Going, Going, Going to Cali, Cali, Cali!

I had the awesome opportunity to attend a mortgage/ sales conference in Desert Palm, California called "Sales Mastery".  I went back and forth about going since I would only be in Dallas for 3 days before having to leave again.  I am so glad I decided to.  I stayed at this beautiful resort:

However, I didn't have much time to enjoy it because I had 30 hours of sales training in 2.5 days!!!  It was awesome!!  I was fortunate enough not only to meet/ hangout with/ learn from some of the best mortgage originators in the world (people came from Canada and Australia for this!), but also some of the best sales people in the world.

I completely dorked out and acted like a tourist, carrying my camera with me everywhere I went.  : )  I was able to snag some great pictures though!

Todd Duncan is the man who put the seminar together- it used to be a yearly thing, but with the "Mortgage Meltdown", it was decided that "Sales Mastery" would be put on hiatus.  He also found out his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and only given three months to live.  She unfortunately lost her battle and passed away about two years ago.  He spoke about the lessons learned from her legacy.  Here are some that struck me:
1.  Always give 100% in your relationships and never expect anything in return.  This will cause you to have amazing relationships.
2.  "Making Money" vs. "Making Memories"- Never say "no" to a memory making moment because it will never present itself again.  You never know how long you have with those people and if there will be an opportunity to make the memory later.  Make sure to take pictures of all the memories, as those will last a lifetime (I'm really trying to get better with the camera!).

Those are just a couple, but his speeches have changed me forever.  You can read Sheryl's personal blog here.

Here's Todd and me (Documented Dork Moment #1):

I also got to see Tim Sanders speak- what a stud.  He is a former Yahoo! executive and has three best-selling books- one of my favorites is "Love is the Killer App".  His time speaking brought the room to tears, as he is on a mission to make every person think about their purpose and what they're bringing not only to their work, but to the world.  I got some autographed books and snagged a picture with him (Documented Dork Moment #2):

I also got to see my business coach, Bill Hart in person... he is a stud.  I was able to meet him about two years ago in person, where I hired him as a coach shortly after.  I speak with him every other week and he holds me accountable for not only my work goals, but also my life goals.  It's funny someone can know every aspect of your life and you never get to see them!

Bill is a huge supporter of The Boot Campaign.  Here's a bit about the charity: The Boot Campaign is a grassroots initiative started by five women from Texas known as the Boot Girls. The campaign provides an easy and tangible way for Americans to show appreciation for troops (both past and present), raise awareness of the challenges they face upon return and donate funds to charities supporting their transition home. Proceeds from boot sales are donated to partner charities, who assist returning veterans and active troops dealing with emotional, mental and physical issues. 


He had his boots on!

After all the training, I got to head back to Dallas Saturday night- one thing I am already LOVING about Dallas is the whole direct-flight thing... it's great!


I returned to my apartment to see this:

Blake got me the most beautiful flowers, as well as a gift certificate for a cooking class here in Dallas... sweetest boyfriend ever!  Guess he already knew he should be giving 100%.  ; )


I have some great meals planned this week, starting at my new job AND I'm hosting the Halloween pre-party at my house Saturday night... it's going to be a busy week (I'll find a time to get my apartment finished sometime in there since I'll have a house-full of people coming to see it).  Have a great week!!!