Houston Real Estate Blog

From the yearly archives:

2010

Spreading the Joys of the Season to our Brave Troops

October 22, 2010

By Jaron Hall
Sales Associate

It is hard to believe that we are about to close out another year. Halloween is just around the corner which means Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching. For so many of us, the year has been a rough one, but the truth is, we do not have much to complain about.

We are blessed to live in the greatest country on Earth and all due thanks goes to our brave troops who have pledged to protect our liberty and freedom. I personally hold a very soft spot in my heart for all of those who have volunteered to sacrifice so much on behalf of you and I. While we wake up each morning and go about our daily lives, I fear that we lose sight of those who put on the battle gear, each and every day, thousands of miles from home to protect our freedom. This year, join me in spreading the joys of the season to those brave souls abroad.

From now until November 15, I am collecting Holiday Greeting cards to personally mail out to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Should you wish to participate, and I welcome you to, simply pick up any holiday card you wish and personalize it with a message of peace and hope from you and your family. All you have to do is then email me at jaronh@johndaugherty.com and I will gladly stop by and pick up the card or cards and mail them out on your behalf. I challenge anyone reading this to take fifteen or twenty minutes out of your day and spread the joys of the season.

USO Auxiliary Gift of Freedom Luncheon – November 1st, Intercontinental Hotel

October 21, 2010

By Susan Williams-Olguin

For over 69 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been bringing a touch of home and comfort to our men and women in uniform by providing morale and recreational type services to them and their families. The USO Auxiliary was founded in 2010 in Houston by Lavonne Cox, USO Auxiliary Founder and President. The USO Auxiliary is a national organization founded to increase fund-raising and awareness in support of USO programs. Because Houstonian’s have such big hearts and generosity is just part of our nature it was decided that the inaugural event would be held in our home town.

Susan Williams-Olguin (far right)

When my sweet friend, Lavonne Cox initially approached me about chairing an event I must admit that I was not keen on the idea as I had just gotten married, was planning a move and in the process of starting up a new business with John Daugherty Realtors. Finally, when we had the opportunity to get together and chat about the cause…I was hooked. I grew up as a military brat…I knew I was a military brat because my mother always signed our greeting cards, “Love, Sue, Dale and the Brats!” The USO has deep roots with the Bush family so it was obvious that we hoped Maria Bush would co-chair the event. She didn’t blink an eye ….. our team was formed and off we went. We are excited to announce that the USO Auxiliary and the Inaugural Gift of Freedom Appreciation Luncheon is being well received by our community.

At lunch time on November 1, 2010 the ballroom at the Intercontinental Hotel will not just be filled with national and local dignitaries, but also with some of Houston’s most caring and generous individuals in support of our men and women in uniform. We have all been affected by atrocities of the last decade. Political affiliations and opinions have nothing to do with our troops. They signed up to serve their country and are doing so with heart and soul and sometimes their life. There is no better way to show our patriotism than to support the USO or other organizations providing assistance to our military men and women. Whether it is the USO Auxiliary or another organization that is supporting our troops we encourage you to get involved.

Susan G. Baker is providing the keynote address at the Inaugural Gift of Freedom Appreciation Luncheon. She will share excerpts from her newly published book, Passing It On: An Autobiography with Spirit which tells the story of her life with U.S. Secretary James A. Baker, III. She will also sign books from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. on November 1^st at the event.

We are honored President and Mrs. George H. W. Bush and U.S. Secretary and Mrs. James A. Baker, III agreed to serve as honorary chairs. Recipients of the Inaugural Gift of Freedom Humanitarian Awards are Mr. & Mrs. Don D. Jordan, Mr. & Mrs. Jim McIngvale and Mr. & Mrs. James Weaver. These couples are being recognized for their immeasurable support of our military men and women whether through the USO or other organizations.

We hope you will join us on November 1^st as we demonstrate our patriotism with our heart and soul!

To join the USO Auxiliary, purchase tickets or a sponsorship for the luncheon please contact

Back to Basics

October 20, 2010

By: Michelle Sandlin
Director of Global Relocation Services

I recently wrote an article for MOBILITY Magazine (the monthly publication of Worldwide ERC), which appears in this month’s publication. The article is entitled, “Strategic Planning–Back to Basics.” In the article I address the fact that as organizations continue to modify budgets in response to the economic downturn, that greater emphasis has been placed on getting back to basics. This can be seen throughout the real estate and relocation industries as a whole. And by “basics,” I mean refocusing on the fundamental business elements and habits that may have been neglected or overlooked during recent times of business hardship…you know, the ones that made us successful.

I think that this all starts with strategic planning and the idea that you need a road map to get you where you want to go. In so doing, companies evaluate where they are, where they have been, where they want to go and the steps needed to get there. Strategic planning often calls for a SWOT Analysis, in which you look at an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. You have to look at what is working, what is not, what changes need to be made, etc., in order to begin taking steps in the right direction, which should be is towards your overall goal, whatever that may be. Remember, a failure to plan is a plan to fail!

For many organizations, back to basics means placing more value on their clients and customers in the form of renewed customer service and service delivery. It is often much more difficult to keep a client or customer than to get a new one. Thus we have to provide the highest quality of customer care, and continue to differentiate ourselves from the competition and always look to increase our value-added proposition in the eyes of our clients.

Back to basics also means that we need to look at the ways in which we train within our companies and organizations, and the ways in which we can partner with our clients to provide their teams with training and educational opportunities. I don’t think that there is anyone out there who would not benefit from additional training, no matter how seasoned they are in their profession. Especially with all of the technological advances being made everyday, keeping your skills sharp and keeping current on technology is more important than ever before. For example, as I write this, our company is conducting an iPad training class for our agents. We recognize the importance of staying on the cutting edge of technology, but at the same time we have to provide the proper training to make sure that our team is effectively using the technology.

Darren Moore, Web Marketing/IT Manager (John Daugherty, Realtors)

If we continue to re-commit ourselves and our companies to the fundamental practices that have made us successful, then I feel strongly that we will be poised for continued growth and success.

To read the full article, please click here: “Strategic Planning–Back to Basics.”

To view my other posts, please click here: Houston Relocation Blog.

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