When Craig Powers became a licensed realtor in 2018, he had no way of knowing if it would work out.

“I quickly discovered a passion for the privilege of helping clients buying and selling their homes that I found endlessly gratifying,” Powers said. “I had a chance to play a small part in one of the most impactful transitions in a person’s life through helping them buy or sell a home.”

Powers was able to help his clients by leveraging the lessons he had learned through lifelong sales experience, a relentless can-do mindset, creativity, and teamwork. He started out working in corporate America for many years, specifically in corporate events. The event projects included intricate exhibit fabrication with multiple specialties to design, produce, and then logistically deliver successful projects for his clients nationwide.  The experience of working with events also taught him to have a “The show must go on,” attitude when working with his customers. 

“When we had an event scheduled to start at 9:00, it started at 9:00… not 9:05,” Powers said. “Even if the exhibit pieces shipped to the wrong location or the local staff called out, we made it happen. I learned to think on my feet and solve problems on a national level.”

Powers always had the entrepreneurial itch, so when the industry began to go through changes, he saw it as an opportunity to take his future into his own hands. 

“Throughout my life, I have been a part of many startups, including my parents’ own business,” said Powers. “When I was a child, they owned a retail shop that was attached to our home. Often times, my mother would be making my breakfast or lunch as a customer would lean in from the doorway asking questions. Business was a part of our everyday life.”

After he got out of corporate events, he started a beauty industry tool sharpening and sales business. Working with local salons and pet groomers, Powers built the business from the ground up on his own. “It was a boots-on-the-ground, grassroots sales model that was entirely different than the corporate career I had before. I drove all over the DFW metroplex to visit clients and deliver products,” he said. 

While being in business for himself satisfied his entrepreneurial spirit, he still had a gnawing urge to go into real estate. While he was unsure about how successful he would be, he realized that the knowledge, skills, and abilities from his past business experiences would transfer over well into a real estate career. 

“With my decades of sales experience in corporate events and startup business initiatives, combined with project management and logistics experience, I knew that I understood how to guide the process for clients inside and out,” said Powers. “Also, in my prior business, I spent a decade driving all over the Dallas Fort Worth metro area and I knew the communities and neighborhoods very well. I knew I could always be ahead of the process to help break it down for my clients to ensure they were informed to keep the process seamless.”

 

Ultimately, while it was yet another shift in terms of starting over in a new industry, Powers felt right at home helping his clients do what great salespeople do: solve problems. 

“In real estate, there can be unexpected delays beyond our control with any of the many parties involved in a given transaction,” he said. “My favorite part of being a realtor is searching for, and delivering, the perfect outcome for my clients. Buying or selling a home is a huge transaction, so I make sure my clients are informed and prepared for each step along the way.”

While he’s worked hard to scratch his entrepreneurial itch, Powers hasn’t forgotten to balance his professional ventures with his personal life. 

“As a father of three, not getting the work done was never an option,” he said. “I had responsibilities and wanted to provide my family with the best life possible. I have been blessed with a lot of energy that I have used to do as much as I could in business and at home. While my children were growing up, I was a driving force for them through sports, academics, and church. I coached their soccer and basketball teams and drove them to each event. My children are still a huge part of my life, and I am now a proud grandfather.”

With his children building their own lives, Powers has been able to turn his energy and focus into building a legacy as a real estate broker, but he still takes time to power down and relax. Whenever he’s not working, he enjoys playing golf, exercising, working in the yard, barbequing, hanging out with his family, and watching football. But no matter if he’s trying to lower his golf score or he’s helping his clients find their dream home, Powers has the kind of attitude to keep the show going on and on. 

“If you just keep going and look for how to persevere with action, there will always be a way forward,” he said.