Category: Thought Leadership

Business, REAL ESTATE BASE BLOGS, Thought Leadership

Feeling More Professional Just Because of the Effort

by gshorkeyblt2Leave a Comment on Feeling More Professional Just Because of the Effort

12-5booking it

Four days, and feeling ready for what comes on Monday.

Two months after spreading the news at my 40th reunion that real estate was where my future efforts would be directed upon returning to Charlotte, NC the Reality of Commitment comes down to four days of almost continuous reading and testing to prep for a more-important-to-my-future test than I’ve taken in MANY years. A 75% (two tries if necessary) qualifies for the State exam.

After watching multiple episodes of ‘Friday Night Lights’ with Blackhawk-flying, ‘promotable-to-captain’ nephew, Curtiss, and fiancee (Stephanie) during my reunion over Columbus Day weekend, the Permian Panthers “Goin’ to  States!” mantra has been locked in as my Now.

FOCUS isn’t optional

Half-way through this month of two full days (79 total hours) a week in class and mucho hours reading/discussion, online testing, trying to fulfill a second goal of submitting 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo campaign didn’t make the cut as a priority.

Its worth mentioning that, because while tarot cards are essential to major decisions made by my main character, Marlena (the Magnificent) Victoria Christie, declining to commit time to writing – an obvious, significant professional factor – was an All-In! line in the sand.  Because school and studying required all possible focus, the call had to be made.

That’s a straight-up fact, recognizing actions go with what your #1 focus is. Success is still earned, and yes, ‘deserved’ is a decent clarifier.

My real estate class has about 80 people, and being at the same level of focus with that many articulate people, its been enlightening. At *NO* point is anyone I’ve talked to been taking things lightly. The instructor put an absolutely True point on the Next we’re all looking at with all the studying/long reading assignments: “You are all trying to become professionals– conduct yourselves accordingly.”

 I’ll add that every organization or ‘system’ I’ve worked with demands results along a scale of importance: High rewards, you gotta want ’em, then go earn ’em –Amen. And Luck,  that usually follows effort.

Time-wise, it’s been a short term investment:  Started October 28, final on December 7. Exceptionally strong potential results for a short term commitment,  and there didn’t seem to be any lack of determination in most individuals; nobody expects a ’15-minute-great abs!’-type cheat that aces tests, y’know? North Carolina has some rules and gotta do’s regarding real estate, and part of that is definitely 79 hours. Being licensed as a *professional* going into 2016 is a specific goal, so this weekend is about achievement. How much-how far with this weekend’s effort-commitment means points on Monday.

The world makes way for…you know the deal, and there isn’t a WINNER! type organization worth its mantra that doesn’t push that button somehow.

There were regular opportunities to present myself during  lunch ‘n learns with representatives of specific firms, including two  I’d previously completed assessments with. Certain results from those clearly affirmed my inner attitudes and aptitudes, then it took a ‘put it on the credit card’ action  to qualify for this potential professional Next.

Don’t ever imagine anything happens without actions like investing in yourself. I’ll let you know the results soon. (Woot woot! Passed State test first try! Next comes paying all the fees…)

As a small extra, this piece written after the Panthers big win in Dallas was/is pretty good stuff. At Thanksgiving we were 11-0, looking for more in weeks to come. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/yes-purrr-fect-11-0-panthers-show-dallas-what-big-d-glenn/edit

Business, Sports, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized

Using ‘Head Coach Women’s Ice Hockey’ Again Feels Terrific

by gshorkeyblt2Leave a Comment on Using ‘Head Coach Women’s Ice Hockey’ Again Feels Terrific

Maybe two days after saying ‘Ditto’ and somewhat more writing a response to a LinkedIn piece about restrictive/unimaginative cookie cutter formats 95%-plus of sites use taking resumes, I found the glory of NASCAR’s site while applying for a multi-talent and demanding EA role in a digital arena. Seems I was one of 93 Linked applicants checking it out, but what impressed me hugely was **2000 word, not characters** boxes to describe past experiences in.

Any idea how liberating that becomes after chiseling a pretty widely varied set of experiences down to barely more than bullets on a page and a half because HR people only seem to stay focused (according to a number of widely quoted studies) somewhere around 6-12 seconds?

Few counselors admit you juuuust might need more than one page, even if hardly anyone does ‘The Twenty’ these days. I love laying multiple positives out on LinkedIn, and seeing how others present themselves has value as well, but trying to upload to many company sites, lets say its not always WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). After years of road rep sales I did long-term contract work for six years before landing a permanent executive assistant at Meineke, and that 1994-2000 heading in the middle of things jerks all other information to hell on most sites.

HEAD COACH BROCKPORT ST. WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY CLUB

Getting to put  that as a substantial part of my background, it was pretty cool. True, the Community Development VP entry with the Albany Jaycees showed another layer of expertise to ‘gettin’ it done’ that might be expected in a major venue like NASCAR, but hockey coach, that was absolutely pure Goodness.

I can’t forget ol’ Joe Kurtzman, a Canuck who possessed a hollow leg during beer drinking strategy meetings at Casey’s, and was dinosaur dumb about dealing with teenage female athletes of the late ’70s. That’s what made me Head Coach, being able to talk with-recruit those freshmen from late night boyfriends games and over foosball tables.

A ‘Dirty Dozen’

We began with barely a ‘Dirty Dozen’ and immediately lost two, one tough talker after getting bounced off the boards herself. The second, Kitty, who would’ve been captain, seperated vetebrae in her back doing some extra skating.

After losing to Ithaca College at Brockport 3-1 (including an empty netter with :02 to go) we pounded them 8-2 at Cornell’s Lynah Arena. I didn’t put all that into the box, or that my folks and three cousins came with brother Steve before his JV hoops game, but that feeling and everything about driving back in below zero weather wrapped in army blankets, is something that ties for first with winning an Upstate (NY) Rugby championship among my athletic achievements.

I’ve been hunkered down in retail for over five years now, but I’m feeling much better about the economy, or at least knowing my odds on something. Realistically, the odds probably grow longer for a plum job like NASCAR described. Damn, I forgot to mention getting ITS SPORTS! magazine to invest in uniforms and entry fee for a basketball team I formed around the idea of giving my buddy Ivan Marquez someplace to coach, but getting the hockey in again, that did feel righteous.

Glenn Shorkey