The 2014 RE/MAX International Convention, known as R4, had many great stories and experiences for me to share and not to share… But the one that sticks out most is my time on a tour at Zappos and at the founder's personal home.  First of all, the tour of the home revealed a nutty professor environment with sticky notes on the walls for future projects and random ideas.  Another unusual space was an indoor flower garden, and I don’t mean indoor plants in pots but rather walls and ceilings covered in plants from floor to ceiling.  Imagine the Rainforest Café restaurant and you now have a visual.  

 

 The tour of Zappos revealed a place where people are happy to go and work, happy to be with the people in the building, and where they desire to build relationships with fellow employees and guests.  This is a place where if you belong and fit in, you know it the second you walk in.  NO ONE will try to persuade you to join or be a part of the experience.  Actually, if you try to join the experience and it doesn’t feel right, they will pay you to go away and never come back.  That’s right--  after you complete your training, if you find it's not for you, Zappos will pay you a stipend and 2 month's salary to not take the job with the caveat you can never apply again.  Imagine the confidence in the culture an organization has to say if we aren’t the right place, let's all save some time and money by just cutting you a check for your training time and additional 2 month's full salary to move on.  

 

 On my tour I learned so many fun facts about this organization and many times I found myself reflecting back on RE/MAX Ability Plus and how we too know the kind of people that fit and the kind that don’t.  Although not many agents leave us, when they do most of the time it is a good thing.  Last year we had 97 million dollars in agent production join us and 5 million in production leave us, but even more importantly the agents that joined us made us better.  I have found when you have a strong culture it identifies the people who belong and those that don’t.  

 

 So my time is spent with those who belong and not spent trying to figure out who doesn’t.  I always think back to 2008 when I held a meeting to talk about growing RE/MAX Ability Plus from 32 agents to 350 agents and Phil Herman was so concerned about the kind of people we would take on in order to grow to such a big company.  I know his concern is both valid and for the right reason, but what we have found is with the right culture in place you attract more people who fit in and belong, and not the kind of people who don’t.  It isn’t uncommon for an agent to join us and say “wow this just feels right” or something along those lines.  I find great pleasure because I know we have made the right connection at the right time with the right person.  

 

 I encourage you to take a tour of Zappos and to reflect on your place.  Does it reflect you, does it support you, and does it just feel right…

 

Bon appetite, Jimmy