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MELISSA TUCCI Executive Agent of the Month
Inside Features: Armida Santana Century 21 Town & Country
Crystal Unrue Divergent Realty
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www.loanDepot.com/rhedrick and clicking the “Apply Now” button. 2. They will be prompted to register their account and answer a few simple questions. 3. Once complete, the borrower will get a confirmation email including login credentials to access our Consumer Portal. 4. At the same time, the dedicated loanDepot Loan Consultant will get a notification to get started on next steps!
Borrowers that participate in online banking can immediately import a 60-day account history. Borrowers can pull credit themselves and see their scores instantly. Disclosures and other documentation are provided electronically, offering the ability to e-Sign and e-Consent. loanDepot’s mello™ Consumer Portal allows for clients to upload their documents online, retrieve their disclosures, and receive real-time notifications on pertinent loan process milestones and any conditions that may be required from them along the way. Day 1 Certainty: While applying through the mello™ application, salaried borrowers from participating employers may be eligible and qualify for Day 1 Certainty*— an automated validation service that electronically validates income, assets and employment. This eliminates the need for bank statements, W2’s and paystubs and allows us to close loans faster while delivering an optimal borrower experience.
The mello™ Digital Mortgage Application puts your clients in control of their mortgage. CONTACT ME TO LEARN MORE! Richard Hedrick
NMLS#1059650 Branch Manager (909) 912-7835 office (714) 400-2753 cell 21804 Cactus Ave, Suite 102 Riverside, CA 92518 rhedrick@loanDepot.com www.loanDepot.com/rhedrick
Ontario Branch
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(909) 912-7810 3281 E Guasti Rd, Suite 550 Ontario, CA 91761
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(909) 912-7835 11801 Pierce Street, Suite 200 Riverside, CA 92505
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*Day 1 Certainty (“D1C”) is Fannie Mae’s automated DU® validation service. “D1C” may be available for conventional buyers with a 680 credit score or higher. This information is not intended to be an indication of loan qualification, loan approval or commitment to lend. Loans are subject to credit and property approval. Other limitations may apply. Rates, terms and availability of programs are subject to change without notice. loanDepot.com, LLC NMLS ID 174457. Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act CRMLA 4131040. (062218 100601)
EXECUTIVE AGENT OF THE MONTH
Melissa Tucci Coldwell Banker West
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Inside Features
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Armida Santana
Crystal Unrue
Century 21 Town & Country
Divergent Realty ExecutiveAgent Magazine
San Diego - September, 2018 Editorials
E XECUTIVE AGENT
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Fred Arrias Executive Publisher PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Ph: (949) 297-8323 Fax: (949) 266-8757 FArrias45@gmail.com www.ExecutiveAgentMag.com
7 Practical Tips to Achieve a Positive Mindset -Larry Alton
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How to Gain Confidence and Become the Greatest -Zachariah Bourne
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX - IE City of Hope..........................................................34 iPhotography Studio...............................................23
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Never Mistake Activity for Achievement -Craig Impelman
loanDepot®..............................................................2 NAHREP.................................................................30 PWAOR...................................................................27 The Termite Guy......................................................3
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VAREP.....................................................................36
How to Take on the Day Like Your Dog -Gila Kurtz
WCR........................................................................26
Photography: iPhotography Studio, Ian Wiant, Rob Paino Graphic Designer: Garon T. Arrias Editorial Manager: Trudy Van Writers: Ben Angel, John Boe, Haley Freeman, Jim Rohn, Walter Sanford, Dirk Zeller, Zig Ziglar Craig Harrison, Simma Lieberman, Chris Widener, Mark Victor Hansen, Brian Tracy, Denis Waitley
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7 Personality Traits of a Great Leader -Jim Rohn
© Copyright 2018 Executive Agent Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Executive Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.
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3 Proven Ways to Increase Your Confidence -Sonia Thompson
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E XECUTIVE AGENT
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Written by Haley Freeman
Armida Santana
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rmida Santana was a single mother working as a secretary for a home finance company. One day, her manager, Mr. Gordon, called her into his office after work. “I want to make you an invitation,” he said. “I invite you to believe in you. I am inviting you to live up to your potential and all you know about the business, and get your license as a Loan Consultant.”
That one conversation changed the course of Armida’s life. She accepted Mr. Gordon’s invitation and went on to work as a Loan Consultant for several years. Eventually, a real estate broker suggested that she had everything she needed to succeed in real estate sales. So, she got her real estate license, and she has been with CENTURY 21 ever since.
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An Invitation to the American Dream During her 15 years in real estate, Armida has also changed lives by helping people in the Hispanic community achieve the American Dream. “I like to help the Hispanic community because so many are misinformed. They think it’s impossible to become a homeowner, and I love to show them they can do it. When I can accomplish that, it is wonderful!”
being the mom of three to a mom of six. Today, she is enjoying her grandchildren. In her free time, she loves gardening and reading devotional and motivational literature. Armida also gives back to the community by volunteering at a local shelter that provides transitional housing and job placement to homeless families.
With her background in mortgage lending, Armida is skilled at assessing her clients’ eligibility for home loans and down payment assistance programs. She prepares them ahead of time for the paperwork they will need, so that by the time she connects them with a lender, they are ready to proceed with a transaction. “I also know whether it will be a smooth transaction or if we have some issues we need to solve, so I can work with the lender to make it as easy as possible for the client.”
Armida is paying forward the opportunity given to her by Mr. Gordon all those years ago by inviting people to live up to their potential and achieve the American Dream. She brings her heart of service and genuine care for people to every real estate transaction. “My favorite quote is, ‘Hard work always pays off.’ Home ownership is a reality. People can do it. They love it when I tell them, ‘Just provide what I ask for, and I will do the rest.’”
Armida has developed a loyal client following, and she works almost entirely by referral. Clients know they can always rely upon her honesty, and they appreciate her constant communication throughout the real estate process. “I update all of my clients at least once a week. I don’t believe in people calling me; I always call them first. I am committed to giving my clients 100 percent of my effort so they will call me again and refer me. I always tell them that if I don’t do what they expect, they can either tell me or fire me.”
Armida Santana Century 21 Town & Country 3700 Inland Empire Blvd., Suite 150 Ontario, CA 91764 Tel: 562-708-4344 Email: ArmidaSellsHomes@gmail.com Web: https://armida-santana.c21.com CalBRE # 01862774
Recently, a repeat client hired Armida to sell his $1.3 million property. While he had many other agents vying for his business, he told Armida that he wouldn’t choose anyone else. “I meet many wonderful people in my business, and that kind of loyalty motivates me to give my best service,” she says. While technology has changed the way real estate service is delivered, Armida has never stopped cultivating person-to-person contact with the families she has met through real estate. She calls and visits them regularly just to say hello, and she considers them more than clients - they are also friends. Armida eventually remarried, and she went from ExecutiveAgent Magazine
3 Proven Ways to Increase Your Confidence
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onfidence has a hypnotic effect on people. “The first time I recognized it was at a flamenco show in Barcelona a few years back. I was mesmerized by the performance of a beautiful full-figured middle-aged woman. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her as she danced. My friends and I eventually dubbed her ‘the most confident woman in the world.’” It was like she bathed in a tub full of confidence on a daily basis. I knew if I had just a piece of what she exuded while on that stage, I would be unstoppable. There’s data to back that up. Studies show that confidence is closely correlated with success, and even more so than competence. That’s why it feels like some of the people we most associate with being successful appear to have an abundance of the coveted trait. But the reality is, confidence is something we all can develop and increase. Even better, science has shown us specifically how to do it. In their book The Confidence Code, authors Katy Kay and Claire Shipman went on an extensive quest to find out how people could increase their confidence. Here’s how they summarized their findings: “And so fortunately, a substantial part of the confidence code is what psychologists call volitional: our choice. With diligent effort, we can all choose to expand our confidence. But we will get there if we stop trying to be perfect and start being prepared to fail.” Take imperfect action. Fail. Use what you learn to take action again. Repeat until you consistently get results you can feel proud and confident about. Let’s take a closer look at how to start implementing
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these methods: 1. Surround yourself with confident people. In her best-selling book Grit, Angela Duckworth explained that one of the ways to develop grit, or any other trait you aspire to have, is to spend time with a group of people who are doing what you want to do or possess the skill you desire to develop. “The drive to fit in—to conform to the group—is powerful indeed. Some of the most important psychology experiments in history have demonstrated how quickly, and usually without conscious awareness, the individual falls in line with a group that is acting or thinking a different way.” Thus, if you struggle to be confident, start hanging around confident people. Not only will you start embodying the mindset that helps them be successful, but you’ll start to latch on to the activities that enabled them to get there, too. When I started learning how to dance Argentine tango, everyone I knew danced better than me. My confidence level was at zero. But they kept encouraging me to dance, to go to classes and to try new things while on the dance floor. Their confidence in me fueled my own. And their commitment to practicing to get better made it easier for me to do the same. 2. Take consistent action. I’ve spent a significant amount of time studying successful entrepreneurs, performers and leaders from many different walks of life. And one of the key markers that fueled their attainment of mastery, that gave them the confidence to perform at such a high level, was taking action. Consistently. They showed up, day in, day out, over and over again, to do the work that would help them improve their skills.
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Performers who sell out stadiums around the world, pro-athletes who dominate their sport, entrepreneurs who appear to have the magic touch—all of them invested significant time in the trenches taking the actions necessary that enabled them to get so good that they could not be ignored. Confidence comes from knowing you are capable of completing a task to your level of satisfaction. You can’t think your way to that kind of confidence. Deliberate action (not merely busyness) produces the know-how you need. Data proves this, as well. Dan Chambliss is a sociologist who spent years studying Olympic swimmers and what enabled them to perform at such a high level. “Superlative performance is really a confluence of dozens of small skills or activities, each one learned or stumbled upon, which have been carefully drilled into habit and then are fitted together in a synthesized whole. There is nothing extraordinary or superhuman in any one of those actions; only the fact that they are done consistently and correctly, and all together, produce excellence.” When excellence becomes your habit, confidence will be a natural byproduct. And the only way to develop a habit is to do the work over and over again. 3. Fail your way to mastery. You don’t get to mastery without a string of failures that point you in the right direction to deliver predictable highquality results. Of course, nobody wants to fail. But if you want to succeed, that is exactly what you have to get more comfortable doing.
The more often you fail, the more knowledge you obtain about what works and what doesn’t. The more insight you have about how to produce a hit, the easier it becomes for you to be confident that the path you are moving along will bring you the results you desire. The more progress you make, the less likely you have your confidence destroyed when something doesn’t go your way. Seth Godin is an 18-time best-selling author. Before he published any of his best-sellers, he spent 10 years as a book packager, producing a book a month. Producing 120 books, many of which sold very little, taught him many things about how to deliver work his audience wanted to buy. James Dyson spent 15 years producing more than 5,000 prototypes before he developed the one that launched his billion dollar vacuum company. He wrote: “There were tough times, but each failure brought me closer to solving the problem.” You can become more confident no matter your starting point. It all starts with recognizing that you can develop the competence you need to be excellent. And then, of course, you’ve got to take the necessary actions that will help you get there. In time, as your skills grow, so will your confidence, the mesmerizing effect you have on people and your level of success. Sonia Thompson is a marketing strategist, consultant and author. She covers how company culture, diversity and relationship-based marketing helps businesses create remarkable customer experiences that get them the customers they want and keep them coming back for more.
Failure leaves clues as to how to succeed. And success breeds confidence.
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Crystal Unrue Authenticity, Integrity, Dedication Written by Haley Freeman
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rystal Unrue is a top-producing Realtor® with a passion for helping others. Her first career in insurance management and healthcare education was a natural fit for her strong organizational skills and compassion for people. Those same skills
to have fun and build relationships with my clients, and most turn into friends. A quote I like to say is, ‘Communication is the human connection.’ It truly is, and I put it into practice by educating my clients about the whole process and maintaining communication through every step. It’s my job to take on all the worries and protect their interests so they can have a stress-free real estate experience.” Crystal’s five-star client reviews are evidence that she is delivering what she promises. A recent buyer said: “Crystal was amazing! She helped us buy our first dream home and made the process extremely smooth! She definitely knows what she’s doing. She was very reliable, personable, and knowledgeable. She was always available to answer our questions at any time of the day and kept us informed on what was going on the entire process. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is looking to buy a home! Thank you Crystal!”
have made her successful in real estate, where she is committed to providing first-class service with a human connection. “I prefer to focus on helping families versus the number of units I sell,” she says. “Authenticity and integrity are the values I focus on as an agent. I love
Another stated: “Crystal took lots of time to get to know me and what I was looking for. She delivered! I couldn’t be happier with my new condo. She walked me through everything from start to finish, with the mortgage company, escrow and finally was there with a huge smile when she delivered my keys. Our relationship went from client to a solid friendship. I highly recommend Crystal for your real estate needs.” Crystal joined boutique Divergent Realty at its inception in 2017, and as part of this close-knit and professional office, she enjoys working as a solo agent with the support of her trusted colleagues.
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“I met our broker, Jackie Soto, a few years ago when our kids played sports together. I’ve been here since day one, and we work closely together. She is very empowering, and the special bond we all have helps us to provide exceptional service to our clients.” Finding new ways to add value to clients is a big part of the culture at Divergent. “We are huge on marketing. It’s one of the top things we focus on. We’re not just taking pictures with our cell phones and putting them on the MLS. Everything is professional and syndicated to real estate platforms like Redfin and Zillow. We also advertise listings in the newspaper. Believe it or not, old school methods still work! Video is also becoming a huge thing in the industry, so we are doing lifestyle videos and paying models to be a part of that. We like to think outside the box and find things that grab people’s attention. We just had a Kona Ice truck at an open house last weekend. It was a fun and simple way of attracting people to stop by on a hot day.” Crystal sends monthly newsletters to neighborhoods throughout Corona, and she looks for occasions to promote small businesses in the area by offering discounts to local residents. “I like to send things that people can use, like coupons for ice cream. It keeps things fun and light, and creates an opportunity to network with the community.”
somebody told me that I’d wake up every day without a job. Every morning, that’s what I tell myself. It pushes me harder knowing that I have to prove myself every day. Every day it’s my choice and responsibility to go out and take care of people who are relying on me to help them through the biggest transaction of their lives.”
Crystal Unrue Divergent Realty 14241 Fern Ave., Suite A Chino, CA 91710 Tel: 909.373.6073 Email: crystalsellssocal@gmail.com Web: https://divergentrealty.com CalBRE #02031370
A lifetime resident of the Inland Empire, Crystal is a wife and mother of two who enjoys spending time outdoors with her family. She loves the community where she grew up and finds satisfaction in helping others make their home there. Crystal begins each day with a renewed dedication to succeed. “When I first started in real estate,
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The Human Connection
How to Gain Confidence and Become the Greatest
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he stories of major successes are full of radical actions that put people in a position ahead of the pack.
• While in college, Bill Gates acquired his first deal that founded Microsoft by calling the president of MIT-Systems and securing a meeting for a demonstration of new software for their platform. In truth, he hadn’t even written a single line of code. • David Bowie hired a large number of bodyguards to follow him just to make him appear famous while in the U.S. • Self-improvement guru Wayne Dyer would call bookstores in different accents pretending to be customers in order to drum up demand for his first book. • Benny Blanco (writer for Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Maroon 5) tells the story of his unsigned days: “I used to cold call labels and pretend I was one of their artist’s attorneys. I’d say, ‘This is Jay-Z’s attorney, we need to speak with Craig Kallman,’ you know, owner of Atlantic, and they’d say, ‘Right away.’ And then I’d be like, ‘Please just listen to my demo tape!’” Breaking into an industry, building your first client list or getting that dream job without the necessary experience can be tough. These are hurdles that prevent most people from achieving. Without the track record or client base, you have to make up the entirety of the difference in one quality: pure confidence. It’s the real, genuine inner belief in yourself and
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your own abilities that will propel you into a higher league where these outrageous ideas of action live. It helps you find the weak points in the system for you to exploit in a way that actually benefits all parties involved. How to Gain Confidence Shawn Achor, positive psychology expert and bestselling author, describes positivity as the Happiness Advantage. He says success is fueled by happiness, not the other way around. In positive states, our brains become creatively inclined, confident, positively expectant, more productive and involved in new projects. 1. Enter a state of strong positive emotion. To become receptive to new ideas, you must first get positive. From this place, you can begin repeating your desired characteristics in your mind, or aloud like a mantra. Lady Gaga describes it like this: “And it’s not yet; it’s a lie. You’re saying a lie, over and over and over again. And then one day the lie is true.” Initially her circumstances did not reflect what she was saying, and that’s how it’s going to be when you start doing this kind of work. You have to live in that faith. You have to believe it and know it. There has to be a certainty behind the beautiful lies you keep repeating to yourself every day, the ones about what you want your life to be.
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“I am the greatest. I said that before I even knew I was.” —Muhammad Ali
2. Focus your mind on the desired goal.
“It was really insane at the time,” Stallone describes turning down such a deal.
When things show up that are not in alignment with your goal, ignore them completely. You want to attach the idea of confidence to you. Ask yourself, How would I feel if I had it now? What does that success feel like? Take time to really feel what you want. Be confident in your desires. Feel that pride in yourself, that excitement of having accomplished your dream. When Madonna was asked what she was like before she became Madonna. She replied that she’s always been Madonna in her mind. She was first signed when she visited the recovering Seymour Stein (co-founder of Sire Records) in the hospital with her demo in a Walkman. It was the first time they met and he was impressed with her music and her drive. To get her first movie role at age 20, she wrote director Steven Lewicki a three-page handwritten letter describing herself and her life. Without a résumé or headshot, Madonna was cast in the thriller A Certain Sacrifice.
You are already more than enough to achieve all that you want in life, so be confident in your happiness and your goals. Confidence can be the differencemaker in your success. The things other people don’t have the confidence to do can be your open door to a different life. Zachariah Bourne is a positivity enthusiast and songwriter based out of New York City, and author of the upcoming book Blissed Out. He believes success lives in those who seek it. He emphasizes self-development through happiness, focus and selflove. Zachariah has been empowering lives for more than a decade through personal coaching sessions, radio interviews and webinars. His passion is sharing uplifting ideas to help people create radically better lives.
3. Put yourself first. Make you and how you feel the two most important things. You deserve all that you desire for yourself. When Sylvester Stallone was dirt broke, he wrote Rocky and turned down $300,000 for the script, (equivalent to $1 million today). He said the only way the studio could use the script was if he played Rocky.
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7 Personality Traits of a Great Leader
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f you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself. Leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manager, as a parent. Jim Rohn calls leadership the great challenge of life. What’s important in leadership is refining your skills. All great leaders keep working on themselves until they become effective. Here’s how: 1. Learn to be strong but not impolite. It is an extra step you must take to become a powerful, capable leader with a wide range of reach. Some people mistake rudeness for strength. It’s not even a good substitute. 2. Learn to be kind but not weak. We must not mistake weakness for kindness. Kindness isn’t weak. Kindness is a certain type of strength. We must be kind enough to tell someone the truth. We must be kind enough and considerate enough to lay it on the line. We must be kind enough to tell it like it is and not 14
deal in delusion. 3. Learn to be bold but not a bully. It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you’ve got to walk in front of your group. You’ve got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, discover the first sign of trouble. Like the farmer, if you want any rewards at harvest time, you have got to be bold and face the weeds and the rain and the bugs straight on. You’ve got to seize the moment. 4. Learn to be humble but not timid. You can’t get to the high life by being timid. Some people mistake timidity for humility. But humility is a virtue; timidity is a disease. It’s an affliction. It can be cured, but it is a problem. Humility is almost a God-like word—a sense of awe, a sense of wonder, an awareness of the human soul and spirit, an understanding that there is something unique about the human drama versus the rest of life. Humility is a grasp of the distance between us and the stars, yet having the feeling that we’re part of the stars.
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5. Learn to be proud but not arrogant. It takes pride to build your ambitions. It takes pride in your community. It takes pride in a cause, in accomplishment. But the key to becoming a good leader is to be proud without being arrogant. Do you know the worst kind of arrogance? Arrogance from ignorance. It’s intolerable. If someone is smart and arrogant, we can tolerate that. But if someone is ignorant and arrogant, that’s just too much to take. 6. Learn to develop humor without folly. In leadership, we learn that it’s OK to be witty but not silly; fun but not foolish.
can be adopted to work well for just about everyone: at work, in the community and at home. Jim Rohn knows the secrets of success - in business and in life. He has devoted his life to a study of the fundamentals of human behavior and personal motivation that affect professional performance. He can awaken the unlimited power of achievement within you! Reproduced with permission from the Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine. Copyright© 2006, Jim Rohn. All right reserved. For information about Jim’s keynote presentations and seminars, contact the FrogPond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@ FrogPond.com, http://FrogPond.com.
7. Learn to deal in realities. Deal in truth. Save yourself the agony of delusion. Just accept life as it is—the whole drama of life. It’s fascinating. Life is unique. Leadership is unique. The skills that work well for one leader may not work at all for another. However, the fundamental skills of leadership ExecutiveAgent Magazine
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Cover Story
MELISSA TUCCI Executive Agent of the Month
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MELISSA TUCCI Written by Haley Freeman - Ian Wiant Photographer
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ccording to Melissa Tucci, the official agent of the San Diego Padres and the number one agent at Coldwell Banker in California, the most fundamental tenet of success is doing the right thing. Whether she is picking up an elderly client to get a document notarized, or supporting a cause in
her community, Melissa keeps putting positive things in motion and watching them bring more good things to life. In a business climate where most top-producing agents are assembling large teams, Melissa operates her high-volume business as a solo agent with a skilled assistant. Last year alone, she closed an astonishing 165 transactions. “Without technology and DocuSign, there’s no way I could do it,” she laughs. Without her tireless Midwestern work ethic (she hales from Chicago), there’s no way she could do it, either. Melissa took her first job at a hot dog stand when she was only 10 years old, and she’s been working ever since. “It’s not unusual for me to be on the phone with clients at 11:00 at night hammering out terms to get an offer submitted. It goes back to the basics. Every day, you have to be available if you’re going to be successful. Real estate is a way of life, not a job. It’s who you are. It goes non-stop, but I enjoy that.” Perhaps because of her Midwestern roots, Melissa also takes a more traditional approach to maintaining her professional image. “Of course people want someone who’s competent and knows what they’re doing, but to be taken seriously, you also have to look the part. I always dress in professional attire, even in hot weather. It’s pretty simple: you dress for success” A licensed broker who is approaching $100 million in real estate sales, there is no doubt that Melissa knows exactly what she is doing. In addition to her considerable real estate expertise, she has a strong construction background, since her husband is a builder. Over the years, she has learned about things like costing and design, and she has acquired a network of reliable contractors and tradespeople. These are assets she frequently passes on to her clients.
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Melissa recently added a new title to her long list of credentials, that of commercial real estate developer. She is currently overseeing the construction of a multi-story, multi-use, 29,000 square foot property that will house retail, five luxury townhomes and her own 6,000 square foot office at the top. That’s a lot of space for a solo agent, but Melissa is excited about the possibilities it opens up for creating new things. The project is slated for completion in 2019. “My husband builds custom homes, and this is by far the biggest project we’ve done. It’s just for us - we own it solely without investors - so it’s all our hard work coming to fruition. I’m not a flashy person, but I’ll be very excited once it’s done.” Melissa’s business always thrives, regardless of market conditions, because she goes where the market goes. “When the economy crashed, I worked with more investors. I went with clients to auctions and helped them renovate and flip. I was also one of the few agents who negotiated all of my own short sales. You have to be a chameleon in the market. It’s one of the reasons I always work
with both buyers and sellers. Even in a bad market, people will always need to buy or sell. Life circumstances change, families relocate with the military, and there are trust and probate sales. People will always need someone who can give them good advice and look out for their best interests through big life transitions.” A client who has both bought and sold homes with Melissa summed it up well: “I’ve partnered with Melissa on three transactions, and they were all executed fabulously! As our listing agent, she gave us great advice on market conditions affecting our timeline, and she was 100 percent correct! The online listing ad was beautifully done with professional pictures. As our buying agent, Melissa’s connections were just what we needed to help our offer get accepted in a highly competitive market. She also gave us a wonderful recommendation for our loan needs and contractors to help us personalize our new home! I couldn’t have asked for better communication or expertise during our simultaneous selling/buying transactions.”
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Doing the Right Thing Melissa proves that working hard and doing the right thing pays off, and she admits to loving the adrenaline rush that comes with the challenge and thrill of competition in business. “But the biggest blessing is to be where I am and able to make a difference in people’s lives from a charity standpoint,” she says. Melissa is a champion of many worthy organizations, including the American Cancer Society, Teen Suicide Awareness and the Make-a-Wish Foundation, to name a few. But being in a family of softball and baseball enthusiasts, she also supports the Rancho Girls Softball League. “It’s especially fun because I can see exactly where
the funds are going. It’s a wonderful feeling to see their smiles and know I had a part in it.” Of course, the ultimate expression of her passion for the sport is her advertising and marketing partnership with the San Diego Padres. Now in her fifth year as the team’s official Realtor®, she is the only agent ever endorsed in the history of the team. You can’t miss her prominent signage at the stadium, and she loves having season tickets and suites she can share with friends and clients. Her affiliation with the team also provides great exposure for her listings.
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Consistent with her habit of doing the right thing, Melissa also uses her status with the team to continue her cycle of goodwill. “A couple of years ago, there was a boy with an awful flesh-eating bacteria who almost lost his life. I was able to get him on the field with Matt Kemp, and he got a signed photo and jersey. It’s really rewarding to be able to utilize things like that to make a difference in people’s lives.”
For all her success, Melissa remains a humble and authentic human being. First and foremost, she is a wife, a mom and a good neighbor. The fact that she also happens to be phenomenal at her job just enhances what she is able to contribute to others. “I want to make a difference in the world, and I believe that by doing good, we make other good things happen.”
ExecutiveAgent Magazine
MELISSA GOLDSTEIN TUCCI Coldwell Banker West 1820 Monroe Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116 Tel: 619-787-6852 - Email: Sold@melissatucci.com Web: http://www.melissatucci.com - CalBRE # 01380034 ExecutiveAgent Magazine
How to Take on the Day Like Your Dog
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olo, a yellow Lab in guide-dog training, had been in my care for only a few weeks when I began to notice a wonderful pattern developing each morning. As soon as I would wake up and go toward her crate, she would beam with excitement. Her little tail would start wagging back and forth, almost knocking her over. Hardly able to contain herself, she would eagerly offer up the “sit” required for me to open up her crate and let her out. At the time, we were house training, so she would immediately follow me downstairs and head outside. As soon as she was done, she would return to me, tripping over her puppy feet and wagging her entire body, falling all over me as I sat on the stairs to greet her good morning. Each day would start off this way, and it forced me to stop and take notice. How the moment her crate door opened, Bolo would grab her toy and move about with so much enthusiasm and joy as if to say, “Hooray! It’s a new day! Can you believe it? I am so excited to start another day! I can’t wait to do all the things I get to do!” Now, as a 4-year-old, 63-pound fully house-trained dog, she no longer needs to race outside first thing in the morning. Having graduated from her crate to our bed, she waits patiently for me to open my eyes. Although I can’t see her with my eyes closed, I can feel her staring at me as I am coming out of my slumber. I imagine she is thinking to herself, Hurry! Wake up! We are missing valuable time in our day already! As my eyes open, I can see hers locked solidly on me as she instantly comes to life. Her eyes widen and her mouth takes on a doggie smile. If she had hands, this would be the moment she would clap them together and yell out, “Yeah! Game on! Let’s get this party started!” What if you woke up like Bolo? What if you were fired up, ready to take on the day the moment you got out of bed? How would that change the outcome of your day,
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your relationships, your personal growth? Be like your dog and you will change the way you see the world. In return, the world will change the way it sees you. Here are some thoughts to help you make your day extraordinary: • Decide within the first 10 minutes of waking up exactly what type of energy you will bring to the day. Write it down on a piece of paper and refer to it throughout the morning, afternoon and evening to keep yourself on track. • Predetermine your response to unexpected things that get thrown your way. Learn how to take a breath before reacting and avoid explosive angry responses, which will negatively affect your mood and the people around you, too. • Do something special for others. Look for ways to engage in random acts of kindness. Bring co-workers bagels or donuts in the morning. Buy coffee for the person in line behind you. This “pay it forward” approach makes the day more memorable and elevates your mood, as well. • Find ways to break up your routine and try something new in order to experience the day differently. Skip the gym in lieu of a morning hike. Try a new place to pick up your coffee. Take a friend out to lunch and try something new on the menu. Take a different route home from work. Gila Kurtz is a serial entrepreneur who found her deepest passion in working with dogs and their people. She is the co-founder and co-owner of Dog Is Good, a lifestyle brand for dog lovers. The company creates products to celebrate and “share the unique joy one feels living life with Dog.” Gila is the best-selling author of Fur Covered Wisdom: A Dog Can Change the Way You See the World. She is a master of “Bliss-ipline,” loves her active lifestyle and is #1 fan to her daughter, Abby.
ExecutiveAgent Magazine
“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” —Buddha ExecutiveAgent Magazine
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In this article I am proud to point out all the love and support Women’s Council Of Realtors Southwest Riverside County is getting from our Strategic Partners You all are truly amazing!! Thank you so much for all your support I also want to give a Special Thank you to Fred Arrias from Executive Agent Magazine Thanks Nancy Marshall / Real Estate Places / BRE# 01896743 / 909-631-1672 Women’s Council Of Realtors Southwest Riverside County President 2018 Bob Fox - 951-304-4100 - bobf@escrowleaders.com - Escrow Leaders Adriana Burrus - 951-551-9040- adrianaburres@gmail.com – Escrow Leaders Christian Dahlin - 949-680-7853- Christian.Dahlin@academymortgage.com – Academy Mortgage – NMLS # 32641 Connie Lynch - 951-894-2571- connie@srcar.org - SRCAR Earl Bonawitz - 714-815-3937- ebonawitz@earthlink.net – Real Estate Places Coni Davidson - 760-445-2807- cdavidson@prmg.net - PRMG - NMLS # 249909 Don Sharp - 619-921-5527- don@mynhd.com – My NHD Cori Carey – 951-837-2244- ccarey@preferc21.com – Century 21 Preferred Kellie Tuer- 951-428-0049- ktuer@genescrow.com – Generations Escrow Molly Levine- 951-760-9893- mlevine@genescrow.com – Generations Escrow Tracey Garamore- 805-701-5116- Tracey.garamone@nafinc.com – New American Funding – NMLS # 301334 Mark Mcleavy- 310-386-2069- Mark.McLeavy @nafinc.com – New American Funding- NMLS # 485548 Steven Moore- 909-519-1513- steven.moore@libertymutual.com – Liberty Mutual Sonja Schmader – 951-970-9834- sschmader@guildmortgage.net – Guild Mortgage NMLS # 1006057 Austreverto Serafin – 951-203-2814- aserafin@propertyid.com – Property Id John Ruff - 951-834-3539- ruffandreadymoving@gmail.com – Ruff & Ready Moving , LLC Kelly Schepe – 760-693-0131- Kelly@yourvirutualtc.com – Your Virtual TC , INC Chris Lizarraga – 951-234-4720- clizarragaagency@yahoo.com – Lizarraga insurance agency ,inc Pamella Jones – 702-358-3290- pjones@spfcnet.com – South Pacific Financial – NMLS # 255574 Steven Strickland – 951-201-6814- SAStrickland@firstam.com – First American NHD Katrina Hanshaw- 714-244-0005- Katrina.hanshaw@academymortgage.com- Academy Mortgage – NMLS # 483906 Amber Pugh- 760-855-6704- Amber@yourvirtualtc.com- Your Virtual Tc ,INC Vicky Shaw- 951-395-5963- Vickie.shaw@hwahomewarranty.com – HWA Home Warranty Cheryl Zenski – 951-704-8804- Cheryl.zenski@nflp.com – Network Funding – NMLS # 260411 Andrea Goodwin- 951-970-9201- andrea@birchinteriorsllc.com – Birch Interiors Kim Surber – 951-290-5026- kim@labrumwealth.com – Labrum Wealth Mgmt Pam and Bob Waysack- 951-696-2097 Pamwaysack@gmail.com- inspection insight Kambria Minton- 951-704-3933- kambria4title@yahoo.com- Fidelity National Title Company Linda Mill- 951-757-0460- lindamill@ca.rr.com- Fidelity Title Mary Thompson- 951-236-3369- MaryK.Thompson@ctt.com- Chicago Title Jan Duran- 951-837-7227- jan.duran@corinthiantitle.com- Corinthian Title Patty Sather- 951-551-9941- psather@firstam.com- First American Title Jill Garton- 951-522-5115- jgarton@firstam.com- First American Title Karen Davis- 951-768-1336- Karen@themortgagehouse.com- The Mortgage House NMLS # 245892 Joy Kish- 951-473-5173- Joy.Kish@EquityTitle.com- Equity Title Sharon Pflugradt- 951-599-7644- SharonP@watermarkescrow.com- Watermark Escrow Paul Dimambro- 909-534-8928- Paul.DiMambro@caliberhomeloans.com- Caliber Home Loans Terry Bell- 951-368-9231- tbell@scng.com- Press Enterprise
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7 Practical Tips to Achieve a Positive Mindset
T
he “power of positive thinking” is a popular concept, and sometimes it can feel a little cliché. But the physical and mental benefits of positive thinking have been demonstrated by multiple scientific studies. Positive thinking can give you more confidence, improve your mood, and even reduce the likelihood of developing conditions such as hypertension, depression and other stress-related disorders. All this sounds great, but what does the “power of positive thinking” really mean? You can define positive thinking as positive imagery, positive self-talk or general optimism, but these are all still general, ambiguous concepts. If you want to be effective in thinking and being more positive, you’ll need concrete examples to help you through the process. Here are seven: 1. Start the day with positive affirmation. How you start the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. Have you ever woken up late, panicked, and then felt like nothing good happened the rest of the day? This is likely because you started out the day with a negative emotion and a pessimistic view that carried into every other event you experienced. Instead of letting this dominate you, start your day with positive affirmations. Talk to yourself in the mirror, even if you feel silly, with statements like, “Today will be a good day” or “I’m going to be awesome today.” You’ll be amazed how much your day improves. •
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Tell youself these 3 positive things every day.
2. Focus on the good things, however small. Almost invariably, you’re going to encounter obstacles throughout the day—there’s no such thing as a perfect day. When you encounter such a challenge, focus on the benefits, no matter how slight or unimportant they seem. For example, if you get stuck in traffic, think about how you now have time to listen to the rest of your favorite podcast. If the store is out of the food you want to prepare, think about the thrill of trying something new. •
Find your silver lining.
3. Find humor in bad situations. Allow yourself to experience humor in even the darkest or most trying situations. Remind yourself that this situation will probably make for a good story later and try to crack a joke about it. Say you’re laid off; imagine the most absurd way you could spend your last day, or the most ridiculous job you could pursue next—like kangaroo handler or bubblegum sculptor. •
Adopt these 5 habits to become a happier you.
4. Turn failures into lessons. You aren’t perfect. You’re going to make mistakes and experience failure in multiple contexts, at multiple jobs and with multiple people. Instead of focusing on how you failed, think about what you’re going to do next time—turn your failure into a lesson. Conceptualize this in concrete rules. For example, you could come up with three new rules for managing projects as a result.
ExecutiveAgent Magazine
• You’re going to fail. Learn to use it to your advantage. 5. Transform negative self-talk into positive self-talk. Negative self-talk can creep up easily and is often hard to notice. You might think I’m so bad at this or I shouldn’t have tried that. But these thoughts turn into internalized feelings and might cement your conceptions of yourself. When you catch yourself doing this, stop and replace those negative messages with positive ones. For example, I’m so bad at this becomes Once I get more practice, I’ll be way better at this. I shouldn’t have tried becomes That didn’t work out as planned—maybe next time. •
Silence the negative voice in your head.
6. Focus on the present. I’m talking about the present—not today, not this hour, only this exact moment. You might be getting chewed out by your boss, but what in this exact moment is happening that’s so bad? Forget the comment he made five minutes ago. Forget what he might say five minutes from now. Focus on this one, individual moment. In most situations, you’ll find it’s not as bad as you imagine it to be. Most sources of negativity stem from a memory of a recent event or the exaggerated imagination of a potential future event. Stay in the present moment. •
you’ll hear positive outlooks, positive stories and positive affirmations. Their positive words will sink in and affect your own line of thinking, which then affects your words and similarly contributes to the group. Finding positive people to fill up your life can be difficult, but you need to eliminate the negativity in your life before it consumes you. Do what you can to improve the positivity of others, and let their positivity affect you the same way. •
Surround yourself with these 5 amazing people.
Almost anybody in any situation can apply these lessons to their own lives and increase their positive attitude. As you might imagine, positive thinking offers compounding returns, so the more often you practice it, the greater benefits you’ll realize. Larry Alton is a professional blogger, writer and researcher who contributes to a number of reputable online media outlets and news sources, including Entrepreneur. com, HuffingtonPost.com and Business.com, among others. In addition to journalism, technical writing and in-depth research, he’s also active in his community and spends weekends volunteering with a local nonprofit literacy organization and rock climbing. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Be right where you are. Live in the moment.
7. Find positive friends, mentors and co-workers. When you surround yourself with positive people,
ExecutiveAgent Magazine
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Introducing: L'ATTITUDE ! NAHREP is partnering with L’ATTITUDE, a new event concept that highlights the powerhouse of Latino buying power, political capital and technological innovation that is propelling the American economy forward. Engaging entrepreneurs, business leaders, artists, politicians and industry influencers, NAHREP at L’ATTITUDE is more than an event, it is a movement.
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C
oach John Wooden’s most insightful model to discuss his idea is the methodology he used to prepare, execute and improve his practices. He was not satisfied with simply having achievement in each activity, but rather he sought to maximize achievement without stifling initiative. The four components Coach Wooden utilized were proper planning and execution of the plan, relentless attention to detail, maximizing the use of time, and post-practice analysis for improvement. He described the importance of each in his book Practical Modern Basketball.
3. Maximize use of time. “Even though a particular drill may be emphasizing one specific fundamental, other fundamentals in use should not be overlooked. Sometimes players get careless about their passing during shooting drills, which may lead to breaking down one fundamental while building another.” When Coach Wooden ran a rebounding drill, his players were also improving their passing, cutting, timing and movement without the ball. 4. Post-Practice Analysis
1. Proper Execution of the Plan “A daily practice plan should be prepared and followed. If you fail to follow the program on one thing, it may affect others. If you planned poorly, make the corrections for the following day, but never alter your program on a specific day once practice has started. Running overtime can be distasteful for both you and your players and should be avoided.” 2. Attention to Detail “The coach should be on the floor early to make certain that everything is ready for practice. I like to have a checklist for the managers to go by, but the coach must make sure. Some of the points on the checklist: See that the floor is clean. See that the desired number of balls are available and that they are clean and properly inflated. Make sure the scrimmage shirts are on hand and that extra shoelaces and other emergency equipment items are near at hand. Have statistical charts ready for use. Make sure that towels, tape and everything else that might be necessary to ensure a smooth practice are available.
“The coach should make a careful analysis of each practice while it is still fresh in his mind, in order that he may plan intelligently for the next day. I like to sit down with my assistants immediately after practice and briefly analyze and discuss the practice of that day. I make notes at that time to serve as reference to help me the next morning when I plan practice for that day.” It is easy to see why failing to prepare is preparing to fail and never mistake activity for achievement get along so well. What are the activities of your team that don’t yield the most productive results possible? As Coach Wooden’s grandson-in-law, Craig Impelman had the opportunity to learn Coach’s teachings firsthand and wrote about those lessons for his site, www.woodenswisdom.com. He is a motivational speaker and the author of Wooden’s Wisdom, a weekly “e-coaching module” that is distributed to companies nationally.
“Anticipate from past experience and be prepared.”
Never Mistake Activity for Achievement
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ExecutiveAgent Magazine
“Never mistake activity for achievement.” –John Wooden
ExecutiveAgent Magazine
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Our bone marrow transplant reunion is now standing room only. Each year, City of Hope invites bone marrow transplant recipients and their families to attend the “Celebration of Life” event. It’s a joyous time during which survivors of blood cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma embrace their health, their life and each other. It began more than 35 years ago when City of Hope created what is now one of the largest and most successful bone marrow transplant programs in the world. In fact, we’ve completed over 11,000 transplants and, according to national reports, our outcomes are among the best in the nation. The goal of curing cancer isn’t just something we work at. It’s what we live for. If you have cancer, make us your first call. Or ask your doctor for a referral. We accept most insurance. 800-826-HOPE
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WE LIVE TO CURE CANCER. Science saving lives. cityofhope.org/bmt
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WHO WE ARE Established in 2011, the USA Homeownership Foundation, Inc. DBA Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP), is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to increasing sustainable homeownership, financial-literacy education, VA loan awareness, and economic opportunity for the active-military and veteran communities.
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