Clear Street’s Post

Getting a new listing? Oh, the thrill—it never gets old! 🎉 But let me tell you what I take great pride in....Seeing the “BW.” 🙌 🌟 Nine Years, One Brokerage: Baird & Warner Since day one of my real estate journey 9 years ago, I’ve been part of the Baird Warner family. Loyalty? You bet! 🤝 Their unwavering support has been my secret sauce propelling my business to over $100 million in sales. 📈 💡 Instrumental in My Success Baird Warner didn’t just open doors; they flung them wide open. 🚪 Their mentorship program? Gold. My managing broker’s 1-on-1 guidance? Priceless. 🌠 📣 Marketing Magic and Assistant Wizards When I say “teamwork,” I mean it. The marketing wizards at Balance BairdWarner sprinkle their magic dust on my listings. ✨ And those trusty assistants? They’re like real estate ninjas—making my life easier. 🙏 📚 Continual Education and Tech Marvels Learning never stops. BW ensures I’m up-to-date with the latest trends, tech, and strategies. 📱💡 Because knowledge is power, and power sells homes! 🔑 🤝 Fostering Client Relationships At the heart of it all? My clients. BW’s support allows me to focus on what matters: building lasting relationships. 🏡❤️ #BWRealEstate #bairdwarner #TheActiveRealtor

By far, 2023 and 2024 have been the most exciting years in business. These are the first years we have taken intentional steps to be strategic. To call these years a roller coaster ride would be an understatement. Yet, I am so grateful for these hard-learned lessons and the fruit it's brought to the company and its employees. This is a follow-up post to my post a couple of weeks ago about using The Six Types of Working Genius assessment as a model to help us understand our team. What a fantastic model to help understand the types of work people enjoy or can be frustrated by. A huge shoutout to Cindi Harris for walking us through this process. We're still putting on the finishing touches, but if you want to understand your team and how they operate, I recommend engaging in this type of assessment. The amount of work involved is minimal, yet the results produce a yield that feels exponential. For anyone who already understands the model, my Genius returned with G and W. Truly fascinating stuff here! ☝ MainStreet IT Solutions LLC

HAPPY THURSDAY! One of the key lessons I learned early in my career at SquareFoot was the importance of stepping up to close deals. My role involved ensuring that clients already in line for purchases were handled seamlessly—whether my boss was engaged in another meeting or unavailable. This meant signing contracts, following up on payments with both rental and sales clients, and liaising with property owners. I thrived in this because I genuinely enjoy working with people. Every client brought a unique challenge, and handling both the easy-going and the more difficult ones kept me motivated and energized. I’ll never forget the first time I closed a deal on my own. Walking into the bank with that cheque and knowing I had contributed directly to the company’s success was exhilarating. I remember sitting at the office, expectantly waiting for my boss to acknowledge the win—it was a habit my mum had instilled in me: to celebrate milestones. But when the compliment didn’t come, I realized something important: sometimes, you need to celebrate your achievements on your own. Other times, others will cheer you on. Both moments hold their own significance, and neither diminishes the value of your success. As I reflect on my journey, this lesson has stayed with me, shaping how I approach work and life. There’s one last story about a key individual from my time at SquareFoot that I’ll share tomorrow—so stay tuned. For today, I leave you with this: Celebrate your wins, big or small, even if you're the only one clapping. #CareerLessons #ProfessionalGrowth #CelebrateYourWi

You teach people how to treat you. Healthy boundaries are a sign of a conscious leader.

On occasion, I write a letter to my daughter, sharing what (little) I know of the world in hopes she knows there’s a perfect purpose for her life. Can I share the letter with you? Because—deep down—I believe there’s a perfect purpose for your life, too. Dear Luna, I hope you find this letter at the right time. A time when nothing (and everything) makes sense. Allow me to explain: There’ll be times in your life when nothing makes sense, and–despite your best efforts–you go back to square one. To be clear, I don’t think of square one as a thing, I believe it’s a place. The beginning. You’ll wonder why you find yourself at the beginning…again and again. I know it feels that way, but please know that you can never start at the same place because it doesn’t exist. You’ll never be the same person starting at the same place for the rest of your life. You know more. You learned more. You tasted tears and faced fears. You’re anything but the same. So the beginning–the painful dread of a new race–isn’t familiar, even if it feels that way. Darling, it’s the same race with a new starting line. You’ll take the first step with the weight of experience and the wounds of victories and defeats, each informing the next best step, in a way that would never have been possible before this moment. This is when nothing makes sense, but you must continue moving forward. It’s okay to feel hurt, confused, and–maybe–a little angry. It’s normal. Let your heart (and ego) rest, but please don’t stop. You must continue the race, even if the path leads you to an unexpected destination. That was the plan all along, to arrive in a place better than you imagined.

Who doesn’t enjoy summertime? Especially if it’s Sophie and Millie enjoying Lake Tahoe. There are dozens of ways to love summer, just as for Advisors, there are many paths to independence. Need a plan and want to know how to go? This could be your start: https://bit.ly/4ceX0IA #Schwab4RIAs #IndependentAdvisors

Wonderful business! Simple concept. Easy money. This entrepreneur uses all resources she has, which includes her own truck to make the business money. Now she has the freedom to have her own schedule. #Freedom #Life #Entrepreneuer #Business

Our November Employee Spotlight is shining on Tamara Bogard, Branch Manager of our Calumet City Branch. Tamara has been with Tech CU since December 2022. “Tamara has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication and a strong commitment to our team and members. Her hard work and passion for excellence have not gone unnoticed. With a contagious, positive personality, she is truly an asset to our organization and a joy to work with. “— Brittany Conley, Vice-President of Member Service We asked Tamara a few questions to get to know her a little better and learn what she likes to do in her free time: What do you like about your role at Tech CU? What I like best is being able to work with talented and passionate people throughout the organization. I also appreciate the opportunities to grow in my career. Being part of Tech Credit Union’s Leadership Series and Peer Mentoring programs has given me the confidence and tips to advance my career in leadership. What do you like to do when you’re not working? I love to Facetime with my granddaughter and my son. I also enjoy shopping and traveling. What is one thing on your “bucket list”? Actually, I have two things in my bucket list. One is to learn how to swim. The other is to visit New York City by myself on a weekend and see a Broadway play. What about becoming an adult caught you completely off guard? The sheer cost of living, including rent, bills, groceries, and unexpected expenses, can be a shock to someone who previously relied on their parents for most of my financial needs. Then, being a parent…you are responsible for molding that person into a good human being. Probably why I only had one son (LOL). https://bit.ly/3EemoO8

Happy 2-year anniversary to Her Fantasy Box These past two years have been incredibly rewarding, as we’ve managed to grow significantly without any external funding from investors or loans. We take pride in owning 100% of Her Fantasy Box, having bootstrapped our way to success. The most challenging aspect of our growth has been capturing market share while simultaneously increasing our top-line revenue and maintaining a strong bottom line. This year has been our best yet, with over $20 million in revenue generated within just six months, maintaining a 26% net profit margin. For new and emerging brands, my key piece of advice is to determine whether you envision selling your company in the future and set a high target before you earn your first dollar. This way, as revenue starts to flow in, you remain motivated and avoid complacency, knowing your ultimate goal has yet to be achieved. Focus on market dominance with a limited number of SKUs, concentrating on perfecting your hero product rather than creating multiple variations too quickly. Additionally, prioritize getting your product into the hands of as many customers as possible during the first year before concentrating on the bottom line, depending on your business’s long-term goals. Looking ahead to Q3 and Q4, we have ambitious plans and are striving for even greater achievements.

🌟 MEET MICHAEL COVINGTON 🌟   Michael is our Vice President of Publishing and Acquisitions and has been with us for 13 years! Get to know Michael 🤩 Fun fact about yourself? Most folks know I love sneakers, most don’t know that I didn’t start collecting them until I was in my mid-forties. My love of sneakers however, ties back to my high school days while attending an American school abroad in the UK. The collection has just been pared (paired?) down to 62 pairs. I know, I know…it’s a problem. If your life was a genre of music, what would it be? Rap. Hip Hop just celebrated its 50th birthday, so we’re roughly the same age (shhhh) – and there are so many great artists in that genre that I grew up with. What's something you only do when you're bored? I hate boredom, so the answer would be anything other than being bored. What is your favorite memory while being at David C Cook? Wow, I have so many, so I’ll pick the first that popped into my head. Company celebration on the front lawn of the HQ. CEO in the dunk tank. One pitch is all it took…and I kept my job. What’s one thing you’ve done that you’d advise others never to try? 60 MPH through a parking lot in a Mini Cooper. Turns out they don’t handle concrete curbs well in those situations. Would you rather be 12 inches tall or 12 feet tall? 12 inches, there are far more accommodations that can be made for diminutive folks than there are for super tall people. Now, if it was 7’ vs 7” I’d go taller (and I’d be in the NBA), but 12’ would be an unlivable situation. What is your favorite thing about your position? It’s a tie – serving an amazing team and helping to shepherd life-giving words into the hearts and minds of readers. We are so thankful to have Michael Covington on our team! 💛