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Meet Michael Stavinoha

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Stavinoha.

Michael, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a University of Houston Graduate with degrees in Economics, Entrepreneurship and International Business. From the Tech business side, we started creating automated solutions for companies to streamline processes and workflows. At this time, I was in the process of privately selling an import/export business I worked with. The import/export was my gateway to the client base overseas which I have serviced in Real Estate over the last three years. I made many business partners and friends abroad and was excited to help them invest in Texas! At this time, we realized a large gap in quality technology for realtors and pivoted to start creating tools for investors and agents to use. This allowed me to have a very intimate knowledge of the workflow for real estate, investing and analysis. It has really helped me grow and expand my ideas and real estate business models. These things allowed me to become a top producer and be apart of some incredible projects like the Icon M Towers high rise, the Aston high rise and the Omega townhouse developments along with many other projects in Houston!

In between these things, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015 and hospitalized with pancreatitis for 32 days. It was an incredible scary and depressing time for me. I had a lot of uncertainty and fear that was impacting my life. I was moved to MD Anderson through a dear friend Joan Alexander whom has been by my side while going through this! Since the diagnosis in 2015, I have had 2 Whipple surgeries, many other operations and tests and receive treatment every month for the last four years. I am so grateful to MD Anderson, My family and my office at Keller Williams for the help and support!!

Real Estate provided a solution for me not being able to have a standard job because of so many visits to the hospital for treatment, emergencies and tests. Keller Williams Memorial and their team leader Michael Bossart were incredibly supportive of not only my real estate career but my personal well being and health. Work in real estate and tech have been a big part of my mindset change from depressed and sad to motivated and excited. I was able to keep my mind focused on things ahead of me. It is easy for your mind to wonder to the negative if you do not stay positive and busy! Real Estate and Technology have definitely done that!

I do have to talk about my family and wife! They were by my side through everything, both the good and the bad. I am so blessed to have such amazing support from them. We recently had our first child on October 11th, 2019 (Enzo Vinh Stavinoha)! Thank you Hoa for being and great mom and looking after our baby!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It ha been a struggle at times both with business and medical situations. Real Estate is an interesting industry that is dynamically changing with the access to information to the consumers. We as realtors must find new ways to bring vale to people beyond the basics of listing, sells and comps. We have to be an ambassador both domestic and abroad to reach people from all over to engage in the real estate process. The way technology is growing and the ability to reach and research, we as agents my bring more value. The world has shrunk and it’s much easier to reach buyers and sellers anywhere. We have to have that reach and the ability to maximize our marketing to engage. This can require understandings of how to build both organic and non-organic SEO, true engaging content and dynamic demographic targeting. The challenge is to meld this industry that is kind of behind in technology with new cutting edge technology. Just like anything there is resistance, backlash and problems that arise. However, these are the things we have to do to bring the highest value to our clients and friends!

From the medical side, it has been tough to say the least! Just in 2019 alone, I was int he hospital or emergency room 82 days, had three operations including a Whipple surgery, had a near death experience due to a clogged stent in my bile ducts and dealing with treatments and their side effects. For years of this struggle and to be honest I feel better, strong and more motivated than ever to go out there and WIN! I want to be the best at the things I do, the best realtor, the best tech guy, the best husband and most of all the best father I can be. My greatest fear use to be failure, but now is that my son could possible not know who I am if something were to happen to me. My greatest fear is that my son might say I didn’t know my father, he died while I was a kid. I now work toward things that will last like high rises, new buildings and projects. All so that even if I do go early he will be able to see a part of me in those projects, he can point at them and say my dad helped build that… This is the hardest part because I love him so much.

Please tell us about Keller Williams Memorial (Realtor) – Autonus (COO) – NVUS Labs (CTO) – S.E.T. Technology (COO).
With Keller Williams Memorial I am a developer and commercial/residential realtor. I specialize in analytics and technology which I leveraged to help me be strong in the development and commercial/residential sides. I am definitely known for the technology side and the analysis side. I try to go out of the box and do things differently yet effectively. I am most proud of the relationships I have built and the people I have helped both as clients and agents. Being a big producer is great, but supporting those around you helps us all rise to the top! What sets me apart is the tech and analytical background. I try to be creative and not on a linear path for real estate. I am also very active in organizations in real estate. I am a member and National committee member for AREAA (Asian Real Estate Association of America), Keller Williams Houston Young Professionals Board, HAR International Advisory Committee and HAR Technology Advisory Committee. I want to be involved with all aspects and with people from all over the world! Houston is the most dynamic city in the country and we should understand and respect clients and colleges from everywhere! I want to bring more value then what the market standard is and set a new bar!

With my company Autouns, I help with logic and business development of software and web applications. We are also very involved with the UX/IX side and Beta Testing side. We can honestly build any kind of software or web applications needed. We are known for being a full service, creative and cutting edge company that looks for ways to make processes easier and more effective! I am so proud of the products we put out that teach agents how to analyze and invest! We help create an alternative source of income all while helping them service their clients more and bring more value to them!

NVUS Labs is a CBD company that produces the highest quality products all while maintaining an ethical position to meet or exceed requirements set in place! I use this product personally due to my medical situation and have had great results! It has helped with pain and allowed me to rest better particularly after treatment! I am happy to bring a product I use that helps me with my medical situation to others. I get to see the process end to end and understand what’s in it and how good of a product it is. Its like farm to table food… Farm to you CBD!

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have hired a project manager sooner for the real estate side so that I did not have to carry everything on my shoulders. There is a lot of work and time spent in these companies that I could have delegated to another. My wife has been great and allowed me to work hard all while helping me while I was sick.

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