How many years have you been a REALTOR®? four years

What is your career volume as a REALTOR®? $16M

What was your total volume last year? $3M

 

I began my journey in the real estate industry in 2018 as an assistant, where I had the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the business. After gaining valuable experience and knowledge, I decided to pursue my own real estate license and officially began selling in 2019. I have since been dedicated to providing exceptional service to my clients and am passionate about helping them achieve their real estate goals.

 

Prior to becoming a REALTOR®, I spent almost 20 years in the restaurant industry. I worked in the service industry during my high school years, while pursuing my degree in Exercise Science at Montana State University (Go Bobcats!), and even afterward. While I had a few other random jobs throughout the years, I always found myself gravitating back to restaurant life because I truly enjoyed working in a social and customer service-oriented environment (and, lets be honest, I love FOOD). This experience has actually translated seamlessly into my current career in real estate, as customer service and building relationships with clients is such an integral part of what we do as REALTORS®.

 

While I truly enjoyed working in restaurants and everything that it entailed, I found that the late nights and being away from my family during evenings and weekends weren't sustainable in the long run. The physical demands of the job also took a toll on my body, and I realized that it wasn't something I wanted to continue doing indefinitely. Additionally, I had no interest in pursuing a master's degree to advance in my previous career path.

I knew it was time for a change, and that's when the universe led me to real estate. I am very social, I've always had a passion for working with people and providing next-level customer service, and real estate allows me to do just that while also having the flexibility and autonomy to build a successful career on my own terms. I'm grateful for the journey that has led me to where I am today and am excited about the future opportunities that lie ahead in the real estate industry.

 

I'm passionate about real estate for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I love being able to help clients achieve their goals, whether it's finding their dream home, selling their property so they can move on to the next stage of their life, or investing in real estate for the first time. Currently, I am in a position where I am responsible for growing my brokerage here in Coeur d'Alene and being a part of something from the ground up really excites me both professionally and on a creative level. 

I also have a deep appreciation for the beauty of homes and architecture, and I find it incredibly fun to tour and showcase properties to my clients. I love being able to highlight the unique features and design elements of each home and help my clients envision themselves living in that space.

Finally, I appreciate the freedom that a career in real estate offers. It allows me to build my own business and work on my own terms while also providing the flexibility to balance my work and personal life. Real estate is a truly fulfilling and rewarding career in all aspects and I definitely have found my calling.  

For me, the most rewarding part of my business is the relationships that I get to build and the people I am fortunate enough to meet! I feel a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that I've played a part in helping my clients and team achieve their dreams and goals. I would say most of my clients start out as strangers and end up as great friends, and I am so grateful for that. 

On a personal level, building a business that I am truly passionate about has been incredibly fulfilling. Real estate provides me with the opportunity to work on my own terms, set my own schedule, and create a business that aligns with my values and goals. I take great pride in the work that I do and in being able to provide exceptional service to my clients. There's nothing quite like the feeling of seeing a satisfied client at the end of a successful transaction, and that's what keeps me motivated and excited about the future of my business.

 

There is a definite sense of freedom that comes along with a career in real estate, and with that freedom, there is a higher sense of self-discipline.  I think the biggest challenge was one that any person coming from a traditional job to an entrepreneurial one has, and that is managing your time as a business owner. Getting the systems in place to be successful and developing a daily process that looks so very different from the one you were used to was challenging for sure in the beginning. Luckily, I was surrounded by people who were willing and able to teach me these skills and I continue to learn new things every single day. 

True success is when you find that your work and life fills you with so much satisfaction and joy that when your head hits the pillow each night, you eagerly look forward to the next day, excited to do it all over again.

 

We are a bunch of lake-loving foodies who love to travel and take in concerts and comedy shows.  We love adventures, enjoying life’s simple pleasures, and making long-lasting memories together. Our life consists of laughter, movie quotes, and family gatherings, and we (maybe just me?) love silly things like matching Christmas morning pajamas and fancy birthday cake pancakes on our special days. We are constantly mastering what it looks like to be a blended family and are very fortunate to have each other to rely on throughout the ups and downs of what life brings us.

 

My taste in music is very eclectic and dependent on my mood. I absolutely love attending concerts and have seen everyone from Garth Brooks to Lady Gaga. As far as books go, I just finished the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, but I often love to read personal development and entrepreneurial material as well. Audible has become a close friend of mine as I spend much of my time in my car! 

Engel & Volkers is heavily involved in support of the Special Olympics. Advisors are given the opportunity to donate a portion of our commissions from each transaction to the organization, which is a fantastic way to give back in a large collective and impactful way.  

My college career was not unfounded, as I really do love to be in the gym whether it be running, lifting weights, or hot yoga. In the summertime, I enjoy boating, paddleboarding and swimming, or anything water related really. Growing up in Northwest Montana, I was fortunate enough to always have a lake, river, or hot springs within a stone’s throw and my love of natural water has absolutely carried through to adulthood. Ultimately, my happy place is smack dab in the middle of a lake surrounded by mountains. I also am very interested in personal development and the mind-body connection, so I find myself down that rabbit hole often, too. 

 

Real estate is not an easy job. It takes passion, determination, fortitude, and a thick skin to be successful. You can’t take things personally, you must show up every day and treat your career like a career, and you have to remember that nothing in real estate is an “emergency” although some days it definitely can feel that way. It is absolutely a testament to self-discipline, but if you can establish good work habits and maintain focus, real estate can take you to amazing places!

Also, real estate is a lot like dating in the sense that you really need to “shop around” to find the right brokerage that is the best fit for YOU. There are many options out there, each one is the right place for somebody, and different ones may be right for you at different parts of your career. Do your research, interview lots of brokerages, and find the one that speaks to you and your soul personally. Feeling excited and energized by your team and its culture is arguably the most important part of finding your “home."

I absolutely love my job. I feel like I have found my calling, and my home, and am genuinely excited to be a part of this wonderful community of professionals. I am constantly learning every day from those around me and truly feel supported in whatever I do. “Iron Sharpens Iron” so to speak, and the collaborative relationships we are able to build with each other are key to our success. 

Real estate is a relationship business. Life is a relationship business. As long as we learn to cherish, be grateful for, and support each other and our relationships, we are all capable of unbelievably wonderful things.

 

I recently had the pleasure of hearing Diana Nyad speak (if you don’t know who she is, she is a powerhouse,  please look her up!) and she said this:

“No matter what you do—winning, losing, all the territory in between—do it every single day so you couldn't do it a fingernail better. No regrets.”

I hope I am remembered for never giving up, and living every day so that I couldn’t have done it even a fingernail better than I did.