This week I learned a valuable lesson: that a goal and a vision are not exactly the same thing. Here's why..while a goal is something you plan to do, and in my case, goals are in writing, they are tangible, more immediately attainable than a full vision. A vision is like an image in a camera, seen with a high quality lens, but nonetheless, far away.This week, I reached my business goal, but I realize that exactly what helped me reach my goal at work, was what I had failed to do in my running plan. At work, I have been extremely focused, writing my goal down, sharing them, and breaking them down into sizeable bites,monthly, weekly, even daily. But ever since I signed up for the marathon (that mega-death feat), I have been overwhelmed by the idea of working that hard, and it seems too far away to be able to break it down in to a serious plan. Hence, this week, while works been good to me, my running has suffered. Oy vey, and the guilt..
So what have I learned? That I need to break down the next 2 months, before my formal training begins, as manageable bites, and be vigilant daily to achieve my daily and weekly goals. Again remembering lesson number 1, success, like life, is not a sprint, its' a marathon. I am learning, and this week, have learned through failure, that I need to take the discipline and focus I have cultivated in my real estate business, and apply the same principles to marathon training. I am not judged by the number of times I succeed, but by the number of times I can fail and keep trying.

Top Producers Event

Day 2
I am getting a lot of help from mentors in my race to complete my first marathon. LESSON #1- get great mentors. Carmen, a marathon runner and Coach for TNT, offered to create a training plan for me. Melanie Small from NYRR, teaches the Runner's Boot Camp on Saturdays that I will be committed to for the next 8 weeks. My close friend, Zahava will continue to clock miles with me, as she has for years. Finally, Sonia Sinfeos, a professional personal trainer from Whitestone, and a neighbor of one of my recent home sellers, works with me on strength and endurance training.
Most real estate agents make one of two big mistakes early in their career, and so they often have short careers. They either take the wrong mentors, people who have not done the work, average agents, who teach the wrong habits, don't take enough risks, and don't achieve enough. Or they never find a mentor; they go it alone and often don't even know what they don't know, so their learning curve is just too long, and they get discouraged. I am lucky. I embrace the "pay it forward" philosophy. I find great people to support, teach and challenge me to get where I need to be, and I do the same in my business by mentoring new and inspired (and inspiring) people to reach their goals in through success in selling residential real estate in our hometown. Realtor, Businessperson, Marathoner, get a mentor, be a mentor.

Day 1 (April 10, 2010)
I am a mother, wife, business owner, and realtor. I am also a runner. On Wednesday April 7, at about 11:30 pm, my life changed. That was the moment I put my finger on the "send" button to register for the Marine Corp Marathon, a 26.2 mile race along the course of the Virginia neighborhood surrounding Washington D.C, and in fact passing through our country's national monuments. That in itself, is monumental. And so, now I am a marathon trainee.

The last time I was a real trainee, was when I first started in the real estate business, 24 years ago, in 1987. That was when I held none of the roles I mentioned in my first words here. I was a blank page then, just a girl, 24 years old, nothing to lose, everything to gain, by doing whatever it took to make more than a living, to make a life, something I did not really have yet. Now I try to tap in to the energy and discipline it took to become successful in business, in order to take on the challenge of completing the marathon that will face me in just 6 months. The first "ah-ha" moment came to me yesterday after my first "runner's boot camp" at 7:15 am in Central Park. My success in real estate, and in any business, is a lot like what I am undertaking now. It's no sprint; it's just like training for a marathon. This blog hopes to be chronicle of my fight to make it to, and complete the marathon, and how the lessons of business building, and selling real estate, help me achieve this newest goal. So on it's last day, this blog will close with, "mother, wife, business owner, realtor, marathon runner."

Passion, dedication, friendship, loyalty, and family; normally these words would not describe a person’s job, however it does describe mine.

I have worked with Judy and The Energized Realty Group for over a year, as one of her buyer specialist, and I couldn’t be happier. The team embraced me and introduced me to the best possible way to sell real estate. Under their guidance, I was able to have my best year in real estate ever.


Judy teaches us not only to treat each other like family, but to treat our customers and our community the same way because this where we live, and this is where our potential clientele wants to live.


In 2010 I continue to grow and learn, as well as teach. Each client is a new and great beginning. I continue to cultivate current relationships, as well as create new ones. I wake up each morning knowing, today will be even better.
- Jessica Huang (The Energized Realty Group)

The Winter Olympics is well on their way at Vancouver.
In this Olympics, Korea's pride skater Kim Yuna who is the epitome of grace and beauty on the ice, had feet that was swollen and bruised.
It was very surprising to me.
Her now 20 year old feet is covered with scars and it now takes a bizarre shape. It was then that I knew that her success did not come in one day.
Normal people try to do their best to what they are trying to accomplish.
And to keep that happy family we go through bitter moments while being patient when it is most difficult to be.
To get into that special school, sleep is sacrificed and other outlets of fun are gone. To buy that pretty outfit one saves their extra cash.
And to look our best in that outfit sometimes we give up food.
Goals and dreams come with a price. There is nothing free. All results are not coincidental. However, there are those who only wish and lean on others for their wishes.
Gold! silver! bronze! If I were to get a medal for my life, which one would it be?
To me, doing my best for myself and family and those I love is gold to me.
:)

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN.


At about 10:30 a.m. last Thursday, a man was found hanging in his wardrobe on Green Street in London.
He was identified as Lee Alexander McQueen, a fashion designer, an icon, an one of my personal favorite designers in fashion.
I was really devastated to learn about his death. It is always a big shock when someone so young, so successful, suddenly takes their life away. When things like that happen I start to think “What is fame, money, beauty, talent???” Nothing matters if you don’t have the right state of mind. How many people, who had everything, took their lives away? We always think “if I could just have more money, or I would be famous or I would be 10 pounds lighter would I be much happier?”. That’s never the case! And the grass is always is greener on the other side. We need to learn how to be happy with what we have now, cherish every moment that is given to us, appreciate every person in our lives, and be good to others and they will be good to you. Most importantly, keep your mind clear and strong. That’s where everything starts. We create our own happiness, lets not focus on things we don’t have or on things that other people have.
It was written that Alexander McQueen took his life a day before the funeral of his mother who had just passed away. We must remember that in life, things happen that are devastating and hard to get through. However, there is nothing in life that we can not overcome. As long as we have internal strength and persistence, the possibilities are endless.