max vannatter: 2016 Goals .. Go For It
- 11/09/15 02:16 AM
My oldest son Kellen raced the Austin Ironman 70.3 this weekend. Ironman 70.3 starts with a 1.2 mile swim, followed by a 56 mile bike, and ends with a 13.1 mile run. In his words “that was brutal”.
The final portion of the race, the run, is often the most challenging. A few miles into the run portion we had our first opportunity to see Kellen. As he ran by we could see he was in pain. His eyes had that look, “I can’t go on”. We just kept yelling “we love you, you can do it”. As he slumbered by I … (1 comments)
max vannatter: We Are In This Together
- 10/16/15 12:46 AM
The Kingwood High School girls Cross Country teams have been tearing it up this year. Our varsity girls are ranked #1 in the great state of Texas. Yesterday they proved their dominance taking 7 of the top 10 spots in a regional race.
Two of those girls running are mine; Kendall my 16 year old Junior and Payton, my 14 year old Freshman. As good as Kendall is, Payton is right on her heels. Frankly I’ve been worried all year that Payton could pass Kendall by year end, setting off a nuclear bomb in my home. Yes, my kids are incredibly competitive.
Wednesday night … (0 comments)
max vannatter: Be an Encourager
- 09/21/15 11:52 PM
Saturday was one of my “less than glorious days” on a bike. While riding out in Dayton on a county road, a pack of dogs came out of a yard after us. The lead dog jumped into my bike, causing me to flip end over end. My bike was totally mangled, and I sustained some pretty good cuts and bruises that will keep me out of training for a week or two. Nothing too serious, and hopefully not too much of a setback for my next Ironman race which is in November. Last night my 8-year old daughter Phoebe asked “daddy are … (17 comments)
I woke up this morning to the following articles in The Wall Street Journal: “Global Car Makers Reduce Output in China” – car sales are slowing and plants are operating below capacity, “Investors Brace for Further Tumult” – stock traders are still trying to get their heads wrapped around last week’s selloff and many are skeptical of its return, “It Isn’t Time to Dive Into Oil Yet” – even with oil dipping below $40, a 30% drop since June, investors still believe it could dip further.
Every … (8 comments)
max vannatter: Personal Goals & Fulfilling Dreams
- 07/27/15 11:10 PM
There was a time when I believed that "winning" was everything. I was as ignorant as Ricky Bobby; "If you ain't first you're last".
Years ago I raced bikes. You know the kind of bikes ridden by the Tour de France guys. I was competitive and did well enough to qualify for the Arizona State Championship race held in downtown Phoenix. On race day the downtown area was completely shut down and packed with spectators as we raced the winding city streets. It was amazing. With one lap to go I was perfectly positioned to win, the result of countless … (39 comments)
max vannatter: Service and Marketing Consistency
- 07/13/15 12:01 AM
A few years I attended and graduated from The Disney Institute of Learning. I’ve shared with many of you the specifics of that training. Recently while attending a Real Estate seminar I was again reminded of the priorities of things, something that was drilled into us at Disney Training. And once again this morning in our team training we touched on it.
The most effective, long term process to grow your business is organically. This means you don’t lose customers. These customers help recruit other customers who you likewise keep, never allowing a customer to flee “the nest of safety” which you’ve … (7 comments)
max vannatter: Staying in touch
- 06/24/15 11:12 PM
Just over two years ago I leased my first ever BMW. Call it an early mid-life crisis, or fulfilling a childhood dream. I’ve always loved the idea of driving a BMW and so when the time was right I leased one to give it what I call a “three year test drive”. If I fall in love I’ll pony up and buy one when the lease expires… maybe. Every couple of months I receive a beautiful magazine from BMW. BMW has found a way to market their products in a way that just makes you want to keep driving their cars, no … (5 comments)
max vannatter: 5 Common Traits of Top Producers
- 06/22/15 02:03 AM
A few weeks ago a broker asked me how it is that I have so much confidence in the Realtors I work with. She found it surprising that I seem to have a fundamental belief that anyone can make it in this tough business. I’ll tell you how I answered after sharing the following story: Last week I read an article that the BYU football team had just recruited a young man from Tonga, 6’7” 410lbs. The team has never seen him play. The media asked the football coach how they could recruit and give a scholarship to a kid that they’ve … (10 comments)
max vannatter: Reflections of the Past
- 03/15/15 11:56 PM
Last week I had the opportunity to take a few days off of work and lead a group of youth on a church sponsored pioneer trek. In short, we divided about 100 teenagers between 8 couples and formed families. The families loaded all of their gear into handcarts and then pulled them through the mud and rain over several days, covering many miles. The couples served as “ma and pa” for their family. One of the purposes of the trek was to help these youth understand the sacrifices made by our pioneer ancestors, connect with them, feel gratitude, and gain … (0 comments)
max vannatter: If You Wait for Perfect Conditions You'll Never Get Anything Done
- 03/09/15 12:25 AM
When my alarm went off and the rain was still coming down I thought “Is it ever going to warm up?, it sure would be really nice to take a run or ride my bike when it’s not wet out!!” I then thought of this very picture below that I saw on Pinterest: I know rainy days are not necessarily the best days for Real Estate. Generally speaking, buyers don’t want to get wet, sellers don’t want the outdoors brought into their clean homes, and what are families going to do during Spring Break? It’s pouring rain, and you’re telling … (5 comments)
max vannatter: A Purposeful Approach
- 11/02/14 11:15 PM
I absolutely love this time of year. November brings unbelievable weather and welcomes in our most cherished holidays.
I had several experiences this weekend that caused me to reflect back on training I received from the Disney Leadership Institute a few years ago. The theme of this particular training was “PURPOSE”. Are we PURPOSEFUL in our daily actions.
My youngest son Parker and his football team, the KFL Senior Chargers, won their playoff game this weekend. Next week is the Super bowl, leaving them just one win away from the perfect season. I knew they would be a … (0 comments)
max vannatter: Asking the Right Questions ... Max your title guy
- 06/23/14 12:15 AM
This morning my wife Cindy left town for a week, volunteering as a leader for a Christian youth girls camp in Dallas. My two teenage daughters leave tomorrow for the camp, leaving me with two boys and our youngest daughter Phoebe.
After sending Cindy off I had breakfast with Phoebe. She said, “Dad, we need to talk”. I couldn’t help but smile and then told her I was all ears. Here’s the conversation:
Phoebe: Dad, I want a white BMW Dad: You better start working right away Phoebe: Kellen got a car Dad: Kellen did not get a car. … (1 comments)
max vannatter: Never Give Up
- 05/20/14 12:18 AM
As some of you know I ran the Boston Marathon on April 21st, Patriots Day. Part of my preparation included reading 1776 by David McCullough. David McCullough details the events leading to the American Revolution, the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the leadership of so many including General George Washington.
In mid-1776 the “Americans” had a great victory in Boston which pushed the war to New York. From around August of 1776 til’ December 25th, the Americans experienced one humiliating defeat after another to the British. The American military was a poor site to behold. Most often half … (0 comments)
Friday night my daughter Kendall asked me if I was running Saturday morning. I told her I was thinking about it but not entirely sure. She then said “C’mon dad if you can run Boston with those ribs you can do a morning run with me”. I told her I’d love to run with her but that I was still hurting a bit and needed to be careful. What she said next was perfect. “I think you’ve lost your love for running. I know Boston took a lot out of you but you cannot give … (0 comments)
max vannatter: Running Boston
- 04/23/14 12:26 AM
It started with a challenge in June of 2012 when my brother-in-law Steve told me I should try and qualify to run in the Boston Marathon. 7 months later, January 2013, I qualified for Boston by running a marathon (26.2 miles) in 3 hours and 7 minutes, placing 3rd overall in my first race. 3 weeks later I ran the Huntsville marathon where I placed first. As registration for the Boston Marathon doesn’t open until September I knew I’d have 14 months to further prepare myself to run in the 2014 Boston Marathon.
In April of 2013 we all heard … (1 comments)
max vannatter: All In
- 09/30/13 01:55 AM
In July we as a family came up with a family theme. We wanted something that would be easy for the kids to remember. Something that would bind us together, something we could state out loud that would serve as a powerful reminder as to how we approach challenges, commitments, and the love we have for each other. The theme is “All In”. Fast forward to this weekend, Saturday morning at 4:30am. Our freshman daughter at KHS, Kendall, would be racing a 2-mile event on the JV Cross Country team. Every week she gets faster and grows in confidence. Saturday … (0 comments)
max vannatter: Real Estate_ A great service to others
- 07/15/13 12:33 AM
21 years ago, at the age of 19, I left the safety of my home in Kingwood TX to serve a two-year service mission in a very poor part of Mexico. It was the scariest thing I had ever done. I had never been away from home for more than a week, I did not speak Spanish, my self-confidence was low, and I really doubted if I had anything to offer this world and the people in it.
My first home in Mexico was a cardboard house that had been painted with oil to make it waterproof. The roof was … (0 comments)
max vannatter: Disney_Over Managing
- 04/23/13 01:34 AM
This past week I had the opportunity to spend 3 days in Disneyland at Disney’s Leadership Institute. It truly was an honor to be a part of the program. Here’s just one of my takeaways that helps make Disney so magical:
1) Disney believes in “Over Managing” those things which they believe to be critical to their success. Over managing is not to be confused with “Micro Managing”. They have determined there are 4 keys that will ultimately make it possible for them to create the happiest place on earth. By creating the happiest place on earth they’ve successfully built … (3 comments)
max vannatter: Hakuna Matata
- 03/03/13 10:54 PM
My wife had “girls date night” on Friday and so I watched “The Lion King” with my five year old, Phoebe. A line we all remember, “Hakuna Matata”, is behind today’s message.
As professionals, it’s important to remember that problems are in the past, and solutions are right now. It’s tough to find solutions while pointing fingers at others, in part because we’re stuck in the past. Whatever happened, happened. It’s over and done. Focusing on finding solutions rather than finding scapegoats brings us into the present. We can only move forward by living right here, right now. Questions such … (2 comments)
max vannatter: Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone
- 01/23/13 11:26 PM
Yesterday I received a phone call from a Realtor that brought a huge smile to my face. As she explained how she had just sold a home I could literally feel her jumping up and down with excitement. Like so many, she struggles a bit with calling prospects. A few months ago her client, a buyer, made an offer on a property and then backed out as they decided the price was just a bit out of their financial safe zone. The client fell off the radar and she’s had no recent contact. We’ve been talking, working on sales skills, and … (4 comments)
My oldest son Kellen raced the Austin Ironman 70.3 this weekend. Ironman 70.3 starts with a 1.2 mile swim, followed by a 56 mile bike, and ends with a 13.1 mile run. In his words “that was brutal”.
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