I LOVE goal setting. Every year in November, I begin to plan out goals for both myself and my team for the following year.  This past November was a bit trickier – 2020 was a year that nobody could have anticipated, and it has kind of clouded my ability to think proactively about what to plan for in 2021. After many discussions with the team, we have decided that 2021 will be a year of getting out of our comfort zones.  For the majority of us, this means putting our faces out there more. And by putting our faces out there, I don’t mean the perfect, photoshopped, and pretty side of us.  I mean the raw, vulnerable, imperfect shots that show just who we are at our cores. To that end, here is an imperfect shot of me and our son, Asher, born June 30, 2020.

This year, we plan to put out a lot more video content.  Answer me this, does anyone actually like being on camera?  I sure don’t!  It took me 8 years and about 100 comments that I didn’t look like my original head shot from when I started in the business, to finally agree to take a second round of headshots.  We did a new round of these headshots and family photos in 2019 and now have a goal to do them annually with 2020 being an exception because, well, social distancing of course! Toward the end of 2020 we hired Simon, who has a background in Broadcast and Television.  For people that don’t like having their photo taken, trust me, being on film is a whole new ball game.  He has already had us each film 15 different segments which are going to be airing throughout the year across our various social media platforms.  It is funny how easy it is to talk to someone in person, but the second lights and a camera are pointed at you, you can’t even remember your own name!

This year, we also plan to give back to a community that has done so much for us.  It almost seems unfair, that our businesses were booming in 2020 when so many within the community suffered.  We have all increased our efforts to support small businesses whether it be regularly ordering take-out from our favourite local joints, creating jobs for those that were impacted within their own industries, curating prize baskets and closing baskets from local artisans - but it truthfully still doesn’t seem like enough for us.  In 2021, we plan to highlight many of the small businesses so that they too can have a booming year.  We rise by lifting others, right?  So, if there are any businesses out there that you feel may be suffering and could use a spotlight on our social media, let us know. 

This year we also plan to work more heavily on the education component side of our business.  In some of our discussions we discovered three things:

1. We handle a lot of relocations to and from Winnipeg.
2. There are a lot of unknowns out there for both the selling and buying process
3. Some people find Realtors kind of scary and intimidating.  Like if you give them your number, they will never stop calling you.

To that end, we plan to generate more content that helps to address all of these concerns.  For instance, in the works currently is: a series on what it is like to live in Winnipeg, an educational segment highlight FAQ’s for buyers and sellers alike, and more in-depth interviews with our agents just to demonstrate that we sincerely do have your best interests in mind and won’t spam the heck out of you if you reach out!  Are there any questions you would like addressed by us?  Please reach out.  We plan on generating content that our current and future clients will find useful, and always appreciate the input!

This blog is admittedly scattered, pretty much as scattered as 2020 was, so I do apologize. In trying to sort what my takeaways were from the past year, I did find a few recurring themes. Going into 2021 I hope to take some lessons learned in 2020 with me.  Namely:

-          Money can’t buy what matters the most

-          Slowing down is not a bad thing

-          Time with family should be treasured

-          Hugs are underrated

-          We are all more resilient than we give ourselves credit for

We have set some pretty big goals for 2021.  While the world may look a little uncertain right now, I am cautiously optimistic that we will achieve those goals no matter how bumpy the road may be. So, cheers to the year gone by and to the upcoming year: 2021 … we got this!

Happy New Year, everyone!

#AgentJen

Jennifer Queen

Phone: (204) 797-7945
Email: Jennifer@JenniferQueen.com

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be writing a blog on how to keep yourself motivated during times of uncertainty as most of the world would be on lockdown, I would have thought you were crazy.  But, here we are.

This has been a learning curve for all of us and if you are anything like me, a very hard lesson. Being a Realtor, it’s always go, go, go. ESPECIALLY during the spring months here in Winnipeg. Although the market has not come to a standstill, people are being more careful (rightfully so!), which means, I am spending a little more time, well, with me. 

At first, I went stir crazy, my usual routine was no more. My husband was now working from home, open houses canceled, clients taking a step back and reassessing and no social interactions from outside the home. So, what did I do? I panicked. We had just come back from our honeymoon in Bali, I hadn’t worked in 3 weeks and now the world is going on lockdown! I didn’t know where to start. 

It took me at least a week to realize, what I should have seen sooner, we have been given an opportunity to Get. Things. Done.  I finally decided to take advantage of the time we were given to focus my energy on bettering my business, tackling the list of to do’s and plan a FULL house renovation. Now, you may think that is a little on the extreme side, but accomplishing even little things everyday has been how I have made myself feel, for lack of a better word, normal.

If you are feeling any of the same emotions I had felt, you are not alone. With the world in a state of uncertainty, you are entitled to those feelings, but by accomplishing little things everyday hopefully you too can get a little normalcy back in your life. Here are some ideas to help you get started: 

Tackle that pile of odd jobs you have been putting off for years.

You’ve been staring at that patched wall now for what feels like a lifetime, today can be the day.  Head over to Home Depot (BUT remember to book extra time to wait in that infamous line), grab a can of paint and get it done! That pesky eave that has been leaking? Replace it! Every task you check off, give yourself a pat on the back.

Plant a garden.

Finally, the sun is shining. Why not get out there and build yourself a little vegetable garden. Taking care of your new-found hobby will give you something to get excited about every day!

Organize the basement.

We’ve all been there, you just keep piling and piling things into that storage room and think “I’ll get to it next week”. Well, that day has come. Get in there, go through those boxes you haven’t seen in 5 years… who knows, maybe once all of this is over a garage sale may be in order!

Yard Work.

Yes, I said it, spring has sprung and your yard looks less than ideal. Get that rake and go to town! Having an outdoor space that you can enjoy will make being stuck at home all that more enjoyable.

Spring clean.

Who knows what the heck has been living behind your fridge all winter? Make your home feel fresh and clean by doing a thorough deep clean. Next step, open up your windows and bring in some fresh spring air and relax.  

Redecorate.

House feeling dated? I know I’m not the only one with a Pinterest board remodeling every single room in my house… why not give yourself a few DIY projects to pass the time as well as spruce up your home!

Start and exercise routine.

Go for a walk, a bike ride or rollerblade. Whatever it is, start moving. Trust me, I know how tempting that couch can be, adding a little physical fitness to your daily routine will hopefully help boost your mood!

Read a book.

That book your co-worker gave you 6 months ago is calling your name. Get inspired. Learn something new, or just read something that makes you happy.

We will always remember COVID-19 and how it impacted society as we know it. Days can all start to blur together without our usual routines, so let’s try our best to make each one memorable. On the bright side, it looks like things are starting to look up here in Manitoba! Hopefully adding a few of these things to your week will help getting you to that finish line that much easier.

To quote one of the best, “Just keep swimming” – Dory.

#AgentAshton

Ashton Augert

Phone: (204) 781-1767
Email: Ashton@JenniferQueen.com

To be perfectly honest I am not sure where to start.  The last few weeks have turned into something straight out of a Science Fiction novel.  Mandatory shut downs, people self-isolating and social distancing. People buying way too much toilet paper, I joke.  Really though I believe this whole Coronavirus pandemic has everyone thinking twice about a lot of things in life. 

I remember watching in January as China had a goal to build a new hospital in 10 days to fight the virus and try to help save lives.  I couldn’t believe that a country could do something that fast.  There is no chance that in Canada, or Winnipeg in particular we would be in a position to do something of that grand scale to battle this crazy illness.  Obviously our governing bodies, both in the province and the country have been watching the spread of this virus and the possibilities that can come from it.  We are lucky that the city we live in has SPACE! Social distancing is something we have the ability to do.  I was in Costco this week, I waited in line like everyone else and got into the store to find roomy aisles, no crowding, no one running carts into each other, it was probably the most pleasant shopping experience I have had in a long time.  People are being smart and while some of that may be an inconvenience it is so necessary.

In our house both Jen and I are Realtors, which as of today was declared an essential service.

This means we will still be working and helping our clients who need to buy or sell a home find what they need.  We completely understand the social distancing and staying home, we have two young children at home, one who’s preschool is closed due to the virus and the other who is usually home with us has a weaker immune system.  So we are not intentionally trying to put ourselves in harm’s way by continuing to work.  We have taken every precaution we know to maintain distance from people, and to keep ourselves and our family safe, as well as our client, and their homes.   

I guess my biggest take away from this so far is how much negativity and doom and gloom there seems to be out there.  Yes we are isolated, yes we are all having to change the way we do things in our daily lives.  However there is a reason for it, and that is to ensure that as many people as possible are able to go back to their normal lives when this is all figured out.  I too can take it for granted when I have two kids screaming at each other because they are bored and want to do something other than be at home, I get it we all would like to have the option to do other things.

However, I choose to look at the good things that have come out of it. Personally I am getting to have a ton of quality time with my family, we are able to eat almost every meal together, prepping and cooking with the kids is a great learning experience and a good test of patience for all of us.  We have been baking, crafting, playing, laughing, crying, but we have been able to do it all together.  We have more time to appreciate our home, yard and neighborhood while we find creative things to do without “going somewhere”.  Finding new games to play with the kids, seeing their enjoyment change day-to-day on what they want to do and how happy they are to just do something out of the norm.  For instance they had an extra long bath in our basement tub (the one with the jets) the other day with toys they don’t usually get to use in the bath and they loved every minute! For kids it really can be just that simple.

The gist of what I’m trying to say is maybe this is that time to do something you have been putting off, to read a book you have always wanted to read, to build that bird feeder you always wanted to build, or maybe you want to be the best Fornite player in the world.

the point is we have been given an opportunity from a very crazy situation that none of our parents, or even their parents have seen the likes of.  Let’s all embrace it as community, city, country and do what we can to beat this thing. If you can do something to help someone in need, do it.  If you need some help don’t be afraid to ask.  These are unprecedented times and everyone’s needs will be different. Let’s be kind to each other and most of all, stay safe everyone. 

#AgentLogan

Logan Queen

Tel: (204) 226-1261
Email: Logan@JenniferQueen.com