In this exclusive Q&A, Glenn Sanford, CEO of SUCCESS, discusses what it signifies to be part of such a notable brand, as well as what readers can anticipate in the coming years.
Additionally, Sanford shares insights on the often-overlooked importance of consistency and how his unwavering dedication to the next right step was key to his achievements.
This Q&A has been refined for brevity and clarity.
Madison Pieper: You are at the helm of eXp World Holdings, Virbela, and SUCCESS. Given the demands of managing these various enterprises, how do you interpret consistency?
Glenn Sanford: Consistency helps those around you understand your actions and how you function, making engagement as a leader and entrepreneur more productive. One significant way to achieve this is through the consistency of your actions, accessibility, interactions, and the messages you convey. This creates a recognizable pattern that can be beneficial.
As a leader, I monitor responses: What’s the net promoter score for our product or service? How do we evaluate our progress? Organizations often regroup on a quarterly basis. We set commitments at the start of the quarter, but as it draws to a close, complacency can creep in. Hence, establishing a predictable rhythm—be it quarterly or weekly—helps prepare us for the next push.
MP: In business, flexibility is essential. In what ways do consistency and flexibility enhance one another?
GS: Flexibility is something you must assess regularly. You might label it innovation: Are you advancing or just maintaining? What are your major goals? Are you making progress toward them? Flexibility is really about evaluating how far you’ve strayed from your path at certain intervals.
A quarterly review may reveal, “This was our intended goal, but we ended up elsewhere. What adjustments are necessary?” That’s when you refine your plans and become agile. It’s essential to recognize that not every decision is a sound one; part of the learning process involves pivoting to ultimately increase the market share and acceptance of your product or service.
Flexibility ensures that your actions align with the initial plan, or informs you that adjustments are necessary. You can adapt to achieve your goals, but you can also recalibrate your goals.
MP: How do you maintain motivation between achieving goals—after you’ve completed one and another looms on the horizon?
GS: Many entrepreneurs grapple with this transitional phase. I often find myself in this frame of mind: I’ve just accomplished something I previously thought impossible. Maybe I can just relax now for the rest of my life.
However, relaxing does not benefit anyone, nor does it fulfill our greater purpose. But taking breaks is still important—we designate those as vacations. Others might opt for sabbaticals, pausing to invest in personal growth so they can return with renewed vigor.
The goal is to continuously seek ways to push your boundaries and amplify your impact. Pursuing a broader impact does come with risks—both to your reputation and finances—which can make the temptation to relax appealing once you’ve reached a certain level of success. You might ponder, Should I play it safe now? Or should I take another leap?
For me, it’s a challenge I continuously navigate, as I sometimes find myself thinking, I’ve achieved goals I never thought possible, followed by, What’s my next challenge?
MP: That’s insightful for overarching goals, but how do you approach smaller, daily goals?
GS: It really depends on how you define those smaller objectives. Often, focusing on your larger goals naturally leads you to accomplish the smaller ones.
By aiming high, you subconsciously attract the smaller objectives along the way. For instance, if your goal is to run a 5K but you haven’t trained at all, perhaps you aim to complete a half marathon. To achieve that, you’ll need to run a 5K, which then creates a motivational steppingstone to reach your larger aspirations.
MP: Aim for the stars, and you might discover new heights.
GS: Absolutely.
MP: With that in mind, do you believe in setting achievable goals, or is it acceptable to dream big as an entrepreneur from time to time?
GS: It’s crucial to believe that the goals you set are within your grasp. If you doubt this, at some point, you might ask yourself, Why am I even making this effort? Effective goal-setting involves creating targets that are challenging yet within reach—keeping your aspirations visible yet slightly out of grasp.
On the contrary, if you lack faith in your capability but are curious about the realm, immerse yourself in learning about the business, industry, or topic until you discover what genuinely ignites your passion.
MP: Do entrepreneurs ever reach a point where they stop being students?
GS: By nature, entrepreneurs are always experimenting with new ideas, whether it’s creating a novel business category or introducing a new product or service. Even if you’re managing multiple franchises, there’s a continuous learning process involved.
For me, that’s been one of my strengths. I actively engage in reading, listening to audiobooks, and surrounding myself with other successful individuals. This practice has benefited me, allowing me to incorporate effective strategies that elevate our business. As an entrepreneur, it’s vital to focus on refining your internal processes.
Furthermore, you need to articulate your offering to the market distinctively. What sets your product apart? Often, you won’t discover your unique selling proposition unless you study the successes of others who’ve innovated and found their niche.
Continuous learning is essential, preparing you to mentor the next generation of leaders or those you influence so they can elevate their own paths. In my experience, entrepreneurs embody two principles: they are always learning and consistently implementing.
MP: There are entrepreneurs, and then there are serial entrepreneurs like yourself. How do you uphold consistent strategies and methodologies across your diverse ventures, each with its own specific objectives?
GS: eXp Realty is, at present, more than 70,000 agents and brokers across 18 or more countries, making it the fastest-growing firm in residential real estate. I fully immersed myself in every role within that business. After acquiring brands like Virbela and SUCCESS, I realized that each has its distinct operational style. Every business carries its unique character and past, necessitating that we adapt effective practices from one firm to another—be it in our organizational approach, restructuring, or establishing rhythms unique to each venture. It’s not a rapid process.
The real question is what we ultimately wish to achieve in these enterprises. I believe eXp fulfills a particular need for real estate professionals. On the Virbela side, we’ve tackled how to manage extensive organizations in a virtual setting. For SUCCESS, we think expansively about growth and how to garner total commitment to the upcoming developments. That’s the recurring theme for me—how can we set new ambitious goals in various companies rich in history as they join our ecosystem?
MP: Speaking of SUCCESS, this year is monumental for the magazine: its 125th anniversary. What does it add to you to be a part of this legacy?
GS: It feels surreal. I’ve been an avid reader of SUCCESS since the 1980s, subscribing at different life phases. The stories about entrepreneurs—what they attempted, what succeeded, and where they stumbled—have always inspired me to think of new ideas. The goal is to be able to flip through the magazine and pinpoint two or three actionable insights to apply to my life, my work, and my interactions that elevate me.
That’s what SUCCESS has consistently provided me over the years: insights that sharpen my thinking and help me build a multibillion-dollar organization. Thus, it’s truly a privilege to be featured on the cover and influence the magazine during this period.
MP: How do you envision the future of SUCCESS?
GS: When we acquired SUCCESS, we recognized its potential for growth. We have a magazine, a digital platform, and educational courses; we also identified the opportunity to introduce initiatives like SUCCESS Coaching and the SUCCESS Speakers Bureau. So if someone seeks guidance to enhance their organization’s mindset, we can assist. Additionally, we developed a coworking space concept—SUCCESS Space—to bring the ethos of SUCCESS to local communities, connecting individuals eager to advance their pursuits.
MP: In your role as CEO and feature of SUCCESS, what crucial lessons do you wish to impart to our readers?
GS: If you can envision it, you can realize it. That’s the essence of it. Consider Elon Musk—he had a vision of creating an electric vehicle, which led to the rise of Tesla. He replicated that drive with SpaceX. Look at Jeff Bezos—he foresaw leveraging the e-commerce boom through the internet. What’s evident with these figures is that they initially believed they could achieve goals that others had previously deemed impossible. And crucially, they believed in their potential.
There’s a crucial distinction between believing in your ability to achieve something and merely hoping you might. I reached my mid-30s before I genuinely started to believe in my capacity to reach my objectives. By then, I had gained a solid understanding of online lead generation, real estate dynamics, and had a valuable mentor. I believed I would succeed, as opposed to merely thinking I could. It was during this pivotal moment that my journey transformed—I committed to success, and I have worked diligently ever since to become the success I always knew I could be.
