The Power of Paint

A quick little blog entry on the power of paint.  Almost every seller when listing their home can benefit from the power of paint.  It is inexpensive and can really brighten up a room.  Check out this After and Before picture (I did it backwards to keep you on your toes) of wood paneling painted over.

Isn't that amazing! It is amazing how a simple coat of paint can really change the room.

~M.

Grandma Wisdom

I said something to my boss about designing our work spaces that struck a.chord in me. I told him, "Clutter is the enemy of modern decor." (Not like I know anything about modern decor.) But I realized that clutter is the enemy of most things. The best advice is usually the simplest.  My husband would argue the best people to be around are the down home folk that lead simple lives. And now I tend to agree.

I'm a chronic over thinker. Mole hills in my life are often tackled like Mt. Everest.

I am reminded about the wonderful 'Grandma' advice I've been given that is so simple but so effective. So clutter and fluff free.

I also think to my time in college living with a (then) 91 year old and 71 year old. I wish deeply that I would have recorded everything they said. Especially Rhoda.

Rhoda got dressed every morning, always wearing earrings. She had a cat called Little Miss. She drank a glass of wine and a beer every day. She would (fake) yell at me and say "Dont be getting into my wine or beer" and "Don't let the cat out." She loved Dr. Phil, the Gaithers and Jesus.  She approved of Jesse. She told me a "well fed man is a happy man," "Try not to set off the fire alarm ever time you cook," And that if we could make it poor we could make it through anything.

I practiced all my singing "specials" in front of her.  She loved it. As I wipe my eyes right now I think of the Motherly, Grandma wisdom I've recieved.

Simple words for very complicated times.

I want to say more on the subject of simplicity. But I would urge action.  Clear out clutter, listen to the advice your mothers and grandmothers give you and cheerish the moments you spend with them.

Always,

M.

One Word

This year Exit Realty Missoula is joining EXIT Corp in the "One Word" journey.  The premise of "One Word" comes out of failed New Years resolutions and goals gone unmet.  Instead of making a list of "to-do's" you choose one word that you will focus on for the whole year.  Unifying your vision for the next year makes you sharper and simplifies all those plans that you make.  How do you choose your one word?
-Find a quiet place, look inwardly and ask yourself some questions.  "What is prohibiting me in my life?"  "What do I struggle with?"
-Look upward.  Pray, Meditate, talk a walk in nature.
-Look outward.  Think about your family, how you impact others.

I discovered my word right off the bat.  I was having a conversation with my Mother and we were talking about what we wanted our resolutions to be.  Mine kept coming back to the fact that I have so many great plans and resources but I feel like I never completely finish things.  I lost 20 lbs but still needed to change the way I think about food and my body.  I love to sew and have so many awesome materials but don't have space or time.  I am a Realtor and have access to so much awesome training and have quite a bit of clients but I don't have a good system.  

My word is Follow-Through:  "To continue a stroke or motion to the end of its arc.  To press on in an activity or process, especially to its finish."

I find myself being stopped or interrupted during processes, or I take on too many projects and I can't follow through with them.  Shoot, I can't even get through dinner without getting interrupted by a phone call.

I have realized that I can have some quick wins by simply following through with routines and plans.  IE: Dinner time, the cell phone now goes off and is in the other room.  Simple things such as setting up my clients on a newsletter or campaign, thank you cards, putting away laundry, daily devotions.  Some projects are too big to take on in one afternoon.  But I really like what the definition of follow through says to do: PRESS ON!

Sometimes I get stymied by the amount of life that happens and I want to hide or I flake out.  But pressing on gives me the illusion of someone slowly pressing grapes.  It doesn't have to be fast or beautiful, but the outcome is sweet and rich.

What is your one word?

Always,

M.

PUT DOWN THE CELL PHONE (and creating healthy boundries)

As a Realtor® it is very necessary for your business to 1) have a cell phone and 2) answer it promptly. This is not only a good business practice but your main source for leads. If you don't answer, most likely clients will call someone else. As you can see this may pose a problem when it comes to life outside (there is no such thing) of Real Estate.

I knew I was in trouble when my phone rang 4 times, text message alert beeped 2 times and I received 3 emails in a course of our family dinner which is only about 30 minutes long. My husband gave me the "are you serious?" look and I knew what I had to do.

Boundaries. It sounds very defensive but healthy boundaries really put you on the offensive. It all starts with priorities. My priorities look like this:

1. Faith

2. Family

3. Real Estate

I feed my faith in Christ by attending church on Sunday (non negotiable unless I have an out of town buyer or seller that can't be serviced any other time) and having devotionals after dinner with my family. I am also very aware that (for me) Real Estate is a high stress job. I cope the best by reading my Bible and working out (usually in the form of Yoga). When in Yoga, I meditate on scripture and pray.

I protect my time with my family by turning my phone on vibrate at dinner time and leaving it in the living room and asking myself these questions when I receive emails and text messages. Does it need my immediate attention? If so, I tend to it. If not I put it on the back burner. In order to not miss anything I have put on the back burner, I go through all my text messages and emails periodically through the day to make sure I didn't skip anything. I usually always answer my phone I use this line to create a healthy boundary: "I can't talk right now can I call you back in an hour." I know it is simple but it keeps you from running like a chicken with your head cut off. (Just remember to call them back in an hour). I love using my phone calender to schedule call backs.

If Real Estate isn't a priority you will lose clients. I don't have to clock in or clock out, I create my own schedule. Time blocking and to do lists are my secret weapons for getting things done on time. I only have 2.5 years in the Real Estate Industry, so I am still learning by the seat of my pants. As my business grows I am finding out more about my strengths, weaknesses, what works, what doesn't and what makes me feel like a crazy person. :)

The take home: If you are attached to your phone, it is time to scale back. Set your priorities and make sure they reflect in the way you act. Strive to protect the precious things in your life even if it as the expense of something else. Talk it over with your spouse or close friend, ask them if there are any areas they think you could improve on. At EXIT we are encouraged to become a better person, to sharpen your skills and to feed your relationships.

Until next time, M.

My little Promo Video

Hey Readers,
I was soooo excited to create my promo video!  I was nervous at first, I mean a photo shoot?  Felt a little upscale for little ole me and old school Montana.  But it turned out great.  Check it out!

Madison Fulcher Real Estate

Real Estate Mama

It has been a long while since I have written, but it is time I dust off the Blogger cobwebs and get back to it.  I truly enjoy blogging and although my Mom and MIL may be the only ones who read this that is A-OK by me.

In February I became a Real Estate Agent!  Very exciting stuff-so exciting I'm pretty sure most of my friends and family thought I was going through a quarter century crises.  All kidding aside it has been alot of fun and I am learning so much.  Although I am a new agent I am not new to the Real Estate Industry.  Previously I was the Admin.  I am again, but I am also the boss's assistant AND I do my own Real Estate. Busy? Yes.  Loving it? Absolutely.

But as anyone can attest to, learning on the job skills can be tricky.  Here are some things that I have found that have been tricky so far in my Real Estate Career.

1.  State and National Real Estate Licensing can be really frustrating.  Mine went well.  I sat in a super duper long 60 hours of bum numbing class, took a terrifying test and then received my license 2 weeks after.  Sometimes it is not so easy.  Find a Broker that can guide you through it and is in touch with the Board of Realty Regulations.

2.  Real Estate is like one part sales, one part counselor and four parts patience.  Add lots of work, practice dialogue and a good lead generator.  I'm finding the wisdom of our Real Estate Jedi's (those in the office who have been in it awhile) is crucial to my success.

3.  Talking to strangers about a service you provide is TERRIFYING (even if you are an extrovert).  I always try to take my toddler when I must go door to door or social networking if I can help it.  You can't be mean to a cute kid. 

4.  Self Initiative -> Tenacity->Follow Through->Repeat.  I'm finding out I am a great starter but not such a good closer.  Learning the close dialogue on Real Estate situations is tricky for me.

5. Client/time management.  You want to be there  for your clients vs.  you want to be there for your family.  Plus making dinner, cleaning, hobbies (what are those?) and dirty laundry.  Yah, figure that one out.

 It has been a grand adventure so far.  I would have never thought of Real Estate as my career of choice.  I'm so grateful this door has been opened and I have the opportunity to help my husband through school while I become the Real Estate Sugar Mama...

Until next time,

M.

The Office Organizing Ordeal..phew

Well, it is done!  The office corner was mayhem and with DH working and going to school full time and me picking up some more hours nannying I needed a landing place for the important things.  When I thought I lost a check this week I knew something had to be done.

Here is how I got organized on the Office:

Before

1.  Identify what you want to organize, specify exactly what is the major problem.  For this space it was that papers would get everywhere, so every time I had to pay bills I was foraging through stacks of receipts, old mail and junk. That problem became my priority.  I figured out horizontal spaces are the devil.

Before

2.  Create a budget.  I had Christmas money to spend so I figured $50 would be exactly what I needed.  I went over by $10.00.  Not too bad, I knew this space would be the most costly.

Bare bones

3.  Remove EVERYTHING from the space.

4.  Sort through everything.  Does it apply to the space's job?  Have you used it in 6 months-1 Year (get rid of it?  Does it need to be relocated?  I had 3 bins on hand: Relocation bin, Trash Bin and To use bin.  The relocation bin can be for donation or just needs a new place or needs to be put back where it belongs.

5.  Put in the bare bones.

After

After!

6.  Return Items from the top down.

Now ENJOY your organized space!


With the $60 bucks I bought a collapsible storage ottoman from Ross ($20), the wall organizer from Target ($25), the red clock ($7), the black shelf ($10), and the cup ($1).  I also reorganized the drawers and bills.  I tried to be as frugal as possible and use what we had.  The wood 2X4 actually says "give thanks" on the back but it doesn't really match our decor so I flipped it over and put nails in for a coat rack. :)

Stay tuned next week for the Kitchen Makeover!


~ M.