Keene NH Realtor® braves Boston RainCamp and lives to blog about it!
I've been a member of Active Rain since October 2007. My point accumulation is nothing to write home about, since I've been more of a reader and commenter than a blogger. I'm ranked as the #1 real estate agent in Cheshire County and Keene, NH, but that's more a result of the lack of AR members in my neck of the woods than anything else. It's easy to get complacent when you don't have much competition, but my complacency isn't paying the bills or bringing me the business I know is out there for me.
Having spent almost three years lurking and learning, commenting and connecting, I know that this blogging thing has helped thousands of AR members increase their business, even in a less-than-stellar market, and I know it's time to start putting it to work for me.
Enter: RainCamp Boston
"WOW" doesn't even begin to do it justice. Ben Kinney really knows his stuff and has the ability to deliver the goods with a humor and ease that makes even the most "long-tail-S-E-O-say-what?" among us relax and let the information just soak in. All the snippets of information I'd been gleaning and testing online suddenly started to make sense. I have a much clearer picture of what I'm doing right, and more importantly, what I'm doing wrong. I'm actually able to connect the dots of the various Social Media platforms, and I left Boston's Seaport Amphitheater confident that I can accomplish it. That, my friends, is not only encouraging, it's empowering.
My advice to my fellow Active Rainers? Get thee to RainCamp!
If you're committed to bringing your business to the next level, it really is a no-brainer.
BUT WAIT....There's MORE!
Did you know that there are real, live human beings behind those profile pictures? Seriously! I've seen it for myself. RainCamp is an extraordinary opportunity to travel through the looking glass computer screen and connect with some of the folks you've been "socializing" with right here on AR.
During my time here on Active Rain, I've made some really great friends. I can safely say that at least 30% of my Facebook Friends are people I've met through AR. Some have become such close friends that it's easy to forget that I've never actually met them. We're able to get acquainted a bit more easily through reading blogs or commenting on Facebook updates or re-tweeting 140-character-or-less epiphanies. Social media often allows us a little more insight into what makes people tick, and I think we're better able to bond without some of the boundaries that we might have to maneuver IRL. (that's In Real Life...and don't feel bad, I didn't know either ‘til my kids told me)
But...every now and then we might just have the chance to see beyond the keyboard voice and profile pic.
I was able to re-connect with my favorite "wedding crasher" after nearly 24 years!
I exchanged FB messages with my newest Facebook Friend, Connecticut's own "Running Realtor", like we were passing notes in school. I was fortunate to have lunch with some terrific real estate agents and stagers, including New Hampshire's own Sharon Tara, and I finally got a chance to apologize to former Keene, NH resident, Liz Bolton (who moved to Cambridge right around the time I moved to Westmoreland, NH) for not following up on some fabulous blog ideas she had for me.
To transition from info-surge to life as we know it, our day of inspiration and education was followed by the after-party where we could all begin to relax and make the most of a little more "facetime". I so enjoyed chatting over a glass of wine with Marianne Cherico and Annie (I wish I could remember her last name!!) about staging, antique homes, kids in college and facing the ups and downs of a challenging market.
Sadly, it wasn't until today that I realized that I missed catching up with some of the folks who were there. (A great reason for AR to provide a list of attendees, so we don't miss our "connections" Hint, hint, AR gods) Crystal, we won't make that mistake again, my friend!
I think it's safe to say that a good time was had by all! I sure didn't see anyone grousing. Reeling from information overload, perhaps, but definitely not grousing!
Some things to remember, when you attend your region's RainCamp:
Bring your laptop or, at least, a notebook. You'll need it to write down a lot of stuff. I typed up six pages of notes and wish I'd taken more!
Bring business cards. Lots of them.
Get a good night's sleep the day before. You want to be fresh and ready to soak everything in.
Seasoned pro or nervous newbie, be prepared to be blown away.
Oh, and if you want to be one of lucky owners of an official RainCamp t-shirt, don't just sit there.
Trust me on that one!
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Stay on top of what's happening in Real Life and Real Estate in
New Hampshire's Beautiful Monadnock Region
*******************
Kim Brown, REALTOR
~CALL~ 603.545.1632 ~TEXT~
Diamond River Realty LLC
~ 603.358-3123 ~
~ 138 School Street, Keene, NH 03431~
You're an excellent writer, you should blog more often!
I enjoyed your post because it was personal AND had information I'm interested in... "should I go to Raincamp??"
I'll be watching for more posts!
Kim,
You're awful brainy (and hilariously snarky), so I know you're going to knock some socks off.
Just not today ;) (inside joke, folks, Kim knocks the socks off every day)
Kim It was great to see you at raincamp...who knew when I crashed your wedding 24 years ago we would come full circle. A couple of things for the record, #1 Scott invited me at the last minute, and #2 unlike the notorious wedding crashers of movie fame I came alone and left alone (I think I left Alone?).
Waynette--Thank you! Yes, you should go to RainCamp! It was excellent and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
Steve--I know. But my version is much more "glam" :) I'm so glad I got the chance to see you. And you can bet your ass that I NEVER would have imagined selling real estate back then. If anyone had asked, I'd have thought they'd over-visited the bar. Oh....wait. Most folks did over-visit! I wish I could confirm that you left alone. I can only say that I did not. ;-)
Heather--ROFL, my ARBFF! someday we shall do the face-to-face chat. I'll be wearing flip-flops :)
Kim, Did any of the bridesmaids say I didn't leave alone? ...You don't have a younger sister do you?
Let's see...there were 6 bridesmaids. 2 were my sisters (both younger than I.) 5 were in relationships at the time. One was not. The unattached bridesmaid was my youngest sister, who was 16. 'Nuff said. :)
I didn't mean to imply that you didn't leave alone. I only meant that I was not privy to any details either way. I must have had other things on my mind :)
Okay, I'm late to the party. And, of all things, found out about this on TWITTER. Sigh. Gotta get there more often. Anyway, I may be late, but I was the first to reblog, hee hee, and recommend you for the coveted gold star, even though I don't see a flashing gold banner urging me to do so.
Now I'm dying to go to RainCamp. Thanks for that! ;-)
Wedding Crasher. Did you see the Movie by the way Kim. It was Hilarious. Thanks for sharing this. Great blog.
Oh, wait, no I was the last to reblog you...now the reblog button has gone dark. Shoot, I really was late!
Susan...LOL! You'd get a lot out of RainCamp for sure. And thanks for the re-blog! Way cool. And Twitter is something else that I have to make a conscious effort to incorporate into my routine. So many possibilities with all of these things, and I actually feel comfortable attempting them.
I think the reblog button goes dark after you click on it. Only one per customer, please. ;-)
Lanre...I did see it and it was hilarious! In Steve's defense, I know he didn't really crash. I just like to bust his chops about it. But, as he said above, what are the odds of reconnecting with someone so many years later here on AR? Gotta love it! Thanks for stopping by!
Hmm... Now that I'm starting to hear about the pages and pages of notes I'm wondering how much I missed while goofing off. :-) RainCamp was one of the more informative events and I prefer the single room presentation over the chaos of REBarCamps. Looking forward to the next outing, hope to see you again in October.
Dan, one (wo)man's goofing off is another (wo)man's networking! :)
I agree that RainCamp was one of the best RE events I've been to as well. Where are you going in October? NAR convention? I look forward to meeting up again in the future...although I can't promise that I have the same "stamina" as our friend, Inna. ;)
I heard it was a great time! I hope you're planning on attending New Hampshire's 1st real estate bar camp in October. #REBCNH is going to totally rock.
Monika disclosed one of the possible October destinations but don't really like the fact that it's in the middle of the week. For me to travel up there for a Wednesday event is disrubtive to my schedule. Not sure about NAR in New Orleans either. Kind of wait and see what the fall brings.
Monika, I remember your mentioning it when we met at the Prof. Standards class in Manchester earlier this year! As I recall, it's immediately following the NHAR convention, isn't it? I still haven't firmed up any plans for October yet, but I'd like to try to make it, as I haven't yet attended a REBar camp. Time will tell (I'll keep an eye out for updates from NHAR!...which reminds me: Love your video messages--awesome!)
Dan, even if we don't connect in October, I have a sneaking suspicion that we shall meet again! And I can't wait! :)
Great post! If I hadn't been there myself, I would now be convinced to go! I agree with Waynette, you should write more often! I had no idea that you and Steve had a past life experience...very interesting!
Sharon--It's a small world, isn't it? Steve and my husband both grew up in Sudbury, MA. By the time I met my husband, Steve had already headed north, so it wasn't until the night before our wedding that I had the opportunity to meet him. Who knew that it would be nearly a quarter century before we'd get the chance to meet again face-to-face, and all because of Active Rain?
RainCamp was a wonderful experience for me, from an educational perspective and a social one. To my way of thinking, many of life's best experiences are a balance of both. :)