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2026 July

July 2026

This month is all about running your business your way. No doubt, it’s important to get ideas and feedback from others but at the end of the day, you have to do what works best for you. The Coach’s Tip, Member Spotlight and a special piece from Buffini Coaching LIVE™ guest Morgan Housel will help you discover your definition of success.

Make sure you subscribe so you never miss a future issue.

Enjoy!

Derek Jones,
Director of Community

In This Issue

Three Questions That Protect Your Joy

As business coaches, we spend most of our time helping clients improve their results. We talk about systems, accountability, productivity, goal setting, and business strategies that help people grow.

So at first, a conversation about joy might feel a little out of place.

But over the years, I’ve learned that protecting your energy and joy isn’t separate from success — it’s what allows you to sustain it. That’s why I find myself asking clients the same three questions over and over again:

  • What’s the highest and best use of your time?
  • Who gets to get you?
  • What brings you joy?

1. What’s the Highest and Best Use of Your Time?

Most of us spend too much time reacting. We answer the latest email, put out the newest fire, or focus on whatever problem feels most urgent.

But urgency and importance aren’t always the same thing.

The highest and best use of your time is the activity that creates meaningful progress. That might mean a client conversation, family time or stepping away long enough to recharge so you can return with fresh energy and perspective.

2. Who Gets to Get You?

This is one of my favorite coaching questions because it challenges us to think about where we’re investing our emotional energy.

In a relationship-based business, we care deeply about our clients. But sometimes one difficult conversation, one unhappy client, or one challenging situation can consume far more of our attention than it deserves.

Not everyone gets to occupy space in your mind rent-free.

This is one of the reasons we encourage clients to categorize their database into A+, A, B, and C relationships. Not every relationship requires the same level of time, attention, and emotional investment. Having clarity about who matters most helps you focus your energy where it can have the greatest impact.

3. What Brings You Joy?

Too many people treat joy as a reward once everything is finished.

The problem is that the work is never finished.

Joy isn’t a distraction from productivity. It’s often what makes productivity sustainable.

Whether it’s spending time with family, being outdoors, traveling, exercising, reading, or pursuing a favorite hobby, the activities that bring us joy help us recharge so we can bring our best selves to the people who matter most.

The Three Questions in Action

Recently, one of my clients reminded me why these questions matter.

She had been dealing with a particularly difficult client. You know the kind — the one who consumes an enormous amount of energy, creates uncertainty, and leaves you questioning whether anything you do will be enough.

My client had done everything she could. She responded thoughtfully, communicated clearly, and served this client with professionalism and care.

Yet as the weekend approached, she couldn’t help but feel conflicted. Should she spend the entire weekend replaying conversations, drafting follow-up emails, worrying about the outcome, and chasing a resolution?

That’s when the three questions came back to her.

At that moment, she realized the highest and best use of her time was to step away and recharge. She didn’t need to hand over her entire weekend, and her peace of mind, to someone else’s frustration. So instead of spending the weekend chasing a difficult situation, she packed her bags and headed to her “joyful” place, the lake.

There’s a difference between responsibility and obsession. Responsibility says, “I’ve done what I can.” Obsession says, “I’ll sacrifice my peace trying to control what I can’t.”

When Monday arrived, the situation was still there. But she returned with a clear mind, renewed energy, and the perspective needed to address it effectively.

That’s why these three questions matter. They help us protect our time, guard our energy, and show up as our best selves — in business and in life.

Ready to learn how to run a business that thrives and gives you the freedom to live your best life? Contact us for a free Business Consultation. In this 30-minute call, we’ll help you get clear on your vision, identify what’s holding you back, see what’s working for others just like you and discover your next step.

The Wrong Crowd Is Costing You

My mother used to say, “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.” I hated that phrase when I was a kid, but the older I get, the more I realize that she was right.

The ancient scriptures actually noted this as well: bad company corrupts good character. In other words, you might be a person of good character, but if you’re hanging out with bad characters, you’re going to get corrupted over time.

When you spend enough time around certain people, you start to talk like them and think like them. You normalize what they normalize and aim for what they aim for. Not because you’re weak, but because you’re human.

If your circle complains, cuts corners, or settles, you slowly shrink without noticing it. If your circle grows, learns, takes responsibility, and dreams bigger, you expand without forcing it.

Intentionally Seek Out Your Tribe

Post-COVID, we’ve become an isolated culture. We’re comfortable being by ourselves. Every word of criticism feels harsher. Every slight feels bigger. And so we’ve retreated from people. But when we lean into great associations, they help us become more than who we are.

In this business, we have self-employed people. We have to take the “self” out of self-employed. You can’t just do this alone.

Consider joining a local group, like a chamber of commerce, BNI or LeTip.

For our Members, we have over 350 small groups throughout the U.S. and Canada that meet monthly to brainstorm and encourage each other.

We formed these groups for ambitious people who wanted to change their lives but found they were in a minority position in their companies and offices. They wanted to seek out people who were on the growth journey themselves. They not only help each other with business matters but also with the inevitable bumps in the road we all encounter at one time or another.

Set Your Boundaries

Dr. Henry Cloud, who we’ve featured at our events, wrote a groundbreaking book, Boundaries. In it he notes that the people you meet in life fall into different categories. You have the ones who are family, of course, and then others who you want to cultivate relationships with. There are also those who you need to become indifferent to.

I will not extend myself, and I will not repeatedly expose myself to people who repeatedly go out of their way to offend me or get under my skin, or I find myself carrying their weight with me. I also won’t stay angry with someone because that anger is like eating poison. So I just won’t do that at all.

I treasure the relationships that are closest to me. I’ve learned to build tolerance for myself and others with those relationships, and I will go to the nth degree for those. Of course, there will be cuts and bruises and bumps and lumps along the way because we’re all human.

The fact of the matter is we need to limit the negative people in our life. We need to intentionally seek out the positive, connect with small groups, connect with like-minded people and connect with “birds of a feather.” And if we do that, we really will have a blueprint to limit the negative people in our lives and increase the positive.

CTA

Each week on his new show, The Brian Buffini Show, Brian discusses the big questions and the real-world solutions. Each episode blends perspective with action, offering principles and tools that help you gain clarity, build confidence, and take meaningful steps toward living your best life. Watch the latest episode here.

Do It Your Way

Originally written by Morgan Housel and republished with permission

The ultimate success metric is whether you get what you want out of life. But that’s harder than it sounds because it’s easy to try to copy someone who wants something you don’t.

I’ve seen this play out twice: An incredibly talented young writer with a big blog following joins a major media company where they quickly fizzled into irrelevance.

It was the same story each time: When the writer was young and independent, they could write with their own voice, their own style, their own flair. They could run with their own intuition.

They were artists, which was what made them great.

Then they joined a big media company, which said, “That’s not how we do things here. Here’s our style book, you must follow it to a T. And meet Gordon, he’s your new editor. He will tell you what to write and when to write it. Good day, sir.”

They became employees, which was their downfall.

And these were very successful media companies. They knew what kind of writing worked and what their readers wanted. But of course, it didn’t work out. What was right for the company was wrong for the writer. A talented person can quickly become mediocre when you force them to be someone they aren’t.

Even if you’re not an entrepreneur, there’s so much to learn from that.

It’s so common to on one hand recognize how much variety there is among people — different personalities, backgrounds, goals, skills — but on the other hand ask, “What’s the best way to do this thing?” as if there can be one universal answer for vastly different people.

One area this impacts people is with money, where more damage is caused not by dumb financial plans but by reasonable ones that just aren’t right for you.

How you invest might cause me to lose sleep, and how I invest might prevent you from looking at yourself in the mirror tomorrow. Isn’t that OK? Isn’t it far better to just accept that we’re different rather than arguing over which one of us is right or wrong? And wouldn’t it be dangerous if you became persuaded to invest like me even if it’s wrong for your personality and skill set?

Or take how we spend money. You like this, I like that. Who cares? It gets dangerous when you assume that if someone else is spending their money differently they either must be doing it better than you or doing it wrong. And that’s actually very common, because it’s easy to interpret someone spending money differently than you as an attack on what you’ve chosen to spend money on.

It’s possible to be humble and learn from other people while also recognizing that the best strategy for you is the one closest aligned with your unique personality and skills.

A few things happen when you do:

You do your best work and have the most fun when you’re not burdened by fear that someone else thinks you’re doing it wrong.

You measure how you’re doing against your personal benchmarks, which can both push you to your potential and prevent you from chasing someone else’s.

You have a much better shot of getting what you want out of life. Which, again, is all that really matters.

 

About Morgan Housel

Morgan Housel is a New York Times bestselling author and financial psychology expert. His books have sold over 12 million copies and have been translated into more than 60 languages. He is currently a partner at The Collaborative Fund and serves on the board of directors at Markel. Click here to learn more about him.

Morgan will be joining Brian Buffini at Buffini Coaching Live: Mastering Your Time and Money on July 30 from 9-11:30 a.m., PT. This live, virtual event will give you the tools to build smarter decisions, stronger time management, and a more confident financial future. Click here for more information and to register for your free ticket!

Building Community One Event at a Time

In this blog, Lana Rodriguez, a Buffini Member for nearly six years, shares how hosting client appreciation events has intentionally helped her team build community and foster deeper connections. She’ll expound on this in our Community Connection webinar, Wednesday, July 22 at 10 a.m. PT. Register here to join and learn more.

When my husband Bryan and I relocated to Colorado in 2014 through the military, life was far from settled. We were new to the area, trying to navigate an unfamiliar market and build relationships from the ground up. As a military family ourselves, I quickly realized many of my future clients would be in the same position — looking not only for a home, but also for connection and a sense of belonging.

After nearly 11 years of selling real estate in Colorado Springs, one of the most competitive and relationship-driven markets in the country, I’ve learned one important thing:

Community is the heart of it all.

But how do you actually build community? How do you stay connected to clients long after the closing table? And how do you continue providing value when the transaction is over?

For me, the answer has been client appreciation events.

A Milestone Mindset

I knew I wanted to create something different. I didn’t want clients to feel forgotten once the paperwork was signed. I wanted to build a community where relationships continued long after the transaction.

That mindset became the foundation of our client event strategy.

I often joke that we’re the real estate team that doesn’t go away. We continue checking in, celebrating milestones and inviting clients to gather with us throughout the year. What started as a simple way to stay connected has become one of the most valuable parts of our business.

One of my very first events was a small Mother’s Day gathering in 2016. I was a brand-new mom myself, trying to figure out family life and business at the same time. The event was far from perfect, but people showed up, connected with one another and left feeling appreciated. That experience taught me an important lesson: people don’t remember whether an event was extravagant. They remember how it made them feel.

Soon after, we hosted our first movie event. It was a little cheesy, and yes, we wore matching shirts. But it was memorable. More importantly, it gave us another opportunity to strengthen relationships with the people we serve.

Over the years, client events have become one of the cornerstones of our referral-based business. They’ve helped us stay top of mind, create genuine connections and turn clients into advocates who actively refer friends and family.

Team Up with Your Trusted Partners

One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is that client appreciation events are too expensive or too difficult to sustain year after year.

The truth is you don’t have to do it alone.

For all of our larger client appreciation events, we partner with our preferred lender, who has been a trusted part of our business for years and has consistently shown up for our clients, our team, and our community.

When we’re planning a major event, we approach them well in advance and ask them to participate in up to 50% of the event’s marketing expenses. Depending on the event, that might include venue costs, refreshments, entertainment, photographers, face painters, balloon artists, swag, or other event expenses.

In return, they’re invited to attend the event, connect with guests, and provide their own marketing materials. Everything is discussed and approved ahead of time so expectations are clear, costs are transparent, and everyone stays aligned with applicable RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act) guidelines.

The biggest lesson? Don’t think of your lender, title representative, inspector, or insurance professional as a vendor. Think of them as part of your client care team.

The right partners want to build relationships just as much as you do. When you work together, you’re able to create experiences that are bigger, better, and more memorable than either of you could create alone.

Client events don’t have to be extravagant to be effective. They simply need to be intentional.

When people feel appreciated, they remember it. And when you consistently create opportunities for connection, community follows.

Lana will dive deeper into her Client Appreciation Events strategy at our Community Connection webinar Wednesday, July 22, at 10 a.m. PT. Register here to join and learn more.

Jason Sanders

As a REALTOR®, providing a service to others is a natural part of Jason Sanders’ business. It’s also been an inherent part of his life well before he found success in real estate.

For 20 years, Jason served in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Master Sergeant. During that time, he was a trumpet player in the U.S. Army Band, Pershing’s Own, performing “Taps” at the Tomb of the Unknowns as well as during military honors for thousands of funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. He also participated in ceremonies and performances of national and international significance at the White House, the Pentagon, and throughout the Military District of Washington.

Making the Move to Full-Time

For the first part of his real estate career, Jason ran his business alongside his military duties. When he decided to retire from the Army and concentrate on real estate full time, he investigated several coaching programs. Buffini & Company seemed to be a good fit, he said. Soon afterward, he realized it was the right choice.

“I had business [prior to joining Buffini],” he said. “I had clients, I was closing homes, but I’d never used a CRM. I had plenty of drive to succeed but lacked focus. I didn’t know exactly how or where to focus my efforts, didn’t use a CRM, and didn’t know how to set goals for myself.

“I also had no direction on how to set boundaries for work and family life. I had minimal agent-to-agent relationships and very inconsistent marketing, and while I had some good years, I always had the typical fluctuations in business because whatever marketing I was doing stopped when I got busy.”

Jason first signed up for One2One Coaching. Working with his first coach, he quickly saw the value of having a “business coach that listens to and is in tune with me.”

“There are times I ask what feels like the most ridiculous questions, but those moments often deliver the greatest value,” he added. “Nothing surprises [my coach], and that perspective consistently helps me see opportunities I wouldn’t have found on my own.”

That value accelerated, he noted, once he switched to Leadership Coaching, especially as he strove to grow his team.

“My first year in Leadership Coaching has been a year in which I’ve doubled my business, learned how to better lead my team, made an admin hire, grown my team, facilitated the 100 Days to Greatness program for 10 agents, and seen and felt personal growth as a leader.”

The Value of Relationships

While Jason appreciates the financial success he has gained, he is also grateful for the relationships he has built within the Buffini community.

“Agent-to-agent relationships are the real magic of Buffini & Company Membership. I’ve benefited from many agent-to-agent referrals, but just as importantly, these relationships provide solutions, motivation, and innovation,” he explained. “The connections I’ve built with agents across the country have been a major contributor to my success. Once you see what is possible from other agents who are successful with this formula, you realize the path to making it work for you is a reality.”

His perspective on the importance of strong connections was deepened even further, he noted, last summer when a devastating fire destroyed his family’s home. Members of the local community, their church and Buffini Members all reached out to help, he said.

“I realized that everybody needs people, right? When things are hard, you need people. And it also helped me understand that I can be a little more sensitive to the hard things other people are going through,” he said.

“I’m just very grateful for everything that Buffini & Company has provided for me and for my family,” he added. “It’s given us a wonderful lifestyle and a lot of satisfaction in knowing that we are able to help people in the same way.”

Watch Jason’s story here.

 

PREVIOUS ISSUES

June 2026: Make Connections That Count
May 2026: Cut Through the Noise
April 2026: Find Your Business Rhythm