My father did not teach me a lot about the business of real estate, but he taught me a lot about being successful in life. The “Colvin way” included hard work, getting ahead by serving others, knowing your trade as well as any other, always be learning, taking care of your mind, body and spirit, and many other skills. But perhaps the greatest thing he left behind was an unyielding commitment to uphold a good name. Being a “Colvin” meant something. I was born with a burden to uphold the family name in all my dealings. I remember, even as a child, when someone in the family was not honest, it might have well have been an earthquake. My parents would be so unsettled. My world then was quite simple and secure within a family built on integrity.
Rather than Great Riches
That world would grow more complicated as life simply happened. Marriage, careers, motherhood, hard work, educating my seven children… Now grandchildren and an empty nest are on my plate, and business opportunities previously postponed. In all of my six decades here, the one thing for which I’m most grateful to my parents is the good name they gave me and the name I can pass on to my children. After helping my husband grow a business from a single idea to more than 65 employees and offices in multiple states, that proverb about a good name rings more true than ever before. Whether it’s engineering or real estate, your name precedes you. “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.”
Delivery or Indulgence?
The late Maya Angelou once said “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I think this also applies to a name. Here are some examples (this was more difficult than I anticipated): “Southwest Airlines”, “Whole Foods”, or “General Electric”. Contrast that with “Enron”, “AIG”, “Tyco”, or “Goldman Sachs”. How do those words make you feel? Think about your name. How do people feel when your name is mentioned with regards to business? Does it evoke confidence? Do they remember you making good on your promises? Is your name associated with delivery, or rather, indulgence?
Our goal at US Direct Home Buyers is to deal with every individual with honesty and integrity, looking to add value to our customers, contractors, financial partners, wholesalers, buyers, sellers, consultants and vendors. We were put on this earth to do more than make a buck.
A Firm Foundation
I love the real estate business. It is a very social environment where skill and character are very important ingredients for success. As US Direct Home Buyers grows its influence and presence, I am confident that the name given me (and the one I married into) and the intelligent, hardworking individuals and companies we are associating with will have a synergistic effect and we will all grow. The riches may come, and even silver and gold. But above all, whether you are selling your home, buying a home, or simply wanting to do business with us, we desire to be a group of individuals with a good name, standing for determination, honor, loyalty, punctuality, resourcefulness, self-control, sincerity, thoroughness, and truthfulness. All these things are what a good name is built on, as well as what undergirds a sustainable business.
Becky Fields