Episode 115: Business Lessons From Mountain Climbing with Mike Novak

Mountain climbing is an intense and demanding activity, both physically and mentally. Much like building a successful business. Just as climbers need to pace themselves and be strategic in their ascent, entrepreneurs also need to take a measured approach when growing their companies.

In Mike Novak’s case, he was able to use his background in climbing and carry the lessons he learned from it to  his life and in his business. 

Not only has it enabled him to push through tough times, but he also learned how to take an unimaginably large challenge, break it down into smaller steps, and just simply put one foot in front of the other until you reach your goal.

Brian Charlesworth joins Mike Novak, Team Lead at The Novak Team brokered by REAL, as he shares his journey from owning several businesses to running a successful real estate team, the most impactful experiences he had, and lessons he learned along the way.

 

Top Takeaways:

(05:45) Mike’s type of Grit
(11:04) Mike’s thoughts on where the industry is today
(11:39) Who are the agents who will continue to win at a high level over the next years?
(13:26) Why Mike decided to start recruiting and building a larger team
(16:09) The mistake they made in their hiring process and how they fixed it
(19:10) What Mike is most excited about this coming year
(20:33) How to make agents stay within the team 
(23:10) Why you should play to win, not to survive
(26:24) How to ensure that the agents you’re hiring fits your culture.
(27:29) Why having a supportive spouse is important for those working in real estate
(28:30) What Mike’s morning routine looks like|
(30:09) The two sources of learning that have worked massively for Mike and his team
(31:52) What Mike loves about Sisu

 

Connect with Mike Novak

Website: https://novakteam.com/

Email:  Mike@NovakTeam.com

Phone: (360) 393-0396

 

About the guest:

When Mike Novak graduated high school, he got into the construction industry with his father who was a builder.  That quickly turned into real estate development where they built condominium projects and a lot of single-family homes.

However, when the recession hit in 2008, their company suffered major losses and setbacks like most builders did. He lost almost $7 million of his own personal cash and holdings in that crash.  What was left was a single-location bar and grill restaurant to keep him afloat.

From 2008 to 2017, Mike was able to grow the restaurant into seven locations, with over 400 employees, raking in $17 million a year in volume. 

Unfortunately, in 2016, a law was passed to change the minimum wage in Washington space and he believed that was the nail in the coffin for their real estate business.  They needed to have a backup plan real quick. That’s when he decided to get his real estate license. 

Today, Mike Novak is the Team Leader and Top Agent of the Novak Team.  He also ranks the #1 Real Estate Agent in all of Snohomish County for 2020 and 2021.  Mike is considered a leading-edge thought leader in the Real Estate space and has been nationally recognized for his work with marketing, processes, and business track record throughout the industry.