“In the beginning, we were anx - ious about passing on an opportu- nity to make money. As a result, we weren’t as focused and disciplined as we needed to be to scale our business. We now have a minimum deal threshold and are focused on our bottom line not just in dol- lars, but in time. Separately, we have developed as salespeople and as a process-oriented business. Every time we come up with a new marketing, sales, construction, or hiring plan, we first evaluate how we can systematize it so that it can be repeated by our team. No idea is truly great unless it can be system - atized or efficiently delegated to our team members,” Fishbein said. With five employees at their com - pany, Fishbein and Clements could often benefit from a larger team but have learned a lot about human resources and the challenges asso - ciated with finding the right people for the right job. “We have hired a couple doz - en employees and currently our company employs five people, including both of us. That means that we have let go more people than we have kept onboard. We have learned that just because the right person for the job hasn’t come around yet, doesn’t mean they won’t if we don’t keep looking. That is just one example of trying something repeatedly and continu - ing to try until it works. Don’t give up! As our business continues to expand, we are setting our sights on making an even bigger impact by hiring the right people to fill the right seats so we can reach further throughout our community.” Clements and Fishbein said they joined the Presidents’ Circle because of Think Realty’s owner and CEO Eddie Wilson, and they have realized that the REI industry
E itan F ishbein with his wife E lanna and daughter L eora
is truly a people business. “There is a huge network of businesspeople who we don’t even know we want to meet. To be part of the Circle, members must add some value to the group, and sometimes we don’t even know what that value is until we meet. Some of the best ideas we have come across in business have been by accident!” they said. But other great ideas are very much intentional—like giving back and helping others. “Philanthropy has been the cor - nerstone of our business,” Fishbein said. “Gabe and I have always set our mission to help others. Some-
times our sellers are the ones who we help the most—whether it’s helping them with what feels like an insurmountable challenge or helping someone find a place to live. However, our true philan - thropy has been manifested by our commitment to two special organi - zations—The Caring House Project and the Final Frontiers Charity. We have been honored to build sev - eral houses in Haiti for the home- less as well as sponsoring dozens of children in Central America. It is only when we are able to help others that we become wealthy ourselves.” •
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