"As a freshman, I played six-on-six basketball," says Danielle Seiftert. "Yes, I'm that old!" she laughs.

Her town of Lone Rock, Iowa, had a population of 150. Her graduating class was 29.

"Going to State in basketball was a high school dream since I was a little girl," she remembers. "When we transitioned to five-on-five, it suddenly seemed obtainable." Her senior year, that dream came true.

"If I think back, this experience set the tone for my 'work hard and you will reach your goals' mentality. The failures along the way are also now some of my sweetest memories. Without that growth, for me and the team, we never would have been able to hang that banner in the gym."

That work ethic has served Danielle well.

She earned her degree in Management Information Systems from Iowa State University. "I quickly learned that sitting in a cubicle all day was not my thing. And when I became in charge of the department potlucks..." she laughs again. "If you know me, potlucks are not my cup of tea."

When she moved to Ankeny, her Realtor quickly became her friend. "She is passionate and fun. Someone that you could easily trust and become a friend with overnight. And we're still great friends."

"I couldn’t do the cube life anymore," Danielle continues. "Since she had become a friend, I asked her about the business and was hooked."

"In 2003, I was pregnant with my oldest —that's the only way I can keep track."

She walked into a broker's office seven months pregnant and in jean overalls. "Who says no to someone who looks like that!" That was where her Realty career began.

"Since then, I have rebuilt my business a couple of times, and that was always scary," she remembers. "One time I was a single mom and had just moved into a new house. Not ideal."

She credits her ability to pivot, continually improve, and overcome to her lessons from childhood and the basketball court. 

"There are always going to be failures. The choice on how to overcome them or not is yours. And the most important thing for me is that, at the end of the day, I know that my kids saw me battle with those difficulties and not give up."

Danielle continues, "I have tried to run my business with the same skills that shaped me in small-town Iowa: relationships matter, be a good person, and do right by those that you come across."

That seems like a good idea, since she has garnered over $1 billion in volume over the last twenty years.

"There isn’t a big story behind it, sorry. I just needed something that would allow me to get away from the potlucks and make a living and interact with people in a positive way. I am a people person and have learned that I thrive on interaction and relationships. Serving my clients and community seems to be the fuel that keeps me going, and I am here for it, twenty years later."

Reflecting, Danielle says, "Look, someday I am not going to be a top producer and I am well aware of that, I hope when I look back I can say that I didn’t leave any of it on the table."

"None of this is worth it if I can’t share what I know," she continues. "The moment I figured out the team structure that worked, there was no looking back. Watching someone else succeed or meet their goals as part of our structure has been one of the most rewarding parts of my business the past several years."

"I just hope every new Realtor remembers that you should never chase the money. Not as an end goal and not on single transactions. If that is ever your goal, I think you will find yourself off balance very quickly."

"I see real estate being a part of my future in some way, shape, or form. Investing, mentoring, and selling at some level will be a part of my life for many years to come."