The premise is pretty simple. I ask a successful blogger 5ive questions. They answer. Not the normal questions you might think but deep thought provoking questions. I hope this will show how diverse we all are and how there is no single right answer to success.
Name: Matt Stigliano
Website: http://www.kimberlyhowell.com
Bio: I hate writing bios – so here’s some facts: East Coast native living in Texas. Hockey fanatic (Flyers fan). Former rockstar. Self-taught web guy. BBQ addict. Gum chewer. Tired.
I used to be in a band called Bloodhound Gang – you know the one, the “Discovery Channel song” guys. I’ve traveled the world, been married (now divorced), and have a love for chicken wings. I’m a licensed real estate agent, but prefer working on real estate websites to selling houses. I have some tattoos and love punk and metal. I have a dog named Macaroni.
Blogger Since: 2008 for real estate/1997 for music.
Question #1: Thinking specifically about technology and tools – what is the one thing that has had a significant and positive impact on your success and in what way?
Probably my phone. I get emails and messages from our agents at all times of the day and night, so being able to receive them and not be tied to a computer makes a huge difference for me. It’s not really any sort of new technology, but I remember the days before text messages on your phone, so to me, it’s the most important thing.
Question #2: What is the one thing that you do that your competition does not?
All of our staff are licensed agents – you can ask the same questions to the broker or the receptionist or the tech guy (me). Agents have questions all the time and they can get answers – no matter who’s out to lunch or busy doing something else. Agents seem to really like that fact and I think it makes a difference. It also makes for great brainstorming sessions when someone has a particularly tricky deal or situation to deal with.
Question #3: Monetization or ROI. Few people blog just for the fun of it. Most have a very specific goal in mind. What’s the metric you use to determine if your blogging is reaching that goal?
Since I work for a real estate brokerage, my goal is simple – bring in the leads. The more the merrier. Of course I also have to focus on helping agents learn ways to take them from a name and a number to happy clients. We use a tool called Pipeline ROI that helps me visualize the leads and conversion rates, so I can see when there are spikes or dips and then compare them to what’s been going on at the website (sometimes as much as I want to, I get behind and don’t blog nearly as often as I should).
Question #4: How do you plan to grow? Continual growth is important. As it pertains to learning and staying on top of the business, what is it that you continuously do to ‘sharpen the saw’?
I’m a voracious reader – and sometimes it gets in the way of other work. In the morning I usually scan through all my sources of news and info and open up a new window for anything I want to “bookmark” to read through that day. Then, when I need a few minutes to myself, I’ll comb through those open windows and check out an article or two. Right now, I have 9 windows open that are items on my read list.
Question #5: Not looking for the “Abe Lincoln” answer, so Presidents, Candidates, Authors and Wayne Gretzky are out. Amongst your friends, coworkers, and others in your industry – who is it that your really admire? What is it about them (or their business)?
Well, you took Wayne Gretzky out of play, so now I’m stuck. I’m a big fan of Rob Hahn (Notorious R.O.B.) – he’s a big thinker and I really love that about him. He can write a ten page essay on just about anything you give him I think, but he’s really good at taking a complicated real estate topic and analyzing it in all its complexities and then writing an article that just blows my mind. I don’t know where he finds the time to do it.
Awesome, thanks Matt! You really are a RERockstar!
Read the whole Series / Are you ready for your 5ive?
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