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Check out our very first podcast!

#SoundCloud #music #Lori Weaver

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Lori Weaver, Seattle Discusses Activities That Foster Leadership Potential

If you’re just starting out in the workforce and actively applying for jobs, you’ve probably noticed that employers are seeking candidates with leadership potential. Each day people are hired or promoted to leadership roles within their workplaces and organizations. If you’re looking to demonstrate your potential as a leader, there are a few activities that can help you advance your skills. Participation in activities that foster leadership can indicate your potential for teamwork and effective communication skills. If you’re looking to establish your leadership abilities, here are some activities to consider.

Participating in Sports Sports are a perfect leadership activity that helps to develop skills that can be carried over into the workplace. Team activities allow people to build collaboration skills while working to accomplish a common goal. Leaders can carry their experiences as part of a team over into the workplace. They are better equipped to encourage their fellow employees and to operate as a team member.

Cultural Exchanges Cross-cultural experiences are another activity that helps to promote essential leadership skills. Workplaces today are full of diversity. Having the proper skills to work with and lead a diverse team is crucial. Activities that allow individuals to experience unfamiliar situations and learn about different cultures can promote effective communication skills. Those in leadership roles could be required to travel overseas for work or even communicate with someone from abroad. Knowing how to handle these types of situations adeptly involves training.

Internships A key component of leadership is initiative. Completing an internship is a sure way to get practical work experience, but it also shows initiative. Part of being a leader is the ability to accept feedback and put it to use. Feedback from supervisors at an internship can help you evaluate your strengths and weaknesses.

Volunteering Showing ambition and drive through volunteer activities is another means of developing leadership potential. Volunteering can demonstrate your commitment to being an agent of change. Leaders have the opportunity to stand up and make a difference instead of sitting back and letting someone else resolve a problem. Volunteer work can show that the person is hardworking and dedicated to a cause that is important to them.

Civic Groups Getting involved in civic groups is often a great way to develop leadership skills and give back to your local community. You could gain experience by running for an elected position or chairing a committee. Either way, this type of activity will definitely be impressive on a resume.

While many of these activities can be fun, they can also provide you with collaboration and communication skills that make you more marketable. Companies are frequently seeking employees who have leadership potential. If you are looking to establish yourself as someone with the necessary skills, these activities may be just the ticket.

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Lori Weaver, Seattle Explains How to Give Effective Feedback for Entrepreneurs

To grow as human beings, we need feedback. Feedback gives us information on areas we can work on improving that we might not have seen for ourselves. Entrepreneurs are ambitious people. We want to grow. And if we’re going to grow in our professions, we need valuable feedback to propel our progress.

The flip side to this is that we often dread offering feedback. If the input falls on defensive ears, it will not be effective. It can discourage the person to the point that they become less effective at their job. There is a natural implication when you give someone feedback that you are in some way superior to the person you’re offering feedback.

While a defensive attitude is the recipient’s issue, not yours, there are ways you can handle giving productive feedback that will be more encouraging. You can decrease the odds of bringing out someone’s defensive side, and increase the odds they are receptive to your feedback and act on it, which should be your primary goal.

Tips for Offering Effective Feedback:

Include Positive Feedback No matter who you are talking to, if you come at the situation from a kind place, you can think of a few positive things to incorporate into your feedback. By telling someone what they are doing well, you’re helping them feel more confident. Letting someone know that they are doing well in some areas can make them more receptive to hearing your thoughts overall.

Use the Sandwich Technique The sandwich technique involves placing information on an area for improvement between two statements on things they do well. Mention that you appreciate how well they’ve communicated with you about your website design. Then tell them that next time, you would appreciate them letting you know before sending the design out to the rest of the team. Afterward, mention that you think they did a great job on the color scheme.

They’ve now heard areas they’re doing well. Praise isn’t just valuable because it helps their ego; it also encourages them to continue succeeding in those areas. Later, when they remember feeling good about how their communication skills have been appreciated, they will also remember to email you first next time.

Be Specific If you are vague, the recipient of your feedback may not understand you. Then you’ll need to speak with the person again about the same issue. The second time around it will feel like a scolding even though they genuinely didn’t understand your meaning the first time. Effective feedback is specific, to the point, and gives the recipient actionable advice for the future.

Be Brief Say enough to make sure you are clear but don’t talk for too long. Some people tend to feel uncomfortable when giving feedback, so they overshare examples and try to end by telling a joke to lessen the potential sting of the feedback. Over explaining may make you feel more comfortable, but the person listening to you needs time alone to digest what they’ve just learned.

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Lori Weaver, Seattle Explains How to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Your Home

Recent studies have proven that most homeowners get a failing grade when it comes to optimizing their home’s level of energy efficiency. Thankfully, it is never too late to start fine-tuning your home so that it is far more environmentally and financially friendly. There are dozens of different things a homeowner can do immediately to start trimming back on overall energy consumption.

Upgrade Your Windows One of the primary ways in which a home wastes a ton of energy is through contending with faulty, old, or outdated windows. Old windows should be replaced with new windows that are better insulated and less likely to be a drain on a home’s heating or air conditioning bill.

Upgrade Your Furnace A furnace that has been recently designed and fabricated is likely to be several hundred percent more energy efficient than a heater installed 20 years ago. The energy-saving difference between an old furnace and a new one is significant. Homeowners can save huge money over the long run by promptly replacing their heater with a far more energy-efficient model.

Insulate Your Attic An airy attic that is not adequately insulated is going to bleed hot air during the winter and cold air during the summer. If, however, an attic is insulated correctly, it can reduce temperature escape by a margin of 40-60 percent or more. This means that a person will need to use their heating or air conditioning unit far less.

Buy a New Refrigerator One of the most energy-consuming appliances a person can own is their refrigerator. Using a 10-20-year-old refrigerator is unwise, as the archaic and outdated appliance is probably using 5-6 times more energy than today’s energy-efficient refrigerators. Over the last five years, prices on energy-efficient refrigerators have dropped, making them much more cost-effective to purchase.

Have Your Energy Consumption Audited One of the best investments a homeowner can make is to have a professional come out to their house and audit their overall energy consumption. A certified and accredited energy efficiency expert can tell any homeowner precisely what they need to do to cut their overall energy consumption levels drastically. They provide a detailed breakdown of where all of the energy is going each month.

Lori Weaver is a Luxury Portfolio Real Estate Specialist serving the greater Seattle area. As a member of The Weaver Team, Lori is passionate about supplying client satisfaction in all areas of the client journey and experience. Lori loves being able to help people find or sell their home or vacation property. Lori can be contacted via phone at 425-276-6220 or email at [email protected].

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Lori Weaver, Seattle Explains How to Hire a Contractor

If you’re looking to build a home, build an addition, or remodel an existing home, one primary activity you are likely to engage in is hiring a contractor. The right contractor can save you a lot of time and other resources, in addition to providing you with competitive services. The process of hiring a contractor for your construction needs is, however, not as simple as you may think. It is essential to do your due diligence to ensure that you hire the right qualified contractor who can deliver on your expectations. Here are some valuable tips on how to hire a contractor.

Enlisting your criteria and specifications To give you a good head start, it is wise to write out your expectations for the work you want the contractor to complete. Having a comprehensive list of construction activities and the scope of work to be done allows you to brief the potential candidates accordingly. For instance, typical expectations for a home construction contractor include constructing the house from start to finish with the specified number of bedrooms, the desired finish, plumbing fixtures, as well as a date for expected completion. For a remodel, you might have expectations that the contractor will remove old fixtures and dispose of them. However, if you don’t include that in the scope of the project, your expectations may not be met. Also, any estimate they give you for the work is likely to be inaccurate.

Look for referrals Referrals are an excellent opportunity for you to get a list of qualified contractors who have previously served other clients. Requesting references from friends and social media platforms may give you an idea of where to start when shortlisting potential candidates. A good referral would be a contractor who has successfully undertaken a project of similar scope in the past.

Confirmatory due diligence The third step involves conducting some due diligence as relates to the contractor’s credentials. A reputable contractor should be appropriately registered to practice within a given area. The contractor should also have insurance that covers any potential injuries sustained by workers during your construction project. Additional due diligence includes visiting the contractor’s offices to get an overview of how professional and competent the contractor is in customer service.

Agreement to contract A competent and qualified contractor should agree to your basic requirements. You should sufficiently brief the contractor on the expected scope of work and come to an agreement on important aspects of the contract, including the budget and timeline. The final agreement should be in written form and should provide an overview of all the pertinent details in the contract that bind both parties.

Lori Weaver is a Luxury Portfolio Real Estate Specialist serving the greater Seattle area. As a member of The Weaver Team, Lori is passionate about supplying client satisfaction in all areas of the client journey and experience. Lori loves being able to help people find or sell their home or vacation property. Lori can be contacted via phone at 425-276-6220 or email at [email protected].

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Luxury Home Magazine

https://www.luxuryhomemagazine.com/seattle/seattleonline.html

Check out our ad on page 16 of the latest #LuxuryHomeMagazine! If you’re interested in buying or selling a luxury property, this magazine is a great go-to. Just check it out!

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Highly Effective Communication Habits for Those Who Want to Succeed

We all know effective communication is a highly valued skill in today’s business world. What you may not realize is how much poor communication costs in the business world. The Holmes report estimates that this cost has hit an astounding $37 billion. A survey done on 400 corporations estimated that the average organization loses $62.4 million per year due to ineffective communication. The good news is, effective communication habits can be learned. Here are some best effective communication habits of highly successful individuals.

Being Considerate It’s not all about you. Part of being a considerate communicator is allowing others to speak. Don’t dominate the conversation; allow others to put forth ideas and ask questions. When other’s speak, ask thoughtful questions that show you’re interested in what the other person has to say. It can be easy to get so wrapped up in how you want to respond, that you lose track of what the other person is saying. Be aware of nonverbal cues as well as the tone of voice being used.  Don’t interrupt or cut others off.

Actively Listen Active listening means not simply hearing what the other person is saying, but processing it and responding thoughtfully. Your body language should demonstrate your interest in the conversation. Seek clarity and indicate your attention by paraphrasing what has been said. Make sure you maintain eye contact and make occasional gestures when appropriate.

Be Clear & Get to the Point Effective communicators state things in a way that they are sure their audience will comprehend. Try to break down complex ideas into more easily understood terms. Respect other people’s time and get to the point rather than beating around the bush. If the conversation gets off-track, politely refocus the conversation. Give the person you’re speaking to your undivided attention. Avoid multitasking while having a conversation.

Use “I” Statements Using “I” statements can help you to communicate more effectively. Rather than stating your opinions as facts, use statements like, “I am concerned that we won’t be able to finish the project on time” rather than “We’ll never get this project done!” Particularly in times of tension or conflict, “I” statements can help you avoid coming across as judgemental or putting others on the defensive.

Use “And” instead of “But” When you say “but” you are negating whatever came before. For example, if you tell someone “I love your hair today, but you’ve got this little piece hanging right here” the only thing that person is going to hear is the flaw or fault you’ve pointed out – not that you think their hair looks nice. In order to show respect for the other person, try using “yes, and…” even if you don’t agree with what the other person has said. “Yes, and…” allows you to build on the conversation rather than shutting it down.

Learning to be an effective communicator is not something that happens overnight. You have to continue to work at it and develop effective habits of communication. Once these tips become habits, you’ll find you have more successful and effective conversations both at work and in your personal life.

Article originally published on LoriWeaver.net

#Lori Weaver #Leadership #Communication #Communication Skills #Leadership Skills

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Positive Publicity & How to Get It for Free

As an entrepreneur, you know how you spend your money matters. One way to grow your business is through marketing and advertising, but that can get expensive and the results aren’t always guaranteed. If you’re looking to build your business without breaking the bank, here are a few ways to get some free publicity to help grow your business.

Awards Applying for awards is one way to gain recognition. If your industry offers awards, why not apply? Industry awards are often given banquets and awards ceremonies. Most of the time, they are covered by the local paper or even a trade journal. You can gain recognition and maybe some free press at the same time as networking.

What about local contests? Even if you don’t win, you may still receive some recognition. Think about all the “Voted Best Place to” awards where customers nominate local businesses to receive the award. There, even if you don’t win, you’re likely to at least receive a mention. Plus, it usually doesn’t cost anything to apply. What have you got to lose?

Writing You don’t have to hire a marketing expert to write for you. You’re already an expert in your field, so why not share your expertise with others who might be interested? Writing thought leadership articles and doing guest blog posts or even writing your own blog can go a long way to increase your credibility. You can write about trends in your industry, current events, lessons you’ve learned – whatever an audience might find relevant and get some use from reading.

Social Media If you haven’t already begun to harness the power of social media, it’s time to start. Facebook and Twitter both offer free business pages. It’s important to let your customers know about your latest products and news. Use social media platforms to make your business relevant and relatable to your audience. Organic interactions and engagement with customers can help to draw in new customers. One way to get that engagement is to post Stories on Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat. Stories live at the top of newsfeeds on these social platforms and as a result, they tend to get much more engagement than a regular post.

Videos Along with utilizing social media, why not take it to the next level by creating your own informational videos for your customers? It really doesn’t take much these days to create a quality video that your customers would find useful. It could be anything from a tips and tricks video to an explanation of current trends in your industry. It doesn’t have to take long and it doesn’t require high tech equipment. You don’t even have to appear in the video yourself if it makes you uncomfortable, you can create an animated video with Animoto. Once you create a video, you can post it to various social media platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook as well as on your business website.

Press Releases Next time your business has a newsworthy event, consider creating your own press release! It isn’t that difficult, all you need to do is learn how to properly format your release and let the media know anytime you have news. Your local media will usually be interested because your news will impact their readers, but you can also use sites like PR.com to get free distribution to a wider audience. When you do get published, be sure to share links to the press release across your social media platforms.

It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to get some free press; all it takes is a little creativity and a desire to grow your company. So next time you’re thinking about how to grow your business, try out some of these ideas and see what happens!

Article originally published on LoriWeaver.info

#Publicity #Free Publicity #Small Business #entreprenuership #Lori Weaver

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The Tech Industry’s Effect on the Seattle Housing Market

Seattle, Washington, is a changing city as more tech companies choose to move headquarters from California or open an additional office in the city. The transition from Silicon Valley to Seattle brings thousands of highly-skilled jobs to the city. As this happens, the housing market in Seattle has experienced significant changes. These are some of the prominent ways the tech industry has changed Seattle’s housing market.

Changes in Types of Homes The average software engineer salary in Seattle is over $100,000. These workers are also often young professionals. TopSeattle tech companies Microsoft and Amazon have a median employee age of 33 and 31, respectively. With a real estate market full of young people with disposable income, they want to live amid the action and in style. This leads to a rise in luxury condominiums downtown and in the surrounding neighborhoods. Since this demographic puts less of an emphasis on settling down, they want smaller homes that make moving easier.

Increases in Demand Seattle has the fastest-growing tech sector in the country. With the influx of tech workers to the city, the demand for housing increases. High demand and a reduced, affordable supply of housing dominate the market. Thus, properties come with higher rent and sales prices. While the cost of living is still substantially lower in Seattle than Silicon Valley, it does create strain for people with lower incomes. These people have to move to neighborhoods outside of the city for less expensive housing options.

Demand for Renting Over Buying As new tech employees move to Seattle, they want to establish their careers before buying a home. They also need time to save for a downpayment. This leads to a priority of renting over buying. The overwhelming majority of new housing projects for the city consist of rental properties. Many of the projects slated for development are in neighborhoods close to tech companies, such as downtown and in South Lake Union.

The booming Seattle tech industry primarily impacts the housing market by increasing demand and reducing affordable supply, as the market bends toward accommodating tech workers. The tech industry continues to grow, and these housing market trends are part of the permanent urbanization of the city.

Article originally published on LoriWeaver.co

#Lori Weaver #Real Estate #Seattle #Seattle Washington #Tech #housing markets

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5 Red Flags to Watch for When Touring a Prospective Home

Purchasing a home is a significant financial commitment, and as a new homeowner, you should know what you are getting for your money. A bad real estate purchase can cost you considerably in the long run so you should gather all the information you can about a property before buying. Sellers are not always forthcoming with information, so it is important to recognize signs of trouble on your own when touring a home.

Bad Wood Wood will begin to rot when it is exposed to water over time. Pay close attention to wooden floors and wall bases in kitchens and bathrooms. Moisture has a tendency to accumulate in these areas, and many homeowners choose a special finish to protect these locations. Do not forget to take a look at the outside of the home.

Amateur Repairs Homeowners and their friends and families will be more responsible for simple repairs in a home the longer they live there. Many times these repairs are in the electrical or plumbing area and fail to meet many operational and safety requirements. These amateur repairs can also be the source of costly failures within the home at a later date.

Mass Neighborhood Exodus You should be interested in more than the curb appeal of the home you are thinking about buying when standing outside the home. Take a quick look around to see how many other homes in the neighborhood are for sale. Also, take note of any boarded up or vacant business locations. You may even want to make an effort to speak with neighbors. If a good number of people are leaving the area, maybe this is not where you want to live.

New Paint On One Wall A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for dull walls. However, it can also be a sign a homeowner is attempting to hide a problem from unsuspecting buyers. If walls or ceilings are sagging, or there is a strange odor in a room where recent painting has been done, that’s a bad sign. There could be mold, mildew, or water damage in the room.

Problems With Handrails Railings can become loose or go missing over time if proper attention is not given to them. This can pose a safety hazard to you and your family. Talk to the seller about any problems you see with railings on porches, decks, and stairs.

Just because you notice a red flag doesn’t mean you should automatically look elsewhere, but it does mean you should proceed with caution. Keeping your senses on the alert as you view homes can help you catch possible red flags. Being well educated and fully aware of what you’re getting yourself into when buying a home is important if you want to make the best choice.

Article originally posted on LoriWeaver.co

#Lori Weaver #Home Inspection #Home Buying #Real Estate

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How To Increase Productivity