The Pauline Chilton Show

Interview with Kelli Lawrence CEO of Onyx and East Midwest & Florida Home Builder

June 29, 2024 Pauline Chilton Season 2 Episode 2
Interview with Kelli Lawrence CEO of Onyx and East Midwest & Florida Home Builder
The Pauline Chilton Show
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The Pauline Chilton Show
Interview with Kelli Lawrence CEO of Onyx and East Midwest & Florida Home Builder
Jun 29, 2024 Season 2 Episode 2
Pauline Chilton

In this episode, we have a special guest, Kelli Lawrence, CEO of Onyx and East, an award winning full service home builder with four offices in the Midwest and Florida. And since I'm a Midwest girl myself who has made Florida my home, I'm intrigued and I'm so excited to share Kelli's story and that of Onyx and East.

Support the Show.

Hey there, wonderful listeners! It's Pauline here, and I want to take a moment to thank you for tuning in to The Pauline Show. Whether you've been with us from the beginning or you're a new listener, your support means the world to me.

Producing high-quality content takes time, effort, and resources. From researching topics and interviewing guests to editing episodes and maintaining our online presence, there's a lot that goes into making each episode great.

It will allow us to bring on more expert guests, invest in better equipment, and expand the range of topics we cover. Plus, it will help us continue to provide you with insightful and inspiring episodes every time.

If you'd like to support The Pauline Show, you can visit our website thepaulineshow.com or click this link.

Your support and enthusiasm drive us to keep pushing forward and making this podcast the best it can be.

Thanks again for listening, and I look forward to bringing you even more great content.

Until next time, stay tuned, stay engaged, and keep enjoying The Pauline Show!

https://thepaulineshow.com/
https://patreon.com/ThePaulineChiltonShow

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Show Notes Transcript

In this episode, we have a special guest, Kelli Lawrence, CEO of Onyx and East, an award winning full service home builder with four offices in the Midwest and Florida. And since I'm a Midwest girl myself who has made Florida my home, I'm intrigued and I'm so excited to share Kelli's story and that of Onyx and East.

Support the Show.

Hey there, wonderful listeners! It's Pauline here, and I want to take a moment to thank you for tuning in to The Pauline Show. Whether you've been with us from the beginning or you're a new listener, your support means the world to me.

Producing high-quality content takes time, effort, and resources. From researching topics and interviewing guests to editing episodes and maintaining our online presence, there's a lot that goes into making each episode great.

It will allow us to bring on more expert guests, invest in better equipment, and expand the range of topics we cover. Plus, it will help us continue to provide you with insightful and inspiring episodes every time.

If you'd like to support The Pauline Show, you can visit our website thepaulineshow.com or click this link.

Your support and enthusiasm drive us to keep pushing forward and making this podcast the best it can be.

Thanks again for listening, and I look forward to bringing you even more great content.

Until next time, stay tuned, stay engaged, and keep enjoying The Pauline Show!

https://thepaulineshow.com/
https://patreon.com/ThePaulineChiltonShow

Hey there, wonderful listeners. It's Pauline here and I want to take a moment to thank you for tuning in to the Pauline Chilton show. Whether you've been with us from the beginning or you're a new listener, your support means the world to me. We dive deep into real estate, lifestyle, and personal and professional growth.

 

Bringing you valuable content and insights. In today's episode, we have a special guest, Kelly Lawrence, CEO of Onyx and East, an award-winning full-service home builder with four offices in the Midwest and Florida. And since I'm a Midwest girl myself who has made Florida my home, I'm intrigued and I'm so excited to learn and share more about you, your company, and what you do.

 

Let's start with a little bit about you, Kelly. Can you share with the listeners some things about your background and what brought you into the real estate industry? 

 

Sure. Yes. Thank you so much for having me on your show, Pauline. It's great to talk with you today. Happy to share my story, my journey in real estate and in the home building world.

 

So yeah, I started my career actually with a career in city planning. So that was my undergraduate degree. I always had a love of cities and the way things got done and how things got built. And so I, took an interest in that, pursued that in college and ended up in a great city in the Midwest that, We had a lot going on from a development perspective and so I enjoyed that experience a lot but in that experience I realized maybe the public sector was not my calling so I decided to pursue an MBA and was not sure where my future would take me.

 

But in the course of being a city planner, I met developers and I got exposed to the development process and more integrated in the construction process, which wasn't something I had ever really had any experience with until I went to college. And again, it was more on the city planning side and less on the actual development construction world.

 

I had the great opportunity when I decided to pivot out of the public sector life to join a startup development company with very experienced developers who were with larger firms but had decided to start a new development company. And so that was about 25 years ago. And so I took that opportunity, learned a lot about development construction, made a lot of mistakes along the way, but then spent really these last 25 years in residential development construction, building both.

 

Apartments doing adaptive reuse condominium development and now more recently home building at onyx and me. So, it's been an awesome journey being in the residential space. I've always enjoyed that within my career. I thought of delivering homes for people. It's always been really inspiring to me and really daunting.

 

You think about all that home means to everyone, myself included, and the memories and experiences we all have in our home. And so, to be able, in my career, to build homes for people and great places for them to live. has really been a passion of mine. And it's again, been great throughout this lifespan to so far to be in this space.

 

And again, I've done development construction in the Midwest and in Florida. So, both finding sites and developing what the community should be to running divisions, opening up offices in new markets, and now, leading the operations as a CEO. So, it's been a fun journey. 

 

That's great.

 

I'm sure it's very rewarding. There's something about delivering a home to someone and you're right, that home is so important. It's so meaningful. It is the foundations of our neighborhoods and our communities. And it's where people raise their families and build lives together. It's such an important thing in all of our lives.

 

So that's so beautiful. And I just wanted to just ask. Can you tell us more about your company and what inspired its founding and what is its main focus? 

 

Sure. So Onyx Denise, we are a full service home builder and I'll even say residential development company.  So we were founded in 2015, really realizing that, in the early 2010s, very few homes were being built right after the 2008, 2009  recession.

 

There was a lack of housing being built. And in particular, we really focused on those urban areas that were very well underserved with housing. Most of your larger builders are very suburban oriented, do really large-scale housing developments. And so, what kind of drew us in 2015 to start the company was this need for urban housing options.

 

So, I'd mentioned I'd been building a lot of apartments as had my partners and the co-founders of this company. And so, we recognize that while a lot of apartment construction had happened in urban areas, that for sale options weren't available. So, the company was founded really to pursue those really first in Indianapolis.

 

And then we've since expanded that into Florida and now Ohio and Cincinnati and Columbus. So, we've always been focused on lifestyle. Having that urban fabrics of myself, I mentioned I'm a city planner, many on our team have a city planning and architecture background. So, we've always been drawn towards creating great places, being inspired by the context of where we're building.

 

So adjacent to great restaurants and shopping and parks and trails and the things that make life exciting and vibrant. And add to people's quality of life. So that's really been the focus of our firm. And it continues this day as we've expanded into, densifying suburban areas, like our project in the Brandon, Valrico area.

 

And then in all the markets we're in, we're really pursuing for sale and even rental home options that. Deliver not only a great house that meets what the customer is looking for, but also a great lifestyle by being connected to so many great places.  And we are when I mentioned we're a residential developer, that also sets us apart in that we are selecting our sites, we are developing the lots and the homes.

 

So where other builders might buy lots from other land developers, we're doing that full scale process. As well as offering a design center and our brokerage services and all the markets that we're in. 

 

Great. I wanted to touch on what you spoke about with the 2008 recession and how that affected new home construction.

 

I've been a real estate licensee since 2005.  So, I had a chance to work with you. to see firsthand how that affected our economy, how that affected our real estate industry and our communities. So, I saw how builders were going under and the building stopped and even new construction homes were going into foreclosure, those kinds of things.

 

So, It was something that I think was not talked about enough in the media. I don't think it was talked about enough, just overall how that really affected real estate in the long term. So it wasn't just in the short term. It wasn't just people losing their homes to foreclosure and it wasn't just. that the building stopped, it was a long-term effect.

 

And I think we're still feeling that effect as we're going into the next recession. So it's really great that you've been able to fill that space in the new construction world and to be able to offer a service and a product that is valuable to people who are buying homes these days. 

 

Yeah. I completely agree with you.

 

That is what we experienced in 08, 09 with really housing production almost coming to a complete halt. We're still feeling those effects today. And there's been a lot of really positive structural changes in our industry relative to the way mortgages are. process relative to appraisals relative to some of the things that created some of the issues that we had in 08, 09, relative to the ability to build homes and municipalities taking more control over how homes get built, where the infrastructure is to support new housing development.

 

So again, we learned a lot of hard lessons in that period, but those lessons have also made it much harder to produce enough housing to meet all of the needs that are out there. And so, I still think we're feeling that today. And I think that's part of what led to a lot of the inflation in housing prices over the last several years that We just don't have enough homes available to meet, the demand that's out there.

 

And so again, we're excited to, to help fill that need in the places that we build and really trying to provide different housing options than what you may find, in from the general offering of a lot of builders is really providing something that's unique and different to meet that need.

 

That's great. That's amazing. 

 

Many people think of home building as a long process. A Google search will tell you according to the 2021 report from the U. S. Census Bureau, the average time to build a single-family home is between 7 and 12 months. And of course, that depends on whether the home is a custom home where the buyer can choose every detail, or a semi-custom home where the builder creates a basic design and allows the homeowner to make changes.

 

On average, how long does it take for your team to complete a build? 

 

Sure. So we are, we're at the lower end of that range. So, we're a six-to-eight-month window. If you come in and say you choose a lot to be built on, choose your floor plan. One of the things that is really exciting about what we're doing at Vivir in the, I mentioned in the Brandon and Valrico area is allowing people, buyers and our home prices start in the low four hundreds all the way up to the mid five hundreds.

 

You can come in and choose your lot, choose your home plan, and choose all of your options and selections from our design center. So, you can meet with the design design manager, who's an expert in that process and choose from a wide variety of options, selections, including home automation. And again, things behind the walls that a lot of builders don't allow you to do unless you're doing a full custom build.

 

So, within that kind of six-to-eight-month window, you can have that process of building a home. with what we're providing. We also have homes that are ready to go now. So, we know that some people, I need to move right now, or I need to sell my home, but I want to know my next home's readily available for me, which is a challenge right now because of the lack of inventory.

 

We can meet home buyers at any stage of that process with what we offer from again, a home that is we have some homes that are, 30 to 60 days away from being completed all the way to starting from scratch, choosing your lot, your plan, and all of your finishes.  

 

That's great. We just recently bought a new home and from the time we made our offer, which was in mid-November to the time we closed, it was about three months.

 

The time that we made our offer, the home was in the frame stage. So, we were able to walk through it, but there was nothing up but the studs. And then we closed before actually the middle of February. So, I think here in Florida, it's amazing how fast Some of the homes go up. Now we did move from South Tampa, which is a place where they are tearing down the older homes and building new homes on those lots.

 

And one of our neighbor's home was torn down and a new home was built on that lot. And I think that process took about a year. We were just watching the whole thing from our front window. 

 

Yeah, no, that sounds about right. We do build in the South Tampa and North Hyde Park area as well. More townhomes just because of the density of development and land prices.

 

So, we do more of our luxury townhome offerings in those neighborhoods. And it does take a little bit longer. Sometimes it's just that infill site. It's more difficult to build on, but if whether you're building townhomes or a single-family home, so it can take a bit longer, but I still think within. All of the challenges of home building and all the pieces and parts that have to come together, that's a still a really good timeframe compared to maybe what we had a few years ago where, there were really significant labor and material supply chain issues that were delaying construction all, all around. 

 

And I love South Tampa. That was such a wonderful place to live and I'm still friends with my neighbors there. Still make many trips back to South Tampa. I'm actually based out of our South Tampa office. So I'm often visiting the homes that are on the market there, touring them and viewing them.

 

So, do you still have availability in the South Tampa area? 

 

We have one, actually one townhome left in our community near Hyde Park. We have one home left. If people want to be in that location, it has a rooftop deck. It's amazing. It's right on Armenia. That community did sell very quickly.

 

There still is an opportunity there. We also have some townhome communities in urban St. Pete and downtown St. Pete area. So, if that kind of more frenetic vibe. That walkability is really key. We do offer townhomes around the metro area that meet that need. So, I'd love to work with any buyers interested in those types of locations, as well as these great suburban locations that we're expanding into.

 

That's great. The Tampa Bay area is full of communities that are just amazing to live in. South Tampa is. is desirable because it's so super convenient. If you want to live near your work downtown or work at the hospital or something like that, it's just very convenient. The school districts are some of the best in the area.

 

St. Pete, I love downtown St. Pete. I love the Central Avenue area. My friends and I and my family and I frequent that area just because it's just such a vibrant area. It's very artsy and the culture there is, It's amazing. You can feel it. And I just love being in that that neighborhood. So, when we talk about lifestyle, it really does.

 

It really does depend on what your buyers are looking for to make it their home, whether they want that vibrant high paced lifestyle, or if they want to be closer to work or the beaches, because we're in Florida, we have beaches and all these different kinds of outdoor entertainment and activities that people can get into really.

 

In my opinion, there's something for everyone here. And that's what's so great about the fact that you are in some of the urban areas and some of the suburban areas. 

 

And that's what really drew us to, expand from Indianapolis into the Tampa market. Obviously, a lot of growth and in migration and that energy, but also the great neighborhoods.

 

So again, our whole brand and what we do is built around being in great neighborhoods that are connected. And so there are so many different options in the Tampa Bay area. To have that lifestyle. And again, it's different for everybody. We're in St. Pete, it's proximity to the edge district and central Avenue and the, or at Alcove on Armenia, our project there, you're, you want to be in Hyde Park.

 

The Vivir in Brandon is in Valrico is also, Hey, I want to be close to great schools that I, my kids can walk to. I want to be close to the YMCA. I want maybe less of a yard and maintenance, but live in a suburban area, but be close to my shopping and in my place of work. So, I agree it's different for everybody.

 

And that's really as we, our team looks at every development site that we consider for new homes. It's really the why does someone want to live here? And what are we offering that they can be part of? From a community standpoint, from the way they live, what's separating this community from other home options that may be further out and offer different amenities.

 

So that's really that why and that vibe of what type of place we're creating and what we're connected to is really the foundation of every project that we start. 

 

I absolutely love creating this podcast for you, and I have so many exciting ideas and plans to make the show even better. Producing high quality content takes time, effort, and resources.

 

From researching topics and interviewing guests, such as Kelly Lawrence, to editing episodes and maintaining our online presence. There's a lot that goes into making each episode great. If you've been enjoying the content and find value in what we share, I would be incredibly grateful if you would consider supporting the show.

 

By donating or buying merch, you'll help us grow and fund the things we need to produce more and better content. Now at the time of this recording, it's June, which is the first month of hurricane season, which 1st through November 30th. There has been a hurricane every year since we moved here in 2021, and we were even here during Hurricane Ian, which was incredibly devastating for our friends and neighbors to the south of us in Fort Myers and Naples, and what was so shocking is that nobody expected the hurricane to make landfall there.

 

So what I'd like to talk about now is how our homes. In Florida, construct it differently to handle challenges like wind, water, and termites. 

 

Yeah, so definitely, that's a huge consideration. Water and wind impacts in Florida are a primary consideration as we develop all of our plans. So we do build primarily all block construction, which we know is really important not only for hurricane impacts, but also just for noise and other impacts.

 

Quality of life issues. So that's a choice that we've decided to make as we're in the Florida market. And we think that's a huge part of that puzzle, but how we really detail all of the flashings membranes on our roofs are about muscle.  important. So we have a r process. In addition to m working with  subcontracto experienced with those de to prevent any moisture i that we build.

 

So we do they are required. We obviously have all the impact rated windows, doors, et cetera. We do offer like in our Brandon Valrico community, Vivir, we do offer impact windows as an upgrade. If a buyer would choose to want to have those installed upfront. So, we try to offer some options and selections if people want to add more belts and suspenders to their homes, but making sure that the base home, what we're building again, is rigorously designed and tested to withstand as best we can those impacts. 

 

That's great. I'm sure that's going to give people a sense of comfort and security. And it's probably not something everyone is worried about, but I'm sure whenever the season comes around and there's more talk about hurricanes there's definitely a concern about safety and protecting home and property and family and the one, the ones you love. 

 

No, absolutely. And like I said, it's really the start of our design process is incorporating, this construction methods and materials that really are designed to help withstand those impacts. 

 

What are some of your favorite features or design elements in the homes you build? 

 

Yeah. So I, I really love the thoughtfulness that we put into every home.

 

So, we build on a more urban, with a more urban mindset or aesthetic. So even when we go into the suburbs, you're going to come to our communities. and see the differences. Typically, we're building where we've alley loaded homes because we want to emphasize the front porch. That front porch living experience, the, that urban vibe that allows people to be connected to their neighborhood, their community, to what's around them.

 

So I, I love our focus on that. And you'll see that even in our townhomes the way we've thought about the front door, a front porch a small, even yard in the front. We've, there's a lot of intentionality in that. And then in the way we use every square footage of the home, people now a lot more have to work from home or they're doing school from home.

 

They're using their home for so many more purposes than it used to be used for. And so our homes are really designed to function. Flex to meet people's needs in the floor plans we offer and the options that we offer within the floor plans. So that people can have all the spaces that again fit their lifestyle.

 

I'm super excited to, our Revere community. We have really traditionally designed homes and neighborhoods in that community with the front porches. We have some fantastic amenities designed to bring the community together. So we have a beautiful Grand Oak tree area where we've protected the tree and it's creates this amazing canopy.

 

And we've created a hammock and lounging area under that tree to really focus on the beautiful natural elements of the site, but also provide this great. very chill gathering space for people that live in that community. Also, some fire pit areas and grilling areas, a playground. Amenities that we really, again, are inspired to support what makes people happy, what brings them joy in their life, and how they and their families and friends want to interact with them. 

 

So really excited about some of those unique amenities that we're able to offer in an 82-home community. So, it's a relatively small community, but try to be extremely thoughtful in the homes that we offer. And then, in our townhome lineup, we offer a lot of rooftop decks and we really think about how those rooftops live, the views that people have how they can entertain from them.

 

So really excited about again, that connection to the outdoors that we know is so important. And for us, that doesn't mean a huge yard for you to maintain, actually quite the opposite. It's how do we create the spaces that function in a way that allow you to truly enjoy the outdoor space without oftentimes all the work that can go along with it.

 

Those are things that get me excited about what we're building, the different home plans we offer and the different, the different ways we've designed the community to again, build that lifestyle that we think our customers are looking for. 

 

That's amazing. I love the idea of the front porch and the rooftop deck being able to enjoy your outdoor space without having as much of the maintenance.

 

I love that. I grew up in Chicago and Chicago is very well known for the bungalows and so I grew up in a bungalow style home and many of the homes looked the same and they were about the same size and you had about the same size yard. So in many of the neighborhoods you really didn't have much different than someone else.

 

But it was true. still designed in a way that you could enjoy the front porch or enjoy your backyard or something like that. So, I just love that use of space. 

 

Yeah, I think what we're seeing, and this is a trend across lots of different industries is that focus on health and wellness, and it's not just physical health.

 

It's really that your holistic health, right? Like how your mental health, your spiritual health, how really everything that you do in your life. can add to your quality of life from a really broad standpoint. And we think home is a huge part of that. Home is where you spend most of your time.

 

And now, especially if you work from home, you're there all the time. So how do we make sure that the home offers those things that support health and wellness and that our communities are designed also to support walking in that outdoor, even without a yard, that outdoor connection to nature, to the things you love, to, to different.

 

Places of energy. So again, I think that we're seeing that across. Industries and real estate is no exception. 

 

That last thing that you just said, can you say it again? 

 

Sure. We're seeing across industries that health and wellness is of utmost importance, and it's especially true now in real estate as well.

 

Perfect. Thank you. Are there any special incentives or offers for new homebuyers in your communities? 

 

Yeah, so we are offering at Vivir a FlexCash incentive. So, we know that people, again, I mentioned they can buy a home that's going to be ready in 30 days or they can buy a home and start, with a blank sheet of paper and our design center choosing all of their options and selections and their floor plan.

 

So the FlexCash offers buyers the chance to use those dollars however they, they choose. So, if you would like to use it on to buy down your rate at a closing. You can do that if you want to use it towards options and selections, you can do that. So, we are offering that on our homes that are some of our townhomes.

 

We have some great additional incentives. We have some lenders that we work with that offer a variety of mortgage options. and some rate buy down options as well. So, it somewhat depends on the community that you're looking at, but at our Vivir community we're really excited about the flex cash option to really allow people to use the dollars as they see fit.

 

That's awesome. I'm sure right now with the fact that the interest rates are high and the market is slowing down, people are looking for ways that they can maximize their dollars to help them reach their goal of home ownership or upsizing or downsizing, whatever their goal is to get into a new home.

 

Those incentives are very good and helpful to help people to be able to achieve that. 

 

Yes, definitely. And that's again, why we've wanted to do that, but also provide flexibility because some people are cash buyers or some people are downsizing, like you said, and may have. Maybe looking at the home in a different way.

 

And then we also have first time home buyers that we're really excited to work with to get them into the home of their dreams. And maybe they're wanting to use that on your interest rate buy down. So yes, I think that flexibility. Of an incentive is really important to us to again, meet people with what is most important to them.

 

Great. Can you share more about your journey of becoming a woman CEO in the construction industry and what advice would you give to the next generation of aspiring CEOs, regardless of gender? 

 

Yeah. When I set out on my career journey, I did. Did not expect to be CEO. I, I'd always hoped I would work hard.

 

I would do bigger and better things as my career progressed. But I would say being the CEO wasn't necessarily my lifelong dream. It just has happened over lots of time, learning, mistakes made, experiences and relationships built. I think our industry has come a long way. I, I've been in this industry, like I said, for nearly 25 years.

 

And oftentimes 25 years ago, I would go to professional conferences or trade shows or even construction meetings in my own company. And often I was the only woman in the room. And honestly, at that time, I saw it in some ways of my differentiator, right? Like I know I'm different. I know I'm here and I don't look the same as everybody else, but rather than that be my focus, it's like I'm going to use that to my benefit to really make connections with people.

 

And so I think a lot of my journey has been learning. It's been being open, building relationships,  admitting what I don't know, but seeking out information and partnerships. with people who were experts in different areas and learning from them. And and like I said, also making mistakes along the way.

 

I don't think in any professional, that's reached a certain level that tells you they never made a mistake at their line because we've all made mistakes, right? That's how we learn. That's how we, Get better. But, throughout my journey, I've really tried not to focus on my differences from my peer group and really just build those relationships and be inclusive within my own sphere of control.

 

And that's really important to me now is that inclusivity, inviting people to be part of the real estate industry who maybe didn't see themselves being in construction or being in development to.  See the opportunities that can be out there, even if you don't have that background. And I think we are an industry that is very welcoming, even if it feels sometimes a little hard to break into.

 

I do think that once you, if you put yourself out there, if you're authentic and you're willing to learn, I think there's a ton of opportunity in the real estate industry and socially, for women and people of color in the development construction side of our industry. So, I'm excited about. Where we're going.

 

And I think for me, I would just encourage anyone in their career journey again, build those relationships. And ask a lot of questions and don't be afraid to be yourself. Even if being yourself is different from everyone else in the room. Because I think many people want to learn and interact with people that are different from them, even if it can be a little scary at first and unsure.

 

So that's, I guess from that perspective, I'd share that those have been the most important things in my career. And, I'm also very involved in trade groups and philanthropies.  and other organizations outside of real estate. I think that real estate is a, and I think you've had a very broad career as well, but I think you need to know lots of different things and you need to be able to find answers to lots of questions that you never would have thought you need to understand, be it historical stuff, environmental stuff, HOAs, lots of different things that we have to know about in real estate development, construction, sales.

 

And so I think it's also important to not just be in your bubble of your industry and, your peer group and really understand and learn from people in other industries and what they're doing, what businesses, other successful businesses, what are they doing that's working that can be applied to what you're doing.

 

So, I'd say that's another thing that I've really focused on largely because I enjoy it, but I think it's been really helpful for my career and my growth. 

 

I agree. I believe that real estate is one of those industries that has a lot of room and opportunity for people, no matter where you came from, no matter what your background is or your educational background, even it's very welcoming and Whatever you have to bring to the industry makes you unique.

 

And it's also adds richness to what like everything that we do, because we have different personalities. We have different styles of how we work, styles of communication, all of those things, and all of our knowledge and experience we bring with us as well, and that, that helps us with the people aspect.

 

So, it's not such a technical. industry that you have to know all of the technical things and nothing else matters, but your personality matters, your skills matter, your experience, everything that you have within you, you can bring to this. And you're right. It's a broad industry too. So, it's not just buying and selling.

 

It's also Building and developing and planning. And there's just so much investing, multifamily flipping. There's just so many different things that you could do. That's the reason why I love it. That's the reason why I've made it my life's journey. 

 

Yeah, I agree. I think every day is a completely different day in this business and new challenges and new opportunities.

 

And it's a big puzzle and ultimately with the end goal of delivering someone a home, which is a really cool end result of what we do. But I agree. It's that challenging puzzle and that diversity. Of what we do makes me excited. It's why I'm excited to lead our team. And I agree.

 

I very much, I'm a results-oriented leader in person. And so, I, cause I realized we all have different styles that can all be successful in different ways that we do things that can lead to great results. So I, and I like to embrace that. I like to embrace everyone's individual strengths and talents and again, share mine, but learn from others that have complimentary strengths and talents.

 

And I think ultimately it's that inclusivity. of different people, backgrounds, skills, and experiences that really create the best results. Exactly. 

 

Finally, where can our listeners go to learn more about your company and the homes you build? 

 

Yeah, our website is the best place to go for that information.

 

So, it is onyx and east.com (onyxandeast.com) So the and is spelled out. Our website has information about our company, our history, the projects we've completed, as well as all of our new communities that are available. We also do have a model home available at Vere. So, we have two models fantastic to see. I would encourage everyone to go to Vere to see our model homes.

 

They're open daily. You can visit with our sales counselor, get a tour, even just to see what options are out there. So, it encouraged, yeah, website for great information, but also, getting in the home. We are, we were going to have a sales office also at our Elante community in St. Pete. So, we have a model home there as well, if you're in the St. Pete area. But, again, we, getting into the home, experiencing the home is really the best way to understand what we're offering, but we also make sure that we're supported with all that information on our website. 

 

And do you have any closing remarks that you would like to share with our listeners?

 

I thank you so much for allowing me to be part of this show to share the story of Onyx and East, to share a little bit about myself and my journey. I would love for people to see what we're doing in the Florida area with the homes that we build. And I do encourage people interested in real estate to maybe take that next step.

 

To learn a little bit more. Call someone in the industry. Cause I do think it's a really rich industry that we need to continue to add new vibrant talent to as we continue to build it. So, I would encourage people who have that interest to maybe take that next step in exploring it. 

 

That's awesome.

 

It's been such a pleasure having you, Kelly, and thank you so much for sharing with me and with our listeners about yourself and your company. And I really hope that there is something in there that someone is encouraged by or inspired by, or if someone who is thinking about buying a new home is listening and they're interested.

 

They can reach out to me or someone on your team to, to learn about how to get into one of the OnX extent East Homes. If you'd like to support the Pauline Chilton Show, you can visit our website, the pauline show.com, or click on the link in the show notes. We've made it easy for you to donate or buy merch, and every little bit helps.

 

Your contribution, no matter the size, can make a significant difference. It will allow us to bring on more expert guests, invest in better equipment, and expand the range of topics we cover. Plus, it will help us continue to provide you with insightful and inspiring episodes every time. Thank you so much for being a part of the Pauline Chilton Show community.

 

Your support and enthusiasm drive us to keep pushing forward and making this podcast the best it can be. Thanks again for listening. And I look forward to bringing you even more great content. Listen to the show, wherever you get your favorite podcasts. I'm your host, Pauline Chilton, a licensed real estate broker associate in the state of Florida with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Florida Properties Group.

 

I am a certified new home specialist and until next time, stay tuned, stay engaged and keep enjoying the Pauline Chilton Show.