16A –What’s Your Secret Sauce?

Isaiah Miller

UFID: 80191457

16A –What’s Your Secret Sauce?

6/19/2020

The five things that make me unique are:

1. My endless aspirations. I could not put a ceiling on where I think I could take life.  From money, to joy, to generosity, I think there is no limit and that it boils down to my choice on where to take it and how to do it.

2. My ability to show interest in others.  I am able to facilitate positive interactions with people where what they love is the main focus. By asking questions about topics they enjoy sharing about, they leave the conversation feeling good. 

3. Radical accountability. I believe whatever happens to me, the good, the bad, the ugly, should be viewed from the lens of accountability.  Asking what you could have done, and evaluating the situations, allows you to have pride in wins, and make adjustments after losses. 

4. Seeing money and laws as tools.  I used to really protect money and actually wanted to be a financial planner.  That viewpoint of money is now boring to me, and with a relatively high monthly carry, I simply decided to focus on increasing income rather than cutting costs.  In fact, in this endeavor I have spent more money than ever before on clothes, marketing, association dues, cars that make me happy, and other things that add to my quality of life and will enhance my self-concept. 

5. My ability to identify those that I can help, but that can also help me.  I try to lead with value, and offer that to others that have skills, wisdom, and information that I don't. This way, I can create mutually beneficial relationships where we both come out big winners. 

My persistence in winning was the focus. In addition, my work ethic was brought up, as they knew that I used to work 20 hour days for weeks on end to get done what had to get done. 

My openness to new ideas was brought up.  Nothing is a dumb idea, and this person often shares ideas with me because they know I won't tell them what is wrong with it.  My authenticity was also mentioned as a strength.

Persistence/tenacity was the focal point.  Stubbornness was mentioned, in the way that I do what I want and shut down unsolicited opinions from non-experts.

My generosity was the focal point of the interaction. They recognized I enjoy giving money, time, and compliments away.

My communication ability led this interaction. They recognized that I could connect well with a CEO or a homeless person, to gang members, and more. 

I think that there are strong parallels between what others think and what I think. I also know that many people don't like me, but of course I interviewed friends.  I think it is mostly accurate, and I am stubborn and hate being told what to do.  I love people, and interacting with people.  What I hate the most is prejudicial people, which is in all of us but we must actively seek to suppress. Some people live with such hate, and I believe the habits I try to cultivate are based on positivity. 

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

Isaiah Miller

UFID: 80191457

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

6/19/2020

The primary alternatives I proposed were:

1) Pro se

2) Self-management

3) Solely attorney

The decision depends upon style, but also information.  Some people prefer to do everything themselves.  In fact, I have met some people that would rather spend hours, or days, to learn something instead of paying an expert a small sum of money to do it for them. In this case, pro se, or self-representation, is the clear initial choice, though 95% of pro se cases end up with representation in the end.  This, combined with self-management, is the 'DIY' persons choice. 

Having solely the attorney is the most common choice.  People feel safe with an attorney with them, and feel secure.  The attorney and paralegal can help with about 25% of the tasks, and give some pointers here and there.  When made aware of our alternative, families were shocked.  They had no idea such a service existed.

Quality is a main key ingredient to what someone wants in their alternative.  Knowing all of the options can help the families make the best decision.

14A – Halfway Reflection

Isaiah Miller

UFID: 80191457

14A – Halfway Reflection

6/19/2020

I have had to develop attention to urgent tasks to keep up with this course.  Normally, I prioritize my schedule of high-urgency and high-impact tasks, and focus mostly on the high-urgency and high-impact, and just high-impact.  I have felt like giving up when working before, but I really have no choice but to continue plugging away. Sometimes it is best to give up, reset, and then begin again fresh on a new day.  I really haven't wanted to 'give up' in a long time, except for during physical activities. I often push myself until my body gives out in these instances. 

I think future students should work on developing accountability among anything else.  Radical accountability enables one to take the wheel of their life, and focus solely on what THEY could have done, attributing success and failures to the actions THEY took, or facilitated through others.  By gaining a high locus of control, one can switch from being a victim to being accountable and strategic. 

13A – Reading Reflection No.

Isaiah Miller

UFID: 80191457

13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

6/11/2020

      I read about famous, and somewhat notorious, Steve Jobs.  What surprised me the most was his ridiculous personality quirks.  For example, he didn't bathe often, sometimes for weeks, and didn't even feel the need to use deodorant.  Instead, he felt that his natural odor was appealing.  He also loved the Mercedes SL55 AMG in silver on black, which I love too, and re-titled the vehicle every six months so that he never needed to use a plate.  It disrupted the beauty of the vehicle.  I admire Steve's ability to delegate and recruit the best talent.  Whether through partnership, hiring, or joint venture, Steve had a knack for identifying the right talent, and would have huge expectations of Apple's team.  

     I also admire his ruthlessness.  It takes a level of savagery to result in a company of Apple's caliber.  Sometimes kindness doesn't get the job done.  I least admired Steve's lack of life balance, even though it is also why he was so successful with his companies.  He didn't pay much attention to family, friends, or anything outside of his laser-beam focus on his business ventures.  Steve encountered adversity and failure on multiple occasions.  He left Apple in 1985 to found NeXT, and although it didn't succeed in the way he expected it to, he was able to work a deal with Apple to purchase it for hundreds of millions of dollars.  This 'failure' led him back to Apple to make it the company it is today. 

      

     Steve was strategic, logical, coordinated, organized, and meticulous.  He was artistic, driven, and motivated by his vision.  He was a visionary leader, and selfish at the same time.   

     One thing that was confusing to me was why Jobs didn't incentiveize his employees with stake or stock in the company, even after it was sold on publicly traded markets.  I have always learned that giving employees incentives based on the success of the company was intelligent. 

      If I could ask Steve Jobs two questions, I would ask him: 

     

      1. If you had more time and health, how would you have ideally prepared Apple for your death?

    

      2. What factors led you to decide to be tough at the cost of others' feelings?

      I know that Jobs' opinion of hard-work was that it was necessary.  His staff was expected to work 70 or more hours a week without complaint, and even more when launches and deadlines were approaching.  He knew what the objectives were and demanded whatever it took to deliver.  I agree with his philosophy.  Do what it takes.  

12A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Isaiah Miller

UFID: 80191457

12A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

6/11/2020

The segment that I chose to focus on is probate. The reason that I chose probate is because it is the first vertical that we are focusing on.  The need for each party I spoke to was salient, and each provided valuable insights into their psyche.  Each party I spoke with was between 1 and 3 months into the probate process.  Two individuals had full time jobs, and the other was a mother handling children, so all three had other areas of life consuming mind-space.  One individual emphasized that their stress related to the probate matter comes mostly at night in overwhelming strength, whereas the other two had sporadic reminders of it.  One interviewee had time allotted for 2 hours a day, four days a week to focus on his responsibilities.  Most of the time during the intraday reminders, the individuals would simply redirect focus, and further procrastinate the tasks.  I call this 'probate quicksand,' because soon they're in over their heads with tasks snowballing.  One interviewee originally wanted to take on probate pro per, or without an attorney, but after a month and a half realized that she needed at least proper legal representation.  

Most of the time when the information search begins, it starts with a call to their legal representation.  However, it is often difficult to get in touch with attorneys directly, so the call usually results in redirection to a paralegal or a voicemail.  Next, the internet searches begin.  One individual had made a list of responsibilities and organized a plan, only to realize later that the procedure was different in Florida.  Usually the searches are general inquiries about certain elements of probate, and other times the information and action-steps involve handling a material task like opening a probate bank account, paying a bill, etc.  

I believe that the need is clear, but aside from their attorneys, most personal representatives don't realize there is a team of probate experts eager to help them, at no direct cost to them.  They also overestimate the role of the attorney, and in every case realized after the first few meetings that the majority of the responsibility and tasks were on their shoulders, including MASSIVE liability.  They do look to their attorney for recommendations for service-providers when the time comes, and the attorney usually recommends probate-specific providers versus general practitioners in each service.  

11A – Idea Napkin No. 1

Isaiah Miller

UFID: 80191457

11A – Idea Napkin No. 1

6/11/2020

I am a problem solver that likes to help and serve people, especially those in hard and stressful situations.  My primary talents are verbal communication, showing interest in others, problem solving, and delivering results under pressure.  I have skills in marketing and sales, including linguistics and phraseology, imagery, and identifying and employing effective sales methods.  I have experience leading virtual and in-person teams, and have sold millions of dollars of assets through digital marketplaces.  I see this business playing a meaningful role in my life, as I can work on a business that directly serves those facing challenging situations.  It is easy to see the direct impact this business would have on families, whereas other businesses I operate are pretty faceless. 

We are offering a vertically integrated service to families going through major life transitions, namely probate, divorce, foreclosure, and elder transitions.  The demographic ranges greatly, but the major SOI that referrals will come from include probate, estate and elder law, divorce, and bankruptcy attorneys, accountants, financial services professionals, elder-care facility operators, and social workers.  The demographics of our clients will range from families of those impacted, those struggling financially, and elder folks preparing for death or assisted-living.  The psychographics profile includes those of the parties above, and are highly dependent on the specific transition.  The primary commonality is the actual situation they are in. 

The families that we help care because they are facing a huge task list full of things that are brand new to them.  They essentially have a new job they have no training for, and their future bears on them making the right decisions, in the right order, at the right time.  One needs a shepherd for situations like these, and our team of experts can fill this role and act as an educator, guide, connector, and service provider to them.  We are the hub of the wheel of all of the information and services that they will need.  The best news is that the families we help don't pay us a dime out of their pocket.  We are compensated by monetizing the spokes, through real estate commissions, investment income from real and valuable personal property we acquire from them, and referral commissions when ethical.  This income is a direct result of the value we provide to the family. 

Our core competencies are problem solving, empathy, communication, and strategic planning.  What sets us apart from anybody else in the marketplace is our full-stack approach to these transitions, that provides value to the families and the other professionals involved, like attorneys, accountants, and more.  These other service providers can build trust and credibility with their clients by referring them to us when they see fit.  We have relationships with the best service-providers (some in-house, and some external) for every situation the families we help could be facing, and have done the interviewing for them so they don't have to.  We can guide them to the solutions that would best fit them, their personality, desired outcomes, and provide different options based on unique factors so that they can choose how they'd like to proceed.  

I believe that all of these elements fit together, and will offer a holistic, vertical solution to families facing uncharted waters.  Our communication skills allow us to build a network of the best referrers, service-providers, and also to effectively connect with the families in need.  We use our empathetic communication to show the families that we are truly here to guide them, and lead with value during the first contact.  Our strategic planning enables us to take the inputs we gather from the families' unique situations, and output a comprehensive, logical plan for the families to move forward.  Problem solving allows us to solve the families' needs in the ways they choose, and go with the flow as obstacles surface.  The one weakness I identified was blending empathy with logic and efficiency.  Sometimes it can be difficult to present efficient solutions without chapping somebody's ass, especially in emotional situations.  It is important to constantly recognize the fragility of the matter, and continually hand-hold and overly communicate.   Overall, most things fit together which is why this business is one of the most exciting for me to date.