"It’s crazy to see it now —looking in the rearview mirror," says Andria Lang, "but my whole life led me to being a realtor without me knowing it. As a matter of fact, I remember as a kid seeing realtor signs thinking, 'who would want to do that as their job?'" she laughs.  "And here I am!"

But, of course, she didn't start here in Iowa. Andria grew up in Crystal Lake, Illinois, the oldest of four. That's where she learned her unbreakable work ethic. "I always hear my dad in my ear telling me to hustle," Andria remembers. "When I played soccer as a kid I was the smallest one on the field: Dad never allowed me to walk, even if it was just practice. I had to run from the car to the field, and when it was halftime I ran to the sideline and back onto the field. I live by hustle."

That's not to say things are easy. She certainly didn't grow up seeing herself in Real Estate. 

After graduating from Iowa State University in 2007, she worked as a development manager for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, then became the Development Director for Prevent Child Abuse Iowa. There was a brief nine-month period in between where she sold mortgages, but that will come back later.

"My main focus at both nonprofits was fundraising. I planned events and helped individuals fundraise for the events and asked companies to sponsor the events all benefiting the cause of the nonprofit." She notes, "I found that building relationships was something I really enjoyed, which is what helped in all areas of those experiences."

She and her husband, Nick —a mortgage lender and loan coordinator with Lincoln Savings Bank— discovered they were pregnant. About six months into the pregnancy Andria came home from work one night and began talking about starting a side hustle selling jewelry for this company that she enjoyed buying from. "My husband looked at me and said, 'Why would you do that? Why wouldn't you sell real estate instead?'"

She had that mortgage background. She was steeped in the world of development —which in reality is selling. It seemed like a no-brainer. Then, "Three months after getting my license, I was laid off from my nonprofit job and was forced to jump into real estate with both feet. I am so happy I was forced to take the plunge to be full-time because this is ultimately where I was meant to be." 

"There are a ton of ways to do this business and to do it well," she says. She notes that competition is a good thing for your inner fire. She also reminds us that everyone’s goal is the same, so we should work together to make it happen. She also warns us, "It’s easy to lose your way in this business. But if you can be a good person and do the right thing, it will keep you right and pay off."

Andria is proof that a focus on your own authenticity and belief in yourself and your values pays off.

After her first child Landon (6) was born, Andria and Nick went through a particularly difficult time. They had to work through some years of multiple miscarriages. "I felt like it was defeating," she remembers.

"I needed a way to redirect my energy into something I could control. Selling real estate is where that energy went, and the rest of my energy soaked into my faith. I learned so much about my strength, how much peace I can find during my darkest times through my faith, and that I can do anything I put my mind to."

Their second child, Ryann (3) was born after that struggle. And Brooks (9 months) was "a surprise to everyone!"

"There are things that sometimes happen that we have no control over. That's what I've discovered. In Real Estate, sometimes I am just the messenger which automatically makes me the bad guy and I hate that! I want everyone to be happy with me, but sometimes I just have to take the punches."

Having said that, Andria notes, "Being a realtor is the core of who I am. It takes my education, my hobbies, my past, my dreams and combines it into one."

"The market is changing which means —as a Realtor— I need to change how I run my business. I am recognizing that the 'old way' is not going to work anymore. So, I recently left my builder and switched brokerages, and I am implementing a lot of changes into my business —as well as in me as a human so I can stay in this business for years to come."