1. Don’t be afraid of failure.

In order to succeed, you need to fail first. Buttigieg attributes his success to being street-smart but that only comes with taking bold risks and going against the odds… and accepting that you might fail.

“You learn from experience. I’m a guy that had education up to 16-years-old but I’ve learned everything I know from being street-smart,” he said.

2. He believes that education can go a long way.

While there’s a lot to be learned from your experiences, Buttigieg understands the importance of education and the arsenal of tools and knowledge that it provides you with to set up for a fruitful career.

“I would have definitely gone to university. I think having a bit more education underneath my belt would have helped me to succeed even more,” he said.

3. He believes in work-life balance.

When he first brought RE/MAX to Malta, Buttigieg was not-stop work, work, work. 

“I was blessed last year to have a baby and he’s taught me a lot about work-life balance,” he said.

While working hard is important to succeed, seeking a good work-life balance is important and connecting with others outside of work can help cement your relationships and goals at work. 

4. Running a successful business doesn’t get any easier.

There are many myths in the business world, one of them is that owning a successful business gets easier with time.

Buttigieg has been at the helm of RE/MAX since the very beginning and there’s one mantra that has always stuck with him – you have to work hard.

“People get lucky, there’s always going to be a bit of luck in everything but the hard work has to come,” he said.

5. Always be present, always show appreciation.

When you’re running a company with 500 employees, you learn a thing or two about managing people. 

In addition to treating people with respect, being present and showing appreciation, you should never discipline your employees in front of others.

“Always do it privately, show respect for the people and the people will show respect for you,” Buttigieg said.

And rewarding your employees doesn’t always have to be with money or presents.

“A good reward is to give someone a call and another good thing is to always phone your employees when it’s their birthday.”