First Half: Success doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built through clear goals and intentional decisions.
In this engaging and practical presentation, Otis DiCerbo explores the importance of both short-term and long-term goal setting and how effective decision-making drives meaningful progress. Attendees will learn how to set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Sensitive (SMART) goals and apply a structured process to decisions in both their personal and professional lives.
This session will cover:
- Why goal setting is critical to success
- The benefits of clearly defined goals
- Short-term vs. long-term goals
- A practical goal-setting process
- A framework for effective decision-making
Participants will leave with actionable tools and the motivation to wake up each day with clarity, purpose, and direction toward what matters most.
A Little Bit about Otis: 
Otis DiCerbo, a native of New Castle, Pennsylvania, began investing in real estate before graduating from high school. Following graduation, he entered the United States Air Force, launching a distinguished 20-year active-duty career focused on leadership and service. His professional military education includes graduation from the Airman Leadership School, Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, and Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy. Beyond his professional career, Otis has an extensive record of community leadership and service. Otis is the owner of DiCerbo Properties Real Estate Investments/Seminars, LLC, based in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. His real estate portfolio includes single-family homes, multi-unit residential properties, multi-unit commercial properties, and commercial investments.
Second Half : Applied Goal-Setting Through Radical Accountability.
How Three Leaders Use a Personal Mastermind to Move the Needle
Most people don’t fail because they lack goals.
They fail because they lack accountability, clarity, and follow-through.
In the second half of ACRE’s January main meeting, ACRE’s own President, Vice-President, and Past President will pull back the curtain on a private weekly accountability group they formed over a year ago—one that has quietly become one of the most impactful disciplines in their personal and professional lives.
This session is not theory. It’s not motivational fluff. And it’s not a highlight reel.
Instead, you’ll hear a candid, real-world account of how a small, high-trust mastermind—meeting just once per week at 6:00 a.m.—has helped three leaders:
- Identify what’s actually holding them back
- Cut through self-deception and surface-level goals
- Make uncomfortable but necessary decisions
- Stay accountable between meetings, not just during them
- Consistently move the needle on what matters most
With only three members, each meeting allows just 10–15 minutes per person—forcing clarity, focus, and honesty. These conversations work precisely because they require trust, vulnerability, and the willingness toset ego aside. Feedback is not given in judgment, but in respect—and always with the shared goal of growth.
This session is designed to show what applied goal-setting actually looks like when paired with radical accountability, and why small, intentional groups can outperform larger, less focused ones—especially when participants are at similar stages of life and investing.
This conversation intentionally follows Otis DiCerbo’s presentation on goal setting and decision-making, bridging the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it.
If you’ve ever:
- Set goals but struggled to follow through
- Felt stuck despite “knowing better”
- Wanted accountability that goes deeper than surface-level check-ins
- Wondered how high performers stay consistent year after year
…this session will resonate.
And for those looking to take the next step, this discussion will also lay the groundwork for ACRE’s upcoming workshop series beginning in February—designed to help members build and sustain this kind of accountability for themselves.