How many years have you been a REALTOR?  3

 

What is your career volume?   $ 41,490,550

 

My sister-in-law and I have our own two-person book club, and we’re reading all the Colleen Hoover books.

I love all music. It’s my therapy. I mean, there’s nothing that a good song can’t get you through. My top favorites are Christian and country music.

Back in Louisiana, I was a legal secretary for an attorney’s office. Once I moved to Tennessee, I was an embroiderer at an embroidery shop for a few months, and then I became a server at Dixie Stampede. I loved that—I met so many people from everywhere in the country, and not being from here myself, it helped break me out of my shell.

 

In high school, I job-shadowed a woman who was an interior decorator and real estate agent for a fancy neighborhood. I loved walking through the homes and seeing all the different characteristics. It was an awesome experience, and from there, I always had this dream of becoming a designer and decorator. My ultimate goal is to be an interior designer as well as a REALTOR and to have a storage unit of things I can use to work with clients.

 

In real estate, I started out as a transaction coordinator in a planned neighborhood, and then a sales position opened up. I knew it was something I wanted to do, so I nominated myself for the position. They said, “Get your license, and it’s yours”—so I did!

 

When you’re passionate about what you do and you love helping the people you work with, then all of their wins and successes become your wins and successes, too. I get Christmas cards from people and birth announcements and wedding invitations, and there are lots of cookouts, too.

 

Making a name for myself in this area is a huge accomplishment for me since I’m not from here. Also, being featured as a Rising Star is a huge milestone in my career, as is being named to Knoxville’s “40 Under 40” recently.

 

Not being from Tennessee. When I was getting out of new construction, I didn’t have a sphere to contact. All my friends here were real estate agents. It was really hard not to have people here; I had to start from ground zero to make connections and meet people. After I got my first few clients, it started rolling because those people told their friends and family. I’ve also worked with a lot of people who are relocating, and the fact that I wasn’t from here was actually a good connecting point for a lot of people.

 

Start working your sphere, tell people what you’re doing, and don’t be afraid to work. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and talk to people. You’ve got to be a human before you’re a salesperson; then people will gravitate to you. But you’ve got to gain their trust before you gain their business. Also, find a good brokerage, get a mentor, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

 

Traveling with my family! We love to travel, and we just bought a camper, too. We’re currently on the path of visiting every state in the U.S.

 

You can’t be too hard on yourself or compare yourself to others too much. Someone may be doing more business than you, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t successful, too. Don’t let your self-worth be based on other people—you are your business.