We often have experiences that teach us principles of life or business—or in this case, both. And the power of an analogy is such that it can apply to a wide variety of circumstances, like this story of one appraiser who got lost in the middle of the woods but managed to rise above the sticky situat...

Years ago, I went on a nation-wide tour where I met with appraisers in several cities. We discussed what I do as an appraiser and business owner, and how they could improve their businesses. At the beginning of each day, I asked the group I was with what their hourly rate was. By the end everyone co...

Many of you know that I don’t do partnerships. I’ve had some negative experiences in the past, and I don’t like the idea of being a part of one again. Nevertheless, this is a subject that comes up sometimes in the appraisal field. My first piece of advice when it comes to partnerships is this: alway...

I’ve been known to talk a lot about preparing for the unpredictable. A while back someone asked me a question about it. In essence their question was, “Dustin, how can I possibly prepare for the unpredictable if I don’t know what’s going to happen?” It’s a fair question. Let me give you an example.

As an entrepreneur in your business, you are wired to seek and get excited about opportunities.  New people, new options, a new environment, or a new place all present a wide variety of possibilities. You want to take advantage of the things that will help your business excel and leave by the waysid...

Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, my daughter was doing some volunteer work in South America, helping people who have been rescued from the human trafficking industry. She was down there for about a year, and my wife and I had traveled down to visit her. Just as we were leaving, the pandemic went ...