In this video we interview Bill West, a top-producing agent at The Group, Inc. in Northern Colorado and author of Your Garagenous Zone. Join us as we chat with Bill about his life, real estate, divorce, and garages. Learn from the former the Realtor of the Year about mindset, commitment, and innovation.

Here's some of what Bill had to say:

• He came to Northern Colorado as an intern for his collegiate fraternity. It was only supposed to be a two-year assignment, but he was eventually offered a full-time job.

• After four years as executive director of the fraternity and spending a lot of time on the road, he decided to make a change in career paths. On Dec. 30, 1976, he chose to pursue a career in real estate.

• One of the important lessons Bill learned early in his career was to get as much education as possible.

• The key to getting through tough economic environments is to reconnect with former clients and other contacts.

• Bill maintains an "image library" for potential clients, keeping spring and summer house photos on file in case they decide to sell during winter months.

• Need to step away from your job and recharge your batteries? Bill says, "Turn off your cell phone." He also says to schedule time off, just like you'd schedule an appointment.

• While renovating his garage in 1998, he was inspired to write Your Garagenous Zone, which was released in 2004. He says, "I had never written a book before, but that didn't deter me. I thought, 'I'll figure out a way to do that.' And I did."