Almost two thousand years ago, the Roman leader Julius Caesar used three bold words to describe a quick victory he accomplished in a war: “Veni. Vidi. Vici,” meaning “I came. I saw. I conquered.”

The fact that we, as a species: 1. Still know who Caesar was, 2. Still know what he said that long ago, and 3. Still hold him in high regard – is a testament that he did some great things in his time.

So how the heck does that apply to you as a real estate investor? Or anything else, for that matter?

It actually applies in many ways. You see, Caesar was the kind of guy that didn’t really mess around. He went to work and handled his business.

If Julius Caesar was a real estate investor in today’s times, he’d probably be someone like a Donald Trump. Wait…Did I just compare Caesar to Trump? Yeah, I guess I did.

In fact, I can pretty much assure that any time anybody did anything worthwhile, they were acting in a BOLD way.

Want to run for President? (on any level, even Grade School) You’ve got to be BOLD.

Want to get a job? Be BOLD.

Want to start a business? Be BOLDER.

Want to ask a girl (or guy) out? Yep! Be Bold, baby!

Here’s a big one: Want to be a successful real estate investor? You’d better believe you’ve got to be BOLD! ‘Cause if you’re not, someone else will…and guess who’s going to get that deal?

I think you already know the answer.

Now I’m not saying that you’ve always got to be bold. Heck, we all have to sleep at some point!

But when it comes time to handle your business, you know what you’ve got to do.

So what does ‘Being Bold’ really mean?

It can be a relative term. It doesn’t have to mean that you’re yelling & screaming at people, thumping your chest or anything like that. Well… maybe sometimes.

According to Dictionary.com (my favorite fast resource), the word ‘Bold’ is an adjective, meaning ‘not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring’ or ‘beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; imaginative.’

Hmmmm… “Courageous. Daring. Imaginative.” I like that!

So why be bold? What’s in it for you?

Ok, let’s consider the alternative. Because if you just want to be ‘like everyone else,’ then I guess you don’t have to be so bold. But where does that leave you?

The answer is: Mediocrity. Average. Normal…and boring.

Financially speaking, that would leave you poor to lower middle-class. Great. (Not!)

But when you act in a bold fashion, you have more confidence. When you have more confidence, people recognize that about you. You not only become more attractive to other people, you also become more attractive to better things, such as opportunity…or money.

Hey, I didn’t make up the expression “Fortune Favors the Bold,” I’m just quoting another great latin expression, “Fortuna Audaces Iuvat” (literally translated, it means “Fortune helps the bold,” just so you know). By the way, doesn’t Latin sound cool? :)

So there you have it. The good news? We all have a choice about how we choose to act – timidly or boldly – every single day. We can choose to pick up the phone and make the calls we know we need to make. We can choose to reach out to people to help them. We can make more offers on houses.

And when you have that bold confidence about you, sellers, buyers, and even private lenders WILL respond to you. In their minds, they’re thinking “what does THIS guy (or gal) know that I don’t?”

So be bold. Have fun with it. Stand tall, and say things with a smile on your face and confidence in your heart! Because if you truly want to create an even better life for yourself & your family, one of the best ways you can quickly make that happen is by being BOLD!

On a personal note, I started shaving my head back in 2002. This gave me a very unique look that was quite different than before. Shortly after I started shaving was when I began having much success in real estate. So, I guess you could say that “Fortune Favors the BALD” too! Ha!

Until Next Time… Be Bold (or bald)!

Tony Pearl