“Kaya is both a huge priority and the best distraction,” says REALTORⓇ Chris Engelmann about his newborn daughter. “By that I mean she’s a big part of why I hope work goes well now. I still have to admit that popping into the nursery just to see her for a feeding or a diaper change definitely slows down my responsiveness to emails.”

Chris, who is about to start his eighth year as a REALTOR®, has seen many changes in his life and business. But none have been bigger than little Kaya. Almost exactly a year ago, Chris and his wife, Brittney, celebrated their wedding day. They scheduled a vacation in Costa Rica for that November, but by then, they had found out they were expecting and had to adjust some of their plans at the resort.

“Before, I had made many jokes about a honeymoon baby,” says Chris, chuckling. “Brittney would say, ‘You better not ruin Costa Rica for me!’ Now we say that I made one too many wise cracks.”

Most of the pregnancy was routine for Brittney. At around the third trimester, however, Brittney’s neurological condition caused her some difficulties. 

“We were both fearful of how it might jeopardize the baby’s health,” recalls Chris. “Praise God, Kaya is healthy. Britt had pretty intense fatigue [in the last trimester] and it was a real mental battle for her. Our family and church community were very supportive during this time.”

As the birth got closer, Chris began to consider what other preparations were needed. He had been considering changing brokerages and leaving an employment model with provided health coverage. Expecting a baby made this move a little more daunting, but considering how it might be more difficult to make a switch later spurred him to act. Chris became a member of Keller Williams ONEChicago at the beginning of the year, and he worked to close deals up till Brittney’s due date.

“A number of my spring clients teased me about closing before May,” recalls Chris. “I reassured them I would still be working. Fortunately, a flurry of activity in the few months prior [to the birth] concluded with closed sales, which left me with a lighter appointment load right as Kaya was born and for about a month after. I couldn’t have timed that if I’d tried.”

On May 26, 2024, Kaya made her appearance, weighing 6 lbs., 4 oz. Though they had a list of several names to choose from, Brittney let Chris make the final call after delivery. 

“I actually stumbled onto the name ‘Kaya’ on a church website some clients had mentioned,” says Chris. “It’s a different spelling of the word chaya, the feminine form of the Hebrew word for ‘life.’”

“After one of our baby appointments, we jotted down every name we liked over breakfast,” he remembers. “Kaya stayed at the top of the list—it was one of the few names we both really liked. When I held Kaya for the first time, I remember barely being able to say her name because I was so choked up.”

Since Kaya’s arrival, it’s taken more coordination and communication between Chris and Brittney for him to keep appointments and serve clients. He’ll catch himself in the nursery longer than planned, fascinated with seeing little Kaya grow and change, and then he’ll remember he has other dad duties and work to keep up with. Juggling dad life and his still-establishing business has been a welcome challenge Chris looks forward to improving through the rest of this year and beyond.

“I’m excited after this year’s shift to be more entrepreneurial and to focus on cultivating long-term client relationships,” Chris says. “It’s fun to have a challenge beyond the everyday brokering of deals where I have gained a lot of experience. With that, I’m trying to stay anchored and just ask which clients most need my help right now.”

Chris enthusiastically embraces and feels energized his new mix of responsibilities, despite the normal, accompanying anxieties and uncertainties. 

“Having a baby, especially for the first time, is a big, scary process filled with uncertainty around factors you can’t control or even discover as early as you want to,” he reflects. “The best approach is to take it day by day and week by week. As a person of faith, I recommend going to God in prayer with those anxieties and to also let others support you.”

“It’s easy to subconsciously avoid larger changes because we like to be comfortable,” he adds. “That’s not all bad, but at the same time, don’t be afraid of them. You’ll find what you need to adapt if you don’t try to do it all on your own.”