Real Estate Zebra Message is Clear- LOVE #savethezebra

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Some of you who read here on a regular basis probably know about my friend Daniel Rothamel.  He’s a great guy I met a few years back through my various uses of social media.   He lives in VA while I am down here in SC.  But, by visiting several conferences over last few years I have been able to meet him in person numerous times.  In fact, last August while his family was here visiting Myrtle Beach we were able to get together for lunch.  This was the first time we were able to actually sit down and talk in person with each other without 200 people pulling at us to come for a photo or pick our brains which is the norm at most conferences.

At lunch Daniel brought his wife & daughter affectionately known as @lilzebra and we had a great time.  The picture to the right I actually took at lunch.  During that lunch I was able to get to know Daniel beyond the zebra brand he developed for himself in real estate.  I met the father, husband and fellow brother in Christ.  It became so evident to me that Daniel was not afraid of his faith or allowing others to know what he firmly believed.  We shared many great stories at lunch about real estate, social media, fatherhood, the beach, and our faith.  He shared with me a bottle cap he carries with him reminding him about love.

Well, last week the real estate industry went a buzz with a post about a lawsuit being brought against him for using some things that someone else thinks is their trademarked content.  I’m not getting into the legal aspects of the lawsuit between Daniel & The Lones Group.  If you really want to know, you can read all about it in a post written by Jay Thompson titled The Lones Group V Rothamel. Since the suit came out into the public forums there has been a lot of buzz around it, but Daniel and his family has remained fairly quiet as they probably have been asked to do so by their attorneys.

However last night Daniel shared a video response which I found very fitting to him and his personality.  You can watch it below and then we will get to my point of this post.

As I watched the video, the first thing that popped into my mind was 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 which is known as the Love chapter of the bible.  Here’s a man that is right now being sued for over $75,000 in damages, has a mother battling cancer and a father with health issues as well, and instead of him making a video saying please help me, please donate, he makes a video about the importance and power of love.

To me, as it says in verse 13,  love can conquer anything out there.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

We so many times get wrapped up in our tests, our trials, and problems that we have a hard time loving others around us.  Daniel’s message here is powerful. We need to continually show love to those around us.  As we show that love it can change lives permanently.  Think about this a moment; when was the last time someone became truly mad at you for showing them perfect love? By perfect love, I mean love that had no strings attached, no hidden motives, or alternative plans.  The answer is never.  When you genuinely show love to someone you will see nothing but a positive outcome.

The second point I get out of this video and the whole situation Daniel is facing is the the testimony he will have to share with others.  As my pastor says on many occasions to me when I am facing something difficult, “Your tests become your testimony.” Many times when we face these tests and trials and we don’t understand why.  But down the road someone will cross our path who is dealing with the same type of problem.  Our ability to share with others from our experiences and to encourage them is the only thing they will need to continue forward and overcome their battle.  Sometimes just the slightest word of encouragement can be the difference between giving up or pressing through.

Daniel has learned through the words of encouragement that he will be able to continue on and make it through this difficult time.  The hundreds of people who have offered words of encouragement and financial support have shown him that all he has worked so hard for over the past few years has been worth it.  He is making a difference in people’s lives and it is worth it to continue on working so hard.

So I leave you with these two thoughts:

1. Show unconditional love to everyone, even when you don’t want to.  It’s the only prescription to truly resolve an issue.
2. Encourage others.  It may not seem like you are doing much by saying good job, or thank you to someone, but those small words of encouragement and gratitude can be the difference between them giving up or pressing forward toward the prize.

Jeremy Blanton

Jeremy Blanton is a Myrtle Beach REALTOR® and owner of 210 Consulting - Social Media Advisors which is dedicated to helping you understand how to use social media platforms to increase your business. He is a social media speaker who shares with thousands of people each year on things like how to use Facebook for Business, Blogging, and How to use Twitter. When he is not coaching or speaking, he spends most of his time working on Custom WordPress Sites for his clients.

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