Shaun McTernan believes in living a meaningful life. He says, “I’m not always sure what my purpose is in the moment, but I know I live a purposeful life.” Having survived a series of pivotal, defining events in his life, he feels blessed to have been given a chance to make some significant changes. 

Born and raised in Manchester, NH, Shaun moved to Bluffton with his wife, Marina, in 2004. Married 22 years, they are partners in life and business, raising soon-to-be 16-year-old Kaley and 13-year-old Caleb, while managing The McTernan Team at The Alliance Group Realty. Their goal is to eventually retire comfortably while ensuring that their children live life to their fullest potential. Of Marina, Shaun declares, ”My wife compliments me, as her strengths are my weaknesses, and that is why we make such a great team!”

Shaun started his career in IT with an Authorized Apple Reseller and was lucky to be trained by Apple to become an Apple Systems Engineer. He was then recruited by a public technology company to manage their customer service and tech support departments, then moved into Product Management and Business Development, before progressing up to Vice President of WW Sales and Marketing. Shaun has always had an interest in real estate. “I started investing in stocks and real estate in my early 20s and learned a lot during the .com and housing bubble!” 

Shaun’s path has been paved by challenges. Though he often wonders why, his meeting in California on September 11, 2001, was canceled. He was to fly from Boston’s Logan Airport to Los Angeles. He doesn’t like to talk about it but feels he was given the gift of a second chance at life that day. Shaun always strives to give back to humankind in gratitude. Many years later, life as a workaholic was beginning to take its toll on him physically and emotionally. His next great challenge presented itself. 

Shaun has always struggled with his weight. Last year he was working seven days a week and burning the candle at both ends. He says, “I wasn’t taking care of myself, and it was having a major impact on my health.” Overweight and diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure, he was told by his doctor that he had some serious choices to make. During a routine surgery for hernia repair, things took an ominous turn and what should have been an outpatient procedure turned into a week in the hospital and a month’s recovery at home. 

“I had a lot of time to think about how fragile life is.” Shaun made the difficult decision to take time off during one of the busiest times in real estate to devote himself to getting his health in order. Last summer, he started on his journey and is proud to say he has lost 65 pounds to date, is no longer diabetic, and has lowered his blood pressure. Healthy eating, abstinence from alcohol, and regular exercise have given him a new lease on life. “Success means nothing if you don’t have your health.” Shaun says he’s been to many seminars focused on work/life balance, but until it hits home many people don’t take it seriously. 

The most rewarding part of his business is helping people. He is heavily involved as board member of the Hilton Head Area REALTORS® (HHAR) for the last seven years, was president last year, and is a Crystal R RPAC investor. Shaun believes that honesty, transparency, and caring for others are the biggest reasons for his success. 

He says, “It’s quite simple; I truly care for others, treat everyone with respect, and give continuously without expecting anything in return. This guarantees a good life and success!” When building a team, he says it’s important to hire slowly, fire quickly, and as the team leader, always be the practitioner so the team can operate as support. “I can always learn from my mistakes; success is mostly learning what NOT to do rather than knowing what to do. I don’t expect to be number one or the best at anything, but I am always successful because I give it my all.”