Writing Your Story in 2016

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”  - Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Hard to believe we are about to being another year, where did 2015 go? As busy as my life can be some days, I always feel like my life moves at a fairly steady pace. I devote my time to my family, my work, my church and other important causes that are near and dear to me. My family and I make sure to take time off from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to get away and enjoy each other’s company and the blue skies and the beauty that is Colorado. When I look back on this “book” for the year, my pages are full of a lot of love, laughter, obstacles, resolutions, a few tears and lots and lots of happiness. I love the idea of looking at every New Year as a new book just waiting desperately for each of us to pick up the pen of life and start writing and living to fill up each and every page. The wonderful thing is, you don’t have to wait until a new year starts to get a new book and you can pick up new books throughout the year and start making different stories for each part of your life.

People put a lot of emphasis on making big changes when the New Year comes around, from making large lists to resolutions that they feel are important for the year to come. I commend that, I really do, but I would also encourage each of you to work on daily changes, weekly changes and monthly changes. And if you have an idea or a resolution in the middle of July, then take that blank book and start working on that chapter when life calls you to. Never wait to start living your life the way you desire and don’t be scared to take a few risks along the way. I personally wouldn’t be where I am today without a few mishaps and mistakes along the way, that’s what makes us human right? Being perfectly imperfect is one of our best qualities. The hope is that you learn from those mishaps and grow from them and that will help you work towards bigger and brighter things in your future.

For my resolutions this year (which I plan on updating as the months progress and more things come my way) I have come up with the following:

·      Donate 15 hours of my time to Reagan's new Christian School

·      Donate one more day a month to my church, Flatirons Community Church, Currently I volunteer once a month for one service in the Cafe.

·      Read 12 new books, I read 6 new books this year but read two books again from the previous year.

Of course I also made resolutions with my husband Jay this year as we do every year. We have found this is a good way for us to push one another and support each other as we continue to grow as husband and wife and as business partners:

·      Jay and I want to EACH close $10 Million in Sales in 2016. 

·      To Purchase one new rental property or vacation property

·      We would like to partner up with a local builder to help them market their properties.

·      $50,000 In Gross Sales for our longboard company, LongJohns Longboards

·      Build a new website for LongJohns Longboards®

Are you ready to start a new book this year, with blank pages a plenty just waiting to be filled up with your hopes and dreams and goals? Keep that book all year long, add to it, nourish it and make changes to it. Nothing is set in stone when it comes to resolutions so make 2016 everything you want it to be.

Here’s to a wonderful and blessed 2016, happy New Years everyone! Can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store for you!

Vroom Vroom, Car Shows for the July 4th Weekend

Hard to believe it is already July, where has the summer gone? I’m sure you are all getting ready to do fun activities this July 4th weekend from a backyard bbq to heading downtown to watch the great fireworks or maybe packing up the kids and heading on a little mountain road trip. There is so much to do this weekend and I know my husband and my daughter and I are excited for some particular events that have to do with old cars, a love all of us share. My husband and I have been avid car show attendees for years now, as admirers of other people’s automobiles and as displayers of some of our own antique car models. I know we are not the only people who enjoy these car shows, young and old alike take to these events and so I have prepared a list of some great shows to check out over this holiday weekend:

Cruise Loveland – every Friday night in Loveland from May through September, come cruise the streets in your beautiful car!

 Red, White and Vroom Car Show – 8:00am – 3:00pm - showcasing classic and exotic cars from all over the world on July 4th.

Cars & Coffee (Weather Permitting) – 8:00am – 10:00am - if you are one who likes a wide range of cars from Ferraris to Corvettes to Classic muscle cars, this is the event for you. If the weather is nice come out and enjoy the line-up of exotic cars sure to put a smile on any car lovers face.

Very Fine Wheels Car Show – 8:00am – 1:00pm – held at VFW Post 4171, all the proceeds from this show go to help local veterans and with limited space available, pre-registration is recommended.

18th Annual ‘Coolest Car Show’ – 10:00am – 4:00pm – this is an event for the whole family so bring everyone! Check-in time is from 8am-9:30am with an entry fee of $30, all registrants receive goodie bags and dash plaques. With an option to display your car indoors or outdoors, admission is only $5 per adult and $2 per child or $10 for the whole family. Live music, children’s activities, a raffle and silent auction accommodate this fun show!

Take the family and your favorite classic car and make sure to catch one of these great shows this weekend! And if it is time to find a new place to park your car, maybe a new three-car-garage, shoot me an e-mail or give me a call. I know it is important to have a place to park your baby and would love to help you start searching for that next spot for you!

Have a safe and happy 4th everyone!

Treat your mature business like a Startup.

Even though I have been in business since 2000 I still consider myself and my business like a startup.  Technology, people and new innovations are always changing and you have to make sure you always stay on top of them.  

I recently purchased a Colorado longboard company and found myself calling it a startup but It has been around since 2008.  It never got to really see the market and it had so much potential.  My husband, Jay Modglin and I decided to buy this company because we love business and new challenges.  We saw the potential to grow this company but we also saw that it is part of a cool creative culture and we were excited to be a part of it. 

We never longboarded but I been snowboarding for over 20 years, Jay used to surf and snowboard and we both skateboarded when we were kids.  So we thought how hard could it be!  So we decided to purchase the company and then started to learn how to longboard.  Surprisingly we jumped on and picked it up right away. 

So this brings me back to my post about treating your mature business like a startup.  Maybe you should always consider your business like a startup so you are always looking for what is new and innovative for your business.  If you keep doing the same thing the same way it may not get you infront of anyone new.  

Time is never wasted when absorbing, reading and learning about the world outside of your own market.  Remaining curious and devoting time weekly to expand your own perspective can pay off for your business.  You never innovate examining your own category and what your competitors are doing.  Push yourself outside your market comfort zone to inspire fresh thinking and new ideas. 

I sell and personally invest in real estate full time and I love what I do.  Purchasing this new Longboard company made me realize that I needed to look at my real estate business like a startup and make sure I am new and innovative all the time.  

So I have recently started this blog and looking to meet new and innovative people through it.

Go and be a startup again but don't forgot to also be a mature business and act like you've made it!