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Message from the President October 2007 Dear Members, I hope this edition of the Texas Hill Country Update finds you all doing well and enjoying the beginning of fall. NAPMW-Austin has several upcoming events that I would like to bring to your attention. We are hosting a job fair Tuesday, October 9th from 11:00-1:00 at the Holiday Inn Northwest. Several employers and training companies will be on hand to speak with attendees. Be sure to bring copies of your resume! On October 25th, NAPMW and WCR are hosting a joint luncheon at the Austin Board of Realtors. TSML Commissioner Danny Payne will be speaking on loan fraud and legislative updates. Be sure to read on in the newsletter for further details on both October events. We are in the process of planning an event in November to benefit Dawson Elementary, our Community Involvement Project beneficiary for 2007-2008. We are looking forward to a fun, family-oriented event that will allow us all to have a good time while still raising much-needed money for Dawson and it’s students. With the constant changes going on in the mortgage industry right now, it is sometimes very easy to develop a negative attitude. This is something I’ve had to struggle with myself lately. But I received a letter recently that made me stop and think, and I would like to share part of it with you. Stephanie Prather, President of NAPMW-Las Vegas, wrote this letter, and I believe she makes some outstanding points. "Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t you are right.” You cannot read 2 articles or watch 5 minutes of news without seeing the DOOM & GLOOM of our Real Estate & Mortgage World. Yet, here we are still closing loans. Some companies have sold, others consolidated, laid off employees, or simply closed. Yet one thing holds true – people will always need somewhere to live. So what type of ATTITUDE are you going to take about today’s Real Estate market? If you believe the marketplace is BAD, then how does that impact your ATTITUDE? Once you’ve accepted that negative judgment, will it color and cloud all your actions? ATTITUDE dominates all of the other functions of success. In other words, your performance is consistent with the way you view yourself (and the market) conceptually. As Sam Chauhan mentioned at out last meeting, remember Steve Irwin, the Australian crocodile hunter who was killed last year? People were drawn to him because of his ATTITUDE – his face, his enthusiasm, etc. I’m guessing everyone can name numerous friends, colleagues, family members who are frequently negative. They see the glass half empty and rarely make positive comments. Many sales coaches believe that ATTITUDE is the MOST important component of success – far beyond Behavior and Technique. So can it be true that your OUTLOOK is more important than your Skill Level? So the next time you think you are not ready for all the guideline changes, difficulty in re-entering market, company policy shifts, less staff, but more work, etc. – ask yourself – Is my ATTITUDE helping me or hindering me? If it’s the later, how can you shift it to help doors open? I encourage each of you to be an ambassador of our industry. I personally am sick and tired of my friends & family outside the industry referring to “All those bad lenders, loan officers, etc.” Yes, many people in our business made poor choices in their business practices. But look at all of us – ON A DAILY BASIS we support the mission of NAPMW to promote Education from within the industry. I implore you to educate anyone who points the finger at all of us in the Mortgage Industry. We all know there are loads of wonderfully qualified, dedicated mortgage professionals who have the highest integrity. Do not let the general public think that those who abused guidelines, misled borrowers and gave our industry a black eye are the NORM – they are the EXCEPTION. It’s just that they get a lot of publicity.” So let’s all continue to rally together and support one another during these ever-changing times. Keep your head up, continue to educate yourself and attend industry meetings and networking functions. Your POSITIVE ATTITUDE may be just what someone needs to get through the day! As always, thank you for your continued support of NAPMW-Austin, and I look forward to seeing you at the October 9th job fair and October 25th joint luncheon with WCR! Message from Shawn Sullivan, 2007-2008 President NAPMW-Austin Past Messages: |