Meet Anne Lakusta | Bestselling author, business coach, real estate leader, entrepreneur.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anne Lakusta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anne, how do you think about risk?
I believe that risk taking is a necessary part of growth and development. You cannot change your results until you first change something about what you are doing. Stated more directly – you cannot improve your results until you first do something different – and that is where risk taking must occur. I find that a focus on constant learning is a part of getting comfortable with growth and risk taking. The best results I believe come after some reading, some conversation, some research and then a leap of faith. The truth is that staying the same is an even bigger risk in many ways than taking a step forward, but we rarely realize that until opportunity has passed us by. In my own life, I learned that asking for what I really want to happen is a risk – and also the only way you can actually make it happen. And Plan B and Plan C have turned out to be fun and exciting many different times in my life!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I first got into real estate because I was attracted by the perceived flexibility of that career choice. In truth, success in the field means you respond and react to the needs of your clients, which is not flexible at all, but I loved the entrepreneurial life and the entrepreneurs around me. My respect and admiration for those making their own way, finding their own path continued to grow, and I also began to realize that being an entrepreneur can be lonely. So as I developed my own leadership skills, I knew I wanted to focus those skills on, and with, other entrepreneurs. Not just those who talk about it, but those who are waking up each day and doing it. To me, leadership of entrepreneurs is about tech, tools, systems – yes……but it is also about inspiration and motivation, hiring, training and so much more than it first appears to be. In my mind, leadership, especially of entrepreneurs, is a matter of having people spend time with you and leave having gained confidence. That necessary blend of increasing skills and knowledge, along with increasing inspiration and motivation, is a sweet spot that takes focus and intentionality to reach. So as an author, as a coach and as a real estate leader, I focus on finding the best combination of education, coaching and inspiration/motivation to help us all achieve that fun, purposeful life. And yes, business should be a fun part of your life!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Dallas Fort Worth area has so many surprises to offer! You can enjoy a beautiful afternoon at the Dallas Arboretum or Klyde Warren Park which is a bit different & cool, as it was built over a major interstate…but our favorite would be a walk on the Katy Trail ending at the Katy Trail Icehouse on a shaded picnic table. As the day ends, we love to visit Trinity Groves for dinner and especially the patio at Saint Rocco’s for a delicious Italian meal with an unbeatable evening view of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and the Dallas skyline. For dessert, just go a block or two over for a worth-it wait in line at Emporium Pies in Bishop Arts.

Everyone enjoys being a tourist in Fort Worth because of its genuine western feel. But there’s a surprise waiting if you can get tickets to any performance at the Bass Hall in Fort Worth, that will be an experience worth remembering. We also can comfortably recommend a cocktail on the rooftop patio of Reata in Fort Worth, or some great barbecue at the Woodshed Smokehouse on the Trinity River in Fort Worth.

Our own beautiful suburban town of Flower Mound sits between two lakes, Lake Grapevine and Lake Lewisville, so it’s possible to have a great water sport day in our area too. The Gaylord resort sits on the shores of Lake Grapevine and it is a remarkable spot, with restaurants and night clubs that take advantage of some awesome views. In our own Flower Mound, you can take a walk down a boardwalk on the shores of Lake Grapevine, enjoy an awesome sunset and then sit on the patio at our favorite Mena’s restaurant in Lakeside. It just wouldn’t be a DFW visit without some awesome Tex Mex and a margarita! That’s when you know you’ve been to Texas!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, Mike, is truly my biggest supporter, my best advisor and the one who allows me to be strong. Our two grown sons and their spouses are brilliant, strong and inspirational – and they expect me to be pushing the envelope at all times. In our house, being “average” was the ultimate insult and so we all keep adventuring in both business and life!

Website: leadershipbyattraction.com

Linkedin: Pass the Pig: Leadership by Attraction https://www.linkedin.com/company/76382429/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/passthepig/