1. Build a team. I was offered a position at a commercial construction company yesterday. What do I know about construction? Absolutely nothing. Most places hire you for skills that you already possess. This man was looking for ambition, someone with heart, someone ready to use her resources with an open mind to learn and grow with his company. I think that he was on to something.

2. Target your pitch. I love the phrase, “narrow your focus; broaden your appeal.” I think it’s exactly what has to be done for success.

3. Be consistent. Providing a constant level of results, processes, and attitude seem essential. Nothing like finding a roofer that does fantastic work on one property for you only to discover that on the next project you hire him for, the roof leaks cats and dogs and the bill is twice as much.

4. Smile. Sometimes, I want to grit my teeth—how could someone be so stupid? Yeah, I get frustrated rather quickly. Yet no one will do business with me or return to me if I’m bitter. Be nice, Katie, be nice.

5. Jump the cliff. We have two ways to live: in safety or with risk. It seems to me that every truly successful person lived the life of risk. A lot of unsuccessful people also lived the life of risk. But you never know if a risk is going to generate a million bucks or send you to ground zero. Are you willing to jump?

6. Find free cheerleaders. Anyone believes in you if it means they can get a few more bucks out of the deal. (Readers, are you thinking of real estate agents, too?) The key is the people who do this stuff for free…i.e. your family. I think they have to be behind you to some degree—you know, pick you up when you’re bouncing off the rocks when you chose to jump the cliff.