Meet Dan Cholewa | Business Coach & Real Estate Brokerage Owner

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

Hi Dan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I was young, I could never sit still. There was a part of me that needed to explore, make my own rules, test the limits that others had set in front of me. Now, I have come to the realization and understanding that I didn’t have a choice but to follow my entrepreneurial instinct and start my own business, continue starting and developing businesses and even grow further and coach others professionally to grow their businesses because I am simply not employable! I’m not sure there was a thought process or just a natural progression of failing, getting fired, banged up, ganged up against (starting to sound like a victim)… but interestingly enough one thing that was my driving force and that I constantly carry around with me as a coach today and as a business owner is the voice of my previous manager at Starbucks at the airport who told me, I would never get ahead in life and wouldn’t amount to much. It’s almost as if I have an axe to grind to get ahead and prove it to everyone that has ever set out to hold me back.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started in the Real Estate industry nearly 15 years ago in an industry that I would say was not particularly welcoming to young Real Estate agents. I was 21, excited, unguided, entrepreneurial and overwhelmed by the fact that very few were willing to take a chance on a new “young gun”. I made my reputation by keeping my head down, focussing on building relationships and forcing my way forward. I may have gotten screwed over quite a few times but every time, I learned a very valuable lesson. My passion for business coaching was no accident and even today, as I continue to build my career as a business coach with one of the Top Real Estate Coaching organizations in the country, I continue to strive for growth and the key to my success lies with the question that I ask myself every day. What did I do particularly well today that I’m proud of and what could I have done better? I’ve often found that for the most part, including the many that I’ve coached, most will look at the reasons as to why they haven’t been successful. What is the external factor? My mindset was always focussed on me and my actions, looking into the mirror and wondering where and how I could show up differently.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
While there are so many people that have been instrumental in my success, I want to recognize 3 really important people in my life. My wife and my mom and dad. My dad has always been my rock, the one I lean on (the one everyone leans on) and the one that believed in my abilities more than anyone even myself. He taught me about how important it is to treat others with kindness and respect. He encourages me to think bigger, strive for more and keep pushing harder. My mom, when I was younger was the one who kept me accountable and taught me the values I needed to be consistent and to operate with a high level of integrity. More importantly, she fought for me when things weren’t right. I saw a side of her that showed me that there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for her child. In a system that was failing me, she was the one that came through. Finally my wife, my best friend, my ride or die. She believes in me more than anyone and also is my second pair of eyes who reminds me to never doubt myself, not to sell myself short and that there is whole world out there. While I like to steer the ship, she really is my GPS.

Instagram: Instagram.com/dancholewa

Linkedin: LinkedIn.com/in/dancholewa