A Message From Michael As we enter May, we are rounding
teacher as well. You will learn how
a day.Teach a man how to fish and
the end of the school year for most.
Laurie took the skills learned from
you feed him for a lifetime.” I’d like
I can’t help but think of teachers
teaching students and has applied
to think, ...Teach a person about the
this month. They work so hard each
that in the real estate world to grow
power of referrals, and feed their
school year to teach, train, equip
her business. You will also read Part
business, their families, and their
and prepare students for the next
One of the second step on our Army
souls for a lifetime!
grade level. They are hoping that
of Ambassadors Series - Creating
Keep on TEACHING and REACHING
their dedication has paid off. They are
Ambassadors out of Strangers. And
for the stars, Ambassadors!
tired and ready for a well-deserved
how another Certified Referral
break. Teachers hold a special place
Trainer, Arnel Tanyag has applied
in my heart. My father was a teacher.
what he learned to now teach his
I was a teacher. And this month’s
coaching clients. It has been said,
feature, Laurie Knudson, was a
“Give a man a fish and he will eat for
Blessings,
Michael Maher
FOUNDER AND CEO
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MAY 2019 FOUNDER AND CEO Michael Maher
VP Sheri Maher EDITOR IN CHIEF Mandy Thacker DIRECTOR OF DESIGN Joshua Nelson GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Ben Duff CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Arnel Tanyag Ashley Alt Michael J. Maher O’Beria Seats Sharon Hyres THIS ISSUE Laurie Knudson Michael Maher Sharon Hyres ADVERTISING BookMichaelMaher.com 7L: The Seven Levels of Communication 30Mornings.com GenGenEvents.com ReferralPodcast.com GetAccelerate.com CertifiedReferralTrainers.com CallWithCoach.com ArmyOfAmbassadors.com EventMasteryClass.com
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REFERRALS MAGAZINE | REFERCO.COM | ISSUE 10 | MAY 2019
WHAT’S INSIDE! Referrals Roundtable 4 Why Is Referral Mastery Important To My Business? referral strategies
FREE Download 8 Seven Steps to a Power Note
the influential zone
A Teacher's Heart
Featuring Laurie Knudson
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Step 2: Recruit Your Army 20 Part 1: Creating Ambassadors out of Strangers feed your soul
Make a Difference in Educaton
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catalyst* connection
CATALYST*s In Action! 28 Now that Easter is Over...
Referrals
ROUNDTABLE Why Is Referral Mastery Important To My Business? By Arnel Tanyag The week of January 24 to January 27, 2018, I became one of the first 7L Certified Referral Trainer, Founders Club of Referco, a company started by Michael J. Maher and Sheri Maher. Michael J. Maher wrote the international bestseller, (7L) The Seven Levels of Communication: Go from Relationships to Referrals. We spend several days being intensely trained on the (7L) system, learning public speaking in small and large groups of people,
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and how to make money from coaching, speaking, and training. I remembered on a webinar at one of the coaching sessions during the Catalyst Group Coaching, Michael mentioned to be successful in the referral business; you must learn how to master it by teaching, training, and speaking. Why would I do that especially with my long history of working with companies over the last 20 years that I help build solely on referrals, networking, and positive word-of-mouth? Some of them were very successful while others we ok. Let me share my three reasons
why I decided to become a 7L Certified Referrals Trainer.
Reason #1:
I wanted to be surrounded by the best people of the (7L) system and be on the ground fall of the Founders Club of the first Certified Referral Trainers (http://referco. com/introducing-our-certifiedreferral-trainers) for Referco. I wanted to invest in my business and my future. I was in a room with the top producers in their respective offices and their industries who are six figure and seven figure earners. The experience was amazing. I am part of a grassroots
movement that will change how you do referrals in your business. I was with generous givers and appreciated receivers.
Reason #2: I realized that I had many tactics and strategies to generate referrals, but had no system over the last 20 years. I was doing the activities but did not always have a plan or routine. I have read many books on referrals, but scarce are their books explaining the how, what, where, why and when about generating referrals for your business. The books had great ideas but did not a specific framework or platform to follow. Until I was informed of the book, (7L) The Seven Levels of Communication: Go from Relationships to Referrals (http:// referco.com/product/7l-the-sevenlevels-of-communication) by a client and friend, Tim Jones, the owner of Eternal Works (http:// eternalworks.com). He told me you would love this book because this book is you. I read the book over the weekend, took their first program, “Boost,” attended GenGen Hampton Roads, and eventually became an ongoing client in Catalyst Coaching Program (https://cw1230d00fb.pages.infusionsoft.net). What I came to realize during this whole time, there was a system to generate ongoing referrals based on generosity, appreciation, and gratitude that mirror how my company and I do business despite the book written for residential real estate industry. I saw an excellent system lead by great people who genuinely care about your success. I was able to adapt the (7L)
I REALIZED THAT I HAD MANY TACTICS AND STRATEGIES TO GENERATE REFERRALS, BUT HAD NO SYSTEM OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS. system to my business, Tanyag & Company. Tanyag & Company is a business advisory and business consulting business who work with business owners. My referrals have doubled. I have a repeatable system to generate referrals on a consistent basis.
Reason #3: I needed a resource for generating referrals. I have studied and implemented many referrals programs in the financial and residential real estate industry for my business, but none of them mirrored how I generate new business for my company. I had no one to go too whom I can learn, brainstorm, report, implement, and track my results. I was on an island of myself about
generating referrals. I wanted to find a resource where the founder not only was successful in their business generating referrals. The founder was accessible and can teach, train, consult or coach on this expertise to others. This resource offers me an opportunity in becoming a (7L) Certified Referral Trainer while still being an active member of the Catalyst Group Coaching. It has given me and my business a powerful and progressive ongoing community of where I can fine tune my referral system and learn from my peers on a daily basis. Michael J. Maher and Referco have given me my first steps to referral mastery. I can say with confidence. I can build my business by referrals. I see the results every day, every week, and every month. For example for March 2018, I received 30 referrals. I give Michael J. Maher and Referco a solid 10+ on a scale of 1 to 10. I am a Raving Fan of him, his team and his business. If you have any questions about Referco and (7L) system, please do not hesitate to reach out. I will share my experience. If you are looking to double your referral business, look up the website, Referco (http:// referco.com/) and schedule your free complimentary strategy call today at https://meetme.so/ freecoachingsession.
Arnel Tanyag has been serving business people for over 20+ years sharing his business knowledge, expertise, and wisdom in face to face meetings, workshops, and seminars. He has tremendous success in helping business owners double their income to build a lifestyle, not just a business! Contact Arnel Tanyag at info@tanyag.net or (757) 752-8169.
referral strategies
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LAURIE KNU DSON
the influential zone
LAURIE KNUDSON brings a special mix of educator/speaker/ trainer to the real estate industry as well as 28 years as a Realtor. Due to the Real Estate Industry becoming more technical by the day, Laurie has developed an entertaining, high energy learning environment that allows agents to absorb the techy training they need… at a pace they can absorb. Some of the topics Laurie offers include real estate agent MLS tools, social media marketing for businesses, brand relationship building, team building and motivational talks. Laurie also acts as a coach to agents in her marketplace, bringing them to their NEXT level. Her dedication to bringing the right message to the agents has brought her great success. While the compelling trainer has proven her worth in all the areas mentioned above, her ultimate specialty is coaching people how to integrate referrals-based business using modern and advanced technologies. “I teach agents how technology can be merged with a strong database to form a solid referral system ,” Laurie said of her profession.
Getting Into Real Estate By Following Her Heart Formerly an elementary school teacher, Laurie decided to become a Realtor at the age of 27. It was the same year both her parents passed away from terrible illnesses, and it was life altering for Laurie and her sisters. The tragic experience of losing so much so young, propelled Laurie and one of her siblings to consider paths in family tradition of real estate. Laurie chose to be Realtor and a sister, chose to go into real estate appraising. Their mother was a successful Realtor, whom Laurie says they learned a lot from. “Our mom
had this amazing way of connecting and giving all that she could to people and creating lasting bonds. Her example is one that I want to always follow”. Mid-career, Laurie and her husband had two children, which was when she transitioned to more of a part-time Realtor. Between the years of 2002 – 2010, the family owned and operated a rental center business in a small town just west of Minneapolis. Managing a business and continuing to help clients with their real estate needs allowed Laurie to become an early adapter to the technology that was becoming available to the real estate industry. By 2012, Laurie had quickly become known as that
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the influential zone
The Gen Gen Tie-In
“techy agent” around town. Laurie concentrated on not only learning all she could about the social media trends, but also focused on helping others…so they might find success too. “I believe in lifting all agents up…and helping them learn the technical tools of the trade. I believe in helping the real estate industry, as a whole, to be more professional and helpful to consumers.” In 2013 Laurie was asked to come back to her old real estate office. She immersed herself into a teaching role right away, where she was hired to meet with agents 1-1, and show them how to get into their websites and social media pages connected, tweaked out and up and running with relevant content that would offer the agent credibility, all with an eye on how to grow their business. Laurie coined a phrase of “having a Black Belt in training Facebook Business & Community Pages, and just plain “good at” teaching LinkedIn,
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Instagram, and Twitter”. These are the main social media sites (although there are a few others) that Laurie concentrates her teaching on. “The consumer is going to check you out online,” she declared. “it’s best to have the social media presence to establish and keep a connection”. Reaching for more creative freedom in her training and speaking career, she moved from 1-1 trainings to teaching group classes which became very popular as she added topics on “How to Build up your Business Machine” and “How to Deepen the Connection with your SOI Through Social Media”. Her classrooms are learning based with laptops or tablets open as she is live, in the internet, teaching the above subjects. Laurie doesn’t just show how to do social media…her classes are hands-on. Live trainings rare, but Laurie’s hands-on classroom teaching style is the exception.
Becoming more knowledgeable and well-versed in her real estate trainings, Laurie was anxious to develop more as a speaker. She was encouraged by a friend to see Michael J. Maher, author of 7 Levels of Communications, speak. “I immediately thought, ‘Oh my! This guy resonates with me,’” she said. “I don’t like to be gimmicky. I come from a place of helpfulness, just like my mom. Everything that Michael delivers is comfortable and natural to me.” She signed up immediately for his Catalyst program and found she identified with his style of doing business relationally. Later, Laurie joined Michael’s elite group of 7L Certified Referral Trainer program, where she is mentored directly by Michael in her speaking. Soaking up Michael’s teachings, Laurie stated she began conducting her business by way of the “Michael J. Maher approach,” including personal notes in the mail, phone calls, 1-1 meetings & events. Laurie approached local agents and started hosting book clubs, aimed at coaching and training other agents on the 7L way of relationship building, and 7L movement was well underway! Realizing the power of teaching referrals and the (7L) System, the inspired go-getter realized she was ready to go for a dream she’d had for some time. To deliver meaningful, inspirational messages to larger audiences and ultimately improve people’s lives. As Laurie became more confident in the 7L topics, she knew she was ready for this next step in her real estate training career. “Through my training as a 7L Master Certified Referral Trainer, I’ve learned that I have an incredible opportunity to communicate critically important messages with people in the service industry. I translate what
Photos courtesy of Veronica Kovacev
the influential zone
I’ve learned through my own personal experiences and stories, in a way that is easy for the audience to relate. I love delivering these talks with humor and passion. I’m always on the cusp of learning something new and I can’t wait to deliver it!” Laurie emphasized that old fashioned marketing is still a very critical part of staying in touch with your database and building or strengthening relationships. Combining social media strategies that allows others to reciprocate your name as a referral makes life sweet!
Projecting a Professional Image Everywhere Laurie reminds us that in past, consumers had the yellow pages to find who they needed. Now we have the ever-evolving social media
trends. “A social media profile alone, won’t be all that helpful” Laurie told me as the conversation went deeper into how important technology and social media is for real estate professionals. “It starts with being visible online, so you are findable. However, agents need to be active in connecting and engaging with their audience online as well. This is something I always take time to fully explain to agents. Agents should strive to have a strong social media presence AND be relevant AND still do all the other basic relationship building steps (notes, calls, 1-1’s and events). Social Media isn’t a stand-alone marketing plan. It is simply an additional element we must incorporate into what we already should be doing as relational business builders.”
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In early April of 2019, Laurie spoke nationally on her favorite 7 Levels of Commination topic (chapter 3 – Communicating with Yourself) as she delivered the ending Keynote speech “Going from Chaos to Clarity” at RAPDD held in Wichita KS. Directors of Education for Realtor boards across the US gathered to hear the message and left with tears of joy. Laurie called winners of 7 posters that her family helped design, all with the theme of 7L. The message of growing our business through relationships continues as those at the conference returned to their home board of Realtors to further develop their local real estate education for the year. Laurie tells me she enjoys building curriculum after reading many of the chapters in 7 Levels of Communication. “I implement chapters from 7L – like Connecting with Connectors - and incorporate them into new topics that I speak on. For instance, creating an online Vendor List, that I’ve dubbed “Laurie’s List. This is an online list of the best vendors I personally recommend. The list includes contractors who work in anything from concrete, decks, handyman, cleaning companies, mortgage professionals, insurance people…you name it, I’ll add it. I’ve even added local hardware stores and restaurants.” She explains her “Laurie’s List” is a “4-way win”: Vendors are being recommended and gain more business, sellers and buyers love the list because they receive great recommendations for companies and people to choose from, and Laurie herself wins because she gets to be the person who puts them all together and see the magic of giving referrals…as well as potentially gaining a few referrals back in the end. Laurie does NOT charge any of the companies or vendors to be in her Laurie’s List. She does verify all vendors that are recommended to her. Her method is to give 10 referrals and potentially receive 5 back. And everyone (vendors and clients) are invited to her yearly events!
More on 7L “The majority of what I speak on incorporates the (7L) System,” she stated. “I also love to speak on 7 Steps to Success Story (another 7L strategy) because it demonstrates the challenges we often have in (various) industry’s, and how we, as service providers, are typically solving problems every day for our clients. In the end, we are often the hero because we find the solution and save the day! We do this because we are in the business of helping others…and it comes naturally to us. However, these make for great opportunities to shout out our successes that we have had a hand in creating…worthy material to share on social media. Building credibility, trust and reminding folks we are here to help!” “I am so grateful for the 7Lsystem that brought more clarity to my own life and brought my referral business to a whole other level! My ASHLEY ALT is a professional mission is to improve writer specializing in topics others lives by bringing of career, style, health and them this message!” wellness. For more info: www.AshleyAlt.com.
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www.JoinGenGen.com
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STEP 2: RECRUIT YOUR ARMY
Part 1: Creating Ambassadors out of Strangers By O’beria Seats with Michael Maher The BRAVE are heroic. The CONFIDENT are gutsy. The STRONG keep their chin up. And the COURAGEOUS are bold enough to speak up. Do you know someone in your circle of connections who you would consider one-faced (the opposite of two-faced) -- who’s not afraid to talk good about you behind your back? Referral Champion Michael J. Maher reminds us that an Ambassador is an “unpaid salesperson who speaks highly
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of you and your business and refers you willingly.” But he added this one caveat when it comes to your Army: Your Ambassadors should be made up of strong warriors. Your Ambassadors need enough backbone to refer you when somebody mentions your business, product or the solutions you provide. Don’t waste your time by building an Army made up of weak representation. Maher will show us how to recruit the strong rather
than going after the weak, timid and unmotivated.
Preying On the Weak vs. Partnering With the Strong: For a long time, we were trained to prey on the weak in order to close the sale, practically coercing them into saying “yes.” Maher explains the issue with this ideology: “The problem with preying on the weak is that they will
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for recruiting our Army of Ambassadors.
Networking Play Strategy The networking play will help you meet strong people you don’t know. Maher said the networking play is a three-part play:
1. Intentional attendance: Attend someone else’s event with a plan to recruit your strong warriors. 2. One-on-one interview: Schedule
a sit down, one-onone meeting with the potential warriors you recruited from the networking event.
3. Invitation to your event: After the one-
on-one, you can either invite them to your event for everyone or your “Ambassadors only” event if they’re super special. Or you may decide not to invite them to any event-- you make the call.
never refer you because the weak don’t refer, and the way you got them isn’t consistent with getting referrals. Even if the weak do refer, people don’t listen to them. We take the advice of strong people.” Your relationship with your Army is a partnership, so build a business based on partnering with the strong. You can even take it a step further and partner with those who are stronger than you. “When you partner with people who are stronger than you, not only do you get stronger, your Army gets stronger. It’s going to pull you up, your business up and your capacity to help up,” Maher said. Who are the strong? They are the influencers, the connectors, the goaloriented ones with a fruitful life. How do we partner with them? By implementing the networking play, a resourceful strategy
Intentional Attendance
could be anyone from an influencer to an event coordinator or a membership chairman. Tell the organizer of your interest in attending the event and identify yourself as a business leader who desires to meet other business leaders. Ask her these questions: 1. Are introductions done formally or informally; 2. Who are the top business leaders that will be at the event; 3. Just in case someone you mentioned is not there, who are a couple of other business leaders I should talk to; 4. I’d really like to talk to at least four or five people on the night, who are a couple of others who come to mind; 5. Since you know these influencers so well, would you mind introducing me to these connectors.
THE PROBLEM WITH PREYING ON THE WEAK IS THAT THEY WILL NEVER REFER YOU BECAUSE THE WEAK DON’T REFER, AND THE WAY YOU GOT THEM ISN’T CONSISTENT WITH GETTING REFERRALS.
Your plan to recruit the strong at someone else’s event is all about quality over quantity. Maher said don’t be concerned with connecting with all 50 to 100 folks who will be at the event but to really hone in on the cream of the crop. He shares seven strategic steps to connecting with connectors when attending these local events:
1. Evaluate your mindset. Have a spirit of love, generosity and appreciation. “If your expectation going into this event is to take anything, you will lose.” 2. Call the event organizer: This
3. Research the connectors: Look
up the four or five connectors the organizer mentioned on Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., so you can recognize them and be prepared.
4. Arrive 15 to 30 minutes early:
Introduce yourself to the event organizer. Then ask her is there anything you can help with (hang up a banner, set up tables or chairs, etc.). If she declines your offer to help, find a way to help anyway. There’s always something you can do.
5. Have the organizer introduce you to the connectors: Implement the
triangle of trust. Ask the organizer if they mind taking a minute to introduce you to the connectors.
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6. Apply FROG: Include this conversational strategy when communicating with the connector. FROG is an acronym for Family, Recreation, Occupation, and Goals. For example, you can ask them about their favorite hobbies, goals for the year or why they chose their career path. Allow them to speak 80 percent of the time, giving them the opportunity to talk about themselves and enjoy the conversation. 7. Invitation to the one-on-one interview: From that conversation,
you will then schedule a one-on-one. Ask them to meet with you at a local restaurant or coffee hub to talk about their business and how you can best refer them. The invitation to the oneon-one ends the conversation and allows you to easily move on to the next connector. After you talk to each connector, you can schedule the one-on-one appointments for the same day but at different times. So, if you were able to speak with three connectors at the event, then you can meet with Kate the CPA, Jack the financial planner and Mark the insurance guy on Thursday at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. There are times when connectors don’t show up or meet all of your criteria, however, three out of six oneon-ones ain’t bad at all. “I don’t care if there are 20 or 20,000 people at this event. My job is to meet the four to six people the event organizer picked out. . . and quite honestly, you can leave halfway through the networking event if you’ve met with all four to six connectors. You’re walking out with three or four scheduled oneon-ones . . . you’ve done your job, you can leave.” Before leaving the event, be sure to thank the event organizer for inviting you. Give her an update on the conversations you had with the connectors. Send a handwritten note to the organizer and connectors after the event. Or if you really want to get fancy,
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send flowers, gift cards, edibles or any other tangible thank-you gesture.
One-on-one Interview Now it’s Thursday and you’re ready to meet one-on-one with your connectors. The connector may think the one-onone is a meeting but it’s actually an interview in disguise. “I’m going to ask them about their business, how best to refer them, how to identify their target market and how would I get a referral to them,” Maher said. Additionally, ask them about their goals. “The ‘what are your goals’ question is very important because those who have goals make better referral sources. And those who don’t have goals tend to be weaker referral sources. If they don’t have goals, they’re going to have to show me some other way they’re driven,” he added. According to Maher’s book, 7L: The Seven Levels of Communication, there are two strategies associated with the one-on-one interview:
1. Home court advantage: Turn a classy restaurant or country club into your “de facto dining room.” This will be your regular meeting spot with your Ambassadors and potentials. Get to know all the staff, including the owner, chefs, hostesses, etc. Be kind to all of them and tip regularly. After a while, they’ll be treating you like family, which will leave quite the impression on your connectors once they notice how the entire staff knows and respects you. 2. Networking stack: Stack your interviews back-to-back. You can either do a breakfast or lunch stack at your home court. Breakfast stacks are generally 30 minutes (8 to 8:30, 8:30 to 9 or 9 to 9:30, etc.). Lunch stacks are normally an hour (1 to 2, 2 to 3 or 3 to 4, etc.). This efficient strategy brings your connectors to you vs. driving around town to meet them, which would take much longer. The home court advantage and
“THE ‘WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS’ QUESTION IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THOSE WHO HAVE GOALS MAKE BETTER REFERRAL SOURCES. AND THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE GOALS TEND TO BE WEAKER REFERRAL SOURCES.
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O’BERIA SEATS is a freelance writer, copywriter, and content creator who develops written content for entrepreneurs and businesses. For more info: www.OberiaSeats.com.
networking stack strategies also allow you to connect connectors between appointments. Kate, who you’ll meet with at 1 p.m., will get the opportunity to meet Jack at 2 p.m., and Jack will get to meet Mark at 3 p.m. Introduce them to each other then leave them so they can talk. This would be a great time to excuse yourself to go to the restroom. “What are they going to talk about? They’re going to talk about you, which is Ambassador recruitment. They’re already starting to get a feel of speaking highly of you and that’s a win for them in many cases because you’re connecting them to another business leader who they may or may not know,” said Maher.
Invitation to your event Since you’ve applied Maher’s battle plan, you will know who to invite to
your all YAP (Yearly Appreciation Plan) and top YAP events. The all YAP event is for those you don’t consider to be Ambassadors or strong warriors. The top YAP event is for those who you’ve labeled as your Ambassadors because they are influencers and shining leaders who will willingly refer you. “During the top YAP event, about 80 percent of those new people will refer me,” Maher claimed. Maher references the famous quote by Chinese military strategist and philosopher Sum Tzu as he sums up the plan to build an Army of strong Ambassadors: “Every battle is won before it is fought . . . that’s what we’re doing with all of this.” So what are you waiting for? Find an upcoming local event, call the event organizer and attend implementing the seven steps to connecting with connectors.
Michael J. Maher is a top-rated speaker, author, and coach who has worked with hundreds of businesses and helped trained thousands of sales executives. His book (7L) The Seven Levels of Communication Go from Relationships to Referrals has been a number one best seller for 8 straight years on Amazon and was named one of the 20 Top-Rated Business Books of All Time by Hubspot. His teachings have been endorsed by such well-known authors and business experts as Gary Keller, cofounder of Keller Williams Realty and author of The One Thing, Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, Dave Ramsey, author of EntreLeadership and The Total Money Makeover, and dozens more. Michael travels throughout the nation discussing the new type of sales environment called The Generosity Generation. His widely popular GenGen Events are attended by tens of thousands of sales people each year. Each event benefits Maher’s #GiveBack Foundation. For additional information visit http://www.REFERCO.com.
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Make a Difference
in Education In communities across the country, many cities and towns revolve around their local school districts. As education is considered one of the backbones of society, it’s common for community members to seek ways to assist students through school-related programs. If you’re interested in making a positive impact on your local schools, teachers and students, consider these tips from the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer:
Donate Supplies From pens and pencils to computer monitors and other tech devices, schools are seemingly always in need of tools to help students thrive in a handson learning environment. Consider donating your gently used items for students to use in the classroom. For example, you may have binders, folders and writing utensils in your home office that could be used in a school setting, or you can even buy new materials at the store and contribute those to students you know personally or to a classroom in need.
Volunteer in the Classroom If a more direct approach to giving is your preference, lending time and talent to a local school can be another
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charitable option. Try reading to younger children during your spare time, or to have an impact on older students, speak to classes about your job to provide realworld insight. While it requires more of a time commitment and likely certification in some form, applying to become a substitute teacher is a way to assist both students and teachers in your area.
Nominate Schools for Grants To better understand the evolving world, some of the more pressing
educational areas include science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). You can assist public schools in your area and help provide more STEM opportunities by nominating them for special grants, such as those offered by the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program, which has awarded more than $16 million in grants to more than 900 public schools since 2011. From Jan. 1-April 1, 2019, farmers can nominate local public school districts to apply for $10,000 and $25,000 grants.
Past winning programs used funds to improve internet connectivity, develop industrial arts labs and create life science and livestock learning laboratories. Find more information and nominate your local school at AmericasFarmers.com.
Think Outside the Classroom It’s entirely possible the hours of the school day and your work schedule simply don’t align. Rather than helping inside the classroom, you can assist in afterschool programs like sports and other extracurricular activities as a coach or sponsor. Additionally, school projects that require time spent job shadowing are common in middle school and high school, meaning you can volunteer to allow students to gain real-world experience by joining you at your workplace for a predetermined amount of time.
Attend Meetings School board meetings in many areas occur weekly or monthly and are typically open to the public. If your local school district allows public attendance, consider making regular appearances. While you may not always share your opinion on school board matters, attending can, at the very least, allow you to stay up-to-date with the happenings of the community and keep informed on important topics and potential areas of need.
Encourage Participation Finding ways to help schools, students and teachers can only go so far with limited assistance from community members. Reach out to others you think may be interested in lending their time and talents, and use social media and other avenues to spread awareness about upcoming events or information you believe need to be amplified. Schools typically play a large role in community settings, but they’re still almost always in need of help from those who are willing to give it. Giving your time and providing assistance where possible can make a positive impact where it’s oftentimes needed most.
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The Importance of STEM One of the most important parts of the education process is preparing students to take on the “real world.” As technology evolves and changes, STEM learning is increasingly becoming a foundation for future life skills. There are a number of reasons STEM is truly valuable to today’s students, including: • STEM is where jobs are headed. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 10 fastest-growing occupations through 2026 are populated 100 percent by jobs that fall into STEM categories. • STEM is innovative. Skilled employees in STEM fields are driving trends, which in turn creates additional jobs while boosting the economy. • STEM is a stepping stone. The list of careers that fall under STEM categories continues expanding. In addition to some of the more apparent careers and jobs, STEM learning can provide experience applicable to many other fields. • STEM is making a difference. Driving social change through scientific research and technological advancements means STEM is at the forefront of making positive impacts in areas like medicine and engineering. Funding for local schools is a key component in the STEM learning process. To help advance educational opportunities, consider nominating your local school district for grants like those available from the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program, which includes $10,000 and $25,000 grants to fund improvements ranging from greenhouses to laboratory equipment to makerspaces.
Referable Reads This heartwarming tale of Rick Masters’ trials and triumphs describes the exact strategies that helped him evolve from the Ego Era to the Generosity Generation. This book is about so much more than referrals. This is about building a business that not only feeds your family, but also feeds your soul.
This classic, released in 1937, stands the test of time. There’s always a need to understand human nature. Carnegie goes deep, offering tips on making others feel important plus why that elevates your professional and personal endeavors.
First introduced to you in the best-selling book, The 7 Levels of Communication, real estate professionals Rick and Michelle are now married and expecting their first child, but the demands of their industry have left them overworked, overweight, stressed out and unfulfilled. Something’s got to change. They attend a seminar and meet other agents who have transformed their lives—both personally and professionally—using a simple 30-day Challenge.
Why do some succeed while others never reach their potential? Gladwell’s theory? No one is naturally talented. But, if you’re willing to put in the time and energy, you’ll accomplish almost anything.
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catalyst* connection
Now that Easter is Over..
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ast Month, CATALYST* and Certified Referral Trainer, Sharon Hyres, showed us photos from her Easter Egg Hunt Event. This month, we dive deeper into how she started, the obstacles she had to overcome, and the steps she took to make this event so successful. Sharon started her Real Estate career in Central Florida in 2001. In 2015, while working directly with Michael J. Maher, Sharon developed the idea to have a community Easter egg hunt. First, after much chasing and follow up, she had a meeting
with a local church board who had to consult with their insurance companies and attorneys to see if it was okay to allow people that were not members of the church on their property for such an event. One thing she emphasized from her learning experience was to start early on the planning, “Until you have a location and a date, you can’t go anywhere!” she said. She also shared that ordering supplies and favors earlier can save money too. After ironing out all the details with the church, it was decided that this would be a joint venture. The church let Sharon do the planning, but also invited their congregation and had a booth at the event where they provided water bottles for everyone. Sharon purchased an Easter bunny costume and volunteers from the church took shifts wearing it. She also hired a photographer and face painter and balloon artist. Sharon stated, “What I’ve really learned, is as you go forward, you just take your mistakes [and learn from them]...” Reflecting back on the first year she took on this event, Sharon says she would have had more help. She always had eggs with tickets in them that could be traded for prizes similar to a carnival, but this past year, she learned she could get by with not as many people helping if she put prizes inside the eggs and had one
golden egg per age group that could be exchanged for a “Grand Prize” which was an Easter Basket. Sharon also purchased a registration book and for every entry that was completed, they were entered into a drawing as well. This really encouraged people to register and gave Sharon the information she needed to follow up with them later on and send a handwritten note. As an added bonus to the church, she let them keep the registration book and helped them compose “Power Notes” to the attendees as well. On average, Sharon has had 5075 people show up each year. She received two referrals from the first event, but even more important, people learned who Sharon Hyres was and where her heart was. “You're going to feel so good about [this] when you’re doing it, that it won’t feel like work. It feels like play!” Sharon said. The church has already asked Sharon to have the hunt again next year. There’s no doubt it will be even better in 2020!
EDITOR’S NOTE: To hear Sharon’s entire interview with Michael Maher, visit www. referralspodcast.com.
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What’s to come... • The Ultimate Millennial Issue • Old School. New Rules. New Tools. • Social Media Marketing
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