In mountain climbing, the lessons are eerily similar to real estate, says Lynn Foulke, CEO of RE/MAX Results and Home Title in Eden Prairie, Minn. “Only you can define who you are and what you can accomplish, even the experts can be surprised, if you believe it, you can accomplish it and perseverance is the key to success.”
Foulke learned that the hard, but satisfying way, in June when she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in East Africa.
“The highest base camp right before the final summit ascent is called Kibo Huts. This camp sits at an altitude of 15,500 feet. For me the greatest physical challenge was evident around 14,750 feet. At this altitude, I worked hard to walk 100 paces before I’d have to stop and rest. By the time I reached 17,000 feet, I was down to 15 to 20 paces before I rested. On the descent when I was more than half way down the mountain, I collapsed along-side the trail for an extended rest stop and asked my guides, “So were you surprised that I made it all the way to Gillman’s?” One of the guides laughed and exclaimed “We didn’t even think you’d make it past Kibo Huts.” I quickly replied, “How can you say that? You told me not to give up. You told me to fight for Gillman’s. I didn’t give up because I believed that I could do this,” says Foulke.
And, that’s a lesson she’s taken back to the 600 sales associates. “I’ve used my stories to define and develop leadership qualities, and I present them to staff in both formal and informal context. I talk about leadership roles as life guides and leadership roles as life trekkers,” she says.
Foulke got interested in climbing after talking to a friend. “A long time friend and I saw this as a considerable personal challenge. We had a strong desire to push our limits to see what we could accomplish in an area that was quite unfamiliar to us.” Once they committed, they had to physically prepare for the climb. Foulke spent four months alternating between 3K runs, circuit training, spinning, core and yoga. “In addition, I incorporated weekly outdoor cycling consisting of 20- to 35-mile routes, and occasional steep hill climbs and outdoor and indoor stair climbing,” she says. “Prior to my climb, I spoke with three people who recently climbed Kilimanjaro. All had personal training programs lasting for at least four months. Interestingly enough, none of them said they would climb Kilimanjaro again,” Foulke laughs. “The main objection cited was the degree of difficulty due to altitude, which included altitude sickness.”
Of course, altitude sickness was a real concern, “Everyone has the ability to influence the degree to which they are physically and mentally prepared. The last component is pure physiology, either your body has the ability to acclimate or it doesn’t.”
But, conquering Kilimanjaro has been a boon to her real estate management as well as giving her a mental boost. “I never imagined that they [business and climbing] would be so intertwined.” According to Foulke, high altitude mountain climbing is all about endurance and mental fortitude—much like real estate. “When every cell in your body is working beyond full capacity, your first instinct is to retract to your comfort zone. While in this state, your mind must not be focused on immediate circumstances but on why you’ve chosen this journey and on the reward itself—the summit (or the close).”
For Foulke, who’s only been climbing a short time, she’s just beginning to see all of the possibilities. “This is a very exciting time for me. As the CEO of RE/MAX Results, I don’t sell homes, however if I were a practitioner this would be an incredible opportunity to make very strong connections. You’ll find that those who’ve accomplished such treks love to share their experiences.”
Foulke’s advice? “Don’t limit yourself to just one hobby or sport, pursue variety in an effort to appease your senses, be mindful that preparation, habit and effort are essential to results and, finally, don’t underestimate your capability.”
Will she do it again? “Last week, I received an invitation to join
Promise Nepal—a 15-day trek to the Mount Everest base camp (18,200 feet) for the benefit of leprosy sufferers and their families in Nepal. This is definitely something that is of great interest to me—an excellent opportunity that perhaps would never have presented itself to me prior to my Kilimanjaro trek. It is most fascinating how life comes together.”
Tracey C. Velt is a writer, blogger and editorial strategist who specializes
in the business of real estate. For the past six years, she's been writing
and editing for REAL Trends. Prior to that, she served as an editor for
Florida Realtor magazine and continues to contribute to multiple real estate
publications, both in print and online.
