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no-no-no-ahhhh · 4 years

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I'm having bad anxiety so I'm just going to answer these questions rn

Okay so when having anxiety I over think and I barely have any friends so I thought if using these questions to keep my mind off things and it kinda works it's also why some are long because I'm trying my best to think about other things then my stress. Maybe some of yall can try this if you want. Could help idk

Questions belong to @tr33-g1rl

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

Soda cans

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

I LOVE chocolate bro

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

Cotton candy because let's all be honest bubble gum doesn't even tast good so that just leaves texture and cotton candy dissolves abs you could always have normal gum

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

Some would say nice hard working smart and dyslexic but that's what they say not actually think

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

I've never really had the soda bottles but for now Ig soda cans because I feel like it keeps it fresher then the plastic and plastic is bad

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

Umm out of all these ig tomboy my style that I try to go for more rn is kinda like bille eyelash baddie style

7. earbuds or headphones?

Def earbuds cuz headphones if left on too long start hurting and squeezing my head

8. movies or tv shows?

TV shows 100% I cant consum media for long (my anxiety)so cartoons are the best for me because they're usually 11 minutes and light hearted

9. favorite smell in the summer?

Hmm this is good question in my head summer looks so good ahh but I've never really had a sent for it cuz the past few years I've been in my room but I love the sun oh and you know when your about to go in the pool and you can smell the Clorox mixed with the sun block and that smell just smells like a soft nice energy and there is this one tropical sent havent really smelt it in years I remember the one time I got to smell it was in middle school in the girls locker room so ig it was a perfume idk if it was really associated with summer or it was just tropical perfume my mom could spray on anytime of the year

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

Lol none I hated p.e I was also pretty tall at the time so people expected me to play but I just wanted to hide in the corner

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

Well I don't really like breakfast that much I think food in the morning makes me nauseous but I have to eat it cuz I can't eat school lunch food cuz that shit is nasty but breakfast school food is 😉 so I usually get banana bread and good ass duch chocolate milk

12. name of your favorite playlist?

Por Vida is one of my favorite albums if that counts

13. lanyard or key ring?

I hate things being around my neck so key ring

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

Mexican candy

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

The outsiders

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

Your butt relaxing ig and not hunched over idk how some people do their work not hunched over like how do you see what your working on

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

These white Adidas with 3 halo strips and tan boots

18. ideal weather?

To wear you can soak in the sun but not have it burn you right when you go outside and kinda breezy not a fan of the cold and whatever weather that isn't effected by global warming is the best

19. sleeping position?

I always try not to sleep on my back cuz then they say that the demons come for you

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

I have a lot of journals and books to write

21. obsession from childhood?

My little pet shops, barbies, fnaf, teen titans, monster high dolls, beanie babes, never brats or the ever after high dolls cuz I had a fear of big heads as a kid

22. role model?

Em their are not many people to look up to these days but Quenlin Blackwell is even though she struggles with depression and seasonal depression she still is a qween love her

23. strange habits?

24. favorite crystal?

Hmm maybe amethyst one of the only ones I have

25. first song you remember hearing?

No idea

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Be in the sun

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

Not have the seasonal depression come for me

38. lemonade or tea?

Lemonade bro tea is kinda weak and for BrItish blocks , but today I did have a bunch of lemons and they got me sick cuz I dont have a healthy balanced diet if anybody knows simple healthy recipes that have little to no cooking pls share

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

I've never actually have had lemon pie but I have been thinking about making pie. I've had peacon pie and water burger apple pie and McDonald's apple pie and I think another fast food pie but I can't remember the flavor. I know the other flavor exist because my mom order a different pie flavor from me once and she said we can both try each others. Maybe it was lemon. I think lemon tast is quit forgettable thow idk I always put other things on my lemon and lemonade has all that sugar and speaking of Britain I think they carbonate their lemons . But I think I've only had lemon cake 2 times , so if the cake

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

School is lame and that's on period pooh

41. last person you texted?

Umm this girl I barely know and I'm going to leave it at that cuz this story makes me kinda sad and worried and I'm answering these questions to avoid that

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

Hmm good question , I think jacket because they are bigger and girl Jean's have the pockets different to make the booty look better and sometimes that leads to uncomfortable pockets and front pockets barely exit for girls and jackets sometimes have those secret pockets only you have assess too like the ones on the inside and jacket pockets are bigger

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

1. hoodies are good for when you dont have a bra on and they come with one BIG pocket and you dont need to worry about a shirt

2. Leather jackets are for cool kidz and carry a nice vibe and still thick enough to keep you warm , but you can't really get them wet I think so you can't wash em , but they can come with cool designs on the back but their better fitted on perfectly on a person and if you grow they just look odd on you then you have to buy another and that's not fun

3.Bomber jacket , it's a whole style but one I try to pull of but just cant do it well

4.Cardigans kinda umm not a fan but good if your wearing a dress that's shows your shoulders and you are insecure about that being shown. Remember when somewhere in the 2000s they told us that cardigans where so easy to put on and throw more into your outfit so people bought quit a few. I do

5.I feel like jeans jackets aren't warm enough maybe their more for the summer?

44. favorite scent for soap?

Hmm maybe something tropical or just those cool lavender ones that have oats that's cool I like oats in my soap

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

I hate sci-fi uhhhg and super hero kinda ties in with that so fantasy and when reading fan fic just sweet simple domestic fluff

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

Hmm not sure but the shirt has to be soft. I only experience soft shirts like that few times in my life

47. favorite type of cheese?

Mexican cheese and blue cheese uhg and mozzarella with that crust, yum🤤

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be? Errrum maybe a watermelon cuz they are very hydrated. Oh and watermelon with the big black seeds is better then that soul less watermelon

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

None dawg I really need to find one but I do have a lot written down In a book

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

Omg my aunt had some funny looking ass dogs I couldn't stop laughing. One of her dogs hate me tho now

51. current stresses? I dont want to talk about it cuz I dont want to worry but I was crying for more then 6 hours probably 8 when I think about it and then today as well and it's so bad I'm not even going to school

52. favorite font? I like the one kali uchis uses in one of her albums I think it's called fairy tell or something

53. what is the current state of your hands?pretty dry cuz I wash them alot and kinda long nails cuz of genetics

54. what did you learn from your first job?

I havent had a first job

55. favorite fairy tale?

Hmmm something with the tooth fairy

56. favorite tradition?

Idk holidays cuz I get school off

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

Depression and I would say anxiety but no

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

I dont have any talents

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

Uuuuyg idk too stressed to really think that I dont even know what type of video game I would be in

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

nothing stressful maybe something calm like a farm anime, some light magic, pokemon things like that

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

I was never ment to live life like a sim - megan the stallion

62. seven characters you relate to?

Anybody with anxiety, kinda pearl from Steven universe, the nerdy part of dipper from gravity falls , Roman from sander sides if virgil too sense he has anxiety okay and that's all I can think of I think early I said I dont really watch media or stuff so yeah

63. five songs that would play in your club?

Gosolina kali uchis songs and bank account that's all I can think about rn

64. favorite website from your childhood?64. favorite website from your childhood?

Y8 brooo oh and there was Disney or Nickelodeon websites you know that show with the hands and they had the googly eyes they had a g as new for that loved it and for Disney they had zack and cody games on their website and it's not a website but the one thing on windows that would work without wifi you know and you could make cakes and give them faces and try matching the cards

65. any permanent scars?

One time a cat scratched me more the like 8 years ago and I can still faintly see the mark

66. favorite flower(s)?

The one that grows on the cactus

67. good luck charms?

I know a rabbits foot is one and 4 leaf clovers,and markipliers flannel. I sadly dont have any personal good luck charms

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

I don't want to talk about bad foods rn cut the cameras

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

idk I think I can vaguely remember every facts orgin that I know

70. left or right handed?

Basic right handed but my dad used to be left but then the school forced him to be right

71. least favorite pattern?

Anything 80s uhg that shit is disgusting and terrifying

72. worst subject?

Chemistry but I just got out of that so that's fun

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

People day hot cheetos and sour cream is odd but I like it . I would wat some rn but I think I got sick cuz of my poor diet so I'm not. Someone pls suggested simple easy foods for your girl who can cook

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

1 I am big baby

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

I dont know

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

Tater tots are good and fries

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

Idk no green thumb

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

Idk ig coffee

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

Jewel tones

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

Theirs a difference?

82. pc or console?

Console it's just simpler

83. writing or drawing?

Uhhheg ig drawing I'm bad at grammar

84. podcasts or talk radio?

Podcast, podcast are just more plans out then talk radio and talk radio is a morning thing and I'm not the biggest fan of mornings

85. fairy tales or mythology?

Fairy tales mythology kinda ruff ya know

86. cookies or cupcakes?

Cookies their just more sturdy and their is always normal cake

87. your greatest fear?

Tooo many things and I'm having an anxiety attack right now so like no

88. your greatest wish?

Well it's cute and all idk to live peacefully is one part the other parts a secret for now

X.o.x.o gossip girl ya know ya love me

89. who would you put before everyone else?

Umm maybe myself Idk

90. luckiest mistake?

One time my mom ordered a foam sord for my brother and a real one came. It was some anime sword

91. boxes or bags?

Bags cuz they look cute and you can take em every where with you. Disposable I would have to say boxes tho because its less damaging to the environment

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

Sunlight is so warm and it fills something inside of me makes me feel cozy

Lamps are great for when sleeping and your scared of the dark

Fairy lights are cute but are they neccessary

Overhead lights are good for when you just need light in your life

Am I the only one who gets sad and sometimes cant clean if it's dark in the house?

94. favorite season?

Summer I think. I know it's harder for me to function in the winter cuz depression but then summer is anxiety sometimes ya know

95. favorite app on your phone?

Littetly no idea I don't really love/like the things on my phone if their more distractions or time wasters but I do love how I can search up useful things on YouTube to try to calm down my anxiety and I was definitely not a fan of tumblr at all but I kind have made it my safe place a bit

96. desktop background?

Well the computers my dad's so it has deadpool on i

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

Barely 2 ,I am kinda a dummy sorry unggv

98. favorite historical era?

Well idk heehaww cowboys?

#trifle utters #misspelling because ya girls pretty stressed #im just trying to cope rn so dont cap on me

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earpanel · 5 years

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LEADERBRIEF: Madhukar Kamath recounts a lifetime of inspiration in an evening of gratitude

The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) honored Madhukar Kamath, Chairman Emeritus DDB Mudra Group, with 2019’s AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award in the presence of a veritable Who’s Who of the advertising industry. What Kamat delivered after receiving the highest honour that is given to individuals in India for their outstanding contribution to the Advertising Industry, was a heart-warming, engrossing, insightful and truly rewarding address in which he recounted a Lifetime of Inspiration in an evening of gratitude. From aspiring young professionals to the young executives and managers to the top leaders and veterans across the Industry, for all without exception, this is an engrossing, inspiring glimpse into a lifetime of outstanding contribution and achievement. Kamath’s address afforded the power-packed audience rewarding glimpses into his entrepreneurial spirit, determination, beliefs and values, and his enormous wisdom which, together, helped him attain great success in every challenge he took up. He also shared some of the precious #LifeLessons he learnt along the way. Mediabrief.com brings you what is, to use an old term, surely a cut-and-keep for the continuous learner: the thoughts and writing from a great mind. Read and revel, as Madhukar Kamath recounts an era in an evening.

Madhukar Kamath's address at the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony 2019:

This is an evening of Gratitude. To all those who touched my life in the last 43 years. To all those who taught me what to do and more importantly what not to do. To all my bosses who hired me and gave me the freedom to be. To all those colleagues who allowed me to stand beside them and at times stand on their shoulders and made me look good. To all those who allowed their talents and stardust to rub off on me. To all those who I might have unintentionally rubbed up the wrong way. To all those who encouraged me. To all those who criticised me. And yes to each and every one of you, who has come here to make this evening special. This evening is for you. And to those of you, who are patiently waiting for me to finish and for the bar to open, I will be quick. It’s been a good and exciting journey. Where I enjoyed going to work every morning. Every single day. I have no intention of recounting all the highlights. My dear friends like Sandeep, Santosh, Shashi and Prasoon have already spoken. Killing me softly with embarrassment. Instead, let me share a few quick stories; rather, snippets… for those of you who tweet. It is hashtag LifeLessons.

Early ambition First, a confession. When I entered this profession, my ambition was to be a Senior AE in 5 years and retire as a branch manager. That’s the truth. Bright-eyed and awe-struck, I looked up to legends like Subhas Ghoshal, Subroto Sengupta, Bal Mundkur, Alyque Padamsee, Mani Iyer and so on. And then, as I grew in this business, over the years, I was inspired by AG Krishnamurthy, Mohammed Khan, Bobby Sista, Arun Nanda, Ravi Gupta, Sylvester DCunha, etcetera. I applauded and admired Ranjan Kapur, Goutam Rakshit, Anil Kapoor, and some in this room like Piyush Pandey, Sam Balsara and the thorough gentleman that he is, Ramesh Narayan -- to name just a few. To receive this honour today and by default join their ranks is truly humbling. Thank you AAAI. Family In the best of Oscar tradition, I wish to acknowledge a few people. To begin with, my parents. They are responsible for me. My mother, in her late eighties, has flown in from Mysore, just for this evening. Her sacrifice and perhaps some of her jewellery enabled me to complete my management education. My best friend, who has also been my harshest critic and kept me grounded at all times, my beautiful and talented wife Shalini. My four wonderful kids, with whom I had no arguments, only generational differences and often tangential perspectives. Mitali, Dishank, Maanav and Akanksha. Just two of them could be here today. And as they say, never, never ever, forget your mother-in-law… her blessings over close to two decades have kept me going. Thank you. The wind beneath my wings Coming to my professional career, it is AG Krishnamurthy. He was the true wind beneath my wings. For over a decade, he allowed me to grow personally and professionally. It’s been an honour to succeed him at Mudra and MICA. I must also shine the spotlight on the legendary Keith Reinhard, the Chairman Emeritus of DDB. Keith, though being one of the key architects of the creation of the holding company, Omnicom, in 1986, stayed behind in agency operations. He is singularly and selflessly responsible for keeping the Bernbach legacy alive and spreading it around the world. Just to watch him, interact with him, and even be in the same room as him, is an experience that no money can buy. To both of them, my salutations. How not to... Next up, three of my other bosses in my long career. They will go unnamed. From them I learnt what not to do as you grow in your career. One: Never bury your head in the sand like an Ostrich. Do not wish away problems or the pangs of growth. Face the realities. Two: Learn to ‘let go’ as you go up the organisation. Don’t hang on. And Three: never be in a situation where you need to walk and have to constantly watch your back. Look ahead. I learnt from their mistakes. A silent prayer for the departed souls of these three gentlemen, in gratitude.

Life-changing opportunities Perhaps I am blessed. Or just lucky? To have had some truly life-changing opportunities come my way. Four in particular stand out. First, the opportunity to go and acquire and perhaps rescue my alma mater. Second, the opportunity to lead the organisation where I grew up -- both personally and professionally. Third, to have a role in building an educational institution of repute and to contribute to the talent pool for the entire Marketing Services Industry. And finally, to be given the responsibility to lead the Industry body and help shape its future. It’s been a rather busy but certainly a full life. Interestingly, every one of these opportunities has arisen from a specific challenge. Never play safe Along the way, I’ve learnt to take the road that is not predictable. My personal life also illustrates this. In 1988, I decided to join a little-known, much derided home-grown Indian Agency called Mudra. I chose it over a well-polished, much applauded and decorated multinational organisation that offered me instant fame and yes, more money. I liked the entrepreneurial spirit, the native wisdom and the never-say-die spirit. Epitomised in the Walt Disney line, which AGK adopted for Mudra: If you can dream it, you can do it. Bates or Clarion Thereafter, I followed the motto of ‘never play safe’. Choose a more difficult option rather than the easier one. Like the challenge that faced me when I joined the Cordiant Group in 1999. Cordiant does not exist today. It was consumed by the voracious appetite of WPP. The brief given to me was to either set up Bates India with two network clients -- a simple good start up -- or go into muddy waters and do the acquisition of a much venerated but troubled agency that had fallen on very bad times.. An agency called Clarion. My alma mater. As a freshly-minted MBA, in June of 1976, I had begun my career in Clarion McCann. Over the years, McCann exited, several others quit and formed splinter groups and start-ups that went on to compete and do well. Clarion, through the constant struggle amongst the unholy troika, over two decades, of an obdurate Board, an earnest but short-lived top management that changed frequently, and a demanding union -- yes a labour Union in an agency -- was on the brink of bankruptcy. With employee dues not paid, with life savings and provident fund pay-outs at risk, dis-accreditation notices, etcetera. Clarion was just a few weeks away from liquidation and blood on the streets. A story not told, made public or acknowledged to date. I chose the latter. Interestingly, the solution and acquisition strategy was worked out on a paper napkin at a bar! It meant tough conversations with the Board that wanted to just hand over and go away, reassure a very talented management team to travel with you, and some tight-rope walking and talking with a fairly militant Union. What followed was perhaps the largest voluntary retirement scheme – a downsizing of approximately 60 percent; unheard of. In just one day. Overnight. We ensured that every single employee, who left, was given his or her dues, and there was no spilt blood. A 100% acquisition. All within 100 days. Start to finish. Without much noise and any media speculation or coverage. I will leave the details for a book perhaps! And just when I was settling down with a team of talented colleagues, the goodwill and appreciation of reputed clients like ITC, Nokia, Hindustan Lever, Tata Salt, Tata AIG, Hyundai, to name just a few, came another challenge.

Mudra Out of the blue, in 2003, I get a challenge thrown at me. ‘Can you come back and succeed the founder Chairman & Managing Director of Mudra, AGK’, who was retiring? Naturally I said yes. I had a half-day overlap and a hand-over that lasted just 30 minutes. Perhaps the shortest in history. What followed was rocky -- close to 50 percent of the business and profit base vanished in 12 months. Entirely due to extraneous reasons. That story is for a different day! I drew inspiration from the entrepreneurial zeal that had grown Mudra and Keith Reinhard who had shown that building on a legacy, also opened up numerous opportunities. Over the next 8 years with the influx of new clients and talent and businesses we built the Mudra Group to become India’s largest home-grown Agency conglomerate. I succeeded in reviving a long lost conversation with DDB. And finally, working closely with the CEO of Omnicom, John Wren, I helped make the Omnicom acquisition of the Mudra Group happen in 2011. Again, under the radar. Quietly. Well, there is an exciting story there too. Some other day, perhaps. Or after several drinks... Lesson learnt was that building on a legacy is as important as looking to create one. MICA Next, a challenge that irked me. I was asked to merge and hand over the then Mudra Institute of Communication with a different Institution. I defied the advice. Over, the years, with the help of stalwarts like another legend, Gerson DCunha, the ex-Election Commissioner Mr Vittal, the former Director of IIM, Prof Khandwala, Prof Ramesh Sarin from XLRI, to name just a few, Directors like Atul Tandon etc, and a new Governing Council of which Santosh Desai is here, we transformed the Mudra Institute of Communication into MICA. Today, it is an independently run Business School that specialises in Strategic Marketing & Communication Management. Profitable, self-funded and having a very healthy corpus. With a fantastic Alumni base. Apart from numerous CXOs in the Marketing, Media and Communication Industry, three of the top ten agencies have MICA alumni as their CEOs. I am grateful to the opportunity to head the Mudra Foundation and the Governing Council of MICA, for well over a decade. 14 years, to be exact. AAAI Finally and interestingly, going against the norm and tradition, the President-ship of the Industry body the AAAI was held back from me, and I was asked to contest an election. I had to win it the hard way. I was fortunate to enjoy the goodwill and support of a large number of Industry leaders. But what was more important was that the entire executive committee helped me in my endeavour to lay the foundation for the future of our Industry and also bring to an end the warring factions of competing award shows. Fundamental changes were made. The constitution was changed. Sundar Swamy helped me immensely in that. We built an inclusive future. For Media Agencies, Digital Agencies and more to follow. I could not have done that without many of you in the room. Thank you.

Re-invention, relevance The lesson learnt over the four decades underscored the importance of constantly reinventing and staying relevant. Decade after decade as the Industry changed. As market forces changed, the very construct of operations changed, remuneration structures changed and so on. I treated it like a long distance run where it was necessary to stay the course and not look at it as a sprint. Finally I put to practice what I have always preached. Leave at the right time. Build succession plans. Have backups. Plan B if need be. Make way for fresh thinking. Trust youngsters. The current CEO of the Mudra Group today, Aditya Kanthy, was not even born when I began my career in 1976. Surround yourself with talent better than you All my milestones and achievements and the award today is entirely due to the dictum I faithfully followed of ‘surround yourself with talent better than you’. I was fortunate. Yes that’s the right word. I only wish I could name each and every one of them here. My extended family I dedicate this Award to all those who worked alongside me, be it in Mudra, MICA, the Advertising Industry, the Media fraternity, fellow organisers of Ad Asia in Delhi, the talented leaders at the Advertising Standards Council of India, the INS or Indian Newspapers Society, the IBF or the Indian Broadcasting Federation, the Audit Bureau of Circulations and finally the NGO Plan India, which has allowed me to be a part of the mission to touch the lives of 10 million children and take forward the gender equality agenda. You are my extended family. I will always be grateful to you. Thank you. Follow Madhukar Kamath on Twitter Read the full article

#AAAILifetimeAchievementAward2019 #ChairmanEmeritus-DDBMudraGroup #MadhukarKamath

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cathrynstreich · 5 years

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The Real Estate Office of the Future

(Above) Rudy L. Kusuma, President & CEO, Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty

Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Sets Out to Chart a New Course

Rudy L. Kusuma learned early on that the standard approach to the real estate business was not the way to win. The traditional tactic of filling the funnel through cold calling and door knocking wasn’t his style.

“I was failing at prospecting and stumbled on this idea of reverse prospecting,” he explains.

And with a strategy focused on attracting customers instead of chasing them, Kusuma started the top-ranking Team Nuvision in 2008, and, this month, embarks as his own brokerage, Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, where he plans to bring his team success formula to agents throughout Los Angeles and, eventually, the entire state.

Here’s why Kusuma believes he’s onto a model and a philosophy that just might change the real estate industry for good.

Maria Patterson: Rudy, please begin by telling us a bit about your background and how you first got into the real estate business. Rudy L. Kusuma: Sure. I used to sell door-to-door promotional items, and one of my clients was a real estate broker. He told me I could be really good at real estate, so I got my license in 2007.

MP: Were real estate sales a lot different? What did you learn early on? RK: As soon as I got my license, my broker told me that the first thing you do is prospecting: cold calling and door knocking. But I was struggling with cold calling, and it wasn’t successful for me. I thought, “Maybe my voice doesn’t sound good over the phone,” so I tried door knocking. The only difference with door knocking was that now people were mad at me face-to-face! That’s when I first realized that there was a problem in this business. Most real estate agents spend 70-80 percent of their time prospecting, but normal businesses are not this way.

MP: So how did you come up with a different approach? RK: Back in 2007, I started to figure out how to attract customers to me instead of chasing them. I was failing at prospecting and stumbled on this idea of reverse prospecting. I started hosting Cashflow game nights based on the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki. Every time people came to the office to play, I would always ask them, “How many are thinking about buying or selling?” By doing that, I would pick up three, four or five new clients. So instead of cold calling, I hosted the Cashflow game nights and created an investors’ club that taught people how to invest in real estate. By the end of my first month, I had picked up 20-25 clients.

MP: You then formed a team right away, correct? RK: That’s right. I realized most agents were just busy looking for clients, whereas I suddenly had more clients than I could handle. In 2008, when I was working in a Coldwell Banker office, I asked the other agents if they wanted to partner up with me, and they all said yes. So, my first team was started by accident out of necessity.

MP: 2008 was an interesting time to be ramping up in real estate! RK: Yes, in 2008 the market crashed. I looked around me, and even though people were not doing well, they were still talking about cold calling and the “long run.” For me, I had no “long run.” I had to pay bills now. I was a brand-new agent and my second baby had just been born. I couldn’t be thinking about doing branding and long-term campaigns. My long run was 60 days, not 20 years from now. So for me, it was about direct response marketing where you create compelling offers so that prospects chase you. And business continued to grow. My first year in 2008, my team in the Coldwell Banker office became No. 1 in the office. We then moved to RE/MAX, and for the past five years, our team has been the No. 1 team in RE/MAX.

MP: Talk about the evolution of your team. RK: We started in 2008 as Team Nuvision. We focus on only one thing: generating buyers and sellers. We have about 2,000 buyers and sellers calling us each month. We operate on the same principle of reverse prospecting—using radio, billboards, direct mail, etc., so that people are calling us. We sold 550 homes last year, and we do not do any prospecting, cold calling or door knocking.

MP: How is the team structured? RK: We have more than 17 people on the team. We have a marketing and media department, and a general administrative staff that inputs all inquiries into our CRM. We have an inside sales team who then follows up with inquiries to check on their timing and motivation. If they find out someone is moving in the next 3-6 months, they book an appointment with our outside sales team. If they’re not ready, they go to our customer service team. Our outside sales team uses my buyer’s and listing presentations. We’re not a franchise, but it’s a blueprint—a duplication of a system that works, instead of 10 different agents using 10 different listing systems.

Rudy L. Kusuma (front center) and members of his Outside Sales Agents department.

MP: How would you say your team differs from other real estate teams out there? RK: The term “team” has been abused so much. Just because you’re under the same roof doesn’t make you a team. When we talk about a team, we mean that each individual person has a specific role in the transaction. We have been perfecting this model since 2007 to make sure it works.

MP: And now you have made the big step to turn your team into its own company. Why did you make this move? RK: Yes, we have left RE/MAX and just launched Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty. I felt there was a problem in the traditional brand model, no matter what brand you’re talking about. For example, McDonald’s teaches you how to cook a hamburger. That’s why, wherever you go, you know that when you have a McDonald’s hamburger, it’s going to taste the same. However, in the real estate industry, in general, the system is broken, because at the end of the day, after all the shiny objects, each individual agent is still responsible for their own business. And the problem with that, just like me in 2007, comes down to the fact that it’s not humanly possible for an individual agent to do everything that needs to be done to be successful.

Our team system, however, redefines the job of the real estate agent. In our new company, we are going to focus on growing and developing real estate sales teams, and help as many real estate agents as possible grow and develop their own teams. We want to change how the real estate industry works.

The Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty model focuses on one thing, says Rudy L. Kusuma: generating buyers and sellers

MP: Will you base your company around the strategy of reverse prospecting? RK: Yes. On our team, because there is no prospecting, we are focused on only one thing: servicing the client. We are teaching real estate agents how not to rely on the MLS, but, instead, how to set, negotiate and collect their own buyer’s agent fees so that they can show a buyer all the homes that meet their criteria, not just some of them. I believe that in the near future, buyer’s agents’ commissions on the MLS will go to zero, and everyone will have to negotiate their own fee. But no one is teaching the real estate agent how to do that. We are.

MP: How do you plan on attracting agents to your firm? RK: My introduction to agents is that we are the only company that books you a face-to-face buyer or listing appointment. That’s our uniqueness. Leads are useless. The same lead goes to 20 people. We are the only company to focus on helping real estate agents grow. Our vision is to be the best place to work, buy and sell real estate in the state of California. We hope to have 50 teams in the next 12 months.

MP: Given your team model, what role will new recruits play in your company? RK: Generally, there will be two types of agents. Some will join as outside sales agents, some as team leaders who want to build their own successful team. Usually, this is someone who is the No. 1 agent at their firm, and they’ve hit a plateau. I know the struggle because I was there. Right now, they’re a one-man show. They have no time for their family, health is usually an issue, and it’s just a matter of time before the machine breaks down. We will teach them how to leverage themselves with people and with technology.

MP: How will you help agents succeed in an increasingly competitive market? RK: The real estate agent commission is under attack. The consumer is looking at the agent and asking, “What value are you bringing?” If your value proposition is that you’re just a nice guy, you will be eliminated. If the machine can do what you do, you should be worried because, one day, you will be replaced.

Our asset is training on how to do something the machine cannot do: negotiate. We give buyers access to homes they can’t find online. When you’re selling a house, instead of giving sellers a For Sale sign or drone photos, through our CRM, we give them a pool of 45,000 prospective buyers. Using AI, we do a search-and-match analysis, so we know which prospects are most likely to buy your home. Then we call all of those prospective buyers. Sellers hire us because we have already done all the work for them. Because we already have the buyers.

MP: So how will Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty stand apart from other real estate firms? RK: The relationship between a broker and an agent today is often like a landlord and a tenant. We are the only company to teach real estate agents to grow and develop their own teams. You have to add value as a broker, and that’s what we will do. We’re teaching real estate agents to build their own system.

MP: Rudy, beyond your new firm, your M.O. has been all about teaching others, as evidenced by your seminars, videos, etc. Why is sharing knowledge so important to you? RK: I was born and raised in Indonesia. My family never had money and never talked about money. My mom always focused on education, and paid for the education of myself and my four siblings. People can take everything away from you, but no one can take away knowledge and education. That was programmed into me since I was small.

In 2007, I saw a problem in this business. I could’ve kept that a secret, but that’s not my personality. I believe in the law of generosity: Whatever you want in life, give it away…including time and money. I believe we can change the world if each individual, team or agent has a cause. So every person who joins my company, as a requirement, has to choose a non-profit to give to. For example, last year, we were the No. 1 fundraising office for Children’s Hospital in LA.

You must understand that your business is designed for others and you’re a channel of that. The more you add value for people, the more money you will make per transaction. Focus on adding more value than the machine can offer; otherwise, we’re looking at the commoditization of the industry. Income will continue to go down if we fight over who has the fastest technology.

For more information, please visit www.YourHomeSoldGuaranteedInc.com or call (626) 789-0159.

Maria Patterson is RISMedia’s executive editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at [email protected].

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earpanel · 5 years

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LEADERBRIEF: Madhukar Kamath recounts a lifetime of inspiration in an evening of gratitude

Madhukar Kamath's address at the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony 2019:

#AAAILifetimeAchievementAward2019 #ChairmanEmeritus-DDBMudraGroup #MadhukarKamath

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