Not too long ago, I published my 500th article to the Mad City Dream Homes blog. As I reflect on my writing, I admit my first article was nothing spectacular, and I've published plenty of unspectacular articles since then. 

What I've learned, though, is that writing as a daily habit has served me well -- and in some subtle and surprising ways. Writing as a daily practice has forced me to ask questions, to think, to research, to struggle a little bit, and to publish. Most important, embracing my practice has helped me to clarify my philosophies, and challenged me to keep learning. 

So, is there a daily practice that you've been meaning to start? I believe you have everything to gain by going for it. Just like me, you may not become world-class in

Deep down inside, we all aspire to be productive members of society, to be a contribution to others, and to immerse ourselves in a vocation that allows us to do meaningful work. And thanks to you, we have the opportunity to pursue meaningful work each day. 

With this spirt in mind, we want you to know that we would love to meet with anyone you know who's in search of more meaningful work and who's curious about a career in real estate. Especially if they're a generous, hardworking, and humble person. Based on our experience, it's the generous, hardworking and humble person who tends to thrive in the world of real estate and enjoy a long and fulfilling career. 

Thank you to all of you who give us the opportunity to pursue meaningful work each day. We

And we're always looking for the next generous person to join our team.

Here are a few kinds of generosity that we look for from every team member:

• Generosity with how we support our clients and our colleagues. 
• Generosity with our attitude and how we choose to communicate.
• Generosity with our willingness to share ideas and solve interesting problems.
• And generosity with how we nurture relationships and build trust.

If this is the type of career environment that resonates with you, then we would absolutely love to hear from you. Just reach out to Dan for coffee and a conversation. We'd love to learn more about what makes you tick and help you explore your career in real estate. 

What is the definition of art? According to author Seth Godin, "Art is a human act, a generous contribution, something that might not work, and it is intended to change the recipient for the better, often causing a connection to happen."

Which leads us to a second question: Using Godin's definition of art, is it possible that our careers can serve as art, too? 

At Mad City Dream Homes, we believe practicing real estate as an expression of art is entirely possible. And in fact it's the only real option we have in a world that needs all of us to be a little more generous, to create more positive connections, and to influence more positive change. 

And so, we are faced with two choices. We can either view ourselves as workers and our careers as jobs

How can we live our lives in a manner that is productive, meaningful, and fulfilling? One way is to view ourselves and others as being a contribution. A contribution to our friends, family and neighbors. A contribution to our community. And a contribution in our professional lives, too. 

Being a contribution is one of 12 transformational practices emphasized in the book, The Art of Possibility, by Rosamond Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander, two gifted storytellers with an inspiring outlook on life. According to the authors, playing the "contribution game" has "remarkable powers for transforming conflicts into rewarding experiences".

In order to play the game effectively, Roz and Ben encourage us to declare ourselves as being a contribution, and to

At Mad City Dream Homes, we have the opportunity to help a lot of people. But it's about more than helping people buy and sell real estate. It's about helping people as a way of life. Helping people as a daily practice is such a nice space to be in. When we consistently show up with contribution to others, we contribute to our own lives, too, by giving ourselves daily purpose. 

Another benefit of generosity is that it just so happens to be a great way of doing business. When people know us, and trust us, and appreciate who we are as people, then they tend to think of us when they need real estate help. 

If living and working with generosity is a daily practice that inspires you, then we would love to hear from you. We're always seeking to grow

Times are tough for a lot of people right now, but with so many employers struggling to hire good employees, we can’t help but think that this is also a time of tremendous opportunity.

To us, this seems like the ideal time for someone with good character and a solid work ethic to latch onto a company that aligns with their values and learn that business from the ground up. Someone who is willing to put in the work, learn and apply new skills each day, and be patient and persistent. If they keep at it, then who knows, maybe someday they’ll be running the company?

We do believe most of us are capable of creating better lives for ourselves. But somehow, we need to be able to take that leap of faith, to allow ourselves to know our true potential,

Working in the world of real estate is full of surprises. With each new client we serve, we're always encountering new situations and new learning opportunities. On top of this the market is always changing. Tools and technologies are constantly evolving. And our field is becoming increasingly competitive. 

The biggest surprise of all

But for a new realtor on our team, their biggest surprise has nothing to do with clients, the market, technology, or competition. Their "big aha" is how much generosity and support they receive from the rest of the team.

We live in a hyper-competitive world, and real estate agents tend to be highly competitive people. Which is what makes working on our team such a unique experience. When you work at Mad City

As small business owners we have the freedom to choose our values, and then we have the responsibility to live by them. And one of the responsibilities that we are choosing to live by is our belief that we are here to create good jobs for great people.

So, what is a good job? 

Ask ten different people and you'll probably get ten different answers, but for us a good job really comes down to 4 key traits. 

#1: A good job is one where we are encouraged to grow throughout our whole career.

When we choose to lean into our unique talents, and when we commit to daily and lifelong learning, we experience a level of accomplishment that we never imagined possible. We experience amazing, life-changing benefits when we set high standards for ourselves

Technology makes it so easy to connect with friends and family. But there’s something really special about receiving a handwritten note. When we receive a personal note, we feel supported, appreciated, and cared for. The words mean more to us when someone takes time to put pen to paper and share their good wishes with us.  

Try a 30-day personal note challenge.

If receiving a handwritten note is something you really appreciate, then why not get in the habit of sending personal notes yourself? For the next month, try this daily challenge: Send one personal note each day to a friend or a loved one. Be genuine and generous with your words. Then take time to notice how this habit impacts you and your relationships. If you immerse yourself in this