SUCCESS STORIES: DEFINING SUCCESS

In this weeks BLOG we would like to share some simple and powerful wisdom from our trusted friend and mentor Mendell Gosnell.

Mendell runs his own very successful Real Estate & Property Management business in Salem, Oregon and he is also an astute real estate investor. He is happily married with five young children. Somehow, he still manages to find the time to help out Isabella and Xander to provide motivation and encouragement to start them on their path of financial education. We appreciate having our breakfast business meetings with Mendell and thank him for sharing his time and experiences with us.

Written by Mendell Gosnell • CPM® Oregon Licensed Principal Broker

The biggest thing I can say about success is begin. The next would be to set a goal and make sure you clearly define what success looks like to you in real measurable terms. Lastly, ask yourself the hard question of WHY? If you do not have a compelling reason (WHY) that you are passionate about then you will not have the staying power to endure the hard road ahead on the path toward becoming successful.

BEGIN - Too many people never turn their dreams into goals. Keep dreaming BUT start doing. Do something every day.

WHAT IS SUCCESS - This is a very personal question and deserves a personal response from you. Take some time to understand what you want and what motivates you. Then, write it down! Is it a certain amount of money that you want to make every month or year? Is it a certain level of net worth? Is it more about freedom or a certain lifestyle? Usually, you will find that it is a compilation of a lot of these things and much more. Things like your personal life, your family, what you get to spend your most precious resource “time” on. Start by defining what success is to you.

WHY - What is your compelling reason or reasons? What are the things that motivate you? Maybe you start by asking the opposite question of what things turn you off or demotivate you? The things that you dislike. Understanding the answer to these questions can also be a great start in getting closer to quantifying and qualifying your personal WHY statement.

Besides having my own great mentor that taught me everything I know about Real Estate Investing, reading a ton of books on the subject has been invaluable. Below are a handful of books that I have read personally and deem worthy of investing valuable time to read. Even if you are not a big reader, many books these days can be found in an audio format on such sites like Audible.com (my favorite) and many other sites. Audio books are also a great way to consume more content in a shorter period of time – especially if you drive a lot. One quick warning though: If you do not put into action the things that you read you will not grow as an investor.

Enjoy and Happy Investing!!! · Rich Dad Poor Dad - by Robert Kiyosaki · How to be a Billionaire: Proven Strategies from the Titans of Wealth – by Martin S. Fridson · The ABC’s of Real Estate Investing – Ken McElroy · Cash Flow Quadrant – by Robert Kiyosaki · The Millionaire Real Estate Investor – by Gary Keller · Buy it, Rent it, Profit – by Bryan M. Chavis · Investing in Apartment Buildings – by Matthew A. Martinez Other great books (indirectly related to Real Estate Investing) · Basic Economics – by Thomas Sowell · The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – by John C. Maxwell · The Richest Man in Babylon · The Total Money Makeover – by Dave Ramsey

Centurion Real Estate Management, LLC “We Protect your Real Estate Investment” ™ mendell@c-rem.com • www.c-rem.com

We are grateful to Mendell for spending countless hours of his free time mentoring both of our children on their path to financial freedom.