By Laurie Wilson, 2026 Sales & Marketing Council President, First American Title – Homebuilder Services
Before becoming part of the new home construction industry, one of my former roles was working for a dot-com-era startup company that was later acquired by Sprint. During my interview for a new regional manager role, I asked the SVP why leadership made the decision to create the position in eight areas of the country. His response was one I have never forgotten: “I looked under the hood and the squirrel was skinny.”
He went on to explain that after careful analysis of the explosive growth the private company had experienced, something needed to change to better fuel the newly formed organization. There were too many working too hard and wearing too many hats, setting the stage for burn out, churn and an erosion of the very special culture they had worked so hard to create.
At the start of every new year since then, I have taken an honest look back at how the previous one played out, assessing where I was now and writing down what I discovered. My list for 2025 was eye-opening: unhealthy habits that are holding me back, not prioritizing some degree of self-care, allowing a fear of failure to live rent-free in my head, and giving in to a deep need for perfectionism that minimized real progress and maximized my tendency to overthink absolutely everything. Ouch. There was obviously some work to do.
I wanted to share this story to encourage each of you to make 2026 the year you “look under the hood.” It may be time to re-tool your own plan, both business and personal, and start living your best life with a renewed purpose to attain the level of fulfillment you silently crave and slay the goals you truly want to achieve.
Feed the squirrel!
SMC 2026—The Unbroken Thread: A Legacy of Purpose & Tradition
The Sales & Marketing Council was the very first one formed under the GHBA umbrella over 50 years ago! It has weathered some tough market conditions and challenges over that time but has always remained true to its purpose and tradition of selling, marketing, producing and presenting the best premier events, creative networking meetups, and expertly curated sponsorship opportunities designed to enhance visibility and foster new relationships across all member classifications of the GHBA family of companies. If you sell a product or service, you should be part of the SMC. Ask me how to make that happen and support what we do!
Please stay tuned for future articles with details on the other three amazing events SMC has planned for 2026: Battle of the Builders on Tuesday, May 19, The return of Realtor Rendezvous on Thursday, August 20, and the Houston’s Best PRISM Awards on Saturday, October 10.