How to Stay Organized (LA 935)
How to Stay Organized (LA 935)
Transcript:
Steven Butala: Steve and Jill here.
Jill DeWit: Hello.
Steven Butala: Welcome to The Land Academy Show, entertaining land investment talk. I’m Steven Jack Butala.
Jill DeWit: And I’m Jill DeWitt, broadcasting from sunny southern California.
Steven Butala: Today, Jill and I talk about how to stay organized. It’s as simple as that. It’s something so simple. You can say, “Oh, man. Well, you really need to be organized.” What? And it’s so hard.
Jill DeWit: Isn’t that funny?
Steven Butala: The last live event that we did, there’s a woman sitting up front. It was … I don’t know. She was a retired … Something complicated. And very like, I don’t know, something like some kind of a mechanical engineer or something. It was pretty intense.
Jill DeWit: Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. The VP. The Toyota VP.
Steven Butala: Yeah, that’s-
Jill DeWit: Yeah, yeah. Finance.
Steven Butala: Yeah and I-
Jill DeWit: Yeah.
Steven Butala: And so she was heckling me and I’m glad she did. She’d like, “Well, you know you say this. Stay organized. Oh, you’ve got to stay organized to get your first deal done.” And she’s like-
Jill DeWit: It’s like, “That’s nice. I don’t know how to do that.”
Steven Butala: “That’s great, Steve. That’s great. Thanks. I paid to sit here and look at you and you tell me-
Jill DeWit: And you tell me to-
Steven Butala: … stay organized.”
Jill DeWit: … stay organized.
Steven Butala: That’s great.
Jill DeWit: Have a nice day. Thanks for coming.
Steven Butala: So that’s what we’re going to talk about today and all week, actually, is organization/motivation/don’t let life get in your way-
Jill DeWit: Yep.
Steven Butala: … of accomplishing whatever you want. This doesn’t have to be about real estate.
Jill DeWit: Thank you.
Steven Butala: It can be anything.
Jill DeWit: Exactly.
Steven Butala: Before we get into it, let’s take a question posted by one of our members on the Land Investors.com online community. It’s free.
Jill DeWit: Okay. Tanner Hendricks asks, “Hello, everyone. I wanted to hear some advice on what the first three steps are I should focus on as I try to educate myself on all aspects of this business. I’m starting from scratch. I want to feel as though I’m making progress, so should I be setting things up like a website, LLC, PO Box, in the meantime? Any budget/business plans? It will probably be a month or two before I pull the trigger on the full membership, so any advice on what to do in the meantime is greatly appreciated. Thanks.” Oh, and sorry.
Steven Butala: I’ll do it. Joe Schmidt responds, because Land Investors is a community, so people ask questions and people, other members in our community, and it’s all free, respond. Some of the more senior, or long time members, try to help out the newer people. And so Joe Schmidt responds, “Here’s what I did to prep …” In quotes. “I set up an LLC, I opened a separate bank account in my LLC’s name and funded it with 10 grand. Set up a virtual PO Box, email account, Google Voice number for intake after the mail goes out and of course, I bought the course and sent the mail. You can worry about your website, business cards, logo, etc. after your first mailer. Son, everything hinges on sending them out.”
Jill DeWit: That’s true.
Steven Butala: Then the reason I put Joe’s thing in there is because I don’t have anything to add to that.
Jill DeWit: That’s very true. I do like having the website, even if it’s just a simple one started, ahead of time, having your company name, know the website’s available, so you put that on the mail and you don’t have to change it later. I do like that. And starting getting your social media accounts all set up, because when the mail goes out, the people want to be able to look you up, but at least if your name’s on it and you have a good LinkedIn profile and they can at least look you up and tie their offer to you, I’m good with that, too, getting started. But that’s going to be coming quickly behind it.
Steven Butala: All of this stuff, every single last detail is addressed in the education program set Jill and I provide once you’re a member.
Jill DeWit: Yep. It’s true.
Steven Butala: So I understand and appreciate you wanting to get a head start. A lot of people, me, included, did a launch of deals long before there was ever an LLC.
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: It is important, though, like Jill said. The social media stuff, hopefully if you’re a little big younger, younger than me, anyway, this is already … You already do all this stuff.
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: When we say get your social media thing set up, I think the vast majority of the people who are listening or watching here say, “What are you talking about? That’s been going on since I was six years old.”
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: So if you’re my age-
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: … maybe that’s something … It may or may not come super naturally to you.
Jill DeWit: You know what I like to do, though? I like to tell people add investor to your description about you. I just think it’s something special when people go, “Okay, wait a minute. This person’s a pilot or this person’s a medical professional or something.” But if I see in there, too, that they’re that and an investor, what do you think?
Steven Butala: Well, I think-
Jill DeWit: I like it.
Steven Butala: … this. And how you execute this is up to you, but I think this. Whenever you make any type of consumer decision, what do you do?
Jill DeWit: Check them out.
Steven Butala: Do you click on the first thing that pops right up in your face? Click on it and buy it. No. You go do research. You find out who the people are.
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: Maybe if you’re trying to buy something, buy dinner that night, you might click on it and say, “Yeah, I will. This is just faster and easier.”
Jill DeWit: But I’m still going to research it.
Steven Butala: But if you’re going to make a big decision like-
Jill DeWit: Yeah.
Steven Butala: … I don’t know. I need a side gig, because I want to buy and sell real estate, because my Aunt Sally does it really well, you’re going to spend some time researching it. So they’re going to look your name up.
Jill DeWit: Yep.
Steven Butala: They’re going to look your company name up and it wants a match. If there’s a picture of you doing a beer bong from college on Facebook and that’s the first thing that comes up when they Google yourself, they’re … People aren’t going to sell their real estate to you.
Jill DeWit: Aren’t we kind of past that? I think people kind of know that now.
Steven Butala: I like to say, you know … Beer bong, I’m [crosstalk 00:05:39].
Jill DeWit: What would you have? All right. I’ve got to ask. Okay. Let me think here. Think of like this. Pretend you’re 17 and stupid.
Steven Butala: Yeah.
Jill DeWit: Okay.
Steven Butala: That’s not that hard.
Jill DeWit: Yeah, it’s not. I know that. I was going to let you go there. All right. You’re 17 and stupid. You just make your first social media thing. Okay. Think back to when you’re 17. I know what mine would’ve been. What would’ve been on the front page of yours?
Steven Butala: It would’ve been all like high school football, dumb, stupid behavior. Just teenage behavior.
Jill DeWit: Oh.
Steven Butala: American teen aged idiot behavior. Don’t care.
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: What would yours be?
Jill DeWit: Mine would’ve been me backstage at a big concert on a couch, like look who I’m sitting next to. That would’ve been mine.
Steven Butala: Oh, because you were a groupie back then?
Jill DeWit: Yeah. Kind of.
Steven Butala: You never use the word groupie for some reason.
Jill DeWit: No. I don’t like that-
Steven Butala: Because you were a groupie.
Jill DeWit: It’s a little derogatory. I don’t prefer not to use that. I prefer, let’s see-
Steven Butala: Fanatic.
Jill DeWit: Professional fan.
Steven Butala: There’s no difference in … How is groupie different than fanatic?
Jill DeWit: Professional, I said.
Steven Butala: Oh, because, oh, those groupies over there. No.
Jill DeWit: That’s not me.
Steven Butala: Yeah. But their behavior’s way different than mine. Okay.
Jill DeWit: All right. Anyway, see I think we made our point. Don’t do that.
Steven Butala: Yeah. There’s a lot I could say.
Jill DeWit: Yeah.
Steven Butala: I’m not going to say … I’m going to leave it all alone.
Jill DeWit: Okay.
Steven Butala: Today’s topic. How to stay organized. This is the meat of the show.
Jill DeWit: Or my other variety of my different hair dos back in the day. That would’ve been on there. That would’ve been funny. I had some good ones.
Steven Butala: You know what it would’ve been? Because we did a lot of stupid stuff at the time. You know this whole Jackass thing?
Jill DeWit: Yeah. Oh.
Steven Butala: Where the kids skate off the end of the world and have to hide.
Jill DeWit: Yeah. All boys do that.
Steven Butala: Yeah.
Jill DeWit: All boys ride behind the … Put something behind a bumper of a vehicle. No matter who you are.
Steven Butala: That’s true.
Jill DeWit: They all do it. And it’s amazing that they’re alive today.
Steven Butala: I agree.
Jill DeWit: You’re alive.
Steven Butala: So it wouldn’t have been about me, but reporting the stupid stuff that they do.
Jill DeWit: The horrible stunt that you did. Like look what … I just drank and ate that in five minutes. Watch.
Steven Butala: Exactly.
Jill DeWit: Girls are not like that. Nope. Okay.
Steven Butala: What are girls like? Look how I look. Look how I look today and look who I’m with.
Jill DeWit: You know, I would’ve been a little lost right now, because I’m not a selfie kind of … Just throwing equipment. You know the girls are-
Steven Butala: You almost choked yourself with the mike there.
Jill DeWit: Do you know that they are … I’m not that way. And I often say like … I don’t think I’m as photogenic because I haven’t spent months … I don’t have months invested in trying to figure out what my great side is, but so many girls do. I go, “God, that a great picture of her. How’d she do that?” And she does it so fast. ‘Cause she’s got weeks and months and days of figuring out what the perfect angle is, so girls are not … I’m not like that. So I would be a little lost right now, in today’s-
Steven Butala: Here’s a newsflash for all women.
Jill DeWit: I’d be like, “This is me.”
Steven Butala: You’re only ever going to look better or worse, plus or minus, eight percent of how you look in your worst moment.
Jill DeWit: Where’d you get that number?
Steven Butala: Okay. 10%. In your worst moment of the day. And whatever you do to yourself, you’re only going to look 10% better than that. And as great as you look, you can forget it-
Jill DeWit: All right.
Steven Butala: … in the worst situation, minus 10%. Actually, I think it’s closer to five. That’s it.
Jill DeWit: Those are very interesting numbers, Steven.
Steven Butala: So a tremendous amount of time gets spent on primping.
Jill DeWit: Okay.
Steven Butala: And one of the greatest things about you, Jill, is-
Jill DeWit: Are you talking about me?
Steven Butala: No, I’m not.
Jill DeWit: Okay.
Steven Butala: I was just about to wrap it up like this-
Jill DeWit: I’m wearing a t-shirt today.
Steven Butala: One of the greatest things about you-
Jill DeWit: Plain white t-shirt.
Steven Butala: That has never, since the day I met you, been a big huge, high priority on your list and I love that.
Jill DeWit: Thank you. I appreciate that.
Steven Butala: Because you’re beautiful, anyway.
Jill DeWit: Thank you.
Steven Butala: You don’t need all that stuff. Nobody does, actually. No one.
Jill DeWit: Thank you. Thank you. All right. Back to the show.
Steven Butala: Today’s topic. How to stay organized. Oh, we already said this is the meat of the show.
Jill DeWit: You kind of did.
Steven Butala: Wow. That’s going to mess up the producer.
Jill DeWit: It is. You want me to go?
Steven Butala: Sure.
Jill DeWit: Okay. So I wrote down three things that I personally do to stay organized and hopefully this will help you. Number one, I used to really be a fan of to do lists, even online. Like I used, in 365, there’s a total to do thing and I use to load that baby up and I found that I was not getting things done. They would just hang out on my to do list until I eventually forgot about the to do list. And it was stupid stuff like get stuff to the accountant. And I’d put a date on it and I’d feel good about having a date on there. But when I sat down on that day and I pulled up my to do list, I’m like, “Oh, I don’t have time for that. My day’s already scheduled out.” So I’ve actually transitioned from that and more like to what you do. Here I am eating my words.
Steven Butala: Yeah.
Jill DeWit: And telling you, Steven, you were right.
Steven Butala: Yeah.
Jill DeWit: So remember this moment. We are 10 minutes and 45-
Steven Butala: And it’s show 936.
Jill DeWit: … seconds in to show number what? Nine something?
Steven Butala: It’s like 936 shows-
Jill DeWit: 36. 35.
Steven Butala: Oh, 35.
Jill DeWit: There you go. Yeah. Yeah. Today, so you’re right about that. And I do that now and it’s really good. So I don’t have to do lists. I actually use my calendar and if I have to move it from my calendar, at least I’ve moved it to another spot. For example, I do need to gather up our tax stuff right now. I have to get some stuff to the accountant and it’s on me, that only I have control over. And I had it for, I don’t know what day it was, this week. But I moved it to, I think, it’s tomorrow afternoon. I put you in it, too, so we’re both going to do it. That would actually help motivate me, too, by the way, if we’re doing this, in the same hour, we’re both going to like, “All right. How could I help you and you could help me?” And we’re going to get this stuff to our guy and be done with it. So at least and I know I have an hour chunk.
Jill DeWit: So having it just on your list is great, but if you have eight hours already filled in that day, it doesn’t really matter, but if you know and you put it on a day that and you put an hour or two hours, whatever that time, it might be 30 minutes. Whatever that time commitment is, I need to spend 30 minutes calling the county and getting the back taxes situation under control for these three properties. Do that. And then you know you have it allocated and you know you have that time and if you have to move it, fine. I have to move it from 2:00 to 4:00 or whatever time it is, because I have something that came up. At least you know it’s going to get done and you budgeted the time, so that to me, has been a huge change.
Jill DeWit: Second thing I do is I’ve gotten better and I can still improve on is tackling things quickly and efficiently and the first time they pop up. Because if you open your email, oh, okay. I’ll get to that. And then you stare at it again and again and again and again and how many times you sit and I’m always trying to get better at this. You go look at your email and you’ve got 20 things in there that need your attention. Instead of opening it up, dealing with it right then, replying, scheduling it, getting the task done, whatever it is, that someone needs from you. Answering the question. Just do it right then and being done with it. And so it’s not staring at you. I find you’re saving yourself a lot of time. So that’s my second thing. And the third thing I do is clean space, no piles. And that’s one of the things about you and I we’ve both always been that way.
Steven Butala: Yeah.
Jill DeWit: We have never been and I think that’s one of the reasons we’re together. I remember the first time you came over-
Steven Butala: Yeah.
Jill DeWit: … and visited where I lived. [inaudible 00:13:23] You’re like, “All right. You’re okay.”
Steven Butala: It was a catalyst, for sure.
Jill DeWit: Right. You’re like, because if you walked in and I had six cats and piles everywhere-
Steven Butala: No.
Jill DeWit: … and quilts or I was knitting something, you would’ve been like, “Oh, I’m out.”
Steven Butala: Or you ate dinner in bed last night and it was all still there.
Jill DeWit: Right. Yeah. I don’t do that.
Steven Butala: How’s that for an image?
Jill DeWit: Could you imagine? Yeah. [inaudible 00:13:43] But for my workspace, especially, and people walk in and go, what’s funny is you walk into our studio … Both of our offices/office/studios, there’s equipment everywhere. And it’s like all set up for right now, we’re sitting at Steven’s desk, recording this. So that’s the most that we have is equipment. But you won’t see piles. You won’t see a lot of papers. I have a notepad. I have a notepad. I’m doing things, taking notes for the show right now, because it’s better than typing and once I’m doing, I take this and it’s thrown away or at least shredded and that’s it. It’s done, gone, out of my life. So those are my three things.
Steven Butala: There are exactly two types of people in this world, when it comes to this topic. People who have a schedule, when they wake up in the morning. And people who don’t. The people who actually have a voluntary schedule, one that they make for themselves, to succeed is less than two percent. I did the research before the show.
Jill DeWit: Really?
Steven Butala: Yep.
Jill DeWit: I believe it.
Steven Butala: Most people in their job, think of a person who works in a 1980s factory. Their schedule is not their own. They may … Some foreman said, “You’re just going to stand here.”
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: “When this thing comes down the line.”
Jill DeWit: Clock in, clock out.
Steven Butala: “Drill it. Drill it. When the whistle goes off, like it’s the Flintstones, then take your break. When this whistle goes off, go back and drill the holes, every time something comes down the line. That’s your schedule.”
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: They made the schedule for you and we all know how we feel about that. No one listening to this show has that job right now.
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: In fact, no American has that job anymore, because it’s either gone to China or it’s replaced by a machine, so that leaves all the people between that wake up in the morning and kind of just react to what happens.
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: They have a feeling. Think of a ER nurse. They have very small amount of their day is structured like, “Hey, please take inventory of … ” Which all gets shoved off, trust me. All they’re doing is reacting to what comes through the door.
Jill DeWit: Right. Just ready for it.
Steven Butala: And so you will never, ever get ahead if you’re reacting to the stuff that comes into your inbox.
Jill DeWit: All the time. It’s true.
Steven Butala: Now, granted, an ER nurse, man, believe me, I am not knocking that.
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: That’s just the nature of the job.
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: And there’s really no other way to do that.
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: What your job is, is to have a system and if you have a system and so you wake up in the morning and the day is your own and you have a system that tells you what to do that you’ve created, you will win at this.
Jill DeWit: Yeah.
Steven Butala: If you take it to the next level like I have and then the next level after that, like I have, which we’re going to talk about tomorrow on a calendar based schedule, you will succeed at this.
Jill DeWit: Yep.
Steven Butala: But if you wake up with a feeling and you say, “You know, I think I’m supposed to-
Jill DeWit: “I think it’s getting close to tax time.”
Steven Butala: I think I’m supposed to watch Land Academy 1.0 right now-
Jill DeWit: Yeah.
Steven Butala: … And then the week after that-
Jill DeWit: Yeah.
Steven Butala: … or whenever I get done with that, I’ll-
Jill DeWit: I’ll start. I’ll set-
Steven Butala: I’ll get an LLC.
Jill DeWit: Yeah. I’ll work on that.
Steven Butala: And then when I’m done with that … ” And so it’s never going to get done. Trust me.
Jill DeWit: I’ll see how much money I’ve got saved up.
Steven Butala: Yeah, that one.
Jill DeWit: I’ll check that out.
Steven Butala: Or, “Darn, it’s Sunday.”
Jill DeWit: “Aw, shucks.”
Steven Butala: “Man, I had a blast on Saturday night.”
Jill DeWit: Yeah.
Steven Butala: “It’s 9:40.”
Jill DeWit: “Oh, I’ll get to it next weekend.”
Steven Butala: “I don’t have time. 10:30, maybe I’ll … Nah. Whatever.” And that used to be me, actually. So until I really implemented and we used Microsoft 365 which we’ll talk about tomorrow. And here’s, so that’s my … Please write that down if you’re a note taker on the show. If you actually learned something from the show instead of just listened to it, don’t be … There’s those two types of people. Do not be the person who just kind of meanders around their way through this.
Jill DeWit: Right. That was perfect.
Steven Butala: I lost my thought. Now there’s [crosstalk 00:17:44].
Jill DeWit: You’ve never had that.
Steven Butala: Especially on the show.
Jill DeWit: Wow.
Steven Butala: Maybe they’ll cut it out.
Jill DeWit: I’m impressed.
Steven Butala: Why?
Jill DeWit: This is kind of like … Wait. This is kind of funny. We had two firsts on this show. I eat my words. 935.
Steven Butala: 935.
Jill DeWit: 17 minutes in. Steven lost his train of thought.
Steven Butala: Maybe this whole podcast is almost over.
Jill DeWit: For us? We’re running out things to say?
Steven Butala: Yeah.
Jill DeWit: Never. Oh, my … Trust me. Steven. We talked about, yesterday, going to this trade show. On yesterday’s show, we talked about the trade show. So we went to Las Vegas. So we had how many hours in the car from LA? Four hours in the car there, four hours in the car back. And we apparently have a lot to talk about. So we’re just fine.
Steven Butala: Good save. Good save. So I remembered what I was going to say.
Jill DeWit: Okay.
Steven Butala: So how do you know when you’ve actually arrived and it’s all working? Here’s how you know and this really annoys Jill to this day. I know where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing at 9:00 a.m. And if it’s 9:05, I’m not a nice person to be around.
Jill DeWit: If you’re not where you’re supposed to be.
Steven Butala: Between 9:00 and 11:00 …
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: Or whatever. Like today, it’s actually 9:11. If it gets to be 11:15 and the thing’s not done-
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: I start moving stuff out and moving it forward and removing it.
Jill DeWit: Right. People included.
Steven Butala: Sad but true. I also …
Jill DeWit: I’ve been that person.
Steven Butala: I also schedule, literally schedule my free time. Literally. So …
Jill DeWit: It’s true.
Steven Butala: Let me leave you with this final point. Then we’ll talk about it tomorrow in great detail. The single thing that will kill all of this is not sticking to the schedule, but more importantly, communication. If you have to communicate-
Jill DeWit: I like that.
Steven Butala: … either through email, texting, or all the millions of ways that these tech companies are helping us constantly communicate with each other, you will fail. You have to … That’s ironic, isn’t it?
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: Doesn’t everybody say, “Always, there’s more communication, is better.” No, it’s not. Jill just uses texting as an example.
Jill DeWit: Yeah.
Steven Butala: The accountant asked for some information from her. I don’t know why he contacted her, but he did. And there’s only four or five ways that you can let stuff in.
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: In person, on email, through the text, and probably a few other miscellaneous ways on the phone.
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: The first thing you do and well talk about this in a huge way tomorrow, get it in the system, get all the people involved, right when it happens, and delete it.
Jill DeWit: Right.
Steven Butala: And then it gets out to where it’s supposed to go.
Jill DeWit: Perfect. We’ll talk about more tomorrow. I like it.
Steven Butala: Yeah. I have a lot to say about this.
Jill DeWit: I know you do.
Steven Butala: Well, you did it again. You spent another 20 minutes or so listening to The Land Academy Show. Join us next time where Jill and I talk about a calendar based schedule.
Jill DeWit: And we answer your questions posted on our online community, LandInvestors.com. It is free.
Steven Butala: You are not alone in your real estate ambition. You know where this came from?
Jill DeWit: Where?
Steven Butala: People were asking me, both at the live event, and people ask me all the time, you don’t know this, because I get emails from people that listen to the show. How the hell do you guys have enough time to do what you do?
Jill DeWit: Oh. I get that, too.
Steven Butala: And I feel like I have extra time.
Jill DeWit: Yeah. It’s not that bad.
Steven Butala: It isn’t that bad.
Jill DeWit: We have a good team. You know, we were at the point though, I swear, I’ve got a good team. I’ve got to the point where things come in and I can delegate it and know it’s going to get done.
Steven Butala: Yeah.
Jill DeWit: And that’s nice. For a long time, we didn’t have that.
Steven Butala: I feel like I have control of my schedule.
Jill DeWit: So I understand for people who are new and you’re getting started and it is all you. So you’ve got to be ready for that. You’ve got to wear all the hats.
Steven Butala: Yeah.
Jill DeWit: And then someday, you won’t have to wear all the hats.
Steven Butala: That’s right.
Jill DeWit: Wherever you’re watching or wherever you are listening, please rate us there.
Steve and Jill: We are Steve and Jill.
Steven Butala: Information ….
Jill DeWit: And inspiration …
Steven Butala: … to buy undervalued property.
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