in stone. A well crafted plan should be a living document that is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the ever- changing real estate landscape. Be prepared to adapt and pivot as needed to ensure the success of your business and don’t be afraid to seek feedback from mentors to make sure your plan is realistic and effective. Technology can easily become overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Instead, take time to familiarize yourself with the tools that will improve efficiency in your business. Make sure to integrate these technology products into your business plan. Start by creating a list of all the technology products you currently use, and take time to watch tutorials and experiment with them until you feel confident and proficient in their usage. When it comes to technology products, it’s important to remember that they should add value to your business and make your processes more efficient. Avoid implementing technology just for the sake of it, but rather choose the products that will have the most impact on your business. This way you will be able to see a real return on investment and improve your business performance. Fav Book: The Mountain is You- by Brianna Wiest |
Don’t compare yourself to others. Comparing your chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 10 will only make you feel badly about yourself. You can aspire to be like them, but realize that they also went through a journey, and usually with influences and “life” that you’re not aware of. If you’re a conference “junkie” or go to trainings regularly it can be easy to get distracted by things that aren’t in your business plan. For instance, if your goal is to improve on Youtube then focus on learning more about Youtube. If you dilute it with masterminds and trainings on FSBOs then you take your eye off of the focus of Youtube. It’s okay to make monthly goals with different focuses. PODCAST: The East Coast 5am Club - I was a moderator for a while, but since moving I had to step back. Each day there’s a 5 minute nugget about business strategy, tactics, motivation and mindset, or health and wellness. |  Karen Store Global Real Estate Advisor Engel & Völkers Park City |
 Stacey Soleil Head of Community + Industry Relations, Follow Up Boss | 1.) When choosing tools to build out your business tech stack, make sure what you invest in will grow with you instead of you growing out of it. 2.) If you find yourself avoiding tech solutions because you’re intimidated by it, consider leaning into what I call a “Techspirational” relationship with another woman in the industry. So many women have years of experience in communication, business, conversation skills, overcoming objections etc, but they suck at tech. Guess what? There’s lots of younger ladies out there who tech comes easy to, but they are on the struggle bus with your talents. Pair up and max out your potential TOGETHER! 3.) Book Recommendation: Generations at Work - Managing the Clash of Boomers, Gen Xers, and Gen Yers in the Workplace Co-Authored by female author Claire Raines. |
Your Business Plan is a living breathing document. As your life and or the market shifts, it's ok to adjust your Business Plan accordingly throughout the year. At the very least you should review it every quarter. Celebrate what you DID accomplish, learn & pivot where needed regarding things you didn't accomplish and edit any future strategies/plans that no longer serve you well. Make sure your Business Plan is expansive enough to provide you multiple places to win at the end of this year. Confidence sells in this business. The more confidence you have the more profit you make. Confidence is built from experiencing wins. Set plans that include opportunities for Daily, Weekly and Monthly WINS…..not just Annual. A good YEAR comes from good MONTHS, good months come from good WEEKS, and good weeks come from good DAYS. Does your business plan set you up to WIN Daily, Weekly and Monthly? Treat your business LIKE a business and it will pay you like one. BOOK: Rich as F*ck by Amanda Frances❤️ |  Crystal White Director of Agent Development + Realtor, @Properties |
 Molly McKinley Founder, Redtail Creative | Start with a very clearly articulated intention. This year, I will (fill in your blanks). Get as clear as you possibly can, visualizing who you are creating with, how it feels to do the work, and the highest purpose of doing so. Write all of these specifics down, and post it in the place where you work daily as a consistent reminder of where you are going. The more specific your plan, the more likely you will be able to achieve the goals. Book Rec: Lost & Founder by Rand Fishkin. Finally someone is telling the real stories of start-up life and debunking the mythology of how most companies actually achieve success. |
We live in a world of distraction & reaction as opposed to that of intentional creation. Spend 10 minutes first thing in the morning listening to something positive with the mindset that “it is possible” and be open to receiving it. Get out ahead of everyone else by creating an intentional life vs a reactionary one. You know what they say about never going to a grocery store hungry? You feel hungry & you buy the junk :) Same with your life & business. Don’t make decisions when you feel fear, don’t start relationships when you feel lonely. Don’t sign up for the latest product when you panic you’re not doing enough. Don’t make choices based on what you see someone else doing on social media. You do your shopping when your thriving and full, not striving & starving. Book: Shark Tales, Barbara Corcoran Podcast: How I Built This with Guy Raz |  Tiffany McQuaid CEO, McQuaid & Company |
 Pam Blair Broker/Owner, YogaBug Real Estate | Establish Self-Care Goals/Times including Vacation FIRST. Taking care of ourSELF is the foundation of a successful year and paves the way to executing the rest of our business plan with clarity, efficiency and joy. Set short-term (1 year) as well as long-term (5-10 year) goals. Make sure that some of your short term goals are laying the foundation work for your long term vision. When we have a long term vision, we feel more clear and confident in our short term goals. Be willing to let old ideas go!!! Honestly reassessing what serves you NOW is essential. Be open to the possibility that the way we did things in the past might be inhibiting us from moving forward. Letting go of old identifications and ways of being will pave the way for our next greatest steps. |