Editor’s note: This week RISMedia is running a five-part series of Q&As with Top 5 in Real Estate member Valerie Fitzgerald, owner of The Valerie Fitzgerald Group (www.thevaleriefitzgeraldgroup.com) in Beverly Hills, California. Valerie will offer unique insight into what it takes to be successful in today’s challenging times, and her new book, “Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business,” due on bookstands May 19.
Part 4
RISMEDIA, May 14, 2009-RISMedia: You recently became a member of the “The Real Estate Top 200,” a prestigious national award ranking sponsored annually by The Wall Street Journal, which ranks you in the top 1 percent of the more than 1.2 million Realtors® nationwide. What are the three top business rules you live by?
Valerie Fitzgerald: Say what you mean, mean what you say, and don’t say it mean.
You say, that you stopped getting ready to get ready. Was it your daughter that gave you the courage to take action?
Being a good mother to my daughter gave me the courage to take action. Wanting to be the best mother I could be…to provide for her, support her.
You say that your daughter was your power source. Please explain.
She was my power source. She was the ‘spark that lights the pilot light’, but that’s not enough – you have to love WHY you are doing something. The thing in you that’s making you do what you are doing is not enough to sustain you….it’s the WHY.
RISMedia: How have you used the power of visualization and goals in your success?
VF: Visualization – I’ve always had, for as long as I can remember, very clear vision boards. Right now, I have one in my office and a big 5×5 board at my house. Really simple corkboards with things posted on them that inspire me. For many years, those things were my windows – I never had an office with a window, so I could look at expressions, sayings, a beautiful picture, whatever it is/was that gave/gives me inspiration. Sometimes I’d right goals, like ‘I want to sell two houses this week’ or ‘this is where I’m going on my next vacation’ and have it point to some tropical island. I put things that were swimming around in my head – goals, wants, and inspirations – and put them on my boards.
It’s funny, people try to argue the ‘I want’ with ‘you don’t really need’ – that’s not the point….if there is something you ‘want’ you ‘want’ it and there’s no reason you shouldn’t have it. Goals are for getting the things you want. It all relates to the Law of Attraction and how thinking-seeing-and believing can manifest your goals and desires.
Tomorrow, Valerie will explain how to be successful no matter what the market conditions are and how to stay energized in today’s busy lifestyles.
For more information about The Valerie Fitzgerald Group, visit www.thevaleriefitzgeraldgroup.com.
Missed Parts 1-3?
- Part 1: Competitive Marketing and Pricing Challenges in Today’s Market
Part 2: The 3 Worst Mistakes a Seller Should Avoid
Part 3: What You Can Learn about Yourself Through Writing
