Navigating life's transitions elegantly, a seasoned manager/coordinator shares her journey of trading the security of her former role for the adventure of entrepreneurship, all while keeping her family at the forefront. Our guest, alongside her 'boss friend' Nikki, offers a candid look at the highs and lows that come with such a bold move. From the comfort of a stable job to the thrills of building a business from the ground up, their story is a testament to the power of resilience, friendship, and accountability, even as they joined forces in a planking group to stay grounded during the uncertainties of a global pandemic.
As the conversation flows, we uncover the intricate dance of maintaining personal connections in the face of a digitized, fast-paced real estate landscape. Our guest opens up about creating a personal brand that's as distinctive as her leadership style, demonstrating how one's identity can shine through professional endeavors and inspire others. She doesn't shy away from the realities of evolving client expectations, the necessity of adapting to new technologies, and the art of nurturing kindness in a transactional world, offering personal anecdotes and strategies for fostering patience and empathy.
Wrapping up with a heart-to-heart on the personal side of professional life, our guest delves into the challenges of combating self-doubt and embracing positivity. Authenticity becomes the cornerstone of our discussion as we wade through the importance of owning one's mistakes and leading with transparency. The narrative closes on a powerful note, introducing a transformative writing exercise designed to confront and dispel insecurities, a practice that promises not only personal growth but also the potential to revolutionize the way real estate agents engage with their profession. Join us for a session that's as enriching for the soul as it is for the savvy business mind.
Navigating life's transitions elegantly, a seasoned manager/coordinator shares her journey of trading the security of her former role for the adventure of entrepreneurship, all while keeping her family at the forefront. Our guest, alongside her 'boss friend' Nikki, offers a candid look at the highs and lows that come with such a bold move. From the comfort of a stable job to the thrills of building a business from the ground up, their story is a testament to the power of resilience, friendship, and accountability, even as they joined forces in a planking group to stay grounded during the uncertainties of a global pandemic.
As the conversation flows, we uncover the intricate dance of maintaining personal connections in the face of a digitized, fast-paced real estate landscape. Our guest opens up about creating a personal brand that's as distinctive as her leadership style, demonstrating how one's identity can shine through professional endeavors and inspire others. She doesn't shy away from the realities of evolving client expectations, the necessity of adapting to new technologies, and the art of nurturing kindness in a transactional world, offering personal anecdotes and strategies for fostering patience and empathy.
Wrapping up with a heart-to-heart on the personal side of professional life, our guest delves into the challenges of combating self-doubt and embracing positivity. Authenticity becomes the cornerstone of our discussion as we wade through the importance of owning one's mistakes and leading with transparency. The narrative closes on a powerful note, introducing a transformative writing exercise designed to confront and dispel insecurities, a practice that promises not only personal growth but also the potential to revolutionize the way real estate agents engage with their profession. Join us for a session that's as enriching for the soul as it is for the savvy business mind.
Speaker 1:
in your space.
Speaker 2:
Well, I mean, I like to think that we do provide like a really awesome service. But yeah, I mean, I've been doing real estate. I'm now, I think, going into my 11th year. I actually had previous experience before that but, quite honestly, the catalyst was my family, you know, like my kids and everything we were.
Speaker 2:
It was 2019 and we were going through a hard spot with one of our kids and I was just like something's got to give, like, you know, what do I do and everything, and I take a lot of pride in my work and all of that, and I knew that I also take pride in being a mom and everything and raising good humans. And so I'm like, how do I do both? And so then I just decided and it was really scary, like really scary I needed a lot of cheerleading from my husband, like a lot, and you know, like he would sit down with me and we would come up with budgets and everything. And I'm like, okay, you know, like I think I've, you know, made enough connections. I think, you know, people know that I'm a trustworthy person and everything.
Speaker 2:
And I just decided to make the leap and it was just, yeah, it was scary. But now I mean, and I feel like anybody that's kind of made that leap looks back being and they're not regretful, they're very happy that they did it, but it's hard, you know, like pushing through that. And yeah, I think, just to me it's about relationships. I think that's kind of how I have, you know, built the business and everything and gotten a reputation of you know she's gonna be there, she's going to hold my hand, hold my client's hand. So, yeah, that's the biggest thing to me is the relationship between our agents and also their clients.
Speaker 1:
Wow, and then you've got a team. Now Are you one person show? How is that working and why did you?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I have. It's just Nikki and I and that's actually a really cool story. She's more than just a teammate to me. She calls me her boss friend and I love it. And so it was the end of 2020 and real estate was nuts, absolutely bonkers. And I had just reached out to her randomly I do, side note I started to get into like being healthier and all that kind of stuff and I started planking and you know, we're in the middle of COVID and everything. So I started like this planking group and she was a part of it and I was just having a really bad day that day. I didn't want to plank. I was like this is going to be terrible. And I reached out to her or, actually, I take that back. I put on the Facebook page. I was like I have no motivation. Anybody want to like, cheerleave me and everything. And so Nikki, who also hates planking, was the first person to respond and I had known her previously.
Speaker 1:
And you had your planking group. Yeah, she is. She likes planking.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, she yes totally She'll do it because she likes to be healthy and everything. But like, no one likes it, you know. But it's efficient and it's quick and all of that and so, anyway, I had known her years before. That's how we connected. But then, you know, we became friends and so she motivated me and I was I hadn't texted her in forever. She actually lives down in the Charleston South Carolina area and she had moved with her kids and her husband and everything. And it was like catch up time.
Speaker 2:
I felt like this was like a good opportunity and I reached out to her and I was like you have no idea how much this meant to me. I was really having a bad, bad day and started talking about husbands and kids and work and everything. She started asking about what I was doing and she was like, what is it that you do? And I used to work with her doing what I do for her. It was just on a team and I was like, nikki, I'm doing what I did for you. She was like, oh my gosh, you were so good at it. I was like, oh, thanks.
Speaker 2:
But I knew her personality and, like me, being a mom is also important to her. Being present is important to her and at the time I mean I was running ragged, like I said, real estate was crazy and I threw it out to her. I was like anything you'd want to join, are you interested in doing this? And she was like I am interested. She hated her job, but the perk that she liked about it most was that she could work from home. It allowed her to be present for the kids no-transcript. So we talked about it.
Speaker 2:
I, I am a no-nonsense Black and white. I don't like it when people like fluff it and sales pitch you and all that kind of stuff. I'm like sometimes the hours are crazy, sometimes you know, you can go on two-hour walks and it just depends. And so, anyway, talked it out and Three days later she was. She told herself she was looking for signs, they were anchors. She was seeing anchors everywhere and she decided to come aboard and it's fantastic and she's also been there for me personally and everything. So it's just a really great, you know relationship between the two of us. I really couldn't ask for a better teammate friend. You know just everything about her.
Speaker 1:
So like relationships really are a very strong answer in your business and very big.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, you have to trust who you're working with and you know it, you're. I mean, we're not doing brain surgery, but you know we are talking about that. We are dealing with people's investments and you know real estate. You know buying property is one of the biggest investments you make and you know you don't want to Go into a business you know into business with somebody who doesn't take it seriously. You know it's just. You know oh, I'm gonna start logging on it like 10 am and everything. You know it's just. That's not who you can rely on so 10 am Is late.
Speaker 2:
Yes, 10 am Is late. Yes, it is, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:
You know the day is over by 10 am. You've already done so much before you came in here today.
Speaker 2:
Oh, I did, but I did get up earlier. I know what I usually do. I'm not a morning person. There's a nice thing about working for a moment that you get to work in your pajamas.
Speaker 1:
I don't usually look like why are you so bad-ass looking no, seriously like you have such a strong Visual bold brand. Why, Where'd it come from?
Speaker 2:
I can't, I guess. Well, first of all, I am a twin. So, you know, some twins do like to look similar, some like to look completely different. So I, you know, just I was like I wanted to be my own. I hated being called my maiden name's kefir. I hated being called kefir. I'm like no and Kim, you know my sister has her name and everything. So I want to, you know, identify. And then it was also I was younger, having kids, like I was 25, having my first, and so like you're like I'm still in college or feel like you do, and everything. So I just was like you know what, I'm not getting older, but I'm like I want to go for a different haircut.
Speaker 1:
I just like I'm a cool mom.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, exactly all the help. My kids say that I have a mom haircut and I'm like, really you do not know.
Speaker 2:
Well, thanks, not that that's bad but but yeah, I mean, and then I like I had the haircut and then, well, I mean, as I'm getting older, I'm getting grays and everything, so I have to color my hair. So I'm like I'm gonna do something fun. Then, you know, I can get away with it. For now, you know, although it is kind of cool, like where I'm walking around I'm just observing people and I mean I'm seeing women like in their 60s and 70s that are that have really cool colored hair.
Speaker 2:
And I'm like, okay, I'm like they're more trendy than I am.
Speaker 1:
I can pull this off for longer. Exactly, don't worry about yes, when I hit a certain totally. Yeah, no, I love that, thank you. Okay. So, in terms of like, kind of pulling it right back into the real-estate world, what are some of the biggest struggles that you see? Agents Was shamed through like right now, because when you started in 2019, that's a different Market yeah, it was a different market.
Speaker 2:
Yes, it was a different market. I mean, as we know, marketing has changed a lot. You know, like during 2020, everybody's in shut down, so they're playing with their phones and video and all that kind of stuff and it just like changes things. So, you know, I definitely see that. You know agents getting used to it. I definitely see. You know like I'm in the 40 year range and everything, and you know, I talked to my friends in that range and we're all like why am I asking my kids Looks to technology would be, you know, like getting used to, like the new technology and feeling confident using it.
Speaker 2:
You know like we all got into this kind of rut of being comfortable in our you know box and everything and now looking outside of that and I will say that's even the case for me also, you know, trying to get out of that box.
Speaker 2:
You know marketing and then I mean I Do feel like clientele has changed. I was actually having a conversation, quite a few conversations, with different people and everything of people I just feel like are the now now. Now, you know, there's no patience, there's no grace, there's no caring about people's feelings and what they're going through and all of that. And so I feel like agents are, especially the agents that I work with, because I do feel like you attract who you work with and so a lot of the agents that I work with truly care about they're clients. But sometimes they do come across clients that are just like I want nuts and bolts, no nonsense, you know, like why didn't you do this for me, like all that kind of stuff? And yeah, I think that that's. I know it's hard for me to when I'm dealing with you know a client like that you try to be. You know what's the phrase killing with kindness and everything.
Speaker 2:
Because that's hard though it is yeah, but we're all humans and I think that you know we, because we are so digital and everything and Things are done at the drop of a hat using door dash and foods at my door. You know things like that, that the Humanity, the person you know knowing the person is being taken out of that and that's being projected and how they are treating other people, their agents, you know, like the other side, them arguing with the other side and yeah, so very short-sighted when people are very reactionary like that versus thinking right relationship.
Speaker 1:
Why is that long-term, like killing with kindness always, I Feel, has always worked in my favor. Like I've never been disappointed by you know somebody's having a bad day, give them the benefit of the doubt. I do that often, like if I see somebody just kind of either not acting theirself if I know them or they're just. If I don't know them or just kind of be a little bit of a butt.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I'll make up a really, really bad story in my head of like something they're going through. That way, it allows me to excuse the Behavior and still treat them with the respect that I would want to be treated with if I were like Having really bad day and not in my normal state flying.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, absolutely. I actually do something very, very similar because I know that there have been days that I have been short.
Speaker 1:
I mean, normally it's at the expense of my kids, poor things but yeah, I'm not unfortunate that, like, the kids get the short end.
Speaker 2:
I know, I know, but yeah, I do I. Everybody has a story, everybody is going through something. So there was actually well, I haven't actually come up with a word for 2024, but 2023 there was a word that I came up with, which is Sonder, and Sonder means Just knowing that you know, we're all humans and that we are all going through something. And even like the person that's, you know, walking by you on the street, they're going through something, they're thinking through something you know, and it's not a competition, it's not, you know, is what I'm going through more painful than what you're going through? We're all going through something and Treating them with kindness and knowing that they are humans, they are not robots, they are people, they have feelings, and that's important.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, do you ever have a sudden urge to like own hug random strangers?
Speaker 2:
Not hug, but I do. It's funny that you say that because my best friend and I we it's not hugging but we will if I see someone come through, like it was this past August, and this woman walked through this restaurant and I mean she looked amazing and you know, she had like she had put beads on her face and you know I was wearing like leather pants and like this dynamite outfit and I just like she walked by him like you look fabulous. Like I literally told her that and she was like, thanks, it's my birthday. So, yeah, I mean, or like I'm super into games, like I'm a little competitive.
Speaker 2:
But we were out one time and there was this family that was sitting beside us and they were playing this game called five crowns, which is Kind of knew where it came out, like a couple years ago, and I'm like, oh, you play five crowns. Like oh, oh, you should do that strategy. Like, oh, don't do that. Like but yeah, I don't hug people, but yeah, I definitely like just try to break barriers, you know, try to. You know, just, I don't know, I, I know it's nice for me, you know, when someone you know comes up to me, I I do get compliments on my hair, like all the time. So it does. It makes you feel special and why not? Like it's so easy to spread a little bit of joy, like you don't know what you know.
Speaker 1:
Sometimes it's just the little things you know well, I do have this on a nurse to have people. Oh, I'm just gonna like act on my urge. I'll be probably on the news like random lady Assaults people down the street, hugging them. Yeah, no, like I do, I just take influence.
Speaker 2:
I love it.
Speaker 1:
I love these so much. I just want to hug you. Yeah, perfectly random strangers and I'll try to like how would they react?
Speaker 2:
I'm like no, not today. Love it. I think you should, I absolutely think you should, and when you do, you need to punch in the face.
Speaker 1:
I'll bail you out, don't worry I.
Speaker 2:
Put you on speed or you put me on speed, yeah yeah, conversation, yeah, I need to get out. Yeah, I'm a woman of my word, I will do it oh man.
Speaker 1:
Um, where do you feel like overall the industry is going? Because Lately there have been a lot of Lawsuits. Industry changes rules changing, people leaving the business, people joining the business, new brokers, people changing their brokerages, like, how do you see all of this playing out? Because you're kind of looking at it from a different vantage point than the buyer, sellers and the real estate agents.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, this is one thing I'll say about real estate is that we are tough. We weather storms. I mean they've been through you know where people are going through foreclosures and short sales and how do you figure that? I do think that this is another you know, little blip in everything, a little thing to weather and everything. But the biggest thing that I think that myself and real estate agents can is proving their worth, and I do think that they are worth their talent, their time. I mean there is a lot that goes into real estate. There's I mean, I cannot tell you the number of friends that you know come to me. I'm like if they are like do-it-yourselfers and everything, and so if they're coming to me, I mean there's seriously value in the knowledge. I mean my husband likes to talk about how you can the reason why you could go on, like YouTube or whatever to like learn how to like fix a car and everything, but you, it's a lot of money if you mess it up.
Speaker 2:
You know, like that's a lot, that you're out. So you pay the mechanic and everything, not because you don't have the ability to learn it, but he's already got it here, he has the years of experience of doing it. And I think that's the same thing in real estate, like there's so many different nuances or you know so many different ways of just like even lending and knowing who the good lender is and you know who, you know the good title company is and who you want to use as a processor. That's not something you can learn overnight. You know, like in the real estate business, if you're in two years, you're still on the green side, yeah you are you know, and so I think that there's a lot of value in the knowledge that we know.
Speaker 2:
That still is a huge benefit to both buyers and sellers. You know, even sellers like knowing how to stage a property and you know how to. You know the curb appeal and all of that and walking through and the hand holding and all of that, and I really don't see it, you know, like. I know that some things are getting automated, but I do think that with a little bit of tweaking it's still going to be a very valuable service to you know, I agree 100%.
Speaker 1:
I think I think the industry and the value that a good agent provides because, like all industries, are the ones that are really trying to get by with a very minimum and hopefully this the current market will read them out, because it's not good for the industry, is not good for the clients, it's not good for the other professionals that are going above and beyond. So there's those people and they think that's where a lot of the crap that happens is because of bad decisions from a very small percentage of agents. But then, yeah, the ones that really know their stuff. They make the experience flawless, they help the savvy seller or buyer make better decisions because they've got more information, that they're guided, they're a true advisor and I don't think that's going anywhere, whether it's real estate or financial services.
Speaker 2:
It's just the same thing that was on my brain too, like financial planning for sure. Yeah, it's complicated. There's a lot of things we don't know. You know, and it's not something that you can just YouTube and pick it up and all of that. It really just comes from experiences and you know, like trial by fire. Essentially, you know.
Speaker 1:
And it's like those things that just pop up last minute where, like you know, plan for that. There's a YouTube video that's going to walk you through it.
Speaker 2:
Right, exactly.
Speaker 1:
So you can have like tough situations, what's been like one of the biggest, like oh my gosh, either that was a huge mistake or really tough life moment. But thank God I went through it, because now I'm got thicker skin or got another experience that I can make better judgments on the future.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I mean, we're all human, we make mistakes. There have been mistakes that I have done of, you know, putting my foot in my mouth, you know, occasionally and it's embarrassing, you feel your heart race, you know, you feel your face get flushed and everything, and but going through it is a humbling process and just taking ownership, you know, like that I mean it's hard but just, yeah, I made a mistake, I did that. I. That wasn't what I intended to do, you know. But that doesn't that's not an excuse for how it affected you and you know I. And then figuring out, okay, what can I do to safeguard that I don't do this again? You know, I mean simple things such as, you know, just even putting a listing in an MLS and everything. And you know, putting something in there, putting something in there accidentally or whatever. It wasn't my intention to do that and fortunately it's never been anything terrible.
Speaker 2:
But I also am someone who likes to have a certain type of caliber of service and you know I just don't like doing it. I mean, I guess that's not like super tough. I mean, probably the toughest one was going from being salary commission to commission or going from salary to commission, and that was really hard and the negative self talk that you give yourself of can I really do this? You know, are people really going to respond or people really going to like me? You know, is, you know, am I just a fraud? Am I, you know, like all the negative self talk that goes through your head?
Speaker 2:
So, and personal, because I'm such a, I'm such a, you know where, personal, I try to not let personal go into professional, but sometimes, yeah, absolutely, and you go through hard things and you know how do you. You know dealing with grief, dealing with death, you know all those kinds of things. And you know how do you be real, because I don't like being fake, I don't like being pretending that I'm happy. You know, I don't want to be the Debbie Downer either. So you know that's, quite honestly, has probably been the biggest, you know, hurdle is making sure that I'm being authentic and sharing, because I do think that it's important for my agents to know what's going on with me, but I also don't want it to be the demise of my business, their business, nikki's business, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:
So yeah, it's a balancing act.
Speaker 1:
It is we all go through at some point in our journey. I'm kind of going through it right now. So, yeah, have me to end up on the better end of it, which I think we all will, as long as we keep getting better and better, yeah, and all that and stuff, but in terms of like, in terms of you know, I know for me, when I'm talking to people and I ask like, just like team members or like somebody that I want to either join my team or somebody that I want to do business with in some way, and if they're like, I mean just things have been great, you know, like there's no, and I kind of want you to have already messed up.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
If you're already messed up, you learn the lessons from that. And then you're coming in and you're like I think that's wrong, Like our team, when somebody does something like and it's like what do we learn from? It yeah Like great, so that's not going to happen again.
Speaker 2:
That's the only thing that you can do, like I mean you can't go back in time, you can't reverse it, you know you can only learn from it or hope that someone wants to learn from it. I really hate the people that are kind of like I made a mistake, whatever they'll deal with it, and like I'm like where's the ownership? Like it's on you, like you did that, like maybe they did need to do something else, maybe they needed to communicate something else different. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a part that you can also change about yourself and become a better employee, a better boss, a better you know mom, a better you know. Whatever it is, I agree.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I'm a big believer in take responsibility for everything and that works some people the wrong way, but because then I have control of it. If I say it's not my fault, well, now I can't change anything. I want to know that if that situation happens again, like you know, I have some way of making sure, essentially, that it doesn't happen again. Right, and that won't happen. If I'm like, oh, it's their fault, right, that happened because it was a bad client, it's like, no, no, no, no, no, no, you didn't educate them, they weren't prepared.
Speaker 1:
Like, there's a lot of things that you know I could have done to make sure that this was a better experience for both parties, absolutely Okay. So, just in kind of wrapping this up here, tell me what, like, if you have one piece of advice that you could share with the world, a life experience that you went through, or a piece of advice that you feel like a realist, you know what. Actually, before we get into that, lil, I'm going to ask you to edit this part in at the beginning. Okay, sorry, can you tell me what you do?
Speaker 2:
Oh, yes, so I own a company that does transaction management, where we assist agents with their buyers, with their sellers, making sure that the process from you know contract to close is seamless, or as seamless as possible, making sure that their listings are in the MLS, you know, pretty perfect and marketable for potential buyers. And yeah, that's essentially what we do Awesome.
Speaker 1:
Thank you. I was like we would do this whole conversation. I know what to do, yeah, okay. So what is that one piece of advice that you would give to somebody who's listening to this video? That they could hit close on that video and be like, wow, that's like profound.
Speaker 2:
Well, I do like to be profound, but this is also something that I'm working on myself, it's even better.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it is. Honestly, you know, I was talking about the negative self-talk. Not doing that, being positive about yourself, being at your own cheerleader, not comparing yourself to others. It's so easy to do that. I absolutely do it. I'm getting better. Sometimes I go through rougher spots where it's harder for me to see that I am a good person, that I am a awesome person and everything. It's like. I look back at times in my life and I'm like, oh yeah, like I used to, like, you know, have like an Indian name called awesome bear, like my friends used to call me that, because I like, I don't know, I guess I just emanated it and everything Is that like the care bear.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I guess, yeah, yeah, I guess, yeah, but, yeah, I. But then you go away, you know, like something brings you down and everything, and making sure that you are going back to that piece of yourself that you are. I'm doing good things. I'm not a bad person. You know, I need to as much love as I give to somebody else, because I do really enjoy loving on other people, checking on other people, making sure that they're okay and if they're not okay, letting them know that it's okay that they're not, but then turning around and doing it to myself too.
Speaker 1:
So what do you think that negative, no-transcript Voice comes from?
Speaker 2:
Oh, I mean life experiences that have happened to me, things that people have said, as much. I think that's why I like to say positive things to random strangers all the time, whether or not that sticks in their brains or not. But, as we know, it's so easy for the negative to stick in your brain and I don't feel like enough positive things are said. So that's why I do that. Yeah, because I do feel like there have been negative things that have been said to me and that I replay in my head and all of that.
Speaker 1:
And that's where it mainly comes from Favorite and an exercise when you like, like say those negative things out loud, like write them out loud and like literally confront them no, rather than letting them like live rent free in your head. So like write them out, like either by yourself or with somebody that like loves and supports you through this. And then you guys just like break that down that way, if it tries to like pop up, you're like dude. I already dealt with you Like you don't get to like keep replaying.
Speaker 2:
That's a great exercise. And when you said that cause, you literally said the words rent free and it reminds me the song actually was just released this I'm a big music person, like huge, and it's actually up for a Grammy. But it's called Dear Insecurity and it's you're writing a letter to your insecurities and in one of the lyrics is you know, you're living rent free in my head. So when you said that, I'm like, oh my gosh, this literally is the exercise.
Speaker 1:
You know what I would love to see you do. I would love to challenge you this year to put together an event for real estate agents, cause if I were selling the real estate agent like which I am, but not necessarily doing like the marketing thing world you bring them together and you lead this exercise of writing down the letter addressing, wouldn't that be so cool.
Speaker 2:
That would be really cool. That would absolutely be something that I could 100% get behind. I love it.
Speaker 1:
Thank you so much for being on the show. Thank you for joining me.
