In January we had the pleasure of meeting Tim Furlong at an industry event sponsored by the Women’s Council of Realtors (Birmingham-Bloomfield and Greater Rochester Networks). Musician-turned-business coach, Tim is a powerful presenter, as evidenced by the palpable energy he created in the room.
Tim would not call himself a “motivational speaker” in the traditional sense. He is a coach who wants to help you get to the “next level” while acknowledging that everyone’s next level—and everyone’s journey to get there—is different. While he doesn’t consider himself a life coach, he emphasized that you cannot achieve your next level professionally if you’re not doing so in your personal life. His approach is: I want to help you achieve what you want. So, he asked the room “Where do you need clarity?” and “What are you doing to get there?”
(Photo of Tim Furlong with the Women’s Board of Women’s Council of Realtors Birmingham-Bloomfield)
Tim shared a personal story to illustrate his approach. Tim’s former life as a musician means that he’s always listening to music. While traveling by car on I-75 (heading to an unfamiliar city for a conference) his favorite jam came on the radio. He admits to playing air guitar while driving (we’re assuming one hand was on the wheel, the other fretting out the chord progressions) and in the process zoomed right past his exit.
This means taking the next exit and an unplanned detour. The exit ramp drops him in an unfamiliar area. As he’s driving through town, he spots a little diner (he mentions he’s not a fan of chain restaurants) and thinks, “This will be a great lunch spot to grab a bite to eat after his event.” His point in relating this story is that on your quest to where you want to go, you can almost guarantee that you will drift off course. And in that moment, you can either start the negative talk OR you can reroute to your destination because, inevitably an unplanned detour leads to a teaching moment or a discovery.
In all his presentations, Tim starts with “Tell me something good,” because you get to choose how to start your day, you can’t control what happens throughout the day, but you can start it off right. Energy is everything! Detroit Lions Coach Dan Campbell was recently quoted as saying, “Don’t adapt to the energy in the room. Influence it.”
Tim also shared that he goes to Starbucks because of how he feels during and after his visit. For Tim, Starbucks is less about the coffee, and all about the experience. He will spend a little more money, wait a little longer in line, and drive a little farther just for this experience. (We can relate! We are not always the least expensive option for staging, but our consistent 5-star reviews reiterate Tim’s viewpoint!)
So, we plan to take Tim’s advice and make some quarter turns in 2024. What could you accomplish if you did the same? Just little things that can have a huge impact. Small but reliable, doable changes. We’re reminded of the old adage about how you eat an elephant…one bite at a time. And when we are making small changes, we can ask ourselves, “Are we living and breathing our brand?” And how can we incorporate Tim’s 3Cs to make 2024 our best year yet?
The 3 Cs for Success
1) CONNECT with as many people as you can, even if you don’t want to! Pick up the phone! Connect with vendors and build partnerships. Before you can implement C2 and C3, this must happen first.
2) CONVEY your message. Are you being consistent in your brand messaging?
3) CALL to action. Commit to something and ask for commitment and partnerships.
If you practice these 3 Cs you can be a master at anything in your life. Not just sales.
Now Take that First Quarter Turn
Plant your seeds NOW so you wishing in June that you’d started in March! Recommit to your brand! Be the DAN CAMPBELL of your industry!
Tim Furlong is a nationally recognized speaker, facilitator & coach, he refers to his brand as “Edutainment”. With his work, he has impacted nearly every type of organization for almost 20 years. To name a few: The Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, M&Ms Mars, Whole Foods, Michael Kors, and The University of Michigan Athletic Department.
Tim is also the author of the book “Quarter Turns-Small Shifts, Big Impact” (what a coincidence!) and founder of the “Quarter Turns” Executive Coaching Program which enables leaders in any industry to identify small shifts in approach and behavior that yield highly impactful, sustainable results.
Women Build of Oakland County and Impact Home Staging Experts work together in Southfield, 2021!
We are proud and honored to be able to give back and make an IMPACT in our Oakland County Community! We participate and contribute to many organizations who are a vital lifeline for our neighbors and friends. With that being said, our favorite charities include Humble Design, Oakland Furniture Bank, and Habitat for Humanity. But we are most involved with the Women Build Team of Oakland County. Let us tell you, the job ain’t easy, there is a lot of dirt…but it is our favorite kind of dirt!
“And let us tell you, the job ain’t easy, there is a lot of dirt…but it is our favorite kind of dirt!”
– Tina Stratton, Relationship Manager of Impact Home Staging Experts
Women Build is part of Habitat for Humanity and is a nonprofit organization. So what do they do? Their mission is to help families build and improve places to call home. Habitat for Humanity believes affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities. In light of their mission, the new homeowners take educational courses on home ownership, take out a mortgage, and put in many hours of sweat equity to help build their own homes side by side with volunteers. Furthermore, Habitat homeowners develop the strength, stability and independence they need to build a better life for a better future.
Are you interested in getting involved?
If you are interested in learning how you can serve your community, please check out Women Build – Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County (habitatoakland.org)
Throughout 2021 Impact has had the opportunity to volunteer and help with this amazing team on this home. This is a great house in a safe, family-friendly neighborhood in Southfield. We helped by putting in windows, tearing down gutters, and installing a new roof! Because of great leadership we even learned how to use a circular saw and picked up new skills we never knew we had all along.
Project Completion
As a result, after completion in December, this home was built to be ready for new memories and a proud new owner. Our team consisted of some Impact Home Staging team members alongside 2 amazing realtors from Keller Williams Paint Creek and Coldwell Banker Weir Manual. But we could not have made it through the day without the core of regular volunteers who are always part of these projects. The core volunteers educated us on the tools we were using to ensure a safe work zone. Safety is their top priority.
We are proud to say that as of December 2021 the home is now complete, and the new owner finally has the keys to her very own home. Her son is most excited about having his own back yard to play in! We were so inspired at the dedication ceremony, and this has truly touched our hearts knowing that we participated in helping a family achieve their dream of home ownership.
So, we hope this article motivates you to give back. And we encourage anyone wanting to participate in future projects to contact Johnna Struck (Johnna@cpmoving.com) with Changing Places moving in Waterford, or anyone at Habitat for Humanity to learn more. Don’t forget you can also you can also support habitat through the Habitat resale stores in your local community.
To learn more about Impact Home Staging Experts, please follow us on Facebook, or visit us at http://www.ImpactHomeStagingExperts.com
