Monday Morning MOJO 10/29/07

Good Morning MOJO,

Happy New Year!!!!! What? Yep…HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

We have a tradition at Intero…we kick off the New Year in October, not January…and we kicked it off last week at our ALL Company Meeting. I know many of you where there, but for those of you who weren’t, we had champagne, noise makers, we did the count down…the whole thing. So, why in the world would we kick off the New Year in October?

Have you ever noticed how most people stop working…stop going for it…stop moving forward in the 4^th quarter? I don’t know why, but most people just seem to throw it in neutral and coast into the end of the year…and we all know you can only coast one way…down hill. A perfect example of this is our health. Did you know the average American gains nearly 10 pounds over the Holiday’s (4^th Quarter)? So, if we wait until January to kick off our New Years resolutions, we aren’t going to start where we are today, but farther behind. Lets not wait…let’s kick off our New Year today!!! We all know the winners and losers at almost everything in life are determined in the 4^th quarter…the first 3 quarters just insure we stay in the game so we have the opportunity to win it in the 4^th.

Lets all finish the year like winners with energy, enthusiasm and passion. Lets’ not only have a great 4^th quarter of 2007 both personally and professionally, but lets insure we are going to start 2008 on fire and not farther behind. This is MOJO time!!!!

Make it a GREAT week and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Luck does not just happen...it is created when preparation and opportunity meet.

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 650.622.1225 or 408.342.3001
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com

Monday Morning MOJO 10/22/07

Good Morning MOJO,

I met a guy last week that is a true success story. He is coming to work for Intero, but is not starting until after the first of the year so I can’t mention his name yet. However, his story of rags to riches was so inspiring I could not wait to share it.

Unable to speak English, he came to the United States chasing the American Dream at the age of 17 with his 13 year old brother and nothing more than the clothes on their back. He and his brother lived in a garage sleeping on the floor for their first several months here until he earned enough money, working at McDonalds, so that they could afford a place for them to live. At the age of 19 he got married and proceeded to have 2 children. He became a Cab Dispatcher and then a Cab Driver in San Francisco working 16 hours a day 7 days a week, using his tips to support his family and saving his modest salary to purchase a small home in Pacifica. He did this for 13 years, then September 11, 2001 happened and the travel industry came to a screeching halt…too many cab drivers and not enough business. He had to sell his modest home, packed up his family and moved to San Diego. He always dreamed of having a job where he could wear a suit and the 2 possible options which came to mind where stock broker or real estate agent. With the stock market crash, he knew that was not a very good option. So, with no money in the bank and a small 401K of less than ten thousand dollars he cashed out so they could live, he decided to get his real estate license. About 4 months into the 6 month process of getting his license, he decided to contact several real estate companies in San Diego and met a top producing Realtor. He asked him to show him the ropes and the agent agreed. That is when the reality of selling real estate set in. All he saw from the outside was what most people not in our industry see. It looks easy…people driving around in nice cars, wearing nice clothes and all you have to do is hold a few open houses, show a some houses and you will make a lot of money. He showed up to work where the agent gave him a desk and a phone and instructed him to start calling. He worked 16 hours a day, 7 days a week for 2 months cold calling 250 people a day…FOR FREE!!!!

Finally he got his license but had no money left and his family was about to get kicked out on the street. He found a Broker who would hire him and worked for 72 hours non stop and some how put 2 homes in escrow (remember the average Realtor in the State of California sells less than 2 homes a year). He then some how convinced his Broker to give him an advance on his commission so his family would not get thrown out in the street. He continued to work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week and started to make it happen. His wife’s family lives in the Bay Area and she wanted to move back home. So they packed it up and moved back to the Bay Area where he started real estate from scratch a 2^nd time. Just 2 years later he sold 50 homes and made over $1,000,000. Today he’s a successful real estate professional driving in that Mercedes, wearing those nice clothes and has money in the bank. His wife drives a Porsche and he is living the American Dream. He still is working 7 days a week. The most amazing thing is how humble he still is. After all this, he comes from a place of total gratitude. He is thankful for the life he has been able to create and he has no sense of entitlement.

In my job, I get the privilege of meeting a lot of different people, from all different backgrounds. From those who where born and raised in the Bay Area, went to the best colleges and have lived here all their lives…to people who came to this country with nothing more than the clothes on their back. I meet people who make millions of dollars a year and those who can’t even pay their rent. What is the difference? The interesting thing I have discovered is that your level of success does not seem too be dependent on the back ground you come from. Actually, I think there are more people who become a huge success that came here with nothing more than the clothes on their back than those who where born and raised here. Why? Because those who come to this country with nothing more than the clothes on their back have No Ego….No Options…No boundaries…place No Blame…are Incredible Persistence…Accept Personal Responsibility…all they see is the opportunity and not the road blocks to getting what they want in life…they are willing to truly work their ass off and do whatever it takes. Not just show up…buy really work their ass off and do whatever it takes.

So, you aren’t getting what you want? And I am not just talking financially…I am talking spiritually, in your job, in your relationships, your health…YOUR LIFE!!! Read this again and then tell me…are you really doing everything you can…are you really working your ass off and doing whatever it takes or are you just kidding yourself, making excuses and bouncing along…just hoping?

Get out and make it a great week!!!!!

Luck does not just happen...it is created when preparation and opportunity meet.

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 650.622.1225 or 408.342.3001
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com

Monday Morning MOJO 10/15/07

Good Morning MOJO,

When you woke up this morning, where you fired up and excited to improve…find a way to do it different...do it better…be innovative…change? So many people fight it…trying to stay the same and play it safe because things are okay and it’s working…they don’t want to rock the boat, take risks, and ruin a good thing. Unfortunately, if you don’t look for a better way…trying to improve everyday, you will wake up one day and everything around you will have changed and it will be too late…it will seem like it happened overnight without warning and what caused your success in the past, both personally and professionally, will be the cause of your demise.

Change is an exciting thing. When you just let go and don’t fight it the opportunities are endless and everything will just flow…if you resist and fight, you are in for a battle filled with disappointments and hard work that don’t produce much of anything. It is like standing on a railroad track trying to stop a train going 100 mph…you just can’t do it…its not possible. So, you can either jump on the train and enjoy the ride or get run over…it’s your choice.

Embrace change…take risks…work on getting better…work on improving yourself in all areas of your life and business every day. The world is changing around you every minute of every day whether you change or not. So, you can stay the same, falling behind and become more vulnerable…or change and experience the possibilities. Don’t fight it…embrace it.

Check this out…it will boggle your mind, I know it did mine:

THE YEAR 1905
A little more than one hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!


Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1905:

The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.

There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California.

With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.

The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,

a dentist $2,500 per year,

a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and

a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home.

Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had no college education.

Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."



Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
1) Pneumonia and influenza
2) Tuberculosis
3) Diarrhea
4) Heart disease
5) Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.

Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn’t been admitted to the Union yet.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every ten U.S. adults couldn't read or write.

Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.
Back then pharmacist said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health." (Shocking!)

Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.

And I forwarded this from someone else to more than 2,000 people without typing it myself, and sent it to all of you in a matter of seconds!
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years...or the next 1 to 10 years (because things happen exponentially, the changes are coming faster and faster everyday)

It staggers the mind.

Luck does not just happen...it is created when preparation and opportunity meet.

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 650.622.1225 or 408.342.3001
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com

Monday Morning MOJO 10/08/07

Good Morning MOJO,

“Hmmm…should I do it or shouldn’t I?” “I’m going to wait and think about it for a while before I make my decision…I need to get more information.” “I will get back to you on it.” “I will do it tomorrow…next week….next month…next year.” Yeah right...sure you will. Does this sound familiar? Does it sound like you?

Well, this is how most people make decisions…they don’t make them at all because they are risk averse…afraid of making the wrong decision…afraid of change. They just wait and wait and wait and never actually decide to do anything. That is why they continue to get what they have always gotten in life and don’t get what it is they really want. Not being decisive and making quick decisions is one of the biggest success killers in life and business…because one of the most important components to getting what you want is making a lot of decisions quickly with very little information…it’s about going with your instinct. Successful people understand that to get what you want you must operate with a strong sense of urgency. Because to get what you want…especially in this day and age, you must accelerate in all aspects of your life, even if it means living with a few more ragged edges. You have to be 100% focused on ACTION. Successful people don’t get bogged down in endless preparation and evaluation trying to get things perfect before making a decision. Of course making smart decisions and high quality is crucial, but it must come quickly. You can’t sacrifice speed. Learn to fail fast, fix it, and race on. This is how you create radical breakthroughs.

Not only does being decisive get you in action toward accomplishing your goals, but it gets it out of your head. Think how many unmade decisions you have floating around in your head right now that are taking up space and your time. Instead of making a decision and then actually doing something productive to accomplish your goals, you are debating all of those unmade decisions in your head all of the time whether you know it or not. Unmade decisions are the parking brake of life…let it go!!!!! Imagine how much more productive and happy you would be if you would just make the commitment to be decisive and not waffle ever again….FREEDOM!!!!!!!!

Here is a great piece of advice someone gave me several years ago. Don’t go with your head and don’t go with your heart because more times than not they are in conflict with one another and you will never be able to make the decision…GO WITH YOUR GUT!!!!! Don’t over think it because your first instinct is almost always right. If it feels right JUST DO IT and do it with focus and intensity. What does your gut tell you to do about each of those unmade decisions floating around in your head right now? Quit procrastinating…JUST DO IT!!!!!!

And yes…if you think I am writing this to you, I am.

It’s about having the power to think without thinking. There is a great book / audio book which will explain exactly how to do it…think without thinking. It’s called BLINK and here is a link to purchase it:

http://www.amazon.com/Blink-Power-Thinking-Without/dp/0316010669/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-0291782-4273224?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191535940&sr=8-1

Make it a GREAT week!!!!!

Luck does not just happen...it is created when preparation and opportunity meet.

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 650.622.1225 or 408.342.3001
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com

Monday Morning MOJO 10/1/07

Good Morning MOJO,

My wife gave me a great article by Deepak Chopra called Finding Your Balance and after reading it, I think these principles will definitely help you create some MOJO in your life.

When you say health is about both mind and body, what does that mean exactly? Mind and body are the same thing…your body is the battleground of the wars that you wage against yourself in your mind. If your consciousness is perturbed, then your body will be, too. If you’re an uptight person, your body will be tight…but if you’re coming from a place of openness, everything in your world will reflect that.

So, how much can we control our bodies with our minds? The word “control” is very damaging. How much influence do we have? A lot. But that comes from a quiet mind, not from a so-called positive mind. A lot of people try to be positive all the time, but they’re not, and they become tiresome to themselves and others. They get so stressed about trying to be positive and think positively that they do more damage. A quiet mind is much more realistic. You just exist without getting caught up in the drama around you. The drama is where most of people’s fatigue and energy loss come from.

What does it mean to be “centered”? It means not letting yourself be overshadowed by what’s going on around you. If you allow that, you’re like a yo-yo at the mercy of circumstance. I don’t think about others’ opinions. I’ve learned to separate myself. When a really busy day happens, I just think, Boy, is that busy!!!

So…how can we get centered? Meditation is a good way to start because it helps you to be more mindful. First of all, don’t try to get rid of the voices in your head. Struggling against the thought is a thought itself. Instead, close your eyes and repeat a phrase. The simplest is “I am.” When you have other thoughts, just gently come back to the phrase. Think I as your breathe in, and am as your breathe out. If you do that for 10 to 15 minutes daily, every time a thought comes, you’ll be more still.

Make it a GREAT week!!!!!

"If you want to know your past...look into your present conditions. If you want to know your future...look into your present actions."

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 650.622.1225 or 408.342.3001
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com

Monday Morning MOJO 10/1/07

Good Morning MOJO,

My wife gave me a great article by Deepak Chopra called Finding Your Balance and after reading it, I think these principles will definitely help you create some MOJO in your life.

When you say health is about both mind and body, what does that mean exactly? Mind and body are the same thing…your body is the battleground of the wars that you wage against yourself in your mind. If your consciousness is perturbed, then your body will be, too. If you’re an uptight person, your body will be tight…but if you’re coming from a place of openness, everything in your world will reflect that.

So, how much can we control our bodies with our minds? The word “control” is very damaging. How much influence do we have? A lot. But that comes from a quiet mind, not from a so-called positive mind. A lot of people try to be positive all the time, but they’re not, and they become tiresome to themselves and others. They get so stressed about trying to be positive and think positively that they do more damage. A quiet mind is much more realistic. You just exist without getting caught up in the drama around you. The drama is where most of people’s fatigue and energy loss come from.

What does it mean to be “centered”? It means not letting yourself be overshadowed by what’s going on around you. If you allow that, you’re like a yo-yo at the mercy of circumstance. I don’t think about others’ opinions. I’ve learned to separate myself. When a really busy day happens, I just think, Boy, is that busy!!!

So…how can we get centered? Meditation is a good way to start because it helps you to be more mindful. First of all, don’t try to get rid of the voices in your head. Struggling against the thought is a thought itself. Instead, close your eyes and repeat a phrase. The simplest is “I am.” When you have other thoughts, just gently come back to the phrase. Think I as your breathe in, and am as your breathe out. If you do that for 10 to 15 minutes daily, every time a thought comes, you’ll be more still.

Make it a GREAT week!!!!!

"If you want to know your past...look into your present conditions. If you want to know your future...look into your present actions."

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 650.622.1225 or 408.342.3001
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com