Rules to live by..

As I find myself in this crazy situation of a product that is simply not yet selling to the masses, I have been looking for inspiration to keep this product and company afloat. I realize that our blog started out as only a company blog (and usually it will be kept that way) but I want everyone or anyone who is listening/reading to realize that this company is the dream of one person - an entrepreneur named Caroline. I am the one who has this vision of creating a more internet friendly real estate tour to help listing Agents sell homes. I am also the one banging my head against the wall trying to figure out why this product is having such a hard time selling. If you are reading and have any suggestions or see something that I just don't with our product - please email me at caroline@redetechnologies.com - all comments, suggestions, etc would be welcomed. Imagine for a second when you first started out what would happen to you if no one ever told you when they saw a problem with your product or service.. Anyway, I ran across this blog post and wanted to share with everyone:

"The following article (or rules for survival) is included with the permission of Bob Parsons (http://www.bobparsons.com) and is Copyright © 2004-2006 by Bob Parsons. All rights reserved."

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."

2. Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.

3. When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think. There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."

5. Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."

6. Take things a day at a time. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide. Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

9. Measure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around. In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair. Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems. You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."

15. Don't take yourself too seriously. Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There's always a reason to smile. Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for a long time; we're here for a good time."

Post on realblogger.com that I read stating that Virtual Tours need to be more slick!

I just read an article on www.realblogger.com (for those of you that don't know - this is where the "top" Real Estate Professionals blog.)

Here is the trackback: http://www.realblogging.com/utility/tb/?id=183430

The writer sort of knew what he was talking about. I agree that "Buyer expectations have shifted through the years as they become more and more technology-savvy, and as agents, we're missing the mark." (His words - NOT mine). However, this particular blogger goes on to label "obeo" as a slick virtual tour. Coincidentally, he is associated with that company. I am not pointing fingers but when a stitched together boring photo tour is considered slick - there is a problem. The product we offer is video based. It is downloadable, it is emailable and will soon (can't help but spill the beans a little on this one - have a MAJOR mapping technology integrated with it)! Yet, this other company is considered slick? By who's standards - certainly not the internet consumer! I believe it must be by the Real Estate professional who has his events sponsered by that virtual tour company. All I am trying to say - is be careful who gives you product advice - just because your company, Broker or a trusted Real Estate Professional utilizes a product - doesn't mean it is the best - it usually just means that they have a back door affilliation with that particular provider. THINK for yourself! Set yourself apart - Be the Independent contractor that you are!

-Caroline Trude-Rede
CEO & Webmaster

Name Change

Podcastmyproperty.com is going to have a name change. We are changing the domain name to www.vtrevolution.com Please bookmark the new URL. You may wonder why the name change? Well, we had many company discussions about why are Real Estate Agents not purchasing our product? The product is very unique and light years ahead of the competition. What did we figure out? Well, the word podcast confused a lot of people. Our product was associated only with iPods and not with virtual tours. Hence, the name change. Why vtrevolution? Simple, we like to think of our product as revolutionializing the virtual tour industry. Same great product, better URL.