It’s Thanksgiving morning and I’ve been up since 0330, trying to get my son back to sleep. He has a fresh set of molars coming in and he has been waking up multiple times a night. As much as I should be frustrated from a lack of sleep, this morning I am thankful.
I am thankful for so many things, but this morning I am truly thankful that the Lord blessed me with two incredible children. My daughter turns five next month, and my son just turned two and although they challenge my bride and I daily (mentally and physically), I am amazed at how much they have grown and how much they are making an impact on our lives. Our little seedlings are budding and it is so fun to know that I have an impact on the outcome.
But this blog isn’t just about being thankful for my kids; it’s about growth and it’s about taking care of the seeds we plant. It’s about adding value to those seeds and how it can bring so much more joy and success to our own lives.
Here’s the thing: if all you do is plant the seed it isn’t going to grow. There is much more involved in growing something (or someone) to become big and strong; you need continuous care – water, food, mental and physical stimulation, and love. You must provide daily (or weekly) input for that seed to produce.
To become successful at building something you can be proud of, you must continuously add value to that something.
Let’s see how this relates to a real estate business:
When I first started my real estate company, I was doing everything on my own and everything I did was to benefit me. My sole focus was to increase my own net worth, my own income, and my own bottom line. I was providing zero care to the seeds I had planted. And although those seeds grew a little, there were major setbacks along the way, and I had to start over. I made some big mistakes, lost a lot of money, and had little to show for my efforts.
I took a hard look at what I wanted to accomplish, read this amazing book called the Go-Giver, and planted more seeds. This time, I was going to actually provide value.
What I found was amazing – my business started to grow FAST! My network expanded, more opportunities arose, new streams of income popped up, I became smarter, my network became smarter, I started to give more, I had a team of individuals that I cared for, and they cared for me. The seeds I planted had grown big and strong. And I’m loving it!
You see, until I realized that growing a business is more about providing value to others, my business had been no more than a small frail sprout. It was weak and had no support. But after I figured out that this game is a team sport and I needed to GIVE more to my team than receive, my business started to thrive.
So, what does that look like for you? How can you provide more value to others?
It may be starting a podcast, or a blog. It may be offering coaching calls, or starting a mastermind group. Or how about starting a local meetup group, or just taking time to talk to your coworkers and educating them on what you’ve learned.
What if you set up a giving campaign to a non-profit organization? What if you made a video and walked step-by-step through the home-buying process and gave that away for free to your network? What if you took 10% of your profits and gave it away? What about 20%, or 50%? What if you offered up one piece of daily business advice to those within your Tribe? What if you scheduled more phone calls with those you are mentoring? What if you hired someone to join your team and paid them more money than you initially wanted to? And what if you then empowered that team member to go add value to others?
Do you think any of these things would help grow your business? I’d venture to say YES!
So, as we sit around the dinner table and enjoy our Thanksgiving meal today, think about how you can provide more value to your network (and your family) so your business (and offspring) can grow.
Plant those seeds. Water them daily. And be thankful!
Happy Thanksgiving.
Written by Stuart Grazier