Name: Sheila Hensley
Website: http://socialweblearning.com
Bio: Sheila is a veteran real estate broker/owner, Owner of online real estate school and Co-founder SocialWebLearning.com, blogger, social media consultant, trainer, coach & mentor.
Blogger Since: 2009
Do you have a schedule for writing?
No. I know I’m supposed to but I don’t. I seem to express myself better when I write when something is so important, I have to write about it. I’ve read other bloggers and writers say the same. I’ll write something every day whether it is a comment, answering a question from my students or a Google Plus post – which can be as long as a regular blog article at times. I have tried to maintain a editorial calendar but will ultimately ignore it in the long run and just write when I think/hope what I have to say might resonate with someone. It hasn’t changed over time. I’ve been this way since forever.
What post of yours failed and why?
I don’t think any “failed”. There are many I didn’t complete. I didn’t tag properly or do the necessary SEO that I know to do but forget until after I hit publish. Looking at my blog today, I just realized how many that might have been read if I’d only finished what I should have done or shared as much as I should have. Better than an editorial calendar for me would be a step by step checklist for each blog post I write. However, I do what I need to do on Google Plus posts. It’s easier and they get more activity but they are not on my website so not as effective in the long run.
My biggest fail was a G+ post very targeted toward a community. It was EPIC. Realized two weeks later I shared “privately” so only two people mentioned in the post saw it. I was heartbroken. Worked so hard on it, poured my heart out, only two people saw it and it was all my fault.
What is the one thing that you do that your competition does not?
I teach entry level real estate agents for a living. All courses are online. Impossible you say? Most people do but they are wrong. It is a grueling process and not for the faint of heart.
Each student begins with an extreme consultation: is real estate right for you? do you have the determination/commitment to complete the task? Do you have the funds to begin your real estate career? And most important – you’ve got to satisfy ME before you are allowed to register. This is not simply a course, it’s the beginning of your career and you must treat it as such from the beginning. If you are not willing to do that, register at another school.
I don’t want to be responsible for bringing one more new agent into this business who ultimately fails in their first two years. Thus the statement “You’ve got to get past me before you can register”. I know from experience how hard it is so we begin with the hard stuff first.
I don’t know of any other school or instructor that consults with a new student, sometimes for weeks, before they are allowed to go forward. Most would say it’s a waste of my time. I think it’s the very best use of my time for my students.
How do you plan to grow?
Slowly and deliberately with purpose. I do not worry about growth. I concentrate on the success of my students and consulting clients. Their success fuels my growth.
That’s the way I practiced real estate for over 30 years. It worked and I see no reason to change the process now.
I’ve added social media to my student’s education right after they obtain their license. It is very important that social media be incorporated into a well rounded real estate education for beginners. Sooo, I have to go out and learn all I can about the platforms to get them started and stay interested in a new way of doing business. To accomplish that goal takes time an commitment on my part. Maybe you hadn’t noticed how fast things change? So keeping ahead of my students is almost impossible. I’m drawn to the impossible.
Who do you admire, look up to, or respect and why?
Ronnie Bincer hands down. He taught me and many others to use Hangouts on Air. It is the way to communicate with one person or speak to many with authority if you master the technology. My tagline on my G+ profile says “Love to learn; Love to teach and help others learn”. That is Ronnie Bincer. He is the ultimate teacher because he learns everyday so he can teach tomorrow.
Read the Whole Series / Are you ready for your 5ive?
He's an avid hockey fan, rides a mountain bike, sometimes rides a road bike, has a few motorcycles (he had a really fast one, bought a cool orange one, rode a really slow one, and now,a perfect "BDR Weapon"). If that isn't enough, he makes cheese and sourdough bread, loves strong beer and good red wine, and poorly plays the Mandolin.
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