Dallas, Texas: In this episode of the show we go from rags to riches, literally from the Great Depression to a $Billion Dollar business.

Mary Frances Burleson said, "... I officed next to her (Ebby) so I could hear her when she negotiated, when she talked on the phone. I was like a sponge. I would encourage anyone if you're going to aspire to do something, go to the best person in that field and be a sponge ."

Mary did well. She came to work as a Kelly Girl and today she is the President of the company.

Ebby Halliday is an American legend, a real Horatio Alger story.

In the Dallas - Ft. Worth area, just the one word, Ebby, means real estate. Since she started in her own business in 1946, she has been making our world a better place. She became an early leader to help shape her industry. Though that has its own reward, she also constantly shaped her own business formulas, and along the way, she empowered hundreds. Today, her business easily does over $3 billion a year in sales.

Here is a life worth living. She has created something of value that is sustainable. She has created an extraordinary legacy.

In the studio opening for this episode of the show, Hattie comments, "This woman has built the road to self-employment for thousands. She's created a place where ... people who want to work for themselves can learn how.

• CONTACT:
  Ebby Halliday Real Estate Company
  4455 Sigma Road
  Dallas, Texas 75244-4597
  Tel: 972-980-6601
  Fax: 972-991-9142
  URL: http://www.ebbyhalliday.com/

• GO FURTHER: Spend some time with the ten key points of the case study guide (just above in the green box) and each of the related transcript segments.

• SELECTION PROCESS: The awards and achievements of Ebby Halliday and her team are just too numerous to list. We defer to their website where even there, they can not list every award! But just in case, you do not have time to go to the site, let lift out these two:
  1. She is pictured on the day she was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame.
  2. She is a Life Member Board of Directors of the National Association of REALTORS.

• Ebby is a risk taker: She said, "...I've saved $1,000. Where can I invest it? I want to parlay it up, turn in my resignation and go into business for myself. I've had an opportunity to take over a group of houses.'
  
  He said, `I don't advise women.' I asked, `Why?' He said, `If they lose, they cry.' And I said, `Well, try me.'
  
  And so he suggested cotton futures, and I was able to get into the cotton futures market and had parlayed it up to $12,000." - Ebby

• LOOK AT STEP 1: INITIAL IDEA. Deciding on a business path should be easy. Take a look at the first chapter of Hattie's book, Beating the Odds. You get some help to answer the question, "What is your personal magic?" It is singularly the most important question you can answer in your lifetime.

• We invite your comments and questions. Was the show inpsirational and/or educational? We hope this show is both!

• WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS. There are many women-ownered businesses that have grown substantially. If you were inspired by Ebby, you'll find these women inspirational as well.

• Exit Strategy and Succession Planning. 70% of all businesses fail to pass the baton to the next generation. They fail to reach sustainability beyond their personality. That business is called a lifestyle business.
  
  If you want to be rewarded for all your hard work, by the time you hit 40 years of age, you had better have some ideas about your own exit strategy and a succession plan. By 50 years old, you should have the basic elements in place. By 55, we all should be working on it. By 60, we need to be harvesting some of our equity (ESOP - DPO - IPO). In the key point of the study guide just above, review points 5 and 6.

• E-CULTURE WHERE "E" STAND FOR EMPOWERMENT. You saw how aggressive Ebby has been in adopting and applying technology. There website today is a clear indication of it. If you would like to use the new technologies to support your customers and reach out for new, and to run your business and free up your time, study the key points of this episode about e-culture.

• JOIN, JOIN, JOIN: Your professional associations in your industry are your key to continuing education, market research, collaborations, strategic partnerships, capital and so much more ... often you'll find that you enjoy like-minded people and many will become friends for life.

• FIND YOUR STEP AND CHART A COURSE TO THE NEXT. If you already have a business, explore Steps 5 - 8. If you’re just getting started, spend time going through Steps 1 - 4. Three-dimensional business modelling is part of our research of critical ratios.

• FIRST PRINCIPLES: Starting a business is the road to economic independence for most of us average people. Read a little more to see why incorporating a business keeps the passion of the American revolution alive!

• SUPPORT PUBLIC TELEVISION:
  Become a member of your local station. If you are already, great. If not and your business is doing well, consider joining the Producers' Club ($1000).

• 1500+ Questions and Answers within SmallBusinessSchool. Within every episode of the show there are as many as 20 questions and answers. Within the school, there is a place to record your answers to these questions. Your answers to the same questions that Hattie asked Ebby (and all the other business owners) become part of your own secure database where you have options to re-display your best answers within this site as your own profile page (that is this page), essentially an executive summary , a study guide and/or a transcript.