Thought Alchemist, Innovator and Web Weaver
KelleSparta.com, Cambridge , MA 2008 – Present

KelleSparta.com is a company that helps speakers, trainers, coaches, and authors to create and run powerful, profitable businesses. Through education, facilitation and coaching, KelleSparta.com takes experts and turns them into gurus. We take people's dreams and build foundations underneath them.

Founder, Speaker, Trainer and Coach
Sparta Success Systems , Cambridge, MA 2004 – Present

Sparta Success Systems conducts professional training for the real estate industry. In addition to the training events we offer onsite and online, the Company has launched affiliate programs, and produces training materials for the industry that include podcasts, blogs, books, marketing materials and training manuals that garner over 2000 downloads and 3000 readers per month. Our web sitewww.spartasuccess.com scores an 93 on Hubspot’s Web site Grader. An experienced communicator, business professional and successful entrepreneur, Kelle Sparta is a columnist for Realtor Magazine, the leading publication in the real estate industry. Ms. Sparta is also published in RIS Media and Broker-Agent Pro, well known industry publications, and has been interviewed in various national media. An active speaker Ms. Sparta has keynoted conferences and seminars including The Beechwood Forum, The Entrepreneur Speaker’s Series and The Greater Boston Business Council. Ms. Sparta is the author of numerous publications. Her latest book The Consultative Real Estate Agent was published by AMACOM Publishing, a division of The American Management Association.

EDUCATION

Peak Potentials Train the Trainer Program 2007

Certified Trainer ERA AccelERAtion Program 2003 Certified Trainer - New agent training in real estate

Mind Empowerment International 1998

Certified Trainer - Corporate and personal training programs that utilized neuro-linguistic, behavioral, mnemonic, kinesthetic, and other psychological approaches to learning.

Bachelor’s Degree - University of Connecticut, 1996
Concentrations in Communications and Project Management

INSTRUCTION

SELECTED CLASSES, PRESENTATIONS & WORKSHOPS

Kelle Sparta possess a 12+ year history of teaching and instruction. What follows is a list of selected events.

Creative Prospecting – New Ideas To Increase Your Sales, Compass Towards Success, Worcester Regional Association of Realtors, 2008 & Prudential First Choice Real Estate, 2005

Effective Negotiations - Sawyer Business School Suffolk University, 2008

Focusing Your Business, Emerson College , 2008

Success is Spelled F-O-C-U-S, various including: Homes Group, 2007, Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley, 2008

What to do When Life Speeds Up - Z Lighter Side of Transformation TV Show with Lisa Wessan, 2008

Turning Ring-Ring into Cha-Ching - various including: 2006, 2007, 2008

There’s No Excuse for Having No Leads! – Realtor Association of the Sioux Empire ( Sioux Falls, SD), 2008 and Exit Realty Golden Triangle, 2006

The Cure For The Unreasonable Client – Women’s Council of Realtors, 2007

Creating Relationships on the Web – Effective Internet Marketing – Rueben Austria’s Entrepreneur’s Speakers Series, 2007 (Keynote Speech)

Beechwood Forum Presents: The Secrets of Success with Kelle Sparta - (Keynote Speech), 2006

Grow Yourself to Grow Your Business – Women’s Council of Realtors, 2006

The Energetics of Sales – Next Level Realty, 2005

Buyer Contracts - Next Level Realty, 2005

Unique Selling Proposition and Elevator Pitch - Next Level Realty, 2005

Getting Out Of Overwhelm - American Society of Women Accountants, 2005 (Keynote Speech) and Staples Business Expo 2004

Managing Your Clients’ Expectations – Century 21 deAnn, 2005

Into GREAT: Success Training for New Agents – Sparta Success Systems, 2004, 2005, ERA Key Realty 2003, 2004, Carriage House Realty, 1996, 1997

Creating Your Marketing Plan – Various including Staples Business Expo 2004 and Keller Williams Realty, 2005

Reiki Energy Healing Training – Various including Mystical Times, 2000 & 2001, Amethyst Moon 2003, 2004

Stepping Out In Faith Workshop and Trust Walk – Amethyst Moon, 2003 & Private Home, 2004

Buyers are NOT Liars - ERA Key Realty Services, 2003

Who Do I Work For? An Agent’s Guide to Agency - ERA Key Realty Services, 2003, Bowes, Pennell and Thompson Realty 2005, and Next Level Realty 2005

Teaching Circle - Designed and Facilitated a bi-weekly group where students learned traditional mystical practices and participated in custom-designed rituals for personal growth, 2001-2002

Principles and Practices of Real Estate – Licensure Training – New England School of Real Estate, 1997

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

Event Planner and Facilitator
LumensGate New England, Leyden , MA 2007

LumensGate is a personal growth and transformational event which has been in operation for over 18 years. Its efficacy was documented by Kathy Scheiern, PhD in her dissertation: Transformational dynamics : documentation and analysis of the effectiveness of a program/model created to engender behavioral change in individuals . The organizers of the event wanted to expand their reach to the New England region and approached Ms. Sparta about facilitating that expansion. Ms. Sparta co-designed and co-led the New England version of LumensGate with Ms. Scheiern. Ms. Sparta spearheaded the marketing of the program within the New England region, designing the marketing materials and creating and executing the marketing plan. The e vent included elements of ritual theater, art projects, consciousness-raising assignments, journaling, initiation, movement (dance), and NLP (neuro-linguistic programming).  

Life Coach
Peak Potentials Life Directions Workshop , East Rutherford, New Jersey 2007

The Life Directions Workshop is a weekend event where students are asked to reevaluate their lives and create a new plan for creating a life of choice. As a result of this introspection, many students experience stress, confusion, and emotional crisis. Ms. Sparta was a Life Coach at the event, working individually with challenged students to help them through the issues they were experiencing. She utilized coaching techniques including Socratic method, guided visualization, critical decision making facilitation, perspective shifting, process explanation, validation and support, and permission-giving. She worked with some students once, others she shepherded throughout the weekend through more difficult transitions.  

Director of Recruitment and Training
ERA Key Realty Services, Framingham , MA 2003 – 2004

ERA Key Realty Services is a large-scale residential real estate sales company with nine offices spanning the Metro West region. Ms. Sparta was the Director of Recruitment and Training for all nine offices. Ms. Sparta designed a company-wide recruiting and training program coordinating the training and in-office support with the managers of each of the offices. She also served as the new agent manager for the Framingham office where she was based. She personally recruited 38 agents to company in one year. She designed a new agent training program and trained over 200 new agents on this program. The program she designed included not only hard skills training of writing offers to purchase, but also soft skills based training on consultative sales, rapport building, marketing and client management/coaching. She included a personal growth section for the agents as well to help them make the transition from their old careers into the new one. Her training program was responsible for a 91% success rate in the first year which is 300% above the industry norm. Ms Sparta coached her agents weekly on sales, marketing, presentation and negotiation skills. Of the 20 agents she personally recruited and oversaw, two reached Leadership production level (5 transactions within a quarter) within six months – a feat not accomplished by most experienced agents ever.

VP of Finance
Neves Corporation, North Attleboro, MA 2001-2002

Neves Corporation was a Renaissance Faire/Haunted House theme park entertainment company. The park plan integrated socially and environmentally conscious business practices into a profitable sales model. Ms. Sparta participated in the business plan design including conceptualization of the park, the business model and the socially and environmentally conscious aspects of the business. Programs were designed to reduce neighbors’ resistance to the project and to encourage the acquisition of tax credits from the state. PR campaigns were designed to improve visibility and attendance while encouraging civic service. Ms. Sparta coordinated a team of people who researched the industry, created budgets for each division of the organization and was solely responsible for the development of the financials for the $14 million dollar park. Ms Sparta acquired support from a commercial bank and corporate attorney as well as researching venture capital groups and creating sales presentation for potential investors.

Training Development & Instruction
New Hope, Inc. – Attleboro, MA 2001-2002

New Hope is a non-profit organization focused on rape and violence prevention. Ms Sparta developed a self esteem and empowerment training program for at-risk youth and delivered the program several times each in the Foxboro Middle, Attleboro Middle, and Bridgewater/Raynham Middle Schools. Program was coordinated through the guidance councilor’s office and programs were run on school grounds with great success. Guidance councilors reported immediate improvement in students’ attitudes, attentiveness in class and grades. Ms. Sparta also developed and delivered programs to the counseling staff of New Hope on creation and utilization of stress-reducing techniques for clients in a clinical setting. Program included instruction in the creation and facilitation of guided meditation practices for clients.

Instructor
North Attleboro Adult Education Center, North Attleboro, MA 1999-2001

The North Attleboro Adult Education Center is a community-based education program offering classes in a variety of subjects to adults in the local community. Ms. Sparta created and taught a First Time Home Buyer Seminar. She received consistently excellent student reviews.

Director of Recruitment and Training
Carriage House Realty, East Lyme, CT 1997 – 1998

Carriage House Realty is a residential real estate office. Ms. Sparta was in charge of recruiting new and experienced agents and training the new agents. Ms. Sparta designed a recruiting program which included Career Night presentations that effectively weeded out those who would not make it in the industry. She recruited 20 new agents in her first year. She then designed and taught a new agent training program which resulted in retention rates seven times the industry norm. Ten years later, 20% of the students she trained now own their own brokerages. She has since taken many of these training programs and brought them to individual offices around New England. (See PRESENTATIONS section for detailed descriptions of courses and clients)

Instructor
Dynamic Directions, Various Cities in CT, 1997-1998

Dynamic Directions is a new agent training company which runs classes state-wide in Connecticut. Ms. Sparta taught the Budgeting and Prospecting portion of the company approved curriculum. She received consistently excellent reviews from students and staff at the Board of Realtor locations where the programs were held.  

Instructor
New England School of Real Estate, New London, CT, 1997

The New England School of Real Estate is a professional licensure training company for those wishing to take the exam for their real estate license. Ms. Sparta taught Principles and Practices of Real Estate – the state approved curriculum for licensure training. Ms. Sparta received excellent student reviews.

Recruiting Consultant
Kay Koestler Robbins – RE/MAX Memorial, Houston, TX, 1997

Kay Robbins is a real estate agent in Houston Texas who was having an assistant turnover problem. Every three to four months she would lose an assistant. Ms. Sparta was hired to bring on a new assistant for Ms. Robbins. Ms. Sparta designed the marketing plan to bring in the right resumes and weed out inappropriate candidates. Ms. Sparta conducted the interviews and presented Ms. Robbins with a selection of three highly qualified candidates and a list of the reasons why each would be good and in what areas. Ms. Robbins hired one of the candidates and that person stayed with her for over seven years becoming an integral part of her team and business.

Owner Spiritual Education and Healing Center
Mystical Times – Taunton, MA 1999-2001

Mystical Times was a Spiritual Education and Healing Center and retail store selling new-age products like candles, incense, crystals, etc. The center offered a variety of classes including: Divination, Reiki Energy Healing, Angels, Understanding and Using Crystals, Toning for Health and For Women Only: Connecting with the Goddess Within. Ms. Sparta owned and operated the store and healing center serving as operations manager, healer, spiritual/life coach and instructor. She partnered with her vendors to stock the initial opening of the store, designed and implemented systems, procedures, and marketing plan for start-up retail business, and made the business profitable within six months of start-up. Ms. Sparta specialized in utilizing alternative, active-participation techniques to engage students in the learning process, and consistently received excellent ratings from students.

President, Chair of Site Selection and Title Transfer Committees
Habitat for Humanity of Southeastern CT, New London, CT 1996-1999

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that builds houses with volunteer labor and donated materials and then resells those homes at no interest to those who cannot afford to buy a home any other way. The thought behind Habitat is “a hand up, not a handout”. Ms Sparta served on the Board of Directors as the Title Transfer and Site Selection Chairperson for two years. She used her knowledge and connections in the real estate industry to enable the chapter to transfer title on several properties that had been stalled due to lack of funds for legal work. Ms. Sparta recruited two attorneys to do pro bono work for the organization. She was elected to the position of Board President in 1999 during a time when the organization was just emerging from being financially insolvent. Work was just getting restarted on two projects and the board was demoralized. She recognized that many of the board members were burned out because of overwork, so she removed non-working board members and brought in replacements to revitalize the board. She then set out to overhaul the organization creating written policies and procedures for decision-making to reduce legal liability and produce more consistent responses. She directed the search for a new Executive Director and oversaw the person once he was installed in his position. She co-designed and implemented a new volunteer orientation and training program to improve the response time for bringing new volunteers on board. Within a year, the board had more than doubled previous production going from 1-2 houses per year and a stop-work the year before to five houses per year.

Top-Producing Realtor
Various Real Estate Agencies - Southeastern CT 1993-1999

Ms. Sparta was a top-producing residential real estate agent for over six years. She was consistently ranked in top 10% of the industry for her area. She was the first Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) in Southeastern CT and one of the first agents in the area to advertise buyer agency – 3 years before Connecticut passed the law making buyer agency mandatory. Ms. Sparta wrote, marketed, and presented first time home-buyer seminars. She also wrote, marketed and published a procedure manual for real estate agents and assistants. Ms. Sparta served on the Board of Directors for the Eastern CT Association of Realtors and was the State Representative for that Board to the CT Association of Realtors. In her quest for constant learning, Ms. Sparta achieved both the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) and the Graduate, Realty Institute (GRI) designations.
 

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

Personal Growth Background – Ms. Sparta is a practicing shaman with a strong background in tribal studies, personal growth, self help, psychology, religion, shiatsu, massage and energy practices. She has both attended and facilitated numerous transformational events. In 2002, Ms. Sparta went on Spiritual Pilgrimage (Walkabout) for a year.

BUSINESS SKILLS –Ms Sparta is trained in bookkeeping, payroll, accounts payable/receivable, and general ledger accounting. She is also an experienced office manager.

COMPUTER SKILLS – Ms Sparta has extensive knowledge of web-based marketing systems, blogs, podcasts, and social networking sites. She is also proficient in MS Office Suite, MS Windows, MS Project, Adobe Illustrator, Various Photo Editors, and the Internet.

OTHER SKILLS – Ms. Sparta is a talented singer/songwriter who plays African drums and piano. She is writing her first novel. She is an avid board gamer and enjoys sailing, kayaking, live music, and reading. While working at Renaissance Faires, she achieved the rank of Master hair braider. Ms. Sparta has extensive theater performance experience; she is a talented improv performer and is adept at various accents including southern and Irish. She reads tarot cards and she designs and manufactures transformational jewelry. Ms. Sparta has studied ballet, tap, jazz, and modern dance as well as country line dancing, square dancing, contra dancing, belly dancing, and various forms of ballroom dancing including swing and Latin dancing. She is beginning to learn contact improv dance.  

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Organizer – The Boston Business Strategy and Networking Meetup Group - 2008 -2009
• Organizer – The Pursuit of Happiness Somerville/Medford Meetup Group – 2008
• Marketing Consultant – The Human Awareness Institute Boston Chapter – 2007-Present
• Event Organizer - FREE HUGS - 2007, 2008
• Individual Writing Coach - The Posse Foundation - 2007
• Member – Women’s Council of Realtors - 2006
• Member & President (2006) of Waltham Chapter – Business Networking International – 2004-2006
• Speaker Liaison for The Leverage Conference – New England Speaker’s Association - 2004
• President (1999) & Committee Chair, Board of Directors – Habitat for Humanity of Southeastern CT – 1996-1999

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

The Consultative Real Estate Agent, AMACOM Publishing (a division of The American Management Association) 2006

How To Make Relocating Clients Happy - Realtor Magazine - September 2008

Choose Me! How to Get Online Prospects to Love You - Realtor Magazine - July 2008

If You Do What You've Always Done, You'll Get What You've Always Gotten - Broker Agent Pro - July 9, 2008

Digging Up Lead s - Broker Agent Magazine – February 9, 2008

6 Ways to Build Referrals - RIS Media - January 21, 2008

Keep Their Expectations In Line - Realtor Magazine - January 2008

Advertise Your Buyers! - Broker Agent News - November/December 2007

Do You Have Concrete Goals? - RIS Media - November 26, 2007

How To Blog Your Way To Success - RIS Media - November 17, 2007

Stop Dreaming, Start Doing - Realtor Magazine - November 2007

Coaching Your Clients Home - Focus Publications Tips Tools and Tricks of the Trade - October Issue

For Brand New Agents: How to Prosper in a Down Market - RIS Media - September 25, 2007

Advertise Your Buyers - Broker Agent News - September 7, 2007

Do You Have a Bad Attitude? - Realtor Magazine - September 2007

Are You a Coal Raker? - Broker Agent News – September 5, 2007

Online Discussions - Innovator Series - Marketing Roundtable - Realtor Magazine - August 29, 2007

How to Avoid Creating an 'It's All About Me' Web Site - RIS Media - August 21, 2007 (This Article was picked up by Lowes and sent out as their "Top Story" in their Realtor-Targeted newsletter. )

Creative Prospecting - Target Your Marketing to the Individual - RIS Media - August 9, 2007

Come Back From Burnout – Realtor Magazine – July 2007

The Entrepreneur Mindset – Startup Spark – June 20, 2008

What Makes Good Marketing Copy? - RIS Media – June 7, 2007

Beyond the Porcupine Shell: Why It Pays to Be Warm and Fuzzy - Realtor Magazine - May 2007

Get Committed: Four Steps To A Winning Attitude - RIS Media – April 17, 2007 ( This Article was picked up by Lowes and sent out as their "Top Story" in their Realtor-Targeted newsletter.)

Is Money Your Friend? - Realtor Magazine - March 2007

Overcoming Loss: How To Work With Grieving Clients - Realtor Magazine - January 2007

10 Dating Rules That Can Help Your Career - Realtor Magazine - December 2006

Establishing Credibility - iRealty Wire – November 18, 2006

You Have To Think Long Term To Last - RIS Media – November 13, 2006

Five Ways To Contact Your Sphere - Principal Broker Online – September 16, 2006

In The Trenches - Out of The Mouths of Babes - Realtor Magazine – August 01, 2006

Podcasting for Fun and Profit - Realty Times – June 28, 2006

Coaching Your Clients Home - RIS Media – April 10, 2006

 

MEDIA APPEARANCES

Compass Towards Success Podcast Interview Series , Bill Murphy Interviews Kelle Sparta on Prospecting, June 10, 2008

Become Your Own CEO Blog Post – www.scottfox.com – The Entrepreneurial Mindset - July 1, 2008

BlogTalk Radio - Talk To Me... Conversations with Creative, Unconventional People with Host Rita Schiano - June 10, 2008

Realtor Magazine Online – Interviewed for “10 Ways to Run an Effective Real Estate Seminar” - April 1, 2008

International Real Estate Investors Association (IREIA) – Questions and Answers about Real Estate Sales with Kelle Sparta - February 13, 2008

Foreclosures Mass – The Three Greatest Fears That Keep People From Doing Their First Deal (primary source for article) - November 2007

Florida Association of Realtors - Rookie 101: Seven ways to prosper in a changing market - September 26, 2007

Metrowest Homes Open House Guide - Front Page - Building Relationships in Real Estate - Janet Spiegel - September 14, 2007

Using Seminars for Prospecting – Featured Guest on the Michael Krisa “The Interview Guy” Podcast - August 24, 2007

Power Tools for Managing Brokers - Overcoming Burnout - July 19, 2007

The Daily News Tribune - Real estate agent releases books to bring Latinos into marketplace - by Janet Spiegel - July 24, 2007

Quoted in Selling Power Magazine's article "The Self-Sabotage Trap: How to stop holding yourself back from what you want to - and can - achieve" - July/August 2007

ERealty Network – Featured Coach of the Month - June 2007

Missoulian.com - Narrowing Down the Field: When times get tough, be sure the best agent is on your side By Barbara Ballinger - CTW Features – June 19, 2007

Recruiting Pipeline - Grow Yourself to Grow Your Business - Carol Johnson interviews Kelle Sparta on recruiting techniques – May 07, 2007

Professional Insurance Programs, Inc. Newsletter - REALTORS® Working With Grieving Clients - April 2007

Oakland Tribune - Narrowing Down the Field: When times get tough, be sure the best agent is on your side By Barbara Ballinger - CTW Features – March 28, 2007

Board Briefs - Overcoming Loss: How To Work With Grieving Clients - January 2007

Small Business Advocate Radio Show - Jim Blasingame Interviews Kelle Sparta on Networking – December 11, 2006

Exchange Magazine - Establishing Credibility to Gain the 'Trust Factor' Sales Coach Offers Tips to Empower Small Business Owners – December 01, 2006

Workforce Performance Solutions Industry News - Goals That Work –November 28, 2006

Career-Resumes Blog - 'Tis the Season To Be Networking – November 24, 2006

Realtor Magazine - The Consultative Real Estate Agent listed as a MUST READ - July 01, 2006

Financial Aid Podcast Interview - Kelle Sparta on Freakonimics, Kiddie Condos and the State of Real Estate – July 13, 2006