I joined the Executive Launch Program based on the level of training and business plan that were made available. Without knowing anyone that could be a mentor, aligning my business with the Realty Executives name and Executive Launch Program was the perfect way to “launch” my new business! Coming from 30 years in real estate, (I started when I was 6 years old) most of which was selling for home builders in the Valley, I realized I needed and required the basic tools for my tool box, which the Launch Program has provided. Selling for homebuilders is employment with a corporate firm. You have set hours, rules, guidelines to follow, their selling techniques and products. Being self employed in real estate I realized I needed a plan of action. Being a native of Arizona, a real estate career was a natural progression for me, and that’s exactly how I’ve managed it, as a career. Taking your career and your business seriously is essential to success, but the most important asset you can maintain, nurture, and cultivate is your attitude. I believe and have proven many times over that if believe you can succeed, if you believe you can do it, if you believe in yourself, you can achieve the “unbelievable”! Navigating the cycles of the real estate market requires looking at every situation, every market, every transaction through a “new lens”, and often a new paradigm. If there is one thing I have learned in real estate it is that everything is always changing! Being a “rookie” at Realty Executives in the Launch Program had given me a new lens, and has often been an asset for many things, because you don’t know how things were, you conduct business as they are in the moment, and I believe that gives you an edge. All of my colleagues at the Desert Ridge office have been a huge support system and exceptional in their willingness to help and counsel. The “Launch Team”, Dale, Barbara, and Scott have provided immeasurable guidance and a practible set of skills to use in starting and maintaining my real estate business. My “hats off” to the Launch team and my colleagues at the Desert Ridge Office! -Janet Swendson, Launch Trained Executive