Surrounding Yourself With the Right People

Surrounding Yourself With the Right People
By Stephen Nicholson
When it comes to deciding the company you keep, I always think of the quote “you are the 5 people you surround yourself with”. It’s not completely accurate, but the takeaway is very important. The people you spend the most time with are, to some extent, the ones that determine your reality because they are the group you have the most interactions with. If your values don’t often align, prepare yourself for a lot of difficult conversations. This is not necessarily a bad thing, conversations pave opportunities for learning and growth. The difficulty comes in the lack of support needed to push forward. If we don’t have the right people around us as entrepreneurs, it becomes a continuous struggle to take action on our ideas and believe in ourselves.
I was having a conversation with a board member the other day and he had this idea he wanted to share. I could see exactly where he was going with it and I expressed my excitement. We started bouncing ideas back and forth off of each other and by the end it was a plan with a meeting set in the calendar. If he had been talking with someone that couldn’t see his vision or didn’t care about it, nothing would have come out of their conversation. There is no substitute for the impact of having like-minded people around you that can help your ideas transform into tangible goals that become your reality. Pay attention to the company you keep and make sure you are creating opportunities to interact with people that inspire you. It could be the difference between creating change and missing out on something amazing.
Upcoming Events
Member Spotlight: April Denmon w/ Denmon Realty
April’s reputation precedes her. Earning the Wellington and Wilma Webb Leadership and Legacy award in 2017, the Denver Metro Realtors Excellence award and the National Honor award from Community Investment Network in 2019 all show that April is committed to excellence. Her involvement on the board of Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK), C.H.I.C., Girls Inc., Make A Chess Move (MACM), along with many other organizations demonstrates her passion for making an impact on her community. The thing that can’t be seen by looking at her accomplishments is her authenticity and her integrity. She genuinely cares about the people she interacts with. Catch a rewind of her live event, A Chat With April Denmon.
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Email us your business questions to questions@rmae.co and we’ll have experts answer them for you.
- Published in RMAE News
Leaning into fear

Leaning into fear
By Stephen Nicholson
It doesn’t seem natural to move toward something that signals danger. Most people won’t stroll up to a wild bear in the woods or put their hand in a burning fire because experience has taught us that these actions will likely bring us harm. The interesting thing about experience is that it doesn’t have to be personally encountered to have an impact. The same people that won’t put their hand in a fire probably didn’t burn themselves to know that it’s dangerous. We evolve from learning through the experiences of others.
In many cases, this learned behavior benefits us and makes our lives more efficient. Our brains process this collective information and send signals to our bodies when there is apparent danger, keeping us safe. In some cases, there is a gap between actual danger and perceived danger. The fear that lies within this gap is the type that we should be leaning in toward. In order to properly analyze something it’s often beneficial to take a closer look. You don’t have to get burned by the fire to experience the warmth that comes from getting close to it. I challenge you to do something that scares you, it might just be the thing that changes your perception.
Upcoming Events




Member Spotlight: Connect For Health Colorado
Health insurance can be one of those things where you don’t need it… until you need it. Connect for Health Colorado is trying to eliminate that need by offering affordable insurance options. They do this by providing funding to individuals or families that can’t otherwise afford to be insured. See our conversation with Jessica Smith in a Facebook Live Interview as she discusses ways entrepreneurs and small business owners can capitalize on the benefits that Connect for Health Colorado offers. As a sponsor for our upcoming event The Black Business Experience in Denver, we are so excited to have this great organization as a member of our community. If you find yourself without health insurance right now, visit the website and get enrolled through May 15.
“We are the only place that you can apply for financial help… We provide tax credits that will lower the amount you are paying monthly .”
— Jessica Smith
Do You Have Business Questions?
Email us your business questions to questions@rmae.co and we’ll have experts answer them for you.
- Published in RMAE News
Tax Questions Answered 2021
- Published in Resources
Be Yourself

Be Yourself
By Stephen Nicholson
Connecting with your target audience is something that can drive business success, regardless of the resources you have for spreading your message. Strong businesses are built on strong foundations, so aligning your business with your personal values will generate interest while keeping you motivated to move forward in the long run.
Many great success stories are ideas or products that started out as a solution to a personal obstacle. I was recently talking with fellow member Jason Keefer about how he was able to turn his pandemic-caused problem into a business solution. He has a great story created by his unique situation. Human beings can be oddly similar despite our cultural differences and life experiences, providing opportunities for us to connect with one another. We don’t need to have a similar background to understand each other, so embrace those differences! Authenticity is a priceless trait, generating continued benefits.
Upcoming Events
Member Spotlight: Adam Laarsen w/ Laarsen & Associates
Adam creates an environment of openness and trust with the people he interacts with, and his genuine love for supporting others is apparent in his Facebook Live Interview. Honesty and integrity are two personal values that Adam brings to the table with Laarsen & Associates. His mission is to guide, facilitate, and nurture growth for his clients. He adds a personal touch of honesty, bringing ease to a complicated task of managing your taxes and accounting. It’s always great to have Adam as a part of the community, but especially now that it’s tax season! Find him in the directory and give him a call for a free consultation
Bonus Member Spotlight: Oriole Crumbley w/ Peak One Painters
Oriole’s passion for painting is clear in some of the homes he has transformed on his projects. He displays true authenticity in his Facebook Live Interview with some of his own artwork in the background.
Do You Have Business Questions?
Email us your business questions to questions@rmae.co and we’ll have experts answer them for you.
- Published in RMAE News