2003 – 2006

My Sabbatical

Who Moved My CheeseThere is a Proverb in the bible (Proverbs 16:9) “A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” As 2003 started, I had big plans in my mindon how to grow my business to the next level. I added 2 more buyers’ agents to my team (now 8 people) and added another office for my team. Little did I know that my direction was about to change.

In late January I got sick with the flu.  Nothing real serious, but the virus did affect my inner ear and caused me to have Vertigo for an extended period of time. This caused me to do a whole lot of sitting and thinking.  I had been so busy in my career that I hardly had a chance to catch my breath, much less think. Well now I had the time. I started to think beyond my current situation. I started to ask myself questions like “What do I want to be doing when my kids graduate high school?”, “What’s the real estate business going to be like in 10 years?” and “How will the Internet affect my business both positively and negatively?”. I just had a feeling something wasn’t right and maybe my plans for growing a big team wasn’t the best plan after all. I really felt I was being directed to explore some other areas. So, I made the decision to make a change and follow “my gut”.

emarketingIn May 2003, I resigned from RE/MAX and began my so-called sabbatical. I wasn’t totally clear on what I was going to do. I figured I would take one day at a time. I knew whatever I did was going to involve the Internet. I was totally hyped about the possibilities. I was still involved in selling real estate, which I did under my real estate brokerage Missouri Online Real Estate, Inc. (AKA M.O.R.E.). During this time, I stayed involved with the local REALTOR association where I served on a number of committees and on the board of directors. My plan was to sell real estate to friends and family as I pursued new Internet ventures. Right away I formed eMarketing Design, Inc. and EMD Hosting, Inc. which started me on the path to becoming an emarketing professional. My new journey had now begun.

Online RainmakerWhen I started my “sabbatical”, I already had a pretty good knowledge of emarketing. I was already successfully applying emarketing techniques to my business. My domain portfolio had already drawn attention and I would receive offers (in the thousands of dollars for domains that I had acquired). I was interviewed for a book being written by Dan Gooder Richard who owns a company called The Gooder Group. The book is now in print and is entitled “Real Estate Rainmaker: Guide to Online Marketing”. You can get the book here. I also had a number people approach me for potential business opportunities. But I really felt like I needed to know more.

booksSo I began my research and studies in earnest. I invested thousands of dollars in learning materials and software.  I spent thousands of hours learning the many aspects of successfully marketing on the Internet.  I studied website design, programming, database design, online branding concepts, search engine marketing, online copy writing, online lead generation, direct navigation, affiliate marketing and more.  I read lots of books on emarketing and related subjects.  I networked with people (including some of the top Internet Marketers in the world) who specialized in different areas on Internet marketing.  It almost seemed like I was learning exponentially. What I was doing was building a very good base of knowledge.

From all my research and study, one thing became very evident to me: Change was coming. And not just to the real estate industry. But for businesses in general. The change was the consumer themselves. The Internet had empowered them with information. I realized that if a company or individual could successfully adapt to these changes they would be well positioned in the market. I read 2 books on dealing with change that really put things in perspective “Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson and “Our Iceberg Is Melting” by John Kotter. I would recommend both these “easy to read” books for anyone wanting to getthe right perspective on change.

Information St. LouisOne of the biggest changes that became evident to me through my research was that the Internet was going “local”. Local search was going to become huge. The Internet was the new “yellow pages”. The consumer was using the Internet to locate information on local news, businesses, events, and so on. I had seen this happening to a greater degree in other cities, like Atlanta, where I would travel. I knew this was going to happen in St. Louis too. I realized I could be a part of that process in St. Louis. From that idea, Information St. Louis, Inc. was formed in early 2006 to help local businesses and professionals reach the local St. Louis consumer.

By mid 2006, the direction for me had became clear, but there was a lot of work to do.

What I learned from during this time:

  • Become the very best at what you do.  Master your skills.
  • Take action. Focus on action steps. Don’t be attached to the outcome.
  • Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  Make a bunch of pots!
  • Love your work. If you don’t love what you are doing, find a way to do what you love, even if it is a hobby.
  • Ask yourself questions continually. This is how you learn.
  • Focus on the day you have. Don’t worry about tomorrow.
  • If you don’t know the answer to a question, ask God. Then, trust the answer you get and act on it.

Next > 2006 – Today