Fill your soul
Surround yourself with people who fill you up
Cultivate your relationships
Do your best
Commit to becoming a better human everyday
Continue to Learn
Work your mind and body everyday
Wake up early
Elevate others
Execute
Live Courageously
As I start this new venture, I’ve been asked “why did you start your own brokerage?”
HERE’S WHY:
AUGUST 8, 2016
On August 8, 2016 my world changed forever…
The malaise of summer started to set in as my family realized there were four more weeks left in the summer break. Up until that point, the summer had been uneventful. The kids were getting bored and I was ready for us to take a vacation.
After showing properties, I pulled into the driveway as my husband returned from walking the dogs. I rolled down the window to say hello. He didn’t look himself. A short time later after a trip to the Urgent Care and preliminary tests, he was admitted to the hospital. The results of an endoscopy revealed my husband Chris, had a cancerous tumor in his duodenum. The Dr. kept saying, “I am so sorry.” Chris had gone back to get the test laughing with the nurses telling them that he was going to sell them a plane. When he woke up, I was by his bed crying.
I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. How could this be? My husband is only 48 years old. He is in shape, he takes care of himself, this doesn’t make sense. Cancer doesn’t discriminate.
WHEN BUYING A HOUSE YOU ARE INVESTING IN A COMMUNITY
When I couldn’t breathe or think and barely function this incredible thing happened－my community of friends and family lifted us like a wave. There was food at our door every day and texts, calls, workout partners, flowers, plants, playdates for the kids, all too numerous to count. All of this allowed my husband to focus on getting better while we focused on supporting him. I say that people don’t buy a house, they invest in a community. I felt my amazing community in action.
My husband used to say when people asked if we were going to find out about the gender of our babies when I was pregnant “Life gives you one surprise that you actually want, so we are going to embrace that surprise.” We never found out the gender of our two children before they arrived. Now, we were on the other side of life’s surprises.
My husband had major surgery, called the “whipple.” We are lucky to live in an area where we have access to the top doctors who specialize in this surgery.
I didn’t realize at the time that cancer is not a one-time event.
THE POWER OF MINDSET
For two years after being diagnosed, my husband was in and out of the hospital for a variety of issues as a result of his surgery. And when I thought he was out of the woods, it started all over again. They found lesions in his liver. More tests ensued.
Miraculously when we went in for the appointment to determine when the biopsy would take place, all the lesions had disappeared. The oncologist didn’t believe the results when she saw the scan. My husband said that he believes the mind has the power to heal. It was like the end of the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy realizes she always had the power to go home. This was one of the single best days of our lives.
After two years of my husband being in and out of the hospital and three incredibly difficult months for our family waiting for what we thought was an inevitable cancer diagnosis, my husband is completely clear of cancer.
REFLECTION INTO ACTION
A friend shared with me the best thing and the worst thing about me is that I am an optimist. This optimism has gotten me through the highest highs and the lowest lows. I believe that you have to feel both to truly appreciate life. I now know when something unexpected and traumatic happens, you can’t help but take a look at your life. As my husband says, your aperture gets very small. As part of my reflection process, I looked at the 18 years that I have spent building my real estate career. I looked at my life in a new light.
I had been dreaming of expanding ModernJones into a real estate brokerage for many years, so what was I waiting for? I have amazing clients, many of who are lifelong friends and were integral in the wave that lifted me and my family during this difficult time. I saw an opportunity in an industry where 54% of the agents are women, but very few own brokerages. I saw clients going through major life decisions who want to be heard, were overwhelmed by the process and wanted a professional who they could trust to look after their interests. I saw clients struggle to find the time to keep up with life’s regularly scheduled events let alone add selling their largest asset. I saw my fellow agents working tirelessly for their clients with little time for themselves outside of work. I saw a generation of people who were trying to capture more time in their lives to do what they want to do, whether it be spending time traveling, taking up a hobby, working, going to school, or being with their friends or family. I envisioned ModernJones as a reality. My husband’s experience fighting cancer made me realize I had the power to make it happen.
My Why is driven by my desire to
• START MY OWN BROKERAGE to be the wave to lift my clients through the largest purchase in their lives while often navigating other major life transitions.
• PROVIDE A SERVICE that gives my clients more time to focus on what is most important to them.
• CURATE A REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE BEYOND EXPECTATION.
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