"It was actually my wife Krista’s idea," says Aaron O'Tool. "She knows me better than I know myself. One day she told me that I should just own my own business and I laughed."

That was just over three years ago.

Born and raised in Osceola, Iowa, Aaron grew up learning that he loved helping people. After graduating from high school, he played basketball at Central College in Pella and then transferred to Iowa State University to earn his degree in History.

From there, he taught and coached for Clarke Community High School in Osceola before moving to Omaha, Nebraska, to become a bartender and help manage a couple of pubs and restaurants downtown. "After a couple of years," he says, "I wanted to get back to Central Iowa. So I took a position teaching Economics at Des Moines East High School."

Everyone has gone through school, which makes everyone think they are experts on education. But it's nearly impossible to understand how difficult and stressful teaching is unless you've done it. "It's difficult to do a job that has somehow become completely thankless. Educators have become a focus of public blame, and it's really pushing good people out of the profession."

After two years in Des Moines, six years total, Aaron simply burned out. "I was gone from seven in the morning until dark almost every day and didn’t have much energy for my family. Grading work, prepping for school, scouting opponents and prepping to coach the kids took so much time away from my personal life and family." Aaron coached football, girls' and boys' basketball, golf, tennis, and baseball.

Aaron's wife, Krista, was self-employed and owned Studio 7 Salon and Spa in Ames. It was her idea to take a break from teaching, "She acknowledged that I work better autonomously," Aaron says.

"I passed my Real Estate exam during Spring Break of 2020," he chuckles. "Yeah. Then everything shut down from COVID-19."

His biggest challenge hit early. "I hate cold calling, so it made me sick to make these calls. But I kept doing it. I’d have to hype myself up in between calls. It sucked. I was able to get some appointments and got a couple of listings, but it was a struggle!"

"Thankfully, I get enough business through other avenues, now, "he laughs. " I should still be cold calling but it's hard for me to sell my services over the phone. I'd rather just have a conversation to see if we'd vibe so that is the difficult part for me."

"There are only so many milestones we have to look forward to in our lifetime," notes Aaron, "graduating, getting that first job, big promotions, getting engaged, getting married, having a kid, and purchasing a home has to be up there with being one of the biggest milestones. I get to be a part of that decision multiple times a year!"

The thrill of helping others through that milestone, along with the joy of creating and fostering new relationships really got Aaron hooked. "I never say no, which I know isn’t sustainable for the longevity of this career but I believe it has been key to early success."

And that early success is now allowing him to grow and expand. "We're getting ready to rebrand, so stay tuned," he says.

"We are looking to bring agents onto the team and would love to meet anybody that’s looking for a change! Minimally, I’d love for people to reach out to chat about business and life.