As of 9:08 p.m. EST on Thursday, April 30, 2009, I am officially no longer cool. I know - it's a shocker!
While talking to our 14 year old about the Garfield Heights Middle School 8th Grade Dance, I started talking about what he was going to wear. He wants to wear a suit (a NICE one, Mom!). He wants his Dad to take him (NOT you, Mom!). He does NOT want me taking pictures outside or showing up at the dance to take pictures of him (only in the house, Mom!). I look at my husband and calmly asked "What's HIS problem with me tonight?" Instead of letting his Dad answer, Kennyth pipes up with "Because you are SO not cool and I don't want people to know!"
I suppose that should have hurt my feelings, huh? I suppose I should have come back with something snarky like "Right back atcha, bub!" I didn't though.
I realize that I am not as young as I was when I suffered through labor and delivery with him (isn't that what all mothers are supposed to say about their childbirth?). I realize that I don't wear the latest trendy outfits anymore, if I ever did - but that's probably a topic for another post. (I spend my days in sweats or jeans and t-shirts, covered in milk stains, various food residue, baby spit-up, and other things that I don't want to go into here.) I realize that I'm strict - my kids aren't allowed to free-roam. (They get taken to and picked-up from wherever they go by either me or their dad, they can't walk anywhere that is more than a block from our house, they've never ridden a bus alone except the school bus, they don't spend the night at just anybody's house, we monitor their telephone usage, they don't watch any movie unless we've seen it first, and they are not allowed to use the Internet unless one of us is monitoring. All my rules.)
Instead of that quippy comeback, I simply said, "That's fine. You may think I'm "SO not cool" (yes, I used the finger quotes) but guess what? I don't have to be. But when you bring home your first real girlfriend, I'll be "SO not cool" and tell her all the great stories I have lined up about her "SO cool" boyfriend. So talk to the hand! HOLLER!"
That didn't go over so well. But YOU think I'm cool, don't you?? (Just say yes, make me feel better!)
~Renae - Market 4 Real!
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Need help with consistently marketing to your leads and your listings? Don't put it off! Contact us today for assistance and get started on the road to turning your leads into clients and your listings into SOLD properties!
I absolutely love the idea of promoting one another when we can! As a result, I have a project called "Twitter Friend of the Week." Each week, I'll showcase one or two of my Twitter Friends so that you can "meet" them.
This week, my featured Twitter Friend is Erin Blaskie of Business Services, Etc.. Here's what Erin had to tell us:
What is your primary business? What is unique about you or your business? What is one fun thing about yourself that most of us don't know? Do you work from home or an outside office? What is your favorite computer application? What is your favorite food? If you could be a super hero, what would you be called and what would your super powers be? What one piece of advice would you give someone who wants to get into your line of business?
What is the follow link for one of yourTwitter Friends who you think everyone would benefit from following and why should we follow them? Erin’s definitely got it together! Check Erin out on Twitter at @ErinBlaskie. You’ll be glad you did!
My team & I provides businesses with online marketing solutions to help take an offline business online or grow the existing one to develop a much larger web presence thus increasing sales, building lists and achieving business goals.
I started my business very young, I was 21, so I feel that I combine the perspective of someone who is young and immersed in the current technologies from head to toe with the experience I have through working with over 150 entrepreneurs around the world. We also come from a "doing" background as we were a virtual assistance company before we became a strategy and support company. While what we do now is similar, I get to use my experience with the tasks to help with strategies for my clients.
I can never be more than three feet away from a bag of Teddy Grahams :)
I currently work from home but beginning this month, I'll also be sharing a co-work space.
Wow... I have far too many to name just one! On a daily basis I always have open: Firefox, Dreamweaver, PhotoShop, SnagIt, Skype and Project Recon (Basecamp).
Hmmm... I am one of those people that doesn't actually LOVE food the way some people love food but I would have to say sushi.
Erin the Vibrant... My super powers would be to make everyone around me positive and happy regardless of their previous disposition.
To just go for it... Have the drive, determination and tenacity to make it successful and you will. The only thing stopping you right now is yourself.
@unmarketing - Stratten is hilarious, honest and opinionated as well as talented, intelligent and brilliant.
Want to be an upcoming featured Twitter Friend of the Week? Follow me and then send me a message that you're interested! TFOTW - Gotta LUV Twitter! Gotta LUV Twitter Friends!
~Renae - Market 4 Real!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Need help with consistently marketing to your leads and your listings? Don't put it off! Contact us today for assistance and get started on the road to turning your leads into clients and your listings into SOLD properties!
I absolutely love the idea of promoting one another when we can! As a result, I have a project called "Twitter Friend of the Week." Each week, I'll showcase one or two of my Twitter Friends so that you can "meet" them.
This week, my featured Twitter Friend is Cap’n Billy of Pirate Parenting. Cap’n Billy is BY FAR the most unusual Twitter Friend I have. Here's what Cap’n Billy had to tell us:
What is your primary business? What is unique about you or your business? What is one fun thing about yourself that most of us don't know? Do you work from home or an outside office? What is your favorite computer application? What is your favorite food? If you could be a super hero, what would you be called and what would your super powers be? What one piece of advice would you give someone who wants to get into your line of business?
What is the follow link for one of yourTwitter Friends who you think everyone would benefit from following and why should we follow them? As you can see, Cap’n Billy is extremely unusual. I mean, how many of us get to say we know a real live pirate?? Check Cap’n Billy out on Twitter at @pirateparenting.
Merchant vessel acquisition
I have a hook and a peg leg. I like pillaging, plundering, rum and long walks off the plank.
I'd tell ye but I'd have to kill ye afterwards.
I work from a ship-board office.
Anything I can pirate. Arrrgh!
Salt cod and hardtack
Ye don't need superpowers when ye have cannons.
Raise yer crew by going to a tavern late at night. After the rum's gone, they'll be more likely to follow ye.
@darthvader
Want to be an upcoming featured Twitter Friend of the Week? Follow me and then send me a message that you're interested! TFOTW - Gotta LUV Twitter! Gotta LUV Twitter Friends!
~Renae - Market 4 Real!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Need help with consistently marketing to your leads and your listings? Don't put it off! Contact us today for assistance and get started on the road to turning your leads into clients and your listings into SOLD properties!
I’m all about cross-promotion! As a result, I have a cross-promotion project called "Stager of the Week." Each week, I'll showcase a Professional Stager so that you can "meet" them. Stagers are an excellent way to not only help a property look its absolute best, but to get that property sold as quickly as possible and for the highest price possible.
This week's featured Professional Stager is Allegra Dioguardi of Styled and Sold LLC in the Hamptons/Sag Harbor, New York. Here’s my interview with Allegra:
How did you initially get into staging? What is your most effective marketing strategy to get realtors or sellers to use your services? What is one fun thing about yourself that most people don't know?? Are you involved in any social media marketing other than Active Rain (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, RealTown, etc.)? If so, how do we connect with you? What is your favorite computer application? What is your favorite food? What one piece of advice would you give someone who is hesitant to utilize the services of a professional stager? If you could be a made up super hero, what would you be called and what would your super powers be?
I have a degree in Interior Design from Parsons School of Design. My first job out of design school was as a designer at a Model Home design firm and I stayed in that industry for 26 years. I became a nationally recognized, award-winning designer for some of the top national new homebuilders.
Three years ago I started my own home staging business. It was a natural transition as all of the same principles of designing to sell and interior merchandising apply to Home Staging.
It’s a combination of presenting to Realtors© at their office meetings, sending out newsletters, writing articles for local papers and magazines, and meeting them one-on-one at open houses. Before and after photos speak a thousand words too.
I dance in the kitchen when no one is watching.
I’m exasperated still trying to figure out Twitter and Facebook. I’m on Linked-In, Home Staging Channel and Top Interior Decorators.com. You can find me under: styledandsold.
That’s a tough one! I am also a writer (I wrote an e-book, Styled by Design - http://styledbydesign.com) on the design principles of home staging and I write articles for magazines and newspapers so I would have to say Microsoft Word. I don’t know how we lived before cut and paste, word count and Words’ Thesaurus!
Spaghetti and meatballs.
Homes for sale become a product and, just like any other product, they should be packaged, merchandised and marketed properly. Otherwise, in this competitive market, your “product” can become the dusty bottle of No-Name Brand product hidden on the back shelf at the market. The properties that do sell well are the ones that show the best, that are in move in condition, that a buyer can fall in love with. After 26 years in this industry I am convinced “Love at first sight” sells houses.
This is me, Great Stager, loving single mom, hard working, determined, trusted friend.
What one piece of advice would you give someone who wants to become a professional stager?
Don’t think that just because you have “a flair” for decorating that you should become a Home Stager. It is hard work, you must be serious about it and the bar is being raised every day - making it more competitive. Marketing and educating potential clients is 90% of your work…the actual staging is the icing on the cake.
Thanks for taking some time to get to know Allegra Dioguardi. Now, go learn more about Allegra at Styled and Sold LLC!
Want to be an upcoming featured Stager of the Week? Just e-mail me! Use a Stager! What are you waiting for?
~Renae - Market 4 Real!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Need help with consistently marketing to your leads and your listings? Don't put it off! Contact us today for assistance and get started on the road to turning your leads into clients and your listings into SOLD properties!
I’m all about cross-promotion! As a result, I have a cross-promotion project called "Stager of the Week." Each week, I'll showcase a Professional Stager so that you can "meet" them. Stagers are an excellent way to not only help a property look its absolute best, but to get that property sold as quickly as possible and for the highest price possible.
This week's featured Professional Stager is Cathy Lee of C.L. Design Services Home Staging in Danville, California. Here’s my interview with Cathy:
How did you initially get into staging? What is your most effective marketing strategy to get realtors or sellers to use your services? What is one fun thing about yourself that most people don't know?? Are you involved in any social media marketing other than Active Rain (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, RealTown, etc.)? If so, how do we connect with you? What is your favorite computer application? What is your favorite food? What one piece of advice would you give someone who is hesitant to utilize the services of a professional stager? If you could be a made up super hero, what would you be called and what would your super powers be?
What one piece of advice would you give someone who wants to become a professional stager? Thanks for taking some time to get to know Cathy Lee. Now, go learn more about Cathy and the entire team at C.L. Design Services Home Staging !
In 2002, I became an accredited staging professional, trained by Barb Scwarz.
I attend our local Real Estate Marketing Association weekly marketing meeting to network with Realtors©. To reach homeowners, I participate in direct mail advertising in Home Folio Magazine, a local publication that goes out to 20,000 homes.
I can teach most anyone to single water ski.
I’m on Facebook and you can connect with me by searching for Cathy Lee at cldesigns@comcast.net.
MS Word
Anything lemon.
Ask for references/referrals.
I would be a beautiful "TransFly." She is a cross between a butterfly and a sweeper and she de-clutters and transforms homes in one sweep!!! And of course I am all pretty colors of green!!!
Do it with all your heart!!!!
Cathy Lee
C.L. Design Services Home Staging
Company Website
E-mail Me
Want to be an upcoming featured Stager of the Week? Just e-mail me! Use a Stager! What are you waiting for?
~Renae - Market 4 Real!_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Need help with consistently marketing to your leads and your listings? Don't put it off! Contact us today for assistance and get started on the road to turning your leads into clients and your listings into SOLD properties!
Online and off-line marketing services for agents across the US, Canada, & abroad. We keep our clients in touch with consumers through social media marketing! Giving you more time - Time is Money!
Marketing 4 Realtors is a full-service company focusing on marketing assistance. I have been a VA full-time since 1998 and have worked specifically with real estate professionals starting in 2003. I am a certified Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistants through the REVA Network (http://www.revanetwork.com/) and am listed as a PREVA on IREAA (http://www.ireaa.com/), I am also the Chairperson of the Lead Management Guild through the REVA Network (www.revanetwork.com/news.php).
It is important for me to let you know that I am highly invested in the team approach to virtual assisting. Working alone is not an efficient business practice and always causes problems. As a result, over the years, I've developed a team of associates who work closely with me and my clients. They have all signed non-disclosure agreements and we trust them implicitly with our client details. This allows us to not only be able to provide services to my clients that may not be in my primary skillset, but I am also able to take on a much larger work load than a single VA can handle. It also affords me the opportunity to take vacations and have family time when necessary without leaving my clients in the lurch while I'm away. It is a win-win situation for all involved.
As the name implies, I focus on providing marketing services for my clients. These services come in the form of lead management and listing coordination.
Listing Coordination
Services here include: 
Lead Management
Services here include:
I have experience with Top Producer, Rainmaker e-Central, Sharper Agent, and Imprev and can assist you in maximizing these and other programs to their fullest potential for your business.
"[M4R] has been excellent for any tasks we have given them. [M4R] is actually not only performing certain services, they are also assisting us in finding other help whenever it is beyond their scope. We have grown confident that [M4R] is quite capable of anything we can ask them to do. Their timeliness and quality is excellent and they will communicate in any way and as often as we ask. They reply to all emails so that we know they are on it. We think the more we can turn over to [M4R], the better for our business."
Frank Williams
Coldwell Banker Goodman Associates
http://www.ownspi.com/
"Working with Marketing 4 Realtors has given me the opportunity to excel in the real estate industry at a time when many agents are struggling. They understand the importance of timing when dealing with my tasks. Additionally, their professionalism, wide range of real estate knowledge and accessibility have made them an invaluable asset!"
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RE/MAX Gulfstream Realty
http://richardparker.remax.com
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