Rachel Hollis is the author of the bestsellers Girl Wash Your Face and its predecessor Girl Stop Apologizing. She built a publishing empire through listening to her customers and then having an ongoing conversation with them. It is interesting to think about an author as a salesperson but sales is a necessity especially if an author seeks to make an impact on her customers and her community. The ability to listen and the desire to make an impact has led to the sustainability of her brand. Rachel was a featured speaker at South By Southwest where Holly Priestner, our Director of Talent Acquisition and Engagement, heard her speak. Here are some of the insights from Rachel’s session that are applicable to the real estate profession.

Growing a Successful Empire: LISTEN to your customer and provide solutions they seek!Rachel’s first book, Girl Wash Your Face, was the product of her listening and engaging in an ongoing conversation with her customers. The book evolved over a decade of listening and engaging with her community and literally developed as she answered the top 20 questions asked by her readers. She provided her customers solutions to issues they identified.That is how we win the sales game. Listen to your customer! Make sure you are providing a scalable, sustainable solution – that is the solution they are seeking! If we are knowledgeable, and really listen to hear what issue they seek to resolve, we will create a win win solution. The goal is to make the sale but also to create a sustainable relationship. That’s how we win the sales game. Listen!

Using Intentional Language:The language that we use and the words that we use have power. This is a big theme in Rachel’s second book. Be intentional in the words you use. This can apply in all facets of life but especially as we seek to achieve goals. She advised that we avoid words that make us weaker. A Saying you are sorry is something that has become way to commonplace in our language and is  an example of a word that depletes our strength. There are other ways to express ideas without apologizing when no wrong has been committed. We must be more intentional in our language and the way we use it to build our brand.

Claiming your Goals:We all know that goal setting is important but Rachel “claims” her goals — out loud. By claiming our goals out loud, our subconscious is better impacted, and success is more achievable. Today, Rachel is comfortable sharing her goals but that was not always the case. She worried about what her mother-in-law [and others] would think.. She began by saying them out loud to herself in the car. Claim your goals. Make them more real and thus more achievable.When it comes to goal claiming, go for it. If you have a stirring in your heart, Rachel cannot imagine anything worse than letting that go. We all only get one chance to do this life and it doesn’t make sense to give up your dream because you are afraid of what somebody … even your mother-in-law … might think.

Avoiding Negativity:More Success = More Critics. Rachel uses this phrase, “New levels, new devils.”Rachel talked about when her first book came out and she was thrilled because the good reviews were rolling in but then with just one bad review, she became paralyzed and could not think of anything else. Now she does not pay attention to reviews or position on the bestseller list. She responds to her community and builds on that need and success. She chooses to not stay in negativity or to avoid it altogether. She chooses a better mood. You do have a choice and when you make the choice to focus on the goal and your mission, it makes you feel better. Reach for positivity through gratitude. Make sure your most authentic self is reaching for the best version of yourself every time you can.

Growth:Happiness comes from growth. You grow when you push yourself out of your comfort zone. You grow when you choose something uncomfortable because you know the rewards are greater. If you have a dream in your heart and a goal you want to pursue, step into it. Shame free. Do not apologize.

Passion:Everybody has a passion. Ask yourself: What is the one thing that you can talk about for three hours? According to Hollis,  that’s your passion. We should not minimize our own passion or judge others. Do not believe that it is not good enough or cool enough. Every single thing in the world can be turned into a hobby or business. Embrace your passion!

Focus:Rachel gets up every morning, has a cup of coffee, writes in her journal, prays or meditates, and then goes to the gym. She believes that these daily habits bring her back to center. At the beginning of each year, she picks a word to help guide her. This year her word is “warrior,” because she believes that if she is physically strong she can be emotionally strong. We really do focus on what we talk about and that is how we get to passion. Start each day focusing on what is important to you. Make it part of your routine. Think about who inspires you and set clear goals. Rachel has built an empire on what she believes in and that is a great model for all of us.