International speaker, Debra Jasper, is the founder of Mindset Digital, which is a digital transformation company that provides in-depth training, strategy and consulting to companies around the world. She serves as a Faculty Fellow at Ohio State University and has been named one of the top 12 Winning Women entrepreneurs in North America by Ernst & Young.Main TopicsHow COVID-19 impacted our work in the digital world and the need for extreme clarity in our communication (02:00)The formula for extreme clarity: write for action, deliver powerful presentations, deliver a powerful online presence (6:48)How to build a great LinkedIn profile (10:00) Write for attention by using strong copywriting skills (11:38)Debra’s upcoming book, Extreme Clarity: Break Through in a Hyper-Distracted Hybrid World (16:08)Rapid Visual Storytelling and how it applies to doing business (19:00) Connect with Debra:https://www.mindsetdigital.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/debrajasper/https://twitter.com/debrajasperConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts

No easy button for business or life, however the EASIER button is to deploy leadership for yourself and for others.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

Mike O’Hearn is a bodybuilder, personal trainer, actor, model and community ambassador. He holds four Mr. Universe titles and was voted one of the twelve greatest physiques of all time by the fitness industry. Mike is a true champion and well-rounded athlete who has graced over 500 fitness covers.Main TopicsHow Mike got the title “The Titan” and what it means to him (01:24)The importance of living with intentionality and being all in on what you’re doing in order to achieve your goals (02:38) Mike’s community called The Titan Crew—a group of people around the world who want to get healthier and understand how the body functions (07:50)Setting goals and living life as a slow journey and not a race to a quick result and how Mike viewed competitions as something for himself and not to gain the approval of others (11:19)Avoiding distractions while you’re on your journey (14:13)Planning a weekly schedule and how it will set you up for success (18:35) Connect with Mike:https://mikeohearn.comhttps://twitter.com/mikeohearnhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mikeohearnhttps://www.youtube.com/mikeohearntitanConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts

Happy 200th Episode, Win Nation! Join Adam and Producer Mark as they reminisce on some of their favorite moments and favorite guests of the last couple of years!Adam’s Top 3 Favorites:Ep. 183 Excuses are the Killers of Leaders with Don YaegerEp. 163 Life is Not a Spectator Sport with General Martin E. DempseyEp. 129 The Journey to Self-Awareness with Dr. Tasha EurichProducer Mark’s Top 3 Favorites:Ep. 165 Transform Overthinking From a Super Problem to a Superpower with Jon AcuffEp. 114 Real Talk and Thankfulness with Adam and Kelly ContosEp. 111 Prioritizing the Process Over the Prize with Apolo OhnoHonorable Mentions:Ep. 155 How to Lead Your Team During Uncertainty with Seth MattisonEp. 146 You Have Permission to Dream Big with Bob GoffEp. 180 Developing Habits to Achieve Your Dreams with Colonel Chris HadfieldEp. 182 Leveling Up with Vernice “FlyGirl” ArmourEp. 197 How Technology is Driving the Future of Franchising with Dave LinigerEpisode Links:Download Adam’s free guide: 3 Key Leadership Secrets to Leading Your Business Like the CEO of a Multimillion-Dollar CorporationConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts

What are people really buying? It's not just a product or service—it's a desired outcome! So when thinking about your customers, sell to them with their desired outcome in mind.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

Jennifer Cassetta is a nationally recognized motivational speaker and empowerment coach with a third-degree black belt in Hapkido and a master’s degree in nutrition. Over the past two decades, she has helped tens of thousands of women feel strong, safe, and powerful from college campuses to corporations. Her keynotes and trainings guide women to tap into their innate power, speak up against predatory behavior, and level up their mind, body, and spiritual well-being.Main TopicsHow Jennifer discovered strength, confidence and peace through martial arts after surviving the 9/11 attacks in New York City (03:29)Making your “Greatest Shifts List” and uncovering moments of learning and personal growth (8:55) Everyone has it inside themselves to be a badass (12:40)How to get back up and fight back after life knocks you down (14:11)Why Jennifer wrote her upcoming book and her desire to create something that will give people the tools to stand up for themselves and for others (16:59)Becoming a black belt in leadership (18:08)The Art of Realtor Safety program (21:38)  Episode LinksPreorder The Art of Badassery: Awakening to Your Power, Peace, and PurposeConnect with Jennifer:https://jennifercassetta.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-cassetta/https://www.instagram.com/jenncassetta/https://www.facebook.com/JenniferCassetta/Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts

Adam is joined by Gary Mauris the co-founder, president and CEO of Dominion Lending Centres, the leading mortgage company in Canada. Gary shares about his entrepreneurial journey to starting DLC through building relationships, humility and creating a loyal customer base.Gary Mauris is the co-founder and President & CEO of Dominion Lending Centres; CEO of Mortgage Centre Canada; and Chairman of Mortgage Architects. Together, these companies account for almost 40% of all broker originated mortgages in Canada. He is a serial entrepreneur, having sold two prior companies to the public market. Gary has also led multiple social initiatives as the co-founder and President of the I AM SOMEONE Ending Bullying Society and recently co-founded “Bikes for Kids”, a National program that collects new bicycles for underprivileged children across Canada.Main TopicsThe beginning of Dominion Lending Centres—Canada’s leading mortgage company (03:06)Growing the business through retention and ongoing recruiting (05:20)How Dominion Lending Centres modeled their business model and model for growth after RE/MAX and the leadership tactics of Dave Liniger (09:11)Growing a business and creating a loyal customer base through executive presence, developing relationships, being humble, building up others and creating an environment of success (11:01)The three things that kill a relationship and how to overcome them (15:00)Balancing multi-intentional goals and maintaining a healthy work-life balance (19:28)  Episode LinksDominion Lending CentresEverybody Wins: The Story and Lessons Behind RE/MAXConnect with Gary Mauris:https://garymauris.cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/garymauris/?originalSubdomain=cahttps://www.facebook.com/gary.maurishttps://twitter.com/garymaurisConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/Listen, rate, and subscribe!Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts

Leaders create other leaders. They lead with presence and with clarity. Leading isn't a title—it's the action that you are taking to lead people and create new leaders!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

There are more than 750,000 franchises in the United States, meaning that more than 10% of American businesses are part of the franchise model.Adam welcomes back Dave Liniger to talk all about franchising and how technology is likely to be one of the biggest drivers of the industry moving forward.Dave Liniger started RE/MAX in 1973, and it has become the largest real estate company in the world with a record year in 2021. He also runs a private equity company, Area15 Ventures, focused on emerging franchisors and high-growth businesses and franchise concepts.Dave tells story of beginning of RE/MAX and selling his very first franchise in Kansas City. Over the course of the next two years, Dave sold more than 100 franchises across North America.Dave explains the concept of a franchise as a system of methods, training, advertising and more that can be imparted on franchisee. The franchisee pays a fee to buy into the concept and pays the cost of opening a business, making the franchise model a great way to rapidly expand a business concept without it being cost-prohibitive. Dave shares the four key elements of franchising:Unique product or serviceBrand, advertising and market sharePurchasingTraining Technology and SystemsDave shares the story of the success of the McDonald’s franchise and how it transformed the fast food franchise industry.One of the biggest benefits of owning a franchise is the access you receive to a network of peers. You get to learn from each other and share ideas and insights to grow businesses. Dave also shares that every significant, good idea for RE/MAX came from his franchisees. He tells the story of how breakfast, the filet o’ fish and the Big Mac started at McDonald’s thanks to the ideas of franchisees. Adam and Dave talk about a new franchise concept they have acquired through Area15 Ventures called Daddy’s Chicken Shack. This business is a great example of how technology is driving the future of franchising. As a walk-up concept, the restaurant blew up during COVID, generating over $1 million in revenue. The owners designed a prototype with curbside pickup and limited seating, and featured technology that enables guests to order food via their phone, on the app and through food delivery services. The technology tracks the order and geo-targets the customer, and when they are 8-minutes away from the restaurant, they begin preparing the food. The drive-thru is also only for pick-up orders. This technology is eliminating the need for waiting in lines for pickup. The restaurant also features in-person ordering via artificial intelligence.Episode Links:DaddysFranchising.com Area15Ventures.comGet Adam's “3 Key Leadership Secrets” Guide!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

Scott Parker is a former professional ice hockey right winger who played for the San Jose Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL. Scott earned his nickname, "The Sheriff,” from his reputation as a feared fighter and enforcer. In 2006, Parker and his wife Francesca, started a charity called "Parker's Platoon.” Parker’s Platoon is dedicated to helping military veterans and retired professional athletes who deal with PTSD and traumatic brain and body injuries.The conversation kicks off with Scott’s story about growing up in Alaska and discovering hockey—a sport he new nothing about. But in the second grade, after seeing a flyer for hockey tryouts, he learned to skate with the family, and his love for the game was born. Scott also shares about some of the leadership lessons and skills he learned as an enforcer in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche. One important skill he developed was how to have a mindset of always learning through studying opponents. Scott had to spend hours studying his opponent, learning their tendencies and their weaknesses. “And if you didn’t, you got your head kicked in. …The sport is 80% mental and 20% physical." Scott and Adam chat about the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals between the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning.The two round out the conversation with the story and heart behind Parker’s Platoon, the nonprofit organization started by Scott and his wife, Francesca. The Parkers have a passion for helping our military veterans, as Scott’s father-in-law served as a Marine and his father was a gunner in the U.S. Army. Following his own diagnosis with a traumatic brain injury, he saw the need for mental, emotional and physical support for veterans who might be suffering from injuries like TBIs and PTSD. And since his retirement from the NHL, Scott found that he really missed that locker room dynamic and the way he and his teammates bonded through shared experiences. So, through Parker’s Platoon, the organization is able to partner wounded veterans with wounded athletes so they can grow in relationship and go through the healing process together. From meeting physical needs through meals and health access to meeting emotional needs through retreats and mountain getaways, Parker’s Platoon provides an avenue for holistic care and support. Episode Links:ParkersPlatoon.orgJoin the Leadership Factory and get early access to courses and exclusive content from Adam!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

The two most important hours of your day are actually the two most important things you can work on in your business: Client Hour and Content Hour. So build these into your calendar, and stick to it!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

Lindsay Pinchuk is a former high-powered magazine publishing executive turned business owner and leader.  She is the founder of Bump Club and Beyond --- a community of resources, support, and educational tools for millions of parents and parents-to-be across the country.  In year one, she turned a profit, and then grew her company to a 7-figure revenue each year and her community to over 3 million users. Less than a decade later, she led her company through the acquisition of a large agency holding company.Lindsay shares about the origins of Bump Club and Beyond, which began out of her need for community and resources as an expectant mother. Through the organic promotion of prenatal workouts, shopping events and workshops, the community continued to grow and expand. Soon, Lindsay left her job in Corporate America and took the company national and partnered with major brands, growing into a 7-figure company. And, after nine years, she sold her very successful company and stayed on to run Bump Club. In 2021, she made the decision to leave Bump Club and Beyond and now she owns and runs Lindsay Pinchuk Marketing & Consulting where she helps female solo entrepreneurs and large female-founded brands through coaching, consulting and courses. Through her transition from the corporate world to becoming an entrepreneur, Lindsay took a couple key principles with her: networking and the sales process. She shares with Adam how she took these skills that she had learned as a magazine sales executive and plugged them directly into her new endeavor. Lindsay also talks about the importance of being willing to ask for help. And she gives listeners some practical ways to be creative in getting help as a beginning entrepreneur with a small amount of revenue. And to round out the episode, Lindsay shares the best leadership lesson she has learned is to know when to say no and to be able to actually say no when it’s not the right opportunity or the best place to spend your time.Episode Links:Lindsay Pinchuk Marketing & ConsultingDear FoundHer podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk/Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/Join the Leadership Factory and get early access to courses and exclusive content from Adam!

Misty Lown is the founder, president, and energized force behind More Than Just Great Dancing, a licensed dance studio affiliation program that has a positive impact on over 100,000 dance students around the globe each week. She is a sought-after speaker and business leader. She has been recognized as “Teacher of the Year” by Eclipse, “Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year” by the YWCA, as well as many others. She is also the author of One Small Yes an Amazon #1 Bestseller.Misty shares her story of how her dream of teaching dance began with one small studio and grew to what it is today with 296 studios around the world. She was a talented dancer in high school and was accepted into a prestigious dance program. But, in her heart, she knew the classroom was going to be her stage. Even when people questioned why she would give up performing for teaching, she felt called to it and knew it was the path for her. Misty shares with Adam about some of the pivots she made in her business to take it to the next level. She knew it had to be about more than just dance. She wanted to teach dance as a vehicle for life lessons and to have an impact on her community. Internally, she started to referring to the program as “more than just great dancing.” And that name just stuck. And as she looked to grow, she considered many options like multiple studios or franchising. But she landed on licensing which would enable her to equip existing studios and teachers with personalized tools and resources and coaches.Misty and Adam dive into creating systems and how they empower leaders to win in business. Misty shares that the idea that we need to build everything for ourselves seems to be uniquely American. And rather than trying to do everything and create everything for themselves, businesses need to be more willing to take advantage of the wonderful resources that have already been created. Through MTJGD, Misty uses her ability to create business systems and to train people into that system and helps studios around the world. Stop searching, start executing. There’s some level of discomfort in some area. Until someone gets to that level, Misty also shares about the importance of getting small wins. Business owners and leaders tend to struggle in certain areas that prevent them from growing their business. Misty’s goal is to show them how to get a win in that area and getting them some breathing room to start working on the next things in their business. Then, it becomes a domino effect as they choose the next thing to work on to get another small win. We’re in a time of intellectual obesity where we’re consuming so much content online but not exercising what we’re learning. So Misty’s last piece of advice to business owners and leaders is to find one or two voices that you trust and go deep with those.Episode Links:https://mistylown.comhttps://morethanjustgreatdancing.comhttps://www.instagram.com/mistylown/https://www.linkedin.com/in/mistylown/Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

Are you an order taker or a deal maker? If you're always in business and always waiting for something to happen, you're an order taker. But those who are out there, growing their business and making things happen—they're the deal makers! It's up to you to decide if you're going to be an order taker or a deal maker!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam is joined by Producer Mark to talk about the two most important hours in the day for any business owner or entrepreneur: Client Hour and Content Hour. When it comes to sales, there are two types of people: order takers and order makers. An order taker is someone who expects the business to happen and to have sales dropped in their lap. They often get their sales leads from those “lead fairies” like web forms and lead-generating companies. But the truth is, less than 1% of leads close and generate actual revenue!So, in this episode, Adam talks to the order makers. The ones go out and make the business happen!The two most important hours of your day are actually the two most important things you can work on in your business. Client Hour This is obviously best done during business hours. It’s the time that you spend talking to your current and future customers. Pull out that contact list of your current and potential customers, and look for ways to talk to them. Send an email, pick up the phone, shoot them a text—whatever you need to do! But this isn’t cold-calling hour. This is relationship-building hour!In his small, boutique agency, Producer Mark has a network of relationships that he checks in on periodically, nurturing those relationships so they develop into new and repeat business. Adam shares the three ways we get business: Get new clientsGet more deals per clientGet more money per sale per clientContent HourJust like it sounds, this is the time to write content! Think about the challenges your customers have, and write about it. This content can be for a variety of purposes, whether it’s a blog post, video, podcast or social post.Here is a great format you can use to guide your writing:Get their attention with a problemAgitate the problemBring in your value piece that solves that problemAccentuate that value pieceServe up the call to action. But during content hour, the key is to just write, don’t edit! Step away when you’re finished, and then go back and review.Client Hour and Content Hour should be what you do first thing in the morning, because that’s when you have the most clarity and the greatest attitude in the day. If you do these things in the morning, your day is going to change. So build these into your calendar, and stick to it!Episode Links:Ryan Stewman’s Episodes on Start With A Win:Part 1Part 2Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

Dave Liniger started RE/MAX in 1973, and it has become the largest real estate company in the world with a record year in 2021. He also runs a private equity company, Area15 Ventures, focused on emerging franchisors and high-growth businesses.Dave and Adam pick up their conversation from last week by talking about the importance of being a lifelong learner. Dave shares how the early days of building RE/MAX began a pattern of lifelong learning that he’s carried on throughout his entire career.The only constant is change, and the world is changing faster and faster as we’re sitting here. And Dave believes that one of the worst things a leader can do when a learning opportunity comes their way is to assume they already know everything they need to know on that topic.Another aspect of becoming a lifelong learner is taking full advantage of personal experience. Dave shares that no one is born a leader. It comes from a cumulated lifetime of experience. And getting a college degree gives you a great head start, but that can really only give you theoretical knowledge, not practical experience with people. Leadership comes down to how you influence and control and encourage the team. And you can only learn that through personal experience. Dave addresses the importance of having a coach in your professional life. The purpose of a coach is to get more out of you than you can get out of yourself. Using their wisdom, their job is to analyze you and make suggestions on how you can improve. And the money spent on a coach almost always will multiply your financial benefit. Dave recalls that nearly all of the most successful RE/MAX agents utilized professional coaching.Lastly, Dave and Adam discuss the benefits of participating in masterminds. Dave defines a mastermind as a group of people that support you in where you want to go and are going in the same direction themselves. Masterminds are an incredible opportunity for like-minded people from different backgrounds to encourage each other.The two round out the conversation by talking about the importance of establishing good habits in your life in order to achieve your goals. One of the best ways to develop good habits is by establishing the right systems in your life. These are systems and processes that set you up for the best chance of sticking to your habits. And, if you have the right systems, the goal will accomplish itself.Episode Links:http://www.daveliniger.comhttps://www.area15ventures.comThink and Grow Rich by Napoleon HillAtomic Habits by James ClearOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

When facing a challenge, the enemy is not what's actually in front of us, it's how we FEEL about what we have to overcome. What is the solution? Make a plan, execute that plan, and overcome that enemy!Connect with Adam:startwithawin.com/facebook.com/REMAXAdamContostwitter.com/REMAXAdamContosinstagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Dave Liniger started RE/MAX in 1973, and it has become the largest real estate company in the world with a record year in 2021. He also runs a private equity company, Area15 Ventures, focused on emerging franchisors and high-growth businesses.Dave’s experience in business and leadership is extensive and diverse—from four tours in Vietnam to owning and running a NASCAR team to building dozens of companies over the years. So he understands what it takes to start and grow a successful business. He believes that may leaders are arrogant, believing that they were the ones to create the success. But the truth is that it’s nonsense. Success isn’t about “me,” it’s about “we.” It wasn’t just Dave who made RE/MAX happen, it was the many people around him and in the company who made it was it is today.Dave shares about the mistakes he’s also made along the way and how he overcame them. You can make mistakes, but don’t let mistakes make you. And he believes that a leader has to be transparent to his or her team. If you make a mistake, you should own up to it and commit to not doing it again. “We’re human beings, and we make mistakes. Just don’t make the same mistake over and over again.”Dave provides insight on the importance of creating the right environment in a company. He shares that one of the major functions of a great leader is to create an environment where the individuals on the team can collectively succeed better than they can by themselves—and to achieve their personal goals as well as team goals. And it’s more than just being a good motivator. He believes that motivation is superficial and doesn’t work in the long-term. Instead, create an environment of self-motivation where people can achieve what they want to achieve. Because not everyone has the same goals. The conversation shifts to cultivating confidence and courage in the people you lead. Courage comes from experience, and experience comes from confidence—or vice-versa. Dave shares stories of how he learned to cultivate that confidence in the leaders around him, and part of that came by being an encourager. Part of the job of leading is encouraging and praising others. You lead by example, but also by heaping praise on your people. If your employees know they have someone who cares for them personally, they pick up on that.“I wish I could buy people for what they think they’re worth, and work with them for a while, and then sell them for what I know they’re worth,” said Dave.Adam and Dave round out this part of the conversation by talking about the difference between a family environment and a team environment in a company. RE/MAX was built as a team, with people relying on each other and their leaders to contribute and make the team better. But Dave shares that you can have team accomplishments with family values. A team that’s accountable to each other but also there for each other when it’s needed most.Episode Links:http://www.daveliniger.comhttps://www.area15ventures.comOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

Monty Moran is the former co-CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill. Prior to joining Chipotle, he was head of litigation and CEO at a Denver-based law firm for ten years. Most recently, Monty realized his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot, and flies his airplane throughout the United States to pursue his interest in better understanding and serving Americans, a quest he documents through his startup, Old Tale Productions. He is also the author of the book Love is Free. Guac is Extra: How Vulnerability, Empowerment, and Curiosity Built an Unstoppable Team.In our world, most people are uncomfortable with using the word “love” when it comes to business. Monty helps us understand that love doesn’t have to just be a “fluff” word but that it can mean truly caring about your people, empowering them, and bringing the best out in them. Monty shares about his time at Chipotle and how he worked to build a culture of empowerment. We all know what it’s like to feel disappointed after a lack-luster retail experience where the staff appear less than enthusiastic to be there. Monty believes that often comes from a culture where the employees are not empowered. He defines empowerment as feeling confident in your ability, encouraged by your circumstances, such that you feel motivated and at liberty to fully devote your talents to a purpose. And when you have a culture of empowered people, you can then feel that energy across the counter.In order to create that culture, Monty knew he couldn’t spend all of (or most of) his time in the corporate office. As the CEO, he spend most of his time in the restaurants in one-on-one conversations with employees. In this conversations, he got to know who they were as people as well as how they felt about the company and what was going well—and what wasn’t so great.Monty also shares about the importance of vulnerability in leadership and being your real, genuine self. Because he believes the only source of power for a leader is the people who choose to follow that leader. So we have to ask ourselves as leaders: Why would someone follow me? People won’t follow you if you’re not worthy of being followed—or if they don’t believe you’re being real or genuine. He shares the story of leading his first meeting at Chipotle and how a moment of true vulnerability set the tone for how he was perceived as a leader.Monty and Adam round out the conversation by talking about Monty’s “controversial” view of work-life balance: He doesn’t believe in it! Work-life balance implies that life and work are completely separate, but we don’t stop living when we go to work. Everyone wants something different from our work and our life, and the key is to determine what amount of overlap is going to fulfill us.Episode Links:Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

Why are some people terrible at sales? The truth is they skip the first, and maybe most important step: Building relationships. People don't want to do business with someone they don't trust. And relationships are the conduits to trust. So build those bridges, build those relationships, and the sales will happen.Connect with Adam:startwithawin.com/facebook.com/REMAXAdamContostwitter.com/REMAXAdamContosinstagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Tony Giordano is a top real estate agent, business consultant, renowned international speaker and owner of four successful businesses. He is a national and international best-selling author of the books 'the social agent,’ which teaches clients, and sales professionals the correct ways to integrate online presence and grow their business. Tony is also passionate about helping others find success through his company, R.I.S.E. Coaching.Adam and Tony talk about overcoming adversity and why we should even welcome setbacks in life. Because extraordinary success doesn’t come without a lot of failure. Tony even says, “I hope you fail so much in your life because that means you tried." Tony encourages listeners to not become the people who never try because they’re afraid of failing—or who immediately quit after a setback. “You just have to be willing to get back up and take the hit.”Overcoming adversity begins with mindset. You must always have the mindset of being willing to accept setbacks. Having a positive mindset like that is what gets us through the setback. Tony also warns of the “naysayers” in our lives. Most people are afraid because they have people in their life who are always telling them they can’t or shouldn’t do something because it’s too risky. When we let these voices live in our minds, they compete against that positive mindset we’ve worked so hard to cultivate. “Anyone who tells you you can’t succeed in something is never anyone who has succeeded,” says Tony. He encourages us to surround ourselves with people who have succeeded and who will propel us toward our own success.Tony walks listeners through his method to overcoming adversity called the Five Rounds to Success. The same way a UFC or MMA fighter faces an opponent in the octagon, we face adversity in life.Size Up: How we’re testedMind Set: How we respondAccountability: How we learn Heart: How we overcomeFinish: How we succeed and winEvery day we get another opponent—or three. If you follow these steps, you will succeed.Episode Links:RiseMastery.com  Discount code: TGVIPhttps://www.giordano.globalhttps://www.facebook.com/GiordanoIntlhttps://www.instagram.com/tony_giordano/Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam Contos and Producer Mark dive into the subject of change and how to decide what’s next when life presents you with new opportunities. Adam is in the midst of his own season of change after making the decision to leave his role as CEO of RE/MAX.Whether change happened to you or you’ve made the decision, change is an opportunity. But that doesn’t mean you should jump at every single opportunity that comes your way. Adam shares his own process for avoiding “shiny object syndrome” and how to decide on the best opportunity for you.Start by writing down your “what’s next” list. Write down all of the opportunities that are available to you and begin to make a pro/con list. Then, on a scale of 1 to 10, how excited are you about each opportunity? Pretty soon, you’ll be able to start crossing off opportunities that aren’t right for you in this season! Once you get down to a handful of them, rank them from most important to least important, which will help you to see whether or not your “what’s next” will take you beyond what you’ve already accomplished.  What’s next also doesn’t have to be a massive, wholesale change in your life. Maybe is small pivots you can make in your life or in your business that could have big results. If you’re a real estate agent, that might look like finally deciding to go after a $1 million listing instead of another $200,000 listing (do those even exist anymore??).Adam wraps up the discussion by sharing three questions to ask yourself when you’re thinking about what’s next:What do you have?: What are you good at or what can you bring with you to the next opportunity?What do you want?: What are you trying to get out of this change you’re about to make?What do you need to get?: What are the skills, knowledge or resources you need to be successful?Episode Links:Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

What's the best way to get things done in your life? Focus on what you can control and control what you focus on. When you make a conscious effort to control your focus, you can control what we get done!Connect with Adam:startwithawin.com/facebook.com/REMAXAdamContostwitter.com/REMAXAdamContosinstagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

In this two-part episode of Start With A Win, we are joined by Ryan Stewman, the CEO of Hardcore Closer, an online learning resource for salespeople, including topics like advertising, marketing, funnel, sales and social media. His online courses have everything you need in order to start marketing your business online and crushing your competitors.Part two picks up the conversation between Adam and Ryan where he talks about the importance of not only leading in the business world but even more so in your family. Just as you do for your employees, you have to lead by example. By consistently working hard and being the best that he can be, you are laying down a foundation for a legacy that will far outlast your lifetime.Part of leading by example includes establishing systems and habits. Ryan shares how consistency in many areas of his life has led to long-term success, even if that success hasn’t come right away—one example being his podcast that is now nearly 1,000 episodes strong! One of the keys to being consistent is not only having a to-do list, but assigning a time to every single time. Let your calendar be your boss!Ryan and Adam dive into the topic of sales and marketing where Ryan coaches listeners on how to write and speak to potential customers. Start by finding who you want to do business with and learning the insider’s language of your audience. Make sure that you’re conveying that you know them and you speak their language. Then, authentically communicate your story and/or services in language that will resonate with them and their industry. Once the leads start coming in from your marketing, it’s crucial to capture their information, because data is the biggest asset you can have as a business. It’s the one asset that can be monetized over and over again. Ryan shares how his service, Phonesites, can help your business communicate with leads on auto-pilot until they’re ready to become full-on customers.Episode Links:https://www.hardcorecloser.comhttp://jointheapex.comhttps://www.facebook.com/realryanstewmanhttps://www.instagram.com/hardcorecloserhttps://twitter.com/ryanstewmanhttps://phonesites.comhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVJ_MRugU0Qhttps://challenge.dailygcode.com/Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://twitter.com/AdamContosCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/adamcontosceo/

Ryan Stewman is a genius loan officer turned rogue Internet marketer. He is the CEO of Hardcore Closer, an online learning resource for salespeople, including topics like advertising, marketing, funnel, sales and social media. His online courses have everything you need in order to start marketing your business online and crushing your competitors.But his success did not come easily.Ryan likes to say that he is a prime example of what’s possible in America. He was adopted as a baby but grew up in a rough neighborhood. He dropped out of school with only an eighth-grade education, his “business success” began with selling marijuana and cocaine. After spending two years in prison, Ryan went to work at a car wash with a goal to never go back to jail. One of the regular customers noticed his hard work and offered him a job in the mortgage business. Within two years, he was a multi-millionaire at only 26. But after a federal gun charge led him back to prison for 15 months, he lost everything. And it was far from the last hurdle Ryan would encounter.After overcoming so many hardships in his life and yet still finding his way back to success, Ryan has a simple question for you: what is your excuse? He believes it is all about the mindset plus the work ethic. We always have to have the mindset to work harder. Once we adopt that mindset in our lives, we really can be unstoppable.Ryan believes it is also important to establish a mission for our lives. His personal mission is to help as many people as possible to become the best version of themselves. He also has three words he lives by: Fuck Your Excuses.Ryan and Adam round out the conversation by talking about accountability. Ryan’s accountability is found in God and knowing he will have to give an account for how he stewarded his life and talent here on earth.Be sure to join us next week for the second part of this interview!  Episode Links:https://www.hardcorecloser.comhttp://jointheapex.comhttps://www.facebook.com/realryanstewmanhttps://www.instagram.com/hardcorecloserhttps://twitter.com/ryanstewmanOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

One of the biggest challenges faced by those who are running a business is that they are often spending more time working in than business instead of on the business. You should be hiring people to do the day-to-day tasks of the business while you are scaling the results of your business—finding more markets, more price per transaction or more customers. Work on your business, not in your business!Connect with Adam:startwithawin.com/facebook.com/REMAXAdamContostwitter.com/REMAXAdamContosinstagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Rex Tibbens is the president and CEO of Frontdoor which is the parent company to several home warranty brands, including American Home Shield. He is former chief operating officer of Lyft and the former vice president at Amazon, where he led the technical and product development of Prime Now, Amazon’s one-hour delivery service. Now, he is bringing his former tech leadership into the traditionally lower-tech home warranty industry.Adam and Rex open the conversation by talking about Frontdoor and how the company is working hard to serve the homeowner of the 21st Century through innovation and forward thinking. Throughout his career, no matter the company or industry, Rex’s number-one priority has been obsessing about customers. He knows that customers are the ones who choose your business and decide whether you’re worth sticking with or taking their business elsewhere. Rex also believes in running toward the big problems. He says the leaders who want to step into the fire and solve the problems are the ones who rise to the top. And when you are a leader who runs toward the problems, you have to be okay if you get knocked down. Rex shares how you can grow when you encounter defeat or problems as a leader. It’s important to take a step back, think about what transpired and how you would do it differently the next time. Growing through adversity as a leader is how you build trust within your company and among your employees. And that’s also how you develop employee retention. Because people don’t leave organizations, they leave leaders. A common misconception of leaders when it comes to problem solving is that they always have to be the one with the answers. But the truth is, you don’t have to be the one with the solution. It’s your job to hire good people, build them up, and then trust them to come up with the solutions.When working with his leadership team, Rex says that he will often come at a problem as if he is wrong. He shares that the higher up you are within an organization, the more filtered the information is that you have, and you often don’t have the context you need. So you have to ask probing questions in an understanding manner. His approach is always trust, but verify. Allow your team to challenge you as much as you challenge them.Rex and Adam round out the conversation by talking about the transitions Rex has made throughout his career and the advice he has for leaders who are looking to make a major change in jobs or industries. What excites you about the opportunity? Once the fanfare ends, what’s the real work you’ll be doing? Does that get you out of bed in the morning?Episode Links:https://www.frontdoorhome.comOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

After nearly 20 years with RE/MAX, and four years as the CEO, Adam Contos is turning the page on a successful chapter of his life. In this very special episode of Start With A Win, Adam is joined by Producer Mark and another very special guest, Kelly Contos—his wife!The three talk about Adam’s time with RE/MAX and the lessons he’s learned and the company’s achievements over the years.One of the things Adam has taken from his time around the RE/MAX agent family is that hunger causes success. You can achieve anything you want to achieve if you put forth the effort on a daily basis. The agents who are growing their businesses are doing it because they’re intentional—which is true no matter what business you’re in! To continue to grow, you have to continue to take risks. And that means doing the habits every day to see the long-term success. Mark asks Adam the question that everyone seems to be asking: Why leave now? After a record-breaking 2021 for RE/MAX Holdings, LLC, most people would never expect the CEO of the company to choose to leave. But another thing Adam has learned over the years is that life and leadership is a relay race. In a relay race, the runner with the baton doesn’t pass the baton as they’re slowing down, they speed up to pass it on to their teammate! Adam’s job as the CEO is to create a succession plan that is beneficial to everyone within and around the organization. Running his fastest—at the top of his game—he’s is ready to hand off the baton to the next season of leadership.What’s next for Adam? He’s ready to take his leadership experience and knowledge to develop the next generation of leaders through coaching and consulting. He has a passion for helping other people and helping them find success. But no need to fear! Your favorite podcast, Start With A Win, will live on! We will continue to bring you encouraging, motivational, winning content from Adam and other ground-breaking thought leaders.Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

If you're trying to impress someone when you first meet them, the truth is you're about it all wrong! The key is actually to be impressed BY THEM! Ask great questions and be really interested in what they have to say. This will build a bridge to a positive relationship!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Don Yaeger is a nationally acclaimed inspirational speaker, longtime Associate Editor of Sports Illustrated, author of over 30 books—eleven of which have become New York Times Bestsellers. Today he studies how playing sports shapes Fortune 500 CEOS on his podcast, Corporate Competitor. He has interviewed CEOs of Delta Airlines, Disney, Bank of America, and even ADAM CONTOS!Don grew up reading Sports Illustrated, so joining that team of talented storytellers was like a dream come true! One thing that quickly became apparent was that within this small community of world-class talent was the complete lack of jealousy among the writers and editors. Everyone viewed each other as a highly respected peer. And throughout his career, Don came to understand that the true greats are comparing themselves against their potential, not other people.Don also shares the story of the time he played one-on-one against Michael Jordan—and won!Through years of interviewing some of the greatest athletes of all time, Don realized that what made them successful was not their athleticism. It is their ability to be more mentally, emotionally, spiritually disciplined than their opponents. He shares how their insights can become our lessons in how to manage adversity, fostering teamwork, and how to be a servant leader. Adam and Don also dive into the topic of excuses and how they can truly become the killer of leaders. Don shares a favorite quote from his former opponent, Michael Jordan: “A loss is not a failure until you make an excuse.” This is the mindset you see in high performers, whether in athletics or the business world. “Making excuses is human nature, but to be exceptional [is to] defy human nature every day,” said Don.Excuses—or dwelling on past mistakes—can be difficult to overcome. Don shares the Coach K model of overcoming mistakes, “Next Play.” It’s okay to take time later to reflect on what might have just happened, but you can’t reflect now. “It’s more like a West Point thing, like what’s your next mission? So, whenever you got knocked back individually and collectively [as a team], they taught you, ‘OK, next play. What am I going to do next?’” - Mike KrzyzewskiDon encourages listeners to develop a phrase that can remind them that their job is not to dwell on their excuses or the past.Adam and Don also discuss the importance of communication in leadership. We saw how important this was during COVID-19 and how this crisis actually uncovered some of the cracks in leadership. And we can’t develop that trait in a crisis, it has to be an effort that we’re working on all the time! Because we don’t know what’s ahead of us. Episode Links:Don Yaeger:https://donyaeger.comCorporate Competitor Podcast:https://donyaeger.com/corporate-competitor-podcast/Coach K’s Next Play Philosophy:https://www.peaksports.com/sports-psychology-blog/krzyzewskis-next-play-philosophy-for-letting-go-of-mistakes/Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour is a former police officer and Marine, and she is America’s first African-American female combat pilot. After serving two tours of duty in Iraq, FlyGirl revved up her career in the private sector as an entrepreneur, consultant to business, and author of Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter. As a speaker and executive coach, FlyGirl unleashes hard-hitting advice and amazing anecdotes from her adventures on the battlefield and in business.As the daughter of a former Marine, FlyGirl’s parents always encouraged her and told her that she could do anything. She took that encouragement to heart, always keeping her eye on what she wanted. At the age of four, she knew she wanted to be a cop that rode a horse downtown. and that’s exactly what she got to do—on a Harley Davidson “steel horse” that is…But when pursuing your dreams, obstacles are inevitable. And as a black, gay female, FlyGirl doesn’t have to look far for an obstacle to overcome. But throughout her life, she’s learned to view these obstacles through a different lens. She looks to one of her favorite quotes: “Most of the time, opportunities come disguised as an obstacle.” Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich (1936) When people look at her life and see the obstacles she’s overcome, she is quick to remind them that they are just opportunities she’s chosen to take advantage of. FlyGirl shares her battle-tested method for achieving your dreams and goals:Create Your Flight PlanPre-FlightTakeoffNavigating Minefields & Obstacles:Review, Recharge, Re-AttackFlygirl also talks about her new book coming out in 2023, The Gutsy Move. The gutsy move is found in your gut—your intuition and your instincts. You know in your gut what the gutsy move is, but you have to take action. If you don’t take action, it wasn’t a gutsy move. It was only a gutsy thought!Episode Links:https://vernicearmour.comThe Gutsy Move: 5 Tips to Navigate Challenges and Achieve Your Visions and Dreamshttps://vernicearmour.ac-page.com/the-gutsy-moveOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Ask yourself these three questions each day, and it will no doubt set you up for success in your day!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

According to a study done by Newsweek and Brand Spark a couple years ago, RE/MAX agents are the most trusted by Americans. Based on the data, consumers want trust, safety and inclusion in the companies they do business with—in that order. In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam unpacks three ways you can build trust with people and in business.1. Build Positive RelationshipsWe all have those people in our lives who we call friends, but every time we talk to them, they're gossiping about other people. Which can make you feel like you wouldn’t want to share anything really personal with them because you don’t necessarily trust the communication that occurs in that relationship. Instead, when you have really trustworthy friends, those friends also typically have trustworthy friends. This develops a web of trust going through those relationships.  Positive relationships also come from learning how to resolve conflict in a positive, reciprocal manner. 2. Develop Good Judgement & ExpertiseWhen people trust you, they're trusting that you make decisions that are mutually in the best interest of the situation. So you can’t one-sided, selfish or an egomaniac. And this doesn’t just affect you; it impacts other people, businesses, employees, your family, your reputation. You have to use good judgment in order to create trust. You're determining what is best for this situation. And often what's best for our situation is an everybody wins outcome.And then when you've done that, you build expertise, and people trust expertise. Expertise is the culmination of your perspective, your opinions and your ideas based upon past experience. It’s important to develop your expertise by seeking it out—seeking the experience and the knowledge necessary to make you an expert on something.3. Be Consistent If you're an executive in a company, one of the key aspects that your employees seek out is consistency. Why? Because they know what you expect from them. And they know what to do in the company. There's clarity in consistency, and both of those things create trust. It’s also about consistently honoring your commitments and promises. And being willing to go above and beyond for people by giving them more than they expect on a consistent basis.Episode Links:Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Referred to as “the most famous astronaut since Neil Armstrong,” Colonel Chris Hadfield became a household name as the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station. A heavily decorated astronaut, engineer, and pilot, Hadfield’s many awards include the Order of Canada, the Meritorious Service Cross, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. Hadfield is also a bestselling author of four books, an acclaimed musician, and the host of two internationally acclaimed television series, including National Geographic’s “One Strange Rock.”  The conversation kicks off with stories of Col. Hadfield’s out-of-this-world music career and viral performances, including his cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” performed on the International Space Station.Col. Hadfield also talks about the moment he was inspired to become an astronaut as he watched the first steps being taken on the moon back in 1969 as a young boy. As a fan of science fiction and all things space, it was like watching fantasy come to life. It was that moment when he made the conscious decision at 9 years old to become an astronaut—and he’s been working toward (and achieving) that goal ever since.When it comes to developing habits to achieve your dreams, Col. Hadfield believes it begins with having a few “right on the edge of crazy” goals you want to accomplish in life. You always have to have dreams or something you’re trying to accomplish. If you don’t know what your goal is, how do you decide what you’re going to do next? Then do personal inventory of what you don’t have or can’t do yet in order to achieve the goals you’ve set. Ask yourself, “What could I do now to learn a skill that will inch me forward toward achieving my goal?”“It is a joyful thing if every single day you are shifting your life a little bit away from where you were toward [what] you really value,” said Col. Hadfield.Adam and the Colonel also discuss how to stay motivated when pursuing your dreams. He reminds us to have the maturity and pause as we enter into a new situation and to always have our long-term dreams in mind. As you’re working toward your goal, find a way to make a daily living that is somewhere within that field or involving those things you find interesting. “Don’t let life randomly choose for you what you’re going to do. Be active in choosing your own life.” Episode Links:“Space Oddity” Cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNohttps://chrishadfield.ca/books/Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

We get better by changing and growing! If you want to get better, make growing and changing as natural as breathing. Accept change, accept growth, and go after it!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

As a founder and the CEO of Vari, Jason McCann’s mission is to help companies create environments that elevate people. Jason co-founded VariDesk in 2013, and the brand quickly became synonymous with sit-stand desks. Today, the company name is Vari, and it has grown into a workspace innovation company that provides everything high-growth businesses need to unlock the potential of their workforce. Jason and his leadership have been widely celebrated over the years, including recently being named CEO of the year by CEO Magazine in 2021.Adam and Jason start the conversation by talking about the origins of VariDesk and the sit-stand desk. Jason developed the product with his co-founder, and they started by listing the desk in Sky Mall Magazine. It quickly became the #1 selling item in Sky Mall’s history! After years of success with the original VariDesk, the company began to expand into other functional workspace products just for their own company. But when people visited their headquarters, most people said, “I want this!” Jason and his team realized it wasn’t just the products, it was the culture that had been created. This prompted them to elevate their vision and push into creating workspaces of the future.Our bodies were designed to be active, and when we sit down, that’s when our bodies go into recharge mode. Over the last 50-60 years, we made it so easy to sit down, and we removed all of the things that encourage movement. Jason believes that innovation happens when people get to interact and move. So Vari creates “moving workspaces” where walls and seating move, transforming static offices into living, breathing spaces.When people shifted to working at home when COVID first hit, people were sitting on futons hunched over a laptop. Chiropractors have had record years due to tech neck! So, through COVID, Jason’s focus has been: How do we create healthy, productive workspaces so you can continue to thrive and be at your very best when you need to be?Considered an essential business, Vari’s team returned to their office in June 2020 due to the ability to have a moveable office that could be transformed into a safe working environment. Over the last 24 months, Vari has transformed over 2,000 offices across the country. When it comes to the future of work, Jason believes that flexibility is here to stay. We must continue to embrace change as leaders and adopt the mentality of “innovate or die." The ability to be flexible, moveable and innovative allowed the company to thrive throughout this season.The company was addressing a pain point. First was back pain, then it was how to buy office furniture. Vari wanted to simplify and sell furniture direct. Today, more than 4 million uses of Vari’s products can be found in 120 countries around the world. And it’s all happened by listening to the customer and doing what’s right. Adam shared a study which found that customers are twice as likely to pay for something that stops pain than something that makes them feel good. The two round out the conversation by touching on the importance of leading with empathy, love and grace in this new season of business. Listening as a leader is more important than ever, and we have to put ourselves in our team’s shoes. We have to understand what they’re going through so we can serve them better. That’s what we as leaders have been put on earth to do.Episode Links:https://www.vari.comOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

It’s easy to lose focus with so much going on in the world today—between social media, streaming and the constant influx of news. We have so much coming at us, and it’s trying to steal our focus!In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam dives into the topic of focus and how to become more focused so you can be more productive in your everyday life.Focus consists of two things:Will PowerAttentionWill power is our internal energy. Our will power can be stolen through criticism, burdens, distractions, lack of sleep and nutrition, etc. So how do we build up and maintain our internal energy? One of the best things you can do to ensure you have plenty of internal energy is to get enough sleep! When you wake up in the morning, do you feel rested? That determines a lot of your energy for the day. It’s also important to make sure you’re getting QUALITY sleep. You’re supposed to sleep when it’s dark, you’re supposed to be awake when it’s light! That’s what’s called circadian rhythms. And that means… Remove the blue light from your room! A good night’s sleep leads to a good energy level in the morning.Ultradian rhythms are the cycles of energy throughout your day. Look for the times when you have the highest level of focus, and those are the times when you should plan to do your best work.Check out Adam’s morning routine, beginning at 4:30am!Drink a glass of water, take vitamins and MCT oil, have a cup of coffeeWork for an hourGo to the gym, listen to a podcastCreative timeAttention is a learned habit or skill. Figure out what you’re going to work on, and shut down everything else! The combination of will-power and attention is how you develop focus.If you feel like you’re burdened and running around all day long, you’ve not found that window. You need to look for those times when you’re looking for a pad and paper because you’ve got an idea to write down. When those ideas are generating, your brain is saying it’s ready to go to work! When is your window of focus in your day?Episode Links:Circadian Rhythms: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythmUltradian Rhythms: https://www.bluezones.com/2020/06/how-taking-breaks-can-increase-productivity-boost-energy-levels-and-help-you-show-up-in-your-life/Adam’s Whoop Band: https://www.whoop.comMCT Oil: https://www.webmd.com/diet/mct-oil-health-benefits-common-usesBaroque Music Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4DvteColbVCrs7iIgc4r6x?si=33fc11a8997f4db6Lo-Fi Beats Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/71d99pLh0TpbdIJESHAsDN?si=0be9d1740f6c4aa3Bullet-Proof Coffee: https://www.thecookierookie.com/bulletproof-coffee-recipe/Collagen Powder: https://www.amazon.com/Vital-Proteins-Collagen-Peptides-Pasture-Raised/dp/B00K6JUG4KOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

When you lead, you influence. So that means it's crucial that you take your role seriously as a leader!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Ría, the Founder and CEO of RíOrganize, is a SoCal native who is loving life in Texas as a wife, mother, and business owner. She's always had a knack for creativity, but it wasn't until becoming a mom of 3 that she began to appreciate the stress relief organization can offer, which was the foundation of her luxury home organization business. As someone who is messy by nature, Ría loves sharing her tools with others. As she says, “You don’t have to be born with it—organization can be learned, practiced and perfected.” Since starting RíOrganize, her company has helped thousands of families transform their spaces and has equipped each one with the tools and knowledge needed to make organization stick long after the team is gone. She has also grown a following on Instagram where she loves pulling the curtain and sharing behind the scenes of her family life. Ría shares about her journey from a naturally messy person to owning a nationwide company that helps others organize their homes. Organization was something she had to practice and teach herself. After getting married and having children, she realized how prioritizing organization actually gave her the freedom and ability to be a better wife, mom and professional.Ría started RíOrganize in 2016 as a side hustle after years in the commercial real estate industry. What started as a few jobs here and there for friends and family has now grown to a dozen employees and four locations across the country. She’s now had the opportunity to work with many celebrities, including Chrissy Teigen and James Charles. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter the money or fame, everyone needs organization in their life… It’s less about gifting people organization and more about giving people back their time.” Ría explains that the state of your home is going to affect you mentally. Organization systems and processes set you up for little wins throughout your day. Having systems dialed in are the most important part of that.She also shares that one of the most important things you can learn is knowing when you can’t do something by yourself. It’s what helped her business scale—like knowing that accounting was just not her thing and hiring someone to help with that instead!Episode Links:Instagram @RíOrganizehttps://www.RíOrganize.comOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

John Featherston launched RISMedia in 1980, and it has since become the leader in real estate information, servicing more than 500,000 of the residential real estate industry’s most productive and successful agents, brokers and related service professionals. A thought leader and frequent speaker, John was awarded the 2015 RE/MAX “On the Shoulders of Giants” Award, recognizing his longtime support of the real estate industry.Whether you’re in the real estate world, or a completely different line of work, how information affects your industry is important. Information is currency, and information in the real estate sector has to be accurate, it can’t be speculative.John shares about the beginnings of RISMedia when there were no personal computers. If you had information, it was difficult to parse it out and get it to potential clients. John understood that the value of information in real estate is not location, location, location; it’s the ability of purveying information to prospects. It’s also about proving to potential clients that you are the right person to be guiding them through the process.John encourages listeners to spend time every morning looking for the latest, bite-sized piece of information that they can share with someone that day. He commissions us to be the purveyors of the information our neighbors want to know about the real estate industry. “You need to be up on what’s happening, and you need to be pushing [it] out to your sphere of influence, so they look at you as their go-to resource.”John and Adam also explore the topic of good information versus bad information, and how to make sure you are always getting the best information possible. John also shares about the many tools and resources available through RISMedia that can equip them with the knowledge and information they need to be the best real estate professionals possible.RISMedia's CEO & Leadership Exchange, Washington, DC Sept 6 - 8, 2022RISMedia's Premier - exclusive content for membersRISMedia's 2022 Real Estate Newsmakers, announced Feb. 1RISMedia's 2022 Power Broker Report, launching April 1Episode Links:https://www.rismedia.comACESocialhttps://acesocial.rismedia.comOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

Brian Reese is the founder and CEO of VA Claims Insider, and he is one of the world's leading experts in veteran benefits. Through his company, he’s helped millions of veterans secure their financial future since 2013. A former active-duty air force officer, Brian deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. A veteran himself who personally struggled with the disability claim system, Brian started a company that coaches veterans through the claim process. Now, he has written the book, You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits You’ve Earned.Following his last tour in Afghanistan in 2011, Brian faced many mental and physical issues upon his return home. However, he didn’t want to talk about these things which led to some very destructive tendencies. However, it was through this journey that he learned how to open up and be vulnerable. Brian challenges listeners to ask themselves these questions: Are you being the real you? And are you being honest with family and friends? Brian’s true breakthrough was getting out of his own way by being honest about what he struggled with. Outside of his wife and children, his family and friends didn’t previously know  any of his true struggles. But when he started opening up, it was as if he saw his entire life open up. Eventually, other veterans started reaching out and sharing how much they resonated with his struggles and his stories. He watched that vulnerability lead to a movement of veterans helping veterans, paving the way for VA Claims Insider. Through VA Claims Insider, Brian’s team helps veterans get the benefits they’ve earned for their service. They partner them with an expert coach who will walk with them through the VA disability claims process from beginning to end, ensuring they are never alone and making what’s confusing very simple and easy.Brian talks about the process of writing his book, You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits You’ve Earned, which sold 10,000 copies in its first month of release! The book details all of the federal and state benefits as well as many other discount programs available to veterans and their families.The two round out the conversation by talking about Brian’s journey as an entrepreneur and how he carried his military experience into a growing, thriving business. And his two pieces of advice to fellow entrepreneurs? Be a self-motivated self-starter and persevere through adversity by being willing to constantly re-invent yourself.Episode Links:https://vaclaimsinsider.comFree E-Book: You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits You’ve Earned:https://www.youdeserveitfree.com/freedom1Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam talks with Ryan Estis about the importance of employee well-being and how it can impact the long-term success of an organization. Ryan has more than 20 years of experience as a top-performing sales professional and leader. Twelve years ago, he decided to put that experience into practice and launch is own learning and advisory organization. He developed the Virtual Wellness series, a live, interactive program, complete with a curriculum grounded in original research on what employees need to thrive. The series features five modules focused on employee well-being:Peak Performance: Unleashing Your Potential Into the WorldEmotional Resilience: Responding to Change, Challenge & AdversityAn Introduction to Mindfulness: The Art of PresenceThe Communication Revolution:  Building High Trust High Value RelationshipsFit for Service: An Introduction to Physical Wellness & NutritionRyan shares that the COVID-19 pandemic was really just a tipping point for employee wellness and well-being. People have felt overworked, lonely and burned out for years, but it has been a call to action for leaders to get more involved in this issue.People are reconsidering their relationship with work. Ryan shares the statistic that the average white collar worker worked three more hours per day during the pandemic. But the Great Resignation is showing us that throughout the last 18 months, our perspective has been reset. Unhealthy balance in life and work just might not be worth it anymore. That’s where a bigger focus on employee wellness must come in. And the programs must be about more than the apps for meditation or Bring Your Dog to Work Day. People seek balance and flexibility and want to have fulfillment. They are shifting from organizing their lives around work to now wanting to organize work around how they want to live their life.Ryan also shares that the impact of focusing on employee well-being goes beyond the productivity and fulfillment of the individual. It has a great impact on the long-term success of an organization. If your focus as a leader or board is only on quarterly performance and maximizing shareholder value, you’re missing the longer-term opportunity. It’s not just a moral obligation, it’s speaking to the long-term health of the organization.Episode Links:Virtual Wellness Series: https://ryanestis.com/topics/corporate-training/virtual-wellness-series/Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanestis/Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanestis/Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Adam shares how employing these two simple, magic A-words can help you see results in your life!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam talks to Juliet Funt, the founder and CEO of The Juliet Funt Group, an efficiency training firm. Juliet and her firm are on a mission to “de-crapify” work, helping business leaders and organizations unleash their full potential by unburdening talent from busywork. She is a renowned keynote speaker and tough-love advisor. Juliet is the author of A Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness, and Do Your Best Work. Between meetings, emails, reports, and decks, there are so many low-value tasks that sit on top of the talented people in organizations today. It keeps our teams from being able to do their best work. And COVID has only made the problem worse with more Zoom meetings, over communication, and extra emails. Juliet shares her analogy of building a fire and how creating space between the materials is essential to allow oxygenation to happen. In the same way, people need to have space to not only recuperate, but to step back and think and let ideas build. Team members and leaders can be more creative and engaged when they’re allowed a strategic pause to think purposely about the next chapter of a project or the business. Juliet believes that leadership is often over-focused on the logistical questions of “where” (where people sit, where should people work, where we sell) when they should be focused on “how” (how do we want to communicate, how do we want people to work). These questions pave the way for a redesign opportunity in how organizations operate.Juliet also shares about what she calls The Wedge, which is a wedge of time inserted between two activities in your day—between a meeting and a meeting, an emotionally challenging email and your response response. By taking a few micro-moments to process what just happened rather than just jumping to the next thing, our brain can actually better retain information and think more critically. And even if it’s only for a few minutes, that “white space” should be completely open time, think about anything we want in those times, which also gives our brain time for ideation and creativity.Episode Links:https://www.julietfunt.comA Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness, and Do Your Best Workhttps://www.julietfunt.com/book/Twitter: https://twitter.com/thejulietfuntLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julietfunt/Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

It’s time to kick off 2022, and Adam Contos is here to help you make it one of your best years yet! Whether you’re listening to this episode at the beginning of the year while you’re making your resolutions—or you need to hit that reset button in July—Adam’s 5 Ways to Start 2022 With A Win will give you the tools you need to take ownership of both your professional and your personal lives this year.1. Write it DownGrab a good ol’ fashioned pen and paper (don’t worry, we won’t be mad if it’s your favorite notes app), and write yourself a contract that says, “In 2022 I am going to do the following,” and make a list. Make a list of the things you want to commit to doing this year—and sign it! Be accountable to yourself. This is often scary for people, because they don’t want to fully commit to something that feels like a fleeting decision based upon their feelings. But remember: Your feelings will keep you from achieving more than not!  And in the spirit of 2022, go beyond what you think you can do and employ the plus-two mindset. Make your list of goals, and add two! You always want to be one step better than what you think you can be, but what if you were two steps better? Want to make 10 sales calls per day? What if you made 12 instead? Whether in business or exercise or relationships, those additional two add up over time!2. Learn to Love LearningMake a learning list of what you want to accomplish this year, and make a plan to make it happen. And if you actually learned to love learning, what would the results be? 3. Give What You’ve LearnedNow it’s time to put that learning into action! Take the things you’ve learned and give it to people. Look for opportunities to help other people get better by sharing what you learned. The best way to improve upon what you’ve learned is to actually put into practice.4. Create Your Stop Doing ListThis is probably the most painful one! But it’s time to get rid of the dead growth in your life. What are those things in your life that are sucking up your time, resources, and mental space? Is it a game on your phone? Grabbing a handful of chips from the pantry? Online shopping? Make this list and keep it growing, because you’ll continue to run across things.5. Take Stock of Your RelationshipsAsk yourself this question: Are the people I spend the most time with helping me become the person I want to be? Adam proposes that the people you spend time with will dictate the way your 2022 will look. So, switch your minutes to the people you want to become.Episode Links:Jessica Gunn, Gunning for Fitnesshttps://gunning4fitness.comThe Compound Effect by Darren Hardyhttps://www.amazon.com/Compound-Effect-Darren-Hardy/dp/159315724XOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Leading is about demonstrating the actions that you think you should see in others. People see what they see what their leaders do. Simply put? Lead by example!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

As 2021 comes to a close, we invite you to reflect on your year as we revisit one of our most popular episodes of 2021. Take this time to reflect on how you did in 2021. Where were you most successful? What were some areas for improvement that you can tackle in 2022?Jon Cheplak joins Adam again on this episode to share his insights and provide a bit of long-distance coaching to Win Nation at the dawn of the new year. Jon talks about the difference between innovation and mastery, saying that while innovators receive praise in our society, they are not known for consistency or follow-through. To achieve mastery, you must have the discipline to handle the monotony that comes with immediate action, personal responsibility, and consistency. He says freedom comes from putting restrictions on yourself to make you stay focused and not be distracted by novelty.To become excited about the process instead of the outcomes, Jon says you should be mission-based and have clarity on your relationship with money. When you understand these two things about yourself, you feel the weight of the requirement to perform, and you are well on your way to setting up micro-commitments to reach your goals. Tiny hinges swing big doors.When it comes to finding alignment and knowing where to start, Jon walks through three topics:What makes you happy? – Spend some time writing down your thoughts.What is the smallest step you can take to move yourself towards that happiness? – Be conscious of the positive triggers, including the things you should say “no” to reach happiness. If you are struggling to see the next step, extend love to other people and see where that gets you.What are the people, places, and things that do (or do not) support your mission? – Take inventory and let go of the judgment of others and the fear of their opinions. Trust is built on consistency. Leaders are the people who stand out regardless of the judgments of others. Jon encourages listeners to think of gratitude as an action word and to see everything as a privilege. Consider whether you are demonstrating gratitude in your daily life and interactions with others. Episode Links:Connect with Jon:https://cheplaklive.com/https://www.instagram.com/cheplaklive/?hl=enhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cheplak-live/id934537153 https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheplakOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430