the WHY behind shelter

“A REAL CAPITALIST KNOWS THAT TEN DOLLARS GIVEN TODAY DOES A LOT MORE GOOD THAN ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS GIVEN 10 YEARS FROM NOW.”  —YVON CHOUINARD, FOUNDER, PATAGONIA INTERNATIONAL INC.

If you have ever received an email from my wife, you will find this quote at the bottom:

Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life.

– The Earth Charter

We are so fortunate that our vocation allows us the opportunity to love and support our clients with one of the greatest experiences life has to offer, homeownership.  This comes in many different shapes and sizes.  It happens at critical and exciting times in life, as we embrace our own ever-changing stories…marriage, babies, new jobs, empty nests, retirement, vacation homes and financial investments.

For those of us in the real estate profession, when managed correctly, the experiences of others also create financial gain.  We call this capitalism.  Unfortunately, when focused solely on the monetary rewards of these transactions, we lose sight of the greater good we can bring into our cities and communities.  By intentionally focusing on the positive benefits to our clients, and tying those experiences to the positive benefits our money can create in the world, we live out our motto:

changing lives through real estate.

The combination of these two, earning a living and intentionally giving to others, is called Conscious Capitalism.

Johan Mackey & Raj Sisodia defined “Conscious Capitalism” as “a way of thinking about capitalism and business that better reflects where we are in the human journey, the state of our world today, and the innate potential of business to make a positive impact on the world.” – Harvard Business Review

As many of you know, Heather and I have a heart for community, and for contributing to the ever-changing world.  We write it on the bottom of our emails.  We share it in our verbal communications.  We give from our pockets and we participate with our hands, minds, and skills.  Over the past 3 years, we have been preparing to integrate this mission into our daily vocation of helping others with the buying and selling of residential real estate…we call it shelter.

SHELTER IS THE COMBINATION OF OUR REAL ESTATE BUSINESS AND OUR EFFORTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, CITIES AND THE WORLD AT LARGE.

Starting in July 2016 we made a commitment to give a portion of our commission, on each transaction, to nonprofit organizations that provide physical, emotional and/or spiritual shelter. We are making these donations in honor of our clients, while also providing both our team and our clients the ability to stay connected to where the money is being donated through direct access to our nonprofit partners, and the opportunity to volunteer alongside the shelter team throughout the year.  www.discovershelter.com/our-giving/

To date, we have donated $8,350 to a variety of charities in Colorado and abroad: Project Worthmore, Metro Caring, Hope in our City, Nepal Orphans Home, Rivonia and a family struggling with cancer in New Castle…and this is just the beginning!

It is with great honor that we facilitate the transaction of shelter, and it is with deep gratitude that we use these opportunities to give back and change even more lives.

We invite you to join us, and be a positive force for peaceful change in our own homes, neighborhoods, cities and in the world!

We hope you will take the time to learn more about us at DiscoverShelter.com.