There is poor in America. And then, there is third-world poverty poor in India.

Few Americans will ever know what it is like to grow up in a home that doesn’t have a bathroom, but at the age of 6, I lived in a small apartment in Bombay that didn’t even have a toilet. My entire family had to use a shared bathroom outside.

Today, my children have the entire second floor of our home to themselves. They’ve seen more of the world before the age of 12 than I ever imagined I would see in my adult life.
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As an agent in Los Angeles’ high-end real estate market for nearly 10 years, I have experienced the cyclical and constantly-evolving luxury real estate market up close, and watched excitedly as real estate trends emerge and evolve before my eyes. A field once dominated by men, women now take the lead on both the broker and consumer side. On the broker side, women sell and manage the multifaceted process involved with closing a real estate transaction and as consumers, they flip, design and redesign homes, and lead the charge for owning a broad array of real estate in some of the hottest neighborhoods in town.

In the decade since I’ve been an agent, men have galvanized L.A.’s real estate market with pricey quintessential California moderns. You know the ones—the white modern boxes with walls of glass and views from Downtown L.A. to the ocean. Men are taking these sexy bachelor pads, many with home theaters, auto gallery-style garages and even nightclubs, to a whole new level while paying the price tag of ‘whatever it takes’ to achieve the ultimate dream, the girl, the lifestyle or fill the void that was missing in high school. Much like yachts and exotic cars, these are ‘trophy’ properties that assert a certain status amongst the people who build and buy them.
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Today’s world is primarily digital; between LinkedIn, Skype, Facebook and more, it’s easy to forget what is being lost: the physical connection. In most situations, you’ll meet a new boss or client online before  meeting them face-to-face and though you’ll recognize them, it’s important to remember you still need to make a good first impression. There are many aspects that can affect a first impression such as clothes, mannerisms, etiquette and most importantly, the first handshake. Though often overlooked, the first handshake can reveal crucial information that the digital world has kept hidden.

Stereotypes highlight men as having a firm handshake while women are relegated  to the weak, loose handshake. Here you will learn what handshake you have, what it means and what handshake you should adopt as your own, moving forward.
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