In the mid 1980’s I was in high school and my father was a sales manager for a pipe and valve distributor. It was during my Junior and Senior years that my dad also became involved in actively learning how to manage and motivate a team. Dad had always been a coach at heart.His college degree was in physical education and he was heavily involved in baseball, golf and later in life as a competitive marathoner. Motivating yourself or one individual is different than bringing an entire team of individuals together. His company was also on a path to take their organization to the next level.

My Dad was so excited about this new opportunity and challenge. I remember when he started to bring home the books he was reading. When he finished each book it would go on the bookshelf or coffee table in the family room. The first book I picked up was “Gung Ho!” By Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles and I laughed at the title. At first I started reading out of curiosity and a desire to know more about what my Dad was involved in at work. I did not really understand the context of this book. I certainly did not have the work experience to apply to the story. But the next book I picked up was Tom Peters, “A Passion for Excellence”. This book was a game changer for me and really gave me insight into what my Dad was trying to do at work. I was also forever hooked on reading books on leadership and understanding interpersonal dynamics. I still love John C. Maxwell, Zig Ziglar, Dale Carnegie and other new thought leaders like Brene’ Brown, Marianne Williamson, and Jen Sincero.

I knew many of the salesmen and their families because Dad and Mom had them over to the house for dinners and special occasions on a regular basis. Many of these people have become close family friends to this day. If you asked them they would all tell you that my father was a leader and great mentor in both their personal and business lives. Over the years I’ve heard many of their stories and you can see the deep friendship, trust and respect they have for Dad.

I suppose I’ve always been in sales of some sort, whether I was waiting tables or I was supporting the PTA’s fundraiser efforts. It wasn’t until my mid 30’s after a divorce that I had the real opportunity to start selling. My current husband and champion thinks “I could sell milk to a cow and then get the cow to sell milk to the herd.”  He encouraged me to start selling real estate and I dove in headfirst. The water was great and I became very successful. I made more money than I could have ever imagined myself making. But what I was drawn to was teaching other agents how to be successful in business. I soon went from top producer to Sales Manager.

I am very proud to say that I have followed in my father’s footsteps. I created a culture and environment that my staff and agents loved to work in. I supported their growth and development and watched them flourish. I have been there for them during their times of personal struggles, sicknesses, divorces, births and triumphs. I won awards and received accolades from my peers and local leaders. But what I am most proud of are the opportunities that I created for others and the impact it had on them personally and professionally. This is especially true for the many women I’ve coached that couldn’t see the talents they possessed and felt insecure as they began their real estate careers. Watching them grow in confidence and finding their way to a successful career was extremely rewarding.

The world of real estate does not lend itself to long term working relationships like my father enjoyed with his career. It is a world of independent contractors that frequently move between companies for one reason or another as their business needs or lives change. This has even come to pass for myself. My focus at the moment is my family and their changing needs. My father passed away very suddenly in 2016 and after 52 years of marriage the love of caring for my mom has been given to me.

Currently I’m busy finding ways to support and help my mom and children. I admit I miss my adoring fans from my days as a sales manager and coach.  It’s not quite the same working for your family.  They just expects you to be there and be awesome at everything.  Nevertheless, I feel blessed and appreciative to have the chance now to spend this time with Mom, Liam and Lila. In the next few years I hope our family will expand to include grandchildren.  And when the moment is right I’ll expand further back into the world of helping others in some way.  Gung Ho!