___ UNCOMFORTABLE IS NOT A BAD WORD PAGE 05
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MAXIMIZING PRODUCTIVITY PAGE 14
SHORT-TERM RENTAL PLANNING IT ALL OUT PAGE 21
GROWTH GDP | MENTORSHIP Experience the Growth Development Program with daily mentorship and Squad placement. INCLUDES: Coach & Private Group shared with up to 10 Business Owners.
ISSUE 192
MY BUSINESS GREW
HANA LATYN | EURO STAGING
MY BUSINESS GREW
MELISSA MANNING | HEARTLAND REVEAL
MY BUSINESS GREW
ASHLEY CHERRY | STAGING THE NEST
MY TEAM GREW
JEANNE WESTMORELAND | CLASSIC STAGING
MY BUSINESS GREW
JILL JOHNS | TRANSFORMATION BY JILL
180%
100% 50%
The GDP program gave me all of the tools and confidence to launch my business. The continued support from HSRA and from my peers has been crucial.
Completing and implementing GDP has been such a huge benefit for my company and our team. We bonded as a team, learned and implemented best practices per department, and our team members not only improved but began owning their department and became truly accountable! DESIGNER SONYA BUNGGI
30%
COPYRIGHT ©2022
50%
GDP has turned around not only my business performance but also helped me to be a better leader to my team. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to improve performance on all levels of home staging business.
I absolutely believe that the GDP program was fantastic for our team. GDP helped us re-examine so many different aspects of our business and were able to grow together as a whole unit instead of as individual people. I absolutely recommend the GDP program to every one of our colleagues.
The growth development program was such a great educational tool for me and my team. We were able to tighten up administrative processes and procedures, educate our team on specific skills and duties, while giving me a bigger vision to look forward to.
CONTENT INSIDE THIS ISSUE
5
FROM THE DESK OF JANA USELTON
8
STAGING BUSINESS ADVISOR
10
HSRA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
14
MAXIMIZING PRODUCTIVITY
16
4 KEY ACTIONS TO YOUR "RE-DESIGN PLAN FOR 2022"
21 24
UNCOMFORTABLE IS NOT A BAD WORD
HSRA SBA: Meet Jennifer Gainer
MODEL MY HOME STAGING & REDESIGN
HSRA DIGITAL COORDINATOR: Jill Johnson
HSRA FEARLESS FOUNDER: Jana Uselton
SHORT- TERM RENTAL - PLANNING IT ALL OUT HSRA SBA: Jennifer Gainer
SIZZLING UP YOUR SOCIAL HSRA VP OF OPERATIONS: LAURIE GRAHAM
Book of the Month
17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork
John C. Maxwell
Jana Uselton
FROM THE DESK OF
UNCOMFORTABLE
IS NOT A BAD WORD Wow! We are just off of the best Home Staging and Real Estate Summit ever! For those of you who were able to join us, it was a massive success. There were so many takeaways, and I do not know where to begin. It was a combination of all things working together. The event topics, the
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subject
matter
experts,
the
affiliate
partners, the event partners, the venue, and the networking with HSRA Members, their staff and our guest attendees were all phenomenal.
JA
IS NOT A BAD WORD
UNCOMFORTABLE
Even though our theme was Legacy, the word we kept repeating was Uncomfortable. This year has definitely been uncomfortable. The growing, the stretching, the figuring out new strategies was an ongoing process. Whether you are a company that provides strictly Staging services, Design services, Short-Term Rental services, Real Estate Services, or all of the above, there is no doubt there have been uncomfortable times for you as well. Uncomfortable is not necessarily a bad word or a bad state of being. In fact, one of our mentors continues to repeat, “You need more problems.“ What? Who wants more problems? It’s the same principle as being uncomfortable. The more problems we have, the more we are working towards solutions quicker. It is when we are taking it easy, taking everything for granted, and sitting back resting, that true issues can arise. Our encouragement to you is to also be ok with being uncomfortable. I can tell you that I have grown tremendously, personally and professionally, within the past few years, and 2021 was no exception. How about you? In what ways have you stretched and grown beyond the norm? Yes, we celebrate together our wins and our successes, but let’s also reflect on when we were the most uncomfortable. Let’s reflect on the times we had the most problems facing us and how we overcame them. Maybe you’re still in the middle of being uncomfortable. That’s OK! The good news is we are here together to figure things out. You’re not alone. As we focus forward together, let’s purpose to think differently, embrace challenges, and look for new opportunities around every corner. We are absolutely ready for this year‘s magical moments waiting to be created. Here’s to a phenomenal 2022!
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JOIN US AGAIN! WE ARE GOING BACK TO 10X GROWTH CONFERENCE AND WANT YOU TO JOIN US
MARCH 25-28, 2022
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WELCOME JENNIFER TO THE HSRA FAMILY! As part of Model My Home since January 2020, Jennifer has walked with our team through the good, bad, and ugly of the pandemic and all the changes it has brought to Real Estate and Staging. She has been involved in leadership within Model My Home, and a contributing editor and staff support for HSRA since 2019. Many of you may already know her, but we want to let you know she will officially be joining the HSRA family!
Jennifer brings over 20 years experience in service, support, coaching and training, education and content creation, and much more. Her heart is to serve, and she loves our industry. She will add value within HSRA as a Staging Business Advisor - working to help you find the most value from your HSRA membership, and ensure you are getting plugged in to the products, events, and services that best suit your current and future goals. In her personal time, Jennifer finds incredible strength and encouragement in her relationship with Jesus and her calling to ministry. She finds joy in writing and teaching, and generally loving people, in and out of the church. She loves to be outside, her favorite companions being a good book and a beautiful tree to sit near. She also enjoys spending time with her grandbabies and her three daughters, as well as enjoying her new season of empty nesting and traveling with her hubby, Richard. We are excited to have Jennifer as part of our HSRA family, and know you will be as well! Join us in welcoming her, and look for her message soon to check in and see how you are growing and planning for 2022!
HSRA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
MODEL MY HOME STAGING & REDESIGN Designer Highlight: Rachel
Recently, Model My Home, LLC completed a Stage for Hills Land and Construction Co. in Tuttle, Oklahoma - part of the 2021 Parade of Homes for Central Oklahoma. As one of Hill’s newest property plans, the team wanted to showcase all the best features, and there were so many to choose from! In a recent interview with Lead Design and Staging Consultant, Rachel Johnston, we discussed some of the differences in Staging a model home for builders as opposed to a vacant property for sale.
SEE MORE
DESIGNER HIGHLIGHT
Rachel Johnston
Lead Stager Model My Home Staging & ReDesign
AS AN INTERIOR DESIGNER, BOLD ARCHITECTURAL DECISIONS ARE SO FUN TO WORK WITH.
Q - Rachel what is your background in Design and Staging, and how do you feel it helped you prepare for this model home Stage with Hills Land and Construction Co.? A - I started my Interior Design career working with a team that designed all of the model homes for one of the largest home builders in Texas. It was great exposure to all aspects of interior design since we designed everything from the finish out, to furniture, art, and accessories for each new model home. I became very familiar with different design styles, and how to utilize design as a marketing tool in order to appeal to all types of buyers in varying demographics, each with a unique design aesthetic. This gave me a great foundation to continue my career as an independent Interior Designer, which led me to the staging side of the business. Q - What were some of the unique aspects of this property you wanted to highlight for the builders and potential buyers? A - I was immediately drawn to the open floor-plan- right when you walked through the front doors, you could see straight through the massive living room window, showcasing the beautiful backyard. The builder also selected stunning finishes throughout the home such as painting the kitchen cabinets a bold shade of green, and having a beautiful exposed rock wall in the living room.
As an Interior Designer, those bold architectural decisions are so fun to work with and definitely things we wanted to showcase for them. Q - In your opinion, is Staging a model home significantly different from a vacant property that has been previously lived in? A - Yes and No. At the end of the day, you are still designing in order to effectively appeal to a diversity of buyers with different personal styles. A property in the Parade of Homes is different in the sense that it only takes place once a year, so everyone wants to showcase their latest and greatest without any limitations. Hills Land and Construction Co. designed an absolutely stunning home and I wanted to ensure that every aspect of the interior design highlighted the home. Q - What are some things, as a Design and Staging consultant, you are seeing new home builders doing to accommodate buyers in the current market (features, design, etc)? A - Builders are embracing open floor plans now more than ever; I feel there is an even greater focus on indoor/outdoor living spaces, enhanced Primary Suites, and multi-functional areas that can be utilized to accommodate the home owner’s wants and needs, not only when they move in to the home, but down the road as well. A lot of builders are also offering multiple ways to incorporate the latest technology into their homes, with endless capabilities, essentially allowing the homeowner to access anything and everything concerning their home right from their smart devices. Q - What are some of your favorite aspects of Staging a custom build property? A - With any custom build, especially one that is on the Parade of Homes, you have the ability to take more design risks than typical when Staging a vacant property. It allows me to do one of the things I love as an Interior Designer, which is to curate the best possible design to enhance the unique elements of that individual home.
Q - Any tips for our members and Staging community at large when it comes to Staging model homes, or even Staging in general? A - Know your client and know when and where you can push the envelope. Whether your client is a potential home buyer, a home builder, or a realtor, take the time to learn the client, and what their demographic is. That allows you to successfully do your job as an Interior Designer - design a space that the homeowner will fall in love with. Also - don’t be scared to try something new. The beauty in the unexpected is part of what people look for, not only when they tour model homes or a property in a Parade of Homes, but also when they are looking for inspiration to design their own living spaces. Model My Home is blessed with some of the best in the industry for sure, and the rave reviews continue to come in from builders, realtors, sellers, and buyers around the greater DFW area.
In fact, this particular Stage helped Hills Construction tie for First Place in “Best Decorated”, win First Place in “Best Outdoor Living” and also win “Best Overall” in the 2021 Parade of Homes for Central Oklahoma in their price range. Thanks to Rachel, and the Model My Home team, for always providing great industry standards and assistance to our HSRA members!
Maximizing Productivity Okay, Summit was AMAZING, am I
With that being the case, we can all
right?! If you were there either in-person
sometimes have too much on our plates
or online, you know there were tons of
(I am sure you know EXACTLY what I
takeaways and it was literally the best
mean because I know each of you is
Summit yet! Along with Short Term
wearing
Rentals being a big hit and topic, so was
multiple plates all at the same time).
the conversation about Virtual Assistants
When this happens in a company, it is
(to be referenced as VA's) with Sphere
time for some offload of assignments and
Rocket. If you missed the conversation,
tasks. As much as we would all love to be
make sure to reach out to us and we’ll
able to do everything, it is not humanly
connect you to them because they are a
possible, so that is where our amazing
must in our industry.
VA’s come in.
Since we are hot off Summit and that is
I had a few people come up to me at
still a topic flooding our inboxes with
Summit and ask what each of them did
questions, I thought I would give y’all a
specifically and my answer every time was
little insight into where we have seen the
a delighted “EVERYTHING!”, and I was not
biggest impact in productivity and task
joking about it.
multiple
hats
and
spinning
delegation since our VA's (who we also refer to as team members) have come on
For example, one of the roles I play within
board.
HSRA is creating our websites and landing pages. Along with that comes SEO, Search
As most of you know, each of us within
Engine Optimization (refer to my article
HSRA play a vital role in the company, as
from March), which is something that I
well as each team member in Model My
have been striving to learn but it is a very
Home.
tedious task and takes lots of brainpower and work.
One of our amazing team members from Sphere Rocket, Ramon, has completely taken over managing our SEO's, as well as making changes to the website when needed. This allows me to focus on other important tasks like introducing you to HubSpot or getting you plugged into your membership. Along with being a genius in SEO, Ramon has also written articles for our past publications and blog posts for the site. So when I say “Everything”, I mean it. Ramon and I work closely together; in like manner, Laurie, Joy, and Kim all work together. Joy is an amazing ray of sunshine who has taken over our Social Media when it comes to posts, along with reaching out to hundreds of accounts each day. Our numbers have gone up drastically since handing this role over to Joy. Social Media is a full-time job and requires hours of work if you are wanting to make it a big part of your prospecting. Kim, our other amazing team member, joined us about 3 months ago and has taken over our YouTube. If you revisit posts on our YouTube from 3 months ago to now, you would be absolutely AMAZED. Our subscriber count increases every week, which is amazing because we were receiving 0. Yes, even as a Staging company, we suggest you create a YouTube account and add new videos on a consistent basis. Depending on what route you want to take your channel, it could be just videos of properties you’ve Staged, behind the scenes, or both, just make the most out of it and treat it like another Facebook or Instagram. YouTube is just as important. Hopefully learning how our VA’s are integrated in our company helps give you an idea of what you could hire your own for. Keep in mind that they literally can do everything if it’s behind a computer or phone. There are so many tasks that need to be completed within a successful Staging company - they are not all physical and Staging. So talk with our fellow Stagers in the Members Only FB page and see how others are using VA’s to even help run their company!
Jill
Have a very Merry Christmas!
Our HSRA Office , working with our awesome Virtual Assistants!
4 KEY ACTIONS TO YOUR “RE-DESIGN PLAN FOR 2022”
Whether we are ready for it or not, the end of the year is coming quickly! With all of the busyness of the holiday season, it’s also time to reflect, recharge, renew, and refocus. Here are four critical components for your business to move forward in the
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right way in the coming year.
JA
01
RESET YOUR
GOALS
We all have goals for our business, but this
With this incredible knowledge, now you
is a time to ask yourself what the company
can rethink your current offerings and
accomplished this past year and what is still
possibly build new packages. Do a follow-up
to be accomplished. As we go into our new
meeting with those you surveyed so they
strategy
the
now understand the new and enhanced
environment has changed and so must our
services you offer and how they were an
response to these changes. Will you be
integral part of the creation. They will be
offering
your
more likely to re-establish their relationship
clients? How about new services? We highly
with your company on a new level and use
recommend you survey your current clients
these services in the new year.
sessions,
new
we
classes
know
to
that
educate
and ask them what they need from your company going into a new year. The answers may surprise you.
REFRESH YOUR SWOT ANALYSIS
02
SWOT is a business term that absolutely needs to be a part of your business infrastructure as well. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. When you can set aside time for you and your strategic leaders to list out answers for these four categories, it will help in the planning process. The strengths and weaknesses assessment is an internal analysis of the company, opportunities and threats of external factors that may benefit or hurt your company. When you have 8-10 answers for each of these, you are armed with the critical information to plan and understand where your company needs to shift and move forward.
03 RE-ESTABLISH YOUR TEAM It’s time to assemble or re-assemble the
Q: If you were to transition to any role in
troops. Once you’ve decided on the big
our company, what would it be and why?
initiatives and goals your company will be
Q: Where do you see challenges in our
achieving for the upcoming year, it’s time to
company?
re-assess those that are currently on the
Q: What solutions do you have for those
team and understand their active or new
challenges?
roles and responsibilities. It’s also a perfect
Q: What should some of the key goals be
time to survey your team by using Google
for our company in this new year?
forms or Jotform and create an outlet for
Q: How do you see yourself helping achieve
them to provide feedback.
those goals? Q: Who would you say is a great example of
Here are some sample questions:
a leader within our company that you enjoy
Q: What have you enjoyed about working
working with and why?
with our company?
Q: What would the other teammates say
Q: What do you enjoy about your role in
about
particular?
leadership?
working
with
you
and
your
The goal of the survey is to gain important feedback and help you build a game plan and strategy around your current team members as well as plan to hire for new roles or replace those who are not quite in alignment or measuring up in the positions you currently have them in now.
RESTRUCTURE YOUR “FAB 4” We are taking this play on words from the movie, Fabulous Four. Everyone must know the superpowers that make or break the company. In fact, each team member must know their fabulous four superpowers. What are the critical roles and responsibilities that each person will focus on accomplishing to add continuous value that moves the financial and value needles forward? They are each person‘s top priorities and on their daily and weekly checklists to get done on a constant basis. As we transition from one year to the next, continue to keep these four critical components in front of you on a daily and weekly basis. In fact, massive success happens when you review these every single morning before you start your day. Keep them alive in your Alignment meetings, your weekly staff meetings, and your monthly priority meetings. We are looking forward to hearing about your success in the first few months of 2022. Share your stories of challenges and how you have overcome them to be an encouragement to others along the journey. Our private HSRA Members Only Facebook group is the perfect place to do so. Move at the speed of light and
04
you will experience success more rapidly. Remember, don’t give up before the blow up!! Let’s do this!!
N
IF
I
N
JEN
- PLANNING IT OUT
ER
SHORT-TERM RENTAL ER GA
So, you decided to jump? Welcome to the wagon ride of Short-Term Rental, hereafter referred to as “STR”. We are glad you have decided to join us, and thousands of others, to provide safe, secure, and beautiful accommodations for the temporary housing needs of so many. Now that you have made the decision to jump on, what is the first necessary step? Your first thought may be to run out and get your first 2-3 properties and start making income as quickly as possible. You could totally do that, however you will likely find yourself with a mess in short order. Whom are you renting to? Obviously people, but what people? You can’t say “everyone”; that is just too wide a pool to manage. You would not try to make a cake without a specific recipe, so why on earth would you invest thousands into setting up a business without first establishing a demographic? If you are not viewing this endeavor as a true business, you are looking at it wrong. Whether you have one unit, or 20-30 doors (units), you are running a business, and should treat this as such! As the saying goes, “if you treat it as a hobby...it will pay as a hobby, if you treat it like a business, it will pay like a business”.
Your first order of business should not be to run out and start grabbing up units. Why not?
Well...let’s say you scored a great deal on three units in a large city. You assume they will stay rented all the time due to their location and accessibility. That could very well be true, but if your design style and approach is more for a person looking for a retreat from the city - you will find people passing your unit for the next without hesitation, no matter how pretty it is or how many amenities you offer. People choose STR over hotels most often for convenience and accessibility, but what makes them choose YOUR unit over someone else is how it appeals to their personal taste, style, and desire. This is why building and knowing your avatar is so essential. You need to know the person you plan to rent to, and build the units for their needs. As referenced in “Vacation Rental Marketing: Using Personas to Help Increase Your Bookings”, an avatar (aka persona) is “a made-up, generalized character that encompasses the various goals, needs and observed behavior patterns of your ideal guest.” You want to determine who your ideal client is. What is their age? What is their career? Are they married or single? Are they traveling for business/couples retreat, or are they bringing the whole family?
https://www.vacationrentalformula.com/vacation-rental-marketing-using-personas-to-helpincrease-your-bookings/
What are their age and income level? How often do they travel? What will they need while away from home? The list could go on and on, but having at least a general understanding of your
future
assist
you
property
clients to
up
set
will the
accordingly,
and locate units in the proper locations for their needs. This is just one step of the Planning stage, but take heart - you have resources to help along the way! You can definitely check the wide world of the internet, but why not partner with people who have already been riding on the wagon and will be happy to share what they have learned so far? Give us a shout here at HSRA, and we will make sure you get linked up with the information, tools, and network you need to help ensure
your
successful
start, from the beginning!
-Jennifer
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT
Are you ready for some Sizzling Social Media?
Merry Christmas HSRA Family! I cannot believe that we are already full-fledged into Christmas and the end-of-year season. I am so thankful that we all made it through another year. We are here and still alive - what a complete blessing! You are such a gift to me and I absolutely love watching all of you thrive. Our team is still “reeling” from Summit last month. We have been told over and over how amazing this year’s event was and how much we have grown over the last 12 months! It truly has been exponential and so much of HSRA’s growth and our Members' growth has come from the hard work and sacrifice that Jana has invested in coaching, training, and attending events outside of our “Stager Sandbox”. I am so proud that the Home Staging Industry as a whole awarded Jana the first-ever “TrailBlazer Award”! Being in the Real Estate Industry is not enough, Agents want to surround themselves with those who have personal and professional things in common. What are you doing currently in the communities you want to serve to connect with agents? I had such a blast sharing host duties with the HSRA team, and sharing the stage with none other than Hollie Kitchens, during our session on Social Media and Marketing. If there is anyone you should be working with to build your brand authority, it is her!!! She is such a rockstar and on the cutting edge of everything that has to do with Social Media and I have learned so much from her. As we heard from Hollie, it is super important to be consistent
with
our
content, which in itself can be
very
overwhelming,
especially with so many companies
focusing
on
how to get jobs in and the furniture
out
warehouses
of
during
their this
time of year.
With that in mind, I have compiled a list of content creation ideas to take some of the burden off of you during this season.
TEASE YOUR PROMOTIONS USING A COUNTDOWN Building excitement with a countdown will keep your audience engaged and excited for your holiday promotions.
HOST A SEASONAL CONTEST FOR YOUR FOLLOWERS Spread the holiday love by hosting a contest on social media. You'll show your appreciation and increase your engagement!
INCORPORATE SEASONAL PHOTOS INTO YOUR POSTS Deck the halls and your feed by incorporating holiday photos (if you are doing Holiday Staging) or fun holiday photos in your office and with your staff.
USE INSTAGRAM REELS TO CONNECT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE Instagram Reels continue to be one of the best ways to connect with your audience. Use the inspiration of the holidays to experiment with Reels — be sure to have fun with it! Some accounts I see KILLING IT with reels right now are Systematic Home Staging & TNT Staging.
SYSTEMATIC HOME STAGING
PARTNER UP AND USE INSTAGRAM'S NEW COLLAB FEATURE Instagram's newest collab feature allows you to share a post (and the engagement) with another account! Grab your best Realtor client and collaborate together!
BREAK THROUGH THE NOISE WITH LIVE VIDEO Stand out from the noise by utilizing live video to give your audience a BTS (behind the scenes) look, share a tip, or promote your holiday offer, OR... if you are like Model My Home and 50%+ of your staff can sing, maybe host a Christmas Caroling live!!!! (Yep, I am totally going to make the Model My Home team do this).
SHARE SOME RESOURCES YOU'RE THANKFUL FOR The holidays are a time to be thankful — which includes giving thanks for your favorite resources (courses, equipment, etc)!
CREATE A HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE FOR YOUR AUDIENCE Gift guides are super popular during the holiday season. Do you have furniture you would like to get rid of? Maybe create a guide showcasing some of your pieces - Lord knows it is super hard for people to find inventory at stores right now, plus the bonus is you are getting rid of some of that furniture that is stuck in your warehouse.
WRITE ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS What are some of your favorite holiday traditions? Show a bit of your personal side by sharing traditions with your audience.
WRITE A 2021 YEAR IN REVIEW POST Everyone is slowing down to reflect on the previous year. Write a post to reflect on the ups and downs of the last year, being sure to include shout-outs to your top producing clients!
SHARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR Got some resolutions for your biz going into 2022? Craft a blogpost on some of the things you hope to accomplish next year, maybe including new services you will be offering.
These are just a few ways to brighten up your social media, add some fun and holiday spirit to your feed! Your clients and basically everyone in the world needs a little Christmas joy during this season, even if you have to fake it for now the joy you are creating for others on your social media will be contagious and eventually come back to you. Now let’s start creating.
ELEVATE YOUR HSRA MEMBERSHIP
ASHLEY FUENTES OWNER: STAGING THE NEST HSRA EXECUTIVE LEADER XL GROWTH MEMBERSHIP
I am so loving being a part of the XL Growth Membership program!
During our last meeting, we did a high-level check on our business growth over last year and I am excited to share that Staging The Nest's revenue is up over 77% over last year - year to date! I am so proud of our amazing team!
DESIGNATIONS Register at: myhsra.com/designations
$9.99
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CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS HSRA INC. 2550 114th St. Suite 170 Grand Prairie, TX 75050 855.85. STAGE myhsra.com | info@myhsra.com
