I was asked recently to talk a bit about how I fell into giving seminars... and like most good things, it is a story of waiting for the starts to align.
As anyone whose heard me speak before knows, I came into real estate in the most roundabout way... I started Rain City Guide about three years ago as a way to market my wife's (brand new) real estate business.
The site got so popular, so fast, that I started giving seminars (or as we called them, Bloginars) with one of the contributors named Russ Cofano. I had a blast giving the talks, but when we started two years ago, I could tell the timing was just not right. Internet marketing using social networking tools was still in its infancy in the world of real estate and blogging was still an unknown entity. In other words, we enjoyed giving the presentations (and even gathered a crowed of 350 agents at one event!), but the timing was not right for me to turn to education as a full-time gig.
Fast forward another year and I'm working at Move. Because I loved giving my earlier seminars, I teamed up with the Top Producer team to put together a course on internet marketing I called "Finding Relevance on the Internet". The feedback I got from these courses was downright phenomenal, with names that will sound downright familiar to anyone active on ActiveRain giving my course high marks including Roberta Murphy, Laurie Manny, Brian Brady, and Jeff Dowler.
Interesting, I only gave a few seminars (3 in LA, 1 in Oakland, and 1 in Seattle) before my "real" job at Move got in the way of me being able to travel around giving seminars for the Top Producer team. This time, it was obvious to me that the timing for internet marketing information was ripe, but it just didn't make sense for me while at my position at Move...
Fast forward one more year and I just couldn't let the timing pass me by. In December 2007, I quit my job at Move so that I could start a company with the sole purpose of providing quality education to real estate professionals on internet marketing. I call the company 4Realz Education and I couldn't be happy to watch everything come together. Interestingly, very quickly I teamed up with Jim Marks because he provide an incredible level of expertise on elements of internet marketing that compliment mine. If you don't know who Jim Marks is yet, then it is only a matter of time. He's simply too dynamic, knowledgeable and energetic to keep bottled up!
I've got all kinds of ideas about how I think quality educational seminars should work and what I think will make the 4realz Internet Marketing Education different... but the bottom line is that I want to draw a clear and consistent line between my education and any products that are being sold. That's why you won't find me, or any of my fellow spearks, selling anything at the 4Realz Events.
Our goal is to educate.
Call it dumb faith if you want, but I've built my entire business plan around the hope that if we educate well then the online real estate community will rally behind us to spread the word about the tremendous value that our education provides!
If you want to learn more about what Jim and I are up to and learn about the value that we can add to your business, please don't hesitate to head over to our website where we've announced our first three events in Southern California!
Hi Dustin... what about those of us far away? I looked the other day to see if there were other options, and will check again today. Just wondering! I am a big fan, and have enjoyed seeing you in person at a couple of the big RE 'events.'
Susie:
My honest-to-goodness hope is that I'll be able to travel all around the country with these events... I see no reason why Jim and I couldn't do two or three events a month all over the country, which would be my ideal way to earn a living!
In other words, assuming I don't go broke trying, I fully expect I'll be able to take this educational event to a city near you in the near future! ;)
Terrific. In the meantime, I will enjoy you on 4realz, etc. Thank you, and I wish you the best of luck.
Dennis:
Does blogging count? :) Every idea in my presentation has been blogged on either rain city guide or 4realz at least once!
In terms of webinars, they just don't replace a live experience. I love getting an audience reaction and when I've done webinars (I did more than a few of them while at Move), ALL of my jokes fall flat because I can't hear the audience laughing. I'm sure I could get used to it, but for the most part, it makes me uncomfortable!
I can also tell from feedback that the audience in a webinar is much less engaged and not getting as much out of the presentation. I know when I watched webinars in the past, I'd often find myself multi-tasking (checking email and/or feed reader for example). It doesn't mean that webinars are bad and that I'd never do them, but I certainly don't want to start there...
What do you think of posting video clip highlights? That seems quite possible!
Dustin, congrats on the new business. I think it is great that you are following your passion rather than just settling for a paycheck.
Brian Bartley
Dustin, I like your approach to educating the real estate community. I gone to several seminars and the speakers objective was to sell additional information at the back of the room. I have not attended any of your sessions because I am on the East Coast, but I know I would because your goal is to educate and not sell something. Thanks!
Good Post!
Dustin,
Sounds like you are following your passion! A very good thing. With that your motivating force, I know you'll have lots of success with this. So funny, I got an email today from Justin Zimmerman asking if I knew where to find you! I'll send him this link!
Dustin, I would love to come but you're going to have to get a little closer or schedule one closer to the Inman in San Fransico, or anywhere thre is national franchise conventions. Of course I follow your blog on RSS but I would love the opportunity to meet in person. Or NAR in Orlando and KW is in Orlando in Feb 09. Make the most of us being together and do back to back's.
I admire your ability to just DO it and start from scratch. Most successful people do risk it all to get to the next level and I am sure you will in your new endeavor.
What is your fee to come and speak? You can email off line. As Chair of MLS maybe I could get you in Ann Arbor.
Joeann: Justin is from Palm Beach, right? Definitely let him know he can contact me any time!
I think that's cool to have no conflict of interest.
Lemme know when you're in Silicon Valley or the San Jose area, 'k??
Best regards,
Mary
Will do Mary!
And Ardell: no plans to podcast the events... But maybe when you're there! ;)
Thanks for the prompt Ardell! :)
Lots of good feedback over here: http://4realz.net/2008/04/17/4realzed-irvine-was-exhilarating/